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  • Swiss watchmaker NORQAIN is Official Timekeeping Partner of Dubai Marathon

    New Official Timekeeping Partner For Dubai Marathon CEO of Norqain Swiss watchmaker NORQAIN will take on the role of Official Timekeeping Partner when the long-awaited Dubai Marathon returns to the global sporting scene on Sunday (February 12). A family-owned and independent watch brand, NORQAIN comes to Dubai fresh from a similar role at the New York City Marathon in November and the brand’s commitment to athletics.

  • Celebrity Chef Yannick Alléno debuts haute cuisine in London

    Yannick Alléno, one of the most Michelin-starred chefs in the world, announces the opening of Pavyllon London in early summer 2023, set within the acclaimed Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane. Chef Yannick Alléno is widely regarded as one of the world's finest chefs, holding 15 Michelin stars across his 14 global restaurants, found in the likes of Paris, Dubai, Monaco, Seoul and Courchevel. All images courtesy of Four Seasons. Chef Yannick says, “Partnering with the iconic Four Seasons brand has always been a dream of mine, and I am so excited that this partnership will be conceived in London, where I have long wanted to open. Together, we’ve created a concept that will reflect the contemporary and vibrant nature of the city it will call home, while appealing to locals, visitors, and all who enter its doors.” Pavyllon London will champion laid-back luxury, pairing fine cuisine with a modern and warm environment – a reflection of Chef Yannick’s long-standing love affair with London and his firm belief that restaurants form the backbone of the city’s social scene. Guests will enjoy diverse menus in a welcoming setting, perfect for any occasion – from leisurely lunches with family to joyous dinners with friends, ultimately creating a dynamic dining experience that encapsulates London’s lively nature, local characters and the shared passion for hospitality of Chef Yannick and Four Seasons. “Across our growing global portfolio of nearly 600 restaurants and bar outlets, Four Seasons consistently offers best-in-class, innovative concepts that are brought to life by creative craftspeople who share our passion for exceptional service and culinary excellence,” says Kimberly Grant, Global Head of Restaurants and Bars, Four Seasons. “We are thrilled that Chef Yannick has chosen Four Seasons to partner on his first opening in London. Together, we are raising the bar even higher, with a concept that reflects the future of fine dining with elevated cuisine and service, with a distinctly warm and welcoming touch.” Located within Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane in a freshly designed space, Pavyllon London will be a hub of community for local patrons and international travellers alike. To dine at the restaurant’s counter will be to take front-row seats at his theatre. Lynn Brutman, Regional Vice President and General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane comments, “Ever since Four Seasons opened its first European hotel here in London, we’ve been dedicated to creating exceptional experiences for all who visit our iconic, legacy property. With the opening of Pavyllon London, we look forward to elevating the dining experience at our Hotel even further with a fully re-imagined space in which Pavyllon will come to life, continuing to solidify our position as a destination of choice in London for locals and travellers alike.” On the Menu at Pavyllon London The menu at Pavyllon will be ever-changing, a testament to Chef Yannick's creative food philosophy that every great classic is avant-garde. While dishes will be rooted in French gastronomy and techniques, and share influence with Pavyllon Paris, Chef Yannick will draw inspiration from seasonal British produce to create a truly modern dining experience. The menus will also reflect a passionate belief of Yannick’s that chefs have a responsibility to look after the good health of their guests. He reforms classical approaches by reducing the amount of sugar, fat, and salt in his dishes without compromising flavour or any sense of indulgence. Underpinning his philosophy of modern French cuisine are multiple pillars, another being the importance of sauce, and Extraction, a technique he developed in 2013, as well as fermentation. This is best represented in dishes found in Pavyllon Paris such as: perfect egg, Paris ham jelly, Isigny cream and Maison Prunier caviar and vegetable raviolis with spring extraction broth and Perfumed oils as well as Chef Yannick’s interpretation of the French classic - cheese soufflé, steamed with Comté and celery extraction. For the main affair, guests can expect aiguillette of sea bass with a celery extraction sauce and Pavyllon’s surf and turf, blue lobster and wagyu beef mille-feuille choron sauce beaten with toasted sesame oil. The wine offering has been equally well considered with the help of superstar sommelier Vincent Javaux, and will be vast yet discerning, including prestigious references from some of the world’s best vineyards alongside family-owned chateaus. There will also be a significant selection of wines available by the glass. Since the beginning of his career, he has become known for his reinvention of Modern French cuisine with dishes rooted in French gastronomy but taking inspiration from modern techniques and seasonal ingredients. His three restaurants in Pavillon Ledoyen hold six stars – three at Alléno Paris, two at L’Abysse and one at Pavyllon – making it the most star-rated independent establishment in the world. His restaurant Le 1947 at Cheval Blanc in Courchevel, also holds three Michelin stars. For those seeking kind and intuitive luxury, Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane brings to life elevated experiences in an iconic London location. A short stroll from the city’s main attractions and famous shopping streets, it is ideally located to explore the city. Featuring newly designed rooms and a rooftop Spa for a unique city wellness experience, the Hotel is ideal for the modern traveller.

  • Hauser & Wirth Gstaad unveils Alexander Calder

    Vieux Chalet, a charming, traditional-style chalet in the heart of the Swiss Alps, is home to Hauser & Wirth Gstaad where art exhibitions are open by appointment only. Today new artist is unveiled, Alexander Calder, Slender Legs1959, Sheet metal, rod and paint, 354.4 x 391.1 x 190.5 cm. Signed with the artist’s monogram and dated: ‘CA 59’ (on the largest element) A hallmark piece executed on a grand scale, Alexander Calder’s ‘Slender Legs’ (1959) vacillates between motion and stasis and mobile and monument. Hauser & Wirth Gstaad Vieux Chalet is a charming, traditional-style chalet in the heart of the Swiss Alps, where works such as ‘Slender Legs’ can be viewed by appointment. Image: Alexander Calder, Slender Legs, 1959 © 2023 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Jon Etter

  • Richemont’s Chief Sustainability Officer Dr Bérangère Ruchat joins Group’s Senior Executive Committe

    Richemont announces today that, effective 10 February 2023, Bérangère Ruchat will join the Group’s Senior Executive Committee in her capacity as Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO). Bérangère Ruchat will continue to report to Burkhart Grund, Chief Finance Officer of Richemont and a Director on the Board of Compagnie Financière Richemont SA.

  • Interview with Chef Athanasios Kargatzidis in St. Moritz

    Before the 29th St. Moritz Gourmet Festival concluded at the top of St. Moritz in the iconic Kulm Hotel, offering guests a festive and flavor-infused Oriental Closing Night featuring gourmet specialties from the five remaining Guest Chefs of the second Festival Week, I had the opportunity to sample the menu from Lebanon's No. 1 restaurant and meet the Chef Athanasios Kargatzidis, who created this success. My gourmet journey featuring highlights from the best chefs around the globe began for me at the magical atmosphere of the edgy Kulm Country Club, at an altitude of 1856m in the Swiss Alps where guests indulge in haute cuisine as naturally as they wear haute couture or haute horlogerie. The Gourmet Dinner by Chef Kargatzidis reservation was a true wellness for senses, stimulated by fragrant, colorful dishes and innovative flavor combinations, accompanied by live music from a guitarist from Cairo for the occasion—after all, it is the 29th edition of Gourmet Festival in a world-class ski resort. Chef Athanasios Kargatzidis, worked in a group of the five Guest Chefs, Alan Geaam, Musa Dagdeviren, Gal Ben Moshe, and Raz Rahav to created the menu for this private and fully booked Oriental Closing Night's gala dinner; the food, presentation, ambience and all details are very carefully selected and presented in the magnificently adorned "Sunny Bar" of the Kulm hotel. It began with an extremely lavish hot and cold mezze prepared by Chef Kargatzidis, who served, smoked cod's roe, doughnut kibbeh lamb neyyeh topped with caviar, kaumouni, arak toum, crisp taboon lamb sujouk and more. I was amazed that Kargatzidis, as a Greek Chef opened this gala dinner, but I was not surprised; as I experienced the night before at his Gourmet Dîner and in an interview earlier that day with the Chef, I understood what motivates his passion for the Middle Eastern cuisine. ©Image David Hubacher. Before I go into the details of this Gourmet Dinner and one-of-a-kind moments that are served to us not only by nature itself but by great talents like Chef Athanasios Kargatzidis, whom I met on his first visit to St. Moritz as a Guest Chef of the Local Chef Mauro Taufer at the "Kulm Hotel St. Moritz," I invite you to read the interview below and then the article about the Closing Night. The St. Moritz Gourmet Festival concluded at the iconic Kulm Hotel, with Oriental Closing Night Dinner. All image courtesy of Kulm Hotel. Athanasios Kargatzidis, who was born in Greece, is rather familiar with the mountain landscapes of Canada where he grew up and attended Vancouver's prestigious Dubrulle Culinary Institute. He compares his first impressions of Engadin to Canada's top mountain destinations. While traveling the globe and developing his own culinary style, he never forgot his Greek heritage and the famous Greek hospitality, something that is reflected in his modern fusion food. We smalltalk about St. Moritz the irresistible destination for the well-traveled and birthplace of winter tourism thanks to hotelier Johannes Badrutt, St. Moritz and its first hotel, the Kulm Hotel, where we stay, gained recognition throughout the 19th century for their avant-garde spirit and Swiss hospitality. Kulm Hotel's lobby where the interview with Chef Athanasios Kargatzidis took place. The Kulm Hotel recognized the importance of upgrading the dining experience and providing guests with the latest avant-garde and modernity lifestyle, as it had Switzerland's first electric light in its Grand Restaurant, and today, this legendary resort is flourishing under the ownership of a Greek family, which makes me realize how this makes the Guest Chef feel so well taken care of, something he admits to me later in the interview is very important to him. The cosy outdoor ambience of the newly opened Kulm Country Club; featuring an alpine-chic bar and a generous sun terrace overlooking the Kulm Park, at an altitude of 1856m is where guests inside enjoyed the Gourmet Dinner by Chef Kargatzidis. As founder and co-owner of one of the top gourmet venues in Lebanon, Kargatzidis undoubtedly knows the effort it takes to be the best and also the pleasure of having guests and spoiling them with the best of the best. His restaurant, "Baron" in Beirut is placed first in the Middle East & North Africa's 50 Best Restaurants — Lebanon, and 12th overall in the list of the "Middle East & North Africa's 50 Best Restaurants." Baron is not a Greek nor Canadian restaurant, but something else—a celebration of local Lebanese cuisine, as the Chef shares later. Eclectic small plates characterise the seasonal sharing-style menu that changes every few days. Heavy on the vegetables, the food is modern and innovative, with Mediterranean and Japanese influences. And everything is made and tastes as the Chef himself prefers and experiences the tastes of Lebanon. Naturally, the first thing I wanted to know was, how did the Chef achieve this high level of success in a completely foreign country and food tradition? Athanasios Kargatzidis: I have just finished three-year placement thanks to my agent in Chine, and I went back to Greece to see my family. The agent Mr Dubois approached me shortly with a new project, this time in Lebanon. And asked me to go there at least over a weekend, since my plan was to continue working in Fas east and Japan. When I meed the owners of the business in Beirut and understod what they wanted to do I stayed there; it was not a reflection of who I was as a chef, or what I wanted to do as a chef but the managing aspect was appealing. In the end I took over, expanding it from one location to thirty-five locations in the Middle East. At that point I met my wife, and we were thinking about leaving for Canada, but then I was asked to do some consulting, and the consulting really succeeded, so I asked again, "Do we go now or do we stay?" In the end, we ended up staying. We found an old factory in an area that happened to be in the Armenian quarter of Beirut. It felt right and homelike, and my wife is Armenian. And basically, we built a restaurant because I needed an occupation and somewhere to go every day. Beirut is a very great area for me. Yes, it is beautiful, the people are amazing, the local food is amazing, and everything, but coming from a structured life in Canada, it was also difficult to adjust to the city. But I was able to build the business that I wanted and do what I wanted to do. Chef Athanasios Kargatzidis Athanasios Kargatzidis: So the restaurant Baron is always a reflection of who I am. How I want the space and the food to make you feel; comfortable and loved inside. And Baron is the name of the person, in the Armenian sense of someone who knows everything. The guy who you go to and who knows where something is and who can help you out if you need something My colleagues at the time referred to me as Baron. It is the nobility title for someone who is not related to the monarchy's bloodlines, so it made sense, as I don't feel full-blooded local either. The restaurant is a complete reflection of me. We play the music that I listen to, and we cook the way that I want to eat. Athanasios Kargatzidis: The way my geast eat is the way that I experienced the local cuisine in the first time. I experienced eating Lebanese food for the first time; it's just all these flavors on the plate mixed together into an amazing dish, and you just want to recreate that for your guests. This dish is a reflection of the travel I went through and my firsthand experience with the local foods. For an example, the restaurant that I run now in Portugal is, in a similar way, a reflection of the flavors and my experience of Portuguese food. This is simply my philosophy, and this is how I cook. Athanasios Kargatzidis: I'm just now getting around to calling this fusion cooking. As a chef, I grew up at the time of Peter Gordon and Charlie Trotter, the renowned pioneers of fusion food. I absorbed all of their influences, including how they became chefs and how they lived in multicultural societies. I remember growing up in Canada, in a city with 2000 Greek families who lived very much according to their culture. But at the same time, when my parents took me to dinner we were sampling foods at a local Vietnamese restaurant, I grew up eating homecooked Greek food, but I was also eating traditional perogies with my Ukrainian friends. So it was a complete picture of what was going on for me in terms of food culture. The multicultural composition of urban Canada greatly shaped my experience and understanding of food. It was really natural to me to continue to explore other cuisines as I left Canada to work as a chef abroad. And settling up in Lebanon was very natural for the same reason. Can you tell us how you selected the menu for the gourmet dinner? Athanasios Kargatzidis: It's not something that has made us famous, but we knew it would represent The Baron in Beirut. From cauliflower to the lamb shank—even the little mezze, which you wouldn't taste unless you attended the Gourmet Safari—these are things that do not only represent the Lebanese cuisine but are Middle Eastern and Mediterranean. Because everything works in such a way that there are so many cross-references. So these dishes are all on our menu in Beirut, except the hummus. Kargatzidis mentions this dish again, despite the fact that it was an improvisation for the Gourmet Dinners based on something he experienced and kept well fortified in his memory, "The crabs reminded me of Canada, complete with drawn butter. So we make it fragrant with butter and everything from Lebanon." It was a smart way to introduce seafood, the Chef explains his idea, "The Country Club and St. Moritz make me think of Lake Tahoe and Canadian nature." Kargatzidis confesses to me that he intends to return to St. Moritz, "but this time with my family," he adds excitedly. It's interesting to learn that there is already a strong connection to Switzerland, in that his brother works full-time in Switzerland for a manufacturer, though not the Porsche that is the Festival's sponsor. Naturally the brother is inviting the Chef to visit with his children the Swiss nature. For now, the Chef is headed to the award ceremony in Abu Dhabi. St. Moritz followed by Abu Dhabi The Chef explis how well taken care of he feelt with the programme that was prepared for all the chefs from eating the inavoidabel fondue to taking gondol and toasting at Piz Nair. left St. Moritz after the conclusion of the Gourmet festival to attend inaugural and highly anticipated Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022 list, where his restaurant "Baron" was nominated again. The result was unveiled at a live awards ceremony in Abu Dhabi on 7th February. The brand-new ranking, which celebrates gastronomy, heritage and cutting-edge culinary techniques from across the region, features restaurants from 11 different countries. Nominated this year among 50 Best venues, the Baron, Beirut, was ranked 12th Best in the region, and remains first and highest ranked in Lebanon, eatdrinkbaron.com, @eatdrinkbaron. But St. Moritz would surely be happy to see him back soon. After all this is where you would go for the latest trends, and hereby I do not refer to Prada's latest skiing gear. Today St. Moritz offers the visitors to immerse in unique and world-class art, shopping, sport and culinary events. Internationally renowned brands align on Via Serlas, the highest luxury retail street in the world. Art's new mecca is the World-leading contemporary and modern art gallery Hauser & Wirth, which occupies three floors in Palace Galerie, a building owned by Badrutt’s Palace Hotel-another legendary hotel. St. Moritz has long been an enclave of creativity. The surrounding area was home to the Giacometti family and Alpine painter Giovanni Segantini. Over the course of the past two centuries, a range of cultural and intellectual figures have visited and been inspired by the Upper Engadine region. Skiing, shopping or even playing snow polo at 1,856m above sea level is energy consuming, and the resort aptly provides another highlight since 1994, the St. Moritz Gourmet Festival, which has developed into an international event over the years bringing together some of the best Chefs from all corners of the world. Professor Olga Mroz, Dame of Honour and Konstantin Zeuke, General Manager Kempinski St. Moritz at the opening ceremony of the St. Moritz Gourmet Festival on January 20 with the Porsche Grand Opening at the "Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski" in St. Moritz. Over the years, the program highlights have changed, but the concept remains the same and successful. Guest Chefs have carte blanche to prepare a bespoke menu for "Gourmet Dîners", to be served at the host property's dining establishment, which is worth a trip all by itself. This is the pinnacle of gastronomic indulgence when combined with Gourmet Safaris for more than a week, and everyone raves about the legendary Kitchen party held in the kitchen of the Badrutt's Palace Hotel, where Executive Chef Maxime Luvara resides. It is inconceivable to imagine the St. Moritz Gourmet Festival without the Gourmet Safaris, which were completely sold out after just a few days this year. During the gourmet tours through the various partner hotels, guests are cooked for by one of the Guest Chefs or a Local Chef in each hotel and can enjoy a menu course seated at the chef’s table in the kitchen. Guests could go on a culinary discovery tour while traveling in style in a fleet of Porsche cars. Ten top chefs from the world’s most renowned fine-dining restaurants offering the diverse cuisine of the Middle East, delighting the festival's guests at more than 40 different culinary events, with their culinary skills. The response to the Official Events and the Special Events, which have been almost fully booked, has been consistently positive. "Even the last few Gourmet Dîner evenings are almost fully booked," said Heinz Hunkeler, member of the festival event organisation and Director of the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz. The Oriental Closing Night, which took place at the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz on Saturday, January 28, marked the grand finale of the St. Moritz Gourmet Festival. With cooking stations representing the Head Chefs and teams of five partner hotels, the lobby of the Kulm Hotel served as the beginning point for the delightful, flavourful, and enjoyable voyage into a 1001 Night's Gourmet experience. Despite the chaotic state of Beirut, where his restaurant Baron is located, and the uncertainties surrounding supply and inflation. Even though his property was devastated in the disastrous explosion and he lost the restaurant, which is located right by the harbor, he was adamant that it had to be rebuilt, and in fact, it was within three months. This demonstrated to me his commitment to this region of the world. Personal and dedicated 6-course gourmet menu from Lebanon Kargatzidis is a firm believer that the success of a restaurant depends on his ability to compose a menu that is strongly appealing to him personally and takes point of departure in dishes that he knows and values as opposed to guessing which dishes guests would prefer. His dishes are not a "replication of Lebanese cuisine and hospitality per se", as I understood from my talk with the Chef, rather it is Kargatzidis' personal collection of favourite flavour combinations, as he introduced to me the idea behind his approach to the Middle Eastern cuisine. It was refreshing to explore the Chef's favourite dishes and his so richly "Gourmet Dîner" menu, where a six-course meal was accompanied by the live music and the best service one could wish for. The Gourmet Dinner meny by the Chef at the Kulm Country Club. Third plate by Chef at the Gourmet Dinner. Eryngii girolle skewers, yolk vadouvan tare with generous amount of shredded black truffle. So, already after dining at the Kulm Country Club my initial experience of the Festival was "awesome" to use the same expression as the Chef used to describe his time in St. Moritz. Kargatzidis was Guest Chef of three-star Michelin Chef Mauro Colagreco, "a legend" is the term he used to describe Colagreco, and told me that he never felt so good being taken care of by another Chef. Andalusian sounds accompany Gourmet dinner experience. Interview and article By Nermin Ahmet

  • Jaeger-LeCoultre debuts its iconic collection in green

    Capturing the essence of femininity, the Rendez-Vous Dazzling Night & Day has been reimagined this year in green – an homage to the unspoilt nature that surrounds Jaeger-LeCoultre’s home in the Vallée de Joux and provides a perpetual source of inspiration. Just as the cosmic cycles inspired Piaget's watchmakers to develop a mechanism that displays the night and day on the dial, the fields and forests of our valley inspire designers and artisans of the Manufacture. Presented in pink gold with a glowing green sunray-brushed dial and matching green alligator leather strap, this new rendition of the Rendez-Vous Dazzling Night & Day deftly marries the spirit of fine watchmaking with the codes of high jewellery. The radiance of 168 diamonds draws the eye to the rich colour of the dial. On the bezel, 108 diamonds, form two concentric rings around the case. There is an airy quality to these glittering circles, thanks to the claw (or ‘griffe’) setting of the outer ring of 36 stones. A classical jewellery technique that requires great precision, claw setting is designed to maximise the presence of each stone by allowing light to pass through the diamonds from every angle while minimising the visible metal. The fine gold claws hold the diamonds high, giving the impression that they are floating around the watch case, rather than anchored to it. Completing the case, an inverted diamond is set into the winding crown and three diamonds are set on each of the four lugs.On the dial, an inner circle of 47 diamonds draws the eye to the Night & Day indication. Set on a disc that rotates every 24 hours, a pink gold crescent moon with a backdrop of stars slowly alternates with a polished golden sun as night turns to day. Signature elements of the Rendez-Vous Dazzling add further refinement: hours are marked by applied Arabic numerals in the emblematic Floral style and polished golden hemispheres. Set within the 36mm case, Calibre 898 is a self-winding mechanical movement developed and produced entirely in-house and providing a power reserve of 38 hours. The transparent sapphire case-back reveals some fine decoration and finishing in classical watchmaking style: blued screws, circular graining on the wheels, and Côtes de Genève on the plates and the open-worked pink gold winding rotor. With its glowing green dial, the new Rendez-Vous Dazzling Night & Day is a visually arresting expression of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s dedication to precision and creativity in both the mechanical aspect of watchmaking and the decorative crafts. TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS RENDEZ-VOUS DAZZLING NIGHT & DAY GREEN Case: Pink Gold 750/1000 (18 carats)Dimensions: 36 mmThickness: 9.80 mmCalibre: Automatic Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 898Functions: Hours/Minutes, Day/Night IndicationPower reserve: 38 hoursDial: Green sunray, diamondsCase-back: OpenWater resistance: 5 barDiamonds: 168 diamonds – 3.43 caratsStrap: Green AlligatorReference: Q343247J

  • Louis Moinet timepiece gets GOOD DESIGN AWARD

    TEMPOGRAPH SPIRIT gets awarded a GOOD DESIGN AWARD Design legends Charles and Ray Eames, together with Eero Saarinen, one of the most important designers of the 20th century, launched the GOOD DESIGN AWARD in Chicago in 1950. ⁠Today, it’s the oldest and world’s most recognized program for design excellence worldwide. The iconic timepiece notably featuring running 20-second sequences displayed on a dedicated segment has been praised and recognized by the international jury of the prestigious institution.

  • SALONE DEL MOBILE 2023 - Interview with designers

    The new Euroluce recounted by its designers Text by Marianna Guernieri At a conversation between Cristian Catania, Juri Franzosi, Andrea Cacaci of Lombardini22 and Simone Farresin of Formafantasma, we discover the ideas that will revolutionize the most eagerly anticipated event at the next Salone del Mobile Formafantasma, photo Reneede Groot Seated around a large table in the Formafantasma studio in Milan, the designers of the coming edition of Euroluce speak of the challenges and guiding principles that will transform this event into a model international trade fair for years to come. Starting from a participatory survey conducted by Salone del Mobile.Milano a year back, with questionnaires and round tables involving protagonists of the design world, we felt the urge to design the four Euroluce pavilions around the visitors and their experience of their use. As a metaphor, we took the city, abandoning the functional pavilion-centric grid and so created a veritable City of Lights, complete with streets, squares and points of social focus intended not just for businesses and designers but also students and lighting technicians, bringing together the various souls of Italian light design, from the decorative to the technical. The Lombardini22 team was in charge of the redefinition of the exhibition space and its flows, while Formafantasma was appointed to take care of the large Arena and the Cameos, small exhibitions laid out in the trade fair site, starting from the cultural contents chosen by Beppe Finessi. The speakers are: Juri Franzosi, General Manager of Lombardini22 (L22), the group based in the street of the same name in Milan, with over 400 professionals comprising architects, engineers and designers, that uses design thinking to offer sartorial services to its customers; the architect Cristian Catania, who in L22 explored a concept of inclusive design through environmental well-being and the enhancement of spatial specifics; the lighting architect Andrea Cacaci, head of the lighting compartment in L22 or, as defined by Lombardini22, a “lighting lover”; and finally Simone Farresin of Formafantasma, a practice that for years has been researching the impact of ecology, history and politics on the field of design. Lombardini 22 How will the fair change? Juri Franzosi: Fairs were invented as places for relationships, where things happened. But over the years they have become flattened out and this concept has been lost. Through the design of spaces, we want to enable relationships, proposals, contents and innovation to take place. The involvement of figures such as Formafantasma has meant that two different worlds have come together, the most classic design with experimentation and research. For this reason, the art world will also be involved. We want visitors not to feel tired but energized, inspired, at the end of their visit. Simone Farresin: Today visitors find themselves in a checkerboard grid resembling the street plan of New York, structured on models of hyper-functionality and hyper-efficiency. But this interferes with the possibility of encountering unexpected contents. The world's most important design fair has the responsibility to offer cultural and intellectual contents. Cristian Catania: Today almost all fairs are stand-centric. The real change is to put the visitors at the center. A pavilion in the Salone normally contains 12 horizontal streets crossing 4 vertical ones: a ragged grid that compels visitors to make a lot of choices to find one stand rather than another and where there’s always the risk they’ll miss something. An urban frame of reference makes for a layout that, cognitively, does not force them to make too many choices, where they advance along a varied ring-shaped path made up of streets, alleys and squares. In a virtual simulation we observed that with the classic layout you can travel about 1.2 km to see a whole pavilion. With a circular route in about 500 meters you pass in front of all the stands without the frustration of missing anything. There will be catering places, spaces for exhibitions, which will be curated in different ways, and an area of workshops where companies can express themselves with round tables for illustrating their products. A place devoted to the culture of design with designers, directors and technicians. All defined by a specific wayfinding project that will no longer be defined by a number and a letter, as in the game of battleship, but by street names and numbers, colors and icons. Andrea Cacaci: At the fair today there are a lot of companies that enclose themselves, excluding any connection between the public path and their stands. The main difference for companies is that they will no longer have four free sides, inviting an opening. In this way the light will flow out like water and expand into the communal aisles, because this year the only lights we’ll see will be those of the exhibitors, as in a varied museum, with cold, warm, dim or bright lighting. What principles guided the design choices? Simone Farresin: We were concerned about the impact of building temporary spaces today. We imagined a modular structure because we would like this exhibition project to have continuity, if not within the fair then also in other places. Juri Franzosi: There is an implicit cultural challenge. On the one hand, we have a decades-long habit of conceiving these spaces as purely commercial. Faced with the Euroluce designed in this way, companies will have the task of transmitting the company’s identity and ideas to ensure that it becomes a place of inspiration, where people can learn and see new things. To make things happen you need identity, content, values. You can’t limit yourself just to assessing the turnover generated at the fair. Let’s remember that economics is a social science, not a mathematical science. Andrea Cacaci: A significant work has been devoted to the clients, who are highly differentiated. The first clients of the Salone are the exhibitors. We also wanted to enhance the visibility of lighting designers and architects, embracing students of design, design enthusiasts but also electricians, who are an often out of sight but a very important part of this whole world. The workshops we have devised are above all aimed at them. Cristian Catania: We listened to the voices of the exhibitors, who asked for greater visibility and with them we learned the need not only to exhibit the product but to make the fair the embodiment of the culture of design in the broadest sense. In our project, the spaces for relationships are fundamental.

  • Frédérique Constant celebrates its 35th anniversary

    Frédérique Constant’s thirty-fifth anniversary is marked by the Highlife Worldtimer Manufacture. The Swiss watchmaking manufacture, located in Geneva, Switzerland, was founded in 1988 by a couple of independent entrepreneurs, Aletta and Peter Stas. The Stas wanted to offer quality Swiss watches at an affordable price, with the aim of democratising luxury Swiss-made watches. After originally entering a well-known market filled with storied companies, this relative newcomer set off on a path that showed an uncommon level of consistency, attracting loyal collectors. The original Geneva-based firm has since embarked on an impressive journey, becoming a fully-fledged manufacturer that is now international while remaining firmly attached to its Geneva roots. To celebrate this outstanding odyssey, Frédérique Constant is unveiling two new variations of the Highlife Worldtimer. Highlife Worldtimer Manufacture, anniversary edition of 35 watches, 18-karat rose gold. All images courtesy of Frédérique Constant. Two Highlife Worldtimer Manufacture watches, one in 18-karat rose gold in a limited edition of 35, and the other in steel in an unlimited edition with a chocolate-colored dial, are being unveiled today by the Manufacture as a tribute to the splendor of this continuous narrative. Both models come with one or two additional interchangeable straps and have a diameter of 41 mm. In just three years, the Highlife collection has earned a name for itself as Frédérique Constant’s flagship collection, embodying the rise of the manufacturer that first brought it into being. A highly exclusive limited edition The first of these "Highlife Worldtimer Manufacture Variations" is an anniversary edition par excellence, comprising just 35 watches made with 18-karat rose gold—sure to delight collectors who now eagerly expect exceptional commemorative creations to appear from time to time in highly limited editions. The piece's highly contemporary, multifaceted case shows off the shimmering gleam of precious metal to the full; the manufacturer has further enhanced the resulting interplay of light by offsetting the brushed case with a polished bezel and crown. For this edition, Frédérique Constant has chosen a dial in petroleum blue, a hue soft enough to reveal the shades engraved on its surface: the Earth's symbol, complete with lines of latitude and longitude, and a sunray finish at 6 o’clock on the date disc. The dial features luminous, gold-colored appliqué hour markers matching the three central hands indicating hours, minutes, and seconds. The hands are carefully proportioned to give pride of place to the worldtimer’s double disc; the external disc is marked with 24 cities, denoting 24 time bands, while the second internal disc displays the time in each reference city. Blue and white backgrounds allow the wearer to effortlessly distinguish between night and day. To round off the monochrome effect, the watch comes on an interchangeable, integrated strap in blue alligator leather with a nubuck finish, as well as being supplied with a blue rubber strap. The unlimited'chocolate-coloured'variation The second, unlimited reference, which was unveiled today, has the same features as the first, with three major exceptions. Firstly, the case is steel, suitable for more contemporary urban wear. Secondly, the prevailing color here is chocolate brown for the strap and worldtimer, coupled with a slightly lighter shade for the dial center. Finally, instead of two straps, this version has three: chocolate brown alligator leather with a nubuck finish, a rubber strap in the same color, and a polished, brushed steel 3-link strap. Circle the globe, Manufacture style A ball of gears from the Manufacture FC-718 automatic caliber powers this model, backed by a 38-hour power reserve. With thoroughly tried and tested reliability, it's the epitome of simplicity to use: all indications are set using the crown, thanks to an ingenious three-notch system. The first notch is for winding the watch. The second sets the date (going upwards) and the reference city (going downwards). The third sets the time on the central display. Frederique Constant creates, develops, assembles, and controls a wide variety of mechanical, quartz, and connected timepieces at the same time within its 6,200 m2 manufacturing facility in Plan-les-Ouates (GE). To this day, Frederique Constant has designed 30 manufacture calibres, including high complications such as the tourbillon, the perpetual calendar, and the flyback chronograph, as well as a new and unprecedented type of escapement in watchmaking—the monolithic. Made from a single piece of silicone, it replaces the 26 components of a standard assortment and oscillates at a frequency of 40 Hz, which is 10 times that of most mechanical movements. In 2015, Frederique Constant launched the Horological Smartwatch, the first Swiss-made connected timepiece featuring a traditional appearance. In 2018, the Classic Hybrid Manufacture succeeded it, combining a mechanical manufacturing movement with connected features. It was followed in 2020 by the Smartwatch Vitalityline, which included a new generation built-in heart rate sensor. The same year, Frederique Constant reinvigorated the Highlife collection (1999) with a redesigned case and an interchangeable integrated strap. This was followed in 2021 by the Slimline monolithic manufacture with its very high-frequency one-piece escapement, then by the Highlife collection for women. Frederique Constant is currently present at nearly 3,000 points of sale in 120 countries across the world. In 2016, the Frederique Constant group (Frederique Constant, Alpina Watches, and Ateliers de Monaco) joined the Japanese group Citizen so as to pursue its international development and nurture new synergies. Follow frederique-constant.com

  • Julianne Moore attends the world premiere of "Sharper" by Apple TV service

    Julianne Moore, the Oscar-winning actress attended the attended the world premiere of the psychological neo-noir thriller "Sharper", which took place at BFI Southbank on February 7 in London. The film was produced by the Apple TV service, and Moore played the main role in it - a single mother who starts an affair with a billionaire while her son tries to make his own fortune by robbing the rich. The action of the film takes place in New York. On the red carpet, the actress wore complete black look by Valentino, pairing long dress and a black cape. The outfit was adorned with oversized bow on the neck with rhinestones that highlighted Moore's slender neck and long ginger hair. Her look was complemented by earrings, and an oversized ring on her finger. Julianne Moore in Valentino dress from the Fall 2023 collection. All Valentino/GettyImages I’m sure that many will be surprised (and others disappointed) to see the actress in a black gown for the red carpet. Personally, I love everything about it, and I suppose it is also a nice way to honour the tragedy unfolding at this moment in Turkey and Syria with the devestating earthquake. Another memory worthy black dress to appear on the red carpets was the famous Angelina Jolie Versace haute couture gown with asymmetrical high leg slit. The last time Julianne Moore stunned on a red carpet wearing cape look from Valentino was for the ‘White Noise’ premiere which served at the opening ceremony for the 2022 Venice International Film Festival on Wednesday (August 31) in Italy, following the opening cocktail event and the jury photocall. Looking like the midnight sky on fireworks night, the president of the film festival jury wore a glittering Valentino Spring 2023 sequin embroidered gown with a matching cape. This is what would be a non-typical moment, and I hope there are many more to come.

  • Hauser & Wirth St. Moritz sets the bar

    Hauser & Wirth St. Moritz stages vibrant artworks inside its modern gallery space as the surrounding nature is covered in icy and frosty winter tones. The forthcoming exhibition of works by Martin Creed, Turner Prize-winning artist, performer, composer and ‘Punk poet,’ will open on the gallery's second floor, from 11 February – 10 April 2023. Installation view, ‘Roth Bar’, Hauser & Wirth St. Moritz, until 9 September 2023. ©Dieter Roth Estate. Courtesy Hauser & Wirth. Photo: Jon Etter The visitor will surely come across the "ROTH BAR" as soon as they enter the gallery's ground floor space, a fully functional, custom made bar created by Björn, Oddur, and Einar Roth, the son and grandchildren of artist Dieter Roth (1930 – 1998). Dieter Roth insisted on including a bar in his first exhibition with Hauser & Wirth in 1997, which is how the "Roth Bar" was established at the gallery. The bar is "open" until 9 September in St. Moritz. Visitors to the bar can turn on the bar chairs, decorated with an overcoat hanger, to view the sun-dappled painting "Doppel-Selbstbildnis (Double Self-portrait)" (1973), which reveals an important dialogue between Dieter Roth's work from the 1970s and his wider practice. The painting on the wall in the background is executed in an Old Master style, gradually building up thin layers of oil paint to achieve a rich tonal range, Roth’s profile is cut from a plane comprised of a myriad of luminous and subtly blended colors. In line with the title, another barely visible cut-out on the curled bend is included. Image: Martin Creed, Work No. 3772, 2022 – 2023, 30.5 x 25.5 cm / 12 x 10 in © Martin Creed. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2023. Photo: Damian Griffiths As Hauser & Wirth St. Moritz present ‘Step Paintings’ by Martin Creed, Turner Prize-winning artist, performer, composer and ‘Punk poet’ one can't avoid to think about the immediate resemblance of the step motive to the surrounding Alpine landscape. This exhibition replaces German conceptual artist, Isa Genzken's presentation titled ‘Inside and Out,’ of concrete sculptures, 'Social Facades' series and later wall works. Genzken studied at the renowned Kunstakademie Düsseldorf whose faculty at the time included Joseph Beuys, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Benjamin H.D. Buchloh and Gerhard Richter. Image: Isa Genzken, Untitled, 2018, Adhesive tape on aluminium panel © 2022, ProLitteris, Zurich. Courtesy the artist and Galerie Buchholz, Cologne/Berlin/New York. Photo: Jens Ziehe She has continually challenged the viewer’s self-awareness by means of physically altering their perceptions, bringing bodies together in space and integrating elements of mixed media into sculpture. Creed is described as a social artist too, and his presentation creates a link to the previously exhibited works by Genzken who explored the same themes of our social interaction and is inspired by geometry and bright colours just like many of Creed's works. Notably colours are important for both artists, not to be used inordinately, but rather strategically in a way that allows the best possible space for each colour to become alive and radiate its warm glow in front of our eyes. ‘Colors can help you feel better’ says Creed, ‘paintings are the arrangement of colors for pleasure’. The artist respects some of the traditional golden rules of painting, but do not look for golden triangles in his paintings. Rather the study of his paintings is aptly done by steering the eye towards a specific colour area and allowing for the surrounding complimentary colours to melt into the eye. I can't imagine better space to observe this than the south-facing rooms of Hauser & Wirth's sunbathed St. Moritz gallery. The alpine light at an altitude of 1856 meters is special and the eye is stimulated to focus with more or less intensity on different details and colours at different times of the day. By Nermin Ahmet

  • Sharjah Biennial marks 15th Edition

    Mona Hatoum, Fossil Folly, 2023. Fifteen steel barrels. Courtesy of Sharjah Art Foundation. © Mona Hatoum. February 7 — June 11, 2023 Sharjah Biennial 15 (SB15), titled Thinking Historically in the Present, conceived by the late Okwui Enwezor and curated by Hoor Al Qasimi, Director of Sharjah Art Foundation, reflects on Enwezor’s visionary work, which transformed contemporary art and established an ambitious intellectual project that has influenced the evolution of institutions and biennials around the world, including the Sharjah Biennial. Bringing together more than 150 artists from over 70 countries, SB15 will take place in 16 venues across the emirate of Sharjah. A robust programme of film, music and performance, to be announced later this year, will accompany the exhibition. On the occasion of the Sharjah Biennial 15, Mona Hatoum presents the works Fossil Folly (2023), Untitled (pressure) (2023) and the installation Quarters (2017). The installation Fossil Folly was conceived specifically for the SB15 exhibition and produced in Sharjah’s industrial zone. It consists of fifteen old and beaten oil barrels that seem to have plant shapes emerging out of their surface. The plants in the shape of agave, aloe vera, thistle and various succulents are cut-out from the steel sides and tops of the barrels. It is a poetic and surreal gesture that imagines plants resurfacing like ghosts out of their dormant fossilised state. The Sharjah Biennial is an international platform for exhibition and experimentation for artists from the region and beyond. Since 1993, the Sharjah Biennial has commissioned, produced and presented large-scale public installations, performances and films by artists around the world, bringing a broad range of contemporary art, cultural programmes and producers to the communities of Sharjah, the UAE and the region. Prior Sharjah Biennial curators include: Zoe Butt, Omar Kholeif, Claire Tancons, Christine Tohme, Eungie Joo, Yuko Hasegawa, Suzanne Cotter, Rasha Salti, Haig Aivazian, Isabel Carlos, Tarek Abou El Fetouh, Mohammed Kazem, Jonathan Watkins, Eva Scharrer, Jack Persekian, Ken Lum, Tirdad Zolghadr, Peter Lewis and Hoor Al Qasimi. Sharjah Biennial 15 (SB15), titled Thinking Historically in the Present, conceived by the late Okwui Enwezor and curated by Hoor Al Qasimi, Director of Sharjah Art Foundation, reflects on Enwezor’s visionary work, which transformed contemporary art and established an ambitious intellectual project that has influenced the evolution of institutions and biennials around the world, including the Sharjah Biennial. Bringing together more than 150 artists from over 70 countries, SB15 will take place in 16 venues across the emirate of Sharjah. A robust programme of film, music and performance, to be announced later this year, will accompany the exhibition. For Enwezor, the contemporary art exhibition provided a means to engage with history, politics and society in our global present. He envisioned the invitation to curate this edition of Sharjah Biennial as a way to reflect on and contribute to the Biennial’s history and that of the overarching Foundation, and their role in addressing the need for institutional models outside of the West that support dialogue and the production and presentation of contemporary art responsive to our times. Enwezor proposed commissioning 30 works for SB15 to celebrate Sharjah Biennial’s 30-year anniversary and to activate this critical platform through the development of new productions. In line with this framework, 30 artists have been invited to embark on commissions for SB15: John Akomfrah, Kader Attia, Sammy Baloji, María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Carolina Caceydo, Destiny Deacon, Manthia Diawara, Coco Fusco, Hassan Hajjaj, Mona Hatoum, Lubaina Himid, Isaac Julien, Amar Kanwar, Bouchra Khalili, Mohammed Ibrahim Mahama, Kerry James Marshall, Steve McQueen, Almagul Menlibayeva, Aline Motta, Wangechi Mutu, Philippe Parreno, Doris Salcedo, Berni Searle, Yinka Shonibare, Vivan Sundaram, Fatimah Tuggar, Hajra Waheed, Barbara Walker, Nari Ward and Carrie Mae Weems. SB15 is curated by Hoor Al Qasimi, with the support of the SB15 Working Group, comprised of Tarek Abou El Fetouh (independent curator); Ute Meta Bauer (professor and Founding Director of NTU CCA Singapore); Salah M. Hassan (professor and art historian, Cornell University, and Director of The Africa Institute, Sharjah); Chika Okeke-Agulu (professor and art historian, Princeton University); and Octavio Zaya (independent curator, art writer and Executive Director of the Cuban Art Foundation). Al Qasimi and the Working Group are overseeing the development and implementation of the Biennial with an Advisory Committee that includes Sir David Adjaye (architect) and Christine Tohmé (Director, Ashkal Alwan, Beirut).

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