Federico Baca https://federicobaca.com/ Arts, culture and side projects, curated with a wink. en Sun, 08 Nov 2026 14:53:25 GMT The Maybe Drawer: Six UK Creatives on What They Keep and Why https://federicobaca.com/the-maybe-drawer-six-uk-creatives-personal-archives/ https://federicobaca.com/the-maybe-drawer-six-uk-creatives-personal-archives/ A curator-led rummage through the shoeboxes, sketchbooks and bottom drawers where six UK makers stash the stuff that hasn't found a home yet. Less clutter, more compost heap: the personal archive as a quiet creative engine. Federico Baca Culture & Side Projects Sun, 08 Nov 2026 13:25:13 GMT Staple First, Scroll Later: The UK Zine Tables Worth Queueing For in 2026 https://federicobaca.com/staple-first-scroll-later-uk-zine-tables-2026/ https://federicobaca.com/staple-first-scroll-later-uk-zine-tables-2026/ A field guide to the church halls, railway arches and community centres where UK zine culture is still photocopied, stapled and swapped in person. Because the best algorithm in 2026 is a table with a wobbly leg and a pile of paper. Federico Baca Opinion Sun, 08 Nov 2026 13:25:13 GMT Solder, Patched and Proud: What Britain's Amateur Menders Know That Designers Keep Forgetting https://federicobaca.com/sunday-repair-shop-amateur-menders-folk-art/ https://federicobaca.com/sunday-repair-shop-amateur-menders-folk-art/ In church halls and community centres up and down the country, people are taking broken kettles apart with a screwdriver and a flask of tea. The fixes are often ugly. They're also the most honest design practice in Britain right now. Federico Baca Opinion Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:24:47 GMT Cork, Blu-Tack and Dead Flies: A Field Guide to the Great British Pub Pinboard https://federicobaca.com/pub-noticeboard-honest-gallery-field-guide/ https://federicobaca.com/pub-noticeboard-honest-gallery-field-guide/ Behind every decent pint sits a scruffy rectangle of cork doing more for local visual culture than most white cubes manage in a season. Here's how to read a pub noticeboard properly — the quiz flyers, the missing-cat portraits, the tear-off tabs — and why the whole thing deserves a closer look. Federico Baca Culture & Side Projects Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:24:47 GMT The Frame Is the Art: Building a Gallery Wall Without the Student Flat Energy https://federicobaca.com/the-frame-is-the-art-charity-shop-gallery-wall-guide/ https://federicobaca.com/the-frame-is-the-art-charity-shop-gallery-wall-guide/ An opinionated, faintly obsessive guide to sourcing pictures and frames from charity shops, car boot sales and house clearances — and assembling something that looks collected rather than coordinated. Federico Baca Opinion Sun, 08 Nov 2026 05:28:50 GMT Concrete, Clatter and Cheap Rent: The Art Spaces Growing Under Britain's Railway Lines https://federicobaca.com/concrete-clatter-cheap-rent-railway-arch-art-spaces/ https://federicobaca.com/concrete-clatter-cheap-rent-railway-arch-art-spaces/ Cheap leases, curved walls and the 18:42 thundering overhead: why artist-run spaces under Britain's viaducts keep producing the most interesting shows in the country — and three arches worth a Saturday detour. Federico Baca Culture & Side Projects Sun, 08 Nov 2026 05:28:50 GMT Brushwork on Brick: Why Britain's Shopfront Letterers Are Having a Moment https://federicobaca.com/brushwork-on-brick-shopfront-letterers-2026/ https://federicobaca.com/brushwork-on-brick-shopfront-letterers-2026/ Hand-painted signage is creeping back onto British high streets, one fascia at a time. We spoke to three working signwriters about craft, pricing and why a brush edge can feel more honest than a template — plus a field guide to reading the lettering on your own doorstep. Federico Baca Culture & Side Projects Sun, 08 Nov 2026 01:27:53 GMT The Gift Shop as Taste Test: Eight Museum Shops Worth Your Time https://federicobaca.com/museum-shops-taste-test-uk-2026/ https://federicobaca.com/museum-shops-taste-test-uk-2026/ Forget the blockbuster show — the museum shop tells you what an institution really values. A curator's tour of eight independent-minded shops from Glasgow to Cornwall, with notes on what to buy, what to leave on the shelf, and how to read a shop in ninety seconds. Federico Baca Opinion Sun, 08 Nov 2026 01:27:53 GMT Nine Brilliant UK Side Projects Worth Leaving the House For in 2026 https://federicobaca.com/nine-uk-side-projects-2026/ https://federicobaca.com/nine-uk-side-projects-2026/ The best cultural destinations in Britain right now are often run out of launderettes, canal boats and borrowed back rooms. We rounded up nine UK side projects that began as weekend whims and turned into proper things to plan your Saturday around, plus a few notes if you fancy making your own. Federico Baca Culture & Side Projects Sat, 07 Nov 2026 21:32:01 GMT Galleries Are Whispering. UK Art Should Clear Its Throat. https://federicobaca.com/uk-art-needs-more-wit/ https://federicobaca.com/uk-art-needs-more-wit/ Britain's cultural sector has mistaken reverence for seriousness, and it is making us boring. A plea for cheek, mischief and the kind of curation that knows when to wink, featuring the artists and spaces getting the balance right. Federico Baca Opinion Sat, 07 Nov 2026 21:32:01 GMT