Journal Artistique No°3 | October 2019 by aime aime Publications

You Man II by Hom Nguyen

NOÂ°3

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pick , p 94

Ju s t H o p e by G ov i n d a S a h 'A z a d ' Represented by Miaja Gallery

Elevation We live in a world Of communication Data and technology We pride ourselves To have conquered New ways of interaction Yet we find ourselves In total isolation Our disconnection To nature and ourselves Makes us anxious Our man-made creations Take over our mind We fight virtual reality With psychoanalysis We have gone beyond Yesterdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best sci-fi The warnings are real To guard us against it The evils of our world Are no longer dangerous beasts But machines with buttons Touch screens that drain Our human essence Enslave our brains

We wonder now Who are the robots Did our machines Already take over But amidst the angst An underworld exists Shining lights of hope Writers and Artists Dreamers and Believers Holding hands Chanting songs Telling tales Dancing in circles To remind everyone That without consciousness We will lose ourselves Shake awake the sleep walkers We can arraign our creation Make it part of our salvation For between Dream and Reality Elevation is a personal quest â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Isabelle Miaja 6 Sept, 2019 In the air between Singapore & Paris

Journal Artistique

Editorial Team Editor in Chief

Isabelle Miaja Content Editor

Sophia Smith Magazine Design Artist

Brenna Soong Editorial Feature Writers:

Mollie Jean De Dieu , Mr. Q, Julia Vasko, Rachel Tay, Naomi Stahl, Bernard Yves Chatel Art Contributors Edition III

Hom Nguyen Govinda Sah ‘Azad’ Sponsors Edition III

Goodrich Global Greenlam Industries Soraa

SNS Europe Lasvit MM Galleri

Tentsile Volker Bassen Bang & Olufsen

For Editorial, Sponsorship and Distribution Enquiries, please contact: Sophia Smith T. (+65) 6737 8979 | M . (+44) 7875 938084 E . press @ miajadesigngroup.com

Journal Artistique is published by “aime aime” publications and is a company magazine by M A I S O N M I A JA M A I S O N M I A JA Brands Miaja Design Group

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EDITOR’S NOTE It seems the world is becoming more hectic and we find ourselves running to catch up with all it has to offer. The Ar t world is no different! From an amazing immersive theatre performance called ‘C AUGHT ’ hosted at both of our galleries in Singapore – Miaja Gallery and Miaja Art Collections – paired with an amazing group exhibition ‘Dissonance’ complementing the story of ‘Lin Bo’ a dissident artist, to the Art world at large…it’s with relief that I sit a while and pick up our writer Molly’s article on health. She often has insights that re-center my thoughts or leave me in a pensive state and that is good and in itself, healthy. A state of elevation… Which leads me to ‘Elevation’ - the Sleep & Eat Event Concept I have been working on for now a few months together with our amazing partners. This hotel guestroom set design is not to be missed, and will be displayed at the London Olympia in November 2019. There, Designers and Architects gather to be inspired and be connected to the latest developments in the new ‘Living with Art’ world. Miaja Design Group, together with a group of inspired creators will present what we believe is a concept that will for a moment attempt to reconnect us with our inner peace, and which we have featured in this special edition of Journal Artistique. I also met with our newly signed ar tist in Paris, Hom Nguyen. Gracing our third edition magazine cover, you will appreciate already the force that jumps out in his unique single line drawing style. Hom, as a person, gave me new understanding of what it means to belong to two worlds - East by heritage and West by living - a duality and complexity which will be uncovered during his solo show at Miaja Gallery in November. There is so much more in this edition and I hope you will enjoy exploring each and every artist and craftsman we gathered in this edition – they are each worth a world of praise.

Is ab e l l e M i aja E di t or i n Ch i e f

O N T H E C OV E R Hom Nguyen

A R T I S T I N T E RV I E W Hom Nguyen

I N T E RV I E W Ed Sylvanus Iskandar

F E AT U R E JW Marriott Maldives Hotel & Spa

A R T D E L A TA B L E Dolce Vit a at Mandarin Orient al : Inter view with Chef Mario Citt adini

P U L S E PAT I S S E R I E Sweet Creations

G O O D R I C H G L O BA L Creating Good Bedroom Vibes !

GREENLAM INDUSTRIE S Transforming Spaces

ART & WE L L N E S S Psycho - Social Well - Being In A Technological World

SA R T O R I A L W I S D O M The Poetr y of Sleep

S L E E P & E AT ‘Elevation’ by Miaja Design Group

‘ E L E VAT I O N ’ C O N C E P T Set Design Par tners

CONTENTS

SORAA The Light Feels Different Here

MARK LUS COMBE-WHYTE Ar t through a lens

SN S G RO U P ‘Haute Couture ’ Furniture

L AS VI T On the journey to inspire the world …

MM GALLERI A New Perspec tive on Natural Beauty

TENT SILE Hanging Out in Trees

M ASU R E E L Creativity with Passion

VO L K E R BA S S E N Treasures from the Ancient Seas : Tridacna Gig antea Clamshells

BA N G & O L U F S E N Magic Unfolds | Acous tic Alchemy

ADRIAN HOUSTON A Por trait of the Tree

ART S C E N E Sing apore , London, Paris

EDITOR’S PICK Govinda Sah ‘Azad ’

CO N T R I B U TO R S

S O PH I A S M I T H Sophia Smith is the PR & Communications Director of Maison Miaja and the content editor of Journal Artistique. She grew up in Oxford UK and completed a Media & Communications degree from Universidad de Navarra, Spain. For the past ten years, Sophia has worked for the local press, lifestyle publications and in digital marketing. In recent years, she set up a Marketing & Communications consultancy business, working with companies in the UK, US and Singapore.

M O L L I E J E AN D E D I E U A self-proclaimed citizen of the world, Mollie grew up between Africa, France , the United States and has made Asia her home for the past twelve years. Mother of two, aged six and four, Mollie currently resides in Singapore with her family where she carries the busy role of General Manager for the French Maison, LONGCHAMP. Her stamina in life resides in the continuous seeking of channels that cater to wholesomeness, empowerment and mindfulness. She sees life through a grounded rose coloured lens whilst holding onto the firm belief that ‘those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.’

M R. Q Obsessive. Relentless. Curious. Just three words, but in those words lies the definition of my modus operandi and personhood - at any point, I am at least one of the above ... in my best moments, I am all three at once. I have been designing men’s clothing for ten years now and The Prefecture has been in business for four years ; dressing men in their finest tropical sartorial wears. Here's to another decade!

CO N T R I B U TO R S

R AC H E L TAY

NAO M I S TA H L Naomi is an art consultant based in London, UK, and has gained extensive experience working with international artists and set designers to produce evocative exhibitions across Europe and Southeast Asia.

Often knee deep in books and fuelled by coffee, it may be difficult to tell that Rachel has already graduated with a degree in Literature. But these days, you can also find her thinking about, caring for, and immersing herself amongst the art at Miaja Gallery. Her other writing can be found on platforms such as Citynomads and The Attic on Eighth.

She earned her first-class fashion design degree in London, with an emphasis on the environmental impacts of consumer retail habits. This triggered her timely transition into the field of art management and she went on to complete curatorial studies at the Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Institute of Art. Today, curating immersive exhibition experiences for her clientele continues to be a central focus of her practice, and inspires her community outreach initiatives that look to create emotional connections between art and new audiences.

J U L I A VASKO

BERNARD YVES CHATEL Born in Casablanca (MOROCCO), he has been an Art collector for many years. He has spent 30 years travelling around the globe for business and leisure. Currently he is the owner BY CHATEL Gallery in Paris next to Place des Vosges â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Le Marais . His contemporary art gallery focuses on solo and group art exhibitions.

Julia Vasko is the Curator and Manager at Miaja Gallery and Miaja Art Collections. Having started her career in the Museum sector at ArtScience Museum, she has curated exhibitions ranging in topics from Leonardo da Vinci to Big Data and Singaporean history. She believes in art as an expression of the soul: an essential pathway of connection to ourselves, each other, and to the world in which we live. As such, she specializes in creating immersive experiences with art that are participatory and profound.

ON THE COVER

Untitled – Racines Series

Artist: Hom Nguyen Hom Nguyen’s body of work is like looking at a photo album of people met during life’s many voyages. The faces of the children he draws are presented in a way that seems like a sketch; a spontaneous moment caught in time, or an expression frozen on paper. These young faces appear to have a life of their own as we look into their eyes. We see wonder, sadness, and they transport us into the realms of our own forgotten childhoods. The artwork I have chosen for this issue’s cover has the same depth and introspection in the child’s gaze. The use of colours gives a dynamic that changes the dialogue and we perceive the youth and energy of the subject. We see a young child that carries in his stare an “old soul.” Living in Asia, I can see the Vietnamese traits; a gribouillage or doodle that pierces the heart and makes all the faces he portrays so endearing. Looking at his Art

Text | Isabelle Miaja Artworks | Hom Nguyen

is almost like seeing ourselves in the mirror, it transports us into our own times of anguish and separation. His work centres around his life: having been uprooted in childhood from Vietnam to Paris, he is in constant search for his ethnic background, his racines (roots). We see a child raised outside his own land, like so many stories we encounter in today’s world. Children finding their way, searching for their roots, hoping to reach that sense of belonging that makes us feel peaceful and safe before switching off the lights at night. His work speaks of lost children on the move, tells stories of scattered families that struggle to call the place they live in their home. They feel that little tug in the heart, a call of the past and the whisper of their ancestors - it reminds them that they belong to another land. All these children belong to all of us; they are us.

HOM NGUYEN

Hom Nguyen artworks are available at Miaja Gallery. For more info, contact Julia Vasko at manager@miajagallery.com

Untitled â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Racines Series

A RT I S T I N T E RV I E W

Artist Interview: Hom Nguyen

Text | Sophia Smith Interview | Isabelle Miaja

Hom Nguyen is a self-taught , French-born portraiture artist of Vietnamese heritage, renowned for his instinctive and energetic ‘hand to hand’ style. To Hom, Art is self-therapy; through his portrayal of the faces of others we see a vividly honest reflection of a difficult childhood and his ongoing personal conflicts. Raised in Paris by a single mother, his work is inspired by his life journey from poverty to success, with an introspection of himself and his ongoing quest to make peace with his cultural identity and sense of belonging in the world. His evocative works depict multi-ethnic faces seemingly born out of chaos; a combination of freestyle lines and colours result in a touching insight into the human soul. Hom Nguyen’s deeply personal work presents us with an inverted mirror that blurs the lines between material and subject , intellect and emotion, transcending beyond his story and creating an inner dialogue for us all. In the faces of strangers, we see ourselves. Ahead of his upcoming ‘Racines’ Exhibition at Miaja Gallery, Isabelle Miaja spoke to Hom to find out more about the story behind his Artistic ‘Roots’.

IM: Can you share with us about how your artistic career began? HN: My artistic career started quite late in life, in 2011, when I was 36 or 37 years old. Before this, I was working in the 6th Arrondissement of Paris, making and cleaning shoes at a high-end clothing store. I decided to start my own business as a leather patina artist in 2009. I became fascinated by the varnish of the shoes and decided to travel to Japan where I spent a year perfecting my craft. When I returned to Paris, I became known for creating this particular varnish and people started to come from all over the continent for my work! I was approached by Berluti and began to work with them. It was Olga Berluti who encouraged me to trust myself, to push myself, and to become an artist. This was a big moment of inspiration and turning point for me.

IM: Your art has absolutely taken a different trajectory from the days of shoe-making ! From where do you draw your inspiration ? HN: My work is very much a reflection of the life that I have lived. I was born in the seventies in Hanoi, Vietnam. My upbringing was difficult; my mother moved to Paris on a boat, I was raised by my mother and I never knew my father. Because of an accident, my mother was paraplegic so from an early age, I experienced the world differently through her unique perspective. The connection between my mother and I is crucial to my work – I remember how hard it was to be an immigrant for both her as a single parent, and for me, as a child. My work does at times represent the struggles of humanity, the harshness of life, mirrored in the eyes of the subject. My own restless soul can be seen in my work; in the faces of people of diverse races. Some are people I know or know of, some are inspired by an ephemeral moment. An anonymous face in the crowd can represent us all.

HOM NGUYEN

IM: How is this reflected in your technique? HN: I have experimented with almost all available media and techniques known – whether it is paint, brush, oil, acrylic and charcoal. I never studied or went to school to learn Art. This means that as an artist I’m not influenced by a teacher, traditions or intuitions. My career hasn’t been shaped by ideas that are imposed or formatted: my work is a reflection of my own freedom of expression, and of who I truly am; my background and my roots.

IM: While your artworks are deeply personal, there seems to be a universality about them. Can you tell me more into this? HN: There is a big Asian influence in my work, I am inspired by many Chinese artists. Much of my work explores my childhood, and my ‘inner child’. Even though the faces of the children might change in each painting, the subject behind the emotions is consistent – it’s really about me. You could say I’m a restless soul looking for a sense of belonging.

IM: Your Art becomes a form of activism – a way to reveal what lies beneath, to create opportunities for connection. Can you tell me more about this? HN: My Art gives me a sense of my own self, and also builds a protective shield around me. There is an arrogant ‘showman’ side to me, an insecurity within. However, there is also a deeper side to my personality. I believe Art allows you to connect to others and create diverse opportunities. Art is a ‘War Machine’, a way for me to navigate life in an organic way, and a tool for survival. I am happy to say that through my Art I am able to help children who might be going through the same challenges I experienced when I was young. By visiting orphanages and donating, I am able to give back, I have also lead therapy workshops with children and teenagers on the psychiatric ward at Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris. I live and breathe Art, and through my work, I tell my story.

Hom Nguyen – Notable Achievements During the 2016 edition of the contemporary art fair “Art Paris”, held at the Grand Palais in Paris, French President François Hollande attended the event to appreciate Hom Nguyen’s work. On June 15, 2016, Hom Nguyen presented the series “Sans Repères” for the first time in the Palais de Tokyo in Paris. In 2019, working in association with the Monnaie de Paris Museum and Vogue magazine, he created Michelle Obama’s iconic portrait. The auction of this work of Art by Christie’s was a success. The money raised was used to fund UN Women’s programs for sex equality and women’s empowerment. This same year, he painted a vibrant tribute to Edith Piaf by giving birth to a monumental portrait currently being displayed in the entrance hall of Tenon Hospital’s Meyneil wing. A gigantic permanent masterpiece also covers the outside wall of the same building, where Edith Piaf was born in 1915. For the 250th birthday celebration of Napoleon Bonaparte, Hom created a contemporary portrait of the emperor for the MUDACC (Museum of the Art of the citadel in Calvi).

‘Racines’ Exhibition by Hom Nguyen is open 7 November – 21 December 2019 at Miaja Gallery. For more information about his work, please contact Julia Vasko at manager@miajagallery.com

INTERVIEW

Ed Sylvanus Iskandar and Julia Vasko

Interview : Ed Sylvanus Iskandar

Interview | Julia Vasko Photos | Miaja Gallery, Singapore Repertory Theatre

Julia Vasko interviews the New York-based Director of SRT’s CAUGHT This past September, Miaja Gallery and Miaja Art Collections collaborated with Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT ) to present the major production, CAUGHT : a ground-breaking immersive theatre experience, which was an integrated part of the specially curated exhibition, Dissonance. Juxtaposing art forms, mediums, sights, and experiences, the two experiences place the stage and its setting in dialogue with each other, in order to question the relevance of oppositions and binaries. In a hyper-mediated

world dominated by “fake news” and even faker performances of reality, how can we tell exactly what is real from what is not ? Can we simply rely on our cognitive abilities to assess situations or people ? Or is discernment – the feeling that something is off – merely a false alarm? Using the concept of experiential knowledge as our launching board, we speak to Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, the visionary mind behind C AUGHT, about the synergistic process of making thoughtprovoking experiences for audiences’ night after night.

E D S Y LV A N U S I S K A N D A R

“ CAUGHT is merely an extension of the Dissonance experience. And it's an amazing opportunity to think through the reality of the CAUGHT world in the physical space of the Galleries, given the narrative frame that the exhibition itself offers the play. ” – Ed Sylvanus Iskandar

Ed is an Indonesian-born, US-based director, whose extensive portfolio spans over 150 plays globally, and whose particular interests in community across cultures have well-equipped him to take on a production as fascinating as CAUGHT. Should his name sound familiar, it might be because he is no stranger to Singapore or to SRT, having directed the latter’s production of Venus in Fur in 2013. Now, he returns to tell the story of Lin Bo, a fugitive artist after escaping imprisonment in China for his dissident art. CAUGHT Conceptualiser and Director Ed Sylvanus Iskandar

J V : What is CAUGHT ? E S: CAUGHT is an exploration of what is a story, as such. It is also an investigation of who has the right to tell it. And because there are two things that intersect the form in which the story is told, changes take place alongside the story itself. My favourite way to describe CAUGHT to my friends is that it is essentially a Russian dollhouse nested within another, nested within another, that allows you to go as far down the rabbit hole as you want, to have your own experience.

J V : Share with us about the process of producing this kind of unusual and exciting immersive experience. E S: First, a meeting. We typically in the theatre have the first day where we assemble everyone, and then we hear read-through of the play. I think that fundamentally, every theatre production takes a village. And thus the notion that you are entering into a community in order to create an experience – which then also further makes community – is the centre of my artistic practice. In this sense, I have to find a way in which the first day is an embodiment of that culture, because it's not like I can demand the company play within the rules that I'm bringing in as only one of many theatrical processes they're hosting this year. So I have to stage the culture that I want people to encounter, as an example of something they can feel in interacting with that first day. I have to make sure that everyone has broken bread together, so it’s impossible to treat people like they don’t exist.

INTERVIEW

CAUGHT Theatrical Performance at Miaja Gallery

J V : Seeing as the idea of breaking bread is almost like a ritual of communion, what does it then mean for you, to look every person in their eyes and bring this embodied approach to the ways in which we engage, create and interact through art? E S: It’s very spiritual to me. Where our two fields intersect is that they're both about documenting the human experience, so if you have a specific window that opens because of somebody’s particular observation in art, that becomes an especially precious and special foundation of all connections. In that sense, to connect this unique encounter to a spiritual experience is so natural. But the difference between the visual arts and theatre, I think, is that the art journey is about reinforcing our solitary natures. In so doing, we become aware of other people taking solitary journeys, so there is a sense of being alone together. Whereas theatre does the exact opposite, which is to ensure that we are together alone, because in Western theatre at least, you can't talk to the people around you about what is happening, even as you’re sharing the same experience. I am particularly interested in this idea, because Eastern cultures are so against that sort of solitude. So I was very interested to see what would happen in Singapore, to see if people would have that feeling of, “I'm not really in a theatre,” or whether we could just have all these experiences.

J V : Since the interactive theatrical experience unfolded in a gallery setting, how did you navigate certain preconceived attitudes on how to behave in such spaces? E S: My main tool for encouraging audience members to make their own experience is a theatre practitioner whom I've trained to be better than them at saying “yes, and,” and who can encourage them to be present at all times. In this way, their experience of the evening is being mediated by an example of how to experience the evening. Through this structure, I can certainly reinforce, set boundaries, or encourage any audience member to do anything I want them to. But I don’t want the audience to do anything in particular - I just want to involve them enough to do whatever it is that they want to. And this is the “secret source” of my brand of immersive theatre: that I can make your experience a better one, by figuring out how to pay attention to your specific needs.

E D S Y LV A N U S I S K A N D A R

J V : How do you then anticipate that the meaning and interpretations of CAUGHT may shift according to its context? Do you feel like it takes on a new meaning in each location? E S: I think the play’s genius is that it is completely singular to the perspective of its observer. But what has been most drastically varied is that the play, originally written in America, was produced under the assumption that it's going to be seen by a predominantly Caucasian audience – the white gaze – whereas Singapore offers a much more multicultural gaze. So it was very interesting to see what happened in Singapore, with its message of intercultural collision, where it was presented to an audience that is already much more aware of its message and attuned to it in their daily lives. J V : Certainly while there is more of a multicultural perspective in Singapore, there’s also a tendency for things to be less politicized. Therefore, do you think that the ways in which people engaged were more subtle on that level? E S: Just because something is political doesn't mean it has to be politicized, and just because it is politicized, doesn't mean it's political. So I don’t think the audience’s level of engagement was significantly different, even though the conversation surrounding the experience might likely be more intellectual than activist. And I think, oddly, that's to the piece’s benefit, because the playwright himself is a profoundly intellectual person. He doesn't write plays that advance a point of view. Instead, he's typically questioning the existence of a singular point of view. So if you're suggesting that Singapore’s audience is less likely to jump on the politicization bandwagon, they might, conversely, also be able to appreciate the playwright’s approach far more, because his thesis and his intellectual debate is never about whether he can convince you of something. Rather, if you're going to take action as a result of experiencing his play, it’s because he has found a way to awaken your intellectual engagement.

J V : What this then brings to mind is the contentious relation between intellectualization and immediate experience. Do you feel like the latter might be limited by the audience’s intellectual preconception? E S: Indeed, my experience of any live event in Singapore is that everyone seems to be obsessed with performing the role of the audience, rather than experiencing the event as an audience. This is, I think, that cerebral thing you're talking about, in which people don't allow themselves to simply feel and experience. And this is definitely an inhibition. It is antithetical to what we want you to do, which is to say yes to all the things you could be experiencing. But to go further down the road of your question, the thing that makes humans different from any other living being is the ability to think and articulate their thoughts. So it's only the most human thing in the world to be trapped in your own head. Consequently, what this calls for is the right forum to express your ideas, which CAUGHT delivers. And I think that's what my project has in common with both SRT and Miaja Gallery, which is the desire to cultivate a transformative experience for everybody within that space. I just have to let people know that they can control their own experience, and that it's, in fact, to my benefit to give them that agency. J V : We had the privilege to collaborate in the creation of Dissonance, which was very much inspired by the experiential focus of CAUGHT. How do you think theatrical strategies can shape the way we experience art , or otherwise, interact and connect in an exhibition? E S: Well, first and foremost, I fully consider CAUGHT as an art installation at this moment, since the site of its presentation is the gallery. So for me, CAUGHT was merely an extension of the Dissonance experience. And it was an amazing opportunity to think through the reality of the CAUGHT world in the physical space of Miaja Gallery and Miaja Art Collections, given the narrative frame that the exhibition itself offered the play. So, the gallery space became another way of mediating the point of view of an audience, through their exposure and experience of the art around them. In that sense, I think that in the process of what we created, we learned a lot from each other.

F E AT U R E

JW Marriott Maldives Hotel & Spa :

Text | Sophia Smith Photos | Marriott Hotels

A Design inspired by Island Nature

“ JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa is a design based on Nature and Fauna with a distinct emphasis on organic elements and modern lines. Comfort and lightness is combined with unique experiences, in a genuine Maldivian getaway atmosphere. ” – Isabelle Miaja Founder, Miaja Design Group

Duplex Overwater Pool Villa, Bird's Eye View

MIAJA DESIGN GROUP

Duplex Overwater Pool Villa, Exterior

Nurturing enriching experiences that are authentic, inspiring and comfortable, JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa offers unrivalled luxury in the stunning Indian Ocean. This 5-star luxury beach resort in the Maldives is an ideal destination for guests seeking to be fully present, nourished and reconnected. Set to open in November 2019, the resort has a nature inspired Architecture and Interior Design concept by Isabelle Miaja and her Singapore-based team. After many years working on luxury hospitality projects in the Maldives, this idyllic and experiential design has resulted in a unique resort where visitors from far and wide can enjoy an authentic taste of island living. Those who have had the pleasure of visiting the Maldives will know that from the moment you step foot-in-sand into your Island destination, you will be by stunned by exotic nature in abundance.

Day or night, you will see reef sharks and a rainbow palette of tropical fish of all shapes and sizes. There is no need to search too far for snorkelling spots, simply jump into the water and a universe of diverse sea life awaits. During relaxed days spent lounging in your over-water villa, you will often be visited by local heron birds – considered to be an emblem of good luck by some locals. They elegantly take their stance on the wooden decking or the thatched roofs of the villas, until a fish catches their eye and they fly away. As the incredibly pink and orange sunsets spill into the evening, raise your eyes and you will see fruit bats glide across the sky. Later at night the sea really comes alive; sharks and enormous manta rays hunt for prey, sea turtles float by on their journey. Nature – the most perfect design of all – is everywhere here. It’s no wonder Miaja Design Group was inspired by this undeniably beautiful part of the world.

F E AT U R E

Top: Duplex Overwater Pool Villa, Bedroom | Bottom: Beach Pool Villa Sunrise, Bedroom

The Resort design strikes an ideal balance between traditional Maldivian charm and contemporary comfort. The pristine white arrival jetty offers visitors a glorious welcome after their journey. With hammocks and banquettes all along the perimeter, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s designed to be more than just a functional area, it is also a place to relax during the day or to feed the fish. True to this relaxed style are all the public areas, all have a lounge-style residential ambience which will make the guests feel at home in their most exotic holiday location.

There are 29 secluded one and two-bedroom beach villas nestled amongst the islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lush greenery and flowers, each with its own private beach area, while 32 of the villas are overwater on stilts. The architecture of the water villas is traditional, they are constructed in the thatched style typical of this area, adding to the authentic Maldivian experience for the visitor. Structurally, they pay tribute to the local Heron bird; the shape and lines of the thatched roof has a tip that resembles a beak of the bird. The overall composition is slightly slanted, to portray the Heron dipping its head into the water to catch fish.

MIAJA DESIGN GROUP

Duplex Overwater Pool Villa, Lounge

Inside the villas the décor is light, bright and airy. The interiors are designed to look and feel exactly how island resort living should; there is an obvious focus on relaxation and comfort. Furniture and finishes are made of wood, while the colours selected for the linens and cushions remind us of the turquoise-blue waters in view, and the pink-violets of the tropical flowers that adorn the islands. In this relaxed-chic setting, visitors will feel ‘at one with nature’ even when resting indoors. For wellbeing and pleasure seekers the Spa is pure bliss, with six double treatment rooms, one deluxe treatment suite with a private ‘wet room’, a unisex hair salon, manicure and pedicure stations, a wellness boutique, an overwater gym, and an open-air yoga pavilion.

JW Marriott Maldives Hotel & Spa is due to open in 2019. Architecture and Interior Design by Miaja Design Group. www.miajadesigngroup.com

Days of play in the sun must be matched with exquisite gastronomic experiences. The ‘All Day Dining’ restaurant décor features plumeria plants and geometric shapes, a blend of contemporary and rustic finishes. There is a fully air-conditioned wine cellar to host wine tasting events and a ‘Pizza Bar’ with a beautiful dreamscape artwork, a bespoke piece created by Isabelle Miaja for the resort as part of Miaja Design Group’s in-house Art Consultancy service. For visitors wishing to sit under the moon and relax into the night, another highlight of the resort is the ‘Rum Jungle’ Treehouse bar. Constructed by a South African builder, it has a fun safari-inspired atmosphere. End your night sipping icy rum cocktails surrounded by scattered lanterns, fire tiki torches and the Maldivian stars.

For news and updates visit: www.marriott .com/hotels/travel/mlejs-jw-marriott-maldives-resort-and-spa/

A RT D E L A TA B L E

Dolce Vita Interior

Dolce Vita:

Interview | Isabelle Miaja Photos | Mandarin Oriental Singapore

Interview with Executive Chef Mario Cittadini Dolce Vita is an Italian restaurant in Mandarin Oriental, Singapore. Situated by a beautiful pool area, the recently refurbished Dolce Vita exudes an alfresco ambience as you sit by the large floor-to-ceiling windows. I recently had the pleasure of having a meal there and sitting down with the hotel’s Executive Chef, Mario Cittadini and Area Vice President and General Manager, Christian Hassing. Executive Chef Mario and Dolce Vita Chef de Cuisine, Giorgio Maggioni prepared a beautiful menu that I enjoyed while conducting this interview.

“ My goal is to be the best that I can be. The initial dream I had of being a renowned chef has now shifted into a focus to nurture my team. Through sharing my experience, I want to bring out the best in everyone, including myself. ”

A RT D E L A TA B L E

IM: Mario, where are you from ?

IM: What was your learning path at the time other than working at Il Postale ?

MC: I am from Arezzo, a city situated in Eastern Tuscany, near Florence. The hilltop Arezzo Cathedral features a painted vaulted ceiling and a 15th century fresco of Mary Magdalene by well-known renaissance painter Piero della Francesca. Twice a year in the main square, we have a medieval jousting and participants in costumes, with street parties going on for days. We are proud to say that Arezzo was the city whereby the famous movie La Vita e Bella was filmed, and our ‘aperitivo time’ is a treasure ritual, as it is in all of Italy…but I think Arezzo takes its Aperitivo even more seriously! We also have a food festival with trucks selling treats like local Chianina Beef burgers or grilled arrosticini.

MC: I often travelled, taking the chance during my vacation to intern at other restaurants across many different countries. I wanted to experience other styles of cooking and enrich my knowledge by learning other techniques and know-hows from other chefs. IM: Everyone has a mentor during the beginning of a careerr – who was yours? MC: My mentor is Austrian Chef Stefan of Restaurant Cortona at the Relais et Chateaux near Arezzo. He trained me to be disciplined and a perfectionist. Also, he taught me that food is an art – a constant work in progress.

IM: How early did you decide to become a chef ? MC: I actually studied engineering in university. Working as an engineer with Ferrari was my dream until I realised that engineering was not something that instilled any passion in me. When I decided to change my path to study modern literature, my father told me that I had to work to pay my own fees. Just as many students became a waiter for allowance, I did the same. I M: What was the determining event that changed your career path ? MC: I was asked to work in the kitchen to replace someone going on vacation, and it completely changed my perspective on life. I loved the kitchen and asked to stay there to continue learning under the chef ’s guidance. I started to read books on booking and checked magazines for the names of the best restaurants. Determined to seek the best training, I moved to a Michelin Star restaurant, Il Postale. Five years later, I became its proud owner!

IM: With Italy as a stepping ground, where else did you venture? And what did you get out of each country? MC: I ventured into Spain and learned of how creative Spanish chefs were in experimenting. This was especially true of Ferran Adria, who, with his brother Albert, ran El Bulli, a Michelin three-star restaurant near the town of Roses, Catalonia, Spain. The small restaurant overlooked Cala Montjoi, a bay on Catalonia’s Costa Brava, and was described as “the most imaginative generator of haute cuisine on the planet ”. The restaurant was also associated with molecular gastronomy. In Oslo, I learned the importance of quality ingredients but also the importance of management at La Bagatelle Restaurant. It was the only Norwegian restaurant that has held two stars in The Michelin Guide. The menu was Norwegian-French cuisine with an emphasis on Norwegian products and modern cooking techniques.

Capesanta (Lightly marinated Hokkaido scallops)

A RT D E L A TA B L E

Top: Fagottelli (Stuffed with original Bolognese ragout) | Bottom: Filetto (Pan-roasted Sher Wagyu beef tenderloin)

A RT D E L A TA B L E

In New York, I worked as a trainee at Daniel Boulud where every day American food was brought to new heights. To eat a hamburger with foie gras took New York by storm and it gave me the insight to give what people want and enhance it to bring comfort food a new meaning. IM: When did the Asian adventure start ? MC: Asia had been on my radar for a while by then, having taken a trip to Beijing, China a few years back and making a few visits to Japan. So, when I was invited to work at the Regent Park in Beijing at the time of the Carson Group, I was quite excited. After handing over my own restaurant, Il Postale to my partners, I felt like it was a sort of rebirth for me. From being a starred chef and running my own restaurant in Italy to entering the hotel world and working for a group of restaurants, I experienced a culture shock. Heading a team of thirty chefs was both exhilarating and frightening at the same time. Everything I had learned until this point was put to into question – where the chef ’s wish was the golden rule, where stubbornness was associated with artistry, where the drive for perfection represented an outstanding chef. All these became my handicap, and my ego took a hit as I had to come down from my pedestal. I had to learn to be more attentive and listen to the needs of others. Slowly, I turned from an omnipotent chef into an adaptable team player, and began a four-year transformative process that prepared me for what was to come.

IM: What was most exciting for you during your Taipei experience ? MC: I really enjoyed venturing into a new market and the media exposure that came along with new restaurants opening in the hotel. Renowned Chinese restaurant, Ya Ge, had been awarded one Michelin-Star for the second consecutive year in 2019. Being the only hotel in the city to be awarded Five Red Pavilions, the highest possible ranking by the inaugural Michelin Guide Taipei in 2018, as well as one Michelin-Star for Ya Ge, Mandarin Oriental was breaking new grounds in Taipei. IM: After Taipei what is next ? MC: After three years in Taipei, I moved to Singapore as Executive Chef in 2016. My role was to execute the strategy for all the restaurants across Mandarin Oriental, Singapore. I work with different teams to ensure that all gastronomic aspects of the hotel are in line with the excellent quality of service and reputation of Mandarin Oriental. IM: What are your personal goals at this moment ? MC: My goal is to be the best that I can be. The initial dream I had of being a renowned chef has now shifted into a focus to nurture my team. Through sharing my experience, I want to bring out the best in everyone, including myself.

IM: And what was to come ? MC: Mandarin Oriental, Taipei was, at that time, still in construction and had not yet opened. It was another challenging learning curve as I entered as Executive Sous Chef. While it was a step down in position, it was also a strategic move as I loved what it represented, and there was an enormous potential for me to grow. The hotel group’s aspiration to have starred restaurants was a great incentive for me, and with the rumours of Michelin Guide slated to be released in Beijing, we were feverishly preparing our restaurant for it.

Dolce Vita, Mandarin Oriental Singapore 5 Raffles Ave, Singapore 039797 | www.mandarinoriental.com

After the meal we were joined later by Chef Giorgio of Dolce Vita, who was the craftsman to every amazing dish that I was presented with during our lunch interview. I could see the pride in Chef Mario’s eyes. The comradery and respect were there to be felt and seen. It made me even more appreciative of the dining experience I had been treated to that day. The conversation was amiable, fluid and full of laughs as we delved into the life of Mario Cittadini. Thank you for sharing such a personal journey and the insights into your heart and creativity Chef Mario!

P U L S E P AT I S S E R I E

From left: Blue Lagoon, Succulents, Pearl & Orchid

Sweet Creations : Pulse Patisserie The name Pulse was founded on the premise of a '90s musical genre called trip-hop. From Massive Attack’s Teardrops, the rhythmic throbbing beat pulses behind the background and the whole concept and narrative of the brand came about. The hauntingly dark and private mood of the song had drawn the founders to build their style around it. From how the brand looks, behave and even dictates the line of cakes that Pulse offers - dark, sensual and unconventionally beautiful.

Text | Pulse Patisserie Photos | Pulse Patisserie

Desserts are very personal. We crave for it when we are happy or in love, and contrastingly when we feel melancholic and lonely too. It’s rooted in emotions, and that’s what makes us alive, like a beating PULSE. The aim is to nurture than to spoil, indulge and to restrain; striking a balance like all things in life.

P U L S E P AT I S S E R I E

Miranda Mood

Pulse Patisserie is owned and managed by all chefs from various backgrounds and decided to branch out to their corresponding expertise later on. A pastry chef who builds and layers the flavour of the cake passed onto the cake artist who meticulously decorates it. Finally, the storyteller ties it all together and presents the cake. The team is whipped to stiff peaks to produce playful ideas of desserts, from original creations like Salted Egg Yolk Cream Puffs, Thematic Croquembouche and Cake Personas. It's the teamwork and camaraderie that reflects what Pulse is today, to personify desserts and to demonstrate a more profound understanding of the taste â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;sweetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

Pulse Team

Pulse Patisserie 180 Depot Road, #01-06, The Interlace, Singapore 109684 T: (65) 6262 0143 https://pulsepatisserie.com

GOODRICH GLOBAL

Harlequin Wallpaper

Creating Good Bedroom Vibes !

Text | Goodrich Global Photos | Goodrich Global

Sponsored by Tentsile

Tentsile is an exciting, award-winning product design brand, with a fast-growing dedicated cult following. With a mission to conserve the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s forests and bring attention to their continued destruction, Tentsile invented the Tree Tent concept, a new and disruptive camping equipment category, founded on the principles of ecological respect and improving the human experience in the Great Outdoors. Tentsile have won multiple design awards, including a Museum of Modern Art: Design Icon Award and multiple ISPO Awards. Unlike traditional tents, which need to be pitched on flat, level, dry ground, Tentsile Tree Tents use a patented three-point anchoring system to suspend tents from trees. These tensioned, floating shelters create usable camping spaces, both within and below, and, for comfort, remains unrivalled as the way to experience the natural world.

TENTSILE

Tree Tents models: Stingray and Trillium, Location: Vancouver, Photo credit: Tentsile

TENTSILE

Tree Tent model: Stingray ; Top, Location: Hawaii, Photo credits: Anthony Castro & Laura Zalenga Bottom, Location: Canada, Photo credits: Justin Lewis

TENTSILE

Tree Tent model: Flite, Location: US, Washington, Photo credit: IG @TheRichardKelly

Alex Shirley-Smith, Tentsile’s Founder, was born and raised in London and trained as an Architect, specialising in sustainable living and low impact shelters. In 2013, he decided to follow a childhood dream and his lifelong passion for trees by designing and manufacturing the first prototype Tree Tent. Alex founded Tentsile on the simple idea of creating a portable treehouse that could fit in a bag, use minimal materials and that inspires the imagination. From back garden to backcountry, he wanted to take people’s experience of the outside world to the next level. The first Tree Tent produced was the iconic Stingray design which was picked up, displayed and sold at MOMA , New York. It was an instant hit in both design and camping circles, and very quickly sold out.

For more information about Tentsile, please visit: https://tentsile.co.uk/

“The founding principle of the company is to highlight the importance of trees and their role in sustaining a healthy, functioning biosphere. By educating our fans and followers, and by supporting on-the-ground organisations that protect these threatened environmental regions, Tentsile is on a mission to aim public opinion toward a tree friendly future and ending deforestation” Founder Alex Shirley-Smith Comments. True to their conservationist ethos, for every tent purchased Tentsile make a donation to plant 20 trees and have supported the planting of over 560,000 trees in projects located across Madagascar, Zambia and Oregon. With only an average 10 minute set up time, and the versatility to set up camp above water, on steep terrain, on uneven ground - all with a zero footprint, the sky really is the only limit. After all, if we are all hanging out in trees, they can’t chop them down.

Wild Greenery, WILD collection from KhrĂ´ma by Masureel

Masureel : Creativity with Passion History Masureel is a 100% Belgian company that manufactures luxurious wallcoverings. Every Masureel brand (Guy Masureel, Khroma and Zoom) is underpinned by a rich archive of textile designs and an art collection. Rooted in the heart of Flanders fields, Masureel holds a longstanding family history in flax, growing. We deeply value our heritage and engage ourselves to bridge the gap between art and industry. The old farmhouse and the mill, the villa we are renovating, the gardens... they reflect our main aspirations: to blend with history and respect the characteristic landscape of Hulste.

Text | Masureel Photos | Masureel

Art The Masureel art collection comprises works from the beginning of the twentieth century, lyrical abstraction, minimalism and conceptual art, up until the most recent practices of contemporary artists. Its nucleus is formed by the 1920s Belgian constructivists (i.a. Jozef Peeters, Marthe Donas, Prosper De Troyer, Victor Servranckx), who break with earlier conventions and develop a new visual language that's firmly based on line, form and colour. This artistic movement runs parallel with the rise of modern industry and its urge to innovate. In this era, many artists indulged with industrial processes, in order to literally give shape to a new society.

MASUREEL

Henry Oasis, FOLIES collection from KhrÃ´ma by Masureel

MASUREEL

â&#x20AC;&#x153; We strive for minimal impact in our production facilities as well as for the materials we produce. â&#x20AC;?

Art Factory Under the name Art Factory, Masureel collaborates with artists and museums to produce unique wallcovering editions. We strongly believe that artistic research can challenge and enrich our concept of wallcovering. Our in-house technology and expertise in printing (traditional and digital) helps us to convert the artist's vision into reality. Kardinal Woodrose, FOLIES collection from KhrĂ´ma by Masureel

Ecology Being committed to the environment is for Masureel more than just a statement. We strive for minimal impact in our production facilities as well as for the materials we produce. While a fully degradable wallcovering is still behind the horizon, we are taking a step by step approach towards green innovation. Recent developments have proven the feasibility of using recycled materials for wallcovering and with the advent of bio-sourced chemicals, new opportunities are within reach. Masureel is dedicated to maintain the recognised level of quality and inventiveness and has even taken up the challenge to provide alternatives for PVC wallcoverings.

Masureel Kantstraat 1, 8531 Harelbeke, Belgium International T: (32) 56 73 07 50 | UK T: (32) 56 73 07 57 E: mduk@masureel.com | www.masureel.com

VOLKER BASSEN

Treasures from the ancient seas: Tridacna Gigantea Clamshells

Text | Sophia Smith Photos | Volker Bassen

Marine Conservationist Volker Bassen Sponsored by Volker Bassen

When Marine Conservationist Volker Bassen moved to Africa in the nineties, he could not have imagined the ancient treasures that awaited him. From the moment he first saw a Tridacna Gigantea clamshell, he has been committed to the careful excavation and restoration of these fossilised wonders. Enormous, unique and very rare, these clamshells are ‘nature’s design’ at its best. They make the most beautiful washbasins in the world; each piece is one of a kind and can be the luxurious centrepiece of residential and hotel interiors alike.

Volker Bassen pictured with an almost completely excavated fossilised clamshell

VOLKER BASSEN

Volker Bassen is an anthropologist, conservationist and entrepreneur with a string of notable achievements to his name. Originally from Sweden, moved to Kenya in 1990, at the age of 23. He studied recreational scuba diving, dive management and operation at the PADI European College. Fascinated by the whale shark, this majestic creature is the inspiration of his much of his conservation work. In 2005, he and his wife set up the East African Whale Shark Trust in an effort to protect and conserve this species. It was also in Kenya that Bassen made of the most incredible discoveries of his life.

“ I will never forget the first time I saw a giant fossilised Tridacna Gigantea clamshell. It was deeply embedded in an ancient coral reef limestone bank, about two kilometres from the sea. I met some local quarry workers nearby who were busy making so-called ‘ coral blocks ’, which are used for the building industry along the coast, and they showed me a specimen they had recently excavated. I was blown away as it was so massive — well over 100 kilograms ”.

Intrigued by what he had seen, Bassen proceeded to a cement factory in Mombasa and enquired about the uses of the broken clamshells. Much to his dismay, he discovered that no effort was made to restore them, instead they were broken up and processed to be used as building materials. “I was told they are crushed into aragonite powder, which is then used in the production of white cement . I thought this was sacrilege and started buying clamshells from the local quarry workers whenever they would find one.” After this discovery, Bassen hired a team of local quarrymen to help him find and excavate the Clamshells with careful and precise work, and his quest to restore the beauty of these buried masterpieces began. In 2014, while digging a water well for an orphanage, the workers found a 355-kilogram clamshell with a huge boulder the size of a mango sticking out of it. This turned out to be the largest Tridacna Gigantea baroque blister pearl found to date, in pristine condition. They nicknamed it the ‘Pearl of Venus’ – this sleeping beauty had been waiting for hundreds of thousands of years to be discovered.

VOLKER BASSEN

Following this discovery and after many years of collecting Clamshells, Bassen has since participated in several shows in Hong Kong, Tucson, Saint-Marie, Munich, Dubai, London and Paris. In each location, there has always outstandingly positive reaction, and much intrigue. “While attending ‘Maison&Objet’ Paris Interior Design show, legendary yacht interior designer Rémi Tessier walked to my booth, purchased three clamshells and ordered eight more for the Eclipse — a luxury motor yacht built Russian businessman Roman Abramovich” he tells us. With the discovery of these wonders of Mother Mature, Bassen – a dedicated philanthropist – is using proceeds to help the underprivileged in Kenya.

Jewellery from the Tridacna Collection Handmade in Kenya and Germany, using fossilised giant clamshells The sale of each piece benefits Bassen’s charity, WonderCup

“I saw the painting ‘The Birth of Venus’ by Sandro Botticelli, painted in 1485, and it suddenly dawned on me that Venus, the goddess of love and fertility, was born from a giant clamshell according to legend. As I sold more and more fossilised clamshells, I used the proceeds to fund menstrual cups for adolescent girls at an orphanage, which I continue to support today.”

The Venus Collection and a Clamshell Basin on display

For more information, visit: www.wondercup.org www.venuscollection.co.uk

World Bank estimates that adolescent schoolgirls in developing nations lose 20% of their education because they can’t afford sanitary items. This inspired him to create WonderCup, a brand, charity and educational service designed to help local girls in Kenya. So far, the Charity has funded 10,000 ‘WonderCups’ with the sale of clamshells and his jewellery line The Venus Collection also made from organic clamshell materials.

* Interview quotes from Gems & Jewellery Magazine, Spring 2019.

BANG & OLUFSEN

Beovision Harmony

Magic Unfolds

Text | Bang & Olufsen Photos | Bang & Olufsen

Bang & Olufsen Beovision Harmony Sponsored by Bang & Olufsen

Like a butterfly opening its wings, two meticulously crafted oak and aluminium fronts fan out, and a thin screen rises to perfect viewing height. Beovision Harmony is a stunning piece of design that once again demonstrates Bang & Olufsenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s uncompromising approach to design, craftmanship and sound performance.

BANG & OLUFSEN

Bang & Olufsen have recently unveiled Beovision Harmony — a TV experience that elevates the design of any living space and fills it with spectacular sound. When Beovision Harmony is turned off or just playing music, the thin screen rests close to the floor, partially covered by two meticulously crafted oak and aluminium fronts, which house the powerful sound centre. When Beovision Harmony is turned on, the two fronts fan out — like a butterfly opening its wings — and the screen rises to the perfect viewing height. Turn off the TV, and the finely choreographed sequence plays out in reverse.

Beovision Harmony is designed as a centrepiece for home entertainment. Boasting a robust speaker system with serious sound capabilities, Beovision Harmony offers impressive music streaming with integrated music services like Tune-In and Deezer. You can also stream directly from your smartphone via Apple Airplay 2, Chromecast built-in or Bluetooth. Beovision Harmony also comes with LG’s most recent webOS 4.5 platform, which allows you to access your favourite media service providers such as Netflix, Amazon and YouTube. Beovision Harmony also integrates seamlessly with Bang & Olufsen’s growing collection of multiroom products. For those looking to immerse themselves in first-class surround sound, Beovision Harmony comes with a built-in 7.1 surround sound decoder, making it possible to connect up to eight Beolab speakers such as Beolab 18, Beolab 50 and Beolab 90. All sources and connected devices are can be controlled with the Beoremote One — a beautiful piece of technology that has been ergonomically designed and crafted from a single piece of extruded aluminium.

BANG & OLUFSEN

Beosound Stage

Acoustic Alchemy

Text | Bang & Olufsen Photos | Bang & Olufsen

Beosound Stage is Bang & Olufsen’s First Soundbar Bang & Olufsen presents Beosound Stage - the first soundbar that brings the rich and powerful Bang & Olufsen Signature Sound to any TV1. Underlining Bang & Olufsen’s commitment to design and sound innovation, Beosound Stage is crafted with the ambition of creating a superbly deep and powerful soundbar, for everyone who wants an immersive cinematic experience from one single speaker. Beosound Stage is designed in collaboration with Danish studio NORM Architects as part of Bang & Olufsen’s design strategy to humanize technology: Working with simple geometric shapes, using natural materials, Bang & Olufsen creates meaningful products that integrate beautifully into the home.

BANG & OLUFSEN

The focal point of the soundbar’s design is its simple, elegant frame, which is available in natural aluminium, bronze tone aluminium or smoked oak. The frame runs all the way around the speaker and houses a seamlessly integrated engraved sensory control panel. The 2mm gap between the frame and the fabric speaker cover gives the illusion that the speaker is floating within the frame and creates an exciting contrast between the rigid exterior and the soft, acoustically transparent textile. As a testament to Bang & Olufsen’s unmatched craftsmanship, the natural and bronze tone frames are made from a single piece of forged aluminium, resulting in no visible seams. The smoked oak version features traditionally crafted dovetail joints, a detail typically seen in fine Scandinavian cabinetry.

Beosound Stage

Dolby Atmos for 3D sound Beosound Stage features Dolby Atmos, the latest evolution in multichannel audio. Dolby Atmos works by heightening the soundstage, giving the audio a threedimensional effect. This allows individual sounds to be moved around, creating the impression of helicopters flying above you or items falling behind you.

Match your mood with ToneTouch Beosound Stage comes with different listening modes, which are optimized for the material you are listening to. You can select from five different listening modes: TV, Music, Movie, Night Listening or None. After selecting the listening mode, you can then fine-tune the sound precisely to your taste using ToneTouch, Bang & Olufsen’s playful and intuitive equalizer that allows you to feel your way through the sound settings and find the one that best suits the situation.

For more information about Beovision Harmony and Beosound Stage, please visit: bang-olufsen.com/en

Music and multiroom streaming As a perfect companion for the TV, or as a music system in its own right, Beosound Stage is compatible with the leading streaming technologies — Chromecast built-in, Apple AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth — which can be used when the TV is inactive, offering multi-room functionality.

A D R I A N H O U S TO N

New Forest Oaks

A Portrait of the Tree

Text | Adrian Houston Photos | Adrian Houston

Fine Art Photography by Adrian Houston

“ Nature has intensity so strong it gives you a totally different view on the world. When you witness earth’s natural power, it is sometimes hard to see its underlying fragility. But scratch beneath the surface and it is there. This need to protect what we have before it is too late has influenced my work for as – Adrian Houston long as I can remember. ”

A D R I A N H O U S TO N

They are the longest living organism on the planet and essential to life as we know it. But when did you last really look at a tree ?

One person who has had a strong connection with trees for as long as he can remember is renowned photographer Adrian Houston. Two years ago, increasingly concerned that so many of our indigenous trees are being affected by disease and global warming, he decided to embark on an ambitious project that would give trees a voice. The result is an extraordinary collection of works, collectively entitled A Portrait of the Tree. It was in October 2016 that Adrian first began questioning people about their favourite tree. The members of this group are as diverse as they are influential, from Richard Branson, actress Goldie Hawn and Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason to Tony Kirkham, Head of Arboretum at Kew Gardens, designer Jasper Conran and Chairman of Condé Nast Britain Nicholas Coleridge. Along the way Adrian heard many fascinating stories. Lord Tollemache, former Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk, told of the ancient oak in whose hollow trunk Queen Elizabeth II used to shelter during the annual shoot on his estate. Designer Jasper Conran talked about the beech tree outside his bedroom window; the first and last thing he sees each day. Perhaps most poignant of all is the Cedar of Lebanon, part of the proud history and landscape of the grounds of Le Manoir aux Quat Saison, owned by legendary chef Raymond Blanc. Sadly, this magnificent tree was diseased and had to be cut down. Adrian’s art will now ensure it is captured for posterity. Tales exchanged, Adrian then traveled throughout the UK, and further afield to Namibia, Madagascar, Ibiza, France and America, to photograph the trees in question.

A percentage of Adrian’s artwork sales for A Portrait of the Tree are donated to leading charities: Future Trees Trust, a national charity dedicated to improving disease resilience, growth rate, form and adaptability to climate change of broadleaved trees, and Trees for Cities, responsible for planting over 700,000 urban trees in parks, streets, schools and housing estates across the world, revitalising these areas and improving the lives of the people who live in them.

“ A Portrait of the Tree was conceived as a way of illustrating how trees connect us all on a universal level. The stories behind the chosen subjects are as important as the images themselves. Together they offer a powerful tool to help educate people, from children through to adults, about the vital role that trees play in all of our lives. After all, if there were no trees on the planet , we wouldn’t be here either. ” Concludes Adrian.

A D R I A N H O U S TO N

Top: Ibiza Mystic , Bottom: Oak & Ash Henley Wood

A D R I A N H O U S TO N

Road to Heaven

About Adrian Houston Known for his warm, atmospheric images that fire the imagination, renowned photographer Adrian Houston’s works have been exhibited at such leading institutions as The National Gallery and The Royal Academy of Arts. His exceptional eye for detail, as well as his meticulous, creative and relaxed approach, has earned Adrian a number of high-profile portrait commissions, among them Luciano Pavarotti, the Dalai Lama and Jim Carrey. His ground-breaking images for the Mr & Mrs Smith series of travel guides helped put the company on the map and Adrian has produced a total of eight publications for this now globally recognised brand. Adrian’s passion is conservation. His work has seen him travel to some of the world’s most unexplored and inhospitable terrains, with his powerful photographs subsequently gracing everything from advertising campaigns to magazine covers. In addition, the stunning images that resulted from him witnessing the eruption of Mount Kilauea on Hawaii’s Big Island were used to memorable effect in one of the Discovery Channel’s highest rating documentaries – Discovery People. His recent exhibition, A Portrait of the Tree, took place at The Unit London Gallery in Hanover Square in autumn 2018. He is currently working on his next exhibition Temples of the Soul. When he is not travelling, Adrian is based at his studio in Soho, London.

For more information about Adrian Houston, please visit: www.adrianhouston.co.uk

A RT S C E N E , S I N G A P O R E

Text | Rachel Tay

Imagining the Future in a New Age of Anxiety It is undeniable that we are living in a new age of anxiety, with more than enough–isms for us to constantly take into consideration, and far too many crises to keep us distracted from the minor dysfunctions of our everyday lives. It is thus also inevitable that the present state of things has become more and more precarious and unlivable for all. How does one then rethink the structures and demands that shape our world at hand ? And how can the uninhabitable be reorganized in such a way that once again allows us to flourish?

In recent years, artists been eagerly responding to such a call to reimagine the future, working around the limits of existing conventions to manifest fresh possibilities. From the Singapore Biennale to the Reddot Design Museum’s ‘Preview of the Future’, scenes of utopic ideals abound. This fall will therefore see a plethora of exhibitions that challenge our perspectives and provoke vital conversations.

Termite Economies, 2018 by Nicholas Mangan Exhibition, ‘The Posthuman City. Climates. Habitats. Environments.’ at NTU CCA Singapore

A RT S C E N E , S I N G A P O R E

Singapore Art Scene October 2019 – January 2020 Singapore Biennale 2019: Every Step in the Right Direction Multiple Venues 22 Nov 2019 – 22 Mar 2020

The Posthuman City. Climates. Habitats. Environments. NTU CCA Singapore 23 Nov 2019 – 23 Feb 2020

Taking for its star ting point the multitudinous humanitarian and climate crises facing the world, this latest installation of the Singapore Biennale seizes upon an increasingly critical need to transform contemporary society in order to reconfigure our current prospects. How do we proceed from this watershed moment in human history ? And what roles can ar t play in allowing us to envision a more liveable future ? Keeping this in mind, ‘SB2019: Every Step in the Right Direction’ invites par ticipants to engage with the various ethical gestures raised by international artists, designers, thinkers, and activists, to inspire action and foment possibilities for a more humane world.

Perched on the edge of the Anthropocene, ‘The Posthuman City’ contemplates the ways in which the urban landscape may serve as the backdrop for the cohabitation of man and nature. With more than half the world’s population currently residing in exponentially expanding urban areas, and dire warnings of human activity’s impact on the environment, mankind is now pushed to confront the gravity of our actions. As such, following Donna Haraway’s proclamation that “Right now, the earth is full of refugees, human and not, without refuge,” the exhibition sets itself in dialogue with pertinent questions of exploitation and sustainability. Through the imaginative lenses of creators such as Animali Domestici, Irene Agrivina, Jae Rhim Lee, Nicholas Mangan, Studio Orta, and Marjetica Potrč, it articulates, if not a solution, then an astute awareness of the myriad ecological issues that the earth faces today.

Alongside new commissions by Busul Ajaw, Min Thien Sung, and Wu Tsang, this 2019 edition of the Singapore Biennale will also highlight art scene veterans such as Amanda Heng, Soying Lee, and Marie Voigner. Urgent and stimulating, this landmark event is not one to be missed.

A Preview of the Future Reddot Design Museum From 26 Sep 2019 Drawing from over three hundred innovative and award-winning designs from the annual Red Dot Design Award, ‘A Preview of the Future’ offers viewers a hint of the design concepts that could soon alleviate problems of today. From smart technology to novelty designs, the array of ideas on display combines form and function to allow us to meditate on how creative innovations may not just reorganise social functions, but also exist and develop alongside mankind in the years to come.

‘A Preview of the Future’ exhibit at Reddot Design Museum

A RT S C E N E , S I N G A P O R E

Untitled – Racines Series by Hom Nyugen

Racines Miaja Gallery 7 Nov – 21 Dec 2019 Hom Nyugen’s first solo-exhibition at Miaja Gallery, ‘Racines’ is an investigation into the amorphous presence of subjectivity, just as much as it is a thesis on interconnectivity. Inspired by the tactility of tattoo arts, he seeks to question the boundaries between individual subjects, as well as the distinction between the artist and his canvas.

In his free and impulsive lines, for instance, he records the vestiges of each instinct and every movement – even as the instant diverges from the fleeting past. In this sense, what remains in his portraits as a result is a cumulation of his own history: a span that comprises his identity whilst also connecting him to all the other materials that likewise constitute the art. From the genesis of humanity to an artistic creation that in turn touches the world, this breathtaking collection is ultimately about the ceaseless cycle of influence that exists between art and life.

A RT S C E N E , S I N G A P O R E

…You Have to Lose Your Way to Find Yourself in the Right Place NUS Museum 13 Jun – 31 Dec 2019 How does one document one’s existence ? And what does it mean to represent oneself ? Showcasing a selection of photographs, videos, sketches, and writings by the Singapore-based French artist, Gilles Massot, the exhibition probes the artist’s evolving negotiations with place and self-identity as a foreigner abroad. Pushing the bounds of his medium, in particular, he displays an intricate understanding of the way that the camera’s lens both attaches and alienates its subject from the world. Founded on a desire for identity affirmation, then, Massot’s art practice creates a utopian world in which everyone can claim a place for themselves.

Exhibition, ‘…You Have to Lose Your Way to Find Yourself in the Right Place’ at NUS Museum; Photo credit : Hoong Wei Long

Street Art Meets Gastronomy SO Sofitel 4 Oct – 17 Nov 2019 A magnificent pastiche of high and low culture references, from Mickey Mouse to Mona Lisa, Vermeer to Basquiat, the art of Jisbar is at once a brilliant representation of, and a tongue-in-cheek resistance against the flamboyant excess of consumerist culture. Hyper-saturated in every sense of the word, his paintings perfectly evoke the frenzied and effervescent qualities of 21st Century life. The exhibition, which will be centred around eight unique pieces inspired by the late Karl Lagerfeld, hence calls to mind an abundance to which we are absolutely accustomed, even as it stuns us with its bold politics. Who prospers, it asks. And what do we do with such prosperity? karl who ? by Jisbar

Iconoclast Miaja Art Collections 10 Dec 2019 – 1 Feb 2020 Tracing its roots to the mass culture of the 50s, pop art has always been at the forefront of engendering social change in and amongst the wider public consciousness. But where Andy Warhol was distinctly radical in his revolt against both the elitism of the art institution and the banality of the commonplace – their successors today are far more nuanced in their approach to contemporary society.

After all, as counterculture becomes reified and the sheen of celebrity is diluted, it appears that nothing will ever be more shocking or subversive than the overwhelming influence of capital. An exploration of what happens after the avant garde, the exhibition gathers the works of Demi Padua, Gabriel Dufourcq, Gael Froget, Kostar, MadC, Reerustart, Jisbar, Yoshi Itu, and Anna de Campo, to trace the legacy of pop art, 70 years on. It promises to be an equally provocative and entertaining experience for all.

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Existing school in Mandapur Municipality, Kavre, Nepal

The Nepal Initiative hosts inaugural Singapore fundraiser

Text | Paul Winslow Photos | The Nepal Initiative

Event will generate funds to build schools in Nepal

The Nepal Initiative will host a fundraising dinner at Maison Miaja on Thursday, 5th December. The charity has partnered with Kids of Kathmandu and committed to funding one of its school building projects as Nepal continues its recovery from the 2015 earthquake that destroyed much of the country’s infrastructure. Co-founder of The Nepal Initiative, James Dauman, will be joined by Founder of Kids of Kathmandu, Bhushan Dahal, Miss Nepal World 2018, Shrinkhala Khatiwada and Everest climber, Paul Valin at the event. The evening is supported by Maison Miaja, custom jeweller Inifinti Jewels and The Ryder Trust. A drinks reception will be followed by a dinner and auction of a trip to Nepal, items by Inifinti Jewels and pieces by Nepalese artist Govinda Sah ‘Azad’, who will also be in attendance.

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Happy to be doing arts and crafts, working hard in the classroom

“ The development of Nepal has been close to my heart since my first visit in 2010,” explains Co-founder James Dauman. “ The 2015 earthquake was devastating and it’s a long road back. We’re dedicated to supporting the country on its journey, especially in the field of education, and we’re proud to be working with Kids of Kathmandu who have done so much amazing work already.” Proceeds will go towards the expansion of a school project in Kavre, Nepal with four new classrooms, a computer lab and library offering more kids in the region the chance to benefit from improved education. Bushan Dahal is delighted to be working with The Nepal Initiative: “ We feel blessed to be working with like-minded change-making organisations that allow us to build schools. It’s great to be partnering with The Nepal Initiative for this project and I am sure there are many more to come.”

For more information and to book tables or individual tickets please contact : James Dauman T. +65 8360 6471 E. james@thenepalinitiative.com

About The Nepal Initiative The Nepal Initiative is a central organisation that connects charitable projects and initiatives together under one roof, offering collective strength to individual enterprises. There are so many people doing great work to alleviate these problems with myriad charities and projects helping out the Nepalese people. We believe in strength through togetherness, hence bringing several existing projects under one roof: The Nepal Initiative. All of our initiatives are aligned with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, which we believe are an important framework for addressing the development needs of Nepal. www.thenepalinitiative.com

About Kids of Kathmandu Kids of Kathmandu is a non-profit organization that utilizes photography and the arts and design to raise awareness about the needs of orphans in Kathmandu, Nepal. Our goal is to raise funds in order to provide a stable financial foundation for the children from which they can grow through funding for education, food, shelter and immunisations. www.kidsofkathmandu.org

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Text | Naomi Stahl

Altered Perspectives Following on from the summer months of emergence and exploration, this autumn we discover new perspectives across London’s art calendar. With several key exhibitions in play that will take us deeper into the winter months, the inherent message emerging is one of inward reflection. All of the featured artists here draw on their own experiences to consider how individuals develop their creativity in response to emotional triggers.

They draw from a range of mediums to explore what these emotions might look like if manifested in sculpture, audio-visuals and painted patterns. As they play with the subtle difference between perception and perspective, we as the viewer are invited to consider what level of influence we have in decoding and dictating our own personal visual experiences.

United Visual Artists Installation view of Vanishing Point at Towner Art Gallery, 2013-14

London Art Scene September 2019 – January 2020 United Visual Artists – Other Spaces 18 0 The Strand 1 Oct – 9 Dec 2019 Known for their hypnotic audio-visual installations, United Visual Artists present Other Spaces, a two month long exhibition that features three large-scale immersive audio-visual works of art – Our Time, The Great Animal Orchestra and Vanishing Point.

The latter is an immersive laser installation that takes influence from drawings by Renaissance artists such as Leon Battista Alberti, Leonardo da Vinci and Albrecht Dürer, projecting beams of white light that are thrown into the space from an unseen vanishing point. All three works encompass light, kinetic sculptures and soundscapes that inhabit the vast interiors of 180 The Strand - a venue which has played host to some of the best A/V shows over the past few years – and uses perspective as a way to reshape and redefine a space and our relativity to it.

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Anthony Gormley The Royal Academy 21 Sept – 3 Dec 2019 Antony Gormley inhabits the Royal Academy’s Main Galleries this autumn with his retrospective solo exhibition, featuring key works and themes that mark key decisive moments throughout his career. You’ll find experiential

sculpture installations made from iron, steel, seawater and clay that explore the relationship between human form and space. It is in this space that Gormley offers an environment in which new thoughts, behaviours and feeling can arise, since the viewer is invited to discover their own path through the exhibition, even through and around the artworks themselves.

Bridget Riley – A Retrospective Hayward Gallery 23 Oct 2019 – 25 Jan 2020 In October, the mother of ‘Op-Art’ Bridget Riley will present her first major retrospective held in the UK for almost two decades. The comprehensive exhibition will showcase an impressive collection of the artist’s work spanning over 70 years, including both her powerfully engaging black-and-white paintings of the 1960s as well as the vast and colourful canvases from her later career. Visitors will be offered the rare opportunity to explore the pivotal moments that drove and shaped one of the most important and celebrated artists of our time.

Bridget Riley, Blaze 1, National Galleries of Scotland, Long loan in 2017 © Bridget Riley (2016) Image courtesy of Karsten Schubert, London

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Text | Bernard Yves Chatel

Paris Art Scene October 2019 – January 2020

BY CHATEL Selec ted Fine Ar ts 58 Rue des Tournelles, 75003 Paris, France www.bychatel.com

With the summer season over, there are still plenty of exciting art happenings in the beautiful city of Paris.

Artwork by Bae Jong Heon at Asia Now

Not to be missed is FIAC ( Foire Internationale d'Art Contemporain ) which will take place from 17 to 20 October in the Grand Palais. 197 Galleries from 29 countries will participate. The event is both indoors and outdoors from Place de la Concorde to the Tuileries Garden and Place Vendôme where the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama will present a new artistic project.

Almost at the same time from 16 to 20 October, Asia Now art show will take place. The first Parisian art fair to showcase the diversity of Asia’s contemporary art scene, its fifth edition features 250 artists. In addition, a new design section has been included.

FIAC Grand Palais, avenue Président Winston Churchill, 75008, Paris www.fiac .com

Asia Now Paris Asian Art Fair, 9 avenue Hoche, 75008, Paris www.asianowparis .com

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“ London is a riddle, Paris is an explanation ” – Ernest Hemingway

Artworks by Charlotte Perriand at Foundation Louis Vuitton

A Hans Har tung retrospective will take place at the MAM ( Muséee d'Art Moderne ) from 11 October to 1 March 2020. Considered as an abstract maestro, this exhibition will be the first one after the complete renovation of the Museum. Paintings, photos, books, archives, painted stones, the last solo show took place in Paris 50 years ago.

Last but not least “ Le Monde Nouveau de Charlotte Perriand ” exhibition at the Foundation Louis Vuitton from 2 October to 24 February 2020. A visionary and a pioneer, her designs are now collected all over the world. In this major exhibition, premium art pieces from her friends will also be shown including Le Corbusier, Fernand Leger and Pierre Soulages.

MAM 11 avenue du Président Wilson, 75 116, Paris www.mam.paris .fr

Foundation Louis Vuitton 8 avenue du Mahatma Gandhi, Bois de Boulogne, 75116 Paris www.fondationluisvuitton.com

“ Spirit starts and ends at your fingers ” – Paul Valéry

E D I TO R’ S P I C K

Editor’s Pick

Text | Miaja Gallery Artwork & Photo | Govinda Sah ‘Azad’

Artist: Govinda Sah ‘Azad ’

Infinity Depth, 2 018

Effortlessly balancing traditional eastern metaphysical insights about the nature of reality with visual realisations that are in accord with the latest formulations of contemporary western science, Govinda Sah ‘Azad’ imagines a cosmos of boundless possibilities.

“ Govinda's intention in his work is to demonstrate the invisible by means of the visible. In other words, in visually depicted cloud movements he attempts to paint invisible concepts such as morality, the environment, the sublime and spirituality ” – Dr Lynn Gamwell

From an early age, he was interested in drawing and sculpture. He left Nepal to live in India and from 1991-94, worked as a sign board and wall painter in Delhi. In 1995, he returned to Kathmandu and joined the Fine Art College to realise his dream of becoming a painter. During his studies, he participated in several group exhibitions, which resulted in a first solo exhibition in 1999. Professor and Campus Chief of the Fine Art College and prominent artist, Govinda Dongol, dubbed Govinda Sah as ‘ Lion Heart ’. He joined the MA Fine Art course in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2006, but soon thereafter acquired sponsorship and moved to London to study. Govinda obtained a MA in Fine Art from Wimbledon College of Art in 2008. In 2011, Govinda had his first solo exhibition Transcriptions, at October Gallery. In 2012, his work was included in the Summer Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts, London. In 2013, October Gallery held his second solo show Lightness of Being, and Tibet House presented the solo exhibition, The Universe Within in New York, USA. Boundless Possibilities was his third individual exhibition at October Gallery, in 2016. Govinda Sah’s works can be found in private collections worldwide. On 5th December 2019, he is taking part in The Nepal Initiative’s inaugural Singapore Fundraiser at Maison Miaja, where a collection of his artworks will be auctioned to generate funds to build schools in Nepal.

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For more information about Govinda Sah â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Azadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; please contact: Julia Vasko, manager@miajagallery.com

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