ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN | VK

February 5, 2015

Munich; walk thru_Haus der kunst with Okwui Enwezor of the exhibition David Adjaye: Form, Heft, Material

Thursday, february 5th at 7 pm : A walk thru with Okwui Enwezor, director of Haus der Kunst, with the Freunde of the exhibition that just opened few days ago of the heterogeneous work architect David Adjaye (b. 1966): “Form, Heft, Material”

The survey exhibition, the most extensive of Adjaye’s career, is organized by Haus der Kunst and Art Institute of Chicago. It is curated by Okwui Enwezor, director of Haus der Kunst, Munich, and Zoë Ryan, John H. Bryan Chair and Curator of Architecture and Design at the Art Institute of Chicago.

The heterogeneous work of architect David Adjaye (b. 1966) comprises approximately 50 built projects – from luxury shops and museums to libraries and social housing. His most recent commissions include the design of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., as well as the National Museum of Slavery and Freedom in Cape Coast, Ghana. The buildings of the Ghanaian-British architect are often developed in collaboration with artist friends, including the homes he designed for Chris Ofili, Sue Webster and Tim Noble, and Lorna Simpson and James Casebere (Haus der kunst, press release)

photos@VK (walk thru)

but here at picture gallery, you see some of Adjaye’s architecture

Lectures and Seminars:
Thursday, 05.03, 7 pm
“Role Models: Approximations to David Adjaye”
Lecture by Nikolaus Hirsch, Respondent: Okwui Enwezor
In English

Friday, 06.03, 10 am – 2 pm
“Bau-Kunst”
Half-day seminar held by Nikolaus Hirsch
In German

Thursday, 09.04, 7 pm
“Form, Heft, Material — Works 2000-2014”
Lecture by David Adjaye
In English

more details here

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January 28, 2015

Munich; at Haus der Kunst: Mark Leckey:”As If “and David Adjaye: “Form, Heft, Material”

HdK Preview opening for Mark Leckey: “As If “and David Adjaye: “Form, Heft, Material”

30.01 – 31.05.15 Mark Leckey: As If

“….The exhibition’s layout at Haus der Kunst is structured according to four chapters: The show opens with autobiographical works – from “Are You Waiting” (1996), a precursor to “Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore”, to “MyAlbum: A Rough-Demo Video,” (2014-15) a filmed autobiography, which is premiered as a demo version. Mark Says Leckey: “‘MyAlbum’ is a record of all the events in my life during the twentieth century that I feel were significant. It is a memoir from 1954 until 1999.” In the central space, all five of the artist’s “Sound Systems” (2001–12) are presented for the first time as an ensemble…” (HdK exhibition release)

more events for the exhibition here

30.01 – 31.05.15 David Adjaye: Form, Heft, Material

“The heterogeneous work of architect David Adjaye (b. 1966) comprises approximately 50 built projects – from luxury shops and museums to libraries and social housing. His most recent commissions include the design of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., as well as the National Museum of Slavery and Freedom in Cape Coast, Ghana. The buildings of the Ghanaian-British architect are often developed in collaboration with artist friends, including the homes he designed for Chris Ofili, Sue Webster and Tim Noble, and Lorna Simpson and James Casebere…” (HdK release)

photos@VK

more on lectures and seminars on the exhibition

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January 7, 2015

Munich; exploring the amazing creations of Pellicano design

Recently I met lovely Maria Livia Pellicano, a new wonderful friend, wonderful jewelry designer, and while talking over wonderful tea time at her beautiful house, I had the chance and pleasure to explore and adore her unique creations. Maria Livia is from Rome but the last 22 years lives in Munich with a short stay in between in Bangkok. In 2005 she founded the jewelry brand Pellicano Design. Just refined aesthetics; rooted in love for the art. Her early education was at Luceo Artistico Alessandro Caravilani in Rome and then she continued 5 years at the Instituto Europeo Del Design, in Rome.

Her beautiful house in Munich is filled with art and her strongest influence in her life, her seven beautiful children. “They help me in my work, commenting – says Pellicano – support me in every way, are my top fan.”

here some of the exclusive unique pieces

“Performance Changeable”-architecture collection, copyright, 18 kt w.g Diamonds Pave

Master Joker “Shaker” Master Joker collection coctail ring 18 KT Y.Gold Prasiolith/Brown Diamonds.

Its four product lines – ranging from pieces of the highest level, worn on occasions like the chic Met Ball in New York, to a younger line in silver.

“The two stones, are close and rendered inseparable by a ring studded with small diamonds that seems to hover around them. The two precious gems and inseparable dance forever “Walzer” of life.

the younger line,

“What is required today to a jewel? The exclusivity, replies Maria-Livia Pellicano

photos@Pellicano design, by Maria Livia Pellicano’s permission

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December 21, 2014

VK’s Reading Room:”Francesco Bonami Goes to Antarctica

I read this at Vulture written by Francesco Bonami on his trip to Antarctica very very interesting, as somehow the curator becomes the subject for study on a real life exhibition.

“………….
Now is the season to go: Some things are melting, certain parts still have waves of the frozen ocean, and in a few weeks, it will melt down and turn into water. It was quite intense. We had to fly for a long time in this unpressurized plane for 7,000 feet. It was very intense. We went from Cape Town. We went with a bag full of stuff. I brought very little for myself. We changed very little. I would drink bottled water. I think you could drink the tap water. There were icebergs that looked totally pure — we took ice from an iceberg and we used it to drink whiskey. The Russian base really drinks; you don’t want to have a hang-over there. I didn’t want to have it. I don’t think it would have been fun. And no, it’s not very good food. It is mostly frozen. You’re very high most of the time, you are slightly nauseous; you don’t have a huge appetite.”

“..I’m glad it came through, but I don’t think I want to go back — I’ve seen it. It’s not anything from a curatorial point of view; many curators have gone to Antarctica. Though it informed me in a very mystic way. I was at the American base, the Amundsen-Scott base, and I met an Australian or New Zealand scientist. And he told me something like, What if the Earth and the sun didn’t exist, we could establish if the universe has an up and a down. It got me thinking — it was a very banal talk — but you think from a Western point of view that you are upside-down, and then you look up, and you still look up! Whether we invented the universe or a God did, either way, he was very clever, he made something where nobody can look down; even if you look down, it is always up, I think it was interesting. It is a stupid thought, but I truthfully never thought about it until I was there.”

Francesco Bonami goes to Antarctica, full article here

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December 12, 2014

Munich; Espace Louis Vuitton invites Min-Jeong Seo who took up residency at Espace Tokyo and art critic Aomi Okabe

In Tokyo, In Situ-1, Espace Louis Vuitton: Sept 13, 2014-January 4th, 2015

A lovely evening last Friday at Espace Louis Vuitton to attend a conversation between the artist Min-Jeong Seo and art critic Aomi Okabe on the project where the artist has been in a residency at the Espace/Louis Vuitton, In Situ-1, in Tokyo, from September to November 2015 (conversation in japanese, with live german translation)

Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo and Munich launch the experience Of In-Situ in September 2014 by welcoming South Korean artist Min-Jeong Seo and Malaysian artist Simryn Gill, respectively.

In Tokyo, In Situ/Espace Louis Vuitton Min-Jeong Seo “opens the door to her ‘studio’ for about four months to share her experience of working in situ with the audience and show the progress of her work. She establishes a bold dialogue between creation and destruction with poetic and highly symbolic installations. By sculpting, breaking and scraping fragile materials such as polystyrene or porcelain, the artist evokes fragility and uncertainty of life, and notions of instant and time.”

photos@published photos, Louis Vuitton In Situ/Tokyo

Min-Jeong also talked about her previous work ‘Explosion”

as well as the black/white birds made out of porcelain.

photos@Min-Jeong Seo

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December 2, 2014

Munich; at Architekturmuseum “Lina Bo Bardi 100- Brazil’s Alternative Path to Modernism”

14.11.2014 – 22.02.2015
PINAKOTHEK DER MODERNE
ARCHITEKTURMUSEUM DER TU MÜNCHEN

Lina Bo Bardi would have turned 100 on 5 December 2014

A misty rainy morning in Munich; what a perfect day to re-visit the wonderful exhibition at Architecturmuseum at Pinakothek der Moderne, “Lina Bo Bardi 100. Brazil’s Alternative Path to Modernism”

Casa Do Chame-Chame, Salvador, 1958-1964/modellbauer

The Italian-Brazilian architect Lina Bo Bardi (1914-1992) defined her own particular artistic path through outstanding designs starting at the mid-twentieth century. In architecture as well as stage sets, graphic art, fashion and furniture design, she implemented impulses of Modernism, but interpreted them quite individually.

On the exhibition

Lina Bo Bardi raised and educated in Italy, she played an important role in the development of modern architecture in Brazil.. She evolved an approach to design that was unique to her and which placed the social significance of construction and its cultural ‘architettura povera’, Linda Bo Bardi can be seen as a forerunner to today’s emergent socially driven ‘architecture engagee’. One of her most important achievements was her ability to create buildings that were widely popular among the local public and which defied conventional classification. (museum press)

The exhibition beautifully conceived and installed by Dr Andres Lepik, director of Technische Universität/Architecturmuseum and his team, is featuring about 100 original drawings. The exhibition opens with a section dedicated to Bo Bardi’s formative years in 1930s Italy, as well as her first activities as editor and designer of such journals as Domus, Lo styles, and A. Cultura della Vita. An installed cement brick wall runs thru the exhibition space and model makers placed in various positions ; ink jet photos on the wall; a video screening explores her innovative exhibition concepts. ” One of her most important achievements was her ability to create buildings that were widely popular among the local public and which defied conventional classification. “

Needlees to say how much I enjoyed every single drawing as Linda Bo Bardi managed to bring me in Brazil so elegantly this misty rainy morning; as she says “I don’t produce that many drawings myself. only the essential ones.”

The exhibition is accompanied by the release of a large catalogue that sheds new light on Lina Bo Bardi’s architectural achievements, examined from different angles. Featuring texts by Renato Anelli, Zeuler Lima, Cathrine Veikos, Sabine von Fischer, and Guilherme Wisnik, the catalogue will be available in two editions (English and German), published by Hatje Cantz.

Lina siting on a Bardis Bowl
F. Albuquerque

Lina designed Bardi’s bowl chair in 1951. Here is a wonderful written piece on the project of Bardi’s chair by Dr Renato Anelli (architect and professor at the University of Sao Paulo

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October 3, 2014

The art of packaging; beautiful classic Tiffany

In couple of days, october 5th, my lovely young daughter, a true blessing in our lives, becomes 13. From early age I introduced her to many classic films and divas, from Bette Davies, Greta Garbo and more.. she loved Audrey Hepburn, ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’ , 1961 and that became her true love. My girl, a true New Yorker, born downtown Manhattan, just 2 weeks after 9/11 has embraced Tiffany and the love for the blue color. So what else would she longed for her birthday? from the Ziegfeld collection a pair of earrings in sterling silver with freshwater cultured pearls.

A visit at the Munich Tiffany, intrigued my curiosity to find about the “box”

When the company introduced its diamond engagement ring in 1886, the effect was complete. The Tiffany Blue Box became every bit as coveted as the ring, or whatever else might be nesting inside. In 1906, the New York Sun reported that Charles Lewis Tiffany “has one thing in stock that you cannot buy of him for as much money as you may offer; he will only give it to you. And that is one of his boxes.”

the color is No. 1837 on the Pantone Matching System chart. It is not commercially available; since a 1998 filing with the federal government, the color is trademarked. The packaging on which the color appears is also trademarked, as is the white satin ribbon tied around.

For the first time ever, Tiffany opened on a Sunday to allow for filming. (Breakfast at Tiffany) It also posted 40 armed guards on the floor to prevent any of its blue boxes from disappearing.

Happy Birthday my lovely Ana Nefeli! be happy and full of pearls in your life!

Tiffany & Co, Ziegfeld collection,earrings in sterling silver with freshwater cultured pearls.

since 1837, New York

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September 17, 2014

Munich; Espace Louis Vuitton;private dinner IN-SITU-1 exhibition; artist Simryn Gill,

A beautiful dinner at Louis Vuitton Espace was given last night (thank you Anja Keahny, director Espace Louis Vuitton München) to welcome the Malaysian artist Simryn Gill, who during the next 2 months, will take over both the upper and lower levels of the gallery to pursue new content, culminating in an IN SITU-1 exhibition.

On the upper level floor, a beautiful architectural table installation was created for this occassion/dinner by Robbrecht en Daem arhitecten to host this intimate dinner for 25 people. A beautiful group of art people were here, Matthias Mühling, Bart van der Heide, Roger Diederen, Toni Schmidt, Christine Vendredi-Auzanneau (head of Art & Culture of Louis Vuitton/Paris), , Tracy Williams, (Simryn Gills’ New York gallerist), Phillip Keir (Board of directors of Biennane of Sydney) Tracy Williams, (Simryn Gills’ New York gallerist), architect Hilde Daem, Gürsoy Dogtas and few more of wonderful people. Great evening!

Simryn Gill and Tracy Williams

photo 1 copy 2

For the duration of this project, from September to November, the gallery space act as sites of creative production and presentation, offering visitors the unique opportunity to witness both the process and the outcome of artistic expression. IN SITU-1 completes the circle of creativity by inviting the viewer to take an active role.

In Duchamp’s own words: “The creative act is not performed by the artist alone; the spectator brings the work in contract with the external world by deciphering and interpreting its inner qualifications and thus adds his contribution to the creative act.”

more here at Espace Culturel about the IN-SITU-1

http://www.louisvuitton-espaceculturel.com/index_GB.html

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August 25, 2014

Munich; an afternoon visit at “Amai” fabulous praline place

After a lovely lunch with my dear friend Villy Giovaniti at Becco Fino, we discovered a new place for sweet tooth, in the heart of Lengdorf in Munich, the “Amai” (in japanese means sweet) run by Cornelia, a praline chef, at Auserbittlbach 20, 2nd floor

Here you may have a relaxing time over tea or cappuccino and you may have tastes of pralines, such as” blue curaçao”, cassis, champagne, kokos, mango, ginger, mocca, cherry, grande marnier and more.. is an oasis of taste. Also macarroons and the florentines are delicious.

A lovely and not usual decor embraces the Amai decor with a young collection for small people by young designer from Mauritius.

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August 11, 2014

Italy; the ancient estate of Castello di Reschio in the Umbrian hills and Tristano di Robilant’s studio in Ripabianca close to Perugia and Chiesa di S.Pietro at Tuscania

While vacationing in my paradise Maremma, on August 11th, upon a lovely invitation by a german collector, I drove from Maremma to the beautiful area of Niccone valley/Umbrian hills to attend an exhibition by Calyxte Campe at the Tabaccaia at the amazing Castello di Reschio (Reschio is a thriving, family-run estate whose history can be traced back to the beginning of the 11th century). It was an amazing 3 hour trip, from Pitigliano to Sorano and then thru Acquapente and Ficulle and Todi and Castiglione Magione del Lago.

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(above: opening exhibition by Calyxte Campe, photo@Tabaccaia,Castello di Reschio

a lovely and generous dinner followed at the private estate of the Bolza family (Thank you so much Conte Benedikt and Nencia)

The architecture and restoration work at Reschio marries traditional Umbrian building-styles with an extraordinary contemporary sense of design. Each finished building is a beautiful piece of living architecture built for the modern world in the time-honoured traditions of Umbria and Tuscany.

Reschio is home to the Bolza family who, over the last twenty years, have been restoring its secluded ancient Umbrian farmhouses into masterpieces of contemporary architecture and design. Benedikt Bolza’s interiors combine traditional artisanal detailing with a bold contemporary aesthetic.

The Tabaccaia (where the exhibition) was a former tobacco processing factory built in the 1940s and since renovation was completed in June 2013 has become the creative heart of the Reschio Estate.

see more of the estate here

http://www.reschio.com/creative_centre.php

That evening I stayed at the lovely Ca’ di Costo, run and owned by Jenny Nichols (Jenny is an amazing chef )

photos@vk

highly recommended on your next Italian trip

www.slowcooking.homestead.com

I continued next day my trip back to Maremma thru Perugia with a visit at the house /studio of my friend and wonderful artist Tristano di Robilant, at Ripabianca, (at comune of Deruta in the province of Perugia) and sharing a homemade lunch at his home/studio. (below some pics)