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Contents FEATURES
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20 ELTON JOHN: GOODBYE PEACHTREE ROAD As Sir Elton John prepares to auction the contents of his Atlanta home, we look at the Rocket Man’s eclectic taste in art and artefacts
26 UNCHARTED ARTISTIC TERRITORIES 33 CHANNELING INVESTMENT
Jersey and Guernsey are among the world’s most successful finance centres, but it’s the lifestyle that is attracting more and more incomers
37 VOLUMINOUS FIGURES
48 JEWEL OF THE SEAS
The newest addition to the fleet of Regent Seven Seas Cruises carries a multi-million dollar art collection featuring the work of Fabergé
51 THE PLAYBOY AND THE PINUP
Larissa Guimaraes of AstaGuru Auction House investigates Fernando Botero, one of the most renowned South American artists
As Julian’s Auctions offers for sale memorabilia of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner, we look at the lives of a pair who never met but whose careers were intertwined
40 TO RESCUE AND PRESERVE
54 A FINE BODY OF WORK
42 UPTOWN TOP RANKIN
58 SUSTAINABILITY IN THE AIR
A heroic effort unfolded in the aftermath of the 2019 Notre-Dame fire. Mathieu Scrivat of Bovis Fine Art reports
Rankin is responsible for some of the most iconic editorial shoots and album artwork of the 1990s and 2000s 4 ARTS & COLLECTIONS
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Yorkshireman Shaun Gagg makes sculptural art from coins, keys, and other ‘found’ metal objects – the trick lies in bringing them to life
Can private aviation be compatible with a sustainability agenda? Leaders in executive aviation Jetex show the way
IMAGES © Christie’s, Allstar Picture Library Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo, RSSC, Shaun Gagg/Turner Fine Arts
This autumn’s second edition of Art Basel’s Paris+ confirms the capital’s ambition to reclaim its cultural position. Jörg Zutter reports
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6O HANDS IN THE SAND
Artist David Popa is creating a remarkable work of art in the landscape of AlUla – but it will not be around for long
63 STYLE IS ALWAYS IN FASHION
While fashion changes, style is eternal, and nowhere is style more prominent than in the gentlemen’s tailors of London
66 FROM WEST TO EAST
Larissa Guimaraes of AstaGuru Auction House looks at the rise in interest in Western art among Indian collectors
73 MADE WITH LOVE
A bespoke piece of jewellery is unique and personal, something to be cherished, revered and handed down with love to future generations
74 PASSION PROJECT IN THE MALDIVES
Velaa Private Island fuses Maldivian culture with contemporary luxury, and now adds an artistic dimension in its latest collection
78 REVIVING A LEGEND
Porsche Design has borrowed heavily from a 1970s legend with the Chronograph 1 Utility - Limited Edition
80 FIRST IN LUXURY
A new book from Assouline celebrates Benetti’s 150 years turning dreams into reality through its expertise in nautical construction.
84 THE WORLD ON A LABEL IMAGES © Emma Willis, AstaGuru Auction House, Porsche Design, Sunhi Mang
Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota has created the original artwork Universe of Mouton for the label of Château Mouton Rothschild 2021
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88 A LEGACY OF SUSTAINABILITY
Luxury tourism is a wonderful experience for the holidaymaker, but can its effects on the environment be made more sustainable?
92 THE RISING EMIRATE
Ras Al Khaimah has reported its best year ever for tourism. We look at some of the Emirate’s attractions
98 THE SWISS PHILOSOPHY
Switzerland is renowned for its healthy climate, but for boutique clinic NEOVIVA the surroundings are just part of the treatment www.artsandcollections.com
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Contents
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REGULARS
14 12 8
IT FIGURES
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EDITORIAL
This issue’s most amazing items and events summed up in handy facts and figures
Electric vehicle sales seem to have stalled after an initial surge in the luxury market. When will the barriers drop?
12 HAPPENINGS
All the must-see events, exhibitions and shows from superyachts in Dubai to urban photography in London
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AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS
Our comprehensive roundup of some of the more amazing items to come to auction, from pulps to paintings and glassworks to whisky
44 SOTHEBY’S PRIVATE SALES
96 IMAGES © HOFA, Sotheby’s, Chiswick Auctions, Verge Motorcycles
Amazing items for sale through Sotheby’s Private Sales, from silverware to a Ferrari and brooches to birds
94 BOOK REVIEWS
The most fascinating volumes to read and display, from wars to theatres, and costumery to artistic monographs
96 WHERE TO SPEND IT
Our round-up of luxury items worthy of your investment, from an electric motorbike to paper lamps and dog carriers to headphones 6 ARTS & COLLECTIONS
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Publisher & CEO Kevin J. Harrington Editor Chris Jenkins Staff Writer Manny Berhanu Features Writers Jörg Zutter Larissa Guimaraes Mathieu Scrivat Steve Holland Design Joanna Harrington Production Ray Walsh Digital Manager Chi Uzomah EDITORIAL OFFICE Arts & Collections 143 Caledonian Road London N1 0SL United Kingdom Telephone: 020 7870 9090 editorial@damsonmedia.com www.damsonmedia.com CHICAGO OFFICE Arts & Collections 29 East Madison Suite 809 Chicago, IL 60602 USA
Arts & Collections partners with over 120 of the world’s finest luxury and boutique hotels to provide the highest quality coverage of global art and cultural events, auctions of interest and developments in the global art market. This blend of interesting and informative editorial is most appealing to guests at these premier hotels, who have a great interest in fine art and collectables. Arts & Collections’ dedicated website, www.artsandcollections.com, features all the exclusive previews, reviews and expert commentary pieces that appear in the pages of Arts & Collections as well as news of auctions by Sotheby’s and other top auction houses, plus exhibitions and popular cultural events, keeping visitors fully informed, as well as providing a comprehensive resource area for collectors and connoisseurs. Arts & Collections magazine is published quarterly. For further details regarding contributions and distribution email editorial@damsonmedia.com. arts &
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Page 20
The poundage of steel required to construct a storage system for NotreDame paintings
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154 55,000
The number of galleries taking part in this year’s Art Basel Paris + exhibition
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COLLECTIONS
The tonnage of the Regent Seven Seas Cruises vessel Seven Seas Grandeur
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The number of years Saville Row tailors have been offering bespoke men’s clothing
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The number of sales scheduled for Christie’s auction of Elton John’s memorabilia
IMAGES © Terry O’Neill/Christie’s, Art Basel, Wikimedia, RSSC, Playboy/Julien’s Auctions, Caroline Andrew
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Cover image: Terry O’Neill, Elton John (Album Cover Variant), 1974, courtesy of Christie’s. See page 20.
The number of artefacts from Hugh Hefner, Playboy and Marilyn Monroe up for auction
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Editorial
THE BIG FREEZE FOR ELECTRIC CARS? Electric vehicle sales seem to have stalled after an initial surge in the luxury market. When will the barriers drop?
IMAGES © Lucid Motors
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he transition to electric vehicles is inevitable if we want to move away from polluting petrol and diesel vehicles, but have manufacturers overestimated demand, particularly in the luxury market? The problem, if the US market is anything to go by, seems to be that the market for luxury electric vehicles has stalled, and it’s too early in the development cycle of electric vehicles for them to appeal to the mass market. Some 10 years after Tesla reshaped the market, it’s harder to come by high-spending early adopters. Without more affordable options, some dealers are finding that they are running out of customers for electric cars. In America, Ford has reduced the number of shifts it devotes to electric vehicle production, and General Motors says that it will postpone some of its electric truck production by a year. Startups such as Lordstown, Volta, and Lucid have closed for business or have missed sales targets. The EV sales sector enjoyed exponential growth from one percent of the US market to nine percent of US sales by 2023, according to JD Power. But the pace of growth is slowing, and dealers say that manufacturers anticipated the mass market takeup of electric vehicles too early, with prices of around $55,000-$65,000 hard to justify for the average driver. www.artsandcollections.com
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DISCOUNTS Price discounts don’t work for manufacturers already struggling with narrow margins, and with electric cars costing an average of $16,000 more than their pertrol-fueled counterparts, some commentators suggest that fully-electric or hybrid cars are likely to be limited to the luxury and ultra-luxury segment for many years to come, while the industry crawls slowly toward affordability for the mass market. Quoted in Business Insider, Martin French, managing director at automotive consultancy Berylls, says that the transition to EVs is coming – but he estimates that the tipping point is at least five years away, because the industry still hasn’t done enough to make an electric car an attractive alternative to a petrol or diesel fuelled vehicle. “The future is definitely going to be EVs,” French said, “but the future for EVs is 2030.” Another factor in play is climate change, which is exposing the technical problems with the lithium-ion batteries used in most electric vehicles. With bitter cold sweeping across America, EV owners are finding their driving range reduced, or even their batteries refusing to charge. The big freeze in EV sales may last for some time to come. Chris Jenkins ARTS & COLLECTIONS 9
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COLLECTIONS // EVENTS
Happenings Arts & Collections has selected a mix of the most unmissable artistic, cultural and entertainment events coming up in the Spring
WILD AND INACCESSSIBLE Leading sculpture gallery Pangolin London has announced details of two prestigious exhibitions, by Scottish land artist Julie Brook, and artist in residence Peter Oloya. What is it That Will Last? offers an insight into the extraordinary work of Scottish land artist Julie Brook. Capturing the sculptures she creates in wild and inaccessible locations around the globe through film, photography and drawing, this exhibition explores Brook’s deep and immersive relationship with each landscape and the natural materials she uses. The exhibition runs until June 30th. Peter Oloya, a Journey from Adversity to Artistry explores the work of the Ugandan sculptor and painter who received the PJLF Pangolin London Sculpture Prize in 2019. It runs to 2nd March 2024. www.pangolinlondon.com
Above: Julie Brook, Firestack, Winter, Outer Hebrides
Kicking off the international maritime exhibition season, The Dubai International Boat Show returns from February 28th-March 3rd with a classic showcase of luxury yachts, supercars, and accessories from a selection of both local and international companies, along with the most up-to-date innovations in the marine industry. Each year in excess of 25,000 visitors travel to Dubai to see its range of attractions, and its most prominent is Superyacht Avenue, home to the biggest yachts at the show. The event attracts a huge range of yachts, of all shapes and sizes, and from some of the world’s leading builders. With a number of social activities, numerous premium retail outlets, wall-to-wall entertainment and gourmet food and drink there really is something for everyone at the show. To top it off the event takes place at Dubai Harbour, completely renovated and reopened in 2020 and a spectacle in its own right. www.boatshowdubai.com Left: Superyacht Avenue at the Boatshow Dubai 12 ARTS & COLLECTIONS
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IMAGES © Pangolin/Julie Brook, Boatshow Dubai
SEASIDE SHOWCASE
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ROCOCO REIMAGINED HOFA has announced the inaugural UK solo exhibition by Dutch artist Anne von Freyburg, at its flagship gallery in London’s Mayfair from 2nd-14th February 2024. Titled Papillotage, the exhibition will showcase 14 new and previously unseen textile remakes of works by Rococo masters Boucher, Fragonard and Le Brun. A central focus will be on a wall installation inspired by Fragonard’s masterpiece The Swing. Her new works embrace the quintessential Rococo technique of Papillotage, characterised by multiple points of interest created through light and colour. www.thehouseoffineart.com Left: Anne von Freyburg with her artwork
ORIGINAL AND BEST London Original Print Fair will return to Somerset House for its 39th edition, taking place from Thursday 21st to Sunday 24th March 2024. Founded in 1985, London Original Print Fair (LOPF) is London’s longest running art fair. Celebrating original printmaking in all of its forms, this year’s edition brings together around forty exhibitors, including top international dealers, publishers and print studios. The fair will feature works by world-renowned artists such as Hockney, Auerbach, Rego, Beatriz Milhazes, and modernist masters like Picasso and Matisse. londonoriginalprintfair.com
IMAGES © HOFA Gallery, Fiona Watson/Glasgow Print Studio, Iconic Images/Allan Tannenbaum
Below: Fiona Watson, The Starry Messenger
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Above: Allan Tannenbaum, James Brown
CITY LIGHTS Iconic Images Gallery, London presents Bright Lights, Big City, featuring more than a dozen renowned photographers whose work captures the glamour, grime, connection and isolation that defines the metropolitan experience in the 20th and 21st centuries. Featuring the brooding and beautiful photography of Daniel Sackheim, exhibiting for the first time in London, Bright Lights, Big City explores our changing perspective on urban landscapes, tracing a line from the bustling rush-hour sidewalks of Ted Williams’ never-before-seen images of 1950s Chicago, through Terry O’Neill, Gered Mankowitz and Douglas Kirkland’s star-studded London and LA of the 60s and 70s, Norman Parkinson’s dizzying fashion in Paris, and the gritty glitz of New York City from the 50s onwards through the lenses of Eve Arnold, Sonia Moskowitz, Allan Tannenbaum and Dafydd Jones. The exhibition runs from March 7th to May 25th, 2024 at the Iconic Images Gallery, Piccadilly, London. www.Iconicimages.net ARTS & COLLECTIONS 13
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COLLECTIONS // AUCTIONS
Auction
HIGHLIGHTS We bring you the most unusual, historical, eye-catching and attractive items from the world’s leading auction houses BY RICHARD BENSON
ME, TARZAN!
IMAGES © Heritage Auctions
Widely considered the ‘holy grail’ of pulp magazines, a VG copy of All-Story October 1912 featuring the first appearance of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs has just gone for a record $264,000 at a January Comics & Comic Art auction at Heritage Auctions. The issue features an iconic cover by artist Walter Clinton Pettee and was published by Frank Munsey, who is considered to have pioneered the ‘pulp’ magazine format beginning with The Argosy in 1896. This issue is likely non-existent in a better grade. This sale is now the highest price ever paid for an issue of any pulp, eclipsing the $156,000 paid for the first issue of The Shadow (April, 1931) in 2021. Tarzan is one of the most influential adventure characters in pop culture history, helping to set the course for the decades of pulp and comic book heroes to follow.
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AUCTIONS // COLLECTIONS
EXOTIC PROCESSION The Camel Caravan tapestry fragment, after the series In the manner of Portugal and the Indies, Southern Netherlands, circa 1510-1540, failed to sell on an estimate of £50,000-£80,000 at Sotheby’s in January. The style and inclusion of the exotic camel in this early 207cm fragment shows inspiration from a very distinctive series (originally of around ten), known as the The Voyage to Calcutta or In the manner of Portugal and the Indies, Southern Netherlands, circa 1500-1530, which has been associated with the Tournai workshop of weavers/agents Pasquier Grenier and Arnoult Poissonnier, and described in their inventories. The series was inspired by the historic travels of the Portuguese explorer, Vasco de Gama, to the East Indies in 1497-1499 and 15021503, and probably originated from a commission of King Manuel I of Portugal who sent Vasco da Gama on his epic journey. The tapestries are distinctive for the exotic procession of people and unusual wild animals, a very unusual upper border of bells and tassels, and other borders with repeat stylised flowers alternating with bound bundle motifs, and also include bands of unintelligible inscriptions within clothing.
BIG AND JAPANNED
IMAGES © Sotheby’s, White Knight Auctions/Invaluable
This evocative pair of tables were possibly conceived for an extraordinary chinoiserie scheme at Glemham, Suffolk - certainly in the early 20th century there appears to be such a conceit at the house. A rare photograph from 1910 captures one of the tables, and shows an original decorated surface, with carved details and the legs picked out in light-coloured paint. These japanned bases with their white marble slabs would also have created a rich contrast. Beneath the later 20th century grey paint there are tantalising areas of an exposed black ‘Japanned’ surface. There is no primer or undercoat under this which is unusual - it is resting directly on clean wood. This ‘black’ surface must have had a very glossy finish, like lacquer, as the carbon black is mixed in a rich medium, and there is a glaze, or varnish, over the top. A group of painted tables at Petworth House, Sussex are worthy of comparison; these have gilt decoration on a black ground and also feature tapered legs, united by flattened, shaped stretchers. These tables were possibly used to support oriental porcelains and are recorded in 18th century inventories taken at the house. The Glemham tables sold for £35,560 on an estimate of £30,000£50,000 at Sotheby’s Royal & Noble auction in January.
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CUBE DUDE Signed “Jon Kuhn - Cajun Spice, 1993” on the base cube, this is the first full-size piece to be made using the “Highly Reflective Material” dubbed “HRM” by Kuhn, which are panels of optical glass with a reflective coating applied on the outside, similar to what is commonly seen in high-end sunglass lenses. The result is a much more brilliant and scintillating core material with very dense and saturated sparkles. Kuhn began his artistic career as a ceramist, working with clay. His vessels of silicate compounds changed state and chemical structure when they were subjected to very high heat. During his graduate studies, he began working with molten glass, and his later works moved into new, uncharted territories of expression. Including, transparent sheets of coloured glass. He created his first cube in 1987. 1993’s Cajun Spice sold for a low $6,500 on an estimate of $8,000-$12,000 at White Knight Auctions on Invaluable in December 2023. ARTS & COLLECTIONS 15
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AUCTIONS // COLLECTIONS
PAPPY KNOWS BEST Back in the heady days of 2000s-era San Francisco, RNM Restaurant, run by the daughter of a co-founder of Oracle, was a gathering spot for the city’s booming tech sector. To serve its elevated clientele, it sought out rare and exquisite libations, including its own barrel of Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve. Though the restaurant shut down in 2010, its legacy lives on in this case of 20-year-old Pappy, bottled in 2007 and thus one of the last that single barrels produced by Julian Van Winkle III – and among the last of the Stitzel-Weller-distilled bourbon in Van Winkle’s possession. An original twelve bottle case of Pappy Van Winkle’s 20 Year Old Family Reserve RNM Restaurant Single Barrel 90.4 Proof 1986, hand-selected on September 10th, 2007, sold for $162,500 at Sotheby’s Whisky & Whiskey sale in January.
LION’S SHARE
IMAGES © Sotheby’s, Chiswick Auctions
Sold for £13,450 at Chiswick Auctions’ Old Masters and 19th Century Art sale in January, this painting of the death of Milo of Croton is attributed to the Bolognese School of the early-mid 19th Century, which included Carracci, Reni and della Valle, while this work has been attributed to Giuseppe Guizzardi. The 183x145cm canvas depicts the death of the wrestler Milo, who according to Siculus was a follower of Pythagoras, and did battle against the Sybarites in 511BC. The scene was a popular theme for anatomical studies in late Renaissance Italian painting and sculpture. www.artsandcollections.com
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EVERY 1’S A WINNER Lewis Hamilton’s 2007 ‘First Career Grand Prix Victory’ race worn suit sold for $241,300 at Sotheby’s Icon of Excellence sale in January. Sports Investors Authentication photo matched this race suit being worn by Lewis Hamilton during his first two Grand Prix victories: the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix on June 10, 2007 and the 2007 United States Grand Prix on June 17, 2007. Additionally, the suit is matched to a practice run at the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix on June 9, 2007 and to the controversial 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying on August 4, 2007. (Hamilton would go on to win the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix the following day.) The Sparco custom cotton Nomex suit also comes with a F1 Authentics certificate of authenticity stating the suit was race worn in 2007. ARTS & COLLECTIONS 17
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COLLECTIONS // AUCTIONS
OUR SERIES HIGHLIGHTS A SINGLE ITEM OF ARTISTRY OR CRAFTSMANSHIP THAT IS BOTH RARE AND EXQUISITE
Treasures THE DEVIL YOU SAY
B
ritish loudspeaker designer Ferguson Hill ‘clearly’ means business – the company’s Jetstream Loudspeaker System features striking transparent speakers, together with a stunning amplification system. Ferguson Hill founder and designer Tim Hill notes, “I have incorporated all the changes I have wanted to do since the launch of the FH001 twenty years ago.” The former aeronautical engineer started building his own loudspeakers in Camden, London as a teenager, but when his prototypes attracted the attention of a studio head, he knew he was on the right path. While Jetstream (and its predecessor FH001) occupies a price point beyond the reach of many, this is a ‘side effect’ of Tim’s ambition to create the ultimate sound system. The new Ferguson Hill Jetstream Loudspeaker System comprises a pair of Jetstream Horn Loudspeakers, a pair of Jetstream Bass Speakers, and a Jetstream Bass Amplifier. The magnificent horn speakers feature the company’s own manufactured semi-full range drive unit, with improvements to the dampening structures, while the spherical clear acrylic bass drive units include improved neodymium magnets. The full system comprises of a pair of Jetstream Horn Loudspeakers, a pair of Jetstream Bass Speakers, a Jetstream Bass Amplifier, bespoke cables and as an optional extra a HiFi Rose RS520 streaming amplifier. Price for the full system is £105,200. www.fergusonhill.co.uk
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IMAGES © Bonham’s, Ferguson Hill
This 1997 Lamborghini Diablo VT Coupé sold for £136,850 at Bonhams’ Bond Street sale in December 2023. After 17 years in production, the legendary Countach was replaced by the Diablo, which on its arrival was the fastest, most advanced and most expensive Lamborghini ever built. First exhibited publicly at Monaco in January 1990, the Diablo improved on its illustrious predecessor in every way, setting a new benchmark in supercar design with styling by Marcello Gandini. This example here is finished in black with grey leather interior, and comes complete with all books, tools and a fire extinguisher, and the valuable registration 555 GW. This stunning right-hand drive Diablo VT was first registered 19th September 1997 (as ‘R242 NTF’) to a Mr Julian Palmer of Surrey, and had enjoyed a further four owners before being acquired by the vendor in September 2013 with 36,355 kilometres showing on the odometer.
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GOODBYE
Peachtree Road As Sir Elton John prepares to auction the contents of his Atlanta home, we look at the Rocket Man’s eclectic taste in art and artefacts
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Sir Elton John’s Yamaha C6F PE conservatory grand piano 20 ARTS & COLLECTIONS
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IMAGES © CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2024, Visko Hatfield
his February, Christie’s will present iconic items from music legend Elton John’s former Atlanta home in a series of landmark sales at Christie’s Rockefeller Center. Beginning with an evening sale on Wednesday, February 21, the series will comprise of eight sales in total, both live and online. The auctions of this extraordinary collection represent a turning point in the celebrated singer’s personal journey and offers collectors a rare opportunity to own a piece of its rich history.
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AUCTION // COLLECTIONS
The city of Atlanta played a crucial role in Elton John’s life, becoming the hub he would return to throughout his numerous tours within the United States. He solidified this connection to Atlanta in 1992 when he acquired a condominium in Park Place, on Peachtree Road. His unexpected choice of Atlanta as a residence was driven by personal reasons. After becoming sober in 1990, he found solace and support in the warm community and recovery facilities of the city, such as the Triangle Club, which played a critical part in his recovery.
DIVERSITY Tash Perrin, Deputy Chairman, Christie’s Americas, remarks: “It is a distinct privilege for Christie’s to partner with Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish in curating the forthcoming auction: ‘The Collection of Sir Elton John: Goodbye Peachtree www.artsandcollections.com
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Road.’ This extraordinary collection not only showcases a diverse array of remarkable objects that encapsulate Elton’s unique life, work, and art but also provides our clients with a glimpse into the profound impact that the city of Atlanta had on him. “In the two weeks leading up to the sales, Christie’s Rockefeller Center Galleries will transform into a series of specially designed immersive spaces, offering a dynamic view into the world of Elton John. We take immense pride in presenting this multi-category sale, featuring a refined assortment of photographs, artworks, fashion, and costumes — a testament to a man’s eclectic vision, artistry, and impeccable taste.” Over the years, Elton John assembled a distinctive collection of works of art, objects and memorabilia, many of them crafted specifically for his home on Peachtree
Above L/R: Elton John’s Peachtree Road penthouse, Atlanta. Photographs © 2023, Visko Hatfield
Road. Fans will discover an in-depth look at Elton John’s deep passion for photographs, which he began collecting avidly in the 1990s. Creating a gallery-like atmosphere, he adorned the walls of his Atlanta residence with pieces by pioneering artists, such as Andy Warhol, Helmut Newton, Robert Mapplethorpe, Peter Beard, Herb Ritts, Richard Avedon and more. Also included in the collection are highly intimate artworks crafted personally for Elton John and his husband David Furnish. Among them is Damien Hirst’s Your Song, signed and inscribed ‘xxx for Elton + David love Damien Thank You,’ with an estimated value of $350,000-450,000; as well as a portrait of Elton John by Julian Schnabel, estimated to be worth $200,000-300,000. ARTS & COLLECTIONS 21
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COLLECTIONS // AUCTION
Above: Seven silk shirts, Versace, 1993 Right: Julian Schnabel, Portrait of Elton, 1997 Below: Cartier Crash wristwatch, 1991
IMAGES © CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2024, Visko Hatfield
Above: T erry O’Neill, Elton John, 1974 Below: Damien Hirst, Your Song, 2008
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AUCTION // COLLECTIONS
FASHION The sale also highlights a selection of fashion pieces from the iconic performer’s dazzling stage wardrobe, including a noteworthy Ivory and Gold Ensemble designed by Annie Reavey in circa 1971. This ensemble (estimate $8,000-12,000) holds historical significance as one of the initial sets of stage attire crafted exclusively for Elton John A testament to Elton John’s eclectic tastes, his Atlanta apartment featured elaborate Versace upholstery—a nod to John’s longstanding friendship with the Versace family. Included in the sale is an incredible group of Versace items including a selection of vintage Gianni Versace shirts estimated at $4,000-6,000, in addition to tableware and home décor. The condo served as a personal sanctuary with a grand piano (estimate $30,000-50,000) art glass collections, antiques, and artifacts from his global travels. Christie’s celebration of Elton John’s farewell to Peachtree Road will continue
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with a series of live day sales: on February 22, Important Photographs, and on February 23, Peachtree Road, featuring decorative arts and interiors. Online sales open for bids on February 9 and will close respectively on February 27 with Elton’s Versace, Honky Château and The Jewel Box. The second day of online sales will end on February 28 with Love and Lust, Elton’s Superstars and Out of the Closet. The exhibition will be free and open to the public from February 9 to February 21 from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM at Christie’s 20 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.
SALE DATES: EVENING SALE Opening Night - Wednesday 21 February 2024 at 5:00pm THE DAY SALE SESSION I - Important Photographs Thursday 22 February 2024 at 10:00am
SESSION II - Peachtree Road - Friday 23 February 2024 at 10:00am ONLINE SALES TUESDAY FEBRUARY 27 2024 Elton’s Versace – 10:00am Honky Château – 12:00pm The Jewel Box – 2:00pm WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 28 2024 Love and Lust – 10:00am Elton’s Superstars – 12:00pm Out of the Closet – 2:00pm EXHIBITION Open to the public from February 9 – 21 Monday – Saturday from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm Sunday 1:00 PM – 5:00 pm Christie’s – 20 Rockefeller Plaza – for additional information visit www.christies.com Below: Elton John’s Peachtree Road penthouse, Atlanta. Photograph © 2023, Visko Hatfield
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ARTS // EXHIBITIONS
UNCHARTED ARTISTIC TERRITORIES This autumn’s second edition of Art Basel’s Paris+ confirms the French capital’s ambition to reclaim the position as global capital of culture. BY JÖRG ZUTTER
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EXHIBITIONS // ARTS
T
his fall’s second edition of the new Paris issue of Art Basel, Paris+ (18th–22nd October) gathered 154 galleries from 34 countries in the Grand Palais Éphémère, the temporary exhibition hall. The adjacent tent extension hosted the more experimental and often younger galleries, situated on the Champ-de-Mars just behind the Eiffel Tower on the left bank of the Seine. Compared to the largest edition of the different fairs organised by Art Basel, held last summer in Basel, Paris+ presents a version a little over half the size of the Swiss original fair. Of the exhibiting galleries, 138 were present in in 2022. While many of the participants in the main hall − echoing the Grand Palais’ fascinating industrial interior space, though rather gloomy because of the grey cladding − seem to promote either better-known or more fashionable contemporary positions, the 14 booths occupied by emerging dealers located in the north part showcase mostly new media and experimental installation artists. The subsequent tent-like exhibition pavilion, or corridor projecting against the Eiffel Tower, hosts two long enfilades of booths. Paris is currently becoming one of Europe’s first cultural hotspots, certainly for the visual arts, and eventually outstripping London. Whilst the comments on London’s Frieze were perhaps mixed or at least cautiously positive, they were always marked by insecurity or fear regarding the negative impact of Brexit. Some recent examples underline this dynamic: the Swiss gallery Hauser & Wirth recently opened its 17th branch in Paris, and most powerful luxury conglomerates, like Bernard Arnault’s LVMH and its flagship Louis Vuitton, as well as François Pinault’s Artémis Group, established large contemporary art collections and powerful exhibition spaces or foundations in Paris.
Paris honoured two modern, respectively contemporary painters, that is, the important exponent of the so-called École de Paris, Russian-born French artist Nicolas de Staël and Dana Schutz, a neoexpressionist artist based in Brooklyn – the latter in stark contrast to Staël because of her brutalist, rather offending style (she was also present at Paris+ at the booth of David Zwirner). The Musée Rodin invited the British sculptor Anthony Gormley (who was
also present at the fair at Thaddaeus Ropac) to display his sculptures. Particularly exciting too, in the third October week in Paris, were the different parallel art fairs: among them Asia Now and Paris Internationale, both highly eclectic events (whereas the first one perhaps more dynamic) which ideally complemented and balanced the more prestigious Paris+ and attracted an audience, albeit a little less fancy, often of emerging art collectors.
EXPRESSIONIST
IMAGES © Jörg Zutter
Noteworthy were also the many exhibitions, which directly or indirectly responded to the artists displayed at Paris+ (or represented by them): the Louvre exhibited a group of paintings by the British celebrity painter Peter Doig; the Musée d’Art Moderne de
Opening Page: U rs Fischer, Wave Right: Victor Mann, Verklärte Nacht www.artsandcollections.com
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ARTS & COLLECTIONS 27
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EXHIBITIONS // ARTS
The Palais de Tokyo museum presented a show by the French artist Lili ReynaudDewar: challenging video projections or to be more precise, installations or reconstructions of master bedrooms whose actual inhabitants divulged their intimate personal stories on large red-coloured TV-screens; the artist is represented at Paris+ by Layr (Vienna) and Clearing (New York, Brussels). In the Bourse de Commerce the Pinault collection was showing the American installation artist Mike Kelley. The futuristic architecture of Fondation Louis Vuitton (conceived by Frank Gehry) presented a marvellous exhibition of the American abstract expressionist Mark Rothko, whose sublime colourful canvasses after WWII introduced a pronounced sublime abstract style. The glass pavilion at Boulvard Raspail of Fondation Cartier, designed by Jean Nouvelle, instead showed touching realistic human sculptures by the Australian-born artist Ron Mueck.
IMAGES © Jörg Zutter
STELLAR A tentative link to the French fashion giants became evident in the previews of the neighbouring auction houses, certainly at Christie’s where the animal sculptures by the French interior designer François-Xavier Lalanne working together with his wife Claude (and gaining his first commissions www.artsandcollections.com
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typically from Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé) again fetched record prices, such as their Rhinoceros, or Rhinocrétaire I, from 1964, which sold for €18.3 million on October 20th. Christie’s most stellar contemporary sale was the one of the Austrian-French collector’s couple Anne and Wolfgang Titze at Christie’s on October 19th and included paintings by Yayoi Kusama, Sean Scully, Agnes Martin, Gerhard Richter. But especially noteworthy was the high price of €3.7 million paid for a painting by the young Romanian artist Adrian Ghenie. A painting by Ethiopian-American painter Julie Mehretu reached almost €4 million and the other works all sold for reasonable prices of between €1–3 million, the Richter included. The total result for this contemporary sale (of 39 lots, all but one sold) of €27.7 million is remarkable, certainly at a time when in Hong Kong and in London buyers manifest reluctance. Also, the modern sale held the following day at Christie’s was successful, including 61 works (with 10 returns, achieving a total of €62.3 million) and confirmed the solidity of the Parisian modern and contemporary art market: paintings by Joan Miro, Yves Klein, Lucio Fontana and Joan Michell each sold for €20.7, 2.8, 2.2 and respectively 5.8 million.
Above: Installation view of Sadie Coles’ booth with Sara Lucas’s Limousine Six Cent Soixante Six
Sotheby’s October 19th sale, ‘Modernités’, a few steps away from the Élysée Palais, including 46 lots (7 returns) with a turnover of €37.5 million was equally remarkable, whereby the result for the iconic painting by René Magritte, La Valse Hésitation of €11.2 million was a bit disappointing (given an estimate of €10.5– 15.5 million). The London evening sale of 20th and 21st century art held on October 13th, including 52 lots (7 returns) instead achieved an overall result of £44.7 million, with the top lots including paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Peter Doig, Marlene Dumas and Paolo Rego, which each sold for £10.4 million, respectively between £6.3 and £3 million.
EPICENTRE The epicentre of this dense network of exhibitions and cultural activities was definitely Paris+ at the Champs de Mars where the interfaces or synergies between art, artist or dealer and collector, as well as aficionado or professional became tangible at every turn. Close to the entrance at Sadie Coles from London the apotheosis and agony of the fuel-driven motor vehicle was exposed in Sara Lucas’s yellow Limousine ARTS & COLLECTIONS 29
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ARTS // EXHIBITIONS
Six Cent Soixante Six, 2023 (asking price £950,000). At Gagosian’s booth, a painting fascinated by the German painter and installation artist Katharina Grosse, inspired partly by the colours of the rainbow (but newly ordered and arranged by means of IT), as well as a new painting by Giuseppe Penone (an Italian sculptor from Turin working in Paris with roots in the Arte povera who has rarely handled the brush), inspired by the skin tissue of his own hands. Max Hetzler (Berlin, Paris etc.) presented a stunning painting by Albert Oehlen, Omega Man, 2021, and also a symbolist canvas of the Romanian shooting star Victor Man, Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night), 2023), who had a solo show at the Paris gallery at the same time (and a museum exhibition at the Städel Museum in Frankfurt still ongoing).
CONTOURS
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artists, put forward one of the most successful Polish painters and filmmakers Wilhelm Sasnal, whose canvas Untitled (Anka and Rita) from 2023 was on view (€195,000). The Milan-based contemporary art gallery Kaufmann Repetto, which also opened a branch in New York in 2013, presented the black American abstract painter Cynthia Hawkins who works in Rochester and whose work Maps Necessary for a Walk in 4D from 2023 was exhibited (€75,000): a canvas full of geometric contours and poetic surfaces. An awesome oval pastel drawing, a portrait of
Above: Nairy Baghramian, Dwindler Prone Up
an unknown person, by the Swiss shooting star working in New York Nicolas Patry was priced instead at a hefty €500,000. This year’s Paris+ was certainly a most exciting and worthwhile event full of artistic statements and nuances, unveiling time and again many uncharted artistic territories full of potential discoveries. It is a clear proof and strong evidence that Paris has become, for the time being, Europe’s undisputed number one cultural hub for 20th and 21st century art.
IMAGES © Jörg Zutter
Anton Kern from New York (the successful son of painter Georg Baselitz who in 1991 emigrated to the US) presented in his booth a one man show of the Londonbased New Zealand sculptor Francis Upritchard. The artist’s whimsical woodland spirits are highly inspiring figures of an imaginary stage design (price per piece ca. €150,000–200,000). Thaddeus Ropac presented a monumental drawing by the Austrian artist Martha Jungwirth, Untitled, 2023 suggesting with its dominant yellowish hue an imaginary sulfuret eruption (€300,000). Pace Gallery, since 1978 representing Marko Rothko’s estate, paid tribute to the artist by assembling modern and contemporary artists under his influence, like Adolph Gottlieb, Richard Pousette-Dart, Agnes Martin, Antoni Tàpies or Hermann Nitsch. The Austrian performance artist Nitsch, whose Action Painting from 2018 was represented (€85,000), was held in high esteem in Paris during these days, since the Musée de l’Orangerie also paid tribute to his art (which is indeed stunningly close to Monet’s work) in a solo exhibition as well as Galerie RX presenting an impressive group of his Schüttbilder (Pouring Paintings) and colourful action paintings inspired by Richard Wagner’s opera The Valkyrie. The Warsaw-based Foksal Gallery, which has a long history in defending Polish
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INVESTMENT // COLLECTIONS
Channelling Investment
Jersey and Guernsey are among the world’s most successful finance centres – but it’s the lifestyle that is attracting more and more incomers
IMAGES © Dreamstime
J
ersey and Guernsey are among the most successful international finance centres in the world, with industries including banking, trust and fiduciary, wealth, asset and fund management. The islands are also centres of excellence for company administration, compliance, legal, accountancy and investment advisory services. But attractive though these aspects are, the lifestyle of the Channel Islands is also attracting more incomers. The Channel Islands are part of an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy, divided into two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, the largest of the islands; and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, consisting of Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Herm and some smaller islands. Historically, they are the remnants of the Duchy of Normandy. Though they are not part of the United Kingdom, members of the Commonwealth of Nations, nor part of the European Union, the UK is currently responsible for the defence www.artsandcollections.com
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and international relations of the islands. They have a total population of about 171,916, and the bailiwicks’ capitals, Saint Helier and Saint Peter Port, have populations of 33,500 and 18,207 respectively. The financial sector employs about a quarter of the Jersey’s workforce, contributing to 40% of Jersey’s economic output. Finance industry employees work at all levels across globally-focused organisations and have access to continuing professional development, with onisland international business schools and international training offered at all levels. Find out more at www.jerseyfinance.je.
LEGAL The Bailiwick of Jersey is a separate jurisdiction from the UK and is distinct from the other Channel Islands such as Guernsey. Jersey has a long-established legal system committed to the latest international standards of regulation and information exchange.
Above: Elisabeth Castle on Jersey
Many of the island’s larger legal firms have multi-jurisdictional offices and they, along with smaller firms and sole practitioners, focus on legislation related to the international finance industry as well as private client work, litigation and other legal services. Most notaries in Jersey are partners in local firms of advocates or solicitors, and there is a local notary society. With over 3,000 people working in the Digital-Tech sector, Jersey has a thriving digital and creative community. The island is gaining a reputation as a leading digital centre, with a growing network of tech businesses and entrepreneurs, who form a vibrant digital community of work, collaboration and learning. Developing and supporting the Digital economy is a strategic objective of the Government, with continued investment into the digital sector. This includes developing appropriate policy and legislation, dedicated ARTS & COLLECTIONS 33
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COLLECTIONS // INVESTMENT
funding and resources for the promotion and development of the industry and facilitating the rollout of a full-island fibre network, with some of the fastest global broadband speeds in the world. The digital sector is developed, supported and championed by the memberdriven organisation, Digital Jersey. They provide a digital ‘hub’ for businesses and individuals to access, shape regulatory and legislative needs of the sector and offer business support and skills development.
LIFESTYLE
they work hard but make time to relax and have fun. Whether you are interested in sport, music, dancing, bird watching or cycling, there is something for everyone in Guernsey and the friendly and welcoming community is something which new arrivals appreciate. People have time to enjoy life after work and at weekends, thanks in part to shorter commuting times, there are events to enjoy from weekend-long music festivals to traditional Guernsey events like La Viaër Marchi, agriculture shows and an array of heritage, food and walking festivals, plus the attractions of the sister island Sark, Herm and Alderney, easy destinations for a short break. For more information about relocating to Jersey and Guernsey, visit www.locatejersey.com and www.locateguernsey.com. Below: Statue of a seaman hauling on a rope outside the Jersey Museum and Art Gallery
IMAGES © Dreamstime
Jersey attracts in excess of 400,000 staying holiday visitors each year. The island is well known for its high-quality food, with over 300 restaurants and various accommodation options from mid-range to luxury hotels, many with wellbeing spas. The industry is an important sector of the island’s economy with between 5,000 and 6,000 people working in tourism and
hospitality each year. The Jersey Hospitality Association supports and promotes all elements of hospitality and the tourism sector in Jersey, and visit Jersey works with partners in the industry to market Jersey as a visitor destination. Jersey has a diverse and vibrant retail offering with a healthy high street and market with fresh produce located in the capital of St Helier. There are local boutiques and shopping areas across the island, with a unique retail guarantee of locally produced goods through the label Genuine Jersey. Both Jersey and Guernsey welcome relocation to the islands, with Locate Guernsey organising an annual Relocate to Guernsey Show, a one-day event in London that brings together experts and professionals to help you discover why you should, and how you can, move to the island of Guernsey, whether for business or a better quality of life. Guernsey residents live life to the full -
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05/02/2024 11:11
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T ECHNIQUE D’ AVANT G ARDE: /’tɛk'nik davã gaɾdɘ/ [tek-neek uh-vahnt-gahrd] noun
LEADING EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE WITHIN BUSINESS AVIATION ACROSS THE GLOBE.
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CONTEMPORARY // ARTS
THE VOLUMINOUS FIGURES OF Fernando Botero
Fernando Botero was one of the most renowned South American artists of the contemporary era. Larissa Guimaraes, International Art Consultant, AstaGuru Auction House, explains his continuing appeal
Above: Fernando Botero, Femme Au Serpent
IMAGES © AstaGuru Auction House
O
ffering a vibrant and bold approach to the prevalent themes of Latin American art, Fernando Botero (1932-2023) developed a style which is uniquely his own and at the same time, paid tribute to the voluptuousness of the form in the works of Old Masters. Botero passed away on 15th September 2023 at the age of 91, leaving behind an undeniable impact on the world of art history. www.artsandcollections.com
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Born in Medellín, Colombia, in 1932, Botero was four years old when his father died. When he turned 12, Botero’s uncle enrolled him in a school for bullfighters. During this time, the artist continued to pursue his love for drawing and painting, creating impressive watercolour works depicting matadors and bulls. These initial works were sold by a bullfight ticket trader. At the age of 16, his illustrations were
selected to be published in a leading newspaper. The money he received from this went on to fund his studies at the Art Academy of San Fernando, Madrid, in the 1950s. In 1951, he held his first show in Bogotá. And by the time he turned 20, he had won the second prize at Salón Nacional de Artistas. He celebrated this by travelling with a group of other artists through Europe. ARTS & COLLECTIONS 37
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ARTS // CONTEMPORARY
Old Spanish Masters, Spanish Baroque works, French artists’ works at the Louvre and then studying the Italian Renaissance in Florence massively impacted his oeuvre. Among the many influences, Pablo Picasso and Juan Gris held a special place in his heart. This would lead to him altering forms and exaggerating shapes to arrive at his signature style.
BOTERISMO
OEUVRE His impressive oeuvre, command of colour and unique handling of form have immortalised him as one of the most prominent figures to emerge from not only 38 ARTS & COLLECTIONS
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Colombia but Latin America as a whole. An exquisite bronze sculpture by Fernando Botero titled Femme Au Serpent (Ed: 3/9) sold at AstaGuru auction house for INR 1,34,91,225 in November 2022. A pencil and watercolour on paper work titled Couple, offered in the July 2023 auction was acquired at INR 75,33,838. In AstaGuru’s International Iconic auction, extraordinary works by revered and iconic global artists such as Marc Chagall, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso and Pierre-Auguste Renoir were showcased. Among the works was an exquisite watercolour on paper work by Fernando
Above: F ernando Botero, Couple, 2009 – Pencil and watercolour on paper
Botero titled A Man And Woman With Umbrella. Executed in 2023, this work explores his signature motif of couples as well as his unique style. The work sold for INR 8,481,167 (101,736 USD). Larissa Guimaraes has recently joined AstaGuru (www.astaguru.com) as a consultant in the International Art department. She was trained as an art historian at Columbia University, and as an architect at Princeton University.
IMAGES © AstaGuru Auction House
In 1956, during his stay in Mexico, the artist took to executing a painting of a mandolin with a minuscule sound hole, making the mandolin seem much larger and distorted. This led to a breakthrough in his career and forming his unique style, now known as ‘Boterismo’. His figures, he once said, explored the sensuality of form and played with volume. He used this style to reinterpret paintings of Old Masters and depict scenes from Latin streets and everyday life. He was also a satirist, painting portraits of political figures and emphasising various physical features to have the desired impact. Referring to himself as the ‘most Colombian of Colombian artists’, Botero continued gaining global recognition, bringing further interest in Latin American art. While residing in Paris in the early 1970s, he started sculpting, which then led to large-scale public installations in the 1980s. The Botero Plaza in his hometown of Medellin houses 23 of his impressive sculptures. Currently, his public commissions are on display in cities such as New York, Paris, Barcelona, Jerusalem and Bamber. Some of his best-known works include the series of works depicting Abu Ghraib prisoners, The Death of Pablo Escobar, which caused an uproar, his interpretation of the Mona Lisa and sculptures such as Eve. Many of his works are housed in important collections such as those of Museo Nacional de Arte Renia Sofía, Madrid, the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Botero Museum, Bogotá, and others.
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ARTS // HERITAGE
TO RESCUE AND PRESERVE In the aftermath of the 2019 fire, a heroic effort unfolded to rescue and preserve the priceless works of art within Notre-Dame’s sacred walls. Mathieu Scrivat reports on the contribution of Bovis Fine Art
T
he much-anticipated December 2024 inauguration of Paris’s Notre-Dame Cathedral will stand as a significant milestone in the arduous restoration journey following the devastating 2019 fire. The meticulous efforts of skilled artisans, architects, and restoration specialists have not only breathed new life into this iconic symbol of French history and culture, but also serve as a testament to the collective dedication and global support that poured in for its reconstruction. As Notre-Dame’s doors reopen, they will reveal a renewed masterpiece, embodying the indomitable spirit of preservation and the enduring legacy of one of the world’s most revered architectural marvels. In the aftermath of the 2019 fire, a heroic 40 ARTS & COLLECTIONS
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effort unfolded to rescue and preserve the priceless works of art within Notre-Dame’s sacred walls. A swift and coordinated response by firefighters, cultural heritage experts, and transport companies ensured the evacuation of countless irreplaceable artifacts, demonstrating the valour of those involved and underscoring the profound significance of safeguarding the cultural heritage embedded in Notre-Dame.
FORMIDABLE The Notre-Dame Cathedral art rescue unfolded as a formidable race against time, with numerous French Fine Art transport companies playing a crucial role, bringing their expertise to salvage delicate and historically significant pieces. The most intricate facet involved the
delicate and challenging task of detaching and transporting large-format paintings, including the renowned Mays series. This formidable mission was entrusted to the expertise of Bovis Fine Art, highlighting their exceptional capabilities in handling complex and high-stakes operations, demanding precision, experience, and innovation. Recognising the urgency, Bovis Fine Art formed a dedicated task force, mobilizing a volunteer team and coordinating handling materials and vehicles. A Titan trailer, specially dispatched from Spain, emerged as a key asset, overcoming geographical challenges to provide secure and efficient transportation for the rescued treasures. The addressing of security concerns added complexity, balancing the need for speed with an unwavering commitment www.artsandcollections.com
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HERITAGE // ARTS
to safeguarding the health and security of the rescue team. Adequate individual protection equipment (PPE) and rigorous safety protocols were deployed to mitigate risks, including potential lead pollution resulting from the fire. The inaugural phase of the NotreDame Cathedral art rescue unfolded systematically, starting with the installation of scaffolding in each lateral chapel, allowing access to endangered artworks. The handling of monumental paintings required a delicate touch and the expertise of skilled professionals to ensure their safe extraction from the fire-damaged surroundings. Simultaneously, the identification of a secure working area within the Cathedral was paramount, considering structural challenges resulting from the fire, including the collapse of numerous vaults.
PROTECTION
IMAGES © Wikimedia, Bovis Fine Art
A dedicated team established a packaging area, equipped with the necessary materials and tools. Employing a strategy of reinforced soft-packing with triple protection, each piece was cocooned to shield it from potential damage during
transportation. The final leg of this intricate operation involved the loading and transport of the rescued artworks to a secure warehouse. The second phase unfolded efficiently within a mere six weeks, as a dedicated team orchestrated the construction of a sprawling 2,000 m² specific area for the rescued paintings in one of the secured warehouses of the Bovis Group, situated south of Paris. This included the development of the most extensive paintings storage system in Europe, boasting impressive dimensions – a height of 6.5 meters (21.33 feet) and an expansive surface area of almost 1,000 m² of vertical storage space. The installation demanded over 10 tons (22,046 lbs) of stainless steel. The storage and restoration areas were fully equipped and climatized, incorporating state-of-the-art systems for temperature and humidity control to ensure optimal preservation conditions. The final touch involved setting up two dedicated workshop areas – 500 m² each – allocated for the meticulous restoration of frames and canvas, as well as the intricate work on the pictorial layers.
HERITAGE The Notre-Dame Cathedral art rescue project achieved its moment of validation with the visit of the French Minister of Culture, Rima Abdul-Malak, to the Bovis Fine Art warehouse in 2022. Her presence marked a symbolic acknowledgment of the successful collaboration, meticulous planning, and dedicated efforts that went into safeguarding the cultural heritage of Notre-Dame. As Minister Abdul-Malak toured the expansive facility, she bore witness to the meticulously constructed storage and restoration areas, showcasing the technological prowess and attention to detail invested in the rescue operation. The minister’s visit not only celebrated the triumph over adversity but also underscored the resilience and collective spirit that defines the preservation of cultural treasures. In every step of this intricate journey, from the urgent rescue to the meticulous restoration, the Notre-Dame art rescue stands as a testament to human determination and collaboration, ensuring the preservation of a rich cultural legacy for generations to come.
Opening Page: T he 2019 Notre-Dame fire shocked the world Above: R estoration work uses traditional materials Right: Bovis Fine Art’s team handled a complex transportation operation
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ARTS // PHOTOGRAPHY
Uptown Top
RANKIN
IMAGES © The Rankin Group
Responsible for some of the most iconic editorial shoots and album artwork of the 1990s and 2000s, Rankin has photographed the biggest British bands
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PHOTOGRAPHY // ARTS
Left: Keith Richards, Smokey Keith, 2002 © Rankin Right: PJ Harvey, Woman of the Year, Q Magazine, 2001 © Rankin
R
ankin’s subjects have included Pulp and Radiohead, pop superstars such as the Spice Girls and Dua Lipa, and cult heroes like Michael Stipe and PJ Harvey. Now a carefully curated selection of his portraits has been collected under the title Rankin - Sound Off: Musicians 1990-23, running at Tin Man Gallery in London from March 12th. Rankin, otherwise known as John Rankin Waddell, has demonstrated an ability to create images that came to define the zeitgeist, as well as exploring the personalities behind each musician’s persona. His art has always been part of the music scene, beginning with the seminal magazine Dazed & Confused, which he set up with Jefferson Hack in 1990. The magazine was a central part of the cultural renaissance that swept through 90s Britain, placing provocative images alongside the music, art and fashion that defined a decade. Embracing a DIY culture, the magazine was embedded in the night-club scene, and featured both established stars such as David Bowie and Debbie Harry, as well as breakthrough acts like Robbie Williams and Oasis. www.artsandcollections.com
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SOUNDTRACK Music is also a vital component of Rankin’s photographic practice, with shoots usually accompanied by a loud soundtrack. Rankin’s aim has always been to give some of the power of the photographer over to the subject. By playing music and creating a unique and personal atmosphere in his studio, this honest and open approach creates space for the subject to be themselves. Sound Off gives viewers the opportunity to understand the challenges that are presented when photographing iconic figures. As Rankin explains of shooting Debbie Harry, “you really have to try and push every image you’ve seen of her out of your mind when you photograph her. Everyone has seen hundreds of amazing pictures of her, you have to make a real effort to be different”. In a career that has seen him photograph everyone from royalty to rock stars, it is this ability to capture both the public and private personas that has struck a chord with viewers. As Rankin notes, “I get asked all the time what celebrities are really like. My mantra now is “They’re just people too”.
PULSE Still with a finger on the pulse of popular culture, Rankin’s love affair with music photography has continued with his current magazine, HUNGER. As evident in Sound Off with images of British hip-hop and Grime stars, Loyle Carner and Stormzy, his drive to create bold yet intimate imagery is still at the heart of his practice. As Rankin says, “From intriguing characters, to up-and-coming artists with diverse skills and an exciting approach to the world - these people and their work is what really excites me. I’ve been honoured to have met some of the great and the good across music, but what has always kept me shooting is the idea of finding the next thing.” RANKIN: SOUND OFF – MUSICIANS 1990-23 TIN MAN ART, 2nd-24th March 2024 4 Cromwell Place, London SW7 2JE Wednesday to Saturday 11am – 7pm Sunday 11am – 4pm www.tinmanart.com ARTS & COLLECTIONS 43
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COLLECTIONS // SOTHEBY’S
ORIGINAL COLOURS
Sotheby’s Private Sales works discreetly and seamlessly with buyers and sellers of world-class works through the year, independent of the auction calendar
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ith strong, growing interest from the community of collectors, Sotheby’s Private Sales enables the freedom to collect world-class works on any day of the year, outside the traditional auction calendar. Sotheby’s connoisseurship and deep knowledge of the global market enables
it to advise on evolving collections across all fine art disciplines, as well as diamonds and high jewellery, watches and rare vintages. Over the last five years, Sotheby’s has grossed $5.6 billion in sales across 85 countries covering 52 categories of fine art and luxury property. David Schrader, Chairman, Global Private
Sales, says: “We have the privilege of being the largest private dealer in the secondary market, with nearly $1.2 billion in sales achieved worldwide in 2022 across 44 categories.” Prices are on application unless otherwise stated. Find out more about Sotheby’s Private sales at www.sothebys.com.
LACLOCHE
Women’s Evening Brooch, 1900 Gold, Diamond and Ruby Set with cushion-shaped diamonds and rubies with an estimated total diamond weight approximately 2.00-3.00 carats, this brooch features French assay marks for 18 karat gold and has a width of 57mm. It comes with a case stamped Lacloche but this may be unassociated. It is accompanied by GCS report no. 78126-11, dated 24th October 2017, stating that the rubies are of Burmese origin, with no indications of heating. Price is £7,150.
UNKNOWN MAKER ‘SF’
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IMAGES © Sotheby’s
French Belle Époque Tureen Silver A tapering oval curvilinear bowl on same raised foot with gadrooned rims, with leaf-mounted double c-scroll end handles, raised cover with a still-life finial: a couple of bird carcasses draped on top of a sweet bunny. Visible handwork on interior. Fully marked with Minerva head and unidentified maker’s stamp (SF). With wear and patination consistent with age and use and some firescale, the piece weighs 103 troy ounces, measures 10.75 inches / 27.3 cm x 13 inches / 33.02 cm x 8.88 inches / 22.56 cm and is priced at $6,550. www.artsandcollections.com
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SOTHEBY’S // COLLECTIONS
TONY CRAGG
Declination Painted bronze Stamped T. C., dated 2003 and stamped with the foundry mark Kayser & Klippel, Düsseldorf on the underside, this piece measures 31.1/8 x 64.1/8 x 28.3/8 in.; 79 x 163 x 72 cm. Executed in 2003, it was acquired for a private collection in the US in 2017 from Holtermann Fine Art in collaboration with Dutko Gallery, London, where it was shown in Tony Cragg’s Primary Colours exhibition. It is featured in the Cragg Foundation’s Anthony Cragg - Sculpture 2001 - 2017, Köln, 2019, pp.64-65 & 560, illustrated in colour (another cast referenced). Sir Anthony Douglas Cragg CBE RA is an AngloGerman sculptor, born in Liverpool in 1949 and resident in Wuppertal, Germany since 1977.
FRANÇOIS-XAVIER LALANNE
Pigeon lamp Patinated copper Monogrammed FxL, numbered 285/900 and bearing the editor’s mark ARTCURIAL on the tail, this piece measures 8 7/8 x 11 3/8 x 4 3 /4 in. (22,5 x 29 x 12cm) and is made in patinated copper, patinated bronze and frosted glass. Designed in 1991, it features in Lalanne’s Paris 2010 exhibition catalogue (another example) and one sold at Christie’s in 2017 for $32,500. Husband and wife team Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne were known to co-create on projects rather than collaborate. While François-Xavier favoured sculpting animal themes, Claude preferred vegetation.
FERRARI / SCAGLIETTI
1977 Ferrari 308 GTB ‘Vetroresina’ by Scaglietti Fibreglass A European delivery example fully restored in its original colours of Oro Chiaro over Tan, fitted with a dry-sump-lubricated engine sans US emissions equipment, this example scored 99.5 points out of 100 and was awarded Platinum and Coppa Bella Macchina at the 2018 Ferrari Club of America National Meet. Exceptionally well documented, including its original service book, this is one of only 712 fibreglass 308s built. On a model so closely associated with the colour red, seldom-seen colours such as Oro Chario are becoming increasingly sought-after. Asking price is $280,000. www.artsandcollections.com
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UNRIVALLED SPACE AT SEA™ The luxury of personal space is central to the promise of
An Unrivalled Experience™ with Regent Seven Seas Cruises®. It provides the extravagant freedom guests need to explore and relax to the fullest. As the pre-eminent luxury cruise line on the ocean, we pride ourselves in offering some of the largest balconies and most spacious suites at sea. Our wide range of speciality restaurants, al fresco and in-suite dining options, exquisite lounges, bars and expansive spaces are perfect to rest and celebrate in, knowing there is never a queue or a crowd and that every detail is taken care of and every amenity is included.
TO LEARN MORE AND START YOUR JOURNEY SCAN THE QR CODE VISIT RSSC.COM CALL 023 8082 1390 OR CONTACT YOUR TRAVEL ADVISOR
AD240122_USAS_Sothebys_DPS
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COLLECTIONS // TRAVEL
JEWEL OF THE SEAS
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cean cruising can be a transformative experience, and the passengers aboard modern cruise liners can expect to be carried in the greatest of comfort and luxury. But not many can also expect to be enthralled by a multi-million dollar art collection such as that found aboard the Regent Seven Seas Cruises vessel Seven Seas Grandeur. The newest addition to a fleet which is regarded as among the world’s most luxurious, the Seven Seas Grandeur is part of a 30-year legacy of perfecting luxury travel. The sixth member of the Regent fleet, the 55,000-tonne Grandeur was built in Ancona, Italy, by premier ship builder Fincantieri in just over two years, and is sister ship to Seven Seas Explorer and Seven Seas Splendor. A dedicated crew of 548 welcome 746 guests in 373 balcony suites, and the design, by award-winning Studio DADO, offers elegance and refinement in 15 stunning allsuite accommodation categories, from the palatial Regent Suite, to the contemporary yet timeless Distinctive Suites and beautifully appointed Spacious Suites. 48 ARTS & COLLECTIONS
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Dining is always whenever and wherever the passenger should choose, from al fresco seating at La Veranda and the Pool Grill to course-by-course, in-suite meals for more private culinary experiences, and deliciously authentic recipes created for the Sette Mari dining experience, inspired by a trip that the Regent culinary team took to Puglia, Italy – the region from which Senior Vice President of Hotel Operations Franco Semeraro and his family hails.
LUXURIES Launched in November 2023 and taking its first cruise to the Caribbean in December, the liner sets off for the Mediterranean for Summer 2024. Grandeur will witness the vibrant colours of fall in Canada and New England in September and October, before closing out a year of luxurious travel by exploring more of the Caribbean. With facilities akin to a five-star luxury hotel, Grandeur features balconies on 99 percent of its suites, affording exceptional sea views and a space to relax, dine and admire the view. Regent Suites features an in-suite master
bathroom spa retreat with Sauna, Steam Room and Jacuzzi, two spacious bedrooms, a spacious living room and extra luxuries from Butler service to exclusive access to The Study – a private dining room for up to 12 guests. Voyage fares include top-of-theline amenities and unlimited included shore excursions, unique to the Regent brand. Yet all this is perhaps less remarkable than the multi-million dollar art collection installed on the Grandeur. The 1,600 piece collection took nearly two years to curate and commission, with mostly contemporary works sourced from artists and galleries around the world. Highlights of the collection include multiple works by Pablo Picasso, the lithographs and linocuts Toros y Toreros, Antes de Picar al Toro and Picador Picando al Toro, Con Matador al Quite. These works are on display in Prime 7 on deck 10. Exclusively created by Savoy Studios is a custom-made bronze and hand-cast glass Bonsai Cherry Tree sculpture, creating an experiential entrance to Pacific Rim, the ship’s pan-Asian specialty restaurant on Deck
IMAGES © RSSC
The newest addition to a luxurious cruise liner fleet carries a multimillion dollar art collection featuring the work of Fabergé
www.artsandcollections.com
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TRAVEL // COLLECTIONS
5, while Walter Goldfarb’s The Enchanted Tree, a close to 40-foot-tall tapestry, hangs adjacent to the elevator wall in the ship’s lavish atrium on Deck 6. The stainless-steel sculpture Water in Dripping – Waterfall by Zheng Lu can be found at Serene Spa & Wellness on Deck 5. Additionally, guests will be able to marvel at works from renowned artists including Rauschenberg, Matta, Sophie Elizabeth Thompson, and Eduardo Arranz-Bravo. Guests are able to connect with the works on a new level through Art Experience – a digital immersive art tour accessible through the Regent Mobile App.
JEWELS Perhaps most notably, Fabergé’s Journey in Jewels will be displayed in the Atrium in Deck 5, featuring a cascading waterfall of ocean greens and subtle turquoise throughout its three-tiered base, while the outer shell features deep blue waves which break into a sea spray of pearls. The outer egg ‘shell’ is comprised of seven blades, representing the seven seas, which unfurl to reveal a surprise hidden inside, details of which are being kept a closely guarded secret until Seven Seas Grandeur’s christening. The culmination of Regent’s longstanding relationship with iconic jewellery Maison Fabergé, Sarah Fabergé, Founding Member of The Fabergé Heritage Council and greatgranddaughter of Peter Carl Fabergé, was announced as Godmother to Seven Seas Grandeur during an exclusive event in London in July 2023 . Sarah will host a Fabergé Spotlight Voyage on board Seven Seas Grandeur, sailing 1 July 2024, enveloping luxury travellers into the world of Fabergé with small group masterclass programs, exclusive access to unique and intimate shore-side tours, jewelled egg demonstrations and fascinating lectures and screenings. The 10-night sailing will depart from Rome (Civitavecchia) and cruise the Mediterranean, calling in Salerno, Italy; Taormina (Sicily), Italy; Valletta, Malta; Palma de Mallorca; Barcelona, Spain; Provence (Marseille), and Antibes, France before ending at Monte Carlo. www.rssc.com/ships/seven_seas_grandeur Opening page: The Seven Seas Grandeur Right: Fabergé egg, Chartreuse restaurant, Compass Rose dining room, Savoy Studios’ Bonsai Cherry Tree
www.artsandcollections.com
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Limited to editions of 280, our newly-commissioned Art Deco posters feature glamorous holiday destinations around the world, ski resorts in the European Alps, and the world’s greatest historic automobiles. Over 100 designs to choose from, all printed on 100% cotton fine art paper, measuring 97 x 65 cms. Priced at £420 each (inc. UK sales tax). Private commissions are also welcome. @pullmaneditionsposters All images and text copyright © Pullman Editions 2024
Pullman Editions 94 Pimlico Road Chelsea London SW1W 8PL +44 (0)20 7730 0547 info@pullmaneditions.com
Our central London gallery
V iew and buy online at www.pullmanedit ions.com Pullman Editions.indd 1
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AUCTION // COLLECTIONS
THE PLAYBOY and the Pinup
As Julian’s Auctions prepares to sell memorabilia of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner, we look at the lives of a pair whose careers were entwined
IMAGES © Julien’s Auctions, PLayboy Enterprises, Eric Skipsey/MPTV images
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or the first time, Julien’s, the California-based ‘auction house to the stars’, is bringing together global icon Marilyn Monroe and international playboy Hugh Hefner in an auction catchily titled Property From The Playboy Archives And Hugh M. Hefner Foundation And Property From The Life & Career Of Marilyn Monroe. This stunning and fascinating collection of over 1,000 artifacts from the early life of the legendary magazine founder to the Playboy era’s heyday, direct from the Playboy Headquarters and Mansion, and personal property consisting of film wardrobe, photographs, documents and ephemera from the incandescent life of Marilyn Monroe, provokes a gaze at the two icons’ lives and times, particularly in the 1950s and early 1960s during the height of their fame www.artsandcollections.com
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and influence on American pop culture, as well as on each other’s careers. Both born in 1926, Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner together gained worldwide fame when Marilyn appeared in Hefner’s inaugural 1953 issue of Playboy. The magazine’s cover image and centrefold of Marilyn launched the success of Hefner’s groundbreaking men’s lifestyle magazine, which the publisher would build into an empire by transforming Playboy into an iconic global brand.
POP CULTURE Hefner’s Playboy magazine embodied the modern American male lifestyle and philosophy with its layouts of celebrities and models mixed with acclaimed and famous journalism and literary pieces on politics,
Above Left: Hugh Hefner and Playboy jet: photo credit Playboy Enterprises Above: Marilyn in Pucci dress: Photo © Eric Skipsey/MPTV images mptvimages.com
art, and social commentary written by the likes of Alex Haley, Hunter S. Thompson and Margaret Atwood. Marilyn’s appearance in Playboy turned her into an instant household name and enduring sex symbol who blazed a path like no other in Hollywood, and who would also be admired years after her passing in 1962 as a modern feminist icon. While these two figures remarkably never intersected in reality, their legacies are inextricably, linked as both were influential symbols of the sexual revolution whose cult of personalities and depictions made a profound impact on society and ARTS & COLLECTIONS 51
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COLLECTIONS // AUCTION
on the cultural landscape still felt today. In 1992, Hugh Hefner bought the tomb next to Marilyn Monroe at Westwood Village Memorial Park in Los Angeles where he was laid to rest in 2017. The Playboy Enterprises collection includes an Andy Warhol original Playboy Bunny silkscreen, LeRoy Neiman 1959 original oil on canvas painting titled, “Romanoffs” (est. $60,000-$80,000), Alberto Vargas original watercolour drawing of a Vargas Girl pinup, from the March 1967 issue of Playboy Magazine (est. $30,000$40,000), and a LeRoy Neiman 1956 watercolour, ink and collage drawing of the New York City skyline (est. $8,000-$10,000). Highlights of Marilyn Monroe’s collection include a Mae West-inspired black and cellophane effect evening gown designed
by legendary costume designer William Travilla, worn by Marilyn Monroe during the filming of her classic 1955 film The Seven Year Itch; a costume worn by Marilyn Monroe as Lillian Russell for a pictorial feature in the December 22nd, 1958 issue of Life magazine, photographed by Richard Avedon; and a red and white polka-dot umbrella with wood hook handle, used by Marilyn Monroe in a 1949 photo shoot on Jones Beach with photographer Andre de Dienes (est. $20,000-$40,000)
IMPACT Other highlights include numerous photos of Marilyn Monroe kicking a soccer ball, fishing, on the sets of River of No Return and Gentleman Prefer Blondes, at her 1954 Korean tour, with husband Joe DiMaggio
on their honeymoon and others; her chequebook, perfume receipt and more. Hollywood’s leading auction house also announced that highlights from this auction will be heading to Asia in two exclusive exhibitions presented for the first time in Hong Kong and Shanghai. The public wasl invited to view these artifacts in two museum like exhibitions to be held at the Fringe Club, 2 Lower Albert Road, Central in Hong Kong January 27th through February 1st. The collection then travela to K11 Shanghai No. 300, Huaihai Middle Road, Huangpu District in Shanghai for an exhibition March 6th through March 17th before heading back to Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles, California March 28th through March 30th, live and online at julienslive.com.
Above: Marilyn brooch Left: Marilyn polka dot umbrella Below: Andy Warhol Playboy Bunny print
IMAGES © IMAGES © Julien’s Auctions
Right: M arilyn lipstick
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www.artsandcollections.com
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ARTS // SCULPTURE
A FINE BODY OF WORK Yorkshireman Shaun Gagg makes sculptural art from coins, keys, and other ‘found’ metal objects – the trick lies in bringing them to life
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www.artsandcollections.com
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SCULPTURE // ARTS
B
orn in 1969 and brought up in the mining village of Wombwell, near Barnsley in Yorkshire, Shaun Gagg was surrounded by evidence of the way natural materials can be shaped by man. At school, he always enjoyed art classes, and was particularly fascinated by the surrealistic paintings of Salvador Dali. The first natural material he worked with was, unsurprisingly considering the geology of the area, slate. He was working as a roofer when he realised the potential of this sedimentary material. The slate companies who supplied him would often bring skips which were piled to the top with large pieces. The guys would often say “Take as much as tha want’s, lad”, music to Shaun’s ears, particularly when on trips to Wales he would see slate tips the size of mountains. For 15 years he refined his art, creating sculptures from slate or sometimes sandstone. These pieces were often compared to the works of Barbara Hepworth, though Shaun would be the first to admit that the name wouldn’t have meant anything to him at the time. It was when Shaun discovered that some of Barbara Hepworth’s work was displayed at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, less than ten miles from where he lived, that he understood the similarity of his work to hers, and to that of Henry Moore, whose work was also displayed at YSP.
IMAGES © Shaun Gagg/Turner Fine Arts
BALANCE But it was the work of Andy Goldsworthy which was to have the greatest influence on Shaun Gagg’s ideas. Goldsworthy’s ‘balanced land art’ became an obsession of Shaun’s, leading him to the shallows of the nearby reservoirs of the Peak District, where he would sit in the water balancing as many as six or seven large rocks, with just millimetres of contact points between each one. Some years ago Shaun moved to the coast of Flamborough near Bridlington, where he continued his ‘land art’, where his playground was the cobbled beaches. He was often featured in local newspapers, with headlines such as ‘Mysterious Artist Strikes Again’ captioning photos of his anonymous outdoor sculptures. The interest
Top Right: Shaun Gagg installing a water feature Right: Life-sized leopard
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ARTS // SCULPTURE
the stone dictated the final form of the finished sculpture, with welding Shaun can let his imagination run wild and make practically anything. Shaun still goes ‘over the top’ and makes everything as big as possible, because as he says, after all, he’s a Yorkshireman and so value for money is everything, even in art! But the pieces he makes now have small beginnings, with collections of coins, nails or keys which are welded together in ways, as Shaun says, that are limited only by his imagination.
LIFE-SIZED A life-sized sculpture of the crucified Jesus, Sorrows of Steel (£18,000), inspired by a Dali painting and made of nails, was displayed in a local church, and was so popular that the local council ran tourist trips to see it; other popular pieces include a life-sized bull (£33,000), bulldog (£3,500) and a jaguar (£5,300). As Shaun says, he
can’t see anything getting bigger than that – “unless it’s a dinosaur!”. Equally popular are Shaun’s female and male torsos, which usually have a flat back allowing for wall hanging or the option to showcase them on a slate stand; water features, and even a practical chair made of 2p coins (£1,500). Represented by Stephen Turner at www.turnerfinearts.com and regularly exhibited in galleries throughout the country, Shaun works to commission, with every piece coming out slightly differently, and says he has no real plans for the next big project. “I’ll just be walking on the cliffs and see a shape in a rock, a seagull flying by or a whale in the sea, and that’ll be it. But I am intending to make a mermaid soon… but until it happens I have no idea what I’m going to be doing tomorrow!” www.shaungagg.co.uk Below: S haun Gagg, life-sized bull
IMAGES © Shaun Gagg/Turner Fine Arts
in these works lead Shaun to look for a small workshop where he could dedicate himself to sculpting full time, initially with large abstract slate pieces. Scale is certainly a factor in Shaun Gagg’s work; his wife says “he has to go over the top and make everything twice as big as it needs to be!”. This trait eventually became Shaun’s downfall, as his left leg, already pinned after a climbing accident, gave way due to the weight of the slates he had been carrying for his sculptures. Limping and in pain after a long day of work, eventually he constructed an external metal calliper which went from under the heel of his boot up to his knee and was strapped to his leg to take pressure off his ankle. But digging out his welding equipment to make the caliper inspired Shaun’s work in a new direction, and for the last five years he has made nothing but welded sculptures. Whereas before, the natural shape of
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www.artsandcollections.com
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A NEW SENSE OF TIME REDEFINING TIME DISPLAY We envision a world where time is perceived as a precious resource. Therefore, we create objects that allow people to experience time more consciously. With our two iconic timepieces QLOCKTWO EARTH and MOON we bring the most personal time displays to your home. www.qlocktwo.com
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21/11/2023 10:38
COLLECTIONS // AVIATION
Sustainability In The Air Can private aviation be compatible with a sustainability agenda? Leaders in executive aviation show the way
W
hile climate conferences such as COP 28 debate ambitious national climate plans, it’s clear that both national governments and international businesses must do their part in tackling climate change. The aviation industry has a big part to play, as it creates 13.9% of the emissions from transport. If global aviation were a country, it would rank in the top 10 emitters. Yet there is increased demand for aviation services, particularly in private aviation. The global fleet of private jets has more than doubled in the last two decades, and more private flights were made in 2022 than ever before. When flying of all types nearly ceased in many countries for an extended period during the pandemic, private jet travel increased, and though it makes up only four percent of the global aviation market, it produces about 10 times as much greenhouse gas per passenger. This is 58 ARTS & COLLECTIONS
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beginning to change with the introduction of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). SAF is a liquid fuel currently used in commercial aviation that reduces CO2 emissions by up to 80%. It can be produced from a number of sources, including waste oil and fats, green and municipal waste, and non-food crops, or synthetically via a process that captures carbon directly from the air.
FLAGSHIP As a safe and fully certified drop-in fuel compatible with existing aircraft fleets and airport infrastructure, SAF can be blended with conventional jet fuel at a ratio of up to 50%, creating an aviation fuel that is significantly lower in lifecycle carbon emissions. In its neat form, SAF can reduce lifecycle emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel. Jetex (www.jetex. com), a global leader in executive aviation,
is the first to offer SAF to customers in the United Arab Emirates. Jetex’s environment strategy focuses on reducing carbon emissions, recycling, and adapting the latest green technologies across its global network. The company’s efforts are aligned with IATA’s commitment to fly net zero by 2050, and achieving this requires a combination of maximum elimination of emissions at the source, offset, and carbon capture technologies.Building on the success of supplying SAF at selected locations in Europe, Jetex offers aircraft operators and private owners the possibility of significantly reducing emissions whenever they operate flights from its flagship private terminal in Dubai. Jetex has also signed a milestone agreement with 360 Jet Fuel Ltd. to offer sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) book and claim options to its customers globally. Through the innovative 360 Green Fuel www.artsandcollections.com
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AVIATION // COLLECTIONS
book and claim platform, Jetex aims to offer greater accessibility to SAF. The new 360 Green Fuel book and claim system allows Jetex customers to source SAF based on their total aviation footprint in one transaction rather than sourcing through each location individually, so SAF can be sourced for flights out of airports that do not have SAF supply available.. Jetex customers will be able to claim the CO2 emission reduction they achieved
by replacing the amount of fossil fuel with SAF acquired and will receive a certificate specifying the amount of SAF purchased and an audited statement outlining the corresponding CO2 reduction. This documentation can be utilized for sustainability reporting purposes. This documentation can be utilized for sustainability reporting purposes. The new agreement takes Jetex a step closer to being fully carbon-neutral globally
and is aligned with IATA’s commitment to achieving 65% SAF share by 2050. “Bringing SAF to the United Arab Emirates is a milestone achievement, and I am pleased that we can finally offer this type of aircraft fuel to our customers in Dubai in partnership with Shell Aviation. It is even more important in light of 2023 being announced as the Year of Sustainability in the UAE, as it cements our ambition to reduce carbon emissions”, said Adel Mardini.
HOSPITALITY
IMAGES © JETEX
Jetex unveiled its new flagship private terminal at Al Bateen Executive Airport, Abu Dhabi. This move not only strengthens Jetex’s presence in the region but also aligns perfectly with Abu Dhabi’s reputation as a destination of luxury and cultural richness. The terminal, situated in the city’s only dedicated private jet airport, offers an array of exclusive services and amenities, embodying the opulence that Jetex is known for. As travelers arrive or depart from this world-class facility, they are immersed in the luxury that mirrors the grandeur of Abu Dhabi itself, a city where modernity meets heritage. This strategic location allows Jetex to offer its clients unparalleled access to the city’s most iconic landmarks and experiences, showcasing Abu Dhabi as a top-tier destination for discerning global travelers. Jetex enhances the travel experience with a complete array of services, encompassing luxurious private lounges, personalized concierge care, and expert aircraft management. Guests are treated to Jetex’s acclaimed hospitality, designed for efficient and smooth transitions. The terminal’s standout feature is its novel inflight butler service, adding an extra layer of sophistication to the journey. Commenting on the occasion of the opening of the Jetex Abu Dhabi terminal, Adel Mardini, Founder and CEO of Jetex, said: “The opening of Jetex Abu Dhabi marks a milestone for our brand and confirms our commitment to the region. “We are especially excited to bring the Jetex experience to the UAE capital. We promise a regal welcome to this beautiful city for our international guests as well as to ensure that every need is anticipated, every wish is granted, and every minute is memorable when you are with us at Jetex Abu Dhabi.” www.artsandcollections.com
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IMAGES © RCU
COLLECTIONS // TOURISM
www.artsandcollections.com
05/02/2024 15:12
TOURISM // COLLECTIONS
Hands in the Sand Artist David Popa is creating a remarkable work of art in the landscape of AlUla – but it will not be around for long
A
cclaimed American artist David Popa is creating a unique, landmark piece set within the landscape of AlUla, the ancient Arabic oasis city located in Medina Province, Saudi Arabia. The artwork, which takes the shape of two protective hands, is constructed around the iconic Tomb of Lihyan, Son of Kuza, a monumental heritage destination at Hegra which was designated as Saudi Arabia’s first World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2008. The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), the cultural custodian of northwest Arabia, has launched a new, inclusive heritage conservation campaign that aims to deepen and enrich the public’s knowledge, awareness, and desire to protect and uplift AlUla’s ancient history.
CHERISH The I Care campaign, which launched on February 1st, shines a local, national, and global spotlight on the importance of RCU’s diverse and ongoing heritage protection projects in AlUla as the county continues to be developed into the world’s largest living museum. I Care will promote the need to safeguard AlUla’s diverse landscape of cultural assets, including natural and manmade monuments, as a means of boosting economic development, driving community engagement, and expanding people’s knowledge and appreciation of their AlUla’s storied past – goals that align with the aims of Saudi Vision 2030. Famous for his sustainable approach and innovative techniques, David Popa’s artwork is symbolic of I Care’s ambition to carefully protect and cherish places of great historic and cultural value – vulnerable sites that resonate deeply with the community and global heritage experts alike. An impressive and ephemeral piece of creativity constructed using exclusively www.artsandcollections.com
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natural elements, including yellow earth from Europe and red earth from the Middle East, it is one of Popa’s largest to date. Designed to disintegrate in a matter of weeks, Popa’s artwork highlights the pressing need for collective action to safeguard cultural heritage locations in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, and the wider world. Dr Abdulrahman Alsuhaibani, Executive Director of Archaeology, Conservation and Collections at RCU, said: “The roots of Saudi culture and tradition can be traced back millennia, influenced by civilisations as diverse as the Nabataeans, Minaeans and Lihyanites. The I Care campaign is an important and inclusive step towards increasing the AlUla community’s awareness and appreciation of the incredible history that exists on their doorstep. “The Kingdom has made great strides to conserve and develop its cultural heritage and rich collection of assets, including AlUla with its 200,000 years of human history. As guardians of this unique crossroads for civilisations, RCU is focused on raising people’s awareness of the need to engage with conservation efforts through the new I Care campaign. This will help to deepen RCU’s connection with our community as we work towards a common, shared, and inclusive purpose – to protect and celebrate our heritage so it can be enjoyed for generations to come.”
HERITAGE David Popa said: “Working on this project has been an immense privilege. I Care is not just a campaign; it is a celebration of AlUla’s and the Kingdom’s legacy and traditions. AlUla’s heritage is a treasure for the entire world, and I have been enriched by the enlightening conversations I have had with the local storytellers, the Rawis, the Heritage Rangers, and the young ambassadors being trained in the Hammayah programme to take on
guardianship of this invaluable heritage.” A key audience of the I Care campaign is AlUla’s younger generation. RCU will provide schools with comprehensive toolkits to educate and empower youngsters and their teachers through a series of carefully designed workshops that focus on the importance of heritage protection and how landmarks connect with the community stories, life, and traditions. RCU will also host school visits and community activities at AlUla’s diverse collection of historic landmarks, such as Hegra. The community, young and old, have an active and key role to play in helping to conserve AlUla’s cultural landscape, with the I Care campaign seeking to fill any knowledge gaps and promote future discovery amongst residents, visiting tourists, and Saudi citizens. With its landscape of diverse heritage sites, vast mountains, lush wadis, and wide-open desert scenery, AlUla is now established as a new global destination for culture, history, archaeological discovery, and the sharing of ancient knowledge.
KINGDOM AlUla is home to the extraordinary Nabataean city and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hegra; the city of Dadan, which was the capital of the Dadanite and Lihyanite kingdoms; the Jabal Ikmah openair library, whose ancient inscription are now included in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register; and AlUla Old Town, which has been named as one of UNWTO’s Best Tourism Villages. These sites and many others are part of RCU’s active programme of conservation, exploration, and study as AlUla is comprehensively regenerated into a destination for culturally curious tourists. For more information on The Royal Commission for AlUla and its programmes, visit www.rcu.gov.sa. ARTS & COLLECTIONS 61
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Caroline Andrew is a highly respected, award-winning Savile Row tailor who focuses on traditional hand-crafted British suits for both men and women. She believes that beauty and functionality serve a central purpose – to enrich and simplify the life of modern individuals. True to her belief, she infuses Savile Row cutting and tailoring techniques with her clean and minimalist design to create a signature style with perfect fit. Caroline Andrew is considered the best female tailor in London.
Caroline offers a range of services tailored to your individual needs, the Savile Row bespoke suit for men and women. During the initial consultation we discuss cloth and design along with the clients other requirements that we turn into the perfect bespoke garment. The team at Caroline Andrew London takes detailed measurements and guides the client through cloth selection and style consultation. There is an endless choice of fabrics, we work in partnership with the best weavers from England and Italy.
www.carolineandrew.co.uk +44 (0) 7940 910 906 | info@carolineandrew.co.uk 11 St. George Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 2FD
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COUTURE // COLLECTIONS
STYLE is Always in Fashion
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch wears shirts by Emma Willis
While fashion changes, style is eternal, and nowhere is style more prominent than in the gentlemen’s tailors of London
IMAGES © Caroline Andrew
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entred around Mayfair in famous streets such as Savile Row and Jermyn Street, London’s bespoke tailors maintain a tradition going back over 200 years, to when practically all men’s clothing was hand-made. Traditionally, when a customer chose the material for their suit, it was said to be ‘spoken for’ – hence ‘bespoke’ tailoring. The tradition of British bespoke tailoring draws from many sources, from the military to Royalty, and has served customers from bowler-hatted civil servants to the aristocracy. After a period starting in the 1970s when these traditions seemed to be under threat from casual styles and mass production, we are now in a period when the relative luxury of a handmade piece of clothing once again appeals to the most discerning. www.artsandcollections.com
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TRADITION Modern tailoring can reproduce the elegant styles and patterns of the past, perhaps impractical for mass manufacturers and ‘fast fashion’ to produce. Bespoke tailors draw on methods of design and creation passed down the generations, maintaining a legacy of excellence which resonates across the world, so much so that the Japanese word for a suit is ‘sabiro’ (from ‘Savile Row’). New names to the world of men’s couture embrace both traditional and new ideas and techniques. Emma Willis of Jermyn Street, for instance, has been specialising in bespoke and ready-to-wear shirts since 1999. Her philosophy is to adhere to traditional English shirt-making techniques, using luxurious Swiss and West Indian Sea Island Cottons produced
using the Best Cotton Initiative, and employing local, skilled craftspeople. Emma Willis trained at The Slade School of Art before starting her business in 1989, designing and making men’s luxury shirts, ties, boxer shorts and nightwear, all made in England. In 1999 she opened her elegant and intimate shop in Jermyn Street, on the corner of St James’s, and in 2010 her English shirt making factory opened in the centre of historic Gloucester. Bearland House is an elegant 18th Century townhouse in the centre of historic Gloucester and home to the Emma Willis Factory. Here their luxury shirts, boxer shorts, pyjamas, dressing gowns and walking socks are made to the highest standards using traditional methods of cutting and sewing. ARTS & COLLECTIONS 63
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COLLECTIONS // COUTURE
LUXURY The soft and luxurious cottons keep their colour, breathe beautifully and last for years. As each shirt is made to order, delivery for Made to Measure normally takes around three weeks, around four for Bespoke – but a recent innovation is that customers can take part in a ‘virtual fitting’, and can see a digital image of their shirt as it is being cut. The online Made to Measure service allows customers the choice of fit, cut, sleeve and tail length, ¼” collar sizes and all the style choices available from the shop. Bespoke customers have their pattern stored in the Gloucester cutting rooms, so they can browse the online collections, make a choice and have an order made up with a confirmation email confirming styling details. In 2008, in response to the numerous young, severely injured service men and women returning from Afghanistan, Emma founded Style for Soldiers, a registered charity supporting those injured with moralelifting fine clothing and reunion parties. The charity now also supports the partners and children of those injured. His Majesty, King Charles III, is a supporter of the charity and has attended their reunions. The Emma Willis range also includes cashmere pullovers handcrafted in Hawick, Scotland, using 100% one-ply cashmere and washed in the soft Scottish waters of the River Teviot to provide a unique finish; as well as scarves, dressing gowns, pyjamas, boxer shorts, swimming trunks and T-shirts.
some of the most respected professionals from Savile Row teaming up with master tailors and cutters to create her own signature style, and has a reputation for being innovative and consistently breaking new grounds. Caroline Andrew bespoke suits are handmade in London using British cloths from the finest family-owned mills. As a sign of the continuing influence of British men’s tailoring around the world in 2024 Emma Willis and Caroline Andrew plan to collaborate on a tour to the USA; exporting traditional British tailoring skills to new customers in the modern era of style. Above: Prince Charles visiting the Emma Willis workshop in 2020 Right: Caroline Andrew at work in Mayfair Below: Emma Willis in the Jermyn Street shop
DESIGN
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IMAGES © Caroline Andrew, Emma Willis
Emma Willis works closely with Caroline Andrew, a Savile Row bespoke tailor who deals in traditional hand-crafted British suits for both men and women. Caroline runs two ateliers in London, her first on St George Street, Mayfair which she opened in 2018, the second on Kensington Church Street, which she opened in 2020 during the pandemic. Caroline’s philosophy is that beauty and functionality serve a central purpose - to enrich and simplify the life of modern individuals. True to her belief, she infuses Savile Row cutting and tailoring techniques with her clean and minimalist design to create a signature style with perfect fit. Caroline Andrew graduated from the London College of Fashion with a BA in bespoke tailoring. She has worked with www.artsandcollections.com
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EMMA
WILLIS
emma willis has been on jermyn street for 20 years, specialising in bespoke and ready to wear shirts using the most luxurious cottons and linens, all made in their 18th century gloucester townhouse 66 jermyn street . london . sw1y 6ny www.emmawillis.com sales@emmawillis.com +44 (0) 20 7930 9980 Emma Willis MBE DL.indd 1
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ART // CURATION
FROM WEST TO EAST Larissa Guimaraes, International Art Consultant, AstaGuru Auction House, looks at the rise in interest in Western art among Indian collectors
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Global art fairs too have brought with them dialogues from around the world, fostering exchange of various cultures. This has
IMAGES © AstaGuru Auction House
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n recent years, there has been a significant and fascinating shift in the art world: Indian collectors are increasingly turning their attention towards Western art, artists and art movements. This emerging trend reflects a dynamic and open-minded approach among Indian art enthusiasts, bridging the gap between cultures and transcending traditional boundaries. With the advent of globalisation and its subsequent rise at an unprecedented pace in recent years, the opportunities for Indian collectors to engage with and acquire Western art has grown exponentially. Combined with the endless avenues the internet provides, there has been increased exposure to Western art history, with Indian collectors exploring Western artworks, prominent international artists and the movements they are associated with. Online auction platforms and virtual exhibitions have provided collectors the chance to view, learn about and purchase Western artworks from the comfort of their homes. AstaGuru’s (www.astaguru.com) international art auction ‘International Iconic’ is an example of this - offering works by stalwarts of the Western art world including Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Henri Matisse among others to the ever-expanding community of collectors in the country. This allows collectors to acquire masterworks by prominent international artists with ease.
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CURATION // ART
given rise to a newfound appreciation in art from around the world and built a new generation of collectors with a deep appreciation for global artists. For existing seasoned collectors in India’s art market, collecting Western art is a natural progression. With the diverse range of artworks, styles, mediums, movements and artists available in the international art market, the opportunity to broaden one’s collection too grows. Collectors, today, are keen to not only enhance their existing collection but also to add new categories that would increase the scope of their collection. These Western artworks in their collection are a reflection of a cosmopolitan outlook and indicate the appreciation of culture around the globe. Economic growth and advancement in technology in recent times too have been contributing factors in the increased desire to collect Western art. It is also interesting for collectors to witness the already existent cultural exchange between Indian artists and Western artists. While many movements have been born in the West and the effects of them can be seen in both Modern and Contemporary art in India today, Indian art too has influenced many important international artists. This creates a keen interest in learning of and acquiring artworks and works by artists that stand as an exquisite example of various Western art movements.
DIVERSITY AstaGuru’s International Iconic auctions aim to provide masterpieces and rare works by eminent international artists that span across diverse and landmark art movements such as Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Cubism, Surrealism, as well as Pop and Contemporary Art. The interest in these movements is indicative of the open-minded approach Indian collectors share in acquiring diverse international works. Impressionism has been a popular movement when it comes to collectors in India. French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir was one of the artists responsible for developing this iconic movement. His work titled Baigneuse Assise or Seated Bather was sold at AstaGuru’s first International Iconic auction held in November 2022 www.artsandcollections.com
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for INR 5,44,14,607. The oil-on-canvas painting, executed circa 1915, depicts the sitter in profile with a softly defined figure against a warm abstract dominated by a brown and green background. The work originally belonged to the collection of W. Somerset Maugham, revered playwright and novelist. A pencil-on-paper work by Fauvist artist Henri Matisse was acquired in the same auction for INR 2,24,85,375. The artist led the Fauvist group in creating an avantgarde movement that broke convention at the time, making his works highly collectible today. Pablo Picasso is synonymous with the Cubist movement that influenced
Above: Pierre-Auguste Renboir, Baigneuse Assise
generations of artists to come. His work titled Nu Couche was acquired from the International Iconic auction held in July 2023 at INR 4,09,38,920. The pencil-onpaper work, titled Femme Et Bouquets and executed in 1969, showcases the distinct Cubist influences seen in signature Picasso works.
SURREALISM The movement of Surrealism too is popular amongst collectors today, with many artists around the world counting Salvador Dali as an enduring influence. Sold at INR ARTS & COLLECTIONS 67
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ART // CURATION
4,73,55,557 in the July auction, Horse Saddled With Time is a bronze sculpture by the artist, executed in 1980, that features recurrent motifs from his oeuvre One of the founding artists of the Pop Art movement, and a favourite for collectors, remains Andy Warhol, whose silkscreen ink on synthetic fabric work titled Portrait of Joseph Beuys sold at INR 1,46,41,440 in the July auction.
POP ART There has been a marked uptick in collecting contemporary international artists as well with artists such as Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons and Fernando Botero finding avid enthusiasts in the Indian art market. An example of this is Diamond Red (Ed : 523-599) by Jeff Koons which was acquired at a value of INR 21,52,525 in AstaGuru’s last international auction. As a whole, the appeal of Western art on the Indian art market also lies in the many subject matters and themes that have touched people throughout the world, regardless of boundaries and cultures. Indian art collectors have always resonated with art that is reflective of social, political and environmental issues within Indian art. Finding common ground with artists from around the globe who have depicted
Above: Pablo Picasso, Nu Couche Below: Jeff Koons, Diamond Red
these subjects through their distinct visual languages, grants these works a special place in Indian art collections. Individual collectors’ tastes and interest in diversifying their aesthetic sensibility play a major role in the value of Western art in the Indian art market. While collectors may be paying attention to filling gaps in their existing collections or buying art as they see Western art as an investment, one of the most important factors still remains taste.
These subjective preferences go hand in hand with how the art market in the country caters to it, creating an influx of Western art, and as a result, Western art collectors. The Indian art market, as a result, is optimistic about the future of international artworks entering the market and creating a varied and diverse community of collectors and collections. Larissa Guimaraes recently joined AstaGuru as a consultant in the International Art department. She was trained as an art historian at Columbia University, and as an architect at Princeton University. 68 ARTS & COLLECTIONS
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IMAGES © AstaGuru Auction House
INFLUX
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Perpetual Allure M A J E S T Y, WE A LTH , P OWE R – A N D PROTEC TI O N
W
hatever gold means to you, the case for precious metal ownership only grows stronger. Central banks can’t print gold and silver, which perhaps explains why they bought more gold in 2022 than in any year on record back to 1950. Add real value to your portfolio today and find out more about the world’s oldest obsession at Sharps Pixley.
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JEWELLERY // COLLECTIONS
Made With LOVE
A bespoke piece of jewellery is unique and personal, something to be cherished, revered and handed down with love to future generations
W
IMAGES © Georgina Skan
hile it’s not uncommon to have a piece of jewellery customised, this normally involves only a material change, such as different metals or stones being used, so there will be other pieces like it. A more personal and intimate approach is to commission a piece of bespoke jewellery, so you are working with the designer to create a piece unique to you. This is the approach taken by British designer Georgina Skan (www.georginaskan.com, Instagram: @georgina.skan) in creating a range of beautiful engagement rings and private commissions, as well as a carefully curated collection of one-of-a-kind pieces. A graduate from one of the world’s most famous art schools, Central Saint Martins, and winner of the prestigious Goldsmith’s Bursary Award, Georgina began her Fine Jewellery career working for renowned jeweller Theo Fennell, and later worked as Head of Design for Asprey and Royal Jewellers, Garrard. Georgina sits down with her clients to create a bespoke item, bringing her style and originality to the collaboration, supported by over twenty years’ experience working with some of the world’s finest gemstones and goldsmiths. “I really value
the time I spend talking with a client; it’s where I gain a sense of what they love, what inspires them and what they hope their new or reimagined piece could be”, she says.
BRIEF After the initial meeting, whether remotely or in person at her studio in Barnes, London, Georgina starts working toward the budget and brief. “I begin by creating mood boards and hand drawings of what I envisage before carefully selecting ethically sourced gem stones” she explains. Once the designs have been finalised Georgina will work closely with her team of talented goldsmiths to bring the design to life. “When developing a piece of bespoke jewellery I prefer to involve the client as much as I can - it’s a time to add those personal touches that will mean so much and help the piece become something they will treasure for years to come.” Georgina will guide a client throughout the entire process of creating the perfect piece of fine jewellery, from first consultation to the finished piece. Clients speak of Georgina really listening to what they were after, and being absolutely thrilled with the final result of the bespoke and personal experience.
Above from top: Bridal ring in deco mount, Coulisses earrings, cross pendant Right: Georgina Skan - “Personal touches”
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COLLECTIONS // TRAVEL
PASSION PROJECT in the Maldives
Velaa Private Island fuses Maldivian culture with contemporary luxury, and now adds an artistic dimension in its latest collection
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orn from a love for the Maldives, Velaa Private Island is the passion project of a couple, Radka and Jiří Šmejc, to create the world’s most luxurious private island resort and personal home. Located in Noonu Atoll, a 45-minute seaplane flight from Malé, Velaa is a destination in a category of its own, home to an array of amenities unseen across the Indian Ocean.
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Nestled within the constellation of islands that form the Noonu Atoll in Maldives, Velaa Private Island takes exclusivity to the next level with facilities and service that go beyond traditional resorts. Designed by award-winning Czech architect Petr Kolar as “an elegant fusion of Maldivian culture with contemporary luxury, intimate with Maldivian nuances”. Velaa Private Island
is the realisation of a dream to create a ‘beyond luxury’ exclusive boutique hideaway in the Maldives. Velaa means “Turtle” in Dhivehi, the local Maldivian language - named after generations of sea turtles that flock there to nest and hatch. Throughout the resort, a subtle design reference to the turtle is always present. From a bird’s eye aerial
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TRAVEL // COLLECTIONS
view, the exclusive over-water villas form the head of a turtle, whilst the island and strategically placed jetties resemble its body and flippers. The resort comprises 47 private villas, houses and exclusive residences. While 18 of the 47 are built over water, the Romantic Pool Residence can only be reached by boat, allowing even more privacy and exclusivity.
IMAGES © Velaa Private Island
COLLECTION It was exactly a decade ago that the Smejc family realised their vision of the enchanting haven of Velaa Private Island, which has since evolved into an exquisite retreat cherished by families, friends, and kind-hearted Maldivians seeking to share the “maJaluga hayaai,” the Maldivian embodiment of the “joy of life.” In honour of these extraordinary ten years of opulence and tranquillity, Velaa Private Island is now introducing an innovative endeavour, Velaa Art Gallery’s latest exhibition, The Glass Collection. This unique curation brings to life a diverse assortment of vibrant glass artworks. Rooted in a historical tradition of the Czech Republic, where the art of glassmaking flourished, The Glass Collection bridges the past with the present, capturing the Smejc family’s commitment to blending global uniqueness with the cherished heritage of their homeland. “We are immensely proud to celebrate a remarkable decade of Velaa, unveiling a curated masterpiece that reflects the very essence of our journey. The island has not only become a luxurious retreat but a canvas for artistic expression. ‘The Glass Collection’ encapsulates the essence of our pursuit. This is a celebration of not just art, but of ten years of luxury and inspiration, looking forward to the continued legacy of providing unforgettable experiences to all who step onto our shores,” says Wayne Milgate, General Manager. Carefully curated by KODL Contemporary, known for its discerning eye for exceptional artistry within the Czech art scene, the collection unites the works of three internationally renowned masters of the craft Rudolf Burda, Lukas Novak, and Rony Plesl. Each artist, while diverse in technique, themes, and artistic philosophy, is united by a shared aspiration to transcend boundaries and redefine artistic expression. www.artsandcollections.com
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Opening Page: V elaa Private Island Left: Velaa’s Nika living room Above: Maldives Reminiscence Below: Multicolour Coralium
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COLLECTIONS // TRAVEL
The trio was commissioned to craft exclusive pieces tailored exclusively for Velaa’s ten-year anniversary exhibition. Each artwork encapsulates the island’s themes through their distinctive perspectives, offering guests an unparalleled opportunity to immerse themselves in the abundance of Maldivian ambiance. Rudolf Burda’s minimalist pieces, rooted in the intrinsic nature of glass, epitomise simplicity. Drawing inspiration from the natural world and its underlying laws, Burda’s creations explore the energy that permeates all existence. His pieces transcend conventional artistry, offering an experience akin to scientific discovery and philosophical exploration. The piece The Energy of the Universe enables viewers to peer within its depths, provoking contemplation of reality’s fundamental truths.
ALLURE
IMAGES © Velaa Private Island
Lukas Novak transforms glass into a medium that amplifies the intensity of reality through its form and transparency Novak’s artistry, showcased through three hand-cut, hand polished optical glass pieces, mirrors the play of light found in the sun’s dance upon the ocean’s surface. Delving into the phenomenon of light refraction, Novak invites viewers to traverse the boundaries between air and glass, yielding kaleidoscopic imagery that captures the island’s distinct allure. A boundary-pushing virtuoso in glass, Rony Plesl’s expertise is unparalleled. Renowned for his monumental glass sculptures, Plesl catapulted the Czech Republic onto the global art stage at the 59th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. Plesl’s sculptures Man & Woman and Le Grand Jeu grace Velaa with a blend of elegance with intellectual depth, drawing from classical motifs to address the essence of human existence. Collectively, these artists capture the distinct encounters of every visitor to the island, infusing their unique perspectives into each creation. The exhibited works reverberate with the exclusive aura of Velaa Private Island, a tranquil retreat that has graciously embraced families and individuals alike for an unforgettable decade of serenity and sophistication. www.velaaprivateisland.com Right: Lukas Novak’s glass sculpture Totem 76 ARTS & COLLECTIONS
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The Rarest Japanese Whisky of All
T
he World’s Rarest Japanese Whisky, Shirakawa 1958 Single Malt Japanese Whisky from Takara Shuzo Co. Ltd. Is now available from Tomatin Distillery Co. Ltd. Shirakawa 1958 is a single malt whisky from the lost Japanese distillery, Shirakawa, which was located 200km North of Tokyo, Japan. The whisky produced was rumoured to be exquisite, but destined only for blending and never to be captured as a single malt until now, with a collaboration between Tomatin Distillery and Takara Shuzo. This remarkable and incredibly rare expression will be the only official single malt bottling from Shirakawa Distillery; limited to 1,500 bottles globally, and is the earliest single vintage Japanese whisky ever bottled. “There are no known examples of Japanese Whisky claiming to be from a Single Vintage that predate Shirakawa 1958,” confirms Stefan van Eycken, the pre-eminent authority on the world of Japanese whisky and distilling. The Shirakawa Distillery was built in the Fukushima Prefecture, in 1939 by Daikoku Budoshu. Operating for nearly six and a half decades, it produced malt whisky between 1951-1969, one of the first distilleries in Japan to do so. The vast majority of the whisky produced was used in Takara Shuzo’s flagship ‘King’ blended whisky brand. The Shirakawa Distillery was demolished in 2003.
Untouched
Stephen Bremner, Managing Director of Tomatin Distillery Co. Ltd. became intrigued by parent company Takara Shuzo’s history of malt whisky production, and pieced together anecdotal information from previous employees and long lost documents. A final remnant was identified in 2019, liquid distilled in 1958, aged in cask, then transferred to ceramic jars at the distillery. When Shirakawa closed, it was put into stainless steel tanks at Takara Shuzo’s factory in Kyushu where it lay untouched until now. “I became fascinated by the story of Shirakawa and its history of whisky production” explains Stephen Bremner. “There had never been an official single malt bottling, and the distillery had long gone, but when I discovered that the last remaining stock was distilled in 1958, I was astounded! It was a genuine WOW moment as I realised very quickly that what we were dealing with was extremely rare.” The 1958 vintage – 49% ABV – bottled by Takara Shuzo Co. Ltd. in Japan, will exist as the only official single malt ever to be released from Shirakawa Distillery and the earliest known single vintage Japanese whisky ever bottled. 1,500 bottles are available via tomatindistillery.com and selected retail partners worldwide including Harrods, Berry Bros, The Whisky Exchange & Royal Mile Whiskies at an RRP of £25,000.
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COLLECTIONS // WATCHES
Reviving a
LEGEND Porsche Design has borrowed heavily from a 1970s legend with the Chronograph 1 Utility - Limited Edition
I
n 1963, Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche created the 911, one of the most iconic design objects in contemporary history. With his vision of taking the principles and myth of Porsche beyond the boundaries of the automobile, he founded the exclusive design brand Porsche Design in 1972. Porsche Design’s iconic “Military Chronograph” from the 1970s was known for a high level of reliability, outstanding comfort, and easy readability, and had achieved legendary status, especially among international air and naval forces. Now a new edition equipped with state-of-the-art technologies and modern materials, fuses this iconic heritage with innovation. By using titanium carbide (TiC), the Chronograph 1 Utility – Limited Edition sets new standards in terms of robustness and aesthetics. This revolutionary material makes the chronograph’s case even more scratch-resistant, extremely lightweight, and
hypoallergenic, compared to its historical forerunner which was made of steel. The development of the patented material underscores Porsche Design’s status as a driver of innovation. The design of the new edition, especially with its matte black dial, provides optimal readability in homage to the original from the 1970s, something that also applies to the use of the historic font on the three totalizers.
RELIABILITY The new edition is powered by the Porsche Design WERK 01.240 chronograph caliber with COSC certification and flyback function, providing equal reliability to its forerunner in terms of precision, functionality, and quality. Like all Porsche Design Timepieces, this chronograph’s uncompromising compliance with COSC precision specifications is ensured by carrying out a renewed test cycle in the manufactory, thus meeting the highest
quality standards. The chronograph’s flyback function enables quick starting, stopping, and resetting in a single operation, which, in conjunction with the titanium carbide case, makes the watch the ideal timekeeper for any outdoor and winter sports, as well as for racing activities. The Chronograph 1 Utility – Limited Edition pays homage to its historical forerunner through several striking details. For example, the “TiC” logo is placed in the characteristic position between 1 and 2 o’clock on the dial referencing the use of titanium carbide, and is a modern reinterpretation of the iconic 3H symbol of the Military Chronograph. The “BUND” leather strap, which once provided the original Military Chronograph with a high level of wearing comfort while protecting the wrist in extreme temperatures, is also used in the reissue.
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WATCHES // COLLECTIONS
READABILITY The dial of the ancestor, the military version for the flying squadron of the U.S. Air Force, featured a tiger’s head as heraldic animal. Now, an image of a screaming marmot – colloquially called a “Mankei” in Pinzgau, Austria – adorns the dial of the new edition, positioned between 4 and 5 o’clock. The “Mankei” icon on the dial refers to the Mankeiwirt, Ferdinand Porsche’s newly opened destination for car enthusiasts that is located on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road near Studio F. A. Porsche in Zell am See, highlighting the collaboration between Porsche Design and F.A.T. International. The “3H” symbol signified the use of the hydrogen isotope tritium, which ensured excellent readability of the hands and dial numerals under extreme conditions and in the dark. The new edition uses SuperLumiNova® material that glows in a bright blue colour to ensure optimal readability. Two distinctive dots on the dial at 12 o’clock provide a clear orientation of the displays in the dark. The watch features the historic Porsche Design logo on the dial and winding crown, with the “Mankei” icon and “Chronograph 1 Utility Edition” lettering laser-engraved on the black-coated case back along with the individual limitation number XXX/250.
LIMITED
IMAGES © Porsche Design
The Chronograph 1 Utility – Limited Edition is a reliable companion for outdoor activities without forgoing style and aesthetics. The edition comes with a slate-gray strap made of calfskin, which is also used in the interiors of Porsche sports cars and comes with a quick-change mechanism. The chronograph comes with an additional white textile strap, featuring a badge that bears the coordinates of the F.A.T. Ice Race in Zell am See. This watch can be worn comfortably over a ski jacket, making it the ideal companion for winter sports and racing activities. The Porsche Design Chronograph 1 Utility – Limited Edition is available at porsche-design.com, in Porsche Design Stores worldwide and at selected watch retailers at a retail price of 11,950 euros (RRP). www.porsche-design.com. Right top to bottom: A reliable companion for outdoor activities
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COLLECTIONS // MARITIME
FIRST IN LUXURY For 150 years, Benetti has been turning dreams into reality through its unparalleled expertise in nautical construction. Now a book from Assouline celebrates its history
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INFINITY The Azimut|Benetti Group was awarded four prestigious World Yachts Trophies by Yachts France at the 2023 edition of the award ceremony held in Cannes. The explorer spirit of the Magellano 60 triumphed with the “Best Innovation” trophy. Combining innovation and design, the crossover offers a timeless aesthetic and a conscious approach to the issue of environmental sustainability. Designed for owners who love long voyages full of adventure and charm, this 60-footer stands out for the large spaces on board, generous without compromising the elegance of Ken Freivokh’s lines, with the cockpit configured as a natural extension of the large lounge on the Main Deck and the stern transforming into an Infinity Terrace overlooking the water. The crossover soul of the Magellano 60 is also seen in the high efficiency Dual Mode semi-planing hull, which allows navigation at low speeds in total comfort but also to handle higher speeds by attenuating the impact of the waves and optimizing consumption and emissions. Furthermore, the vessel is the model chosen by Azimut
for the first voyage powered by HVOlution biofuel, produced by Eni Sustainable Mobility with 100% renewable raw materials.
Benetti, by Kevin Koenig Assouline, €195,00 292 pages Silk hardcover in silk slipcase ISBN: 9781649802873
IMAGES © Assouline
A
s a pioneer in the industry, Benetti of Italy (www.benettiyachts.it) has crafted over 400 yachts, evolving from wooden sailing ships to state-of-theart giga-yachts that epitomize innovation. Now an anniversary book from Assouline (https://eu.assouline.com) celebrates iconic vessels like David Bowie’s El Caran, Adnan Khashoggi’s Nabila, and the historic Delfino, considered the world’s first luxury yacht. From the 108-meter IJE, built in 2019, to collaborations with renowned designers and a prestigious clientele including Zlatan Ibrahimović, every page of Assouline’s book, written by preeminent marine journalist Kevin Koenig, showcases the legacy of Benetti. The book delves into the brand’s evolution, sustainability commitment, and Italian craftsmanship, and is overflowing with never-seen-before photographs and exclusive behind-the-scenes content, forming a heartfelt tribute to Benetti’s century-long dedication to creating maritime wonders, and exploring the captivating stories and stunning designs that define the Benetti Group’s enduring impact on sailing enthusiasts and luxury aficionados alike.
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TAKE YOUR YACHT
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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
Wheels of fortune
Over the past two decades, rare and exotic cars have established themselves as great investment objects. INVESTMENT CARS Numbers on classic car investment performance from the HAGI Top Index shows an impressive increase from index 100 in 2005 to around index 700 in 2020. This proves that fine and rare cars are great investment objects alongside whiskey, coins, wine, art and precious metals. And looking at mid-to-long term investment yields, cars have proven to outrun literally any other category out there. Also, investing in cars is as much an emotions game, as it is a numbers game, so a sensible and well-executed investment - even in an average category - can end up giving a high yield. For automotive aficionados, this has only made iconic cars even more attractive, more expensive and the market even more complex to navigate through. THE TOP TIER Looking back at the last 5-10 years, it is clear that fine and rare Ferrari’s have been frontrunners on ROI - primarily compared to brands like Porsche, Lamborghini and Mercedes-Benz. This applies to several Ferrari models, but in particular to limited production models, racing cars and other models with a special history. For you as an investor, this means that you should search for the cars, that are out of the ordinary, for pristine, low mileage cars and for cars with a special place in world history and society. FINDING THE HIDDEN GEMS Acquiring your next investment car is rarely as easy as purchasing an ordinary off-the-shelf car. It is a meticulous process with many pitfalls – especially for the less experienced buyer. Many exclusive and exotic cars are bought and sold by enthusiasts and collectors all over the world, often assisted by a broker in the form of an agent, an auction house, a car dealership or the like. However, a large part of the market activity takes place as private trades, meaning that these cars are not publicly listed for sale. That is why getting the right assistance from experienced consultants, will get you the best ROI. One of Europe’s leading advisors in this niche is CORE Investment Cars, based in Copenhagen, Denmark. With passion and dedication, these niche experts constantly strive for excellence in their search for the exact cars you desire, whether they are hand-picked among publicly listed cars, won at international auctions, found in hidden collections, or maybe even discovered as ultra-exquisite barn finds. Through their strong global network, individual counseling and secondto-none personal service, they ensure you the best results and yields. Learn more on coreinvestmentcars.com
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Perhaps the fastest investment on earth
This is a Ferrari 275 GTB/4 from ’67. It takes you from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 6 seconds. But it also takes you into the world of rare cars investment – just like fine art, jewels, and rare watches. And with a return on investment that leaped from index 100 to 700 in 15 years*.
Lots of parameters come into play to find the right car: Condition, rarity, history, usability, provenance and more. And as the market is global, the purchase negotiation often requires skills and craftsmanship.
Similar to investing in other exotic categories, finding the right investment cars requires experience, knowledge of the market and the cars, and an exquisite network.
At CORE Investment Cars, we take pride in offering our customers decades of experience and our global network in the search, selection, and sourcing of your next heart-pounding investment.
* From 2005 to 2020. Source: HAGI Top Index
Call or visit coreinvestmentcars.com for more inspiration.
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COLLECTIONS // WINE
THE WORLD on a Label
Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota has created the original artwork Universe of Mouton for the label of Château Mouton Rothschild 2021
I
n her drawing, the fragile silhouette of a human figure faces gorgeous, generous nature. It is not the centre of attention, but seems small compared to the environment. It is as though the figure is holding onto the balance between nature and humans. Its grip cannot be too tight or the thread will break, nor too loose or else the cloud will blow away and the connection will be broken. “When I visited Château Mouton Rothschild, I was very inspired by their relationship with nature. They depend on the weather and do not interfere with mother nature. They accept the conditions in which the grapes grow. I think Mouton is holding Below: Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild, Chiharu Shiota, Camille Sereys de Rothschild and Philippe Sereys de Rothschild © M. Anglada
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on to the balance of human and nature”, says Chiharu Shiota. Born in Osaka, Japan in 1972, Chiharu Shiota lives and works in Berlin. In 2008, she received the Art Encouragement Prize from the Japanese Minister of Culture. Her solo exhibitions across the world include Mori Art Museum, Tokyo (2019); Gropius Bau, Berlin (2019); and the Smithsonian Institution Arthur M.Sackler Gallery, Washington DC (2014); and she has participated in numerous international exhibitions such as Oku-Noto International Art Festival (2017) and Sydney Biennale (2016). In 2015, Shiota was selected to represent Japan at the 56th Venice Biennale. In her work for Château Mouton Rothschild, the four threads represent the four seasons, setting time within the artwork’s space. While winter brings
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WINE // COLLECTIONS
loneliness and sadness, the seeds of hope are planted in spring and grow into a summer of richness before coming to fruition in the fall. Whatever the vintage, the drinker is experiencing the conditions the grapes grew in. “It is like preserving the memory of the year in the wine. I find this very fascinating because I also believe that the objects that surround us accumulate our memories and existence” says Chiharu Shiota.
IMAGES © M Anglada, Sunhi Mang, Château Mouton Rothschild
ARTISTS After a first initiative, ahead of its time, with the poster artist Jean Carlu in 1924, Baron Philippe waited until 1945 to finally establish a tradition that would henceforth become the visual hallmark of Mouton Rothschild. Since 1945, the labels for each vintage of Château Mouton Rothschild have been illustrated by an original artwork, adding year after year to the unique collection of contemporary art which brings together very different artists from many different backgrounds, including names such as Salvador Dalí, César, Joan Miró, Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Pierre Soulages, Francis Bacon, Balthus, Jeff Koons, David Hockney, Annette Messager, Olafur Eliasson, Peter Doig and even the then Prince Charles, Prince of Wales. The artists have complete freedom of creation, though certain themes, such as the www.artsandcollections.com
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vine, the pleasure of drinking and the ram, the Mouton Rothschild emblem, have proved a particularly rich source of inspiration. The Château is also home to the Museum of Wine in Art, situated in a former barrel hall and containing exceptionally rare items of 17th century German gold- and silverware, jugs, cups and goblets from the fabulous treasure of the kings of Naples, mediaeval tapestries, paintings, ivories, glassware, Chinese, Japanese and Persian porcelain and much more, where many artists and art forms, cultures and religions bear resounding witness to the eternal and fruitful dialogue between art and wine.
CLASSIC Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild, co-owner of Château Mouton Rothschild, is responsible for artistic and cultural matters at the estate as well as for relations with the artist who creates the label for the new vintage. He says: “I was fascinated by Chiharu Shiota’s vision, so close to the world of wine, especially in the relationship between humankind and nature, fragile and fertile, generous but unpredictable. And then there is that bright red colour, one of her trademarks, so reminiscent of new wine running out of the vats…” “For me the label embodies what I would call metaphorical realism: I see in it a vinegrower firmly grasping a fabulous cluster
Above: Chiharu Shiota - “Objects that surround us accumulate our memories” - Pic: Sunhi Mang
of grapes.” One of the five Premier Cru classifications, Château Mouton Rothschild spans 82 hectares of vines at Pauillac in the Médoc, planted with the classic varieties of the region, Cabernet Sauvignon being predominant. The estate benefits from exceptionally favourable natural conditions, in the quality of the soil, the position of its vines and their exposure to the sun. The wine is matured in new French oak barrels in the spectacular Great Barrel Hall. Brought to the pinnacle by two exceptional people, Baron Philippe de Rothschild then his daughter Baroness Philippine, its destiny has now been taken in hand by her three children: Camille and Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, and Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild. True to their grandfather’s and mother’s work, all three are committed, with the same enthusiasm and determination, to perpetuating Baron Philippe’s dictum: “Live for the vine”. Almost a command, it means being there for the vineyard in good times and in hardship, serving it with skill and honouring it with art. www.chateau-mouton-rothschild.com Instagram: @chateaumoutonrothschild ARTS & COLLECTIONS 85
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COLLECTIONS // TRAVEL
A Legacy of
SUSTAINABILITY Luxury tourism is a wonderful experience for the high-end holidaymaker, but how can its effects on the environment be made more sustainable?
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he carbon footprint involved in travelling around the world is just part of the sustainabillity problem with luxury travel – there’s the masses of plastic waste used by tourists, the energy needed to run a hotel, the impact of waste products on the local environment, and the detrimental effect that resorts can have on the local infrastructure. Fortunately, there are more and more resorts working hard to counteract these issues. The Resort Villa Rayong Thailand (https://theresortvilla.com) is at the forefront of what the travel industry has termed “responsible luxury”. The Resort Villa is one of the most luxurious properties you can find in Thailand, but what sets it apart even 88 ARTS & COLLECTIONS
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further is its collective principles in being environmentally aware and helping the wonderful nature that surrounds it. “As a property that’s defined by the beautiful greenery and ocean surrounding it, this ultra-lux state has the obligation to make the most effort possible to ensure such gifts are protected,” says the resort’s Head of Marketing Patty Sa. “The Resort Villa takes environmental action seriously. It proves that a green choice doesn’t have to be at the expense of life’s little luxuries.” In the enchanting realm of Rayong, Thailand, The Resort Villa, a beacon of environmental awareness and opulence, beckons discerning travelers to indulge in an experience where refined indulgence
harmonizes with the quest for balance. With an unwavering belief in the possibility of luxury intertwined with ecological mindfulness, The Resort Villa leads by example, elevating neighboring communities and surroundings to new heights of environmental consciousness.
ENERGY At 14,000 square metres, a property of this size requires a lot of energy. However, in Rayong there is no shortage of sun – so why not harness the most powerful energy source in the solar system? It’s why more than $250,000 has been invested in a stateof-the-art, 206 kilowatt solar farm located only 300 metres away, which provides all the www.artsandcollections.com
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TRAVEL // COLLECTIONS
power the property requires. This includes power for the air conditioning, the pools and the massive aquarium that is home to more than 50 species of tropical fish. To further conserve and regulate energy consumption, all utilities except the aquarium are turned off at night. With the ever-growing demand for organic sustenance and conscientious consumption, The Resort Villa understands that “we truly are what we eat.” Nestled amidst its verdant domain and blessed with an idyllic climate, the resort cultivates over 30 diverse species of vegetables and 30 different fruit trees, including succulent mango trees bearing the sweetest, juiciest harvest. Meticulously tended by a dedicated team of specialists employing hydroponic systems, The Resort Villa’s garden yields the freshest organic herbs, fruits, and vegetables, adding a delectable touch to every sumptuous meal savored by its fortunate guests. Beyond its hydroponic gardens, The Resort Villa proudly presents its own expansive farm. Encompassing an impressive 50m by 50m expanse and fortified by a solar-powered irrigation system, this agricultural haven nurtures an array of crops such as succulent sweet corn, juicy Opening page: T he forefront of responsible luxury Top Right: S olar energy harnessed Right: Hydroponic farming
IMAGES © Resort Villa Rayong Thailand
Below: Cultivating local crops
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watermelons, fiery chilies, bananas, aromatic lemongrass, peppers, and invigorating mint. A dedicated mushroom house adds an extra touch of earthly wonder. For those seeking enlightenment on a farm tour, The Resort Villa’s skilled farmers eagerly share their wisdom on crafting natural fertilizers and innovative techniques for cultivating verdant greens. Guests even have the opportunity to plant their own seeds, sowing the seeds of future harvests to be enjoyed upon their return. One of the biggest issues with any hotel is the amount of plastic used, in particular through the consumption of water and other drinks. To counteract this, the Resort Villa recently installed a water filtration system to reduce the usage of plastic water bottles. Guests can now enjoy the alkaline purified water in the resort’s own glass bottles, which are sterilized daily for reuse. Bamboo cotton buds and toothbrushes are also just more examples of the resort’s continuous eco efforts.
SUSTAINABLE Anchoring boats can unwittingly wreak havoc upon the fragile coral reefs that underpin intricate underwater ecosystems. Driven by an unwavering commitment to setting an example and taking proactive measures, The Resort Villa refuses to stand idly by. The resort has invested in an underwater drill to install anchoring points, for its private 60ft motor yacht, significantly reducing damage to the precious reefs. These screws, installed three meters into the seabed, serve as sturdy anchors for buoys, offering a sustainable alternative for local dive boats and fishermen to tether their vessels. Collaborating tirelessly with resort staff and dedicated local dive volunteers, these resilient buoys steadfastly support even super yachts, poised to endure for countless years to come. Far removed from the clamour of Thailand’s bustling tourist attractions, The Resort Villa Rayong Thailand stands as an exclusive haven that delicately balances ARTS & COLLECTIONS 89
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COLLECTIONS // TRAVEL
the stray dog population, ensuring both the welfare of the animals and the control of their numbers.
EXPERIENCES
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embraces indigenous craftsmanship, procuring ingredients and products from local suppliers, nurturing small businesses and fostering regional artistry. Moreover, The Resort Villa actively champions a campaign to neuter stray dogs in the surrounding area. Collaborating with local animal welfare organizations, the resort addresses the challenges posed by
Above: Indigenous craftsmanship Below: Luxury with environmental mindfulness
IMAGES © Resort Villa Rayong Thailand
unrivaled luxury with untamed beauty. The Resort Villa’s tale began in the 1980s when a visionary Swedish entrepreneur ventured to Asia in pursuit of his manufacturing aspirations. During an auspicious return flight to Stockholm via Bangkok, a chance encounter in Business Class ignited a transformative conversation. A fellow traveler shared plans of crafting a lavish villa in Rayong, Thailand—a revelation that captured the Swedish businessman’s imagination. Compelled by the region’s resplendent natural allure and its limitless potential, he succumbed to the allure of an expansive plot boasting breathtaking ocean vistas and captivating islands. In that fateful moment, The Resort Villa’s extraordinary vision emerged. It aspired to become a haven where the global elite could revel in Thailand’s serene beauty while concurrently fostering local communities and safeguarding the environment. This devotion to environmental preservation permeates every facet of the resort, from its sustainable energy practices and organic gardens to its vigilant efforts in marine conservation. Beyond its steadfast commitment to sustainability, The Resort Villa ardently champions the local community. The resort’s predominantly local staff not only fuels economic prosperity but also
Just as every detail of the Resort Villa’s design is painstakingly considered, so too is the service that visitors can expect to receive during their stay. More than 70 full-time members of staff are on hand to ensure that each element is tailored to an individual’s wishes, with experiences ranging from a cinema to a games room, fully equipped gym, luxury spa and infinity pool. By seamlessly intertwining luxury with environmental mindfulness, The Resort Villa sets an unparalleled standard for responsible and sustainable hospitality. From its resplendent solar energy farm and organic gardens to its unwavering dedication to marine conservation and community empowerment, the resort exemplifies how a lavish experience and environmental stewardship can elegantly coexist. As guests bask in the opulence of The Resort Villa, they forge an intimate connection with nature, contribute to the local community, and leave a legacy of sustainability on the environment.
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COLLECTIONS // TRAVEL
The Rising Emirate Ras Al Khaimah has reported its best year ever for tourism. We look at some of the Emirate’s attractions
T
International Airport opened up the Emirate to a network of 160-plus destinations globally via the airline’s Doha hub.
ICONIC Ras Al Khaimah’s fast-growing hotel portfolio is also central to delivering more arrivals to the Emirate. In 2023, several new hospitality projects were announced including Nobu, Le Méridien, W Hotels, JW Marriott & Hilton on Al Marjan Island in addition to Nikki Beach on Mina Al Arab, representing over 1,800 keys in total. The destination also welcomed Anantara Mina Al Arab Ras Al Khaimah Resort, which fully opened its doors on 2nd January 2024 with 174 rooms, suites and villas, including the emirate’s first overwater villas. Additionally, the iconic Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah reopened following an extensive refurbishment, revealing revamped rooms and suites, new culinary
experiences and a reimagined wellness and events spaces. After an extensive refurbishment, the resort has unveiled 203 rooms in total including 149 beautifully appointed guest rooms and 54 suites with breath-taking views. Also refurbished during the transformation were nine restaurants and lounges, extensive outdoor space for private events and weddings, and the resort’s golden masterpiece, the six-metre clock in the heart of the lobby. Reflecting the rich history of grand clocks at Waldorf Astoria properties around the world, it features a domed glass dial with a striking aquamarine centre. Paying homage to its Arabic roots, the clock features rotating prayer rings for precise prayer times, and bears an inscription from ancient Bedouin songs. To find out more about Ras Al Khaimah’s destination offering, please visit visitrasalkhaimah.com.
IMAGES © Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah
he Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) has reported its best year for tourism ever, welcoming a record 1.22 million arrivals to the Emirate in 2023, up eight percent on 2022 numbers and bolstered by a 24 percent increase in international visitors. Ras Al Khaimah’s performance is underpinned by several milestones, from becoming the first destination in the Middle East to achieve EarthCheck’s Silver Certification, to boosting air connectivity and staging headline-grabbing events including the 2023 WMF Minifootball World Cup, DP World Tour, RAK Half Marathon, Arab Aviation Summit, and the Global Citizen Forum. Increasing airlift into Ras Al Khaimah is crucial to achieving tourism arrivals goals, and on November 1st 2023, the new Qatar Airways daily service to Ras Al Khaimah
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COLLECTIONS // BOOKS
BOOK REVIEWS From Uzbekistan’s costumery to military history, and the ultimate art collection to historic jewellery, we present our selection of must-read volumes for your coffee table or bookshelf SILK AND GOLD THE WARS OF THE ROSES Graham Turner | Osprey Publishing, £35 | www.ospreypublishing.com
Since first being inspired by a visit to Bosworth battlefield nearly 30 years ago, renowned historical artist Graham Turner has built a worldwide reputation for his depictions of the Wars of the Roses, his paintings and prints prized by historians and collectors for their attention to detail and dramatic and atmospheric compositions. This new study contains a detailed history of the wars alongside a unique and comprehensive collection of over 120 of his paintings and drawings, many created especially for this book. It provides meticulously researched details of arms, armour, settings and countless other aspects of the period, while bringing to life the human stories behind the turbulent events.
Yaffa Assouline, photography by Laziz Hamani | Assouline, £85 | www.assouline.com Silk & Gold: The Magnificent Art of Costume presents in 308 pages with 200 illustrations the extravagance of the royal courts of the emirs of Bukhara in nineteenth-century Uzbekistan. Here, gold, silk and velvet costumes such as ceremonial chapans, “jewel coats” entirely embroidered in gold, reached their apogee of craftsmanship. Also part of this display of wealth were suzani wall hangings, ikat silk and spectacular jewellery pieces, replete with symbolism and created using time-tested techniques.
100 THEATRES
100 Theatres: Portraits of the Playhouse showcases an eclectic range of paintings of theatres, from ancient to modern and from the smallest travelling theatre in Rome to one of the largest in New York. Paul Tracey has painted some of the most attractive survivors and even a couple that are no longer with us, in a broad mix of the familiar and lesser-known but equally important buildings. Many of the paintings are accompanied by notes, old postcards of the buildings and programmes featuring some of the actors who performed there. The introduction is written by bestselling author Tracy Bains, who worked in the theatre in her youth. 94 ARTS & COLLECTIONS
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IMAGES © Osprey Publishing, Assouline, Unicorn Publishing
Paul Tracey | Unicorn Publishing, £35 | www. unicornpublishing.org
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BOOKS // COLLECTIONS
ADORNMENT AND SPLENDOUR
Salam Kaoukji | Thames & Hudson, £60 | thamesandhudson.com This is the definitive catalogue of an unparalleled collection of Indian jewellery and jewelled luxury objects made at the height of the Mughal empire and Deccan sultanates in the 16th and 17th centuries. The collection, widely regarded as one of the finest in the world, was assembled by Sheikh Nasser and Sheikha Hussa al-Sabah for The alSabah Collection, Kuwait, and reveals the beauty, sophistication and diversity of Indian jewelled arts. This volume includes not only the finest and most valuable pieces in the collection, but also many previously unknown types.
JUST TO LAND IN TOKYO
Kuzma Vostrikov and Ajuan Song | Orange Art Foundation, £32 | orangeart.org
IMAGES © Assouline/Austrian Archive/Scala Florence, Thames & Hudson, Orange Art Foundation, Taschen.com
THE IMPOSSIBLE COLLECTION OF ART
Half book, half work of art, this is a charming New York love story about German photographer Hans and Japanese Jazz singer and bass player Yuma who meet at the Blue Note Jazz Club. Film-maker and visual artist Vostrikov and photographer Song worked together to create this photographic collaboration imbued with fashionable surrealism. The visual images complementing the narrative show feelings and loneliness through the use of masks, faces, isolation and reincarnation, and there are text contributions from Rosa Berland, Anthony Haden-Guest, and Jonathan Goodman.
JULIAN SCHNABEL
Philippe Ségalot and Franck Giraud | Assouline, £1,000
Hans Werner Holzworth, Louise Kugelberg | Taschen, £75 | www.taschen.com
Presenting the 100 most coveted artworks of the modern era, with the perspective of fifteen years, Ségalot and Giraud have updated this second edition of The Impossible Collection of Art with eleven works from artists including Henri Rousseau, Man Ray, Marlene Dumas, Kerry James Marshall and Elizabeth Peyton. Inviting endless discussion, this 144-page handcrafted Ultimate Collection volume encourages art history buffs and armchair aficionados alike to create their own dream Impossible Collection. Philippe Ségalot is Christie’s international head of contemporary art, and Franck Giraud Christie’s international head of impressionist and modern art.
Julian Schnabel (born 1959) is an American painter, sculptor, and filmmaker. After his breakthrough in 1979, he became one of the most successful painters worldwide. Now available in an unlimited edition, this monograph features Schnabel’s work in all media: huge paintings with everyday materials, sculptures that transpose pictorial forms into space, movies that paint portraits of unconventional heroes, or a Venetian palace in New York. Neue Zürcher Zeitung says: “His greatest book, and yes, it is his book, because it was edited in close collaboration with the artist. It, too, is “larger than life”... Schnabel’s paintings celebrate painting, they are a feast of colours, connections, and references, and above all of freedom”.
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COLLECTIONS // WHERE TO SPEND IT
Where to
SPEND IT
From a modernised radiogram to sumptuous headphones and sustainable lamps to an intelligent superbike, we present some of the most desirable luxury collectables and technological marvels for you to buy and treasure
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DRIVING DYNAMICS
New for 2024, Gong’s Kentang Lighting Collection stems from lighting designer, Buddiman Ong’s love of handmade paper. The paper for this latest collection is handmade in Bali by paper artisans using banana trunks from their own gardens. Light is diffused through the layers of paper when they are placed perpendicularly to the light source, resulting in various light qualities that create depth and warmth. These elegant lights, including a captivating array of pendant and table lamp designs, would add a sense of tranquility and calm to any space. Pendant light shown from £3,300. www.gong.co.uk
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HOT DOGS Soho Poms has introduced its latest offering for dog owners – the new Waxed Cotton Rainy Poms Dog Carrier, proudly made in the UK. This premium dog carrier combines style, functionality, and comfort to create a must-have accessory. Crafted in the UK by British Millerain, a leading name in textile manufacturing, the carrier features a water-repellent finish, a pocket for doggie treats, and an orthopaedic cushion for comfort and wellbeing. The carrier comes in three sizes and three colours and is priced at £140. www.sohopoms.com
IMAGES © Gong.co.uk, McLaren Cars, Soho Poms
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BANANA FEVER
McLaren has unveiled the GTS supercar, a replacement for the GT. The superlightweight V8-engined GTS is engineered to delight drivers who demand the dynamic excellence and driving excitement of a McLaren, with ride comfort, refinement and luggage space suited to routine drives and extended journeys. With class-leading power-to-weight ratio, enabled by lightweight carbon fibre construction centred on a unique monocoque chassis, and unmatched driving dynamics, the new GTS is also visually even more powerful and offers increased choice of exterior and interior specifications. Price is around $240,000. cars.mclaren.com
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4 HEAD SPACE Meze Audio’s Empyrean II headphones are handcrafted in Romania and feature innovative technology and sumptuous materials, from a refined Isodynamic Hybrid Array driver design, interchangeable earcups and patent-pending suspension design to minimise weight and pressure and instantly adapt to the shape of your head, to the option for customers to specify the type and length of cable and connection to suit; the price remains the same at €2,999. The headphones come in a bespoke hard carry case, which completes the luxury experience. www.mezeaudio.com
WHERE TO SPEND IT // COLLECTIONS
OLD TIME RADIO A statement product designed to form the focal point of any room, Ruark’s new flagship audio system is a radical reimagining of the radiograms of the past. With stunning sound from a 4.1 channel amplifier and speakers, seamless connectivity via Bluetooth, Tidal, Spotify, Apple Airplay and Chromecast, DAB+ and FM radio tuners, remote conrol and a choice of finishes, R810’s clean, precise lines and polished chrome stand echo the cutting-edge technology that lies beneath its elegant construction – it’s as much a piece of sculptural furniture as it is an entertainment system. Cost is £3,000. www.ruarkaudio.com
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6 IMAGES © Ruark Audio, Meze Audio, Verge Motorcycles, Blancpain
STREET HAWK Verge Motorcycles has upgraded its flagship electric superbike with both hardware and software that make motorcycling safer than before. All Verge TS Ultra motorcycles now feature six cameras and high-resolution front and rear radars using artificial intelligence and machine learning. New displays guarantee the rider a clear and informative overall view. The Starmatter software and intelligence platform has four elements: automatic over-the-air updates (OTA), sensor technology, artificial intelligence and a Human-Machine-Interface (HMI). The package is completed with the advanced vision system, Starmatter Vision. The upgraded Verge TS Ultra replaces the previous version, and customers who have already placed an order will automatically receive their bike with the new features. Price is from €44,900. www.vergemotorcycles.com www.artsandcollections.com
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LOVE TO WATCH For more than two decades Blancpain’s watchmakers have created a special timepiece for Valentine’s Day. For 2024 the inspiration comes from the Ladybird Colours line. With its vibrant red colour palette, heart motifs and brilliant diamonds, this special edition is a perfect expression of Valentine traditions. The movement is Blancpain’s in-house 1153 automatic winding caliber, beating at 3 Hz. The movement’s two mainspring barrels ensure that the watch will achieve a four-day power reserve. The white gold winding rotor has been open worked with a heart motif, which is visible through the sapphire case back. Limited to 99 editions, the timepiece costs £24,975. www.blancpain.com ARTS & COLLECTIONS 97
05/02/2024 14:55
COLLECTIONS // WELLBEING
The Swiss Philosophy Switzerland is renowned for its healthy climate – but for NEOVIVA, a boutique rehab clinic overlooking Lake Lucerne, the surroundings are just part of the treatment
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confront triggers like social gatherings or alcohol consumption. CEO and founder Oliver Neubert says that generally, when clients reach out to NEOVIVA, it is because they are struggling with drug or alcohol-related challenges, but NEOVIVA’s emphasis transcends mere abstinence or detoxification. Supported by NEOVIVA’s therapeutic team, clients explore underlying issues, benefiting from a holistic approach spanning the medical, psychological, and social facets of their lives.
COMPREHENSIVE “We meticulously take into account personal factors such as cultural backgrounds”, says Oliver Neubert. “By discerning the desires and wishes of our clients and identifying areas of dysfunction, our thoughtfully balanced treatment program is designed to bolster the client’s
recovery process across biological, psychological, and social dimensions.” “An additional facet of our treatment addresses the ‘spiritual’ or ‘philosophical’ dimensions of the client’s life, aiding them in navigating profound questions of meaning and purpose. “NEOVIVA’s approach is truly comprehensive, embracing all aspects of the individual. Moreover, with addiction being a “family disease,” the clinic extends support to their clients’ families and those close to them.” This involves acknowledging the therapeutic value of pets and, more importantly, underscoring the enduring commitment beyond the on-site stay, where ongoing care is deemed crucial for sustainable outcomes. NEOVIVA’s continuing care group, led by a team member, is available to former clients free of charge for as long as they wish.
IMAGES © Neoviva
ocated in an area often referred to as “The Riviera of Central Switzerland”, the exclusive boutique rehab clinic NEOVIVA (www.neoviva.com) nestles on the southern slopes of a mountain overlooking the world-famous Lake Lucerne. In recent years, the area has established itself as one of Europe’s favourite destinations for medical treatments and wellness, with the beautiful location and setting playing an invaluable role in the treatment process.. From its enchanting grounds to the living quarters and therapy spaces, NEOVIVA is designed for authentic comfort and successful healing, with additional medical infrastructure such as hospitals, consulting physicians, and partner clinics located close by. Its residential setting within a private section of a public hotel is carefully chosen as it reflects real-life scenarios where clients
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www.artsandcollections.com
05/02/2024 15:01
“I’m only asking for a friend …”
Boutique Rehab Clinic in the Heart of Switzerland At NEOVIVA, we know how hard it is to ask for help. Our team of experts is highly skilled in dealing with any kind of addiction problem. Whether it is drugs, alcohol or behavioural addictions, we help individuals and their families to achieve long-term, sustainable recovery. Take the first step now. Visit us at www.neoviva.com or call + 41 58 100 08 08.
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16/01/2024 17:12
VELAA ART GALLERY MALDIVES In celebration of Velaa Private Island’s ten-year Anniversary, the newly launched Velaa Art Gallery introduces a pioneering collection, namely The Glass Collection, a unique exhibition showcases artworks meticulously fashioned from vibrant glass.
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15/01/2024 11:48