Catherine Bennett
@cfbennett.bsky.social
Freelance journalist and translator based in Paris. Writing about France, travel, culture, cities, heritage, tech for BBC, the Guardian, Apollo, the Washington Post, Wired, Art Basel, MIT Tech Review, etc.
My latest piece for @artbasel.bsky.social took me 6 metres underground, to the legendary nightclub designed by David Lynch. It is just as jarring an experience as one of his films, with spooky floor lighting, weird sculptures and endless mirrors. Have a peek inside ⤵️ www.artbasel.com/stories/sile...
Step inside Silencio, Paris's legendary club designed by David Lynch
Shaped by the late filmmaker’s cinematic vision, it has become a haven for artists like Pharrell Williams, Kendrick Lamar, and Dua Lipa
www.artbasel.com
September 12, 2025 at 2:28 PM
My latest piece for @artbasel.bsky.social took me 6 metres underground, to the legendary nightclub designed by David Lynch. It is just as jarring an experience as one of his films, with spooky floor lighting, weird sculptures and endless mirrors. Have a peek inside ⤵️ www.artbasel.com/stories/sile...
Forget Othello - Venice had a connection to Africa long before Shakespeare. I went to explore African Venice, and meet the people reviving the city’s Black history. In @washingtonpost.com now! www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2025/...
The hidden history of Africans in Venice
Venice's history of African influence is revealed through its art, architecture and cultural exchange.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 8, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Forget Othello - Venice had a connection to Africa long before Shakespeare. I went to explore African Venice, and meet the people reviving the city’s Black history. In @washingtonpost.com now! www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2025/...
Walk through the Marais with me in this guide I wrote for Art Basel. I used to live in this eclectic Paris neighbourhood, and loved revisiting old haunts and discovering new favourites for the piece! www.artbasel.com/stories/airb...
The art, architecture, and hidden gardens of Paris’s most storied district
In the Marais old-world charm meets contemporary culture, from blue chip galleries to cafés, boutiques, and some of the best Airbnbs in Paris
www.artbasel.com
July 24, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Walk through the Marais with me in this guide I wrote for Art Basel. I used to live in this eclectic Paris neighbourhood, and loved revisiting old haunts and discovering new favourites for the piece! www.artbasel.com/stories/airb...
I spoke to collector Nicoletta Fiorucci in her magnificent palazzo overlooking the Grand Canal about what collecting means to her, why she champions young artists, and what she hopes to do with her foundation's new art space in Venice. www.artsy.net/article/arts...
Why Nicoletta Fiorucci Loves Living with Art that Takes Risks
Art has been a core part of Nicoletta Fiorucci’s life, from Old Masters to emerging artists.
www.artsy.net
July 23, 2025 at 5:16 PM
I spoke to collector Nicoletta Fiorucci in her magnificent palazzo overlooking the Grand Canal about what collecting means to her, why she champions young artists, and what she hopes to do with her foundation's new art space in Venice. www.artsy.net/article/arts...
Venice's first kunsthalle-style art centre has opened in a historic building in the heart of the city. I went to SMAC's opening in May for Travel + Leisure. www.travelandleisure.com/historic-ven...
This Historic Building in Venice Hasn’t Been Open to the Public in 500 Years—Now You Can Visit
Part of a historical building in Venice's most famous square is opening to the public for the first time in centuries.
www.travelandleisure.com
May 21, 2025 at 10:38 AM
Venice's first kunsthalle-style art centre has opened in a historic building in the heart of the city. I went to SMAC's opening in May for Travel + Leisure. www.travelandleisure.com/historic-ven...
I reviewed the Pinault Collection’s monographic show at Punta della Dogana for Apollo and loved it: his economy of gesture as well as his grotesque sculptures and fairytale creatures. Schütte can do it all, it seems. If you’re in Venice, go!
www.apollo-magazine.com/thomas-schut...
www.apollo-magazine.com/thomas-schut...
The effortless unease of Thomas Schütte | Apollo Magazine
The sculptor’s grotesque figures and expressive faces reflect us back to ourselves in uncomfortable and witty ways, writes Catherine Bennett
www.apollo-magazine.com
May 19, 2025 at 2:56 PM
I reviewed the Pinault Collection’s monographic show at Punta della Dogana for Apollo and loved it: his economy of gesture as well as his grotesque sculptures and fairytale creatures. Schütte can do it all, it seems. If you’re in Venice, go!
www.apollo-magazine.com/thomas-schut...
www.apollo-magazine.com/thomas-schut...
What's coming up in the art world internationally? I wrote about some of this year's must-see spring shows for Artsy - obviously it was very hard to whittle it down! www.artsy.net/article/arts...
10 Must-See International Museum Exhibitions This Spring
As spring months arrive, these are the standout museum shows to watch out for across the globe.
www.artsy.net
April 14, 2025 at 2:34 PM
What's coming up in the art world internationally? I wrote about some of this year's must-see spring shows for Artsy - obviously it was very hard to whittle it down! www.artsy.net/article/arts...
Europe's former smuggling capital lies on the border between Slovenia and Italy. I went to Gorizia and Nova Gorica to learn about how these two communities are starting to put the darker parts of their past behind them. Out in @thetimes.com now! www.thetimes.com/travel/desti...
The capital of culture — and smuggling — that straddles two countries
An invisible border divides Gorizia, in Italy, and Slovenia’s Nova Gorica. Experience their intriguing history in museums, a Kipling trail, and an interactive escape tour
www.thetimes.com
April 1, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Europe's former smuggling capital lies on the border between Slovenia and Italy. I went to Gorizia and Nova Gorica to learn about how these two communities are starting to put the darker parts of their past behind them. Out in @thetimes.com now! www.thetimes.com/travel/desti...
Uzbekistan's main draw is, of course, the history of the Silk Road. But the Uzbek government's hunger for visitors risks damaging the heritage that is bringing them there in the first place. Read my latest for the BBC: www.bbc.com/travel/artic...
'It risks becoming a Venice in the desert': The dark side of Uzbekistan's tourism boom
The Uzbekistan government is on an ambitious tourism drive – but is sparring with heritage experts over how to protect its historical sites.
www.bbc.com
February 12, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Uzbekistan's main draw is, of course, the history of the Silk Road. But the Uzbek government's hunger for visitors risks damaging the heritage that is bringing them there in the first place. Read my latest for the BBC: www.bbc.com/travel/artic...
A few weeks before Christmas, I wrote this piece for Art Basel about Notre-Dame's reopening - and some of the secrets inside its walls. www.artbasel.com/stories/notr...
Five little-known facts about Notre-Dame de Paris
The world’s most famous cathedral may be resurrected from the ashes – but it still guards its mysteries. Discover its hidden treasures: from stained (...)
www.artbasel.com
January 13, 2025 at 10:32 AM
A few weeks before Christmas, I wrote this piece for Art Basel about Notre-Dame's reopening - and some of the secrets inside its walls. www.artbasel.com/stories/notr...
For my first post on here, and my first story for Thrillist, I wrote about stepping off the Silk Road tourist route in Uzbekistan to go to Nukus, which ended up being my favourite place I visited.
It starts with me falling out of a moving train.
www.thrillist.com/travel/natio...
It starts with me falling out of a moving train.
www.thrillist.com/travel/natio...
It’s Finally Getting Easier to See the Super Isolated Louvre of the Desert
Art lovers used to commute 17 hours from Tashkent just to see its beloved museum. But the town is becoming a worthy destination in its own right.
www.thrillist.com
December 5, 2024 at 11:48 AM
For my first post on here, and my first story for Thrillist, I wrote about stepping off the Silk Road tourist route in Uzbekistan to go to Nukus, which ended up being my favourite place I visited.
It starts with me falling out of a moving train.
www.thrillist.com/travel/natio...
It starts with me falling out of a moving train.
www.thrillist.com/travel/natio...