The Russia Edition

Volume two | Issue four | FREE

The Russia Edition A Celebration of Russian Art and Culture in London and beyond Featuring a Russian Art Week special, the 6th Russian Film Festival and an exclusive with world leading chef Anatoly Komm

James Butterwick Russian and European Fine Art

Ilya Repin 1846 - 1930 ‘Parisian Woman’, 1875 Signed and dated 1875 l.l.

Oil on board, 36 x 26 cms

jamesbutterwick.com

Welcome to the latest issue of Kensington & Chelsea Review. Filled with art, auction, culture and luxury, Kensington & Chelsea Review is the magazine for the rather discerning resident of the Royal Borough.

Cover image: The Seventh Dimension (1921-22) Suprematist stripe relief design Ilya Chashnik (1902-1929) India ink and watercolour 7 7/8 x 9 5/8 inches (20 x 24.5 cms) Courtesy James Butterwick Gallery page. 3

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Publisher Talismanic Media Founder and Managing Director Sid Raghava Editor Coco Khan Art Director | Design Max Wilson of O.W.H. Creative Publishing Directors Stephen Slocombe Michelle Bryant Books Editor Danny Arter Theatre Editor Alan Fielden

As the warm red glow of Autumn recedes and the biting winter creeps into the empty space before Christmas, there could be a moment to feel glum. Fortunately, London in November is a thriving hub for the arts and culture realm, and this year it is decidedly marked by a Russian influence. Having teamed up with the newly launched Russian Art Week and the 6th Annual Russian Film Festival, we are featuring the brightest and boldest from Moscow and St. Petersburg in a number of our features throughout the magazine. We are pleased to announce magazine exclusives with international It girl and Vogue favourite Miroslava Duma, as well as hard-nosed and hard-hitting haute cuisine chef Anatoly Komm, the first winner of a Michelin star in Russia. It’s been an absolute pleasure putting this issue together, and what with an exciting Russian community in Kensington and Chelsea , we hope some of these names you see here will become regulars in the magazine. Elsewhere we have extensive coverage of the two big prizes announced recently - Booker Prize and Turner Prize - whilst featuring all that’s luxury in the lifestyle sections. As ever, you can follow us on twitter at @KCReview, where you can find exclusive commentary and updates from the burgeoning world of Kensington and Chelsea.

Coco Khan Editor

Writers Shula Pannick, Annie Vischer, Adrian Foster, Sid Raghava, Ben Osborn, Dave Drummond, Stefan Nicolaou, Zoe Perrett, Tamlin Magee, Sarah Jacksont All material in Kensington and Chelsea Review is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without prior permission of the publishers. Colour transparencies and photographs submitted for publication are sent at the owners’ risk and while every care is taken, neither the publishers nor their agents accept liability for loss or damage however caused. The publishers can accept no liability whatsoever of nature arising out of nor in connection with the contents of this publication.

Opinions expressed within the articles are not necessarily those of Kensington and Chelsea Review and any issue arising there from should be taken up directly with the contributor. page. 5

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Contents 8.

News News curated from the worlds of art, culture and intrigue

10. Russian

Art Week Special

Asking what it is about contemporary Russian art and culture that is exciting the industry, alongside interviews with Russian Art Week founder Theodora Clarke and art dealer James Butterwick

16. Russia

on Film

An outline of the 6th Russian Film Festival and what we can learn from the filmmakers

18. Eyes

on the Prize

The Turner Prize Award Exhibition and what the nominees mean for the future of art

21.

From Christie’s, With Insight The third instalment in Christie’s monthly column with tips for buyers

23 . A

Song, In Two Parts

Renowned performance artist Karen Christopher discusses her future outside of world-leading troupe Goat Island

30 . Leading

a Russian Renaissance in Style

We talk to international fashion icon, Miroslava Duma in a London magazine exclusive

34 . Beauty All the tips to get the rosy-cheeked and tousled Jane Austen look

36 . Technology Is 3D TV all that it’s cracked up to be?

38 . Russian

Revolution

Russian food revolutionary Anatoly Komm discusses haute cuisine

48 . Travel We head to Portugal, Philadelphia and a local luxury oasis

58 . Motoring:

Poetry in Motion

Adrian Foster test drives the new Lamborghini Gallardo

38.

17.

30.

page. 7

14.

NEWS

Read All About It A rundown of London news from the worlds of arts, culture and the plain intriguing, all handpicked for the Royal Borough resident writers: Coco Khan, Steve Slocombe, Stefan Nicolaou

RUSSIAN ART EDITION NEWS

Saatchi Announce Art from Russia Exhibition Saatchi Gallery have thrown their hat into the ring of November’s Russian cultural events with a curious exhibition. The brilliantly named Gaiety is the Most Outstanding Feature of the Soviet Union: Art from Russia exhibition is the first entirely Russian show that Saatchi have produced, despite having housed many of the leading contemporary Russian artists. The large and ambitious production houses 18 artists across a multitude

of disciplines including photography, sculpture, painting and installation.

The exhibition, which takes it title from a speech delivered

by Joseph Stalin in 1935 will feature a number of emergent artists, many of whom are yet to show internationally.

Influences from artists such as Rodchenko and Malevich will be apparent, as will pieces investigating the unique political situation of modern-day Russia. www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk

Decorum Est opens on Kings Road Shortly after our design issue was released, we stumbled upon a new interiors showroom whose elegance and opulence must be seen to believe.

The store, Decorum Est, is the new project from Steve Charles and David Abrams and specialises in bespoke surfaces. Not a soft furnishing in sight in this classically-influenced interiors heaven with its almost set-like quality. The showroom invites clients to observe, smell and feel the space, allowing for both customers and their designers to have a physical understanding of their surface productsthough we'd recommend taking a peek regardless, just for the sheer beauty of the venue. www.decorumest.co.uk

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Qiu Deshu Exhibition opens, sponsored by Coutts As part of the 15th Asian Art in London festival, a solo show exhibiting internationally renowned Chinese artist Qiu Deshu is announced. Sponsored by Coutts, this rare event documents the artist progression of Deshu through his ink-drawings, highlighting his idiosyncratic gift that has awarded him the global acclaim only a handful of Chinese artists have been privvy to.

Born in Shanghai in 1948, Qiu Deshu studied traditional ink painting and seal carving as a child but when his career in art was interrupted by the Cultural Revolution, Deshu was forced into work at a plastics factory. When the turmoil ended, he returned to ink painting, co-founding one of the very first avantgarde groups after the Cultural Revolution had ended- the Grass Painting Society. In the early 1980s, he developed his signature style of works called "fissuring" which literally means tearing and change in Chinese. In these works, he applies vivid colours to xuan paper, which he tears up and mounts the fragments to a base layer and it is these works that elevated him to international recognition.

16 Bloomfield Terrace, London, SW1W 8PG from 1st to 15th November 2012 www.asianartinlondon.com

London Design Museum moves to Kensington in 2015 The inauguration of London Design Museum’s new Kensington residence is vaguely estimated at somewhere around the year 2015. Estimating construction project completion dates may be a rough art, but in the preview of what to expect for the Design Museum in 2013 it appears that the design discipline itself is capable of predicting a plausible future.

Between 30 January and 28 April, 2013, anthropologically focussed design partners Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby will present four worlds of differing power sources and ideologies. Speaking to political sociologists and economists the ‘not impossible’ future uses design staples, such as transport, to look at future visions as we do the artefacts of the ancients. The imagined worlds in United Micro Kingdoms (UMK): A Design Fiction will include genetically manipulated anarchists, free market capitalists and a 1/400 scale model of a train.

Pushing aside the term ‘digital revolution’, the Technology Strategy Board will exhibit: Making the Future: A New Industrial Revolution (24 July – 3 November). The exhibit will examine how the abundance of technology affects the design world, specifically focussing on methods of production and questioning what drives further innovation. In a similar vein, Olympic Torch designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby confront the ignorance of the neat and highly complex inner-workings of technological products. Extraordinary Stories About Small Things (8 May 2 - August) explores circuit components and other technological devices through their standalone beauty and the mysterious potential in simple, small packages.

Asking questions through design runs through the entire 2013: what does the approach to design tell us about the

Alice Through the Looking Glass Chessboard Released Sir John Tenniel was is one of the most important childrens book illustrators of all time whose greatest claim to fame were his now iconic drawings of Lewis Carroll's Alice. A stoic man, Tenniel was quiet and meek, so meek he never told his father he had blinded him in one eye in a fencing match, though the skill of his drawings could have never told.

Alice Through The Looking Glass, aside from being the title of Carroll's second Alice creation, is also a concept store opening on the 12th November selling just 150 (celebrating 150 years of the book) artisan chessboards. Tenniel’s chessboard had sixteen illustrations around the outside with depictions from Alice Through The Looking Glass and these have been painstakingly recreated, including Sir John Tenniel’s signature on each of the mitred joints. At £3,500 they are a real collectors item, and pre-ordering is recommended 0207 836 8854, Alice Through The Looking Glass, 14 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4HE www.alicelooking.com

Crystallize

by Paul Cocksedge for Swarovski Photography by David Levene [top image]: Tube Map Radio

by Yuri Suzuki Photography by Hitomi Kai Yoda world, what stories does it tell? The wait to have the answer to our fictional future and the opening of the Kensington Design Museum is, for the moment, a relatively long one. Until then the opening of Unexpected Pleasures: The Art and Design of Contemporary Jewellery – opening 5 December – will exhibit the downright bizarre and intriguing instances and connotations of contemporary jewellery.

The current Swarovski exhibit runs until the 13th January 2013. Both demonstrate the museum’s signature of using product design to study not only what the world is, but how design shapes it. www.designmuseum.org Rachel Young and The Russian Virtuosi at Cadogan Hall Hotly tipped conductor Rachael Young makes her debut at Kensington's Cadogan Hall this month, leading the Russian Virtuosi of Europe orchestra through the music of Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky and Schnittke.

Schooled in the Russian system of conducting by Maestro Leonid Grin, a leading exponent of the Russian approach and former assistant to Leonard Bernstein, Young hopes this concert will "bring the spirit of Russian music-making to London", through "a performance that fully engages the audience at an emotional and psychological level as well as an intellectual one."

Having had a successful London première last season at St John’s Smith Square, and marking the start of a major collaboration with the RVOE, Young, New Zealand-born, and a former cellist, aims for the evening to be “an inspirational and memorable performance” for all. www.cadoganhall.com page. 9

Nour Festival of Middle East and North African Culture opens Now in full swing is the autumnal return of arts festival Nour, a Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea initiative, that celebrates Middle East and North African Culture. Running until December, the festival has expanded from its original home and Leighton house, and is now taking place in the borough's globally renowned cultural centres, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, Science Museum, the Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre, the Ciné Lumière, The Tabernacle, and the Mosaic Rooms. Nour, which means 'light' or 'illumination' in a multitude of Middle Eastern language will have a jam-packed programme embracing film, exhibitions, talks and debates, literature, music, politics, visual arts, fashion and cuisine. www.nourfestival.co.uk

RUSS I A A RT WEEK

Why Russia?

November’s art calendar is marked significantly by Russian Art Week. Though the week of Russian art sales from auction houses Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Bonhams and MacDougall’s have long existed, 2012 sees the affair given a name, and with it, a powerful identity. Upon its arrival, Stefan Nicolaou asks, what is it about the former Soviet powerhouse that is making the critics and buyers stir - why Russia?

The contrast in cultures between relatively short distances sharing the same land, ancestors and language can be staggering. Italy, for example, is a catapulting difference in pace and physical make-up as one travels from Milan to Venice. The cosmopolitan and surging America of New York or San Francisco is gulfs apart from any pertinent comparisons to Alaska or Florida. It never has to be clarified what experience a person seeks or should expect if they choose to visit Paris instead of the uniformly dubbed ‘South of France’. Then there are some countries, despite diversity and size, which have such strong connotations that those who have never visited instantly receive a clear tidal wave of images and sensations into their mind’s eye at the first

mention. It is often romantic, mysterious, intriguing and recapitulating distinct eras of prolonged fascination. The attitude and ambitions to consume the boundless heritage of Russian artists, writers and luminaries demonstrates the allure of a Russia past, present and imagined.

In popular culture, the 1963 Bond incarnation From Russia with Love is recollected with a sharp air of exoticism outings in the West Indies and beyond have not. Many roads, from espionage action thrillers to devised theatre productions, emerge from an immersion and fascination into Russian exports. The writing of Anton Chekov is a far likelier candidate than Chaucer to provide a foundation for West End and Fringe productions alike. In London, the progeny of

Russian literary greats from the 19th Century period alone is inordinate. Currently showing at the Young Vic theatre is a contemporary reworking of Chekov’s The Three Sisters, retaining undeniable steel evinced in the original. Gogol’s famed The Overcoat and the tumultuous moral battle therein was breathed to life once again by a Le Coq theatre group in Camden People’s Theatre this Summer. Last year the Royal Opera House presented Alexander Pushkin’s novel in verse Eugene Onegin. Glories and tragedies delicately laid in poetry brilliantly transferred into ballet. The accompanying score and conductor - Tchaikovsky and Valeriy Ovsyanikov respectively - were thoroughly Russian. There is a reliance on Russia for stories of pathos, humanity, and that all-important

Young Vic: Three Sisters, Vanessa Kirby as Masha, Photographer: Simon Annand

page. 10

Top: Vladimir Nabokov, photographer unknown Middle: A small icon of the guardan angel in a silver-gilt Oklad. The Chirikov Brothers workshop, signed and dated 1907, Oklad stamped with mark of Alexander Lubavin under imperial warrant, St Petersburg. Courtesy of MacDougall Auctions Bottom: From the collection of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna. A Fabergé Gold and Hardstone Bird Pendant, workmaster Feodor Afanasiev, St Petersburg 1908-1917.

Courtesy of Sotheby’s Auction House

time-withstanding mirror to society. Even reworked and redesigned, the works are of an exceptional quality with an evident care to retain the core character of the tales. Britain isn’t short of its literary darlings and reprisals, making the continual reinterpretations of Russian canon speak volumes.

Neither is Britain, alongside many other countries in the free world, short of visual artists, whether classical, abstract, traditional, surreal or progressive. With a wealth of artists to choose from Russian art, past and present, continues to see a swell of interest. As Russian Art Week approaches, this surge of popularity is far from waning. An accumulation of top London auction houses including Bonhams, MacDougall’s, Christie’s and Sotheby’s will sell exclusive and varied lots of Russian art to ravenous buyers. One could attribute the rising value towards one-nation art sales to an influx of wealthy Russians to London, or simply an ‘art is art’ approach to investment art buying. This is nonsense; authentic pieces from the turn of the 19th Century still sell for tens of thousands the world over. The current trend for monochrome and sleek decoration still fights competition for kitsch, epicurean, and somewhat gaudy non-functional pieces. A Fabergé heart-shaped frame that somewhat resembles a passé Christmas tree bauble sold for over £37, 000 in a Sotheby’s Auction in May. These ornaments are collectable for a reason beyond monetary value. The creations Fabergé and his peers have a nebulous and pseudo-nostalgic sense of history about them. They represent a lost and lavish aristocracy, a strand of which was dissipated through uprising and revolution.

The notion something is traditional, like Russian dolls, admittedly, doesn’t often check facts against common usage.

A sense of a bygone and therefore intriguing era is similarly represented in works of religious iconography. The Russian Orthodox Church is alive and practicing, sharing similar levels of display as religions in the same vein such as Catholicism.

Renowned Guardian Angel (1907) from the Chirikov Brothers Workshop, or icons displaying the Orthodoxy-signature of painted flesh and silver or gold leaf backgrounds, sell for thousands. A jaunt up to north London would show similar replications in any church of the Greek Orthodox Faith. With Russia, the record of history and the monumental secular Communist revolution alters the perception and importance of such works.

History is poignant in artefacts and visually more than textbooks and facts. Art travels in movements and art from the Soviet period in Russia is a bold stab of time and place – a vigorous voice from the past. In Berlin people don’t visit for a for a wall alone, it’s the graffiti on it that is studied and absorbed. Art produced in Soviet Russia was produced nowhere else, had no other delivery and was a reflex to a change localised in one corner of the world. Sculptor Ernst Neizvestny (who incidentally sketched for an edition Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment), born in the USSR, created work that admonished and mourned the state’s nefarious human rights record. Meanwhile, the abundant propaganda posters are vivid and vibrant. Although they now deliver defunct messages, they are tickets to indulge a world-defining revolution – there have been so few.

Russian Futurism and the Avant-garde periods hold as much reverence for progressive style and visionary approaches as much as Cubism or Surrealism. Coinciding with Soviet propaganda, the expressive geometry and bold colours of Wassilly Kandinsky and El Lissitzky are instantly recognisable. Leading Futurist artists such as Alexander Rodchenko were multidisciplinary; the vast and venerate bodies of work produced rejected a static past and a fascination with the perennial whir of modernity and the inexhaustible abilities of machinery and increasing urbanity.

It can be argued that even the nonplussing Yellowism movement has a distinct Russian characteristic: bold, zeitgeist and forthright.

Other countries and cultures places may evoke glib chats about food or wine, but Russia is coalescence of historic climax, literary juggernauts and arresting artistic output. All tell a visual story with a unique and captivating vernacular.

In all its upheaval, vastness and changing tide, from religious depictions, to the Jack of Diamonds art group, to Ernest Neizvestny to Vladimir Nabokov, a pungent character is present. The appetite to imbibe and collect the breadth of Russian output is a voyage of learning; it is a dissection of the fibrous images and aesthetic charms that the lone and loaded prompt of ‘Russia’ inject into the mind. www.russianartweek.co.uk page. 11

Top: From the collection of the late Lady Mairi Bury. A Fabergé jewelled gold, enamel and hardstone bonbonniere, workmaster Michael Perchin, St Petersburg, circa 1890. Courtesy of Sotheby’s Auction House.

Middle: Ernst Neizvestny Heads and Hands Courtesy of MacDougall Auctions Bottom: Eugene Onegin: Publicity Shot, Eugene Onegin Courtesy ROH 2012

RUSS I A N A RT WEEK

Q&A: Theodora Clarke Theodora Clarke is the editor of leading website ‘Russian Art and Culture’ and the founder of Russian Art Week which takes place from the 22nd to the 28th of November words: Ben Osborn

What first got you interested in Russian art?

I first became interested in Russian art while studying for my Russian GCSE, when I visited Moscow’s Tretyakov gallery. I literally didn’t recognize a single artist or painting. I was really struck by that. I thought, ‘Wow, there’s this whole culture in Russia that really we know nothing about in the West’ – because Russian painting is not really included in Western syllabuses for Art History courses. I ended up doing a specialist Masters in Russian Art at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London with Professor John Milner, who is the famous expert on Malevich and the Black Square. I’m now doing a part-time PhD focused on the Russian avant-garde and American collectors at Bristol University.

Last year I organized an academic conference on Russian art, Cultural Exchange: Russia and the West. And I discovered that people at different institutions around the world are not necessarily aware of each other’s work. I also discovered that the academic art world and commercial art world don’t really talk to each other as much as they could. So I set up a blog, Russian Art and Culture, to bring together information on conferences, lectures and talks, but also to be a bridge between the commercial and academic art world. The blog was very popular, so I turned it into a professional website. We’ve had about 50,000 hits now, with a readership in fifteen countries; extraordinary for a niche topic like Russian art.

What led you to found Russian Art Week?

The big auction houses have two annual weeks of major Russian art sales. And I thought, imagine being a collector coming from Moscow or St Petersburg – how would you find out about all these sales? So we aggregated all the information onto one central online platform. We’re publishing a guide to these sales while also providing information about other events that happen at the same time, such as exhibitions and concerts, grouping everything under the banner of Russian Art Week.

So Russian art week as a concept, annual Russian art sales at set times of year, has existed for a long time; what no-one’s actually done before is to brand it and bring all the information together into one place.

How did you get all of this information?

I did work experience at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Christie’s plus I am an academic myself. So I seemed to be on lots of different mailing lists for auction houses, museums, galleries and academic institutions, which gave me lots of information for events in both the academic and the commercial art world. The conference gave me lots of contacts as well. Then we got in touch with all the heads of history of art and Russian, in all of the major universities. Because another thing we were very keen to do was to promote graduate writing. We publish articles and reviews by graduates, and we’re launching the first postgraduate writing competition in the UK on Russian and Soviet art, with Anthony Beevor presenting the prize at our inaugural event in November.

What happens during the art weeks – as well as the sales?

This autumn’s Russian art week is the 22nd to the 28th November. Viewings will start over

the weekend with the various sales happening over a period of four or five days. There’s a real range of work on sale: an Ivan Aivazovsky landscape going for 1 to 2 million at MacDougall’s, while at Bonhams there’s a Makovsky, a nineteenth century work, a realistic painting of a village fair. And there are icons, works by Fabergé, major twentieth century works all on offer... But there’s also a number of Russian events going on in November: the Russian Film Festival [2-11 November], two productions of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya [at the Noel Coward and Vaudeville theatres] and a number of exhibitions including an exhibition of Soviet art at the Saatchi gallery [Gaiety is the Most Outstanding Feature of the Soviet Union, opening 21 November]. There are other events like Victory Over the Sun, a performance of the Russian Futurist opera, at Pushkin House. There’s this whole range of things going on, appealing to people from all walks of life, whether or not they are experts or new to Russian art and culture.

Did you know it would be this successful?

Not at all! It’s something I set up in my free time, just because I find Russian art so fascinating and I wanted to let people know about interesting events. I’ve been absolutely amazed how quickly the website has grown. People seem to think we’ve been up and running for years, and that the guide is an annual publication – but this is the first time we’ve ever actually done this!

So it’s been extraordinary how successful it’s been. We hope for this to become a biannual event in the arts calendar.

All the galleries and auction houses have been incredibly supportive – this wouldn’t have worked without their support.

Why is Russian art so popular in the UK? Why do you think it sells so well?

Most of the buyers are actually Russian. But Russian art has always been very popular. During the recession, the Russian art market has remained buoyant. The top lots, paintings by people like Natalia Goncharova, Liubov Popova – they’re ranked the highest selling female artists of all time, and they’re members of the Russian avant-garde.

When you talk to Russian collectors, they tell you that investing in art is sometimes a better option than investing in the stock market especially with the Eurozone crisis.

Why in London in particular?

A huge number of wealthy Russians have homes in London and reside in the UK. And London has been very much a centre of the art world, with multiple auction houses having multiple sales. Also, in Russia, if you sell an artwork, you’re then not allowed to trade it outside of Russia; so traders come to Europe to sell and trade works of art, which they’re not allowed to do in Russia.

For more information log on to: russianartandculture.com and russianartweek.co.uk

page. 12

Russian ART WEEK Неделя Русского Искусства LONDON

22.11.12 – 28.11.12 WWW.RUSSIANARTWEEK.CO.UK

RUSS I A N A RT WEEK

Bonhams Russian Art (Sale 20029) 28 November 2012 www.bonhams.com

1.

MacDougall's 25 November: Russian Art Evening Sale – 5 pm 28 November: Russian Art, Icons and Works of Art Sale – 10:30 am Pre-Auction Exhibition 16th – 27th November

1. Semiradsky Genrikh Semiradsky Christ Blessing the Children, 1900 Estimate: £400,000-£600,000 Image courtesy of MacDougall Auctions 2. Aivazovsky Ivan Aivazovsky, View of Venice San Giorgio Maggiore, 1851 Estimate: £950,000-£2,000,000 Image courtesy of MacDougall Auctions

3.

2.

3. Orlovsky Vladimir Donatovitch Orlovsky (1842-1914) River Gnilitsa, 1885 Signed in Cyrillic and dated 1885 (lower left) Oil on canvas 95 x 155cm (37 3/8 x 61in).

Estimate: £250,000-£350,000 Image of Courtesy of Bonhams Serchkov Nikolai Egorovich Sverchkov (1817-1898) Casting the Wolf, 1878 Signed in Cyrillic and dated 1878 (lower left) Oil on canvas 87 x 152cm (34 1/4 x 59 13/16in) Estimate: £300,000-£5w00,000 Image courtesy of Bonhams

4.

Makovsky Vladimir Egorovich Makovsky (1846-1920) Fair (Little Russia), 1885 Signed in Cyrillic and dated 1885 (lower right) Oil on canvas 113 x 180cm (44 1/2 x 70 7/8in).

Estimate: £1,500,000-£2,000,000 Image courtesy of Bonhams

5.

Under the Hammer Russian Art Week highlight their top lots from the Bonhams and MacDougall’s Russian Art Sales page. 14

RUSS I A A RT WEEK

East Meets West London James Butterwick is a Russian art specialist and dealer, and the only Westerner elected to the Russian International Confederation of Antique and Art Dealers. He also runs his own, eponymous gallery in the somewhat suprising location of leafy W6. Theodora Clarke headed west to meet him James Butterwick is not your average art dealer. First of all, you will not find him in Mayfair or the West End where most galleries are based. His work space is at his house in the leafy West London suburb of Ravenscourt Park. He explains his philosophy, “I can achieve what I need to here and it allows me to have a lifestyle that suits me. I can see my family every day”. He has even built a gallery here, in order to display his collection, which opened to visitors in May this year.

The exhibition space is in the form of an extension to his house which stretches out into the garden. James shows me around his house before we walk out to the gallery. Over a cup of tea he explains his approach to collecting.

One of the most important issues with art collecting, he explains, is that of authenticity. “There are significant problems with Russian Art when it comes to authenticating works for example by Natalia Goncharova, says James.

There has been a major recent controversy regarding the reproduction of several images in Denise Bazetoux’s catalogue raisonne on the artist – works were reproduced from Russian museum collections, such as the Tretyakov Gallery, without permission and a number of the works published are considered fakes.

Goncharova’s works, as the most expensive female artist ever, are frequently forged. The Tretyakov Gallery regard themselves as the guardian of Goncharova’s legacy and have campaigned vigorously against the forgeries of her work which are reproduced in the two publications.

James also points out that the Tretyakov experts claims that as many as 50% of the works illustrated in Bazetoux’s book are fake and that Parton’s book even has a fake reproduced on its cover.

“Much of any dealers reputation depends on the authenticity of the works they collect”, he says. So how does he deal with fakes as a dealer? “For me it’s not much of a problem. It comes down in the end to years of experience and knowing what you are looking at. You need to have adequate provenance for your pictures”. James visits Russia regularly and employs a specialist researcher to check the history of his pictures.

Provenance, he states, is the one of the most important parts of picture collecting. He researches every picture to see who owned it, where it was exhibited and in which publications it can be found.

James is a specialist in the true sense of the word. Over many years he has built up expertise and knowledge of Russian works from 1890-1930. He tends not to advertise and stays away from many big corporate events. Buyers, it seems, just know where to find him. Most of his work is to act as a finder of paintings, not always Russian, for private collectors. The majority of these buyers are Russians who are interested in acquiring works by both Russian and European artists of the period.

So what does he think is also essential to being a good dealer and collector? “First of all you must have a good eye but second you need to have good provenance”. He guarantees the authenticity of all his works putting his reputation on the line and demonstrating his commitment to accuracy.

He is unusual in being a foreigner who is well regarded in Russia. In 2008 he was elected to the Russian International Confederation of Antique and Art Dealers, the only Westerner who is a member which is a considerable mark of respect and sign of his expertise.

Alexander Volkov (1886-1957) Eastern Fantasy (1918) Signed l.r. ‘A. Volkov’.

Watercolour on paper, 16 x 36 cm

Alexander Rusakov(1898-1952) Still Life With A Samovar And A Flower (1925-8) (In Verso ‘Still Life With A Samovar’ (C. 1925-28)Oil On Canvas, 53 X 71 Cm

Ilya Chashnik (1902-1929) The Seventh Dimension (1921-22) Suprematist stripe relief design India ink and watercolour 7 7/8 x 9 5/8 inches (20 x 24.5 cms) Images Courtesy James Butterwick Gallery

I ask him what initially attracted him to Russian art. The first work he acquired was a Leon Bakst pencil drawing in 1987. He acquired a taste for Russian Art when he studied in the Soviet Union. He read Russian Studies and History of Art at university and got his first art-related job at Sotheby’s. However, his first major find was in 1994 when he discovered a Self-Portrait by Mikhail Vrubel. This small work on paper depicts the artist staring straight at the viewer with only half his face visible. James says, “it is challenging work as it depicts Vrubel when he was ill. The artist drew it between 1882-83 when he was in the middle of one of his nervous breakdowns”.

He offers as an interesting anecdote the story of its discovery. “I was offered the picture when I was living in Moscow for just a couple of thousand dollars. Whilst there, I was having tea at the apartment of Alexander Volkov’s son, Valery. When I mentioned the self-portrait to him, Valery recognised the picture straightaway, said that his father adored Vrubel’s work and had been a colossal influence on him. He disappeared into his study and moments later he reappeared holding an article from an old Soviet newspaper of 1924 which had on the front page an article entitled, ‘The Unpublished Vrubel’ and with the same portrait reproduced underneath. In addition there was full information on the provenance”. James owns a beautiful small pencil drawing by Vrubel of Vova Mamontov reading.

This work also has a full provenance, being was originally acquired from the wife of the artist and exhibited in 1956 at the Vrubel personal exhibition in Moscow.

Well-known artists who are displayed at the gallery include Kuzma Petrov Vodkin, Mikhail Larionov, Natalia Goncharova, Pyotr Konchalovsky, Boris Grigoriev and Natan Altman. Larionov’s watercolour is a costume design for ‘Soleil de Nuit’ in 1915. The artist was commissioned

by Sergei Diaghilev to create the designs for this Ballets Russes production in Paris. The work depicts a Young Jester who is wearing brightly coloured native clothes which are dominated by swirling, foliage-like motifs. The image recalls his partner Goncharova’s designs for ‘Le Coq D’Or’ created one year earlier. With this design we can see how Larionov turned to native Russian folk art and Neo-Primitivist imagery for inspiration. Most striking, on a neighbouring wall, are three images by Alexander Volkov ‘Nude in a Mountainous Landscape’, ‘Golgotha’ and ‘Eastern Fantasy’. Volkov is an artist who is still relatively unknown in the West. However, he is enjoying a surge in popularity in London as demonstrated by the recent Christie’s exhibition of his work, ‘Of Sand and Silk’.

Who are the most popular artists on the market today?

James replies that Petrov-Vodkin is still proving popular to collectors but adds, “it is becoming increasingly difficult to find works by the top artists”. Regarding recent sales he suggests that the Russian market has also become more selective. Originally, Russian art attracted him as it “struck me as being a market completely underexposed” where there was still room to find major works. Like other dealers he is interested to see how the major auction houses do in Russian art week in London this November. In difficult economic times it will be interesting to see how the Russian art market progresses.

James Butterwick Gallery www.jamesbutterwick.com

page. 15

RUSS I A N C I NEM A

Russian Film Festival Returning for its sixth year, the Russian Film Festival takes over London’s Apollo Piccadilly cinema this month, promising to deliver ‘the most illustrious Russian films of the past year’ for ten consecutive days. Alex Aspden shines a light on Russian cinema, the festival and its future

Left to right: [still] Battleship Potemkin; [still] How I Ended This Summer; Tarkovsky tweaks the set of The Sacrifice

If the RFF6 programme is anything to go by, 2012 must have proven a very fruitful year for Russian cinema. It’s extended screening schedule reflects the positive reception to last year’s collaborations with the ICA and the Aubin Cinema, not to mention screenings in Cambridge and Edinburgh. Yet it’s the growing presence of Russian politics on international newsreels over the past few years that has stolen much of the limelight, further dimming the successes of the nation’s leading filmmakers.

For over a hundred years, Russia has maintained a curious fascination with cinema. Take the story of the first Russian screening of the Lumiere Brothers’ 1895 film, L’arrivee d’un en Gare de La Ciotat (Train Pulling Into A Station), during which members of the audience ran off screaming, desperate to escape the catastrophe fast approaching. It was thanks to the momentum of the Revolution, however, that the potential of the movie camera could be fully realised. In 1923, Trotsky seized on the phenomenom of cinema, and declared it a weapon of the State, the ‘best instrument for propoganda - technical, cultural, industrial, anti-alcohol, sanitary, political, or any kind.’ The 1920s was a dynamic decade of creativity, carried along by the movements of Realism and Symbolism, Futurism and Constructivism, with avant-garde cinema leading the way; the artists striving for the building of socialism. The experiments of Sergei Eisenstein and Dziga

Vertov with montage continue to wow audiences more than 90 years after their release - in the 2012 BFI poll, Eisenstein’s masterpiece Battleship Potemkin ranked 11th in the Top 50 Greatest Films of All Time, as chosen by 846 ‘inthe-know’ contributors, whilst Vertov’s Man with a Movie Camera came just behind Kubrick’s space eyegasm in an impressive 8th place. It is for this revolutionary pursuit, a quest for innovation, that Soviet cinema will always be highly regarded by cinephiles, and as a point of comparison for the aspirations of the next generations.

As with the heroes of Soviet literature, art, music and theatre, the leading figures of Soviet kino were closely contained by the rulers of the nation; art and politics were tightly interwoven. Andrei Tarkovsky, arguably the most internationally revered director of the Soviet period, is considered by many to be a martyr, hounded by the censor and bureaucratic limitations on the creativity of the artist. Despite the extent that the state intervened, Tarkovsky succeeded in delivering a prolific repertoire of cinematographic innovation and beauty. The creeping shots of over 9 minutes, breaching the boundary between dream and reality, shots from films such as Andrei Rublev, Solaris, Mirror and Stalker, will forever hang on the wall of cinema fame.

For a contemporary Russian film director, the rich precedent of cinema forefathers is a daunting thing to look page. 16

back on. However, it was the events of the early 1990s that have had the greatest influence over the cinematic output of the current generation of filmmakers. With the turn to capitalism, and the dramatic evolution of an entire nation, cinema was no longer under the total control of the state.

On the other hand, opportunities for private investment were elusive in the financial chaos. Once again cinema was dependent on the government, but it is a relationship that has just kept on growing. Andrei Zviagintsev burst onto our screens in 2003 with his highly-regarded debut, The Return, winner of the Golden Lion at Venice. Aleksander Sokurov captured audiences with his 90 minute single-take waltz through the Hermitage (as well as 400 plus years of Russian history) in Russian Ark. You may also have caught Pavel Lungin’s Ostrov that closed the 2006 Venice Film Festival; or Hipsters, a 2008 big-budget musical based on the vibrant Soviet outsider subculture, Stilyagi - think Jon Waters meets West Side Story. More recently, Aleksei Propogrebsky took the Silver Bear with his gripping film How I Ended This Summer (now his third film), at the 2010 Berlin Film Festival, before arriving in the Big Smoke to pick up the Best Film award at the London Film Festival. And last year Sokurov returned to Venice to receive the Golden Lion for his spectacular interpretation of Faust.

The festival Opening Gala sets a high standard, with the return of Boris Khlebnikov and his latest offering, Till Night Do Us Part.

Poster: Man With A Movie Camera

Shot entirely in Moscow’s most extravagant restaurant, the ‘Pushkin’, where apparently absolutely anything can happen, Till Night Do Us Part is based on actual conversations overheard between tables. This exhilarating comedy delves into the scandalous lives of the Moscow elite, whose antics can be matched only by the restaurant’s equally eccentric staff.

RFF6 also marks the return of a key player in contemporary Russian cinema, Pavel Lungin. Following on from 2009’s gruesome epic, Tsar, Lungin brings to London his latest work, The Conductor. Considered to be Lungin’s most ambitious work to date, a leading Russian conductor is preparing to take his orchestra to Jerusalem to perform St. Matthew’s Passion, when he receives the news of his estranged son’s death. This devastating moment leads him to re-evaluate his life, with Lungin raising universal questions of love and paternity.

But of course, every year at the Russian Film Festival, there seems to be one stand-out film. Last year was Andrei Zviagintsev’s Elena. Right now, in the lead up to the festival, Elena is screening for 5 days at the ICA, followed by the rare opportunity for DVD distribution through Artificial Eye. When looking to this year’s programme, it is Sergei Loban’s Chapiteau Show that promises to arrive with a bang. Split into four separate novellas, which – Loban insists – can be watched in any order, Chapiteau Show exudes an

incredibly unique and enchanting style that will ensure Russian cinema will once again leave a great impression on London. A prize-winner at last year’s Moscow International Film Festival, this four hour extravaganza tells the tale of a circus of outsiders, whose lives are just as chaotic and as the carnival that brought them together.

For London audiences at RFF6, however, it seems as though the biggest talking point is set to be Winter, Go Away! - a documentary film shot on the initiative of the independent Russian newspaper, Novaya Gazeta; shot by 10 young film school graduates, who did not part from their cameras for two months; the result a chronicle of Russia’s winter protests, when hundreds of thousands took to the streets. You see people, their faces, conversations and rallies, victories and defeats ahead of the now-decided presidential election. As the 6th Russian Film Festival looks set to shine a light upon contemporary Russian culture, Winter, Go Away casts its critical eye over the leaders of the country, offering a new understanding of the social change that is rippling throughout this young generation of Russians. An international fascination with Churchill’s ‘enigma’ has never quite disappeared, the level of support Pussy Riot have been receiving is yet another unfortunate example of our curiosity.

The secret to Russian cinema lies in the reality it tries to convey, whereby every single one of the films screening page. 17

over the 10 days can be said to hold up a different aspect of life in contemporary Russia. Whether it is the impartial documenting of political unrest, or the borderline farce of Russia’s extravagant elite, the cinema of Russia is a key to understanding the nation, its culture a window onto the path on which is it moving. As with all five previous years, if there was one reason for you to make sure that you visit RFF6, it is because these 10 days may be the only chance for you to experience these gems of Russian cinema. Back home, a dependence on Hollywood imports combined with a lack of global distribution ensures that the Russian film industry still has a long way to go until it can enjoy the recognition it merits.

Some hope remains, however, for as long as there are directors making good cinema, there will always be people to watch it. This year sees the Second Co-distribution and Production Forum, set up by Academia Rossica, coordinators of the festival, in collaboration with the Cinema Fund and the BFI. Bringing together the brightest talents of the Russian film industry with key figures from the UK scene, the Forum hopes to forge new ties that will pave the way for future projects more promising even than this year’s programme.

Russian Film Festival opens on November 2nd www.academia-rossica.org/en/film

Paul Noble, Villa Joe (Front View) 2005-6 Private Collection, courtesy Gagosian Gallery

turner prize

Eyes on the Prize The Turner Prize Exhibition, a show that by all intents and purposes showcases the greatest and most innovative British art of the year, has divided audiences. With the overall winner yet to be announced, Ben Osborn muses over the nominees, the rise of performance art, and asks whether the art world is ready for it This year’s Turner Prize exhibition, showing at the Tate Britain until the prize is awarded in December, is notable for the variety but consistently high quality of all four nominees.

There is little dryness or alienating critical distance in this immersive, captivating and highly enjoyable show. At its worst it draws the audience into the artists’ unique manias in a way that can feel slightly stifling; at its best – exemplified in particular by performance artist Spartacus Chetwynd – it showcases a fresh, multi-disciplinary approach that is both playful and thoughtful.

Two names have dominated the discussion of the Turner Prize so far: Chetwynd, whose vibrant group performances present a rich mix of social and aesthetic concepts through a mad, often hilarious and sometimes very spooky theatricality, and Paul Noble, whose pencil drawings document an

imaginary world in painstaking Escher-like architectural detail. Noble’s work is clearly impressive in terms of skill and commitment, though a painstaking work ethic is a defining feature of this years’ nominees. Several critics have pointed out the resemblance to excrement in his drawings, and although it is undeniable it’s rarely overwhelming. There’s an addictive beauty to his intricate patterns: they feel like illustrations in an impossible book. But in fact he is the least satisfying – and the least interesting - of the four artists. I want to get lost in his world, but I can’t: it is too mapped out, too limited by his artistic monomania. In the words of Bruno Schulz, there is ‘too much matter, not enough form.’

Elizabeth Price has a lot more to say, and more to say it with. Her film ostensibly tells the story of deadly fire in a Manchester Woolworths. The disturbing subject matter page. 18

is matched by a purposefully overpowering, high tempo approach to filmmaking that darts from source to source and image to image, melding contrasting narratives and ideas into a cohesive piece. But the quick, controlled pace and the merging of text and image are a little too reminiscent of advertising, making the work feel slightly hollow.

Luke Fowler presents a refreshing contrast to this.

His film All Divided Selves documents the life, work and opinions of controversial psychiatrist R D Laing through a montage of archive film, found footage and new material. Unlike Noble, he’s firmly rooted in the real world, addressing Laing’s radical notion of schizophrenia as rational. His form perfectly reflects his subject matter: virtuosic editing weaves different strands of footage together, finding both beauty and thematic logic within

Elizabeth Price, The Woolworths Choir of 1979 Courtesy the artist and MOTInternational, London

Spartacus Chetwynd, Odd Man Out 2011 Courtesy the artist and Sadie Coles HQ, London page. 19

TURNER P R I ZE : E y es o n the P ri z e

Luke Fowler, All Divided Selves, 2011 | Installation view Inverleith House, Edinburgh, 2012 | Commissioned by CCS Bard Galleries, Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College | Courtesy of the artist, The Modern Institute/Toby Webster Ltd, Glasgow and Galerie Gisela Capitain, Cologne | Photo Alan Dimmick

non-linear expression – exactly the same way that Laing’s work treated expressions of schizophrenia.

Implicit throughout the film is the idea that schizophrenic thought closely resembles artistic thought in its merging of imagination and experience. Through documentation, Fowler shows that Laing saw art in madness; through his own artistic process, Fowler presents the madness in art.

But he’s certainly dwarfed by Spartacus Chetwynd in that field. Her work embraces madness and irrationality on a level beyond most mainstream contemporary art.

Chetwynd is the first performance artist ever to be nominated for the Turner Prize – highlighting the fact that, despite its outrageous reputation among tabloid rants, the prize is often relatively conservative. Although all the nominees are impressive, it’s Chetwynd who gives the

exhibition its exciting, refreshing and immersive quality.

Her performance piece Odd Man Out has two sides. In one room, masked puppeteers perform the Biblical story of Barabbas being spared crucifixion. In another, awkwardly acrobatic monsters bring a mandrake root to life which dishes out banal and gently negative oracular predictions about (among other things) oyster cards and gas bills.

Everything looks amazing, from the photocopied images that coat the space to the ragged robes of the performers.

There’s a lot to take away from the performance rather than a single prescribed meaning, which makes it frustrating to write about but glorious to see: if I talk about the telling parallel between the disappointing oracle and the crowd choosing the criminal Barabbas over the prophet, I have to reconcile this with the piece’s page. 20

exuberance, it’s sexuality and raw energy; if I talk about the slick, Brechtian theatricality of the work, I’m in danger of forgetting the feeling I had while watching that this could fall apart at any minute and that I, as an audience member, was just as responsible for holding it together as the performers were. This is a challenging piece, joyful and manic but without a trace of naivety or tweeness.

Perhaps it would be simplest to say there is an excess of meaning here, and that that in itself is its strength: a reminder that reality is not restricted to linear or singular notions of meaning and truth, but is rather a shifting, complicated and beautiful mess – just like Chetwynd’s work. And, despite the consistently high quality of the work on display this year, it is that feeling that makes the 2012 Turner Prize exciting, relevant and unique.

C u lt u r e w i t h C h r i st i e ’s

Vintage Christie’s Chairman of Christie’s South Kensington, Nic McElhatton returns to Kensington and Chelsea Review for Christie’s monthly instalment of insight into their world of auction words: Nic McElhatton

Top left: 'Bonheur', a mustard yellow wool dress, 'New Look' Collection, Christian Dior, 1948 (est £3,000-5,000) Top right: A black and white silk evening gown, probably Lanvin, 1930s (est £1,000-2,000) Left: A black and white silk crepe evening gown, probably Lanvin, 1930s (est £1,000-2,000) [front and back views] page. 21

Up until a few years ago, I believed that a handbag was a functional, inanimate object – despite having a fashionconscious wife and a teenage daughter! However, as Chairman and auctioneer at Christie’s South Kensington my eyes have been opened to a world I never knew – that of the Couture and Handbag collector! This November, Christie’s launches a series of carefully curated auctions in order to meet the demand for high-end 20th century couture and accessories, entitled ‘Vintage Couture’. Held across both live and online auction platforms, they will offer glamorous gowns, historical fashion pieces, timeless designs as well as coveted luxury handbags and shoes.

With the first live auction from the series scheduled for 29 November and all items on view from 24 to 28 November, I’m expecting quite an excited female buzz within the galleries during November! www.christies.com

T h e at r e

A Song, in Two Parts Back in 1987 Karen Christopher co-founded the seminal Chicago-based performance group Goat Island. Having toured the world together for 21 years, resulting in a rich history of critically acclaimed shows and a book on most Performance Arts students’ bookcases, Goat Island hung up their coats and Karen came to London to pursue new projects. Her new company, Haranczak/Navarre Performance Projects, performed, with Graham Bell, So Below at Chelsea Theatre recently as part of the experimental performance season, SACRED, running until February. Alan Fielden interviews words: Alan Fielden

Where does the name Haranczak/Navarre come from?

It is the maiden names of my two grandmothers. My interest in hidden characteristics combined with my new identity as a stranger in a strange land (an American in London) caused me to think about the fact that my surname doesn’t reveal anything about my ethnic background and in fact sounds English when I am not. But alongside that, I wanted a name that stood for a group rather than an individual and one that somehow signifies a collaboration such as all families are, for better or for worse.

Your performances often draw on wide ranging influences. How did So Below begin?

Gerard Bell and I began with an agreement that we would both share in decisions about how the process, structure, and focus of the work would be determined. In the beginning this meant we each chose a research site to take the other on a trip to. One of these was the Hardy Ash in Old St. Pancras Churchyard.

A circle of displaced grave stones was arranged around a young ash tree when Thomas Hardy, working as an architect’s assistant, was charged with the placement of grave stones relocated during the construction of the railway in the 1860s. The other was the grave of Gerard’s aunt in a cemetery in Hastings. We found it strange that both sites were grave sites. After that we assembled materials such as earth, and flower pots, and a text from the Mass Observation Archive housed at the University of Sussex. These materials led to other discoveries. We followed those tangents which presented themselves.

So Below is the first project in the series, all duets. How is it specifically to work in a pair?

In terms of collaboration it is the smallest and most potentially intense combination

because there are no witnesses, there are no tie breakers, it is just two people facing each other and trying to spark inspiration and cooperate with each other. I consider it the most frightening and potentially threatening situation to put myself in creatively. But it is also very rewarding when two people find a common ground and begin generating communal material.

Each duet in this series is being jointly made, directed and performed by myself and another artist, with each duet functioning as research into new methods of collaboration without a single director. The second duet, Seven Falls, is smaller in scale, and was made for the first time this Spring with Teresa Brayshaw and presented at the GIFT Festival in Gateshead in May 2012. A third, Control Signal, is in R&D with Sophie Grodin and was presented in work-in-progress form as part of SHOW TiME at Richmix in June 2012.

How do trees play a part? What is good about trees?

I became interested in trees as a result of past work and became attached to the idea that they can live such a long time and usually outlive humans. They are constant living landmarks. And what I remember most about the landscape of my childhood is the trees--there is a particular row of them set perpendicular to a road along a field which I took twice a day to and from school and when I went back after 18 years and saw those trees from the road I felt incredibly moved. They must be strong symbols for me, they seem full of meaning. I was particularly drawn to the Hardy tree because the fact that the roots grew around the grave stones signified an incredibly slow time signature.

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T h e at r e : A S o n g , i n T wo P arts

I feel life is naturally messy and I’m trying to get comfortable with it Karen Christopher

Tell me something about time.

I’m interested in the time it takes for a tree to grow around things and the speed at which this happens allowing the tree to grow around rather than knock over an obstacle. I’m interested in time as a medium, as a material in performance. A piece of performance work is a particular organization of time and I think through that structural rhythm of time organization it becomes possible to experience changes in the speed of the experience of time and even to feel time stand still.

I think manipulation of the sense of time is one way in which we move the audience. I’m not entirely sure why it is so moving to feel that manipulation but I think it frees us from its inexorable progress (and our eventual death).

What is So Below not about?

It is not about terror. It is not about animals. And while there is a pot of tea consumed, it is not about food.

Is Gerard Bell a happy man?

Perhaps you ask about Gerard’s happiness because in the piece he reads a letter about happiness, a definition of happiness written by a young factory worker in 1937. This is a document I found in the Mass Observation Archive. It was an entry in an essay-writing contest on the subject of happiness--the organizer wanted to know how people defined happiness.

Each of the entries is written as a letter to a stranger. When I knew I was going to work with Gerard I immediately thought of having him read that letter. I wanted to hear it in his voice.

Your stages can end up messy - do you enjoy mess?

No, I abhor mess, but I feel life is naturally messy and I’m trying to get comfortable with it.

But really I don’t see what’s left on the stage at the end of a piece as messy, I see it as full of traces of the actions that transpired during the course of the show.

Where would you most like to perform?

I would most like to perform in the place where I grew up (the island of Maui in Hawaii) but I fear it might not go well.

How does London compare to Chicago for you? As a city but also as a stage, an audience.

Chicago is slower paced and has a lot of time for non-commercial work. That seems difficult in London as the cost of living is quite high. There’s a lot of work that is flashy, eye catching, sexy, and sensational, these are compatible with a fast pace of life. I do think there are people who are interested in slowing down and looking at deeper and more detailed or subtle work.

There’s quite a larger range here. but I haven’t been here as long as I was in Chicago. It may be a few more years before I understand this place.

What does the future hold?

Teeth, hopefully.

For more information on Karen Christopher, log on to www.karenchristopher.co.uk

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VIII

HENRY

THE MUSICAL

“Magical for all the family ” “You will laugh and cry!”

“Musically stunning ” BRITTEN THEATRE LONDON SW7

21-22 DECEMBER 7pm Evening 1pm Matinee

TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE

www.henryviiithemusical.com

T h e at r e : RE V I EW

Scenes From an Execution Howard Barker’s National Theatre debut is a triumph of scale, expression and conciliation

National Theatre til 9th Dec A Howard Barker play at the National is cause for consideration.

An indelible part of the British theatre landscape, Barker’s selfappointed position as uncompromising rebel perhaps explains why many of his plays have often been performed only by his dedicated theatre company, The Wrestling School (whose Arts Council funding was cut in 2007). Written in 1984 as a radio play, Scenes from an Execution, about a wilfully dissident artist finding some measure of recognition and celebrity, is an apt initiation.

It’s 16th century Venice. Commissioned to paint a 1000 square foot canvas of the 1571 Battle of Lepanto, the great Galactia defies state desires for a victorious celebration of Venetian v Turk, instead creating a grislier account of events, “all meat and chopped-up genitalia”. Valuing her integrity unquestionably above her love of the state, her fortunes are at first universally foreseeable, ultimately curious.

With trance-inducing ease, Fiona Shaw as Galactia, semiclad and ballistic, explodes through scenes with magnetic joy. It is her shape-changing presence of sensual passion,

E d’s pic k s

uncompromising self-destruction and nonchalant perversity that hoists the work so high. An extended press-night technical hitch did nothing to halt her monstrous momentum. Dogging her is the comical, sinisterly sympathetic Tim McInnerny as the art-fetishist Doge, at once grovelling then tyrannical, displaying great nuances of humour and malice. With a supporting cast of unanimous strength, most of note is Phoebe Nicholls as a dry, slinking art critic and Jamie Ballard as Carpeta, Galactia’s pious, boorish painter lover. Designer Hildegard Bechtler’s utilisation of the Lyttelton’s stage intelligently deals with the grand scale of both the painting at the heart of Scenes and the austere issues themselves.

Barker’s work can often veer toward brutal didacticism; clearly having the work out of his hands (and honed intentions) has benefitted the text through this majestic retelling. Whilst Barker openly decrees the idea of entertaining (“Theatre should be a taxing experience: the greatest achievement of a writer is to produce a character who creates anxiety.”) Tom Cairns production manages to capture the abrasive, bloody, thought-provoking colour in Barker’s words, but does so with humour, sensitivity and most of all respect. Dare I say it, this perverse work of art about a perverse artist is the best kind of entertainment.

Uncle Vanya, Vakhtangov Theatre

Uncle Vanya Noel Coward Theatre 5 Nov - 10 Nov Winner of Best Production at Russia’s Golden Mask Awards (an Emmy Award equivalent), this “breath-taking and stunningly realised modern version”, performed in Chekov’s language by Russian titans Vakhtangov Theatre and Lithuanian director Rimas Tuminas looks to be an unmissable, and short-lived event.

6 performances only.

Trojan Women Gate Theatre 8 November - 15 Dec ‘Stalking the antiseptic confines of its mother and baby unit is Hecuba, the fallen Trojan queen.’ Euripides’ dark tragedy about the fates of women on the losing side of war, in a ‘caustic and radical’ new version by poet Caroline Bird, directed by the Gate’s Artistic Director Christopher Haydon. www.gatetheatre.co.uk SACRED Season Chelsea Theatre 19th October - 16th February Chelsea Theatre’s adventurous, top class performance season kicks off with Karen Christopher and Gerard Bell’s duet So Below (see interview, p23). Highlights include the renowned, “powerful and compelling” Michael Pinchbeck meditating on new beginning and mother/daughter duo Sian Ní Mhuirí and Vicki Sutherland in a live ceremonial tattooing “celebrating love, violence and acceptance of change”. www.chelseatheatre.org.uk page. 26

Fiona Shaw – Galactica | photo: Mark Douet

Books

“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”

Borges

Rites of Passage Kensington and Chelsea Review meets Sophie Coulombeau to discuss her debut novel Rites, out now words: Danny Arter

Rites Route Publishing Hardback £12.99 Rites, the debut novel from Sophie Coulombeau, is a book you can judge by its cover. Threads of differing hues gather from a series of angles to assemble the centred title: it might not convey the intricacies of the plot, but it mimics how it is told.

A vast ensemble of characters offer their interpretation of a series of events which unfolded in the teenage years of the four protagonists, Day, Rachel, Nick and Lizzie.

“I began with Damien [Day] as the only narrator,” Coulombeau says, “then I hit a roadblock. I had ideas about what I wanted to happen, but I couldn’t get Damien to articulate them.” This is something of a surprise admission, as Day, who endured a stiflingly tough childhood, graduates to become an English teacher; his turns of phrase are the most decadent, and certainly the most articulate, of the various narrators’.

The idea for multiple narrators came from Coulombeau’s reading list: Julian Barnes’ Talking It Over persuaded her that “there were other people who wanted to have their say… these querulous, insistent, dissenting voices started cording my head.

I realized that I wanted the story to exist very carefully in the space between all of their different accounts; to make the book about the nature of narrative, memory, selfdeception and reliability.”

It is a space into which the novel fits snugly. Characters’ honesty, morality and diction vary by degrees, slowly assembling a narrative which while not always trustworthy, is compelling. The teenagers look back on events with the comforting hindsight of adulthood,

but the congruency of their respective recollections is offish. It is in the ensuing grey areas that the novel’s intriguing crux emerges; the quartet hatch a plan to shed their virginities in a dank hotel room, but amidst a haze of vodka, cannabis and a (crucial) lost set of doorkeys, Lizzie accuses Day of rape. It is a claim supported by Nick, but challenged by Rachel; the jealousies and machinations that follow are acutely observed, and further obscure any definitive account of events.

It is a technique, I observe, which works particularly well in a novel which hinges on an accusation of rape; conviction rates are low, and often it is one person’s word against another. Coulombeau says that while working for the Ministry of Justice, she was “deeply interested in the unique nature of sexual assault as a crime, and how far it often depends on testimony as opposed to evidence… How important is articulacy, background, and ideas about what constitutes reliability when we hear someone’s version of events?”

Besides Barnes, who Coulombeau cites as “the unsurpassed literary surgeon of the human heart”, she lists her influences as Iris Murdoch (from whom “I pinched and modified ideas about confession”), Philip Pullman and Lionel Shriver—the latter further fuelled the thread of unreliable narrators, as well as providing Coulombeau with an insight into “the dark side of parenting”.

It’s such illustrious company in which the York-based writer may come to be esteemed. Coulombeau says that Rites was “in one way the product of 10 years’ thought, and in another the product of a few weeks’ desperate graft”. While studying for a PhD in York, she entered a section of Rites’ prose into competition run by independent publisher Route to find the Next Great Novelist. “I forgot about it

Sophie Coulombeau until a couple of months later, when I got a phone call asking to see the rest of the manuscript,” Coulombeau says. “Which, of course, wasn’t yet written.”

She submitted the completed manuscript “a broken woman”, having penned 4,000 words a day to flesh out the novel. It proved a success: she won the competition and, following a positive reception in the UK, the novel will be translated for German audiences next year.

But Coulombeau has plenty on her plate; besides completing her PhD, she is working

page. 28

on a second novel with a rather different focus: warring political factions in London on the eve of the French Revolution. There is also a play which she claims “explores some of the crucial issues in higher education at the moment”, and consequently the 28-year-old has “half of my head in the eighteenth century and half following this morning’s headlines”.

And, she ends, there are “potentially more exciting developments afoot” concerning Rites. A first novel it may be, but you may not have heard the last of it.

Peter Clarke [Chief Executive, Man] & Hilary Mantel | © Janie Airey

The Booker’s Choice Books Editor Danny Arter shines a light on Man Booker Prize winner Hilary Mantel Hilary Mantel scooped this year’s Man Booker Prize with Bring up the Bodies, her sequel to the 16th-century set Wolf Hall, which won the prize back in 2009. Bring up the Bodies is the first sequel to have won the award, and Mantel’s triumph means she is the first female (and the first Briton) to win the award on two occasions.

Mantel was the bookmakers’ favourite to take the award, narrowly ahead of Will Self, whose experimental novel Umbrella was perhaps deemed too divisive. Self’s book, from independent publisher Bloomsbury, was joined on the six-strong shortlist by four other indie-published titles; Deborah Levy’s Swimming Home, Jeet Thayil’s Narcopolis, Alison Moore’s The Lighthouse and Tan Twan Eng’s The Garden of Evening Mists.

The shortlist was widely seen as an improvement on last

year’s prize—won by Julian Barnes—which many critics said emphasized readability over quality. While sales figures have not bested those of last year’s list, the final six contenders were lauded for their ambition, diversity and skill.

However, her humble acceptance speech indicated her surprise at the honour. “You wait twenty years for a Booker prize,” she said, “and then two come along at once.” The author has been widely praised in the days following the prize’s award, with many applauding the judging panel for picking a novel solely on its textual merit, rather than allowing commercial or publicity concerns dictate the award.

Not that Mantel will be short of cash, mind. Besides the £50,000 bounty which shadows the award, her Wolf Hall is the biggest selling Booker winner in history, and the BBC has a dramatization of the novel in the pipeline, sure to garner the novelist extra exposure—and sales. Bring up the Bodies was also the bestselling novel on the shortlist before the announcement; all of which means expectation for Mantel’s next novel, the third and final book in the trilogy, The Mirror and the Light, will be astronomical.

If the progression from Wolf Hall to Bring up the Bodies page. 29

is anything to go by, Mantel ought to be a strong contender to complete a Booker hat-trick when the third instalment is released (she has said she will take the majority of next year to write the book). Bring up the Bodies is a more concentrated, intense read than its predecessor; its pacy narrative is compelling and immersive. It continues the tale of Thomas Cromwell, right-hand man to King Henry VIII. Mantel brings both men to life vividly, rehashing expectations and humanizing the pair with a rainbow of emotions, actions and reactions which are utterly gripping. Her finest achievement, arguably, is rejuvenating such an archaic, well-known story, injecting it with a hearty dose of terror. Taking up where Wolf Hall left off, the King is growing increasingly restless with his Queen, Anne Boleyn, as she has failed to yield him a male heir; there are also whispers of infidelity on her part. He also grows increasingly fond of Jane Seymour, and as Cromwell begins to manoeuvre himself against Boleyn in an attempt to force her from the King’s court, Bring up the Bodies races to an ending which while not a typical cliffhanger, only serves to whet the appetite for the final chapter.

Bring on the prequel.

Fa s h i o n

Miroslava Duma; Leading a Russian Renaissance in Style Everyone wants to be in with the cool kids. And in Russia, they don’t come any cooler than Miroslava Duma. The former editor of Harper’s Bazaar Russia and freelance writer is one of four big players on the Russian fashion scene.

Dubbed the ‘Russian Mafia’ for sending style bloggers into a fashion frenzy, Miroslava (Mira to her friends), along with designers Ulyana Sergeenko and Vika Gazinskaia, and model Elena Perminova, is rewriting the Russian stylebook; replacing the in-your-face glamour of old with impeccable taste and a modern aesthetic. Shula Pannick gets the scoop from Mira on what it was like to grow up in a world devoid of fashion, and how she came out the other side What are your early memories of growing up in Communist Russia?

Now when I look back, I realize it used to be a great country. Taking into consideration the fact that everything including fashion was regulated (which of course I didn’t relish), the USSR was still a superpower with outstanding economic potential. We won WWII, launched our satellites, and always did our best to succeed. I was proud to be a citizen of such a strong country. Generally, perestroika (the restructuring of the Soviet Union’s politics and economics) was inevitable. It allowed people the freedom to decide what they want to do, wear or think. Nevertheless I do feel nostalgia for our common past. I was born in 1985 and only remember through stories; with my parents telling me about standing in long lines outside waiting to get potatoes or toilet paper in -30 degrees celsius. But, the most interesting thing is that my parents even now tell me that this was the happiest period in their lives; a period of communist Russia when everyone were equal. There was no rich and no poor, so people spent less time thinking about money and more time with their families and friends, enjoying the simpler things. At that time there was almost no divorce. Now, with so much money around, people get seduced every single day. We so often see sixty year old men dating or marrying twenty year old girls, which is vulgar and sad.

After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, how did your understanding of the international ‘fashion scene’ develop?

In the USSR trends were completely ignored. But, in 1991 the opportunity to buy clothes abroad ‘opened the gate’ for creativity and expression. At first women could not help but buy expensive and tasteless pieces of clothing. It was a kind of logo free for all, where Russians felt they needed logos all over the place, and the more the better. It was a tangible consequence of an absence of any form of fashion industry or elegance in Soviet Russia. For almost seventy years after the revolution there was literally nothing in the shops; NOTHING! One anecdote in particular springs to mind. When I was about ten years old, an acquaintance of my mother saw me wearing a Versace Junior top. It didn’t have any visible logo and so she thought we were crazy for buying it. To her, buying clothes without logos on them was like throwing money away. We have to remember that Russia got money in the 90’s together with oil. The same happened with the Middle East which is why these two cultures are so alike. Very often Russian and Arabic women love all the bling, fur, diamonds, and Swarovski stones...we just got it and so our women still can’t get enough of it.

page. 30

Continued on p.32

page. 31

How have you seen the Russian approach to fashion evolve in the last few years?

Frankly speaking, I consider our fashion industry to be the fastest growing worldwide.

Only markets, particularly the Chinese, can be seen in any way as a rival. It seems that the emergence of Russian brands and new design talent provoked an entirely new wave of Russian fashion. The way I see it, we are living in a veritable Renaissance of Russian culture and fashion.

Which Russian designers should the rest of Europe keep a watchful eye out for?

I think that there are plenty of talented designers but in my humble opinion Ulyana Sergeenko, Alexander Terekhov and Vika Gazinskaia are the most promising and gifted of the bunch.

What’s your favourite city for fashion?

New York. It is the capital of fashion, and the capital of the world. I love being there during Fashion Week. It’s a city with its very own style; full of energy and a heady atmosphere of being in the Big Apple.

Who would you say was your style inspiration?

Growing up, it was always my mother. She was taught by my grandmother to tailor clothing, and so when there was nothing in the shops my mom used to tailor for us at night (despite working during the day). She always looked chic and special; just one of the many reasons I admire and love her so much.

Favourite things about Moscow?

Moscow is the place where all my nearest and dearest live. It will never lose its magnetism for me because there it contains so much of my personal history: my sweet sixteen, my university,

my first job, my first taste of success…! Frank Sinatra said that New York is the city that never sleeps. It works for Moscow too. When I hear his famous lyrics, “I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps”, I immediately think of Moscow.

Has having your fashion choices broadcast to an international audience changed the way you dress?

Regardless of what anyone says I always listen to my intuition and follow my own tips. There is something extraordinary about Russian glamour but it has always been alien to me.

What prompted you to make the move to online journalism?

Firstly, it allows me to work whenever I am. Secondly, I am sure that the future belongs to online journalism. I don’t mean that newspapers will be eliminated. Of course not. Although it can’t escape notice that even magazines such as Newsweek have already decided to go totally digital. It’s just that, on the whole, the Internet is really convenient way to get information and people like things to be simpler and easier. Just look at how companies such as Apple, Facebook, Twitter and Style.com evolved. They became HUGE in such a short time and now people can’t imagine living without them. Their founders earned billions of dollars just on their ideas. The internet is the greatest thing we have nowadays, and so I do believe in it and hope for it What are your big plans for 2013?

I am about to launch several versions of Buro 24/7 by license. An English version is on the agenda. By the way we already have buro247.hr – in Croatia. There is one more huge charity project that I’m dreaming to make happen, and several other projects that hopefully you will hear about when finished so please wish me luck!

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s h o ppi n g

Lap of Luxury As November chills us to the bone, we share the most decadent of comforts, designs and crafts - after all, it’s warmest in the lap of luxury 1. Black Orchid Interiors Lion Towel Ring £360 www.blackorchidinteriors.co.uk

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2. Christopher Ward Belisama Diamond Automatic £1250 www.christopherward.co.uk 3. Naim Ovator S-800 loudspeaker £30,000 per pair www.naimaudio.com 4. I Coloniali Compass For Him Set £25 www.marksandspencer.com/beauty 5. Silver Chaise £1600 www.sofadesign.co.uk 6. Zaha Hadid Interlocking Vase £231 each www.ariashop.co.uk 7. Godiva Swarovski Royal Chocolate Box £150 www.godiva.com 8. Berry Bros & Rudd No.3 London Dry Gin £34 www.bbr.com

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beauty

A Country Retreat(ment) Now the sun has officially left us, with not a glimmer of hope for a surprise sunny day in sight, Annie Vischer makes the most of the brisk weather and cultivates a rose-blushed beauty that Austen herself would envy Autumn makes me long for the countryside. As the first tawny leaves hit the King’s Road pavement my daydreams turn to morning gallops, wind bitten dog walks, and curling up in front of the fire with cheeks rosy from the minty nip in the air outside.

Were I an Austen heroine, visits to the country would mean loosening the laces on my corset. Trench coats and heels are left behind and I snuggle into cable knit sweaters pinched from my father, and over-worn jeans with rips in the knee. As for hair and makeup, tousled is the word of the day and radiant health rules supreme. Stow away the

statement lip, cat-eye flick and bronzer. A country weekend calls for natural beauty and wild abandon.

Of course primping and preening cannot be abandoned entirely. There could be anyone from a rugged stable boy to a whole shooting party to impress!

Take time on the first night to pamper and brighten skin for the weekend ahead. Think of it as a Wonder Woman-esque twirl from your city self to country girl.

Dermalogica’s Multivitamin Power Recovery® Masque (£33.50, Dermalogica.co.uk) has gathered a string of loyal devotees, amongst them the likes of Victoria page. 34

Beckham, and its revitalising properties will de-London skin in a matter of minutes. A good moisturiser is also essential. If you intend to frolic in the great outdoors you must up the hydration factor. A deeply nourishing cream such as Origins Make A Difference™ Plus+ Rejuvenating Moisturiser (£33.00, Origins.com) will keep any complexion glowing all day long.

Skin will seem clearer simply for escaping city pollutants and it can feel so liberating to spend the day without a scrap of coverage. If you really can’t take the exposure opt for a lightweight enhancer like

Liz Earle

Well-being expert and co-founder of the celebrated Liz Earle beauty brand

Living and working on an organic farm doesn’t leave much room for glamour! I’m relatively low maintenance and believe that skincare should be kept simple and enjoyable, not a chore. I use Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish™ Hot Cloth Cleanser (£14.25, uk.lizearle.com) every day, twice a day - it’s my desert island must have. I also wouldn’t be without Liz Earle Superskin™ Moisturiser (£36.00, uk.lizearle.com), rich in antioxidants to help skin look and feel rejuvenated. We’ve also just launched the final instalment of the colour collection and I’m delighted that after three years in the making, I’m finally allowed to talk about it! My personal favourite at the moment is the Signature Foundation (£21.00, uk.lizearle.com). Its silky formula gives easy-to-build coverage and glides on to give a smooth, radiant finish, a very natural looking complexion. As the seasons change through from autumn to winter, I know this is going to be my go-to makeup essential.

Rosie T

Self-confessed country girl and blogging aficionado

I always think ‘London Beauty’ is a little more uptight than country beauty. Don’t get me wrong, I love the city, but it tends to require a very glossy and finished look. In the country you can get away with being a little wild! Freckles, rosy cheeks and curly hair take you from field to fireplace with an understated sexiness you can’t really get away with in London. I find foundation a little heavy for a country look and much prefer a BB cream. A pretty blush is a must, I love NARS Orgasm (£21.00, Narscosmetics.co.uk) (partially because of the name), and Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream (£25.00, Debenhams.com) is essential for keeping lips protected from the wind and rain. www.thelondoner.me Lydia Thompson

Fashion Stylist

I love taking my dog for long walks in the woods whenever I visit my parents in the country. I usually tie my hair up in a high pony to keep it off my face, it's practical but still looks chic. My makeup is a lot more relaxed and I tend to stick to three products: foundation, blush and mascara. I only apply my foundation to areas where I need it – under my eyes to conceal dark circles, around my nose to minimise redness and above and below my lips to make them look fuller. This ensures my makeup never looks too over done.

Using my fingertips I apply a cream blush to my cheeks, lips and finish off with mascara. Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Rose (£18.00, Bobbibrown.co.uk) is my absolute beauty essential! It's the perfect colour and is ultra nourishing, so ideal for dry winter skin and lips.

Chantecaille Just Skin Tinted Moisturiser (£57.00, Spacenk.com). The colour blends to perfection and a little is all that is needed for the perfect sun-kissed sheen.

Soft and flirty eyes require just a sweep of mascara. When applying to the top lashes, try rolling the brush slightly under the lid and gently coat with the lacquer. This will make lashes look thicker at the roots and eyes will appear naturally defined without the need for liner.

The cherry on top of a pretty country beauty look is blusher. Timeless sexiness comes in the form of tousled hair and pinkened cheeks. Where better to up the foxiness than a la campagne? Opt for a cream blush or stain for a glow that is more ‘gosh how cheeky!’ than powdered rouge. UNE Breezy Cheeks Blush in B02 (£8.99, Boots.com) is my go-to shade and Benefit Benetint (£24.50, Benefitcosmetics.co.uk) is an absolute classic. Matching your lip and cheek tone will keep things natural. Dab a little of your chosen blush to your lips before blotting and top with By Terry Baume De Rose (£35.00, Spacenk.com) for a cashmere soft pout. You never page. 35

know when a tumble in a haystack might be on the cards.

Countryside hair should always look effortless, even pre haystack roll. If the thought of leaving your locks to dry naturally is too much, fear not. Nicky Clarke has let us into the secret behind a style that will withstand even the most blustery of dog walks. Simply ‘take the front and fringe sections, spray with Nicky Clarke Hair Raising Lift, Thicken & Shine Spray (£16.00, Nickyclarke.com) and blow dry with a round brush. The rest of your hair can be rough dried.

Leaving it free flowing means that if it blows everywhere, it will still look great. For a slightly more controlled look, try collecting the hair together below the crown and gripping up for volume, then wearing it over one shoulder. Your parting should be fuss free and can be worn either deep at the side or through the middle.’

Just like the countryside, the allure of this beauty style lies in its spontaneity and imperfection. Team the whole look with the popped collar of a well-worn Barbour, a flash of fur and let the muddy field be your catwalk.

The SONY KD-84X9005

T e c h Ta l k s

3D TV and the 4K Future Whilst the latest extravagance for the home, the 3D home television set, has created a blazing trail through the luxury goods market, Tamlin Magee investigates the tech trends looking to knock the 3D set out of the limelight Let’s face it, 3D TV so far has been a let down. Our hopes were high when we first saw a loincloth-clad blue man parading around - on and outside of the screen - in James Cameron’s Avatar. For the cinema, 3D was great. But for relaxing with friends or family in the living room, most of us prefer being able to enjoy the experience socially, together, and the available technology that required cutting off our peripheral vision sapped the fun right out of it. Trusted brands were telling us 3D home entertainment would be vital, revolutionary even, but considering a percentage of the population is physically incapable of the experience, cynics could point to much marketing over substance. Still thinking of buying a 3D set? Hold on, because there’s something special around the corner that will provide the best of both worlds, and more.

The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas opens January, 2013, and you can expect plenty of flagship announcements from major brands in ultradefinition, crystal-clear-quality screens, including something called 4K, running a gargantuan 3840 x 2160 resolution. 4K projectors can already be found in cinemas across Britain, but until very recently they were not destined for the home.

Don’t just take my word for it. Bob Raikes, veteran analyst at screen and display specialist Meko, believes that display

technology will continue to evolve until it can match that of the human eye, and, in his opinion 4K will at the very least be important in the marketplace.

It is likely that there will be developments in the 3D market and all bets are on for further sets that don’t require glasses for the full experience along with wider viewing angles. The latter has been the problem so far: although it’s possible to get the 3D enhancement, the viewer has all too often had to be directly in front of the set. Too far to the side either way and the effect is lost. Regardless, now that 3D is on the market, it won’t be going away any time soon.

Even in this early stage, it has its fans.

Another problem for 3D has been a lack of content.

Although the studios have been trying their best in bringing 3D to the home - and Sony has made considerable efforts in particular - some buyers will feel frustrated that their investment hasn’t given them as much of a return on enjoyment as they had hoped. This, too, could pose some problems for 4K, but there is a clear differentiator: it’s hard to argue that exceptionally clear display quality can qualify as a fad. Not to mention 4K is already used to great effect in the cinema. I went to a 4K cinema demonstration late last year that really showed off Sony’s ability to restore and revitalise old cinema. The classic Kubrick, Dr. Strangelove, page. 36

looked better than I had ever seen it before; high definition restoration returned the film’s charms as they were meant to be seen, but the technology of the day was incapable of achieving that level of quality. It is hard to imagine how much the film would have bee improved had Peter Sellers’ glove appeared to the audience in 3D. Technology moves so quickly it’s easy to get wrapped up in when to buy, despite the budget. No one wants to spend thousands on top electronics only for a newer product to reach the market the following week, which is precisely why keeping an eye on CES will provide a blueprint of what to expect the major trends to be for the year, and when to get to them first.

However, if you really can’t wait too long to splash out on a set, Sony’s 84-inch class Bravia KD-84X9005 will become available in time for Christmas, featuring 8.29 megapixels, or four times the resolution of Full HD standard, and is optimised for 4K LCD TV, at a 60 degree viewing angle. Toshiba, meanwhile, has extended its Quad Full HD (4K) range to include an 84” model, utilising Toshiba 4K Resolution+ which the company promises upscales existing Blu-ray content to 4K resolutions, and will reach the market in 2013. Those who do love 3D features will be happy to hear it is fully supported by both models.

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food

Russian Revolution If you haven’t heard the name Anatoly Komm, you will. The long celebrated father of the Russian food Revolution, this top chef has championed haute cuisine to a nation that until Komm himself, had never seen a Michelin star. His alchemic approach to cooking is reminiscent of our own Heston Blumenthal, and the restaurant he made famous, Varvary Brasserie, is now one of the top tables in the world. We caught up with the leader of the pack words: Dave Drummond

You’ve been outspoken about the state of the Russian public’s eating habits. Do you think being so critical of them might put them off coming to your restaurants? (You’ve previously said that only 20% of diners at Varvary were Russian).

No, I do not think so. And - as my practice shows - the number of Russians who come to my place is increasing and this is something I am very happy about. Now it’s almost 50/50. When I criticize something it means that I am worrying about it and want to change the situation, make it better. Patriotism has never had anything in common with kissing an ass…

Despite this, it is reported that there is currently an ongoing ‘culinary revolution’ in Russia.

What do you think has brought it on, and where do you think it will lead?

I believe that I wwas a small reason of this revolution. And I think it will lead to increasing the number of the farmers in Russia and appearance of their own local products and ingredients. I hope that the Russians will become proud of the national agriculture and not only of gas and oil.

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Continued on p.40

What would you say characterises Russian food? Is there an emphasis on ingredients, or techniques?

First of all Russian food is characterized by the quality of the ingredients. But you also should realize that a professional musician elicits perfect sounds from the instrument and a professional chef derives taste from the food.

London has recently seen a branch of Mari Vanna open to acclaim, do you think Western Europe is coming around to embracing Russian cuisine?

After the embracing of Asian cuisines, Europe is quite trained to embrace Russian cuisine I suppose) Do you think that ‘molecular gastronomy’ is losing favour amongst chefs? Was opening the Varvary Brasserie a chance to reign in your food in – to make it more accessible, or acceptable?

You will probably agree that (to my deepest regret) blockbusters conveying no idea and having no sense pull the greatest audience, far more than the audience of an

astonishing opera or ballet show. Art is needed for minority and we have been observing this fact for the whole history of human being. Let’s not mix the every-day restaurants with the restaurants with haute cuisine.

Chinese, all the more- Italian or French…but I was born in Russia and I consider the development of Russian haute cuisine to be my professional duty. And the Russian national cuisine must be developed by the nation.

If you weren’t cooking Russian food, which cuisine would you cook, and why?

British. British cuisine is quite poor in its basics but it gives the freedom for your inspiration and evolution and is not tied up with any tough canons.

Your professional career in food has been a relatively short one, is this the career that you always envisioned, or are there yet more avenues that you might want to pursue?

Taking into consideration the fact that I have cooked since I was four years old, my career does not seem so short) I think that every chef, like every composer or director, must be a perfectionist and maximalist.

You were the first Russian chef to enter into the Michelin Guide and to be named in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants – are there more to follow?

I can’t comment on that as I always look forward.

Do you think you were the first because Russian chefs cook Russian food, and this is not something often classed as ‘haute cuisine’, or is it because the quality just simply isn’t there?

My experience allows me to cook any cuisine, including page. 40

There’s currently a wave of Russian investment in London restaurants, have you been tempted over by any to join them?

There were already waves of investments in London real estate, in London football clubs, now – in restaurants. I do not follow the fashion – I make it! I’m joking, but seriously – “Chef-investor” as a word combination sounds barbaric to me. www.anatolykomm.ru

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Li d gat e s’ C u l i n a ry E x p e r i e n c e

Brandy Roast Grouse Holland Park treasure Lidgates is one of the UK’s most acclaimed butchers, and for over 150 years, this family run institution has been supplying only the finest meats to top chefs, restaurants, the famous and the foodies. Now, the masters share some of their secrets, tricks learned from five generations of painstaking love and attention for the butchery craft This recipe is for one grouse, which will feed one or two people, depending on how hungry they are so for larger recipes simply multiply quantities according to party size.

The ingredients: 1 dressed young grouse 135 ml double cream 1 tablespoon Brandy 4 strips streaky bacon

The works: 1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

2. Remove the grouse from the fridge and allow to return to room temperature.

3. Roast the grouse covered in bacon for 15 minutes.

4. Remove bacon and roast for a further 5 minutes.

5. Cut grouse in half and trim out the bony back.

6. Set aside 7. Pour 135ml double cream per grouse into the roasting dish, mix with contents and bring to the boil on the hob.

8. Add the tablespoon of brandy and simmer.

9. Pour contents over the set aside grouse and serve. page. 42

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FOOD RE V I EWS

Pistachio Rose: Fusion Patisserie With Panache With her signature swoosh of turquoise eyeliner, killer cheekbones, and a nice line in chunky jewellery, you’d be forgiven for thinking Rekha Mehr was more about fashion than food. Not a bit of it. Instead, this alluring Anglo-Indian is most at home up to her elbows in pastry, baking up a haul to hawk at her market stall at Acklam Village or one of London’s numerous food festivals.

But Rekha was always destined for more glamorous environs. Her Pistachio Rose bakery - named in homage to the traditional flavourings in gulab jamun - may be in its extreme infancy, but that hasn’t stopped Fortnum & Mason from leaping on board wholeheartedly, tempting unsuspecting shoppers with a wide range of innovativelyIndian spiced fine French patisserie rather than the staunchly traditional goods they expect to encounter in a store considered the very bastion of Britishness.

And therein lies the beauty of Pistachio Rose’s ethos.

These creations, fusing East and West to such spectacular effect, are a very real reflection of our modern society. In fact, the British are Rekha’s perfect audience - owing their collective taste for the exotic largely to the Indian spice trade during the heady days of the Raj; and renowned for a national sweet tooth cut on sticky toffee pudding, treacle tart and afternoon tea.

Yet the majority of us are still hasty in our dismissal of Indian sweets as just...overly so. And, as Rekha proves, this doesn’t need to be the case. Her Bollywood blondies evoke all the flavour of barfi with none of the cloying effect, whilst diminutive white, milk and dark chocolate tarts boast crisp,

thin pastry and come spiced variously with fennel, nutmeg and chilli, or chai tea.

A duo of madelines, spiced shortbread and the eccentric -sounding ‘sweet naan’ complete the elegantly edible lineup. With a magpie’s eye for the innovative touches that make Pistachio Rose’s wares so distinctive, Rekha’s definitely one to watch. Inspiring culinary exploration whilst simultaneously evoking nostalgia, turning out damn good patisserie with a rather liberal dose of panache- now that’s stylish.

A selection of Pistachio Rose products are on sale in Fortnum & Mason Words: Zoe Perrett

The Rib Room 2 Cadogan Place, Knightsbridge, London SW1X www.theribroom.co.uk From the outside, The Rib Room doesn't look like a particularly special destination. Attached to the Jumeirah Carlton Hotel, the restaurant reached fame as the outrageously brilliant restaurant of the 1960's, the very restaurant that made beef servings and steak seem delicate and chic, and became regarded as the premiere steakhouse. Upon approach, the stylish but familiar patio of the restaurant is lit by fairy lights and candles, and whilst enchanted I wonder if the restaurant will live up to its reputation. It does.

On the night I am seated, it is quiet, the piano is tinkling tunes that conjure up those days that lauded the place and whilst the cigarette smoke that was customary of the time is missing, the dimly lit Mad Men-esque lamps set the scene perfectly. The staff are helpful, attentive and knowledgeable in both their drinks, and how to carve a joint, a hypnotising ritual unravelling before yours eyes upon ordering certain dishes.

The food is exactly what you would expect of a higher-end restaurant. The lamb falls off the bone, scallops come as standard for a starter, the presence of lobster doesn't come as a shock on the same menu as a custard tart. This isn't about flamboyancy of taste combinations, rather about classical dishes, perfected and served artfully with panache. This particular menu is a bastion for British food and having recently won two AA rosettes, you can see why. Produce is fresh and UK sourced, and whilst the portion size should certainly be larger to justify the higher price tag, many a restaurant can learn a thing or two from The Rib Room. words: Coco Khan

Cassis 232-236 Brompton Road London SW3 www.cassisbistro.co.uk Cassis Bistro, the Provencal restaurant with a new Italian chef, is on our visit – for a reason beyond us – filled primarily with tables of men ordering only coffee. It’s always a positive to see a restaurant busy, but in this case it’s a shame because the food is well worth the visit. A tasting menu of either 5 or 7 courses showcases new chef Massimiliano Blasone’s – formerly executive chef at Heinz Beck’s Michelin-starred Apsley’s – Italian influence on the French menu. The sea bass tartare, also on the a la carte menu, comes with a crisp sesame wafer and pungent strand of confit lemon for a technically impressive take on the simple mix of fresh fish and citrus.

Pasta makes an entry onto the menu too; an open aubergine tortellini comes served with a syrupy sweet tomato sauce while an excellent rabbit ravioli served with pistachio cream, a rich cheese sauce and rabbit jus packs a gamey punch. Both feel a welcome and natural addition to menu.

Also of note is the restaurant’s wine list, which at the size of a hefty novel could be intimidating were it not for the excellent and attentive staff. The coffee is good too, but personally it would be the food and service which gets us coming back. words: Dave Drummond page. 44

DR I NKS

The Liquor Cabinet In keeping with our Russian themed issue we’ve extensively sampled the plethora of vodkas on the market to provide you with the finest spirits for the luxury hunter Mamont Vodka With a bottle that looks closer to a trophy, this top spirit is produced in one of Russia’s older distilleries and comes from the heart of Siberia. Created, strangely, by the team who discovered the remains of the first mammoth in the Siberian snow, it was something of the monumental about it.

Distilled five times for its smooth taste, and created from pnly the finest white winter wheat, this vodka should be enjoyed straight- it’s silk on the palatte. £41 RRP www.selfridges.co.uk Russian Standard Vodka (Gold) In its sparkling packaging, Russian Standard Vodka’s Gold edition instantly creates a feeling of ‘event’ as you unwrap, as though something special or once in a lifetime is about to occur. Like the regular Russian Standard Vodka, the Gold edition doesn’t disappoint, and is near pleasant on the nose. Whilst this particular tipple could be enjoyed straight, its subtle smells and low acidity means it works even better in cocktails £26 www.harrods.com

Davna: Bizon and Czeri Okay, so it’s not Russian but that doesn’t mean for a minute that these new spirits on the market are not authentic. Hailing from Poland, and joining the ranks of nonRussian vodka (Absolut from Sweden, and Finlandia from you know where) that can easily rival a number of Russian creations on the market, Davna is a new flavoured vodka range in two flavours: Czeri (cherry) and Bizon (Bisongrass). Made to same recipe since 1827 it’s a genuine surprise we haven’t seen these sooner. Afterall, Picasso once said: “The three most astonishing things of the past half-century are Cubism, the Blues and Polish vodka.” £20 RRP www.harveynichols.com

St Benedict’s, Ealing Independent Catholic Day School Teaching a way of living

Co-education from 3 years through to 18

OPEN MORNINGS:

JUNIOR: 15 November SENIOR: 21 November

SENIOR SCHOOL OPEN EVENING FOR GIRLS: 15 November • Excellent Academic Results • Outstanding Pastoral Care • Extensive Co-curricular and Sporting Activities SCHOLARSHIPS AND BURSARIES AVAILABLE IN SENIOR SCHOOL To book a place at an open event or for more information, please contact: T: 020 8862 2270 E: enquirieskc@stbenedicts.org.uk W: www.stbenedicts.org.uk We respect the dignity of all and welcome students of other Christian denominations and, in the Senior School and Sixth Form, other faiths.

DR I NK

The Glass Half Full Alexander Ducasse champions Lagrein and Rioja as the wines of the month

Our guest recommendations for this month come from Tatiana Fokina, CEO of the newly opened, and terrifically glamourous Hedonism Wines. This wine store which at present is for consumers only, stocks some of the rarest wine bottles in the world, whilst having a comprehensive selection of high quality spirits that take your breath away. With a couture and ‘concept-store’ style approach to its decor, this wine shop has more of an air of gallery than wine cellar, yet detailed knowledge of, and humble respect for, the craft are at the core of its ethics “As it becomes colder, I have selected three wines from different parts of the world which have a richness and weight to warm the soul whilst retaining that same fruit character we have come to expect from the warmer areas: Badenhorst Family Red 2007 £25.40 From the very much up and coming, if not already arrived, Malmesbury area of South Africa. A little bit quirky in its make up, this wine is bold, rich and has a very definite rustic charm for the cold winter nights.

Autumn is a subtly confident season. It doesn't quite carry the joie de vivre that springtime does, nor the extreme polarity of hot and cold like summer and winter. Autumn is when we first start noticing our shorter, darker days and that first foreboding chilly morning. I love autumn for how nature displays its last bursts of liveliness before closing down shop for winter. Leaves refuse to simply drop, but instead fall in flashes of colour. The intoxicating perfume of springtime is replaced with plants and soil that now a season older, are dustier, worn and matured. My drinking habits too, are about to take a seasonal change. White, and to a smaller (but no less important) degree, Rose, have been the standard drink for a few months. It's no surprise that I instinctively reach towards Burgundy this time of year, but there are other reds to be considered.

One such is Lagrein from southern Tyrol, Italy's most northernly region where it spawns this vivacious wine.

Lagrein’s deep purple colour and fresh tannins are its most immediate quality but it’s the edgy and precarious aromatic hints that make it so beguiling. It’s always best to start simple and San Pietro’s 2010 Lagrein (£14 at Vini Italiani, 72 Old Brompton Road, vini-italiani.co.uk) is a great way to get started with ripe forest fruit and good balance. It's subtle autumnal notes of balsamic, truffle and forest floor aren’t apparent at first, but hint at the potential greatness of the

grape. Also, don’t be surprised if the bottle of Lagrein you request from your wine merchant happens to be in German, although Italian, the labels tend to be a bit cosmopolitan.

From something a bit obscure I’d like to go back to familiar ground: Rioja, but probably not as you’ve experienced it before. Rioja is phenomenally popular and it should be. We’ve come to define it by the bottles we get from the local supermarket or part of the deal from the local take-away, yet they’re bursting with raspberries and coconut and pure deliciousness. Tempranillo, the bedrock grape of Rioja, manages to be exciting when young but is actually improved when being left to develop. Arguably Spain’s most noble grape, it shines in such wines as the 2001 Rioja Reserva Vina Tondonia Lopez de Heredia (£31 at The Sampler, 35 Thurloe Place, thesampler.co.uk). Although over 30 years old (like many of us), this wine is refreshingly approachable. The palate warms with deep blueberry coulis flavours. It’s only then that everything else becomes apparent. It’s treacly, savoury even. It’s reminiscent of leather and marmite in the most flattering ways possible.

That element of walking through a forest slowly turning itself off for winter- it’s there. If you’re used to a more youthful style of Rioja it’ll be a staunch departure but one worth definitely experiencing- especially accompanied by some lamb or seasonal game. page. 46

Rioja Culmen Reserva Bodegas Lan 2005 £65.50 A rich bold and modern style Rioja with wonderful opulence and finesse. A good amount of oak is well integrated into this full bodied and long lasting wine.

A real crowd pleaser.

Turn the Whole Thing Upside Down Grenache 2009 £248.70 One could not recommend wines for November without including something big and hearty from the States to tie in with their Thanksgiving Celebrations.

From the Sine Qua Non collection this wine is big, bold, luscious and extravagant in its concentration and full fruit flavours.”

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TR AV EL

Last of the Summer Wine While Portugal may be well known for economical package holidays for young sun-seekers, it also boasts luxury and family-friendly destinations. As we scramble around for the last moments of European holiday heat, we sent two of our journalists to the Southern coast of Portugal to find out if two resorts in two known tourist areas - Cascais and Algarve - could stand up to the odds Faro The resort: Vila Vita Parc, Algarve Other than Olaria Algarve (indigenous pottery) and the medieval castle that is Fort of Nossa Senhora da Rocha, the civil parish of Porches boasts of the Vila Vita Parc Resort. The resort offers the ideal 5-star getaway to the Atlantic coast of Portugal. It is rife with the choicest of restaurants including the Michelin starred Ocean. It is blessed with swathes of green golf courses within the hotel estate and immediately beyond. And best of all, it has private beaches that adorn the seemingly endless Southern Portuguese coastline.

The majestic opulence of the rather interesting architecture and design of Vila Vita Parc and its serene and beautiful surroundings has prompted us to call it the Moorish-Algarvian Riviera.

Solely fine dining would be a good enough pretext to fly over to Faro from London and drive 40 minutes through idyllic countryside to this 5-star resort. There’s International cuisine at Bela Vita, Pizza in The Whale and Mediterranean in Atlantico.

And if that doesn’t sate your epicurean urges, there’s grilled fish and meat at the Aladdin Grill and Portuguese specialities and Tapas at the Adega. To top it all off, Michelin-starred The Ocean with its magnificent views of the Atlantic Coast and its international selection of wines not to mention its delectable

food is a truly wonderful dining experience. Keeping with the 1001 Nights theme, don’t miss out on a visit to the ‘Cave de Vinhos’ which as the name suggests is a magical cave of 11000 of some of the choicest wines from top international producers. You might even catch a Djinn lurking around.

Once the stomach’s been sumptuously spoilt, it’s time to walk to the edge of the white cliffs and walk down to the private beach. These sands of time, as we’d like to call them, on the Algarve will warp you over to a stillness in time. And once the warm sun has washed over your senses for a seeming eternite, you can enjoy some golf at Oceanico Faldo or O’Connor or Quinta do Lago or Vale do Lobo. And although you’ll always keep blissfully occupied at Vila Vita Parc, please keep reminding yourself that the resort is surrounded by beautiful wine country, the most luscious of coastlines in the Mediterranean and some of the friendliest and welcoming people in Europe.

Things to do around the resort Rio Formosa Lagoon - Located in Faro, the capital of the Algarve, this nature reserve measures close to 180 square kilometres and hosts hundreds of migratory birds over spring and summer. Birdwatchers paradise Porches Pottery – Olaria Algarve emanates in the immediate surroundings of the Parc. It is a result of the page. 48

direct efforts of artists Patrick Swift and Lima De Freitas to revive the ancient art of Algarve pottery. A must visit for Review readers.

Herdade Dos Grous Wine Estates – Nature and Environment friendly wine producers that do not compromise on quality.

Not easily available in London but can be ordered online and we have sampled some at the Paradise in Kensal Green.

Words: Sid Raghava Stay at VILA VITA Parc in a Deluxe room from 230 Euros (£191) per room per night, room only. Prices include VAT at the current legal taxes.

For bookings contact: www.vilavitaparc.com Email: vital@vilavitaparc.com Tel: +351 282 310 161

Scheduled leisure airline Monarch has flights to Faro from Gatwick airport with fares, including taxes, starting from just £36.99 one way (£63.99 return).

For further information or to book Monarch flights, please visit www.monarch.co.uk

Cascais The resort: Oitavos Hotel Traveling from Lisbon to Cascais and the Estoril coast, I’m struck by the greenery. Under an hour from Lisbon’s modern urban centre, we are traveling through this amazing green world. This dense variety of trees then gives way to rolling dunes dotted with multicolored shrubs and red flowers that seem to match the rooftiles of the buildings. Beyond the dunes, huge cold Atlantic waves are breaking on rocky cliffs, sending up walls of spray; between the cliffs are beautiful beaches. Forested mountains rise further along the coast.

In the midst of all this natural beauty, the first appearance of the Oitavos hotel is a little unearthly in its stark modernism, as if a silver spaceship has landed on the dunes. But as soon as I walk through the doors it makes perfect sense. Every part of the interior is bathed in natural light, the countryside and ocean are always visible. The balance between stylish modern architecture and natural beauty creates a feeling of quiet, calm seclusion.

This land, the Quinta da Marinha, has been in the same family for over ninety years. Carlos Montez Champilaud stabilized the dunes in the 1920s. His son built roads and drilled wells on the land. His grandson, Miguel Champilaud, launched the Oitavos hotel in 2010, managed and run by

various members of the family. The hotel has four restaurants, a spa, two seawater pools and extensive sporting facilities including a golf course designed by Arthur Hills, currently ranked the sixty-eighth best course in the world.

Tourism in Portugal is changing. Algarve beach holidays are giving way to a more luxurious, relaxing and culturally immersive brand of travel, and the Cascais area reflects this.

The food at Oitavos, for example, both embraces tradition and exhibits a cosmopolitan, even experimental style. Seafood dominates the menu, much of it caught on the northern coast, in an amazing variety of dishes including a comprehensive sushi menu. A highlight is the seafood ravioli, flavored with squid ink.

Port wine is actually not very popular in this area and few of the locals drink it, though it is available in chocolate shotglasses in tourist shops. Far superior is the Douro red wine, though it’s worth asking for a lighter red to accompany seafood.

The Oitavos is committed to local music and art: the hotel itself was designed by a Lisbon artist. Although the area lacks traditional Fado bars, the Lisbon jazz scene provides a variety of performers and the hotel’s ‘Oitavos Beats’ concert program is perhaps its most innovative aspect. For a unique experience of culture and history, however, a trip to nearby Sintra is essential. Here, from vantage points along the steep, winding cobbled streets, you see spires and castles emerging out of the endless varied canopies – a legacy of Portugal’s past, as the trees were imported from its New page. 49

World colonies. Perched among them, the Pena palace’s mad explosion of different styles, colours, images and eras reflects a multicultural history. Although crawling with tourists, it’s undeniably raw and impressive; you fight through the endless photo opportunities and simply forget that anyone else is there.

Cascais itself is less culturally interesting, though it does offer a few quirky museums. Far more impressive is the coastline itself. Cycling from the hotel to Cascais (an easy and pleasant ride), I stop at the Boca do Inferno, an imposing cavern in the coastal rocks. Further into the town, by the Marina, I find a hidden beach populated by a few small black crabs and an old couple swimming between the rocks and under the old stone bridge. That’s how I’ll remember this part of the world: secluded and singular. words: Ben Osborn Rates start from 275 EUR per night.

Rua de Oitavos, Quinta da Marinha 2750 – 374 Cascais | Portugal | T. +351214 860 020 | F. +351 210 435 939 GPS 38o42’14.68” N; 9o27’59.73” W | info@theoitavos.com

TRav e l

Streets of Philadelphia Upon hearing that Philadelphia shopping is tax-free on shoes and clothes, editor Coco Khan packed her bags and headed to the City of Brotherly Love.

Little did she know, this was just tip of the iceberg words: Coco Khan Illustrations: Clara Gomez Santos

I will never forget a champagne-fuelled conversation with Joan Schepp on the cusp of Philadelphia Fashion Week. I came for the clothes, but just a few hours into the trip, I knew there was something more to be found. Now, I don’t know if Harvey Nichols is a real person, but Joan Schepp, whose boutique high-fashion store bears more than a few similarities to Harvey Nicks, is somewhat of an icon. The first woman to introduce the French approach of fashion to the city (that is, terrifyingly chic and with passion), Schepp

provided a home for labels such as Commes des Garçon and Anne Demeuelemeester and her shop still remains the hub for designers that, though to you or I might seem familiar, are rarely found in the Philadelphian shopping landscape. I was curious as to why she set up shop in Philadelphia, over New York or even Boston and Chicago, and on my first night was surprised to hear the answer. ‘Well, I love Philadelphia more than anywhere else’ she says with a broad smile. By my last night in Philadelphia, this answer didn’t surprise me at all. page. 50

It’s precisely this that makes Philadelphia. New Yorkers might tell you they love New York, but like Londoners, it’s not something they brag about. In Philadelphia there is a real pride, a pride that seems to be ever swelling. It’s a genuine strength in the icons the city currently has and the passion to create more. And create them they are, at rapid speed.

The recently opened Barnes Museum is a sight to behold in and of itself. The collection of Albert Barnes, one of the

continued on p.52

Barnes Museum [and below]

page. 51

TRav e l : S treets of P hiladelphia

great American patrons of art whose collection boasts names such as Matisse and Picasso was so meticulous about how his work was curated, he left strict instructions that none of the pieces should be moved from the order he placed them in. Though the building these pieces were housed in originally is no longer in use, the breathtaking eco-friendly museum-cumeducational institution has honored these rules in all of its 23 rooms.

Equally, Moshulu, one of the finest restaurants in the city is worth a trip if you find yourself in neighbouring parts of the States. Whilst it would be foolhardy to suggest the Moshulu is new - it’s actually a four masted steel barque built in 1904 and permanently docked on the riverside at Penn’s Landing - it’s restaurant conversion is less than a decade old and is already writing itself into Philadelphia’s restaurant history.

If food and drink is your personal pleasure, you will find much to get excited about in the city. Yes, of course, gorge on Philly Cheese Steaks (we’d recommend Joe’s for an authentic one) but also check out any of the restaurants from Chris Scarduzio, award-winning restauranteur with worthy joints all over the city. For drinking, head to Franklin Mortgage and Investment Co., an authentic speakasy that served as a front for one of the largest alcohol rings in 1920’s Philadelphia. The decor is largely untouched and the atmosphere of wonderful cocktails in this prohibition bar immediately injects you with the heady decadence of ‘jazz and liquor’ that if stories are to be believed, led many a girl astray.

It’s not all completely unfamiliar of course. You’ll notice a hint of Parisian flair in Philadelphia that seems far more at

story of the baseball team, the Phillies, and the curse of William Penn. The statue of William Penn was the highest point in the city, but when the Comcast building was erected (the building looks like a USB stick in the skyline, it’s quite the sight), the statue was insulted and laid a curse upon the team. Naturally, the team lost the World Series, but when a new Penn statue was built atop the Comcast, they regained their footing. For a newly erected building to simultaneously combine the proud history of a city with the future, to create a new narrative entirely, is something that is truly unique to Philadelphia and a trait that should be envied by the world (and particularly the Shard). It’s this airbourne passion that means Philadelphia should never be compared as the ‘quieter’ New York, and should instead see major cities looking to take a leaf or two out of their book. This city has after all, earned its title as the City of Brotherly Love. home here, than in the bombastic streets of Los Angeles or built up New York. From the Rodin Museum, to the matching gilt statue of Joan of Arc (known affectionately by the people as Joanie on a Pony) twinning 25th Street with Rue de Rivoli, and even to the understated cafe fronts, it’s a detectable influence. But Philadelphia plays no second string to any other land. You need only look at the skyline to see that.

Philadelphians know their history, and are damn proud of it. Founding father William Penn (hence Pennsylvania, the state Philadelphia calls home) can still be felt and not just for the many landmarks that take his name. You know this is true when you hear the third local recite the page. 52

British Airways offer four nights at the 4* Sofitel Philadelphia from £849 person, based on two people sharing, departing in October. The price includes return British Airways flights from Heathrow and room only accommodation. For reservations visit ba.com/philadelphia or call 0844 493 0758 For more information on Philadelphia please contact the Philadelphia Convention and Visitor Bureau on www.philadelphiaUSA.travel or 0115 922 9255

TR AV EL

A Home from Home Need a break, but can’t get away? Everyone needs a little downtime, for private romance or for solitary peace, so we review the London hotels who could be offering you just the solution. Sarah Jackson tries the Ecclestone Square Hotel.

“The important thing is not what they think of me, but what I think of them.” So said Queen Victoria, and it is a phrase every reviewer must adhere to. But for once this quote veers close to home, not simply because I’m set to review the Ecclestone Square hotel, but because I’ve just discovered that as a young princess, Victoria once stayed there. A white grade II listed building, constructed in 1835, this classic hotel blends seamlessly into its environment. Perhaps a little too well if truth be told; only the black serif letters on its pillared entrance set it apart from its surrounding Georgian neighbours.

However, once inside, this bijou gem exudes an eclectic mix of subtle glamour, timeless elegance and ultra-modern savoir-fair. Opened in August 2011 and boasting 39 rooms all with impressive facilities, the Ecclestone is considered to be Europe’s most high-tech hotel. Quite an accolade and an especially beneficial one when taking into account the proximity of the Victoria station, one of the busiest travel hubs for London professionals. With their fabulous facilities and luxury lodgings, what else could a busy peep about town wish for, apart from a place to eat? CUE: Bistrot on the Square.

THE RESTAURANT: BISTROT ON THE SQUARE The Menu - With a cast of young, helpful and vivacious staff, the Ecclestone provides an intimate restaurant aptly named Bistrot on the Square. Head chef Sophie PlaytnerRead has more than cut her teeth in the restaurant game, having worked for Gordon Ramsey and Marco Pierre White.

Fortunately the prices are more affordable than you might think. Two courses are £22.50 and three will only set you

back £27.50 (although there are occasional supplements depending on which dishes you opt for.)

The menu is admittedly limited, but suitably high-end, including delights such as chilled chanrenrais melon gaspacho with cucumber granite, chargrilled mackerel in chermoula with jewelled red rice and rose harissa, and cherry tarte tatin with white chocolate ice-cream. But it also provides traditionally modest staples such as smoked chicken and sweet cure bacon club sandwich, cheese burger and fries and, the English favourite, strawberries and cream; a suitably gourmet selection coupled with a touch of traditionally British understatement.

Starting with the yellow fin tuna tartar with avocado, wasabi and lime, I found this a succulent mix of acerbic citrus paired with creamy avocado, effortlessly teamed with the more muscular flavour of the fish. A delicate combination of sharp and restrained textures, this was the perfect dish to excite the appetite.

For my main I choose the pan fried 28 aged Scottish rib eye steak in parsley butter, roast tomatoes, watercress with truffle fries (caution: there is an £8.00 supplement if you choose this dish). I like my steaks rare and even in the best restaurants this can be difficult to achieve. You doesn’t want it blue, nor medium rare; you’re looking for the ideal – a flawlessly thick seam of deep pink nestled between slim borders of burnt umber. Whilst the cut of steak was clearly top notch, the steak itself was rare enough on the inside but lacked the firmness and caramelised outer coating I would have liked. Maybe it’s just me, but I would have turned up the griddle.

The clear winner was the dark chocolate and rum torte page. 53

with amaretti, crème fraiche and raspberries. Irresistibly rich, with the tartness of the crème fraiche and the piquancy of the raspberries, this slice of the divine brooked no criticism.

THE ECCLESTONE SQUARE: THE ROOM On paper the Ecclestone sounds impressive. So what of the actual accommodation? It certainly lives up to the standards it claims; the rooms house 46 inch Panasonic 3D LED TVs with HD Sky Movies and Sky 3D sports channels, 3D Blu-ray DVD player and (as you’d expect) free Wi-Fi. On top of this the rooms themselves, although decidedly compact in their proportions, are light, airy and provide deliciously comfortable beds with a B&B Italia wood finish (and with remotes to control position), Axminster carpets and silk wallpaper in muted tones. The bathrooms include a wet room and are equipped with “smart glass” walls which turn opaque at the touch of a button, Corrian shower seats, rainfall showers, high-pressure massage heads and aromatherapy products provided by the luxurious L’Occitaine. And as an added bonus, many of the rooms come with balconies overlooking the gardens in the centre of Ecclestone square, a world away from the hectic buzz of London life. Quite the perfect place for professionals to relax or a couple to enjoy a romantic mid-week tryst.

Rates from £250 per room, per night, 37 Ecclestone Square, London, SW1V 1PB ecclestonesquarehotel.com

Above: AntiGravity Yoga at Virgin Active Health Clubs Right: Virgin Active Classic health club at 200 Aldersgate

HE A LTH A ND F I TNESS

Virgin Active Taking the classic health club experience to a new level of luxury During September 2012, The Virgin Active Kensington Club, part of Virgin Active’s Classic portfolio, received a whopping £1.1million makeover to create a look and feel even more premium. Forming part of the company’s growing international expansion programme and following the recent opening of the flagship club at 200 Aldersgate, the Virgin Active Kensington Club will host some of the most innovative fitness equipment and classes, many of which are exclusive to Virgin Active.

Virgin Active is invested the £1.1million to the new design of the club which originally opened in 1999 and is one of nine UK “Classic” brand Virgin Active Health Clubs. The result is the ultimate health club boasting luxurious space, showers and the best fitness equipment and classes in the UK. New additions to the club will include a brand new 40 bike indoor cycle studio and Club-V, Virgin Active’s very own

crèche facility – reinforcing Virgin Active’s strong family values. An entirely new Mind & Body studio and revitalised lounge areas also feature in the slick new makeover.

An overhaul of the group exercise timetable will see the entire series of Les Mills classes including the trademarked Bodyattack, Bodyjam, Bodycombat and the brand new 30 minute class Cworkx. For dance fans, the brand new Sh‘bam is the hot new 45 minute class.

For the group cycle enthusiast Myride+ is now available at Virgin Active Kensington, an exhilarating indoor cycling experience guaranteed to motivate and inspire, into its new indoor cycle studio, incorporating High Definition forwardmotion video and music.

Various yoga disciplines including Hatha, Iyengar, Classical, Dynamic Yoga Flow classes and High-flying AntiGravity Yoga page. 54

which sees participants perform a number of Yoga poses while hanging from a specially designed silk hammock will be available in a brand new purpose built studio.

Pilates as well as New York born willPower & grace - a unique barefoot workout exclusive to Virgin Active will form an extensive group exercise timetable.

After a workout, members can relax and unwind in the five star invigorating pool and spa facility which includes complimentary Molton Brown products, feature showers, hydrotherapy spa pool, sauna and steam room.

Taking inspiration from the style and elegance of Virgin Active’s International Classic clubs in Italy, South Africa, Australia and Spain, everything is designed to professional standard, with the member in mind. www.virginactive.co.uk

virginactive.co.uk/kensington

Come AND DisCover the shApe of thiNgs to Come At KeNsiNgtoN.

Save, Spend and Splurge at the Luxury Property Show Whether shopping for an affordable holiday home, a retreat in the Great British countryside, a chalet in Switzerland, a penthouse apartment in New York or a luxurious villa in Malta, The Luxury Property Show has it all. Taking place on the 30th and 31st October at The Hurlingham Club in Fulham, the intimate event will see developers, agents, buyers and architects come together to showcase properties from around the world.

Guests will also have the chance to meet with specialists involved in all aspects of the property industry, including currency brokers, architects and interior designers, who all share their own specific perspective on how to create the perfect home. The show also features a seminar programme designed to give visitors an insight into the hot topics in property right now.

Rightmove Overseas is part of the UK’s number one property website and has been recently unveiled as a Platinum Partner for the 2012 Luxury Property Show.

Rightmove.co.uk is one of the most visited websites in the UK for those looking to purchase property abroad. The website receives over 3,500,000 searches a month, offering advertisers huge market exposure to UK buyers searching for international property.

Situated in the picturesque and quintessentially British grounds and buildings of the The Hurlingham Club, this intimate event is perfect to ensure that our exhibitors offer a personal, face-to-face service to all our guests.

With properties ranging from £200,000 to upwards of £10million, there really is something for everyone interested page. 56

in property investment. Now in its sixth year, the show attracts exhibitors from the Cotswolds to the Caribbean.

TV property expert and event hostess Melissa Porter will be discussing all aspects of buying, selling, renovation and relocation. Melissa is best known for her BBC lifestyle and property shows including To Buy or Not to Buy, Put Your Money Where Your House Is and Own Britain’s Best Home.

With an extensive background in travel writing and premium property development, Melissa will be returning to host The Luxury Property Show and to answer all your questions regarding the future of the luxury property market.

Register for entry to the Luxury Property Show at www.theluxurypropertyshow.com/registration

The Hurlingham Club, London 30th—31st October 2012 Register free at theluxurypropertyshow.com

A unique opportunity to view and buy from the finest collection of the world’s most luxurious properties

Featuring World Class Properties

The Luxury Property Show will be taking place within the stunning grounds of The Hurlingham Club and will be hosted by TV Property Expert, Melissa Porter.

Whether you are interested in portfolio investment and private purchases or simply want to network with industry insiders, The Luxury Property Show will be the perfect destination, complete with VIP Lounge, Business Lounge, Interactive Seminars and the opportunity to have lunch at The Hurlingham Club.

Hosted By Melissa Porter

Held at The Hurligham Club, London

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Networking Reception Sponsor

Entry is limited. Register today to receive upcoming news and exclusive offers. www.theluxurypropertyshow.com

Location photography by Scirocco Jade at Chapmore End, Hertfordshire.

m oto r i n g

Poetry in Motion Adrian Foster takes a journey into the eye of the storm in the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Spyder Performante words: Adrian Foster

Road tests on supercars like the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Spyder Performante are sometimes hard to write.

That’s because your expectations are so high that you find yourself reaching for a whole new lexicon of superlatives while somehow try to appear composed and objective.

Although you might think that a convertible Lamborghini would be the four-wheeled equivalent of a footballer’s stag party, it’s actually quite a practical car. Since Audi took the company over, they simply don’t do badly engineered Lamborghinis any more and the way the Gallardo Spyder gives so little away to its Coupé cousin dynamically is testament to this fact. Here is a supercar that boasts phenomenal traction (thanks to four-wheel drive), one of the world’s finest engines and flawless handling, which means that even on the narrowest B-road an alarming amount of performance can be uncorked. On the lumpy roads around Hertfordshire, where we drove the Spyder, it feels amazingly stable and reassuring, not remotely wobbly, and basically very much like the tin-top Lambo. Except, of course, that you can drop the roof at the press of a button and just over 20 seconds later you’ll be driving a full convertible.

One neat touch is that the rear screen stays in place and acts as a wind deflector with the hood down. But the best bit about the Gallardo is that you can enjoy that musical 5.2-litre V10 with the hood down. Somehow, being able to hear it so much more clearly actually intensifies the thrill of driving it.

The raw numbers say the Spyder is fractionally slower than the Coupé at 201mph flat out, but top speed isn’t what the Gallardo is about. Just the pure adrenalin rush of accelerating to 62mph in under four seconds!

On the outside, the new headlights have Audi-style LED daytime running lights beneath the head lamps, with the same Y-shape pattern repeated in the rear tail-lights and on the engine cover. The taut rear lends new meaning to the term ‘powerful elegance’ with its four cannon-like exhausts matching the gunmetal finish, low-profile alloy wheels. The theme continues with the rear lights, air cooling vents, bumper and diffuser all styled to give the Gallardo the brooding, menacing look of a shark about to seize its prey. Inside, sporty black trim comes with a choice of green, yellow, orange and two shades of grey stitching. They match exterior paint finishes in Giallo Midas, Arancio Borealis, Grigio Telesto, Nero Noctis and Bianco Monocerus. And – no – I don’t know what they mean either.

Performance defines the Gallardo Performante and you find yourself using lower gears than strictly necessary just to hear that glorious noise. The paddle-shifted gear selector adds to the experience as it instigates big, fruity throttle blips when you change down a gear. If that isn’t enough for you, in the most extreme ‘Corsa’ mode, if you change up while at full throttle it bangs in the next ratio. That might sound excessive but it really makes the car feel alive and full of purpose. page. 58

Despite that, the Gallardo can still be driven around town with ease. The controls are all relatively light and intuitively placed and the low driving position is spot on. Because of all this it doesn’t take long to feel comfortable driving the well balanced Performante. Under power the Gallardo feels like it is rear-wheel drive, which means it’s engaging and rewarding. Body control is exemplary and though there’s loads of grip from the wide tyres it’s still possible to feel like you’re involved in the driving experience. Yet the car’s performance can be used comfortably in all kinds of weather.

Should you buy one?

Some might argue that a new Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder isn’t quite what the world needs right now. But the world’s most desirable drop-top is perfect for sun-seekers in a hurry and there’s no denying that its explosive performance, sharp looks, great road holding and monumental soundtrack make for pure driving enjoyment. As befits a car built by Audi, our car’s finish was faultless, the paintwork flawless and the slick way that the snug hood folded out of sight was genuinely impressive. Perhaps even more important for a car that sells for over £150,000 is the way the small Lamborghini feels a genuinely special place to be. So, it seems like Lamborghini has achieved the seemingly impossible: Latin passion matched to Teutonic efficiency and engineering quality. An unbeatable combination.

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