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Chitra House Written by Natalie Bridgette Becker-Aakervik

In Fornebu, on the banks of the majestic Oslo fjord, Norway meets India and the rest of the world in Chitra House. Described as a footprint, a dream and a philosophy, Chitra House is dedicated to the memory of Chitra, the late wife of Mr Nirmal K. Sethia, to reflect the essence of Chitra in the qualities of beauty, refinement and elegance.

smile radiates as she happily answers questions about the house and the journey that brought her here.

Chitra House Norway, the first of many properties around the world was officially opened on 12 April 2016, hosted by Mr Nirmal Sethia, founder of Chitra House and The Sethia Foundation and Hilde Lystad, CEO of Chitra House. The opening was a magical night, with guests treated to light displays, culinary works of art and performances from some of Norway’s best opera singers, harpists and artists.

OT: Chitra house reflects the essence of Chitra, combining rich, warm golden tones, Chitra´s favourite colours, with cool Scandinavian blues.What inspired the decor?

Together, Mr Sethia and Hilde have created the unique signature of Chitra House, reflecting the ultimate combination in an atmosphere of rich Royal Indian heritage in the heart of Scandinavian natural beauty and the heartbeat of one of Europe´s fastest growing cities.

Having met over a cup of tea, Hilde and Mr Sethia discussed the dream Mr Sethia had of developing the portfolio of Chitra House properties. And out of that dream was born Chitra house Norway- a footprint and a philosophy.

A visit with Hilde Lystad, who developed and decorated Chitra House, reveals that the question she is asked most often is ´Why Norway?´ And elegantly perched atop the classic indian daybed which graces the ground floor lounge, Hilde´s warm

’I´m Norwegian, and I´m proud to open in Norway because it´s my home country, and Mr Sethia loves Scandinavia so it was natural for us to open the first Chitra House here.’

HL: ’The inspiration was Chitra herself. I didn’t meet her but to many around the world, she was an ocean of kindness, and our objective was to to reflect her essence in these different rooms.’ ’I travelled from Paris to Venice, Jaipur and around the world to find the right combination of fabrics, colours, furnishings and touches to recreate the essence of Chitra’s favoured elements.

It was important to travel to Jaipur, where she was born to obtain the fabrics.’

On the first floor, Chitra´s Hallway reflects the essence of Chitra and her colours, while upstairs, the cooler Scandinavian tones of blue and grey make it a good place for making business decisions and then coming downstairs to enjoy dinner and a cup of tea, relaxing on the luxurious Indian daybed. Chitra House is home to notable artworks from the Queen Sonia print Collection Awards and artists Kjell Nupen, and Magnus Furuholen, which adorn the walls of the elegant Blue Lounge.

Hilde and Mr Sethia having met over cup of tea, it´s not suprising to discover that Chitra House is home to Newby teas, and also to part of the Chitra Collection of teapots,the world´s largest, and one the most exquisite, dating back to the 10th Century and also new additions crafted by a jeweller in Milan.

OT: Tell us about the role tea plays here at Chitra House.

HL: ’Mr Sethia has many businesses but his heart is in the Chitra Collection, the biggest and arguably the most beautiful collection of tea pots in the world. We always serve tea in this house and of course, Newby teas are served here.’

OT: Chitra House is a rare combination of luxury and opulence but has a warm and inviting ambience and feels like one is visiting a good friend´s home where its easy to linger longer. How did you achieve this?

HL:’ From the beginning, it´s been a warm and good house for events and for taking meetings. All the colours together with the story and history of Chitra, make this house a good place to stay and good place to be. It´s been a marvellous journey to create the kind of house Chitra would have liked to have in Scandinavia. The home is not a museum but a house, a warm and inviting house.’

OT: What does Chitra House offer guests?

HL: ’Chitra House is a space for people to come together for meetings and events and to enjoy memorable experiences. When you rent the house, whether 2 or 42 people, you have exclusive use of the property and can create bespoke events, customising details including the menu. Delivering hospitality in a memorable way is our signature.’

OT: Which technical facilities do you offer?

HL: ’ We have big screens in both the dining and board rooms with the techology which makes it possible to view presentations from both rooms, upstairs and downstairs, at the same time.’

OT: What inspired the extraordinary meditation room?

HL: ’Mr Sethia is creative person and we viewed photographs from designers, and decided on a Scandinavian feel.

It’s a room for meditation and contemplation but lends itself to special occasions in an inspiring space. Each Chitra Collection property will have a meditation room.’

OT: Tell about the choice of unique location: HL: ’Situated in Fornebu, just 10 minutes from the city centre, Chitra House is surrounded by 1.9 acres of garden and located on the banks of the Oslo Fjord, where guests have a beautiful view and exquisite light. Up to 600 people can experience both the sunrise and the sunset and a magical outdoor experiences.

The property can be accessed from the Oslo fjord by boat, and its possible to land one´s helicopter in the garden. For more conventional modes of transport, parking is available on the property.’

OT: What does Chitra House offer which is unique?

HL: ’Our objective is to make people feel good when they visit and it´s the people who work here and who offer hospitality in a memorable way. Customised events and menus can be catered to by Norway´s leading chefs.’

OT: What is you vision for Chitra House going into the future?

HL: ’Mr Sethia would like to open Chitra House around the world as part of the Chitra Collection and part of his dream to honour Chitra, and the next location we open a Chitra House publically, could very well be Sweden.’ www.Chitra.no www.nirmalsethiafoundation.com

OUM Photo by Lamia Lahbabi

Written by Natalie Bridgette Becker-Aakervik, photos by Mikkel Becker-Aakervik

The Moroccan fusion singer Oum El Ghaith Benessahraoui, aka Oum, makes intentional references to her African identity in her songs and says Morocco is the gateway between Africa and Europe. Mostly self- taught in her music, she began her career in a gospel choir in Marrakech. Oum has also been quoted as saying that while she is a devout Muslim woman, she is also one who makes decisions about her life.

in this and we are open to people, exchange and universal cultural mix. ‘

Answering questions about restrictions to the freedom of art and culture, Oum speaks about a new generation in Morocco having their own strong culture and who are in the process of waking up ideologically and culturally.

OUM: ‘Of course it’s important. Today, environmental awareness in Morocco is awake incontrovertibly. There is a real political will to carry out major projects in the field of sustainable development, energy, and environmental protection, such as the permanent ban on using plastic bags as well as the installation of the largest solar power plant of Africa and creating green cities. I am myself engaged in this. ’

Oum recently performed in Oslo to a Norwegian audience for the first time, and we chatted about her work, life and ideology.

OT: How would you describe, in your own words, your music?

OUM: ‘I would describe it as a tree rooted in Africa, the trunk through Morocco, and branches dance with the winds of the Americas and the Orient. ‘ OT: Where does the inspiration for your music and lyrics come from?

OUM: ‘Inspiration moves in us when we are touched, moved.

The inspiration comes from the people I encounter, and those with whom I evolve. It also comes in elements, areas and aspects of nature and the universe beyond us. ‘ OT: Do you write your own music and who are some artists you collaborated with?

OUM: ‘I write and compose my songs, and then I arrange them in consultation with the musicians I work with. ‘ OT: Which artists would you like to Collaborate with?

OUM: ‘Malouma Mint Elmeidah, Gilberto Gil, Omara Portuondo, Richard Bona, Jose James, Gilles Peterson. ‘ OT: Your style is vivid and colourful- is it traditionally Moroccan and who makes your beautiful hair accessories an turbans?

OUM: ‘My stage outfits are a blend of fabrics and accessories inspired by Morocco’s traditional crafts, Africa and anywhere the music takes me. ‘

OT: Green and environmental sustainability programs are Being implemented on a large scale now in Morocco and its the location for COP 22 climate change conference in November this year. Do you think it´s important?

OT: As a woman and a Muslim woman in Morocco who is independent and creative with a global career, are you a role model to young women finding their voice?

OUM: ‘We all need to learn from others to build. It is important for me through my work, and my way of exercising to remember that we are rich in our heritage and we ourselves shape our identity. ‘ OT: Are there unique challenges faced by female artists in Morocco and globally, what are your thoughts?

OUM: ‘Overall, I think our job is not easy anywhere. In Morocco, the record industry is incomparable with that of European countries. Businesses related to art and its dissemination is still limited as are properly equipped theatres except in major cities. Making music one´s profession today calls for commitment. But this applies to male or female artists, regardless of genre. ‘ OT: Tell about your move to a more acoustic sound in your music and albums?

OUM: ‘I owe this idea to Sir Ali Alizadeh who was my former DA on the album Soul Of Morocco. And he was right. The vibration of the acoustic instruments is so much more intense. ‘ OT: What can audiences expect from your live performances?

OUM: ‘A festive encounter with ease, where we will tell Zarabi as a travel narrative with rhythms and music. ‘

OT: What is unique and special about Morocco and its people?

OT: Which projects are you presently working on and where can we learn more?

OUM: ‘Diversity is what makes Morocco unique. It manifests itself everywhere in nature, ethnicities, languages, music and gastronomy. A diversity that is owed to the geographical position of the Kingdom and to our history. There is rich plurality

OUM: ‘We are still traveling round with Zarabi. The next project is still in its infancy.’

Vanessa

Described as a champion of global, cultural and ecological initiatives, with a long history of acticvism and contribution to the arts, Vanessa Branson is self- effacing when asked about her role as President and Founder of the Marrakech Biennale (formerly AIM Biennale). Founded in 2004, the Marrakech Biennale is a not for profit organisation which aims to establish Marrakech as a platform for contemporary art in Africa, the Middle East and the Mediterranean region.North Africa’s only trilingual arts festival, showcasing its 6th edition in 2016 and comprising visual art, literature and film programs, featuring acclaimed international and Moroccan artists, the Biennale’s objective is to build bridges between cultures and to promote dialogue through artistic expression and contemporary art.

In October 2014, Vanessa was awarded the Royal distinction of Officer of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite, at the occasion of the ceremony inaugurating the Mohammed VI Museum for Modern and Contemporary Art in Rabat, in recognition of the contribution she has made to the Moroccan cultural scene and, in particular, for her efforts in establishing Marrakech as an eclectic and diverse platform for the arts. She is also a trustee of the British Moroccan Society and Virgin Unite, and on the board of trustees of Global Diversity Foundation .

A passion for travelling and the purchase of a rundown ‘ruin’ of a palace in the centre of Marrakech, turned into a project with pal Howell James CBE, and is today the magnificent and magical Riad El Fenn, in the centre of Mararkech´s bustling medina, and which in December 2014, was voted number one out of 950 hotels to win the prestigious Mr & Mrs Smith award for Best Dressed Hotel.

‘We weren’t professionals, were just passionate travellers interested in design’ says Vanessa, ‘And we wanted to

make it a place we wanted to stay in and our friends would enjoy and could afford to be in.’

Committed to supporting the local economy, local craftsmen and local projects with organic ingredients and products, this ethos is carried through all things El Fenn. Vanessa sees one of the greatest rewards of owning a hotel as an opportunity to be a positive influence, building and lifting the community, supporting local projects and providing employment.

OT: Speaking about the evolution of her life along with the evolution of her relationship with Morocco, Vanessa is radiant as she describes her journey as a passionate curator of contemporary art in London to founding the annual Marrakech Bienalle.

VB: ‘One of the most exciting things about getting past 50 is that the strands of one’s life comes together and evolves with family and environmental issues, then evolves when one moves to another country as I did with Morocco. And for me, it came together with the Biennale. ‘ OT: Vanessa speaks about the period just after the completion of the primary stage of the rebuilding of El Fenn, as being a period characterised by George Bush’s ‘ for us or against us’ speeches in the media, and the fear of the rest of Europe wanting to follow what he was saying.

VB: ‘Witnessing the lack of nuance and understanding about the situation and having worked in the arts all my life, I thought it good to have an art event in Morocco to serve as a platform for debating ideas. Someone once said that a museum is a safe place to discuss dangerous ideas. ‘

Branson Written by Natalie Bridgette Becker-Aakervik, photos by Mikkel Becker-Aakervik

OT: The 2015 Nobel Peace Prize recipients, the Tunisian Dialogue Quartet, awarded for their contribution to building a pluralistic democracy in the wake of the Jasmine Revolution of 2011, credited art and culture as necessary for creating dialogue and for peace and democracy.

VB:’ It’s a theme of our times, and I find the arts a peaceful yet powerful way to assist a people in finding their critical voice, an amazing vehicle to confront big issues without it being personal.’

OT: The Marrakech Biennale is named one of the top 20 biennales in the world, is this what you envisioned?

VB: ‘Right from the very beginning we wanted to make it cultural event of world class artists, not parochial, and over the years it’s evolved into something huge and meaningful on the world arts calender. We didn’t want to focus on Moroccan art as we didn´t want to ghettoize Moroccan artists in a particular way. We wanted Moroccan artists to stand shouder to shoulder with other artists of international stature and this year, we have 6 Moroccan artists alongside at least 50 international artists. Its deeply rewarding and very exciting.’

OT: Do you believe art is activism and can it play a role in creating dialogue and integrating diversity?

VB: ‘I believe in all those things and I believe it does more.

We all fundamentally have the same needs and beliefs in life and whatever our background, we feel overwhelming love for our children and familes and communities, and there´s very little difference in this between cultures. It can be hard to have a functioning democracy if you haven´t learned the language of expressing yourself and if you disagree with someting, to not be able to explore and discuss why you disagree with it, because you haven’t learned the language for it. The Arts can play a role in developing critical thinking. It’s been a new revelation for me. If that’s activism I’m not sure. It can be very exciting for young people if they can find a voice through the arts.’

OT: You are on the board of the Global Diversity Foundation.

VB: ‘The Global Diversity Foundation is an international organisation working from Morocco. There is a groundswell of interest from around the world about learning from indigenous people, about their farming practices and the herbs and methods they use for medicine and preserving ways of life, alongside teaching best practices and using modern techniques to help preserve ways of life.’

OT: What does the MB6 theme ‘Not New Now’ mean to you?

VB: ‘As with all good themes, the artist can translate it to their own vision to tell their own story. It´s a complex theme, not at all obvious. What´s interesting here is there has been such a focus on folkloric art and looking to the past. A country confident about its future will see that reflected in their cultural output as well. The curatorial theme also seems to be questioning the trend that something isn’t interesting unless its new. And art always references the past and where are we now.’

OT: How does MB6 resonate with Morocco in the context of its focus on Sustainability?

VB: ‘Morocco is an extraordinary country and it´s the most exciting country I´m spending time in right now. They are at the vanguard of projects such as solar power and a permaculture revolution is happening here and people are embracing it. The art industry is atrocious in the way it crashes through the planet with everything wrapped in bubble wrap, crated and flown. There is so much packaging flown in and flown out. I shipped work out here and we used the crates for ironing boards- all crates were re-used. We bring artists over here, and they respond to Marrakech. They can choose to work with an astonishing array of talent and craftsmanship here and often with materials found here. The work is created here so we don’t have to fly in and ship it and so we think we may be the greenest bienalle in the world! ‘

OT: Which areas of the arts do you showcase ?

OT: You spoke of evolution and transformation?

VB: ‘ It is the only trilingual arts and culture festival in North Africa and we include music, literature and film, because it all ties together. When we started, it was a conscious decision. I’m really interested in artists that transition from one art form to another and Julian Schnabel gave an amazing talk here about his evolution from painter to filmmaker. Artists are astonishing people, they have a sensitivity and give it over to whatever they do. It’s in the way they dress and how they cook and what they write and photograph. Naturally, art has no borders, hence crossing over makes sense. Out here it particularly resonates because of the conflict of old and new and because of the different cultures. When you’re working in an environment where there is no visual arts culture at all, one cannot expect people to come in and understand, as there is no reference point. Culture here has been about performance, so we´re bringing performance and the arts to people in the street. We have a very good film school and do good work with lots of students. And then there’s the music. You can’t have a festival without great music. There isn’t a tradition of literature here but we do have some good writers, and I love having good wrtiers around so I always bring in a few. ‘

VB: ‘ Now, if I was wanting to set myself a challenge, I would become a better public speaker and have the nerve to communicate a cohesive message, where everything joined up. It´s nonsense all these things about building walls. We’ve all got to work together, and I have to communicate a message that’s practical and one that’s grounded in reality, borne of experience and that people feel inspired by. If were going to make cultural differences, they need to work through on a generational time frame and not look for a 3 year time frame. I´m also nervous about people feeling that because of this rush of technology and feeling that the world is changing so quickly, that we need to make changes quickly. This is the message I´d like to give: To make systemic change, it needs to evolve, you can´t just impose it. And if I can get this message cohesively across, I think I may have done a good job.’

OT: Can the Arts be an economic driver and create great business?

VB: ‘It´s very apparent here as we started with a blank canvas really. There´s a difference between heritage and culture. There was huge heritage here because of historic things which have happened and there´s wonderful architecture, music and crafts. But not so much of it was contemporary and looking forward, so I can see it and I can feel the role of the arts as an economic driver here. We’ve had ecomomic impact studies done on different biennales around the world and discovered that an investment of every million euros into an arts festival can bring 10 fold revenue from visitors spending money there.

It´s known for the effect on young deisgners, feeling they have an audience when selling their goods in little pop- up stores and design boutiques. Restaurants become a bit more ambitious and feel more confident. Architecture becomes more interesting if stimulated and it becomes a virtuous circle with interest upon interest. And if you have a city of contemporary cultural significance that is changing and evolving, people come back and again and again. One of the greatest rewards for me, for example, has been that the interns now have permanent positions with the biennale.’

OT: Who inspires you?

VB: ‘My parents, both very strong people. And I have a competitive streak, so if someone says I can´t do something, it makes me want to do it. My father was wise man who told us to do the right thing and his words echo in my head as do my mum´s. They dared us to do things, to have courage, and that gives you permission to just do things and then you have to do it well!’

OT: What scares you in the world?

VB: ‘Real ignorance is a threat .Other peoples fear, based on ignorance is probably the thing that frightens me the most. ‘ OT: How do you conquer your fear and move through challenges ?

VB: ‘It´s easy to give advice and not live it yourself, but it’s important to try to keep sense of humour. I don’t want to mess it up, that’s a a great driver! I want to do what I do well and leave behind a trail of happiness. One can´t always do that but it´s rewarding to see the trail of my life. I can see it here at El Fenn, its very tangible, it’s like a microcosm of everything.

My mum, at age 92, says you live for an awfully long time and there´s a lot to do, yet! ‘ And then OT decided to pose some questions from the (in) famous ’Proustian Questionnaire’: OT: What is your current state of mind?

VB: ‘Something very exciting is about to happen! I cant quite put my finger on it but I´m really excited! ’ OT: Which characteristic do you find deplorable in the opposite sex?

VB: ‘ That’s a really mean question’ she laughs, ‘I love men very much but I think it would have to be vanity and charm.. and I think they go hand in hand.. I don’t trust them’ OT: Which characteristic do you most admire in yourself?

VB: ‘ I can’t think what that would be!’ I think it would probably be that I try and be as honest as possible! But again, that can cause problems - but it’s a fun way of living, if you just try and be true! ‘

Described as a ‘vagabond creator’ with 20 years of experience, Hannes Wingate runs Foreign Service, creating bespoke art and design in the form of sculptures, objects and environments, inspired by the raw nature he grew up in.

This Swedish- born artist, architect and outdoor survival- skills instructor at the renowned Boulder Outdoor Survival School in Utah, brings people into contact with nature- often taking them into the ‘red zone’ where they ‘faint, cry, vomit, but come out on the other side recalibrated; realizing that when their plane is late and their burger is cold, none of that matters. It’s a liberating experience.’

OT: We first came across your work at Urnatur. This magical forest hermitage held many magical unexpected surprises such as your giant birds nest. What inspired this piece and which material did you use?

HW: ‘I was loosely connected to Hakan and Ulrika through a mutual friend in Canada, legendary bush-craft instructor Mors Kochanski. It was a meeting of minds when I met Hakan and Ulrika in 2013 as our work and the vision, values and territory overlap in many ways. I think we both wanted to spend more time in dialogue. They also wanted somebody to kick off an artist in residency program that they had been thinking about for some time. ‘ ‘They gave me free hands to decide what I wanted to do. Before forming ideas, or sketching anything I always spend a good amount of time moving across the terrain listening, feeling the landscape. What is there, how did it come to be? What is the character and energy of that place? Who lives here (animals, humans included) what do they do and how do they move across the landscape? What can my work do for that place and why? From my impression, a series of opportunities and challenges usually emerge. I typically make a few quick sketches to show what I see. With Hakan and Ulrika, I walked them through several ideas for different locations. Every location has a different energy, opportunity/challenge and meaning. In dialogue I weigh these against each other to arrive at a final idea. ‘

D

R BI S Nest Written by Natalie Bridgette Becker-Aakervik, photos by Mikkel Becker-Aakervik

‘For the nest that I built there I felt that there was a vacant spot on the land as you arrived at the heart of the forest hermitage. The scene there was almost heart-stoppingly beautiful, but it also had a tinge of sweet sentimentality about it (not on account of Hakan and Ulrika btw). It was almost too pretty, too romantic, too sweet. That scene felt like a projection surface for one cultures longing for times gone by. I felt that it was necessary to mess with this and insert a subtle exclamation mark that at once cut through the layers back to the origins of architecture (after all, we learnt most of early structural methods from the animals) and our past in deep interconnectedness with nature but also adding to the positive dynamic vision that Urnatur represents. We don’t need sentimental dreams of times past, as its twin is despondency and despair at our current condition. What we need is courage, vision and action. I would describe Urnatur as a lab for sustainable, entrepreneurial life in deep collaboration with nature.

It’s a hopeful vision of what a future can look like. ’ ‘The site provided an amazing anchor point in the form of a mature Hazel tree. I used this largely as the structural matrix for the nest and bent, twisted and worked it to become the warp of the basket structure.

I used several other species of wood from the immediate area such as birch, rowan and spruce. Several people from the community joined in and helped with foraging and material processing. When I build I adopt a set of rules approximating how the animals would I only forage close by usually no more than 100m away. I only use a knife and an axe. I never use fasteners such as nails and screws.

Everything is woven together. The Hazel lives on in its new shape. It will probably break the nest apart eventually but that is the nature of the work.‘

OT: Birds nests feature often in your work, is there a metaphor and message?

HW: ‘I started this body of work when living in London in 1999. I was exploring the nesting process of birds as a creative strategy. The bird takes the valueless and flimsy, discarded and ubiquitous and with know-how, intent and time turns it into a functional objet, remarkably resilient and often startlingly beautiful. It’s an almost alchemical process of turning nothing into something, the valueless into the valuable. ‘ ‘As I explored this further I came to see the nests as symbols of the power of creation. I experimented with materials (always found) and scale (I built a nest 5.5 m tall inside the financial district illegally at night). I also realized that birds make nests for themselves, in ways and in places that matter only to them. Unlike us they are in charge of their own values and act accordingly in deep symbiosis with nature.

There is also the obvious ecological paradigm inherent in the nest.

Once the bird is done with the nest it has the ability to recede seamlessly into the environment that it came from once it is no longer needed. For the vast majority of human history we built this way too until, at least in the western world, very recently. ‘ ‘It is my belief that our global malaise that will be our undoing is that our values have been hijacked by external powers with interests very different from those needed to keep us and the ecosystem we depend upon, alive. In some ways the nest stands for taking charge of your own values. It asks of you what you are and what you stand for. If you peel away the expectations and anxieties - who are you and what do you really need? British economist Tim Jackson sums it up only too well when speaking about the consumer economy “ we

spend money we don’t have, to buy things we don’t need, to make impressions that don’t last, on people that we don’t really care about”.

The birds don’t have this problem.‘ OT: In a world experiencing the effects of climate change and with sustainability and conservation front of mind, do you feel a responsibility to use your platforms to highlight, engage and create awareness? Art as activism?

HW: ‘Yes, absolutely. In the widest sense as an artist, I am a seer and storyteller. Being an artist affords a unique liberty to move between fields, subjects and environments. It allows for connections and points of view that are otherwise hard to get to inside more structured subjects and disciplines. I believe that with this freedom comes responsibility. What do you see? What stories will you tell? Why? Good art has always been activism. As I get older my work becomes more politicized and more outspoken. It’s part focus that comes with age but also a sense of urgency that I think we all feel over the state of the world.’

OT: You´re an artist, architect and survival skills instructor. How does all this influence and inspire your work?

HW: ‘These titles are really just the tracks left on the path that I am traveling on. I don’t really see these as separate from one another.

They are intertwined and mutually supportive. As an artist I operate in the interface between people and nature aiming to explore, understand, bridge the divide that exists between the two. So what I do as

an artist and a survival instructor are really one and the same, it’s just a different delivery vehicle. ‘

OT: What exactly does a survival-skills instructor do, and what brought you to it?

given me a set of skills and abilities that made the survival school recruit me after I went through their 28-day field course as a student in 2007. ‘

HW: ‘As an instructor at Boulder Outdoor Survival School I take small groups of students into the deserts, mountains and canyon-lands in Southern Utah for up to 28 days with a knife, a blanket, rain poncho and a water bottle (yes clothes too but no tents, no sleeping bags, no sleeping pads, no cook-stoves, no matches/lighters, no flashlights, no GPS, no backpacks) and teach them what they need to know to live in that environment. If you ask a native person living a traditional way to show you their survival skills they will have no idea what you are talking about. I say this to point out the fact that these skills, how to find water, forage, trap, fish how to make fire and build shelter and find your way across the land, were simply part of living for most of human history.’

OT: What is your idea of perfect happiness?

HW: Finding flow in creative work. The thoughtless bliss of surfing a wave.’

‘The severe physical and mental challenge that we put students through is a very transformative experience. People emerge with a deeper clarity and purpose and a sense of liberty in knowing what it takes and what actually matters. We live in an extraordinary time of luxury yet most people are blind to it and feeling dissatisfied in one way or another. ‘

OT: On what occasion do you lie?

HW: Pass.

‘You become a teacher when you have something to teach. My lifelong exploration of the interface between humans and nature had

And introducing the Proustian Questionnaire,

OT: What is your greatest fear?

HW: Fear itself and what it does to you.

OT: What is your current state of mind?

HW: Worn, focused, inspired OT: What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

HW: Loyalty. It should be replaced with love and courage

OT: Which talent would you most like to have?

HW: Playing the piano in public.

GRE

EEN EUR OPE Written by Natalie Bridgette Becker-Aakervik, photos by Mikkel Becker-Aakervik

ECO Mama, Amsterdam.

Guldsmeden, Ă…rhus.

Kafka

ECO Mama, Amsterdam.

Hotel Aldomovar , Berlin.

Hotel Aldomovar , Berlin.

Gothenburg Green World.

Forsaking highways, skyways and some byways, My husband and I decided to embark on an ‘Electric Adventure’ to take the pulse of ‘Green Europe’ and take the road less travelled, traversing the plains of Northern Europe in search of extraordinary destinations with an ethos of environmental and social sustainability. From industrial meccas to ancient forests, our zippy and spacious Nissan Leaf EV, generously on loan to us by Nissan Norge, took us through 22 destinations and 8 countries in 19 days.

Kafka sculpture. Prague.

The green journey is rich and rewarding and choosing the option of our EV’s pre- programmed eco routes, led us to lush and vibrant green belts and coastal drives where our journey became part of the destination. Starting in Oslo, Norway and missing our ferry from Larvik to Denmark on the first day of travel taught us a valuable lesson in time and car management, but the rewards of travelling green and emission- free far outweigh any drawbacks. The challenges lay mainly in the need for more information around charging stations in some regions. We learned that not all charging stations are created equal and that there is a need for uniformity and a master plan for charging stations, as well as government support.

Our trusted Leaf and its range of 250km took us to at least 215km on a single charge, debunking some myths about ´fear of range´ and long distance EV travel. Greener routes means slower travel and less stress, so arguably longer, happier lives; while EV drivers are a helpful community happy to share information and assist with the practicalities of EV driving.

We explored rooftop farms, short travel produce, bio-hotels and cultural capitals with a green heart, capturing voices and stories in the storytelling tradition, asking questions along our journey: How do you grow your own? How does one live ecologically? Is greener better and why? Can we restore ancient forests by planting more trees?’

Here are some discoveries and highlights from our Electric Adventure, off the beaten track, experiencing an unexpected Green Europe. ÅRHUS began as an 8th Century Viking settlement and has been named European Capital of Culture for 2017. We loved Cafe Ganefryd with its delicious organic faire and Århus is home to the first, original Hotel Guldsmeden, named after the street where it all originated – Guldsmedgade. Since 1999, the group has expanded to 27 hotels, characterised by warm hospitality, laid-back luxury and the best organic breakfasts in town. www.guldsmedenhotels.com and www.cafeganefryd.dk

Raphael Hotel Wälderhaus. Hamburg.

In COPENHAGEN cyclists rule the roads and organic products fill supermarket shelves, reflecting the heart of this green city. We enjoyed a stay at Guldsmeden Axel in Copenhagen with the warmest service, delicious organic food and a green heart down to its stylish boots, and whose generous hospitality made us feel like family friends! We visited the 600 m2 lush organic urban garden and rooftop garden called Østergro, housing Stedsans restaurant and explored the melancholic and windswept beaches of Southern Denmark. www.guldsmedenhotels.com and www.oestergro.dk

Urnatur, Ödeshög

Amsterdam

Urnatur, Ödeshög

Urnatur, Ödeshög

Denmark Guldsmeden Axel, Copenhagen.

HAMBURG boasts the ecologically designed Raphael Hotel Wälderhaus, a startling and intriguing architectural wonder. Situated in Wilhelmsburg, an island on the River Elbe, its green roof is planted with 9000 bushes and 500 hornbeams, the evaporation and transpiration of which contributes to improving the city´s microclimate. It´s electricity is from renewable energy sources and they conveniently offer a charging station for electric cars. www.raphaelhotelwaelderhaus.de TRIER was an unexpected discovery. Dating back to the Middle Ages, it’s said to be the oldest city in Germany, the birthplace of Karl Marx and home to a Roman Fort called Porta, the largest Roman City gate north of the Alps.

BERLIN could just be the coolest and greenest city in Germany, with its organic cafes, vegetarian restaurants and vintage markets. Bio-Hotel Almodovar in Berlin combines ethics and aesthetics and is the perfect example of luxury meeting sustainability in the heart of Berlin, offering all modern amenities, including a beautiful rooftop spa overlooking the city, Their penthouse suite is the height of modern luxury with its own sauna and fireplace. A chat with hotel owner, Axel Benz reveals he and his wife were inspired by the unusual style of filmmaker Pedro Almodovar to create something unique and inspiring! There are no refrigerators in the rooms, and energy-saving technology is used with electricity from renewable energy sources. Almodovar have a beautiful range of wooden furniture made from sustainable forests and natural organically-farmed materials for bed and bath textiles and their range of elegant design items can be ordered by guests. The service is personal and warm and we loved our time there, including quirky touches such as a yoga mat in every room.

Described as 100 % organic, 100 % vegetarian, 100 % style, 100 % Berlin, Almodovar is home to restaurant Bardot, whe-

re delicious, ecological, vegetarian and vegan faire is cooked only with seasonal organic produce from regional suppliers, using fresh ingredients and only fair trade organic coffee. www.almodovarhotel.de

GOTHENBURG, Sweden´s ´second city´ welcomed us with open arms into its Gothenburg Green World 2016 campaign, a year of green experiences in Scandinavia’s leading parks offering a full programme of events and exhibitions. Hosted by Gote:Borg tourism, we discovered some innovative installations and exhibitions, including the work of renowned Japanese artist Tetsunori Kawana, called ’Bamboo Cloud.’ www.goteborg.com , www.gothenburggreenworld.com and www.kawanapassage.com URNATUR, described as a poem of Swedish nature, is undoubtedly one of the best experiences for immersing oneself in nature with some deep relaxation and reflection.

We stayed at the wood hermitage, a 500m walk into the 6000 year old ancient forest, with no electricity but warm fireplaces, candles and lanterns, and spent two heavenly days enjoying organic breakfasts and food plucked from the land, prepared and cooked by open fires. Warmed by log- fired saunas and refreshed by the cool waters of the lake, we enjoyed campfire chats with owners Ulrika Krynitz and Håkan Strotz, who enlightened us about the impact of de-forestations on natural eco systems. We left this beautifully preserved slice of natural heaven, inspired and enriched. www.urnatur.se Arriving back in OSLO we enjoyed the early morning sun rising over breath-takingly beautiful glassy lakes and dew fresh forests and delivered our hard- working and reliable Nissan Leaf EV back to the delightful team at Nissan Norge. www.nissan.no

Sweden

Photos by Nils-Petter Aaland & Fredrik Lier

Sky high Written by Natalie Bridgette Becker-Aakervik, photos by Mikkel Becker-Aakervik

Oslo is one of the fastest growing cities in Europe, a dynamic business destination poised for expansion, and a place where private aviation is fast becoming a business tool rather than a luxury. With a passion for aviation, Access Oslo Executive Handling’s Aleksander Aaland, offers a window into the world of private aviation, the practical value, the added benefits and hands- on service, which make all the difference.

OT: Tell us about your background and experience.

AA: ’I am a pilot and I have flown business jets for eight years, the last five years as a Captain. Flying private, you go exactly where you want to go. With over 4000 airports spread around Europe you may save a lot of time getting closer to your actual destination.

OT: What is your vision for Access Oslo?

AA: ’Gaining valuable experience from the business aviation industry, we saw potential to offer a more sophisticated handling of the VIP flights and charter service at Oslo Airport.

This led to Access Oslo – which gives direct access to Oslo.

We want to make private travel more convenient and more accessible.’

OT: What are the practical benefits offered by Access Oslo?

AA: ’ Discretion, privacy, efficiency and high-end service, most of all –efficiency.

All of our foreign customers enjoy H24 concierge service while in Oslo. We customize charter flight services and whether you are one or 400 passengers, we will take care of everything from arrival to departure. Our services extend beyond the airport and we arrange everything, including transport to and from the airport. No queues, privacy, and your own lounges.

Park your car outside the terminal and in less than five minutes you are sitting in the aircraft. 10 minutes later you are airborne. ’ ’You can fly to a meeting somewhere in Europe and still be home for dinner with your family. For a meeting in Berlin, for example, lasting two hours, you can fly at 08:00 – be in the meeting at 10:30, then fly back at 13:00 and drive from the airport at 15:00. ’ ’We have the facilities to arrange an event at the airport before a departure. For example a business trip for 100 passengers is normally no problem, and we will customize this to the clients’ wishes. Everything is possible, including company logos in stategic places. We work with the best chefs to provide an in- flight catering experience. ’

OT: How important is safety?

AA: ’ Safety is always our primary concern and respect for handling a multi million dollar aircraft. Our safety and insurance policy is unparalleled and we operate with quite sophisticated safety management systems (SMS) and this is a part of our day-to-day operation. For charter flights, we always make sure the operator flying has the necessary certificates, insurance and safety record to ensure safe, professional service.

We offer professional handling with care and attention to detail in every aspect of the operation. The crew at Access Oslo has over 50 years of experience from as professional ground handlers to commercial pilots with an eye for safety. Our motto is: ”Handle with care”. ’ OT: How does flying private compare to commercial in terms of time- saving and economy?

AA: ’The primary reason for people traveling private is the time saving. By comparison, an Oslo-Stockholm return trip by commercial airline takes 7 hours, including airport time, compared to 2 hours and 45 minutes by private travel. For 4-6 passengers travelling together, the price per passenger is often the same as a standard business class ticket by an airline. And then you have the aircraft to yourself. Even for 100 passengers, we are often able to provide better prices than normal airfare rates. This makes private aviation more and more an efficient business tool – not a luxury.’

OT: What is the lead-time if someone needs to book a jet in a hurry?

AA: ’ For short trips it’s possible to have a jet airborne from Oslo in less that two hours. The normal lead-time is about 2 to 4 hours. If you have missed your flight, give us a call and we´re happy to give a free quote.’

OT: Tell us about the ´empty legs´ and jet -sharing options?

AA: ’Very often operators fly one way with passengers and empty back and clients can utilise this service at very competitive prices. An option is flying private to London, for example, and flying back commercial and also using your business network to share a jet. ’ With elegant private lounges at Oslo and Sandefjord Torp airports, discreet and professional service with a safety first policy, as well as options for ’ empty –leg’ travel and ’jet- sharing’, and it´s easy to see why Access Oslo offers a new way into the future for modern travellers. www.accessoslo.no

The Green Carpet The Journey to Sustainable Luxury Written by Natalie Bridgette Becker-Aakervik, photos by Mikkel Becker-Aakervik

Started in 1860 and originally known for making ladies’ watches and pocket watches, Chopard was sold to Karl Scheufele, a watchmaker from Pforzheim, Germany in 1963. Owned by the Scheufele family up to the present day, the company is headquartered in Geneva.

One of the main sponsors and partners to the annual Festival de Cannes, we had the opportunity to speak with Chopard´s Raffealla Rossiello, the group’s International Communications Director, about their commitment to ‘Sustainable Luxury.’

With the Cannes Film Festival now encouraging greener and cleaner ways of making films and highlighting those films creating awareness about environmental issues, it seems a fitting conversation. In the context of film-makers and organisations such as The World Bank and Film4Climate hosting events, where speakers include United Nations spokesperson Dan Thomas presenting the United Nations Development Program Sustainable Development Goals, it is in resonance with and reverence for the time we live in, that the mining and jewellery industry take steps to pursue more sustainable business methods.

The sun dazzled as much as the movie stars and the jewels on show on the rooftop of Hotel Martinez, where Chopard had its HQ during the 69th Festival de Cannes.

‘This is a central project for Chopard,’ says Raffealla, ‘everyone can do something, and we really need to move forward now. Emeralds are very representative of the Green Carpet Collection,’ she says as she shows me the largest rough emerald I´d ever seen, ‘This is the way it is found in nature and then reworked by man to create a beautiful piece, so it´s a gift from nature and again becomes a beautiful gift through man´s craftsmanship.’

‘It increases the intrinsic value of the jewellery, knowing it comes from an ethical source, which makes it twice more beautiful because of the way it’s been done and the respect for the people involved and materials used,’ says Raffaella, ‘ And it’s true that there are challenges and technical difficulties involved but if you are really passionate, you can overcome them and do something really positive and beautiful for the world.’

Starting in 2013, in partnership with Livia Firth´s Eco-Age, which specialises in bespoke sustainability solutions, Chopard decided to commit to sourcing responsibly, which means knowing where the jewellery comes from, how it has been made and implementing measures to improve the environment and the lives of those at the beginning of the supply chain.

It began with a relationship with South American mining NGO, the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM), enabling gold mining communities to reach Fairmined certification, that is, it being ethical gold, extracted by artisanal and small-scale miners in a responsible manner, treating workers and the environment fairly.

The first Green Carpet Collection, using only sustainably sourced

and traceable precious materials, was debuted by French actress Marion Cottilard on the red carpet at Cannes Film Festival 2013, followed in 2014 by Kate Blanchett accepting her Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, wearing hand- crafted earrings in Fairmined gold. 2014 saw the launch of a world first: a high horological watch made of Fairmined gold: the L.U.C Tourbillon QF Fairmined, and it’s also when Caroline Scheufele, Artistic Director and Co- President of Chopard, decided to make the Palme d’Or, (the statuette awarded to winners at the Cannes Film Festival), a new symbol of sustainable luxury by making it entirely in Fairmined gold.

Caroline and actress Marion Cotillard jointly designed a one-of-akind jewellery piece for the Cannes Film Festival 2015, introducing a new material in the Green Carpet Collection: the first traceable and sustainably sourced opals from the Australian family-owned Aurora mine.

And most recently, Julianne Moore debuted a dazzling range of responsibly sourced emerald pieces at the Venice Film festival 2016, in collaboration with Gemfields, whose Kagem mine in Zambia is the first to be assessed against Eco-Age’s Green Carpet Challenge (GCC) Principles of Sustainable Excellence.

‘There are mining brands who are following ethical and sustainable criteria and we´d like to put the spotlight on them to demonstrate that there are ways to do it better’ says Rafaella, ‘and every year at Cannes, we choose to present a new step of the journey. ‘ An invitation to one of Chopard´s Legendary Cannes parties, called ‘The Wild Party’ saw personalities and models Kate Moss, Kendal Jenner and Adriana Lima, amongst others, arriving wearing Chopard jewellery and striding down the red carpet to watch a thrilling musical performance by Diana Ross, followed by a roaring party with Mark Ronson on the decks. Referring to this ‘Green Carpet Revolution’ on the red carpet, Raffaella speaks about the celebrities who support the project and who, given the option, would choose ethically sourced jewellery over the alternative. She describes it as a relationship of mutual support, as the celebrities who wear their pieces play an important role communicating to the public. Chopard utilises this aspect to highlight environmental issues associated with the mining industry and to attract the attention of people around the world and create a sort of virtuous circle.

When listing the ingredients adding to the brand´s success, Raffaella speaks about Chopard being a successful family- owned business in this industry, which could be seen as a rarity, and also mentioned the incredible jewellers and craftsmen who create their pieces in Geneva. ‘We love what we do, we are passionate about making magic and despite what we sometimes see happening in the world around us, we still need to dream and create unique moments with people we love. That’s what motivates me and the team working with me.’

And so, the journey continues.

TOHELMUT Photos by Stephen Butkus Styling by Elbjørg Frank Modell: Celin Douglas / EB Models Make-up: Tajana Weddegjerde All Clothes by Willow Clark / RebelMama Styling assistant / props by Trine Midtun

DESTINATION

MARRAKECH Written by Natalie Bridgette Becker-Aakervik, photos by Mikkel Becker-Aakervik

Voted number 1 of the top 25 destina-

ason, a dearth of flights meant slim chan-

tions in Africa by Trip Advisor’s Travel-

ces of reaching our target in time, if at all.

lers Choice Awards in 2015, Marrakech,

Amidst disgruntled and grumbling pas-

known as the Red City, has much to offer

sengers, an Emirates Airlines representa-

by way of exciting travel, cultural and

tive in Casablanca and angel in disguise,

culinary experiences amidst its magical

called Nadia Riah, came to the rescue

palaces, gardens and souks.

with such grace under pressure, that she

A journey through Marrakech revealed

literally performed a miracle and had on

layers of beauty, mystery and magical

a flight directly to our destination the

ingredients that make up this mesmeri-

very next day!

sing melting pot. The people we encoun-

Modern travellers seem more aware

tered were warm and generous, sharing

about choosing destinations with a social

Morocco´s legendary hospitality and

and environmental consciousness and

going the extra mile when we needed it.

Morocco is a country at the vanguard of

This was demonstrated aptly when a les-

sustainability projects such as the wor-

ser-known but popular airline in Morocco

ld’s largest concentrated solar power

ran late in Casablanca and left us missing

plant, powered by the Saharan sun, set to

an important connecting flight to our

help renewables provide almost half the

destination. At year- end, during peak se-

country’s energy by 2020.

El Fenn

Vanessa Branson fell in love with Marrakech, when a passion for travelling and the purchase of a rundown ‘ruin’ of a palace in the centre of Marrakech, turned into a project with pal Howell James CBE, and is today the magnificent and magical El Fenn.

Entered through an unassuming doorway in the heart of the Medina, El Fenn is described as being a place where one can dress up or down according to one’s mood, where people are happy to lie around in one of the beautiful public spaces rather than be tucked away in their own private balconies. There is no time structure and one can enjoy meals, made of mainly organic food sourced from local suppliers, in the lively restaurant or brought to you on a tray ‘where you can lie and eat, read your book or sit on your computer’.

Staff are like family at El Fenn and service is warm, unassuming, discreet and professsional.

With its beautifully bespoke bedrooms and 3 breathtakingly luxurious tree- filled courtyards boasting marble fountains, El Fenn is warm and inviting, with dark wood antique carved wooden doors, its rich fabrics, comfortable furnishing and roaring fireplaces, and at the same time discreet and mysterious, with its magical dusky ambiance hinting at hidden mysteries. Paintings and photographs from the astonishing modern art collection live comfortably amongst contemporary installations, reflecting a rich tapestry of cultural clashes and connections.

Supporting the community, local craftsmen were used to refurbish El Fenn and renowned Moroccan architect Amine Kabbaj added his Midas touch to the project, maintaining and restoring the historic Moroccan architecture, extending the property to 28 rooms and adding all modern amenities. The 7000 square feet roof terrace provides the perfect views over the city any time of the day. It’s no wonder that in December 2014, El Fenn was voted number one out of 950 hotels to win the prestigious Mr & Mrs Smith award for Best Dressed Hotel. www.el-fenn.com

Riad Timila is intimate, warm and inviting and may not be the largest Riad in Marrakech’s bustling medina but it has one of the largest hearts. Situated at 135 derb Djid in Marrakech, 5 minutes walk away from the main square or souk, 6 romantic, luxurious bedroom suites make up this Riad, each with a unique character and most of which include their own fireplaces.

The rooftop terrace is the perfect place to catch a golden sunrise or sunset and enjoy some delicious meals, lovingly prepared by the in-house chef Henia and offers 360 degree views of Marrakech which include the majestic, and in March, snow-capped, Atlas Mountains.

The craftsmanship of local artisans was employed to create Timila and the majority of furnishings were built by hand using old materials and tadelakt . Only organic products are used in the hammam and for massages and the Argan products made and supplied by local women’s collectives. The food is organic and sourced locally from country farms, pesticide and chemical free, adding to the delicious taste of the home- prepared meals.

A small Riad with a big heart can make a difference in the lives of those communities in which they exist whilst doing what they do best- providing a beautiful, tranquil, romantic haven for travellers in the adventurous, exotic, mysterious Red City at the foot of the Atlas Mountains. www.riadtimila.com Video: www.thoughtleader.global

Riad Timila

Marrakech, Morocco.

Written by Natalie Bridgette Becker-Aakervik, photos by Mikkel Becker-Aakervik

Fellah Described as authentic, luxurious and cool, Fellah Hotel is a vibrant and original hotel just outside Marrakech, home to a UNESCO recognized art center and library in collaboration with the Dar al Ma’Mun Foundation, providing education and activities for local villageers and where guests are invited to experience the ´otherness´ through the presence on site of workers, farmers, artists, thinkers, poets from Morocco and abroad. The aim is to increase dialogue between people regardless of age, origin or social backgrounds, encouraging people to meet and learn from each other.

Fellah´s fresh contemporary vision for the future includes yoga classes, visiting the eco- friendly hammam or partaking of gathering eggs, grooming a donkey or milking a goat on its small working farm.

Framed by the Atlas Mountains, Fellah´s landscaped garden offers a range of organic fruit and vegetables, served daily in their in-house restaurant or on the terrace of their sparkling pool.

Comprised of 10 beautiful and spacious villas , Fellah´s 59 rooms are all uniquely appealing and beautiful in their dramatic traditional Moroccan styles, enhanced with modern colours, artefacts and furnishings from local artisans and artists, and have views of the magnificent Atlas Mountains and magical gardens with its cacti collections and quirky installations. www.fellah-hotel.com Video: www.thoughtleader.global

Written by Natalie Bridgette Becker-Aakervik, photos by Mikkel Becker-Aakervik

Mamounia

La

La Mamounia Hotel in Marrakech, Morocco was voted Best Hotel in the World by Conde Nast Readers Choice Travellers Awards 2015 and is deserving of this fine accolade. A former palace, set in Royal Gardens, La Mamounia’s brilliant architecture, recently refurbished by Jaques Garcia and Olivia Giacobetti, and its breath taking views all add to its legendary allure.

Open since 1923, this majestic institution played host to a number of luminaries, including Winston Churchill, who aptly has a bar named after him in the hotel. Guests can enjoy the delicious cuisine on offer at La Mamounia from its range of restaurants, Moroccan, Italian and French or stroll down to the Swimming Pool Pavilion – Le Pavillon, to enjoy a scrumptious buffet breakfast in a charming and magical atmosphere. Mamounia´s signature fragrance of jasmine, orange blossom and cedar fills the air and water is a strong feature with fountains and ponds decorating the space.

The Spa is known as one of the best in Marrakech and this relaxing, tranquil and beautiful space, with its beautiful heated pool is perfect for a late night swim to unwind after a long travel.

We were warmly welcomed by Mamounia´s affable and elegant Zayd Bounaga, the epitome of hospitality, who shared some of la Mamiunia´s history with us and offered some useful suggestions of how to best enjoy the hotel, suprising us with delicious almond milk and dates, which are traditionally served in Moroccan homes. This lo-

vely welcome was a taste of things to come as we entered our suite to find a generous and delicious array of pastries from Mamounia´s famous Le Menzeh pavilion, which fuse classic French traditions with Arabic flavours, made up from butter and chocolate imported from France and strawberries grown in Mamounia´s gardens. We were spoilt for choice with flavours include Cherry Plum, Lemon croutons, Fig with almond cream, Rosemary and vanilla ice-cream on puff pastry, Nectarine with green pistachio, Marshmallow and pistachio icecream and sea-salt-scented Breton shortbread, lemon cream, dark chocolate and ginger dates, the latter of which is unique to Mamounia.

Settling into the luxurious suite with its rich and romantic palette of ruby and dark wood tones, wrapped in Mamounia´s delicious robes and slippers, we strolled onto the balcony to take in the majestic view overlooking the gardens.

Mamounia is one of the most romanic hotels in the world and a stay there, whether for honeymooning couples, business executives or travelling families, experiencing the legendary hospitality, transports one to another world. Whether its an early morning swim followed by a sumptuous breakfast on the terrace or a stroll in the legendary gardens, exploring this exquisite palace, La Mamounia is the stuff that dreams are made of and where beautiful memories are made. www.mamounia.com Video: www.thoughtleader.global

Beachcomber

Royal Palm Hotel

Written by Natalie Bridgette Becker-Aakervik, photos by Mikkel Becker-Aakervik

The 6 star Royal Palm Marrakech, at the foot of the Atlas mountain range, offers an idyllic hideaway perfect for honeymooning couples or family fun in lavish villas. At 86m2, staying in one of the opulent Palm Suites, featuring a bedroom with a bathroom, a lounge and a terrace, breathing luxurious opulence, is like having one’s own apartment on this lush estate.

Named among TripAdvisor’s best luxury hotels in Morocco, The Royal Palm is a modern hotel offering all the amenities modern travellers are used to, and more. Marrakech’s only Clarins Spa is fully equipped with a gym complete with it’s own exercise coach on standby, should one need an instructor or partner for the squash courts!

One of the most prized features of Royal Palm Marrakech is its spectacular 18-hole golf course designed by Cabell B. Robinson. One can explore

world class cuisine and sample local specialities in its 3 restaurants and breakfast next to the pool overlooking the lake is a delicious and relaxed affair, where one can spend hours sampling the moroccan delicacies, taking in the surrounding natural beauty.

The hotel is large and lavish and an impressive collection of art adorns its walls. Having dinner at the Al Ain Restaurant, Royal Palm´s traditional Moroccan restaurant, one can enjoy balmy Moroccan evenings with the traditional cuisine and music that the country is famous for. Our meal was beautifully served and presented, and accompanied by a serenade from local artists performing traditional Moroccan music. A truly authentic and memorable experience! www.royalpalm-hotels.com Video: www.thoughtleader.global

‘The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.’ Albert Camus

Art / C Written by Natalie Bridgette Becker-Aakervik, photos by Mikkel Becker-Aakervik

ARTSI IFRACH creator, artist and designer of the label Art /C – fully made in Morocco.

Artsi Ifrach easily embodies the essence of the Albert Camus quote and also the sentiment, in his direct, frank and forthright approach to life, people and relationships, art and identity. Yet this self- described Israeli- Moroccan designer living in the heart of Marrakech, reveals a soulful soul with deep reverence for history, creation, artistic freedom and preserving culture and legacy.

OT: He defiantly refuses to call himself an artist.

ARTSI: ‘I am the same as everybody else and different like everybody else.’

OT: Artsi means ‘my country’ in Hebrew and Arabic.

What brought you back to Morocco, your birthplace?

ARTSI: ‘I am Moroccan, I am Israeli, I am a designer, I am a spiritual person, all of these things I take into consideration when I’m working and these journeys make my universe richer and help me to evolve all the time. All of these eclectic things, all of the countries I come from and have journeyed through, make me who I am.’

OT: We speak about identity, culture and religion.

ARTSI: ‘There are things you have a choice in and things you don’t. Religion is what one is born into, what you are taught to be. I think Culture is the most important. Culture can live onto next generations and it’s our roots, what defines us and what makes our world interesting and different, I think from there is where I get most of my inspiration.’

OT: Artsi’s electic identity infuses itself into his de signs, which pay homage to culture and vintage.

ARTSI: ‘ I don’t describe my designs because I cannot. It’s something that comes from within me, and which comes out and becomes something. It comes from religion, it comes from culture but it also comes from memories. I think if you want to touch people, you have to touch their memories, because it’s the only place that garments can become emotional. So I’m trying to touch the emotions of people through garments and through memories. I’m dealing a lot with culture and with vintage pieces because I think it allows you to really understand how it was then and as a designer, it’s very important for me to preserve this culture.’

OT: Artsi speaks about the strong DNA of culture in Moroccoand other places he travels to.

ARTSI: ‘Every country I go to, I’m dealing with the culture of the country and I think this journey creates something that is magical. And it not just about the new patterns or the new colours or whatever else is new. For me, culture and to take something old and make from it new things, is something that can evolve and preserve cultures. I’m very conscious about what I’m doing but I also let myself be very free with the translation of the thing, so I can always play with that and give it a new life.’

OT: It’s his sentiment that made him transform and give new life to an old blanket he found on his father’s bed left behind years ago, when the family home in the Jewish neighbourhood of Marrakech was re-opened.

ARTSI: ‘I received this house from my father, which belonged to us for the past 200 years, and which was closed for many years. When I opened it up, the bedroom was as it was before they left it, and there was this blanket on the bed and the blanket was old and kitsch and the most romantic thing I ever

saw but it also touched me and I thought of how I could preserve it. I took this blanket and I created a piece to give it a new life or it would have been forgotten. We need to use things we haven’t been using and give them a new life. This is part of me preserving the culture, preserving the memory, giving respect for it, so I think this is part of me giving back something, somehow.’

only my freedom to be who I am but also my freedom to explore my creativity in a way I that I never expected. So I think that the Western world, even as a creative person, somehow gives you a direction without you even noticing it.’

OT: In an industry geared toward producing as much as possible,you only design only one of everything?

ARTSI: ‘I have to feel things rather than think about things. I don’t go with my mind, I go with my heart because my heart will give me a better answer and the right one. So everything has to come from there. I think we create from that, we build everything from that and when you put love into things, it gives back to you. When you apply only your mind, it gives you only logic and I don’t think there is something logical about art. Or about culture. There is something that comes from the people themselves. And I think it comes from the love for things or love for what they do. I have the word ‘ LOVE’ tattood on my neckIt´s the first thing I see in the morning when I wake up and Love is the first thing I want to see.’

ARTSI: ‘The world is very big with interesting and individual people.

I think all of us are one of a kind, so there is no reason to wear something that is not us. So I do one of a kind because I have respect for people, and I respect people that pay their money which they’ve worked very hard for it, and I respect their personality. Because we are one of a kind, and our clothes should reflect that. Of course in the reality of life, we pay a price for it, and I am happy to pay this price because it is something that only gives me love and pleasure and to the person who buys it, so it feels unique.

OT: Tell us about your participation in MB6 ARTSI: ‘I’m very conscious about my work but my work always has to have a story, and each of one of us has one. I was very moved by what happened with the immigrants all over Europe and how people reacted to it. Unfortunately we are calling them a group and they are instead individual people. So I cannot know each one of them but I can say ‘what’s the story they’re telling us and what’s the culture they’re going to bring? ’ So I try to isolate their faces because we don’t really know them but to bring something from their inside world and that is their culture. So I created a work which is the world through their eyes and the name of the work is ‘Insha’Allah’, which means ‘If God Will’s it’. I hope to show that these people are not only refugees and that they have such a strong universe and perhaps they can contribute something which we are missing.’

OT: What do you think about power of arts and culture in a society?

ARTSI: ‘Culture and Art have the same thing in common, it’s education. Culture and art preserve the inside world of people and this is what they leave behind. Culture makes the world interesting and rich and shows how powerful human beings can be with what they make. For me the future is to go back, I don’t think the future is to go forward.’

OT: How have your travels influenced your collections?

ARTSI: ‘ I’ve travelled to countries which the Western world would consider third world countries but I think sometimes those countries have something to teach the Western world, perhaps more than the Western word can teach them. Poor countries are rich in a different way. What they have is a richness no amount of money can buy.

They have a simplicity we forgot a long time ago and they don’t have to consume to be happy. There’s a huge difference.’

OT: What is your experience of living in Morocco?

ARTSI: I have the same respect for every country. I grew up in Israel and it’s a small but intense country. Somehow you feel you always have to protect yourself, you always feel there is an enemy out there.

But there is no enemy. And for me, when I came here, there was no enemy, there was friendliness, there was happiness, there was a lot of respect and a freedom nobody tells you about. You just feel it, you feel this freedom. But it doesn’t have to be out loud. Respect is something very important, Respect is equal to culture because if you respect the culture, then you respect the people that create the culture. What this country gave me, is it gave me back my freedom. Not

OT: Love –What is your definition of it and what role does it play?

OT: You mention Tokyo and Japan as a place that truly respects creativity and creatives. Tell us about your experience there.

ARTSI: ‘Oh Japan, Japan, I’m crazy about Japan right now. I’ve never been in such a world, this is a really different world and it think this is the future of everything. If you want to see where we are going, I think you should go to Japan. Because Japan actually gives you a glimpse of it. There is a lot of respect for creativity, so you don’t really see a lot of fake things in Japan, you see only creation. It can be high- end fashion or it can be low- end fashion but it’s very original.’ ’You know, in the Jewish religion, it’s interesting that the words ‘ by accident’ mean ‘something God makes’. And I believe religion can give you some of the answers you don’t have. So probably nothing is by accident and I also believe that everything that happens, happens for good. So, I met, ‘by accident’ people from Dover Street Market, one of my favourite shops, which belongs to Comme de Garcons and it’s like a museum for creativity and has respect for creative people.

And he doesn’t flag these things by big labels, although he has those, but flags them more by creativity. And this is what fashion used to be so hopefully they are leading some new way. I showed my work there earlier this year and I´m honoured and feel blessed.´ OT: You speak about being in different stages in Morocco?

ARTSI: ‘I came to Morocco five years ago as a tourist. I found it fascinating, colourful, a bit oriental Euro- Disney, somehow. That was the first stage, then I slowly I discovered Africa in Morocco and discovering Africa and how it exists in this country is fascinating because the art of the African people is beautiful and interesting. They preserve their culture and they incorporate lots of masks- everything is about the human being, its very earthy, very strong.’ ’I’m trying to soften it, trying to bring back the African art in a soft way and introduce the dialogue as to how we can see the women portrayed as powerful and the art in a much more feminine way, somehow different, in order to evolve African art to a new place.’

OT: Let´s speak about your work with masks.

ARTSI: ’ I think the idea of masks is interesting because I think we all have one. When you put a cover over someone´s face, you see what you want to see and not what he person wants to show you and I think this is interesting. I think some people feel more comfortable with masks, like they don’t have to pretend, it can be liberating.’

OT: You have some interesting opinions around fear?

ARTSI: ’I deal with my fears by accepting them and going towards

them. For example, I’m afraid of flying, so I fly more because I want to see why I’m afraid of flying. Behind every fear is a good thing and so if I’m afraid of something, I want to go there because there is something behind it I need.’

OT: What do you think of the role of media in today’s society?

ARTSI: ‘Well, It’s easier to control people if they are afraid, so media can make us afraid. Or make us more interested. There are many other things happening which are not fearful, so it’s our choice and perhaps responsibility to focus on those things, to give them a place. I refuse to be afraid and this is my right as human being. Sometimes people forget they have a choice and prefer to become the victim, not understanding that they are not. So there is a choice in our thinking. I exercise my choice every day, and we need to exercise our choice so that we can actually love and so that we can make a difference. It’s amazing what people can do but sometimes its also amazing what they don’t do.’

OT: What influences and inspires you?

ARTSI: ‘ I am influenced by everybody and by everybody who is an individual and who practises individuality. I am not influenced by designers because every designer creates their own universe. I have lots of respect for designers and for everyone who wakes up in the morning and does something with their imagination. It’s more powerful than anything else. So if you practice it every day and something comes out of itShapo! (I take my hat off to you) OT: Vintage is strong theme in your work.

ARTSI: ‘ Vintage pieces were made to last. If you take vintage garments apart you can see that. The industry- I dislike that word because we are not the industry, we are people who make things and people are not industry, they are human beings and one of a kind. But for the purpose of this conversation, let’s say ‘industry’ today is based on consuming, how we can change it faster, so garments are not necessarily made to lastthey are made to last for the trend they are, which is very short, usually 3 months or less.’ ’So I can take an old piece and move it forward because the people who created it, created something with so much respect for the work that it was made to last and one could own it for a lifetime or pass it onto future generations.’

OT: Tell us about your decision to open your 250 year old family home in the heart of the old Jewish district.

ARTSI: ’As a tourist seeing Morocco, you go to the sites everyone goes to, to experience it as a collective culture not as personal one. Yet the personal culture is a lot more interesting because by definition, if you want to know Morocco, you have the know the people’ ‘The doors and houses in Morocco are like the people

of Morocco. On the outside, the people are really, really small and really simple and in Morocco, you have these small doors, but when you enter the house and it’s a huge Ali Baba Universe. So I wanted people coming into this house to understand this dialogue between how small and how humble we are, but how rich we are inside. And this house is part of that dialogue.’

OT: Tell us about your work with photographer Leila Hida.

ARTSI: ’I come with a rich and very strong universe which could be seen as kitcsh. And Laila comes from the most simple, most relaxed and most emotional place and she makes me even better because she balances the drama that I have but in an empathetic way. We´ve captured images in Ethiopia, Spain, Morocco and Tokyo. The images are another part of my work because after my pieces are sold, what’s left is the picture. So the photos also have to last, and the perspective has to be that if I look at the images 10 years later, the content or subject is still alive, as we captured them.’

OT: Which fabrics do you enjoy working with?

ARTSI: ‘There is something very strong about the colours of Morocco because the Moroccan people love colours and they are so rich in their heads and happy, really rich and really, really happy. I’m not the one working with colours and I’ll explain why- I’m working with artisans and this is what I do- I create a sketch, for example, to make a scarf and I only make it in black and then the woman I work with, I tell her to make whatever she sees. The one who makes my scarf and embroideries is creative exactly like me so I let her be free completely to create it how she sees it and I do the same thing with my tailors. We are doing something together, I don’t know what will happen, I also keep the surprise for myself. The creative people I work with only make my work better- I’m not a control freak when it comes to creativity. It’s like a kibbutz- we all do the same! ‘ OT: What do you think defines a thought leader and do you see yourself as one?

ARTSI: ’First of all I’m not better than anybody, I’m just different like everybody. We are the collective of different people and we create something we call the universe. I’m trying, through my freedom to touch people and I hope that people will be more free and will let go of their fears and be more able to be who they are, without being conscious of what people think about them. Because the only way that people see your light or your imagination or your own individuality is when you are strong enough to be yourself. You don’t have any other choice. The only person you can be is who you are. So what I’m trying to say is if we want to make a difference, we have to keep our difference, our individuality.’

HAVANA Sillas / Chairs

A chair is so much more than somewhere to sit for many people. It is a claim for space, a possession, a mark showing that people have a place where they belong.

In Cuba, the chairs have been cherished through the years, and even when they are worn out, they are fixed just one more time, giving them a new and prolonged life by a continous line of owners. And they go well with the many colourful structures of the island.

Photos by Klara Opdahl, www.oklara.no

FELLAH Hotel Photos by Tommy Løland. Hair by Mustapha el Kachaoui. Make up by Eva bergé.

Model Ghizlane Safsaf. All clothes by Artsi Ifrach, ART-C.

ACE N.Y.C

Photos by Kristoffer Myhre Styling by Elizabeth Surdal & Tommy Løland Make-up by Bianca Espinosa Hair by Ulf Scherpen, Bumble and bumble Model: Afra Lopez Cuellar - Red Models NYC Shot at location, ACE Hotel, New York.

Jacket and vest by Diesel. Shirt by Stella Mc Cartney for Adidas. Trousers by Elizabeth Surdal.Shoes by Rebook.

Shirt by Rebook. Trousers by Marimekko. Shoes by Rebook.

Dress by LPD New York. (Life in Perfect Disorde) Neck pice by COS.

Top by Adidas. Skirt by LPD New York

Trousers by Marimekko

Skirt by LPD New York. Vest by Diesel.

Shirt by Massive, Opening Cermony

MARRAKECH Biennale 2016

Written by Natalie Bridgette Becker-Aakervik, photos by Mikkel Becker-Aakervik

Originally created as The Arts in Marrakech Festival, with its first edition in 2005, the Marrakech Biennale was born out of a vision

by Vanessa Branson and Abel Damoussi to create a festival which would build cultural bridges and address social issues. In 2009, it was renamed The Marrakech Biennale, and today is ranked one of the top 20 biennales in the world and is a platform for contemporary art in Africa, the Middle East and the Mediterranean region.

From 23 February to 8 May, Marrakech came alive with art, culture and installations, performances, exhibitions, film programs and seminars, as the 6th edition of the Marrakech Biennale took place. Free of charge and featuring works from 50 artists across several historical venues, the entire city became a living gallery. Ancient landmarks and public heritage sites such as Palais El Badi and Palais Bahia, a 19th Century palace, played host to installations created by artists from around the world, who collaborated with Moroccan artists and craftsmen to produce the artworks that adorned this city´s landscape for 11 weeks.

From the Curatorial theme ’Not New Now’, one can pull many strands of interpretation. A ’cultural orientation towards newness’ leading to ’hollow consumption’ is how MB6´s Palestinian curator Reem Fadda describes it. Reem is Associate Curator of Middle Eastern Art at the Guggenheim Foundation for their Abu Dhabi project and selected artists from Africa, Europe, the Arab world and their diaspora to participate. Collaborating curators were Omar Berrada, who curated an exhibition called ’Memory Games’ about the life of filmmaker and critic Ahmed Bouanani, and Salma Lahlou and Fatima-Zahra Lakrissa, who curated a section on the avant-garde art movement, the Casablanca School.

President Executive of MB6, Amine Kabbaj oversaw the artistic direction of the Marrakech Biennale 6th Edition. About identity, he says, ’ MB6 gives to Morocco the sense of one thinking, one thinking about decolonisation, about what we are, who we are.. We are Arab, we are Jewish, we are Roman, we are Muslim, we are Berber, we are Black, we are all these ethnicities and we have been the crossroads between the Middle East, Africa and Europe’ Described as ’political but not politicised’ by assistant curator, Ilaria Conti, MB6 plays host to varied interpretations of the theme, ranging from the hauntingly poignant to the stark and structural, to post- colonialist solutions suggesting a renaissance of specificity amidst the resurgence of artisanal work. ’For MB6’ she says: ’We switched from the concept of contemporary art to living art, which is an art in service of people, in service of society, and that is made to interact, to trigger questions. It is made for the time in which we live, it is an art that calls for action, now.’ The exhibition starts with a series of historical works from the 1960´s and 70’s and then moves on to see how those challenges, themes, questions and urgencies are still being tackled, are still very present in our lives and societies.’

Memory Games: Ahmed Bouanani Now’ Librarian at Dar Al-Ma’mûn , Juan Asis Palao, speaks to us about the exhibition ’Memory Games: Ahmed Bouanani Now’ ’It´s a portrait of an artist through his books, by way of the personal library of Ahmed Bouanani. Books are the best way to understand the influences, the tastes, the evolution of his thoughts.’

MB6 Street Art Parallel and partner projects happen `off the biennale’ all across the city, taking one on interesting journeys through its narrow streets and alleys. Making history, MB6 has for the first time introduced a Street Art project, with leading international and local street artists decora-

ting the city walls with murals. Boasting North Africa’s largest mural at 6,400 square meters and depicting two figures communicating across borders, a commentary on the migration crises, by Italian artist Giacomo Bufarini RUN. Other artists include Mad C from Germany, Alexey Lucas from Russia, and Sickboy from the UK. Fatiha Zemmouri Artist Fatiha Zemmouri lives and works from Casablanca, and for MB6 created a project borne out of a moment in time when events around the world were particularly violent and distressing. Entitled ’A´ labra… de Rien’ which translated, means: ’Shelter… From Nothing’, the artist describes the work as referring to that which is seemingly immutable or unchangeable but which can instead become extremely precarious. This statement is demonstrated by a public sculpture in the form of a large polystyrene rock wedged between the hallways of a heritage palace. ’It’s this feeling I wanted to recreate through the installation, when people pass underneath it. There is always light and darkness and I think we should know how to extract the light from things. Even in the most terrible events, there is something to take away from it.

Things change inside of us. Society cannot change unless the individuals that constitute that society, can change. ‘ Eric van Hove Algerian-born Belgian artist Eric van Hove´s D9T is a recreation of the Caterpillar engine which killed American activist Rachel Corrie, in the Gaza Strip in 2003.

Describing the work, the artist speaks about post -colonialism, the need for the colonist to step down and help restore the gaze of the colonised. Made up of 295 parts and 46 materials, crafted by Moroccan and Indonesian artisans, he refers to the engine as a metaphor for society, referring to the artisan as the smaller often overlooked parts of society but without whom that society would not work. Eric questions how craft can reintegrate into modern economy, giving back some pride to the craftsmen themselves and a better share in the economic system. The artist senses and advocates a move away from mass production to a more artisanal approach, citing that 3 million artisans mass- producing specificity, is all that is needed for a renaissance.

Dogma is another theme of Eric´s work. Engines represent modernity and even in these post colonial times, the artisans have to break free from certain dogma in order to progress and of the need for Moroccan artists to detach themselves from the dogma of their thinking that as Moroccan artisans they can only craft Moroccan items, suggesting instead that Moroccan artisans could manufacture and sell motorbikes to China, rather than the current trend of Moroccan lamps being made in China and sold in Morocco. He is engaged in solutions to these issues through various projects, where work by work, they are being addressed and redressed and says ´The craftsman is the 3D printer of the 1900´s really.’

Tribute to Leila Alaoui While Eric van Hove´s DT9 paid tribute to Rachel Corrie, MB6 to paid tribute to Leila Alaoui, the French-Moroccan photographer who died in the Ouagadougou attacks on January 18, and posted an open letter in memory on the Biennale website. Alaoui died while doing advocacy work against forced marriages with Amnesty International’s My Body, My Rights campaign. www.marrakechbiennale.org

UNHAPPILY EVER AFTER

Jeff Hong

NEW YORK: The UNDP 2030 Agenda.

And introducing Jeff Hong: Unhappily Ever After.

There are many reasons to love New York: it´s the city that never sleeps and its energy is tangible. New York offers up a feast of creative offerings, from Broadway shows to brilliant galleries and concert halls, a fashion Mecca with restaurants offer a smorgasbord of the best culinary delights. Its boroughs and colourful neighbourhoods are a delight to explore and its diverse mixture of people and ethnicities make New York an exhilarating cultural melting pot. Home to the United Nations Head Quarters and General Assembly Hall, it was the setting

for the United Nations Development Program 50th Anniversary Ministerial Meeting earlier this year, where Ministers from all UN Member States charted a course for the future of global development, around the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Sustainable Development Goals.

High level debates took place around eradicating poverty, protecting planet and sustaining development, and in a future which seems uncertain with the challenges of climate change, political turbulence and economic inequality, the SDG´S provide a shared vision of the future of humanity. One which imagines a world where all people prosper, societies are more

inclusive, and the planet is protected from the worst effects of climate change, leaving no one behind.

We introduce Jeff Hong, who both literally and figuratively, illustrates this principle powerfully.

Agenda 2030 is the most ambitious effort on development in world history. And begs the question: where do we find ourselves in the bigger picture. What can we do, as ordinary citizens, when met with daily media, evidencing the effects of planetary degradation, to not become de- sensitised or feel overwhelmed, but to meet those challenges, knowing that what we do makes a difference, because it does. Conservation and sustainability starts with us, in our own homes, with our own choices.

“In a Wonderland they lie, Dreaming as the days go by, Dreaming as the summers die: Ever drifting down the stream- Lingering in the golden gleamLife, what is it but a dream?” ― Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass An animation storyboard artist born and raised in LA, Jeff fell in love with conceptual art, ’art with a voice’ while studying illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Jeff became a reluctant hero when his work first became public, and elicited a range of responses, mainly from those with whom his message, relevant and powerful in its form and function, resonated and who applauded the seemingly reticent and softly spoken animator- turned- activist for his bold and unapologetic narratives.

A lifelong fan of Disney characters, and having worked as an animation artist on films such as Hercules, Mulan, Tarzan and the Emperor´s New Groove, Jeff observed the emotional connection people, including himself, had to these fictional, well- known, well-loved characters.

Moved by the experiences of people around him in fast paced cities like LA and New York and the seeming disconnectedness of life there, Jeff was inspired to create art to highlight what he saw, and to use his talents and platforms to subvert familiar Disney characters by placing then into modern day contexts, dealing with the social and environmental challenges faced today. The dismal figure of Tarzan on a subway in the urban jungle, a bewildered and displaced Pocahontas inside a glittering but tawdry casino, a sludge- covered Ariel, the little mermaid crawling out of a polluted ocean and Alice in Wonderland escaping into a rabbit hole of drugs and chemical dependency, are just some of the poignant, powerful and ironic images Jeff brings to life.

Media reportage on drowned refugee children washing up on our shores, was the tragic inspiration behind Jeff´s ´Drift Wood´, and what surprised him was the apathy with which these real- life experiences were met, and that it took our emotional connection with fictional characters to elicit a response. Jeff believes that it’s the little things that make a difference, and that acknowledging our connectedness and common humanity can go a long way towards healing, whether it be one another, ourselves or this planet we call home.

Jeff exhibited works from ´Unhappily Ever After` most recently at the Open Gallery Space at 35A Bowery in New York, characteristically as part of a sustainable art exhibition. http://disneyunhappilyeverafter.tumblr.com/ Dalmatians / JEFF HONG

Princess Jasmin, Aladdin.

Jungle Book

Ratatouilli

The Little Mermaid.

Winnie The Pooh

Mulan

Travelling Light

Photos by Tor Orset.

Styling by Tommy Løland Models Sigbjørn and Jenny T / EB Models.

Shot on Loccation in Grimstad.

On this page all clothes by Diesel.

Sweather and shoes by H&M Studio. Trousers by Lexington. Watch by Chopard. Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Chrono 2016 Racing edition, Thune.

Shirt by Hermes. Jacket by Hugo Boss.

Watch by Breitling.

Superocean Héritage 46 Black, Thune.

Jacket by Diesel. Trousers and shoes by H&M Studio. Watch by Chopard. Superfast Chrono Porsche limited 919, Thune.

Cape by Tommy Hilfiger / GIGI. Watch by Chopard. Happy Sport Lady, Thune.

Watch by Omega. Speedmaster 1957, Thune.

Shirt and suit by Hugo Boss. Shoes by H&M Studio. On him Watch by Omega. Speedmaster 1957, Thune.

On Her Velvet dress by Samsø&Samsø. Shoes by H&M studio. Watch by Chopard. Happy Sport Lady, Thune.

Trousers by Lexington. Watch by Chopard. Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Chrono 2016 Racing Edition, Thune.

Jacket by Diesel. Trousers and shoes by H&M Studio.

Jacket and shirt by Hugo Boss. Trousers by H&M Studio. Watch by GlashĂźtte. Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date, Thune.

Tistedal

Photos by PĂĽl Mokkelbost Laukli.

Assisted by Matt Bryce and Casper Nielsen Strand Shot with Fujifilm X-T2 Retoutch by Wetoutch.

Styling by Tommy løland.

Makup by Trude Mokkelbost Laukli.

Hair by Jorun Hansen.

Shot at loccation, Third floor studios Tistedal Model Vilde / Pholk Daniella / Pholk

Top by Nina Jarebrink. Dress draped w fabrics from Tina Steffenak Hermansen. Hat by NRK.

Cape by Ginny. Shoes by Nelly. Vintage skirt and top by Tommy Løland.

Cape by Malene Birger. Shoes by Nel by Nelly

Dress By Malene Birger.

Top by Nina Jarebrink. Vintage skirt.

ØSTER

DALEN

Photographer - Cathrine Wessel Photo Assistant - Chrissy Connors Styling by Tommy Løland Hair and Make-up by Elise Malde / MUA Retouching by Larry Hurtado @ e36 Creative Models: Fransisco and Iris L / Team On this page outfits by Diesel

Top by Dries Van Noten. Pants by Diesel.

Underwear by Diesel.

Shirt by Comme des Garรงons

Underwear and hotpants by Diesel.

Blanket by Missoni. Suspenders by Moods of Norway. Vintage French Armypants.

Vintage Football Shirt. Onepiece by Adidas.

Top by Dries Van Noten. Pants by Diesel. Shirt by Diesel.

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