Artology ISSUE No. 4

Magazine for Art, Travel & Creativity Issue 02 / 2014 Price: 15 Euro / 12 GBP

Rolf Sachs • St. Moritz 150 years • Illuminating Arts Arne Quinze • Sir Paul Smith • Louis Vuitton Foundation Not Vital • Paris • Sir Norman Foster • Philipp Keel

ANZEIGE SOTHEBY’S Prints & MultiPles Auction london 17 MArch 2015

Francis Bacon Triptyque de la tauromachie, 1990. Estimate £40,000–60,000 included in the complete portfolio Miroir de la tauromachie with text by Michel Leiris consignment and sales enquiries Frankfurt/Main +49 (0) 69 74 07 87 Munich +49 (0) 89 2 91 31 51 cologne +49 (0) 221 20 71 70 hamburg +49 (0) 40 44 40 80 london +44 (0)20 7293 6416 34–35 new Bond street, London W1a 2aa. register now at sothebys.com © ThE EsTaTE oF Francis Bacon. aLL righTs rEsErvEd. dacs 2014

A R TO LO GY – I S S U E 4

ARTOLOGY GOES FORTH

It is with great pleasure that my partner Jay C Foster and I present this issue of Artology, as it combines themes and subjects dear to our hearts. St. Moritz is a place we’ve both known since childhood: Jay went to school there for longer than he cares to mention; I learned how to stay on skis after 4 Pisco-Sours and lunch. But that was many, many moons ago. left: Mark Robinow Publisher / Editor in chief right: Jay C Foster Partner

Today St. Moritz and its sibling villages have become somewhat of an art enclave for galleries from all over the world, including New York. The St. Moritz Art Masters in August, a yearly festival of exhibitions, talks and events, have made it even more known in the art world. And this beautiful place in the Swiss alps is also so much more than just a mile-high art scene, as our feature article elaborates.

Light in every sense of the word is almost a piece of art in itself, and therefore we have “high-lighted” this subject in our art-related feature article. Light in all its history and meaning in the arts from painting to photography, as well as a peek at the extravagant new museum palaces and gourmet temples our beloved Paris – the city of lights – has to offer.

This and a few lists of what you need for Xmas, or your next holiday, or city trip, has been compiled for you in an eclectic selection of grand suggestions. We hope you like our Xmas issue as much as we do - and if not, please don’t tell anybody.

Thank you!

Mark Robinow & Jay C Foster

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CONTENT The Colourful Sir Paul

Interview with Paul Smith

Ain’t no Mountain High Enough Rolf Sachs in Motion Not Vital

Interview and portrait of the artist

Philipp Keel

The St. Moritz Art Masters 2014

We meet the artist at the St. Moritz Art Masters

St. Moritz City Guide Walter Kirchner

The best places to stay, dine and celebrate

Paris special

Louis Vuitton Foundation A special on light art

Questionaire Masthead

60 64

Paris’ new art venue

86 95 105 118

By Editor’s choice

Wild at Heart

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Portrait of the artist

Shine On, City of Light Illuminating Arts

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58

Portrait of the artist

Arne Quinze

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Portrait of the artist

The Bigger Picture

Tidbits

St. Moritz special

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The Segara retreat in Kenya

With Sir Norman Foster

The legal bit

120 126 130

eine welt

fĂźr sich.

A world in

itself.

Grand Hotel Heiligendamm ∙ Telefon +49 38203 740-7676 ∙ reservations@grandhotel-heiligendamm.de www.grandhotel-heiligendamm.de

CONTRIBUTORS

A R TO LO GY – I S S U E 4

Avis Cardella

Mamé Gamamy

Dr. Rebekka Reinhard

writes about photography,

Romanian-Guinean Mamé

is a doctor of philosophy

design, lifestyle and the

Gamamy is a journalist by

and a psychological thera-

psychology of shopping. Her

profession and has lived in

pist. She works as a philoso-

work has appeared in numer-

many places around the world

phical counselor in her own

ous international publications

until settling in Munich where

office as well as in the Clinic

including: British Vogue, The

she freelances for various

for Psychiatry and Psycho-

New York Times, American

publications about subjects

therapy of the Ludwig-

Photo, Glamour UK, Quest,

such as economic develop-

Maximilians-University in

and Bentley Magazine. She is

ments, and travel.

Munich. Rebekka Reinhard

the author of “Spent: Memoirs

has contributed to Bunte,

of a Shopping Addict” and has

Berliner Zeitung, Madame

just finished writing a novel

and many more. She is a key

about “a very near future food

note speaker on philosophi-

crisis.” She lives in Paris with

cal subjects, and she is the

her husband.

bestselling author of several philosophical books including “Die Sinn-Diät”.

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A R TO LO GY – I S S U E 4

Nazanin Lankarani

John Robinow

Sonja Hartung

Alma Zevi

Native-born Iranian, Nazanin

With a background of

Sonja is a Munich based PR

With a B.A. in History of

Lankarani is an independent

working as an award-win-

- journalist and travel expert.

Art, Alma works as a writer,

art writer and a frequent

ing creative group head

When not writing for us or

blogger and curator, special-

contributor to the Inter-

in advertising agencies in

other various publications, Sonja

izing in contemporary art.

national Herald Tribune and

New York, Vienna and

works in one of Germany’s

Since 2010, Alma has been

the New York Times on the

Frankfurt, John spent the

foremost tourism PR agencies.

working in particular with

subjects of contemporary

80s & 90s reporting from

Not Vital, compiling and writ-

art, watches and jewelry.

East Asia and then Latin

ing his Catalogue Raisonné.

America for National Public

She has also curated several

Radio. He now lives in

of his museum exhibitions,

Frankfurt again and works

the most recent being at the

freelance as a writer. He is a

Musée d’Art et d’Histoire de

regularly contributing edi-

Geneve (2014) and Museo

tor to Artology, where he also

d’Arte di Mendrisio (2014-

functions as copy editor.

2015). Her article on the Engadin artist can be found on page 44.

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C R E AT I V I T Y

THE COLOURFUL SIR PAUL Text: Mark Robinow & Mamé Gamamy Photographs courtesy of Paul Smith

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C R E AT I V I T Y

Meeting a world famous fashion designer with shops in 5 continents that present 14 different collections each year, has successfully collaborated as an industrial designer with many superbrands such as Leica, MINI , Lladró, Carl Hansen, Barbour and John Lobb, to name just a few, one would think he would be a perpetually busy man with at least 5 personal assistants and extremely conscious of time. Think again!

Together with our staff writer Mamé Gamamy I had the

manage it, but I said, ‘yeah, no problem‘. I signed a lease with a real

surprising pleasure of meeting a man who - in the course

estate agent. I had never met a real estate agent before. I only knew

of opening his first shop in jaded Hamburg - walked

that dogs were kept on a leash, but I didn‘t know what a lease was.

through a tight crowd of 400-plus guests smiling, shaking

(laughs) However, I ran the shop for six years. And after three years,

hands with virtually everyone, saying “Hi, my name is

I was still in touch with the art college a lot, I met one of the teachers

Paul. Welcome to my new house”. It came across so authen-

there, who became my girlfriend and then my wife. We‘re still to-

tically that for a moment all were stunned at the modest

gether. A 108 years later. That‘s not bad, is it? And I‘m only 21. (laughs)

and engagingly hospitable attitude with which the host received his guests. But it really seems all of a piece once you sit down with this multi-feathered genius. He has a knack for transmitting cleverly humorous mischief in all that he says and does, but never fails to be the natural and down to earth gentleman. One of today´s rare breeds.

At what time in your life did you decide to become a fashion designer, and what was the actual situation that ignited this wish? Well, between the age of 12 and 18 I wanted to become a professional racing cyclist – and I was a racing cyclist, however not a professional one. But then I had a really bad crash and ended up in a hospital for three

“I‘d never been in a shop before and I really didn‘t know how to manage it, but I said, yeah, no problem.”

months. I had broken quite a lot of bones. In hospital, I met some really nice people and we kept in touch. After we left the hospital, one of them – thank goodness – chose to meet in a

You‘ve collaborated with many designers. Not only fashion

local pub in my hometown. This pub happened to be the pub

designers but with pop stars, automobile manufacturers etc.

where all the fashion designers and photographers from the

Which collaboration were you most challenged by? First of all,

local art school went, the young students from Nottingham

I get offered a lot of things, all the time. And most of the time, I say

Trent University. So I suddenly started going to this pub to

no. But some of the things are wonderful to do. Like cameras. My

meet these guys that I became friends with. And then I‘d be

father was an amateur photographer and I was with him in the dark

talking to the people in the pub and one was saying, ‘I‘m

room developing photos. As a designer I shoot a lot of campaigns

really into the Bauhaus, oh man, it‘s so interesting. ‘I was like

myself. I‘ve been taking pictures all my life. So when Leica called

‘oh yeah‘, thinking to myself, ‘what is the Bauhaus?‘, because

me and asked me to do a collaboration, it took me four seconds to

all I knew was Fausto Coppi and Jacques Anquetil – the

decide. The most lovely thing for me is the fact that with clothes

names of famous cyclists. They were talking about Wassily

you have the idea and then you take any piece of fabric and you can

Kandinsky and someone called Andy Warhol. I thought this

cut it, drape it, put it on a stand and within an hour you have some-

was really interesting stuff. Then one of the fashion students

thing to show. With a camera or a watch or spectacles or bicycles,

was saying that she wanted to open up a little shop and design

the process takes so long, because you have to take molds. So it‘s

clothes, and she asked me if I would mind helping her out. I‘d

really lovely to work on them, because it‘s an alternative to the day

never been in a shop before and I really didn‘t know how to

job and it makes you think.

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This page & right: The newly opened Paul Smith store in Hamburg

C R E AT I V I T Y

“Never number one. I don‘t need to be number one. There‘s only one place you can go from there.”

The famous Mini that you designed with the colored lines,

It is unusual that a fashion designer is at the helm of the

is that something you thought of making one day? No, Mini

design and at the same time the boss. How do you manage

actually approached me to do a limited edition of cars. So I made

that while traveling the whole world and still having the

a design for 1,500 Minis of the old model. I‘m famous for making

time to go to the movies or having an ice cream? I work long

‘a classic with a twist‘. So I did a green engine for a completely

days. At 5 in the morning I go swimming. I have done that since

classic car that was dark blue on the outside. It was very subtle. I

1995. Then I get to work at 6 am and work until 6 pm. And I have

was sitting at Mini and asked them what colors they had. They

a real patient wife. She supports me the whole time. We never

showed me some, but nothing was quite right. So I told them I

ever do business dinners or lunches. So we keep time for ourselves.

liked the blue of my shirt and asked for scissors. I cut out one

Luckily, being the boss, you‘re not stressed out with shareholders.

small part at the bottom. That was the blue I wanted. They framed

We design our own shops. We have 12 designers in house and

the piece of fabric after that. The Minis were all sold within 10

three architects. We do our own marketing and graphic design.

days. So Mini asked me, if I could do a ‘one-off’ car. So I designed

It‘s all in one house, in the building in London and I‘m there all

one, based on the colored stripes. It was produced within three weeks

the time. I think, it‘s just the love of life. It‘s my passion.

by the people who made the Formula One cars.

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C R E AT I V I T Y

You show contemporary art in your shops and you have an

Is there any particular designer of your generation in fashion

actual gallery space in your shop in Tokyo. Do you have a

or product design that you consider to be a unique talent like

preferred form of art – like painting, sculpture or photographs?

yourself? Rei Kawakubo from Comme des Garçons. She is very

I think the wall behind us (points to the wall in the Paul Smith

single-minded and very creative.

Hamburg store) sums up my love for visual art. It could be something drawn by an 8 year old. I own a painting by Banksy of dead

About 20 years ago, it was just Lodenfrey that had your

sunflowers inspired by the van Gogh painting. I have a Giacometti

products. Why have you opened a shop in Hamburg, and not

sculpture. But then I also own things worth 50 cents. I like to put

in Munich or Berlin? Well, it‘s just because I liked the house.

those next to each other, because they are all equal to me. It‘s as

(laughs)

important. As Picasso said, he spent his whole life trying to paint like a child.

What is your next step or goal in for developing the Paul Smith brand? More of the same, please. The thing I‘m very

Is there any product that you haven‘t designed yet, that you

proud of is continuity. I look to people like Warhol, who said every-

would be very eager to design? No there isn‘t any. Because

body could be famous for 15 minutes, but I‘m more interested in

as I said earlier, I get offered a lot of things, but I usually decide

being ok. Never number one. I don‘t need to be number one. There‘s

spontaneously. Things I‘ve said ‘no’ to are hotels. It becomes

only one place you can go from there.

too famous. Let‘s say I designed one and then you have a really bad steak there… then it gets on my reputation that I designed this awful hotel. (laughs)

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C R E AT I V I T Y

A SENSE OF THE ESSENTIAL Text: Mamé Gamamy

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Nika Zupanc’s Konstantin B

C R E AT I V I T Y

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George Cut-Pile Blue Pet Basket by Lord Lou

C R E AT I V I T Y

“Seek and you shall find“ – dutifully abiding the advice of the gospel of Matthew, Tassilo Graf von Sandizell has developed a passion for detecting precious things. He is the modern version of American pioneer gold diggers, but without scooping the rivers for flashy metals. He finds his sublime commodities around the world and features them in his online concept store, called Truffledigger.

Timeless design, tradition, value and aesthetics – these are the selection criteria for the articles in his shop. Whether a modest but high-quality jacket or notably exquisite delicacies, Truffledigger is an inspirational treasure site for everything that is exclusive or extraordinary. Or, what would you call a fashionable fire extinguisher glossed in gold or enveloped in cow skin.

Safe T Fire Extinguisher Brass / Tex-Cow

Like any good truffledigger, finding

rarities demands training, a good nose and patience. Luckily, the adventurous spirit runs in his family (Sandizell‘s brother is a world famous marine archeologist). But Sandizell himself has also seen a lot. Born in Düsseldorf, his cosmopolitan mind led him to work as a business manager in various places such as Argentina, South-East-Asia, Turkey and Portugal. Today Sandizell‘s base is once again in Germany, where he lives - together with his second wife and four children – in his ancestral castle set on a

‚El Santo Libre‘ Armchair Fur Dante

lake north of Munich. From this beauti-

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Albino Lady Bitis Gabonica von Aurelie Gourg - stArt Foundation

Large Twill Duffle Bag by Filson

C R E AT I V I T Y

ful location he aspires to create a counterpart to our fast-paced consumer society, offering a selection of high quality custommade, sustainable products – stating that for him, consistency, not opulence, defines real luxury.

a

Have a look at this exceptional variety of unique and original items at: www.truffledigger.com

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unparalleled lifestyle - your exclusive 5-star residence Additionally to its high-class public premises and hotel rooms the Kulm Hotel offers a selection of stunning luxury residences that provide the highest comfort and lifestyle all year round in a truly singular setting. Relax within your own private domain, enjoy a priviledged panoramic view and benefit from the 5-star hotel facilities and exclusive service.

As tenants you have direct and complete access to the hotel, its restaurants, the Kulm Spa St. Moritz, the hotel‘s 9-hole golf course and exclusive tennis courts. We are looking forward to providing you with additional, tailored information of our luxury apartments.

Welcome to your new home - Kulm Residences St. Moritz.

Kulm Hotel · 7500 St. Moritz

T +41 81 836 80 00 · info@kulm.com · www.kulm.com

the cradle of winter tourism - pioneering spirit since 1856 It all started with the famous bet in 1864, when Johannes Badrutt invited his previously unconvinced British guests to visit the Engadine during the winter to experience all its splendour - a tremendous success. 150 years of defining alpine winter tourism, breakthrough innovations like exhibiting Switzerland‘s first electric light, home of the legendary Cresta Run and host of the 1928 and 1948 Winter Olympic Games - our heritage.

This winter, join us in celebrating 150 years of a unique experience of luxury, culture and lifestyle, skilfully reinforced by outstanding service excellence.

Where tradition meets innovation - Kulm Hotel St. Moritz - a stay to remember.

Kulm Hotel · 7500 St. Moritz

T +41 81 836 80 00 · info@kulm.com · www.kulm.com

T R AV E L

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AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH

That could have been the motto of the sportive and eccentric Brits who came to the wonderful region of the Engadin about 150 years ago ...

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With special thanks to

Text: Mamé Gamamy

... due to their encounter with the visionary and equally persuasive hotelier Johannes Badrutt in 1864, the famous Kulm Hotel became the cradle of winter sports and tourism in the original arena of St. Moritz. This winter St. Moritz celebrates its 150th anniversary, and what better way to congratulate this splendid place than by shedding light on its various world-famous attributes.

However, not only the sporting mind is stimulated here – in

Artology would like to make a declaration of love to this utterly unique place that is much more than just a playground for the

recent years St. Moritz has become an enclave for serious art

rich and famous. St. Moritz is indeed a junction of cultural events

lovers, collectors and gallery owners from all over the world. This

all year round, able to match most cosmopolitan capitals.

culminates annually in the Art Masters festival, which was initiated seven years ago. Supported by the best hotels in town, the festival showcases a broad variety of art expositions, artist´s

Certainly, St. Moritz is best known for its sporting activities. The combination of the Engadin lake country, the dry ‘champagne’

forums and get-together parties for a week each summer in

climate, as well as the innovative spirit of its inhabitants, make St.

August. This year, the focus was on India – a country of radical

Moritz an attractive destination every season of the year. Whether

contrasts within a magnificent culture. Strolling around Art

it‘s skiing, bob sleighing, horse races or curling in the winter, or

Masters festival, Artology came across some very impressive

hiking, mountain biking, inline skating, wind surfing, tennis or golf

cutting-edge art within and around the event that we don´t want

in the summer – St. Moritz has everything an active person´s heart

to withhold from you.

and body desire within a range of just a few kilometers.

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SET ON A BET The History of St. Moritz

Text: Mamé Gamamy

A picture book drawing could not have better illustrated the truly paradisiacal setting of St. Moritz. At 1,856 meters above sea level, surrounded by snow covered mountain peaks, in the picturesque lake scenery of the Engadin, St. Moritz is an alpine gem offering an eclectic mix of nature, culture, sports, calmness and adventure. Its savoir vivre atmosphere attracts vacationers from all over the world, making the town of 5,000 a cosmopolitan mountain metropolis.

Famous for its mineral springs and the clear mountain air, St. Moritz has been frequented by visitors coming for health reasons since the 17th century.

However, one event in 1864 is said to mark the inception of winter sports and tourism in the region. History tells us about Johannes Badrutt, a visionary hotelier, who opened the first hotel, the Kulm, in St. Moritz in 1856. On a sunny September afternoon, some eight years later, Badrutt proposed a bet to his predominately British guests. Recognizing the potential of the area, he promised them that they could enjoy his terrace in short-sleeves even in winter. The guests were quite skeptical, since winters in England were rather wet and cold, a far cry from dry and sunny. Badrutt suggested to pay for their whole journey if he was mistaken. The Brits stayed from Christmas until Easter, Badrutt won his bet, and winter sports was born in St. Moritz. To this day the Kulm sets the standard for innovative hospitality, by forging a bridge between modernity and tradition and paying great attention to quality and style.

Why settle for less than great? Innovative locals like Badrutt and inventive guests have ever since been responsible for technical novelties in a Swiss municipality. The first electric light was lit in the dinning room of the Kulm Hotel in summer 1879. In 1910, the first engine powered plane took off on Swiss ground in St. Moritz. Catering to the comfort of the rising number of winter sport vacationers, the first ski lift was built in 1935. With so many ‘firsts’ to its credit, it is not surprising that St. Moritz, which became a synonym of quality, class and style, registered its sun logo with the signet “St. Moritz – Top of the World” as an international trademark.

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NEVER STANDING STILL St. Moritz has established many new cultural initiatives within the last 10 years. Such as Thomas Kriemler‘s ‘La Tavolata‘, initiated in 2011. A 400 meter long table, made of local woods, is placed in a pedestrian street in downtown St. Moritz for one day each summer, assembling generations and creating a platform for free communication and new ideas. Somewhat closer to the sky, the El Paradiso lets ordinary people and glamorous stars enjoy heavenly delicacies on a sunlit terrace at an altitude of 2,181 meters.

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Participants of Passione Engadina Rallye

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On the musical entertainment side, the famous

Ballroom. The orchestra plays exclusively on original

Dracula Club, St. Moritz‘s No.1 night club, became

instruments from the time of the Viennese classic

the chosen address for fine jazz nights during the

period, offering a superb authentic sound experience.

‘Festival da Jazz’. Owned and managed today by

Another event to mark in your social calendar is the

artist Rolf Sachs and founded by his father, Gunter

annual classical concert charity event for the Hadassah

Sachs, in 1974, it is normally open only to its members

Medical Center in Jerusalem, organized by Fabian

and a few invited guests during the winter season.

Herdieckerhoff and the German Chapter of the Hadas-

However, since 2008, it welcomes jazz enthusiasts

sah Organisation, also put on at Badrutt’s Palace.

during the summer for the ‘Festival da Jazz’. Internationally renowned artists, such as Paolo Conte,

Rally devotees rejoice at a new event, which was

Jimmy Cliff, Ahmad Jamal, Dee Dee Bridgewater or

launched three years ago. The ‘Passione Engadina’ is a

Chick Corea love to share the intimate stage atmos-

rally, allowing the participation of a maximum of 100

phere with their spectators during this prestigious

cars, made in Italy, up until 1984. With its 195 kilo-

festival. Once the concerts are over, the classy Miles

meters course and an average speed of 42 km/h, this

Davis Bar in the Kulm Hotel is usually the preferred

rally is not about lap times – it rather celebrates life-

venue for relentless night jam sessions.

style, beauty, culture and quality with tranquility and indulgence. The display of incredibly stunning histor-

The Badrutt Palace, on the other hand, focuses on

ical examples of Italian car design not only attracts

more classical tunes and preluded this summer with

petrolheads but women and children alike that enjoy

a new music festival. In cooperation with the Sinfonia

these outstanding examples of art on wheels.

Amadei Orchestra and conductor Lukas Christian Reinitzer, the three-day long festival takes place twice a year in the distinguished setting of the Embassy

One of the many musical highlights of St. Moritz – the stage accompanying ‘La Tavolata‘, the 400 meter long table meandering through town.

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The Carlton Hotel, St. Moritz

CULTURE EXPRESSED IN DAILY LIFE

St. Moritz certainly offers a lot of savoring moments – espe-

Unquestionably, St. Moritz and the Engadin country-

cially for gourmets it is a true treat. Not only can one choose

side are predestined for a variety of sports. The high

from a variety of tastes, but the quality is always more than

mountains, the dry, fluffy snow, the frozen lake and

outstanding. The Carlton Hotel, including the DaVittorio,

the great climate offer a diversified playground.

a restaurant holding 3 Michelin stars and 17 Gault & Millau points, is a great example. The chefs de cuisine Enrico and

So when given the opportunity, some Englishmen who

Roberto Cerea serve delicious Lombardic traditional special-

were impressed by the benefits of the area, brought

ties with a creative, modern twist.

polo, cricket, golf, curling as well as the forerunner of ice hockey, called bandy, to the region two centuries

The Carlton Hotel was the last of the big five luxury hotels to open

ago. They were even adventurous enough to engage

shortly before the war, in 1913. After a lot of ups and downs,

in a more exciting version of tobogganing.

many openings and closings, resulting from the two World Wars, it shines today in new splendor since its renovation in 2006/07.

The hotel terrace is certainly unique in its size and quality of view.

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Traditional and modern in the heart of St. Moritz

Hotel Schweizerhof | 7500 St. Moritz | Tel. +41 (0)81 837 07 07 | www.schweizerhofstmoritz.ch www.schweizerhofstmoritz.ch

Cresta rider exiting the Run at Shuttlecock corner

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CHALLENGING ADVENTURES IN SPORTS

Text: MamĂŠ Gamamy

The first rider to adopt the now traditional head-first position on a toboggan was a Mr. Cornish, in 1887. Today the Cresta Run ice rink is managed by a British private club and is carved out each year from scratch. Lying on their stomach, on a heavy steel skeleton, the drivers navigate through the 1,214 meter long icy track, from St. Moritz down a steep gully and around 10 corners to Celerina.

With a total drop of 156 meters, an average speed of 85 km/h and their noses just 15 cm from the ice, the Cresta Run is a fascinating yet dangerous sporting adventure. This is why the exclusive boys club banned women from competing in 1929, under the pretext that it could cause breast cancer.

Nevertheless, Cresta became an Olympic discipline named Skeleton.

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The award presentation of the Cresta Run is, like at

The extraordinary passion for competition has earned

the inception, still held in the sunny bar of the Kulm

St. Moritz the participation in many international

Hotel overlooking the bobsleigh run St. Moritz-

contests. The II. and V. Olympic Winter Games in 1928

Celerina which runs on the grounds of the hotel.

and 1948 were held here, as well as the Alpine Ski World Championship in 1934, 1974 and 2003 – and St. Moritz even won its bid to host it again in 2017.

Apart from skiing and tobogganing, St. Moritz also became the alpine centre of equestrian sport.

Alongside its rich history, remarkable sports offer-

The first polo field dates back to 1899. Polo was the sporting pastime for British soldiers stationed in

ings and its magnificent landscape, St. Moritz has

the area. After the British cavalry left, polo was not

always impressed with a favorable climate: With more

played for a long time. In 1959, with the inauguration

than 322 sunny days per year, the 5.000 locals eagerly

of the St. Moritz Polo Club, the icy horseback sport

share their paradise with over 500.000 excited visitors

was picked up again. Today the frozen St. Moritz lake

yearly … one of the many reason why we at Artology

serves as the field for the famous and heavily visited

love St. Moritz!

‘White Turf Race’ and the ‘Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz’ – the worlds‘ most prestigious polo tourna-

White Turf on lake St. Moritz

ment on snow.

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ART

A NEW ART HUB IN THE SWISS ALPS Rita Hayworth with hotellier legend Hans Badrutt

All eyes on St. Moritz!

It claims to be the birthplace of winter sports, is known as the oldest

aries of renowned galleries, like Pace at Chesa Büsin

winter holiday resort in the world, and has been a hotspot of the

in Zuoz (New York, London, Bejing, Hong Kong, etc.),

international jet-set for decades: world-famous St. Moritz, the chic and

Galeria Monica de Cardenas in Zuoz (Milano), Galerie

sophisticated little town, nestled between spectacular mountains in the

Carsten Greve in St. Moritz (Paris, Cologne) and

Swiss Engadine. Alfred Hitchcock, Brigitte Bardot and Gunter Sachs

Galerie Tschudi in Zuoz – to name just a few. The exhibi-

were regular guests in St. Moritz, as were Charlie Chaplin, Thomas Mann,

tions range from painting to photography and from

the Kennedy family and the Shah of Persia.

sculptural works to performance art and video installations. Of course the ‘St. Moritz Art Masters’ – a

Today, big industrialists like the Heineken family, the Greek shipping family

festival that was originally held in 2008 – played a big

Niarchos and the Indian Lakshmi Mittal Family own houses, hotels and

part in this recent ‘evolution’ of the scene, bringing

properties in St. Moritz. But also celebrities like Eliette von Karajan, George

contemporary artists from all over the world to the

Clooney and Claudia Schiffer are spotted on a regular basis, and restaurants

Engadine every August.

such as the exclusive Corviglia Club, the famous Nobu at Badrutt’s Palace or the ingenious restaurant Mathis at Corviglia station, cater to the rich and

But also nationally, the idyllic Canton of Graubünden has produced some very fine and influen-

famous.

tial creatives. On the next pages, we’ll introduce two For many generations, the Engadine´s charm has attracted and inspired artists, filmmakers, writers and philosophers. What’s pretty new about the bespoke little mountain resort in the Swiss Alps is the constantly growing art scene, both national and international, settling in St. Moritz and the surrounding villages. The region boasts high-class exhibitions and subsidi-

32

of them …

Via Traunter Plazzas 1 7500 St. Moritz - Switzerland Phone: +41 - 81 836 26 26 Fax: +41 - 81 836 26 27 E-mail: stay@crystalhotel.ch Web: www.crystalhotel.ch

Member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World

The original in winTer Tourism since 1864

www.engadin.stmoritz.ch www.stmoritz.ch

ART

ROLF SACHS IN MOTION Text: Dr. Rebekka Reinhard Photos: Rolf Sachs, Andreas von Einsiedel

If we didn’t know before, we’d never have guessed the location of

far from the Carlton Hotel (supposedly once planned as summer

Rolf Sachs’ premises in St. Moritz. No, it’s not one of the usual

residence for tsar Nicholas II). Mark and I are greeted by Mr.

Swiss chalets overlooking Lake St. Moritz, and it’s not a suite in

Sachs’ butler who escorts us up a staircase, the wall stacked with

the Palace Hotel, either. It’s the former Olympic stadium which

wooden logs and a number of vintage photographs. On the right

had been out of use for ages: a flat, copper brown Bauhaus-

and left hand side of the steps there are several examples of Mr.

building with a tower and a flag on top overlooking the moun-

Sachs’ favorite furniture piece: the chair. These particular chairs

tains and the sky above the town. Just imagine the bustling

have rather short legs – the owner must have cut them off for

atmosphere when St. Moritz hosted the Winter Olympic Games

artistic purposes … We enter an oblong room containing a multi-

back in 1928 and 1948 … Some years ago, Sachs received the

tude of artworks, books, more chairs, a house bar including an

permit to restore the building as a place of a certain historic

ice cube maker – and a renowned architect at the ETH Zurich, a

significance and made it a home full of creativity and gaiety for

friend of Mr. Sachs’ who’s working silently on the computer. The

his family and friends. The appeal of the architecture lies with its

place is filled with a refined woody scent, maybe resulting from

simplicity and functionality, as symbolized by the original letters

the artwork near the entrance, a wooden shelf all black and burnt.

‘Stadion St. Moritz’ painted across the façade.

While we’re waiting for the main person to appear, we’re free to inspect the room, look at family photos and admire the many layers of felt stacked up on top of one another to form a sofa be-

It’s a rather chilly afternoon in August when we arrive in town.

neath one of the panorama windows.

Now and then, the sun breaks through the clouds, turning Lake St. Moritz into a huge-sized emerald. Rolf Sachs’ house is not very

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Rolf Sachs’ latest work is ‘Camera in Motion’, a conceptual

Rolf Sachs enters. Dressed in black, the designer / artist welcomes us with a contagiously warm smile and invites us to have

photography series he started to work on in 2004. The idea was

a seat in front of the fireplace. One can tell from his look of deep

to use a still camera in motion in order to capture images the

concentration that he’s not about to involve us in some kind of

human eye can’t possibly capture in the same way. After shooting

lengthy chit-chat – this is a man who gets straight to the point.

photos from a country house with view on the ‘Wilde Kaiser’

The investment banker who started to create art and design

(a mountain range in the Alps), he placed a camera on the bow of

pieces in the mid-Eighties is a man full of joy, curiosity and desire

the ‘Amazon express’ boat owned by Jean Pigozzi on the open

for discovery. He doesn’t tend to waste his time on subjects he’s

lake (2006 – 2007) – as well as on a moving train. ‘From Chur to

already dealt with (unlike, say, Roy Lichtenstein).

Tirano’: That’s the third project of the series (2013). A Leica S camera explores stunning views of the natural beauty and diversi-

“My spectrum is very broad”, he says. “I’ve got incredible

ty of the surrounding Alpine landscape from the famous Rhaetian

amounts of ideas and I’m easily bored, so I’m constantly trying

Albula / Bernina train line that belongs to the UNESCO world

to create something new. I’m driven to make people think new

heritage , creating pictures with a hypnotizing effect that oscil-

thoughts, to open up their minds, to foster tolerance.” So what’s his

late between Photorealism and Abstract Art; one is reminded

message? There’s no easy answer. Sachs isn’t inclined to coerce

of Gerhard Richter’s oeuvre. On some photos the foreground is

you into buying into a certain idea or concept that might be

blurred, while the background is sharp, on others there’s sharp-

behind any of his objects – on the contrary. His communication

ness only in one dot of the picture (no photoshop).

modes are clarity and humor (what the French call ‘esprit’), his main goal is freedom of interpretation.

“I’ve got incredible amounts of ideas and I’m easily bored.“

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a. photograph Š Rolf Sachs b. courtesy of Rolf Sachs

Camera in Motion

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a. photograph © Rolf Sachs b. courtesy of Rolf Sachs

ART

“It’s the light. The natural light in St. Moritz is of unbelievable clarity. The horizon seems to be cut off with a razor blade.”

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In Motion exhibition by Rolf Sachs at Galerie Caratsch in St. Moritz

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example, he deals with shapes, production or environmen-

Rolf Sachs: “I have a personal relationship to the Engadin valley, I grew up and went to school there, so I

tal issues. An artist can take a more conceptual ap-

travelled on the Raethian train line hundreds of times.”

proach – take the photographs by Bernd and Hilla Becher, but both, artist and designer, have to feel the pulse of time, the Zeitgeist!”

“One could see these photos as a philosophical

commentary on the subject of time”, I suggest. “They

remind me of what the French philosopher Paul

Rolf Sachs may hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Business

Virilio calls ‘polar inertia‘ or frantic stagnation – a

Administration, he may be an accomplished business man, but he

main characteristic of today’s hectic lifestyle…” certainly doesn’t belong to the type of those whose brains are

“I agree. One could see it as such.”

filled with facts and numbers. He has the soul of an artist. Sachs values the intellect, yet he seems to value intuition even more.

“This is really an age of constant acceleration…”

“Absolutely. The acceleration of our lives is enormous,

people don’t have time, and it’s hard for them to concen-

“At a recent panel event I read a list of words to the

“What role does emotion play for you?”

trate on themselves.” (In the background, the ice cube

audience: ‘tolerance, style, stone quarry, fog, half full,

maker emits an approving sound.)

eroticism, attraction, frost…’, and I closed with ‘toler-

x elements spread over time, which all interplay. The

ance’, again. These are all things that touch me. They’re “‘Camera in Motion‘ is definitely an artwork – but

what’s the difference for you between art and design?” question is: head or gut? There’s constant to and fro “Sometimes I’m more of an artist, sometimes more of a

between the two in my work. I tend to be too intellectual-

designer. A designer builds a Formula 1 vehicle, for

istic, which is typically German.”

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--->

Typisch Deutsch: Pünktlichkeit – by Rolf Sachs

Typisch Deutsch: der unendliche Geist – by Rolf Sachs

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Apart from his creative origin, Sachs’ identity is typically

‘Typically German?‘ (‘Typisch deutsch?‘) – this was the title of his exhibition at the Museum für Angewandte

European, however. He’s half German, half French, but was born

Kunst in Cologne earlier this year, showing a large number of

and raised in Switzerland. And he’s been living in London for

different functional objects transformed into sculptures and inter-

twenty years. Sachs also exudes a touch of Britishness which

preted, well, in a humorously ‘misappropriated’ way; like the ‘exit’

should have a beneficial effect on St. Moritz – now that the town

sign from a German freeway that Sachs turned into a table top, or a

seems to have gotten a little forgetful about its origins. Actually,

garden gnome made of coal, symbolizing German industriousness.

it was the British who discovered the place as a winter resort in the nineteenth century.

“I’m battling with myself. My work would be deeper and stronger if I did things more out of a gut feeling – if I did

“The Brits had money and time, so they invented all

more ‘Baucharbeit’, like Rauschenberg, for instance. But

different kinds of sports (curling, cresta, bobbing and

‘Baucharbeit’ needs time, it is a question of attitude and

polo on ice, among others). In St. Moritz, people still have

oomph!”

this very sporty and witty attitude, this kind of ‘esprit’ established by the Englishmen.”

With regard to his creativity, Sachs considers himself Rolf Sachs definitely contributes to keeping this spirit alive.

German. What inspires him is the second half of the twentieth century when great artistic innovation no longer came from

Not only is he vice president of the local Cresta-Club, he’s also

Spain, France and Italy but from the North, Germany in particu-

been riding – lying head first – down the famous run since he was

lar, when you think of the impact Beuys, Richter or Rosemarie

thirteen. The close by bob run is the biggest ice sculpture in the

Trockel have had on the art world:

world, being built every year by hand in 3 weeks.

“And when you come to think about it: In the North you had already Bauhaus and De Stijl when the French were still clinging to art nouveau.”

--->

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Herzschuss Exhibition: Ewiger Lauf – by Rolf Sachs

ART

Rolf Sachs ‘In Motion‘ exhibition at Gallerie Andrea Caratsch, St. Moritz – from December 1st until April 7th 2015 www.galeriecaratsch.com

“There’s a special kind of camaraderie and friendship

comparatively easy to be dedicatedly demented. In such boring

among the club members, and there’s an air of eccentrici-

times as ours, however, it’s no small feat to keep a certain amount

ty that’s now fading away a little bit. The times are long

of elitism and snobbery alive.

gone when people travelled from Scotland to St. Moritz in a 1929 Bentley.”

“What does courage mean to you?”

(Before Mr. Sachs can answer, there’s an instant reply from his

“What a pity…”

“And still, the friendly spirit lives on, even now that the

cellphone, as an incoming call is signaled by a ring tone mimick-

town has become quite anonymous. I also try to cultivate

ing a locomotive at full speed – could be the Rhaetian railway…)

it in the Dracula Club (established by his late father Gunter “Well, somehow you’re always entrapped in a social

Sachs in 1970). What’s interesting about the club culture is that its members undergo an educative process, they have

fabric. I’m courageous inasmuch as I’m a very free-think-

to adapt to the spirit.”

ing man. But I think I need more courage to produce ‘Bauchstücke’…” (Collective laughter)

“It’s all about the ethics of style, right?”

“Yes, but it takes lots of time to acquire good manners;

“What are you living for?”

“Good question. As time goes on, I realize what it is

etiquette was once passed down through the generations.

Nowadays, people are concerned with business, they’ve

that’s really important to me. I’m really good at bringing

too little time for leisure. Back then, they used to have

people of different backgrounds together, so that they fit

more of an elitist self-confidence.”

together like a puzzle. It’s easy for me to appreciate and analyse people, I love to deal with people and make them communicate openly. That’s what my art and creativity

This may be especially true for the English whose eccentricity

is all about.”

is traditionally due to “that peculiar and satisfactory knowledge of infallibility that is the hallmark and birthright of the British nation”, as Dame Edith Sitwell wrote. In her day, it must have been

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ART

One of a kind An iconic, modern-day Palace in Marrakech

L’A PO GÉE C O U R CHE VE L

BRE N N ER S PA RK - HOT EL & SPA

L E BR ISTO L PAR IS

CHAT EAU SA INT-M ARTIN & SPA

EDEN ROC K

FREGATE ISLAN D PRIVATE

H OTEL DU C AP EDEN-ROC

PALAIS NAMASKAR

COURCHEVEL · FRANCE

BADEN-BADEN · GERMANY

PARIS · FRANCE

VENCE · COTE D’A ZUR · FRANCE

ST. BARTHS

SEYCHELLES

CAP D’A NTIBES · FRANCE

MARRAKECH · MOROCCO

Rolf Sachs

w w w . p a l a i s n a m a s k a r. c o m 43

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THE GLOBAL ENGADINER

Piz Ajuz mountain sculpted in plaster

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Not Vital Text: Alma Zevi / Artwork: Not Vital

For the past 30 years, Not Vital has been recognised as one of the world’s leading contemporary sculptors. Vital was born in Sent, a small mountain village in the Engadin valley, less than an hour away from St. Moritz. A childhood spent building huts in the forests started a life-long interest in architecture (an important branch of his work), while the six months per year that were covered in snow have often been cited by the artist as the source of his largely monochrome palette. For example, he has produced a sculpture entitled Moon in white Carrara marble, and has sculpted the five mountains that he sees from his bedroom window in plaster.

At the essence of Vital’s work is a boundless curiosity for farflung places; which can be observed in the extended periods of time spent in Beijing, Bhutan, India, Niger, Nepal and, most recently, in Brazil, Chile and Indonesia. In each of these places he has produced artworks, often collaborating with local craftsmen.

The Chilean project consisted of buying an island in Patagonia that is naturally composed of white marble, and excavating a 50metre tunnel within.

Being an Engadiner, Romansch (the ancient, but official, fourth language of Switzerland) is Vital ’s mother tongue.

Language in general plays a prominent role in his work, as can be seen in the sculpture che fasch – a bronze branch has these letters affixed to its tips, spelling out the Romansch translation of ‘what are you doing’. Vital spends four months per year in the Engadin, using its unforgettable landscape and wildlife as a constant source of inspiration.

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This page: Fuck You, opposite: Heads sculpture in Abu Dhabi

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A beautiful exhibition of Not Vital‘s work can be seen at the Museo d‘Arte in Mendrisio, Italy – until January 11th 2015. www.notvital.com

This can be observed in iconic works such as 700

Western canons – from Classical Antiquity to Brancusi – as they can to

Snowballs and ‘Fuck You’. Through his dry sense of

non-Western art – from the sculptures on Easter Island to oversize Buddha

humour, Vital questions his relationship with a

heads in Thailand.

Swiss identity, while simultaneously engaging with aesthetics that range from prehistoric to minimalist, always resulting in poetic and unsettling beauty.

Vital’s two ongoing architectural projects are on the small Indonesian island of Flores, and in the Amazon rainforest. Both are still in progress and each culminate in a House to Watch the Sunset. This concept of the artist

Vital’s most recent work is a series of sculptures

was born in 2005, when he built the first ‘House to Watch the Sunset’ from

called ‘ Head s’ , although he only began these in

sundried mud bricks in Agadez, Niger. It is in Niger that Vital started to

2013 they have already become iconic, having been

develop this aspect of his work, building prolifically there from 2003

exhibited in New York, Paris, Abu Dhabi, London and

onwards. In Agadez and the surrounding areas he conceived of buildings

St. Moritz. These sculptures express pared-down

including: Makaranta (a school), ‘House to Watch the Moon and Mosque’. He

shapes that can be recognized as heads, yet retain

makes no separation between his sculptural and architectural work, instead,

anonymity. This may have been influenced by the

continuing to blur the boundaries between them and challenge himself with

extraordinary masses of people that Vital has been

ever more ambitious projects. In Vital’s own words, “if a sculpture is big enough

confronted with in Beijing, where the sculptures were

to sit, lie of sit in, it is also a house”.

produced. These sculptures have a timeless, placeless presence. They can be compared as much to

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Tears – by Not Vital

Antlers and Eyes – by Not Vital

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AR M LE DE R BASQU IAT BOETTI CON DO DE CH I R ICO DOKOU PI L MOSSET N EWTON PANCRAZZ I STE I N E R VITAL WAR HOL

GALERIE ANDRE A CAR ATSCH W W W.G ALERIECAR ATSCH.COM V I A SE R L A S 12 C H - 7500 ST. MOR I TZ TE L +41- 81-73 4 0000 WALDMANNSTR ASSE 8 CH-800149ZÜRICH TE L +41- 44- 272 5000

T R AV E L

‘THE HOTELIER AND HIS PALACE Hans Wiedemann Text: Mark Robinow

One of the people on my to interview list for Artology’s special on St. Moritz was the charismatic Hans Wiedemann, Director and Co-Owner of Badrutt’s Palace Hotel, for generations not only one of the most famous hotels to this day, but also one of the finest.

So when the time to interview him came, I was very much on my toes when the charming Mrs. Nücken, PR Director of the Palace Hotel, greeted me at the entrance and escorted me to a conference room prepared so that one would expect an intense half-day-long meeting of an international bank board or government committee. Knowing that Mr. Wiedemann´s time is scarce I immediately mentioned that I’d only ask a few questions about the hotel’s history, followed by an introduction to our publication and an overview of our magazine’s concept and ambitions.

As it turned out, the two of us hit it off right away, and I am still a bit baffled at my good fortune of having walked into such a meeting and being able to spend the time I did with this living legend Hotelier. Hans Wiedemann and I exchanged stories, incidents, jokes and impressions of people we’ve both known through our partially related work, and complimented them for their skills and humor and what we particularly liked about each one of them. This went on for almost 2 hours straight. It was a treat, Sir, and will be forever fondly remembered. We did not really do an interview in the strict sense, but in this case I am very happy with the way it went. We spoke of many things, such as how

Hans Wiedemann and Percy Sledge

grand hotels and their guests have changed, yet some families have been returning to the palace every year for three genera-

Getting an appointment with this man was no easy task,

tions to spend their Christmas or winter holidays. Or the fact that

even with previous door-opening efforts of a ‘celebrity‘

hotels like the Palace have to reinvent themselves regularly to

mutual friend. To make things even more ‘special‘ - as we

meet the standards of current times. In most cases this is a huge

Americans like to say – Mr. Wiedemann has quite a charm-

investment not immediately noticeable to guests or visitors,

ing and no less impressive team of co-workers that take

though it often shows finely honed skills in keeping the hotel’s

their job of protecting the valuable time of their director

image and legacy intact. Thus as well, no doubt, is due to the always

very seriously.

creative and charismatic Hans Wiedemann.

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Impression, Crazy Horse

T R AV E L

“One day he decided to rent a car and drive 9.000 kilometers through Europe to show his wife and their son the continent he grew up and learned his profession in.”

That´s more or less what happened to Hans Wiedemann and

Hans Wiedeman has proven himself a master hotelier of the old – as well as the new – school, and it comes as no surprise that for

his Indian-born wife, whom he met while working for an Inter-

his professional accomplishments he received the Hotelier of the

national Hotel Group in Australia. One day he decided to rent a

World award in 2009, bestowed annually by the prestigious

car and drive 9000 kilometers through Europe to show his wife

‘Hotels’ magazine, which is distributed in 165 countries. One of

and their son the continent he grew up and learned his profes-

his very ingenious and outstanding achievements in recent years

sion in. As he told me in our ‘Interview’, one of the first wishes his

for the Palace was in 2006 when he implemented a ground break-

wife voiced - in 1989! - was to go to St. Moritz to see the famous

ing method of gaining energy from the St. Moritz lake, which is less

Palace Hotel. At the time neither his wife nor he had ever been

than 300 Meters away from the Hotel, to heat the hotel. Another

there. So off they went and sure enough, during one of the many

creative production was to turn the hotel’s indoor tennis court,

stops in their European tour, they landed at Badrutt’s Palace Hotel

built in 1913 and a first in Switzerland, which was later turned into

in St. Moritz. 15 years later he became the General Manager of

the premises now known as the King’s Club, the restaurant ‘La

the hotel and will be its sole owner in the future

Coupole’ (or in winter ‘Matsuhisa@Badrutt’s Palace’) will open in Thank you Mr. Wiedemann for letting me take up so much

the former tennis hall.

of your time and giving me a most memorable ‘Interview’.

An often heard saying is ‘What a small world’, instinctively underlining what incredible coincidences happen when you know many people in many different places in the world, or even if you’re just endlessly globetrotting the planet for fun or business,

Long live the Palace!

and all of a sudden you bump into someone or something you would never expect or find wherever it is that you are.

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ART

THE BIGGER PICTURE. St. Moritz Art Masters 2014

Text: Sonja Hartung

Every August the international art scene is drawn to a rather small but famous town in the Swiss Alps.

It’s the time of the annual St. Moritz Art Masters, SAM for short – a high-profile event bringing together artists, galleries and collectors for a fine tuned programme of art tours, exhibitions and discussions.

Growing bigger and more exciting each year, this summer we decided to take a closer look!

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Photo: Anil Rane / www.stmoritzartmasters.com

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In 2014 the festival took place for the seventh time, sponsored by partners such as Cartier, Leica and Mercedes Benz. The latter even ran a prominent art lounge in the centre of St. Moritz for the duration of the festival and collaborated with the young Indian artist Amshu Chukki, who created an exclusive work in order to mark the 1 millionth fan of the brand’s Instagram page. Among the partnering hotels were, of course, all the big names, such as the iconic Badrutt’s Palace Hotel, the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains St. Moritz, the Nira Alpina, the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz and the stunning Hotel Suvretta House – most of which didn’t only host the protagonists and visitors, but also various exhibitions.

Standing for a combination of strong local ties and international exchange, SAM was founded in 2008 by the photographer and ‘visionary guru’ Monty Shadow and artistic director Rainer Opoku, continuing the tradition of the Engadine being an inspirational place for generations of painters, authors and creatives of all genres. This year’s edition, under the organisational lead of Managing Director Eveline Fasser Testa, had a strong focus on India, displaying both established and young contemporary Indian artists like Jitish Kallat and Manish Nai, as well as works by Arne Quinze, Philipp Keel and Billy

Artistic director Rainer Opoku / Photo: stmoritzartmasters.com/cattaneo

Childish.

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ART

Paying tribute to the rich natural and cultural backdrop of

At ‘Galerie Karsten Greve’, Manish Nai

St. Moritz and the surrounding villages, SAM has established an

represented India’s contemporary art

interactive way of connecting the various artistic venues:

scene, which is known for strongly

the so-called Walk of Art. In addition to traditional venues in

coloured and narrative works, from a

St. Moritz, Samedan and Zuoz, selected galleries from the region

surprisingly abstract side – his work being

were part of the program, for instance the newly opened gallery

characterized by a reduced palette of

Robilant+Voena in St. Moritz, where the double exhibition ‘East/

natural tones and almost exclusively

West’ by Jitish Kallat and Julian Schnabel manifested an

geometric forms.

encounter between two cultures.

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Francesco Clemente

Billy Childish

Paresh Maity

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In addition to the monumental tent installation in the St.

independent judgement free of the art world’s personality cults. It

Moritz school building, by Italian artist Francesco

was solely dedicated to art itself – a highly interesting and, for us,

Clemente, and a retrospective that combined Clemente’s

delightful approach.

‘Indian’ works from the last 25 years, shown at Galerie Amongst all those mind-blowing impressions, inspiring talks

Bischofberger, the impressive private ‘Bilderberg Collection’ within the historic rooms of the Chesa Planta

and beautiful exhibits, we had the pleasure of meeting some of

Samedan was one of our highlights at SAM 2014. Cu-

the artists at SAM 2014 in person. The interviews, thoughts and

rated by Berlin artist Christoph Steinmeyer, the selection

impressions on the following pages are the results of these wonder-

contained over 30 exhibits of different eras in the genres

ful encounters. Enjoy!

of painting, photography and sculpture. Both the owners and artists remained unnamed, because the exhibition’s

Matthias Brunner

aim was to give the viewer the opportunity for an

List of artists Curtis Anderson | Pablo Bartholomew | Jayasri Burman | Riddhibrata Burman | Billy Childish | Francesco Clemente | The Bilderberg Collection | Pratul Dash | Smriti Dixit | Shilpa Gupta | Subodh Gupta | Lori Hersberger | Didier Hagège | Maqbool Fida Husain | Leiko Ikemura | Jitish Kallat | Reena Saini Kallat | Ranbir Kaleka | Philipp Keel | Manish Nai | Paresh Maity | Nalini Malani | Manish Nai | Julian Schnabel | Gigi Scaria | Mithu Sen | Christoph Steinmeyer | Sooni Taraporevala

5757

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PHILIPP KEEL A Man for All States of Mind

Text: Mark Robinow / Artwork: Philipp Keel

“How does he do it?” is the question that first comes to mind when standing in front of the handsome Swiss-born Philipp Keel, as one tries to get ones head around all his achievements over the past decades, and in view of his seemingly never-ending enthusiasm, inspiration and attention to detail.

Son of Daniel Keel, the founder of famous Diogenes Verlag, and

to life on white paper, but also on menu cards, table cloths or

Anna Keel, a painter and sculptor with a breathtaking life´s

napkins, on which he spontaneously captured fascinating

work of about 20.000 pieces, Philipp Keel somehow manages to

moments and situations.

be both – the successful entrepreneur of a long-standing publishHaving lived in the US for almost 20 years and travelled the

ing house and a well-spoken artist and bestselling author.

world for even longer, many of Keel’s drawings are inspired by landscapes, which the artist expresses in powerful colors, such as

Besides running the publishing house, Keel, who started drawing at the age of four, has amassed an impressive oeuvre

the ‘Six Palm Trees in Red and Blue’, shown at Villa Flor. Also

by today. In the course of the past twenty years he engaged

part of the exhibition: the famous ‘Sunny-side Up’, which also

in a variety of creative media, producing works in photography,

appears on the cover of his latest book ‘State of Mind’. The

painting, drawing and silkscreen printing.

drawing shows a hen, which has just managed to lay an egg and decides to casually drop it on the floor. The egg comes out sunny side up, leaving the hen with an expression somewhere between

A stunning and eclectic selection of Keel’s works on paper

bemused and startled.

has opened at the 2014 St. Moritz Art Masters, in the imposing mountainous scenery of Switzerland’s Engadin. The exhibition

As a viewer, one can’t help but adopt the scenery and oddly

‘State of Mind’ at Villa Flor in S-chanf comprised over 110 pieces, the majority of which has never before been shown in

feel like the hen in the drawing – an effect that many of Keel’s

Switzerland.

artworks have, in all their ingenious simplicity. The exhibition at Villa Flor ends on December 20, 2014, but being as versatile and ambitious as he is, we surely have justified hopes of seeing much

The works include hilarious caricatures, capturing all sorts

more of Philipp Keel’s work in the near future.

of odd moments of everyday human interaction, as well as pensive and very sensitive observations of life, and impressions of Keel’s extensive travels. The paintings and drawings come

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© Philipp Keel, Six Palm Trees in Red and Blue, 2009 / Courtesy Private Collection, Switzerland

© Philipp Keel, The Artist and his Admirers, 2005

Philipp Keel, Exhibition View „State of Mind“, Villa Flor, S-chanf, Switzerland, 2014

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See more of Philipp Keel `s work here: www.philippkeel.com

Or purchase the catalogue of the exhibition ‘State of Mind‘: www.nieves.ch/catalogue/philipp.html

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Photo Š Arne Quinze for Veridor

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GOOD GOLD

ART

Text: Mark Robinow

One of the artists presenting their work at the St. Moritz Art Masters was Brussels-born artist Arne Quinze, who has definitely acquired a big name - in particular for his incredible XXXL sculptures that he often deliberately places in city locations that are highly frequented by pedestrians. Arne likes to engage people and challenge them in conversations, to exchange thoughts, impressions and opinions. And so far so good – they´ve done even more than that.

Mark Robinow with the artist / photography: fotoswiss – Giancarlo Cattaneo

Quinze’s talent has been recognized by major corporations and museums alike. Even the famous ‘Burning Man’ festival which is held annually in

When did you start working as an artist and what medium did you

Black Rock City in the middle of the Nevada desert.

work in first? “I started as a teenager, working as a graffiti artist in Brussels,

Arne’s sculpture ‘A message from the future’ was

spraying on subway cars, buildings and underpasses etc. This was a lot of

the center of the attraction. Two enormously large-

fun, and I was able to meet and work with the best graffiti artists at the time.”

scale wooden art installations in Brussels that give the impression the ‘sculptures’ were touching the

What is it you wish to achieve with your art? “With many of my sculp-

buildings and cars, and yet people were moving

tures my goal is to try to compliment nature somewhat, in the sense that I

effortlessly underneath it. Many other unique pro-

like to see my sculptures and installations as organic installations.

jects followed, such as an installation for the Belgian

I want to visually compliment the environment and make it beautiful. I want

parliament and the luxury brand Louis Vuitton, as

people to bring more dialogue to my installations. I want to make them

well as iconic pieces in Paris, Munich and Beirut.

communicate with each other. I find that in many of the cities around the globe today there is not enough soul, not enough communication between

Arne Quinze and I met for a quick interview at Badrutt’s Palace hotel where he was presenting quite

people, and very little humanity practiced among them. Collective art is therefore so important in all our cultures today.”

an exquisite piece of art. To be exact, a mobile sculpture made out of 48 kilos of 18 carat gold called

Since we are sitting here in this incredible location, what is special

‘Natural Chaos’ which Arne created in collaboration

about St. Moritz for you personally? He looks out of the largest window

with a German company named Veridor. The piece is

of the Palace lobby - which is exactly where we were sitting - inspects the

very obviously the heart of Arne’s ‘Natural Chaos’

massive mountain in front of us, and says “We are so small, everything

series of sculptures. The presentation of this master-

is big. We do not know what the mountains can tell us” then pauses and

piece was given during the opening weekend of the

smiles. “The mountains here are beautiful and very impressive.”

annual St. Moritz Art Masters, and drew many spectators consisting of invited collectors, members of the

Arne, thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions for us.

press and a few ‘art-tourists’. Right after the unveiling

We wish you every success for your future projects.

of this extraordinary piece I had the chance to speak to Arne in person, and to ask him a few questions.

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ART IN CONTRAST Always at the Hotel Schweizerhof

Acla-Stübli in the hotelSchweizerhof

Fotoswiss-Vernissage, Hotel-Schweizerhof

ART

Text: Mamé Gamamy

Being a strong advocate for art, the Hotel Schweizerhof regularly hosts local

– were combined into one coherent art piece. This avant-

and international artists at their exclusive residence in St. Moritz. With a

garde sweater was called to action by the graphic

focus on contemporary art of various disciplines including music, design,

designers and photographers Jacob Klein and Nathan

painting and photography, Yvonne Urban and Martin Scherer, the directors

Cowen from Haw-Lin Services in Berlin. They created

of the Schweizerhof, encourages artists to create modern works inspired

a video installation, showing a dancer caught in the

by the rich tradition of the superior hotel and the impressive landscape of

gravitation of movement, light and shadow. The local

the Engadin.

sculptor Reto Grond confronted this animated artwork with his Arven Puzzle – a large, fragmented, elliptic

Entering into a dialogue between stereotypes and reality, as well as

sculpture made of fragrant Swiss pine from the region.

the tension between overwhelming nature and cool aesthetics, ‘contrast’

Yet again the ‘St. Moritz Sessions’ exhibit displayed an-

was the central theme of this recent ‘St. Moritz Sessions’ exhibit, which was

other successful art collaboration that offered a visual

displayed for one week, right in the lobby of the beautiful Schweizerhof.

and haptic experience to the visitors in a wonderful setting of traditional modernity.

Renowned fashion designer Kostas Murkudis, who has worked i.a. for Helmut Lang in New York, expressed his contrast theme by a combination of materials. Lamb fur and synthetic fiber – alien to each other at first sight

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T! H IC N T M IM

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T R AV E L

ST.MORITZ GUIDE Artology’s suggestions of must see locations when in St. Moritz – for those of you who need to eat, drink, heal and sleep in the right places at the right time.

Text: Mark Robinow

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HOTELS

Kulm Hotel ***** Celebrating its 150-year birthday the Kulm is definitely one of the main places for you to leave your hat when coming to St.Moritz, winter or summer. No wish is left unfulfilled in this incredible luxury hotel. The Jazz Bar is legendary and features state of the art photographs of international artists. Open in summer & winter.

Via Veglia 18 - phone +41.81.836 80 00 www.kulm.com

Carlton Hotel***** Over the years the Carlton has been on the forefront of the de Luxe 5 star hotels in the area. Among some of its many claims to fame is containing the largest hotel suite in the Engadin with ca. 400 square meters and certainly the most spectacular terrace with a view that takes your breath away. The gourmet icing on your cake is done by a 3 star Michelin chef. Only open in winter.

Via Johannes Badrutt 11 – phone: +41.81.836 7000 www.carlton-stmoritz.ch

Nira Alpina **** This very new addition to the region is a definitely a place for the design and luxury oriented sports traveler. Overlooking lake Silvaplana the hotel is located exactly across the street of the Corvatsch cable car lift, to which it is connected, for a direct walk-way, and therefore ideal for alpine sport aficionados. Open in winter & summer.

Via dal Corvatsch 76 – phone: +41.81. 8 38 69 69 www.niraalpina.com

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HOTELS

Badrutt’s Palace Hotel ***** This landmark hotel has without a doubt always been a central point of the social life in St. Moritz. In the afternoon in its famous bar and the hotel lobby, until late at night when youngsters and older generations party together until the early morning in it’s legendary King’s Club Discotheque. Open in winter & summer.

Via Serlas 27 – phone: +41.81.8 37 10 00 www.badruttspalace.com/

Suvretta House ***** This is the place if you want to enjoy state of the art luxury with a world class spa, fitness and sports paradise as well as one of the most beautiful locations set on top of the famous suvretta hill. And to top it all the skilift starts and ends right in front of this true family headquarters. Open in summer and winter.

Via Chasellas – phone: +41.81.8 36 36 36 www.suvrettahouse.ch

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HOTELS

Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains ***** Situated in the neighboring St. Moritz Bad, this hotel offers its guest an impeccable spa and fitness center as well as various outdoor sports packages tailor-made for your personal needs. Do not forget to try chef Axel Rüdlin’s version of the classic ‘Swiss Rösti’. A must! Open winter & summer.

Via Mezdi 27 - phone: +41.81.8 38 38 38 www.kempinski-stmoritz.com

Schweizer Hof ***** This family run hotel has always wholeheartedly supported the arts in various forms. Located smack in the heart of St. Moritz, it is famous for its beautiful dining room as well as for one of the best restaurants in town for authentic local food. Friendly and very down to earth perfect service makes this hotel a favorite for many. Open in winter & summer.

Via dal Bagn 54 – phone: +41.81.837 07 07 www.schweizerhofstmoritz.ch

Hotel Il Giardino Mountain **** Situated just outside of St.Moritz in the village of Champfèr, think “extremely cozy design meets rustic chic” . This very laid back style hotel is a wonderful place to be pampered and spoiled at and offers one service that is surely unique in the world.

It has its own private jet airline. Open in winter and summer.

Via Maistra 3 in Silvaplana – phone: +41.81.836 63 00 www.giardino-mountain.ch

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RESTAURANTS

Chesa Veglia This classic and very authentic eatery is part of the empire that the Badrutt’s Palace Hotel built. It is situated in a small street in the center of the village and boasts 3 different restaurants and a private night club. Must try: barley soup

Via Veglia 2 - phone: +41.81.8 37 28 00

Nobu Da Vittorio

A winter dependance of Master Chef

This 3 Star Michelin Restaurant with 17/20 Gault-Millau

Palace Hotel.

Nobuyuki Matsuhisa is a must try when in town. Located in Badrutt’s

points is the second of two restaurants managed by brothers Enrico & Roberto Cerea of Bergamo. The Italian dishes make you never want to leave this outstanding Via Serlas 27 - phone: +41.81.8 37 10 00

dining jewel.

Via Johannes Badrutt 11 - phone: +41.81.8 36 70 00

Da Vittorio

Glattfelder Most original Lunch-Restaurant and best caviar you can get anywhere!

Via Maistra 3 – phone: +41.81.8 37 39 39

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Indochine This Asian-Fusion casual and lively lounge, bar and restaurant location in St. Moritz’s posthaus is a meeting place for the young and trendy clientele that feasts on the kitchens gourmet burgers and fine beef from the open grill.

Via da Vout 3 – phone: +41.81.8 38 00 00

Le Mandarin This classic Chinese restaurant based in the Stefani Hotel in the center of town is certainly a place to find exceptional Chinese cuisine at prices that are some-

La Baracca

what moderate for St. Moritz. A must is the sweet & sour pork!

Best casual and fun Restaurant with excellent wines, superb Argentine beef and more; great Sonnenplatz – phone: +41.81.8 36 96 96

for private parties as well and for large groups to eat & party.

Signal parking St. Moritz Bad – phone: +41.79.4 20 45 24 Via San Gian – phone: +41.79.2 70 07 75

Chasselas This mountain restaurant serves primarily local dishes for the hungry skiers at lunch time, and in the evening turns into a Gourmet 15/20 GaultMilau dining experience. Open from December 6th until April 6th.

Suvretta – phone: +41.81.8 33 38 54

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NIGHT CLUBS

Dracula’s This private member’s club is certainly the best mountain nightclub in Europe with an incredible mix of people, young and seasoned from around the world, and always with a great ambiance and super music.

Next to Kulm Hotel: Via Maistra 54 – Plazza Gunther Sachs phone: +41.81.8 33 20 20

King’s Club In the cellar of Badrutt’s Palace Hotel – Considered to be the oldest night club in all of Switzerland and certainly an icon in the Winter nightlife of St. Moritz. Enjoy some pasta with truffles there at 3 or 4am in the morning when they taste the best.

Via Serlas 27 – phone: +41.81.8 37 10 00

Vivai In the cellar of the Hotel Stefani one will find a good mix of local beauties socializing with the young and beautiful from around the world.

Via Traunter Plazzas 6 – phone: +41.81.8 36 97 23

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BEST CAFÉ & CAKE

Café Hanselmann

Café Hauser

Certainly the best and most traditional café and

Situated at the centers roundabout with a

cake heaven in the town’s center which also serves

huge sun terrace one can enjoy cold and

lunch. Be sure to try the ‘Raspberry Frapeé’ (milk

hot drinks and superb cakes while relax-

Shake). It is superbly delicious and addictive!

ing and enjoy the buzz of the village.

Via Maistra 8 – phone: +41.81.8 33 38 64

Via Traunter Plazzas 7 – phone: +41.81.8 37 50 50

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required to make a litre of this precious elixir, a versatile super-food for the skin. Other key natural botanics are then carefully chosen, each one packed with an array of skin balancing and perfecting properties. Flavien’s thought process with elegant simplicity, is that with less you can achieve more. Luxurious cleansing and hydrating treatments that visibly improve the health of the skin are the hallmark of the Touché approach and synonymous with Flavien’s chic, timeless lifestyle brand.

ART

NEW ARTIST ON THE BLOCK 74

ART

Walter Kirchner Text: Mark Robinow / Images by Walter Kirchner

Cosmopolitan German-born Walter Kirchner is a man of many talents, most of which are decidedly artistic. Reading through his CV one finds he has a degree in mechanical engineering, product design, Spanish and experienced as an interior designer, freelance photographer and lighting designer. The list goes on…

After working predominantly as a designer in the lighting industry – a profession beckoning him through his father, who owned a well-established lighting company in Germany – Kirchner focused on producing photographic impressions of what he calls “the beauty in banal objects or structures and their texture”. And in his imagery one can see that he has trained his eye to catch and produce wonderful representations of these matters that most people would not even register, let alone find curious.

Walter Kirchner’s images invite you to see obscure, funny, colorful and simple beautiful subjects that in many cases have an unintended architectural or graphic texture. His pictures are produced in 3 different sizes in small limited editions and usually printed on Lucite or directly on glass to give them an extra-strong transparency, so that once they hang on your wall they seem to be floating on it.

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ART

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ART

To see more of Walter Kirchner‘s work visit www.mark-robinow.com/artist/walter-kirchner

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A R TO LO GY A R–T I S S U E 0 4

history together from the time of his previous post at the Mandarin Oriental in Munich.

EDITOR’S VOICE

So back to the press lunch, which was hardly the kind of press lunch one gets invited to every day; not even every year. It was an event at which the world- famous French 3 star Michelin Chef Marc Verat spoiled us with a 10 course gourmet meal which left me speechless: the best food I can

A sneak preview of all that´s good and a ‘must‘ in the world of travel and food.

remember having eaten in years.

Marc Verat is something like a multiple legend.

He is to this day the only chef to have received the perfect note of 20/20 from Gault Millaut for both of

Text: Mark Robinow

his restaurants, and 3 Michelin stars for each as well. Quite outstanding in every way.

From the next issue on it will be my pleasure to offer our readers a

Sadly, a traumatizing ski accident led him to with-

column called ‘The Editor’s Choice‘. It will feature my personal experi-

draw from the two restaurants, and to concentrate

ences travelling to a well hidden hotel or resort, a new talk-of-the town

on a gourmet eatery in the mountains, which he

business headquarters with culinary delights to make your jaw drop,

runs with his family and officially opens only 3 days

or just a cool new trendy restaurant with spectacular food, or art on the

a week. But I can tell you: the kind of food this artist

walls to rival a museum.

creates - using the finest of local mountain herbs, vegetables and ingredients – some of which I´d never

It´s been a passion of mine since early adulthood to travel to hotels

eaten before – makes you speechless. At the end of

and test their food, service, and responsiveness to out of the ordinary

this overwhelming experience – and after two-and-

wishes. I could compile a list of those that make the cut, but it would

a-half hours of eating, I decided to very elegantly

take a few pages …

exit the lunch and retire to my lovely suite. The exotic food marathon was a dream come true – and a serious challenge to the senses.

But now to the real kick: dear Lars had generously arranged for me to meet and interview Vineet Bahtia, the only Michelin-Star Indian chef in Europe, who has ‘stellar ’ restaurants in London and Geneva.

One could call it culinary overload. Still hardly being able to walk due to the humungous gourmet lunch, I managed to spend an hour interviewing this incredibly gentle, humble and very funny man, whose Mandarin Oriental Geneva

It´s still exciting to come across new hot spots in places one travels to regularly, especially if they are unique, or unexpected in an untypical geographical location. As an example of such surprise, I´d like to report from my recent trip to the wonderful city of Geneva, which I visited to promote this marvelous magazine to various 5-star hotels, but also to attend a press lunch hosted by Lars Wagner, the managing director of the Mandarin Oriental Geneva. I´m proud to say that Lars and I have a bit of

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life story sounds like a movie, in the dining room of his restaurant Rasoi, in the Mandarin oriental in Geneva. After the interview Vineet cooked for me, and that was an experience I can hardly describe, at least not now! But that - my dear readers – is what I´ll do in the first ‘Editors Choice’ column in our April issue in 2015.

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C R E AT I V I T Y

ABUNDANCE & ABRACADABRA

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C R E AT I V I T Y

Jewellery and home accessories

by Stephanie Thonet Text: Mark Robinow

Myriads of pearls, glass beads, feathers, semi-precious sparkles - Stephanie Thonet’s pieces are known to cause serious cases of the must-haves in women. The Düsseldorf based designer crafts each and every piece herself and, with a keen eye and a strong sense for beauty, seems to know exactly how to make women go aaaaww and ooooww. “My work is all about beauty and abundance” Stephanie Thonet explains. “I try to surround myself with nothing else but truly beautiful things and can get quite rigid with this.”

Pastel colours and a certain vintage inspired style are the reoccurring themes in the sparkly, pearly structures of earrings, bracelets, necklaces that are Stephanie Thonet’s jewellery creations.

They borrow oriental, Greek or baroque style elements – truly feminine and very romantic. Elegant material combinations and exquisite colour compositions are the essence of her jewellery.

Looking at it feels a lot like opening a treasure chest, dreamily browsing through the treasures, putting your hands in bags filled with beads and pearls and giddily bathe in the beauty and abundance of it.

The same is true for her home accessories. Stephanie Thonet’s collections include vases, candleholders and picture-frames as well as particularly dreamy decorative objects. Eggs covered with pearls, mussels and sea urchins with tassels, dried flowers and feathers decorated with sparkly semi-precious jewels – adorable things associated with fairies and princesses.

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C R E AT I V I T Y

Stephanie Thonet’s collections can be bought online at www.stephanie-thonet.de or in selected stores in France, Germany and Switzerland.

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Stephanie Thonet

C R E AT I V I T Y

For the American the German word ‘Schmuck’ brings it all together. It means jewellery but also decoration, tiny or larger details that serve no other purpose then to adorn its possessors or their homes. As she uses many natural materials, nature is also her greatest source of inspiration. “Nowhere is more inspiration found than in nature. I just pick up on its suggestions and take it from there” she says.

This goes hand in hand with her latest obsession: crafting paper flowers, a more than logical development of Stephanie Thonet’s gift for creating form and beauty with rather ordinary materials.

The flowers themselves, reminiscent of Japanese stills, are very life like. And again, her keen compositions of natural twigs with skilfully crafted and painted paper flowers celebrate her gift for colour. The flowers are perfect for homes, but also highly demanded at celebrations such as wedding receptions and balls.

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T R AV E L

SHINE ON! City of Lights

Text: Avis Cardella

Some say that Paris became known as the City of Light, during the Age of Enlightenment (1650-1789) when intellectuals and philosophers such as René Descartes, Denis Diderot and Voltaire formed the first salons and tout Paris was tuning in and turning on to a ‘new way of thinking‘.

Historians, however, insist that a slightly grittier tale lay

although current energy-saving concerns are putting the prac-

closer to the truth. In March 1667, Gabriel Nicolas de la

tice under scrutiny. Despite some hand-wringing — What

Reynie was appointed first lieutenant general of police in

would Paris be without its lights? The French capital doesn’t

Paris. To stop the explosion of crime in the streets, he was

appear fated for darkness just yet. In fact, it remains more

ordered to establish public lighting, placing lanterns and

popular than ever. In 2014, France’s capitol city remained

torches in the streets, and even in the darkest alleys to deter

the world’s top tourist destination. In the every increasing

prowlers and criminals. The plan was a success: crime was

demand for unrivaled luxury, many Paris hotels have under-

reduced, and foreigners visiting the city were amazed by the

gone renovations, refurbishings, and facelifts, and are busy

new style de vie. Paris became known as ‘La Ville-Lumière‘,

outdoing each other with an expanding roster of services

‘The City of Light.‘ Today, over three hundred monuments

and amenities.

throughout Paris remain artfully illuminated each night,

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T R AV E L

Ceiling of Salon Adam at The Peninsula

Hotel Le Meurice

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The Bristol‘s Pool overlooking Paris rooftops

T R AV E L

The 200-room Peninsula Hotel, recently opened, is

124-room luxury Hotel Molitor, opened in 2014 is built on the sight of the

situated in the late-19th-century classic French-

mythic Piscine Molitor, a former public swimming pool known for its

style building that first opened in 1908 as the Hotel

eye-catching Art Deco design and ‘see and be seen’ atmosphere. Most of

Majestic. It is in a suite of the Majestic that George

Hotel Molitor’s rooms are located in a two-story annex built on top of the

Gershwin is said to have composed a portion of

original swimming pool complex. There is also a rooftop terrace and a spa.

‘An American in Paris’, and where, in 1973 Henry Kissinger signed the treaty that ended the Vietnam War.

Also recently reopened after an extensive renovation, the Hôtel Plaza Athénée, is often referred to as the ‘Haute Couture Hotel.’ Christian Dior is

If the building’s storied past isn’t enough of a

said to have placed his headquarters across the street from the hotel to

seduction, amenities abound. The Peninsula boasts a

accommodate his wealthy clientele who stayed there. But Dior is also said to

65-foot long indoor heated swimming pool, a limou-

have simply been in love with the Avenue Montaigne location! Who wouldn’t

sine service that includes both Rolls Royce and BMW

be? Today, the hotel continues to ‘wow’ with its eye-catching red awnings

limousines, and five luxury suites with 360-degree

and scarlet geranium filled window boxes. Inside you’ll find the Dior Institut,

views of Paris, among other treats.

the hotel’s spa, decorated in a subtle 1001 nights theme, and Le Bar, the hotel’s bar, adorned with a ceiling swathed in Yves Klein blue folds of fabric. Alain

At the Mandarin Oriental, situated on famed

Ducasse overseas the hotel’s kitchens. A must visit is his ‘Alain Ducasse au

shopping street Faubourg St. Honore, attractions

Plaza Athénée’ restaurant featuring delicious ‘healthy’ fare and a futuristi-

include a 10,000 square foot spa, a vast courtyard

cally elegant décor. One of the coolest and elegnat restaurants in Paris.

garden, and the fare of Michelin-starred chef, Thierry Marx. Their Cabochons suite offers a spellbinding view

At L’Hotel, on Paris’ Left Bank, the subterranean swimming pool and

of the glittering Eiffel Tower. The hotel’s swimming

hamam offer a distinctly different bathing pleasure. Behind a velvet curtain,

pool, whose water is mixed with ozone, has been liken-

flanked by stone walls and soft, blue lighting, is a grotto-like atmosphere both

ed to swimming in Evian.

otherworldly and intimate. Best of all: the pool can be booked for private use.

The gemlike L’Hotel has long been sought out for its cozy atmosphere and

Pools it seems are currently a popular theme. The

unique architecture – 20 rooms designed by famed decorator Jacques Grange

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and a soaring circular lobby – as well as its famous literary past: Oscar Wilde lived at L’Hotel before his death and both Marlon Brando and Jorge Luis Borges stayed there.

Another famous guest, the eccentric artist Salvador Dali, is said to have spent at least one month a year at Le Meurice, on Rue de Rivoli overlooking the Tuileries gardens. Le Meurice has recently emerged from an extensive makeover, and is one of France’s designated ‘palaces’. (There are only five.) Le Dali, one of the hotel’s

“The great advantage of a hotel is that it’s a refuge from home life.”

by his daughter Ara Starck, and inspired surrealist details such as

Restaurant Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée

a lamp with drawers and a lobster on a telephone.

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George Bernhard Shaw

three restaurants pays homage to their famous guest in a Philippe Starck designed dining room, featuring a giant canvas painting

The Lobby Portugais at The Peninsula

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Another hotel that shares “palace” designation is the Bristol Hotel, which has been described as a combination of “French romance and English restraint.” It’s where Woody Allen filmed parts of Midnight in Paris, where chef Eric Frechon oversees the Michelinstarred Epicure restaurant, and where guests can now enjoy the pleasures of the hotel’s redesigned 13,000 square foot garden.

This historic Hotel opened in 1925, during the roaring 20s when Charleston and Josephine Baker were both at their peak.

The Hotel which is owned and managed by the German Oetker Collection luxury group of Hotels is also home to one of the most beautiful hotel swimming pools in the world, designed by famous German architect Cäsar Pinnau who built numerous famous yachts for Onassis and Niarchos. Located on the sixth floor of the hotel it has breathtaking views over the rooftops of Paris and resembles the front of a large sailing boat. You think that is all? Think again… it naturally also has a 3 star Michelin restaurant with bay windows opening towards the magnificent garden.

Other anticipated openings are on the way, including The Ritz and Crillon Hotel, which are undergoing extensive renovations.

In the meantime, art fans can cool their heels and head towards another jewel in the crown of the Parisian cultural scene, Musée Picasso recently reopened after a stealthy five-year renovation.

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Michelin star cuisine at the restaurant of L‘Hotel

‘All round blue‘ by Diego Portuondo www.mark-robinow.com

The pool at the Mandarin Oriental

T R AV E L

Still, it’s Palais de Tokyo that remains one of Paris’ ‘coolest’ creative

the Peninsula Hotel) remains one of the most desirable (and

museums and cultural centers while also being recognized for its

difficult) tables to snag.

daring food concepts. Over the years, the museum has hosted a roofFor those with tastes that are more in search of lost time,

top dining cube, as well as a single room rooftop hotel, that overlooks the Eiffel Tower. Book a table at their trendy Monsieur Bleu

Le Train Bleu delivers. French couturier Christian Lacroix once

restaurant to bask in the trendy international atmosphere.

called this “the most beautiful restaurant in town.” Located on the first floor in the Gare de Lyon, this Belle Époque era brasserie has just undergone a facelift, and is worth a visit if only to watch the

Or, check out some other recent additions to the Parisian food scene that reflect the city’s ever increasing internationalism. Just a

waiters waltz with elegance and grace beneath the gilded ceiling,

short walk from Place Vendome, is Uma, a new cocktail bar and

like something out of a Proustian past.

restaurant featuring a globetrotting French-Peruvian-Japanese

The legendary pool of Piscine Molitor Hotel

cuisine. While Lili, a gourmet Cantonese restaurant (located in

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Franz-Joseph-StraĂ&#x;e 10 . D-80801 MĂźnchen . Telefon +49 (0)172 888 11 01 . kw@konstantin-wettig.com

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NAZANIN LANKARANI ON THE FOUNDATION LOUIS VUITTON

Frank Gehry, Louis Vuitton Foundation - 2014 Todd Eberle

ART

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Iwan Baan for Louis Vuitton Foundation - Iwan Baan 2014

Iwan Baan for Louis Vuitton Foundation - Iwan Baan 2014

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The city of lights has a new icon of 21st century architecture to illuminate the Parisian cityscape.

‘The Fondation Louis Vuitton’, that opened its doors to the public on October 27, is simply spectacular. By night, the curved-glass building is a shimmering ode to light and transparency that sparkles in the Bois de Boulogne at the west end of Paris. By day, the structure resembles a ship deploying its wind-filled sails. Designed by the Los Angeles-based architect Frank Gehry the building was commissioned by Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton to serve as a private art museum and cultural center, at a price tag exceeding €100 million. “The Fondation opens an exciting new cultural chapter for Paris,” Mr. Arnault said at the opening of the Fondation. “My personal passion for artistic creation fueled the decision to build the Fondation as a place that not only pays tribute to artists but inspires them.”

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“The Foundation opens an exciting new cultural chapter for Paris.”

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Frank Gehry, Louis Vuitton Foundation - 2014 Todd Eberle

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Not much is known today about the art collection compiled over the years by Mr. Arnault. Only works by a few artists in the collection can be seen in the galleries, namely Gerhard Richter, Iza Genzken, Thomas Sch端tte and Ellsworth Kelly.

Mr. Kelly has also created Spectrum VIII, a color-striped stage screen for the auditorium that hosted the Chinese pianist Lang Lang last October and the German band, Kraftwerk, in concert from November 6 to 14.

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The argentine Adrian Villar Rojas’s installation, a water tank invaded by discarded objects, decomposing fruit and growing plants, hints at the eclectic variety of the Arnault collection.

For now, the spotlight is on Mr. Gehry, 85, best known for the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los

“Starting on December 17, Mr. Arnault will begin unveiling his art collection in the 126,000 square feet of exhibition space divided into 11 galleries.”

Angeles and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the sight of which prompted Mr. Arnault to hire the architect for this project. The inaugural exhibition at the Fondation is dedicated to Mr. Gehry, complete with scale models and videos that retrace the construction of the building, and complements a retrospective exhibition of Mr. Gehry’s work at the Pompidou Center until January 26. Starting on December 17, Mr. Arnault will begin unveiling his art collection, along with works belonging to the ‘Fondation Vuitton’ or on loan from other institutions, in the 126,000 square feet of exhibition space divided into 11 galleries.

They will include works by Maurizio Cattelan, Alberto Giacometti, Rachel Harrison, Annette Messager, Wolfgang

Frank Gehr, Louis Vuitton Foundation - 2014 Todd Eberle

Tillmans and Sigmar Polke.

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Olafur Eliasson - Inside the horizon - 2014 Olafur Eliasson - Iwan Baan

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Olafur Eliasson - Inside the horizon 2014 Olafur Eliasson - Iwan Baan

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“I hope I have done well.”

A show dedicated to the Danish artist, Olafur new works created around the theme of light and shadow. Mr. Eliasson’s lyrical installation ‘Inside the Horizon’ (2014), a series of 43 illuminated yellowglass and mirrored columns, will remain as a permanent feature to line a reflecting pool on the ground level. Even the restaurant in the lobby – named Le Frank – pays tribute to the builder, though the cuisine will be signed by the Michelin-starred chef, Jean-Louis Nomicos.

“The Fondation is a project that goes beyond anything that LVMH has ever undertaken in the public interest,” said Jean-Paul Claverie, advisor to Mr. Arnault and manager of LVMH ’s philanthropic activities. Just above the building’s entrance, a stainless steel LV logo, also designed by Mr. Gehry, marks the apex of the triangle of art, architecture and luxury. “This project was conceived jointly with Bernard Arnault, that is how I like to work,” concluded Mr. Gehry. “I hope I have done well.”

www.fondationlouisvuitton.fr/en

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Thomas Schutte - Mann im Matsch - ADAGP - Louis Vuitton Foundation Marc Domage 2014

Eliasson, will also begin on December 17, featuring

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THE ILLUMINATING ARTS A short exposure of light art

Johnny B. Butterfly by Ingo Maurer

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Text: John Robinow

Most of the time light simply lights, illuminates, makes visible. No light, no vision. When the early 20th-century Suprematists painted black fields, what these conveyed could be felt, and even thought – but not seen; not exactly a black hole yet, but anticipating the concept: all light – and with it all meaning - was swallowed, nothing to see.

The earliest works of which it makes sense to use the term art

sensibly speak of light art. Unsurprisingly, many artists noticed

were perpetually in the dark – unseeable for almost all, and

the new resource early on, none more quickly than the practi-

only rarely and partially seen by the initiated – they were

tioners of pictorial representation´s most recent development:

painted in caves, by the light of man-made fire.

photography. Here was a medium that wasn´t just dependent on light, but could harness it as well as manipulate it´s results. Even the source had become pliable.

Though light itself was immediately thematized: in even the oldest pictorial representations the sun is depicted as the source

That opened the door for those whose artistic endeavors

of everything, also of light. Light remained ‘sun’-light for all artistic purposes in painting, sculpture and architecture (wax-

strayed from the traditional genres of representation and who

and oil-generated nighttime minimums notwithstanding) and

emphasized light art and lighting for its own sake. Ushered in

though its representation became ever more freighted with

were the designers of lamps and luminaires like the machine-aes-

meaning – from starkly contrasting Andrea Mantegna via dramati-

thetic Modernists Wilhelm Wagenfeld and Eileen Gray through

cally light-and-dark employing Rembrandt to the threateningly

Osamu Noguchi with his naturalistically glowing objects right

anti-urban dark daylights of Caspar David Friedrich – it´s source

up to Artimide and the fascinatingly unclassifiable Ingo Maurer.

and means of generating visibility remained solar.

They were accompanied by (and sometimes intermingled This was how matters of illumination pretty much remained

with) early light space artists like Loie Fuller, who presented

until the arrival of Thomas Edison and ‘artificial’ light, which

herself as a light sculpture on the stages of Paris cabarets, and

by human ‘artifice’ harnessed electricity and made previous

works like Moholy-Nagy´s Light-Space-Modulator. Political uses

‘day’-light an all-day (meaning: all-‘night’) option. Fiat lux, but

were also quick to materialize, viz the Nazi Flaklight columns.

this time around it was man-made. From this point on one can

By the late sixties a veritable surge of light art showed up in the

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US and in Europe, as evinced by practitioners like

cessful, technically innovative and artistically accom-

Dan Flavin, Robert Irwin and James Turrell, or the

plished light art, who appears to have a subscription

indirect exploiters of light-effects for artworks like the

to all sought-after prizes and awards, and who was the

mid-seventies ZERO group from Düsseldorf currently

first light artist to have his own show at MOMA in

making (light-) waves again in the art world.

New York. He again proved his technical prescience in being one of the very first artists to begin harnessing

Of course the technical developments accom-

the technical potential of light-emitting diodes, known

plished by the lighting industry and the spread and

today to all as LEDs.

popularity of art light replicated a symbiotic interplay already in full bloom in Hollywood since the begin-

A comparably influential artistic endeavor on the

ning of the 20th century: the lighting industry sought

other side of the artist-industry team-up is the huge

out artist to design their products and the artists avail-

– and hugely renowned - Austrian luminaire manufac-

ed themselves of technical innovations.

turer Zumtobel, who has collaborated with some of the most accomplished practitioners of light art, architec-

The contemporary examples of such productive

ture and design to produce unique and aesthetically extravagant works in their ‘Masterpiece’ series.

one seems to personify and sum up the breed: Ingo

Daniel Libeskinds exotic lighting scheme ‘eL’, Olafur

Maurer – the genius godfather of commercially suc-

Eliasson´s ‘Starbrick ’ and Zaha Hadid`s ‘Vortex’

Kuwana City winter illumination

courtesy of the Japanese Tourism Office Frankfurt

symbiosis are legion, and among the outstanding

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were among the magnificent results. This mutual enrichment continues today in the works of designers like Phillip Stark or Ernesto Gismondi. Among architectural works, the Uniqa tower in Vienna is a further striking example of technical innovations in light production resulting in novel construction forms. Since the beginning of this century art light even has a museum devoted exclusively to the genre: the Centre for International Light Art in Unna, Germany, with changing exhibitions and a permanent collection including works by all the usual suspects.

With ‘Third Breath’, his second permanent exhibition in this museum, James Turrell – the artist most likely to be seen by posterity as the titan of light art, comparable to Griffith in cinema – takes us to the genre´s cutting edge by doing without artificial light (almost: he uses powerful lenses to bundle available light) and returning us to daylight: especially at sunrise and sunset Turrell´s curved screen shows framed visual excerpts of all that goes on around it – by catching sunlight. The master of illuminating artifice – and of artificial illumination – had come full circle: the sun was restored to primacy and itself bore witness to art.

Porca Miseria by Ingo Maurer

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ZUMTOBEL

Eliasson Konferenzraum, Boros collection Berlin

Masterpieces

Text: John Robinow

A few years ago the Austrian lighting-fixture manufacturer ZUMTOBEL – one of Austria´s largest companies, and one the largest ‘light-manufacturers‘ in the world – initiated a project of cooperation with a few of the most prominent contemporary artists/designers/architects to produce a small series of unique works. These would utilize as well as demonstrate state-of-the-art lighting technology employed at the height of contemporary artistic sensibility.

We have been especially impressed by the works so far achieved

requirements of the user: as a free-standing luminaire, a floor or

in this series by 3 artists in particular: Iceland´s multi-media-ma-

table lamp, a suspended luminaire, or any combination of these.

gician Olafur Eliasson, the internationally acclaimed architect

They can assume multiple functions not only in the way they

Daniel Libeskind, and the at least as accomplished building-mas-

illuminate spaces, but in making and designing the space to

ter Zaha Hadid. Eliasson´s work is composed of various LED -lit

begin with: all in keeping with the projects in spatial experimen-

modules that can be installed according to the wishes and

tation that Olafur Eliasson has engaged in for years.

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Olafur Eliasson, Starbrick

C R E AT I V I T Y

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Vortex / Zaha Hadid, for Zumtobel Hadi / Masterseries

C R E AT I V I T Y

Libeskind´s Zumtobel Masterpiece approaches light from a different angle: in his effort to make light seem ‘natural’ and to replicate the qualities of light itself, Libeskind created the luminaire he calls ‘eL’. A spectacular hanging luminaire in variously treated metals with LED light sources, it seems almost alive and moving, giving the viewer the impression of looking at something different every few seconds. As Libeskind has said “it makes one think of the origins of the universe – and life itself.”

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Zaha Hadid, for Zumtobel Hadi

C R E AT I V I T Y

Finally, Zaha Hadid´s breathtaking contribution to this series is a glass-reinforced polyester and acrylic hanging luminaire that´s almost impossible to pin down: it could be be a chaotically bundled endless light band, a soft stalactite, dripping cake-icing that emits light, one never has a final recognition – let alone a definite interpretation – of it.

And one thing all three seem to have in common: you´re never quite sure whether you´re looking at a light source or a reflection, a light-emitting luminaire or a lit sculpture. A tip of the hat to Zumtobel and its enviable stable of artists – we can hardly wait for what´s to come.

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IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS LIGHT Text: John Robinow

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In this issue we´ve often emphasized the symbiotic relationship between progress in lighting technology and its exploitation by light artists, and we´ve highlighted a few of the artistically most accomplished.

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But for once it is imperative to abandon this well balanced perspective and boldly take sides, in order to focus on the more technical side of light engineering – while of course still providing the observer with eye-popping possibilities of expression and control, regardless of her or his acquaintance with state of the art illumination.Â

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Axel Meise, the mastermind behind Occhio

C R E AT I V I T Y

About 15 years ago the German designer and company founder Axel Meise introduced a modular lighting system under the name of Occhio.

His innovation at the time was combining something old and something new: high quality components with finely and precisely ground lenses and filters. These were then expanded into virtually unlimited lighting options achieved with radically minimalist and reduced- to-the-essentials light fixtures.

Occhio´s latest innovation was to integrate LED technology into its sleek housings, packing them into the smallest space possible to come up with numberless lighting effects including different hues and color temperatures, and light geometries with razor-sharp definition – while at the same time making the sources of these effects almost invisible.

Little wonder that his fixtures have found use in practically all types of spaces and settings – private and public, cultural, industrial, secular and sacred. Today Axel Meise must surely be gratified by one of the few measurable aspects of artistic and industrial accomplishments: if plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery, few industrial designs have been so honored.

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Have a look at Occhio‘s website to see more: www.occhio.com

‘GOLDEN TIMES’ IN THE WORLD OF ART Natural Chaos - Golden Edition No. 1 created by Arne Quinze, made of 45 kg of precious metals, primarily finest 18-carat gold.

VERIDOR is the first address for artists and designers seeking to realize their visions with precious metals. Thanks to VERIDOR’s vast expertise, years of experience, extensive resources and state-of-the-art technology, artists have virtually endless possibilities in turning their ideas into reality. www.veridor.de

By Heimerle + Meule. Established in 1845.

A R TO LO GY – I S S U E 4

TIDBITS Guy Bourdin Show in London from Nov. 27 till Mar. 15 2015

Wanderlust Spanning sixty years, Wanderlust is a spectacular showcase for iconic photojournalist and former president of Magnum Photos Thomas Hoepker.

He has created an unparalleled visual archive, and he chronicles both the planet’s momentous occurrences and the striking realities of everyday life with equal aplomb. His new book allows readers to bear witness to such

Somerset House will be showcasing

world-defining events as the Cold

the marvelous work of French born

War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and

fashion / advertising image maker.

9/11 in New York – all of which

The provocative and radical pho-

Hoepker’s evocative images helped

tographer was unique at this time,

etch into our collective consciousness.

always breaking barriers into the unusual. From 1967 to 1981 he was the man behind the many fantastic advertising campaigns of French shoemaker Charles Jourdan, who during this time was his patron.

Somerset House, Embankment Galleries, Strand-London, www.sommersethouse.org.uk

© Wanderlust - 60 Years of Images by Thomas Hoepker, published by teNeues, www.teneues.com

Images: Vogue Paris, May 1970; Artist‘s archive, 1979 © The Guy Bourdin Estate, 2014 Courtesy A+C

Image above: © 2014 Thomas Hoepker / Magnum Photos. All rights reserved.

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Richard Meier at the State Russian Museum

Das Stue, Berlin If your itinerary happens to bring you to Berlin in the near future, be sure to book into the newest coolest pad in town called ‘Das Stue’ It is the most fashionable addition to Berlin’s long list of cool hotels. In its past life this property was the Danish embassy to Germany, and its garden restaurant allows you to have your meals in the happy company of a dozen African ostriches that have their ‘home’ on the neighboring property, otherwise known as the Berlin Zoo.

Check out the incredible exhibition of collages by the world-renowned architect Richard Meier in St. Petersburg which runs until the end of January 2015.

Through his vivid and provocative collages Meier offers a rare autobiographical glimpse into the myriad facets of the visual environment and sources that make an impact on his everyday experience, and trains of thought.

Stroganov Palace St. Petersburg in collaboration with Gallery Gmurzynska Zurich.

Das Stue – Situated at: Drakestr. 1, D- 10787 Berlin www.das-stue.com

Further information: www.rusmuseum.ru/eng/ museum/complex/str_palace or www.gmurzynska.com Image: Kaballah © Gallery Gmurzynska Zurich

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WILD AT HEART The Segara Retreat in Kenya

Text: Sonja Hartung / Photography: Michael Poliza, David Crookes

What do we hope to find, when visiting a gallery or an exhibition? Beauty?

A change of perspective? A groundbreaking experience or maybe a time-out from our everyday lives? Well, there is one place where art lovers will surely find all that … and believe me, the stunning exhibits, drawn from what’s said to be the leading collection of African art in world, are just the beginning!

The place is called Segera Retreat – an awe-inspiring little eco-

Stepping out of the door, one can’t help but stand still for a

hideaway set amid a 20.000 hectare piece of unspoilt African

minute and take in the scenery: The natural beauty of the

wilderness. Segera is the central wildlife sanctuary at the heart of

landscape, the sounds of diverse wildlife and the smells of the

Kenia’s Laikipia Plateau on the foothills of Mount Kenya. Guests

indigenous flora – all of that would be enough to leave you feeling

stay in privately attended villas, scattered across a magnificent

humbled and utterly at peace. But the magic of the place sur-

botanical garden. Each of them is elegantly designed, with a

rounds its visitors literally everywhere – roaming the wonderful

modern African, close-to-nature feel, stunning views of the

gardens or even better, going out on a game drive, watching

untouched Savannah and carefully selected pieces of African art.

elephants, rare birds and big cats in their natural habitat.

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“There are paintings, sculptures, sitespecific installations and earth-art playfully intermingling�

And then there is art. Art at the carefully renovated old stable, at the restaurant, in the stunning Zeitz sculpture garden; it surrounds you at every turn. There are paintings, sculptures, site-specific installations and earth-art playfully intermingling with the backdrop of the lodge and the landscape. Internationally acclaimed curator Mark Coetzee takes care of the changing exhibitions, drawing from the renowned Zeitz collection, which includes works of artists like Sue Williamson, Kudzanai Chiurai, Kehinde Wiley and Julie Mehretu.

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Having started at Segera Retreat in a very exclusive and intimate setting, Jochen Zeitz now aims to build a stage for contemporary African art on a much larger scale: The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town. The museum will be housed in the Jochen Zeitz

historic Grain Silo of the harbour, spreading over nine floors of which 6000 square meters will be dedicated to exhibition space – a global platform for contemporary African art. Zeitz MOCAA will welcome its first guests at the end of 2016. Until that time, art travellers will have to catch a quaint little bush plane and make their way to the beautiful ‘away from it all’ Laikipia plateau – not the worst of possibilities to see a pristine piece of Africa and a truly unique extract of its vibrant art scene.

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Mark Robinow ‘art + commerce’ is an art consultancy specializing in all aspects of providing expertise for collectors, buyers and re-sellers of fine art photography and contemporary art. We organize and manage exhibitions for artists, galleries and corporate sponsors, and choose suitable venues that fulfill our client‘s needs. Over the past decade we have put together an informal international network of artists, collectors and dealers, allowing us to connect one to the other according to very specific requirements. The photographers we represent come from around the globe and specialize in all aspects of fine art photography, as well as a vast variety that emphasize our special interests and core competence: landscapes, wildlife- and, in particular, rock‘n‘roll & jazz photography.

We consult our corporate clients on various subjects such as developing a collection based on parameters that our clients give us, or alternatively some that we suggest. These parameters are based on corporate guidelines of our clients and various themes that form a natural synergy with their corporate identity and communications plan. Mark Robinow ‘art + commerce’ has managed to place many of its artists’ works into private collections in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, China, the US and Indonesia as well as in some prestigious corporate collections in Europe and the United States. Mark Robinow ›art + commerce‹ supplies most of the established luxury hotel and resort chains. Hotels are our favorite clients as we strongly believe that hosting an exhibition in a hotel is one of the best ‘platforms’ to combine the wishes and needs of both parties involved.

We strategically approach the same target group and offer services to our clients, the hotel services and our own in perfect unity.

A classic win-win situation. Should you wish further information on any particular artists or our services please do not hesitate to contact us.

Paris: Grand Palais by Diego Portuondo

Mark Robinow, Pienzenauerstr. 16, 81679 Munich, T +49 (0) 1520 612 6910, contact@mark-robinow.com www.mark-robinow.com

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Artology cannot resist looking into the minds of some of the creative heads of our time à la Marcel Proust, though we did change the questions just a bit.

SIR NORMAN FOSTER Interview: Mark Robinow

What is your idea of perfect happiness? A family holiday in the sun What is your biggest vice? Putting things off What is your idea of being creative? Extravert mode – sparking off a team. Introvert mode – sketching in my black book Which is your favorite city in the world? More than one – London and New York in the West. Tokyo and Hong Kong in the East Who is your favorite artist? At least two – inseparable from their works – Brancusi for ‘L’Oiseau dans l’espace’ (The Bird in Space) and Boccioni ‘Forme uniche della continuità nello spazio’ (‘Unique Forms of Continuity in Space’) What historical figure do you most admire? Sir Winston Churchill Which living person do you most admire? My wife Which other talent would you most like to have? To engineer What is your favorite occupation? I need three - designing, cycling and cross-country skiing What is your life motto? The only constant is change.

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A R TO LO GY – I S S U E 4

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A R TO LO GY – I S S U E 4

Puppets –photograph by Dylan Don

OUR NEXT ISSUE APRIL 2015 The art of the automobile / Hong Kong: Asia’s art and luxury capital / Erwin Wurm portrait / Venice Biennale preview

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ARTOLOGY is published twice a year by Mark Robinow art & commerce Pienzenauerstr. 16, 81679 Munich contact@mark-robinow.com www.mark-robinow.com Editor in Chief Mark Robinow Partner Jay C Foster Advertising Sales Oliver Horn o.horn@artology-mag.com Editorial Design Corporate Creation Jahnstrasse 3, 80469 Munich www.corporatecreation.de hello@corporatecreation.de Art Direction Tom Jäger, Meike Rott Graphic Design Alex Lotz Guest Designer Susanne Funck of Studio Botschaft Project Management Meike Rott Contributing Photographers Dylan Don, Andreas von Einsiedel Photography Editor Mark Robinow Translations John Robinow Copy Editor John Robinow Printed at Mayr Miesbach GmbH

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Edition

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