„Design is the intelligent Management of Chaos Pages 20–21
From Workshop to Runway Pages 22–23
Fashion as a Space for Thought Pages 24–25
The Silent Revolt of Matter Pages 26–27
Lifestylehotels™ Selection: Zash
LH-Cover 01
Lifestylehotels™ Directory
LH 02 Mia Alpina
LH 03
Heureka - Atomos
04–05
Bergwiesenglück
LH 06 New Member: Everelmus
LH 07 Wilmina
LH 08
OLM Nature Escape
LH 09
LH 10
Kaer x Sublime Comporta
11
Racó d’Artà
12
Imprint
2
The Art of Reinvention
Metamorphosis – the very word carries a subtle enchantment, something iridescent that promises more than mere change. Change is ordinary: a new apartment, a different haircut, a brief diet. Metamorphosis, on the other hand, suggests a transformation of deeper consequence, one that touches the entirety of who we are. But how often does it truly occur? Do we transform throughout our lives, or are we simply presenting variations of the same self? Perhaps it is both. We remain who we are, and yet we drift through layers, through molts and versions – each one a draft, a possibility. Why, then, this constant yearning for transformation? Perhaps because we sense that life withers in stillness. Perhaps because we understand, however faintly, that identity is no fixed edifice but a text in progress, one we are forever rewriting. Seen in this light, our dissatisfaction with ourselves is not weakness but proof of vitality. This issue is devoted to metamorphosis in all its facets: the sweeping transformations that divide life into a before and after, and the subtle ones that pass almost unnoticed – in the timbre of a voice, in the way we gaze at the world. And perhaps the most beautiful realization is this: we are never final. And in that lies our freedom.
MINDFUL ESSENTIALS
COMFORT, REDEFINED
Mindful Project by Natuzzi, price upon request, natuzzi.com
A sofa that not only looks beautiful but actively enhances our well-being – with Mindful 365, Natuzzi introduces a whole new definition of comfort. Italian design meets innovative wellness technology: the Zero Gravity Position improves circulation, gentle micromovements engage the body, and personalized adjustments for head, back, and legs create tailor-made relaxation. Even breathing and heart rhythm can be harmonized, helping to release stress step by step. Yet Mindful 365 is more than just furniture – it’s part of a philosophy where time, mindfulness, and balance represent the truest form of luxury. A place not just to sit, but to live consciously.
SKIN RESET FOR AUTUMN
Proderm Extrait Liposomal by Louis Widmer, approx. € 43.90, louis-widmer.com
After a summer filled with sunshine and adventure, the skin needs one thing above all: a mindful reset. Louis Widmer, the Swiss dermocosmetics brand with a pharmaceutical approach, guides us through this transition with a skincare routine rooted in science, efficacy, and mindfulness. At the center is the trend of Skinimalism – fewer products, but used purposefully and with maximum effect. Whether it’s skin cycling, barrier care, or eye wellness, Louis Widmer essentials deliver everything our skin needs in autumn to regenerate and glow. Instead of aggressive treatments, the focus is now on gentle recovery, intense hydration, and protection for lasting skin health. A beauty reset that feels like a deep breath – clear, conscious, and soothing.
CASHMERE WITH A MOUNTAIN VIEW
a piece of serenity with you. The collection feels like a journey into the Alps: mindful, unhurried, and inspired by a desire to reconnect with both nature and oneself. A touch of mountain view – always close at hand.
RITUALS OF LIGHT
Limited Edition by Looops, from € 26, looopsmoments.com
Candles are much more than small flames – they are touchstones of mindfulness in daily life. Handcrafted Looops candles, with their natural fragrances and soft glow, bring us back into the present moment. Inspired by nature, they create an atmosphere of warmth and comfort while inviting us to let go. Especially in autumn and winter, when days grow shorter and nights longer, Looops candles transform every home into a place of calm. A mindful ritual: light the wick, breathe deeply, pause. A small flame – with a big impact.
Alto Astral by Byredo, from € 240,
With Alto Astral, Byredo opens a new olfactory chapter – radiant with light, color, and joie de
Inspired by the vibrant energy of Brazil, the scent evokes everything from samba at dusk to the sea breeze on Rio’s beaches. Aldehydes and coconut open the fragrance with brightness, jasmine and incense add warmth and depth, while sandalwood and salted amber create a sensual, lasting base. The result is a perfume that isn’t just worn but lived: optimistic, moving, powerful. Accompanied by intimate portraits of Brazilian life, the campaign tells stories of dance, closeness, and cultural expression. Alto Astral is more than a fragrance – it’s a statement: joy as an attitude, optimism as a state of being.
Alps Getaway Collection by Falconeri, from approx. € 200, falconeri.com
The Dolomites as inspiration, nature as essence – the new Alps Getaway collection from Falconeri translates the stillness of the mountains into luxurious fashion. Finest cashmere and noble natural materials wrap around us like pure alpine air: light, warm, and irresistibly soft. This is fashion that doesn’t shout, but quietly convinces – with timeless elegance, sustainable production, and the comforting sense of carrying
JOY, CAPTURED IN A FRAGRANCE
byredo.com
vivre.
ART BASEL X SAMSUNG – ART IN THE DIGITAL SPACE
ABB Collection in the Samsung Art Store, now available on all 2025 Samsung TVs, samsung.com With the new ABB Collection, Art Basel and Samsung present their most extensive selection yet on the Samsung Art Store. Featuring 38 works by international artists – from Roméo Mivekannin to Zandile Tshabalala – the collection offers a vibrant panorama of contemporary creativity across continents and media. Alongside the fair in Basel, Samsung’s “ArtCube” invites visitors to experience digital art in stunning detail on The Frame, MICRO LED, and Neo QLED 8K. It’s an encounter with art that extends far beyond the exhibition halls and into the living rooms of people worldwide.
Ovid opens his Metamorphoses with a line that has outlived centuries of dust: everything changes, nothing remains. Gods turn into birds, maidens into trees, mortals into stars. The Roman poet understood what we, despite all our progress, continue to forget:
THE WORLD IS NOT
WE, MODERN HEIRS OF ENLIGHTENMENT AND CAPITALISM, PREFER TO PRETEND OTHERWISE. WE CALL IT “LIFE PLANNING,” “CAREER TRAJECTORY,” “SELF-IMPROVEMENT.” WORDS THAT PROMISE STABILITY BUT IN TRUTH DESCRIBE NOTHING MORE THAN CONSTANT METAMORPHOSIS. ONLY, UNLIKE OVID’S FIGURES, WE DO NOT TRANSFORM INTO GRACEFUL LAUREL TREES OR LUMINOUS CONSTELLATIONS – WE MORPH INTO SPREADSHEETS, POWERPOINT DECKS, AND IF WE’RE LUCKY, SHIMMERING AVATARS CURATED FOR THE HUNGRY EYES OF SOCIAL MEDIA.
Text: Nina Prehofer
META MOR PHOSIS
The grandest transformation of our age is the self itself. Identity is no longer a marble statue; it is a subscription service: cancelable monthly, endlessly upgradeable. Today I’m productive, tomorrow creative, next week “offline” on the advice of my digital detox coach. Who am I? A marketing strategy disguised as a human, equal parts mirror image and selfie. This perpetual metamorphosis is sold to us as liberation: You can be anything! But buried inside that promise lurks a demand: You must be everything. Attractive but never vulgar. Ambitious but not ruthless. Vulnerable, but only in the kind of vulnerability that photographs well and can be spun into a success story on LinkedIn. Opt out of the constant transformation, and you risk the deadliest fate of all in our new mythology: irrelevance.
“DENTITY IS NO LONGER A MARBLE STATUE; IT IS A SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE.”
It is not just individuals who change shape. Entire nations are shapeshifting before our eyes. Democracies that once seemed carved from stone crumble like cheap plaster. Political parties mutate from representatives of the people into influencer collectives. And from the ashes of liberal order rise phoenix-like caricatures of authoritarianism – so sleekly packaged that one could almost mistake them for lifestyle brands. Politics itself has undergone its own metamorphosis: no longer the negotiation of interests, but the performance of identity. Government as reality television, where the question is less how one governs than how one plays the role. Ovid would have adored it: parliaments as stages, ministers as shapeshifters, switching characters depending on the mood of the audience.
THE BODY AS PROJECT
The body, once the slow vessel of identity, is now a construction site. Diet, fitness, surgery, hormones –the body is raw material awaiting reinvention. We no longer turn into stone or water; we turn into silicone, hyaluronic acid, and carefully branded skin routines. And just like Ovid’s mortals, we too are compelled to change – not by capricious gods, but by algorithms. They tell us what a “healthy” body should look like, and the verdict is merciless: muscles are mandatory, wrinkles are crimes, cellulite a moral failing. Even in our innermost selves, in the psyche, metamorphosis never ends. Mental health, once a quiet personal matter, has become a public declaration. “I’m exhausted, but growing from it” – such is the new confessional. To be ill is permitted, as long as the breakdown is transformed into content: the depression as Instagram carousel, the panic attack as TED Talk.
And then there is the world itself, morphing in real time. Climate change is metamorphosis made visible: glaciers dissolving, rivers drying, entire landscapes transforming. Only this time, the metamorphosis is not into gods or myths but deserts, floods, and ruins. An anti-Ovid, if you like: transformation not as spectacle but as slow catastrophe. Yet the pattern repeats. Humanity insists on interpreting, managing, even curating this metamorphosis. We speak of the “transformation” of economies, of “green technologies” and “sustainable solutions.” It all sounds so lyrical, almost mythic. But the aftertaste remains: who exactly is saving whom? Are we saving the world, or is the world deciding whether to save us?
“DEMOCRACIES THAT ONCE SEEMED CARVED FROM STONE CRUMBLE LIKE CHEAP PLASTER. POLITICAL PARTIES MUTATE FROM REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
PEOPLE INTO INFLUENCER COLLECTIVES.”
THE WORLD TRANSFORMED
LOVE, RELATIONSHIPS, INTIMACY
Love, too, has become metamorphic. It resembles a laboratory for identities, a constant experiment. Tinder and its kin have accelerated the cycle: from match to conversation to vanishing – all within hours. Relationships, once intended for a lifetime, now arrive like software versions: v.1.0, v.2.3, v.4.7 – bugs fixed, promises patched, permanence nowhere in sight. Even intimacy is transformed: sex is sometimes performance, sometimes self-therapy, sometimes currency. We shift shape depending on partner, context, or platform. One moment we are desire, the next we are algorithm.
THE ART OF METAMORPHOSIS
So what are we to do? One option is resignation, like some tragic hero turned into stone: at least stones pay no taxes. Another is to practice a new art of metamorphosis – an ability not merely to endure change but to shape it.
This art would recognize that not every transformation is ours to command. Some arrive like tidal waves – political, ecological, psychological. Yet it would also seize the freedom inherent in change: the possibility to reinvent, to swap masks, to try on roles. Perhaps the only constant is not stillness but the capacity to remain intact in motion.
IN THE END
OVID’S CHARACTERS ESCAPED THEIR PREDICAMENTS BY BECOMING TREES, FOUNTAINS, STARS. WE, ALAS, CANNOT ESCAPE. OUR METAMORPHOSES ARE LESS SPECTACULAR BUT MORE RELENTLESS. WE TRANSFORM DAILY, HOURLY – SOMETIMES RELUCTANTLY, SOMETIMES WITH ENTHUSIASM.
A PARKERIAN ASIDE
AT THIS POINT DOROTHY PARKER WOULD HAVE LIT A CIGARETTE AND REMARKED: “METAMORPHOSIS IS ALL WELL AND GOOD, BUT DO I REALLY HAVE TO PARTICIPATE EVERY TIME?” SHE WOULD HAVE REMINDED US, WITH HER SLY SMILE, THAT NOT EVERY TRANSFORMATION QUALIFIES AS PROGRESS. WE TRANSFORM, YES – BUT OFTEN INTO PARODIES OF THE VERY SELVES WE HAD HOPED TO BECOME.
THE REAL QUESTION IS NOT WHETHER WE TRANSFORM BUT HOW: INTO VICTIMS OR AUTHORS, INTO FAÇADES OR SUBSTANCE, INTO MYTHS OR RUINS.
AND PERHAPS, HERE, LIES THE ONLY IRONIC CONSOLATION: IF EVERYTHING MUST CHANGE, THEN WE MAY AT LEAST DECIDE WHETHER WE END UP AS STATUES IN A MYTH – OR AS A WRY FOOTNOTE IN AN ESSAY ON THE METAMORPHOSES OF OUR TIME.
RE-
WELCOME TO THE WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE UPGRADE: BRYAN JOHNSON V1.0.
For the price of a small private jet, you get a man who refuses to age like the rest of us mere mortals.
SPECS:
– Processor: Human brain, boosted by Kernel headsets.
– RAM: 111 supplements a day.
– Battery life: 8 hours of sleep, zero alcohol, zero sugar – basically endless.
– OS: “Blueprint 3.2” – bug fixes applied whenever the skin starts to wrinkle.
WHAT CAN IT DO?
– Organs that look factory-fresh.
– Fitness stats that would terrify any personal trainer.
– A lifestyle that sounds like an Elon Musk experiment – just without rockets.
USER EXPERIENCE:
Only works if you’re ready to turn yourself into a spreadsheet. Emotional features (pizza, beer, spontaneous late nights) are not supported.
VERDICT:
A human as an iPhone update – fascinating, pricey, not exactly practical. Perfect for early adopters who think mortality is just an outdated feature.
RATING:
7/10. Cool to watch, but the warranty conditions are still unclear.
For those who want live like Bryan Johnson: bryanjohnson.com
The Human in
Text: Nina Prehofer
Sweet Circle of the Season
SPRING
The Time of Blossoms
When the first warm days arrive, the apple orchards turn into a vast sea of white and pink blooms. The air is filled with the fragrance of fresh grasses and wildflowers, while deer and hares dart across the fields and swallows announce the return of life in the sky.
On the plate: fresh garden vegetables, wild herbs, and young alpine cheeses.
To experience: walks through the blossoming orchards, gentle hikes in the forest, or the first bike rides through the valley.
SUMMER
Vibrant Abundance
In summer, the valley becomes a festival of colors: apple trees heavy with fruit, vineyards stretching toward the sun, lakes shimmering in deep blue. Bees, butterflies, and ladybirds bear witness to a thriving ecosystem, while the forests are filled with the scent of resin and wildflowers.
On the plate: garden vegetables, berries, honey, and light dishes from Trentino’s cuisine.
To experience: swimming in the lakes, high-altitude hikes, wine tastings, and relaxing hours in the garden.
IN SOME PLACES, SPRING, SUMMER, AUTUMN, AND WINTER ARE NOTHING MORE THAN DATES ON A CALENDAR. AT AGRITUR DOLCE MELA, HOWEVER, THE SEASONS DRAW US INTO THEIR OWN UNIQUE WORLDS, FULL OF SCENTS, FLAVORS, AND EMOTIONS. IN THE VALLE DEI LAGHI IN TRENTINO, NATURE REMINDS US THAT WE, TOO, ARE PART OF ITS CONSTANT TRANSFORMATION. AT TIMES WE DANCE LIGHTLY ACROSS THE DEWY MEADOW; AT OTHERS, WE LEAP FREELY INTO THE NATURAL SWIMMING POND, BREATHE DEEPLY IN THE SHADE OF THE APPLE TREES WITH A GLASS OF WINE IN HAND, OR GAZE INWARD WHILE LOOKING OUT TOWARD THE DISTANT MOUNTAINS.
AUTUMN
The Golden Season
As the vineyards turn red and the beech trees glow golden, the seven lakes of the valley reflect the full palette of autumn colors. It is harvest time: the fragrance of freshly picked apples fills the air, accompanied by chestnuts and young wine.
On the plate: apples, nuts, mushrooms, pumpkin, and warming autumn dishes.
To experience: apple harvesting, chestnut festivals, wine tastings in the cellars, and walks through forests glowing with color.
WINTER Stillness and Reflection
When snow gently covers roofs and fields, the valley wraps itself in silence. The apple trees stand bare and still, while foxes, deer, and birds leave their tracks in the snow. The aroma of wood fires drifts from chimneys, mingling with the scent of cinnamon and spices from the kitchens. On the plate: hot soups, polenta, game dishes, apple desserts, and warming mulled wine.
To experience: snowshoe hikes, relaxing sauna sessions, cozy hours by the fireplace, and visits to Trentino’s enchanting Christmas markets.
PROF. DR. HC. MULT. NIKE SCHRÖDER – EPIGENETICS COACH, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE MINDSET EXPERT & CO-FOUNDER OF PALAZZO FIUGGI. THERE, SHE COMBINES MODERN DIAGNOSTICS WITH PRACTICAL RITUALS TO PROMOTE HEALTH, VITALITY, AND LONGEVITY. PALAZZO FIUGGI IS CONSIDERED ONE OF EUROPE’S LEADING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING RETREATS, MERGING SCIENCE, EPIGENETICS, AND LUXURY INTO A UNIQUE CONCEPT FOR SUSTAINABLE TRANSFORMATION.
More inspiration at: nike-schroeder.com
Gene Reset
Text: Nina Prehofer
Photos: Palazzo Fiuggi; Portrait: Sabine Radke
NIKE SCHRÖDER
Ms. Schröder, how would you explain epigenetics to a child?
Nike Schröder: I like to say: Imagine your genes as a giant piano. The keys are given – that’s your DNA. But how you play, what melody comes out, depends on you. Nutrition, exercise, sleep, and even thoughts are the fingers that influence the music. Sometimes just a small change in how you “play” is enough to hear a completely new song in life.
What was your personal aha moment when you realized: wow, our lifestyle can actually influence our genes?
That was with my partner Lorenzo Giannuzzi. He had been taking antibiotics for years until we looked more closely at his epigenetic markers. Once we changed nutrition, exercise, and mindset, the effect was astonishing: less inflammation, more energy, visibly healthier skin. That’s when I understood how strongly lifestyle can actually “reprogram” genes.
Do you have routines or rituals in your daily life that keep you epigenetically healthy?
Yes – my morning ritual: 10 minutes of breathing exercises, then a glass of warm lemon water, movement in the fresh air, and a mindful breakfast. In the evenings, digital detox is sacred to me. And something very simple: I walk barefoot almost every day on grass or sand – the so-called “grounding” gives me incredible calm and balance.
How much do sleep, nutrition, and exercise really determine how our genes “speak”?
They are the Big Three. Sleep controls repair programs, nutrition provides the fuel, and exercise activates protective mechanisms in the cells. Taken together, they are more powerful than any drug.
Many people feel stressed – what does stress do to us epigenetically? And how can we counteract it?
Chronic stress activates genes that promote inflammation and make us age faster. Anyone can counteract this: conscious breathing, short meditations, walks without a phone. Sometimes it’s enough to take a deep breath and look up at the sky.
Are there small, simple lifestyle changes that can make a big difference?
Yes – go barefoot more often, put your phone away in the evenings, cut down on sugar, and get 15 minutes of daylight every day. And don’t forget proper hydration –it may sound trivial, but epigenetically it’s a real booster.
There are many nutrition trends –how do we find out what truly fits us epigenetically?
By listening to our bodies and using data. Blood values, microbiome analyses, and lifestyle tracking help us find our own way beyond the hype. No two bodies are alike – that’s what makes epigenetics so individual and exciting.
What can someone expect when they come to you for epigenetics coaching? No dogma, but a tailor-made strategy. We combine high-end diagnostics with rituals that truly fit into everyday life. Science meets luxury well-being. And I take the time to see the person as a whole – not just their lab values, but also their story, wishes, and goals.
Do you have an example from your practice where someone gained noticeably more energy or well-being through small lifestyle changes?
One client was constantly exhausted. By introducing a fixed bedtime, reducing
“EPIGENETICS WILL BE AS COMMON AS MEASURING BLOOD PRESSURE IS TODAY. WE’LL TAILOR NUTRITION, THERAPIES, AND COACHING INDIVIDUALLY TO OUR GENES. IT’S NOT A TREND, IT’S THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE, LONGEVITY, AND LEADERSHIP.”
coffee after 2 p.m., and adding daily walks, the “wow effect” came after just three weeks: more energy, a clearer mind, and a better mood.
How do you manage to break down scientific knowledge so that people can actually apply it?
I tell stories instead of using technical terms. Instead of “methylated DNA,” I say: “Your lifestyle switches genes on or off like a light switch.” People remember images, not paragraphs.
Do you believe that with epigenetics we can stay young longer?
Yes – we can’t stop the biological aging process, but we can significantly slow it down. Epigenetics is one of the keys to not just living longer, but also healthier and more vibrantly.
If you could only give three tips, what would be the most important lifestyle hacks from an epigenetic perspective?
– Get at least seven hours of sleep.
– Eat colorful, natural foods.
– Move every day – even small steps count.
Where do you see epigenetics in ten years –is it a gamechanger for health and lifestyle?
Definitely. Epigenetics will be as common as measuring blood pressure is today. We’ll tailor nutrition, therapies, and coaching individually to our genes. It’s not a trend, it’s the future of medicine, longevity, and leadership.
Light Years
HOW RED LIGHT THERAPY BRINGS THE DREAM OF LONGEVITY INTO EVERYDAY LIFE
SOME WELLNESS TRENDS MAKE A LOT OF NOISE: LIQUID NITROGEN HISSING IN CRYO CHAMBERS, INTRAVENOUS VITAMIN DRIPS IN LUXURY LONGEVITY CLINICS, AND SHELVES STACKED WITH SUPPLEMENTS PROMISING YOUTH IN A CAPSULE. AND THEN THERE ARE APPROACHES THAT ARRIVE ALMOST SILENTLY. RED LIGHT THERAPY IS ONE OF THEM: UNSPECTACULAR, PAINLESS, PLEASANTLY WARM. AND IT IS PRECISELY FOR THIS REASON THAT IT IS GAINING TRACTION IN THE LONGEVITY SCENE. BEHIND THE SEEMINGLY SIMPLE EXPERIENCE OF IMMERSING ONESELF IN LIGHT LIES AN IMPRESSIVE FOUNDATION OF SCIENCE, SUSTAINABILITY, AND LIFESTYLE.
A MOLECULAR FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
The principle is simple, the effects are complex: red light in specific wavelengths stimulates the mitochondria – the powerhouses of our cells. In response, they produce more adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the universal energy currency of the body. The benefits ripple through nearly every system: muscles recover faster, skin becomes smoother, sleep more restorative, the immune system more resilient. “In the end, it’s all about energy. When cells are better supplied, the entire organism benefits,” explains Thomas Lechner, co-founder of Luminous Labs.
More than 9,000 studies have examined the effects of red light in recent years, ranging from anti-inflammatory properties and improved circulation to cognitive benefits. At the same time, the risk profile is strikingly low compared to other longevity technologies: adverse effects have been documented almost exclusively in cases of overexposure with medical lasers – scenarios that are not possible with LED-based devices.
BETWEEN LABORATORY AND LIFESTYLE
“We wanted to develop a system that integrates seamlessly into everyday life,” says co-founder Barbara Sekulovska.
“It shouldn’t feel clinical or require supervision.” This philosophy led to the creation of the Regevity Master, a red-light bed designed more like a piece of architectural furniture than a medical device. Users simply recline, select a program via software, and enjoy the self-service experience. It feels more like a spa treatment than a clinic procedure –yet it rests on solid scientific ground. That distinction sets the technology apart from other trends. Cryo chambers, for example, require trained staff, meticulous maintenance, and massive energy consumption. Red light, by contrast, is easy to handle and highly efficient: “Our system consumes no more electricity than a professional hair dryer,” says Lechner.
SUSTAINABILITY BY DESIGN
Luminous Labs also places a strong emphasis on sustainability. Every unit is manufactured in Austria in collaboration with a network of twelve regional companies. The modular design allows for components to be replaced or upgraded instead of discarding the entire system. “That enables a true circular economy,” notes Sekulovska. “For us, sustainability means not only ecological responsibility but also long-term value for the user.”
In fact, reliability is remarkably high: their first B2B client in London has been operating the system daily for more than
Text: Nina Prehofer
four years – without a single maintenance issue. For a technology in the wellness sector, that level of durability is almost revolutionary.
EVIDENCE AND CAUTION
Despite its lifestyle appeal and designforward approach, research remains the core of Luminous Labs. In collaboration with IVF clinics in Switzerland and Austria, the team is investigating how red light affects the endometrium. Initial results suggest that targeted light improves blood flow in the tissue, without the need for additional hormones. A finding that could open new possibilities for women facing fertility challenges. And yet, the founders remain cautious. Pregnant women, children under the age of ten, and individuals with epilepsy or pronounced photosensitivity should avoid using the technology. “We see it as our responsibility to communicate transparently,” Lechner emphasizes. “Precisely because the technology is so safe, we must avoid the trap of exaggerated promises.”
RITUALS IN EVERYDAY LIFE
For Sekulovska, red light has long become a daily ritual. Instead of coffee, she begins her morning with ten minutes in the light, which stimulates not only metabolism but also hormonal balance. “It makes me more awake, more centered, and it feels like a small reset.” Such routines can even be personalized – by linking data from fitness trackers, for example, to align sessions with sleep cycles and recovery patterns.
This everyday usability is part of red light’s allure: it requires no extreme lifestyle changes, no complicated protocols. Unlike many longevity methods, the promise of energy and vitality is not achieved through deprivation but through a pleasurable ritual.
A NEW KIND OF LUXURY
“INITIAL RESULTS SUGGEST THAT TARGETED LIGHT IMPROVES BLOOD FLOW IN THE TISSUE, WITHOUT THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL HORMONES. A FINDING THAT COULD OPEN NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR WOMEN FACING FERTILITY CHALLENGES.”
In a wellness landscape often associated with sacrifice, discipline, and pushing limits, red light therapy offers something rare: enjoyment. The warmth on the skin, the soft glow, the calm of the session –it is a luxury that simultaneously regenerates. And this, perhaps, is what sets it apart from fleeting wellness gadgets: red light therapy is as understated as it is reliable. It may be precisely this quiet quality that makes it one of the most exciting technologies in the longevity field. Scientifically grounded, aesthetically pleasing, ecologically responsible, and refreshingly uncomplicated. As Thomas Lechner sums it up: “It’s not about living forever. It’s about making the years we do have active, healthy, and joyful.”
YUVAL NOAH HARARI HAS A GIFT FOR NARRATING HUMAN HISTORY THE WAY NETFLIX SPINS A BINGE-WORTHY SERIES: SWEEPING ARCS, CLIFFHANGERS IN ALL THE RIGHT PLACES, AND A MORAL LESSON AT THE END OF EVERY EPISODE. WITH NEXUS, HE SETS OUT TO EXPOSE THE INVISIBLE NERVOUS SYSTEM OF OUR SPECIES – THE VAST WEB OF INFORMATION THAT CARRIED US FROM STONE AGE CAMPFIRE MYTHS TO THE ALGORITHMIC SERMONS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
“Yuval Harari Pulls the Plug: How Nexus Exposes Our Addiction to Information”
The book doesn’t feel written at a desk so much as performed onstage, with Harari striding back and forth, lectern abandoned, his audience hanging on every line. He starts with the obvious – language, myths, writing – and then leads us into darker terrain, where bureaucracy, propaganda, and digital platforms dictate more of our lives than we’d ever care to admit. Readers who know Harari understand his style: he thrives on the big thesis, rarely the footnote. It’s what makes him so accessible, so seductive, and also what opens him to accusations of oversimplification or Eurocentric blind spots.
Still, for all the scholarly eye-rolling he inspires, the book is hypnotic. There’s the chapter on social media, where Facebook ceases to be a company and takes on the role of a capricious fate-god, presiding over elections and ethnic violence. There’s the passage on the “Silicon Curtain,” a looming digital divide that could make the Cold War’s Iron Curtain look quaint. And there’s his bleakest vision: AI not as a tool we wield, but as a self-contained logic, an autonomous force operating beyond human control. Here, Harari is no longer the gentle guide of Sapiens but a Cassandra for the data age.
The tone, however, remains beguilingly elegant. You read him and find yourself nodding along, even as you sense that some of the arguments are thinner than they appear. Critics complain of recycled theses, a flair for alarmism, and the suspicion that Nexus bears the fingerprints of a ghostwriting team. But that, perversely, may be its charm: Harari isn’t writing manuals – he’s staging intellectual theater, designed to provoke more questions than answers.
By the final page, Nexus leaves a taste equal parts fascination and unease. One is tempted to read it less as history than as a mirror – reflecting, with startling clarity, the precarious present we inhabit. It feels almost like a Vanity Fair profile of humanity itself: gorgeously told, not always precise, but irresistible in its cocktail of entertainment, warning, and the glamour of grand ideas.
Selection
ZASH Country Boutique Hotel is a boutique hotel where guests rediscover a time where they live in another dimension, made of slow gestures, new visions and mysterious voices: zash, splash, cucù, crag, ciuf, druum, pluf - the instinctive and hidden sounds of nature. To be surrounded by the volcano stones and scents of orange blossom, then all is quiet. It is the pleasure of life.
ZASH COUNTRY BOUTIQUE HOTEL Italy / Sizilien / Riposto zash.it Minimalism meets Mediterrenean country charme.
Mia Alpina, Zillertal (LH 03)
Heureka - ATOMOS, Venice - Vienna (LH 04–05)
Bergwiesenglück, Paznaun (LH 06)
Everelmus, Bruges (LH 07)
Wilmina, Berlin (LH 08)
OLM Nature Escape, Sand in Taufers (LH 09)
Puradies, Leogang (LH 10)
Kaer x Sublime Comporta, Alentejo (LH 11)
Es Racó d’Artà, Camí des Racó (LH 12)
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VIENNA Hotel Das Tyrol
VIENNA Hotel Motto
BELGIUM
BRUGGE Everelmus Boutique B&B
CROATIA
BRAČ Hotel Lemongarden
STARI GRAD/HVAR Maslina Resort
GERMANY
BERLIN Hotel Wilmina
CHIEMGAU Agrad Chalets
FRIEDRICHSHAFEN Seegut Zeppelin
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN Das Graseck
PIRNA Laurichhof
TIMMENDORFER STRAND Sand
TIMMENDORFER STRAND SeeHuus
GREECE
AMALIADA/PELOPONNESE Dexamenes Seaside Hotel
FOLEGANDROS Hotel Gundari
MYKONOS The Wild by Interni
INDIA
KASAR DEVI The Kumaon
ITALY
APUGLIA Paragon 700 Boutique Hotel & Spa
BRIXEN Arthotel Lasserhaus
BRIXEN Hotel Badhaus
CAMAIORE Locanda al Colle
DEUTSCHNOFEN Pfösl Nature Hotel
DORF TIROL Küglerhof
MERANO Culinaria Living
MERANO Steinach Townhouse
MONTEFOLLONICO Follonico
RISCONE Hofergut
RIMINI i-Suite
RIPOSTO Zash Country Boutique Hotel
SANTO STEFANO DI SESSANIO Sextantio Albergo Diffuso
SICILY Monaci delle Terre Nere
SOUTH TYROL OLM Nature Escape
ST. LEONHARD Apfelhotel Torgglerhof
VENICE Hotel Heureka
JAPAN
TOKYO Hotel K5
KYOTO Genji
MEXICO
QUINTANA ROO Boca de Agua
PORTUGAL
ALENTEJO Sublime Comporta Country Retreat & Spa
ALGARVE Vila Valverde
AZORES Santa Bárbara Eco-Beach Resort
AZORES White Exclusive Suites & Villas
LISBON Torel Palace Lisbon
PORTO Torel Avantgarde
PORTO Torel Palace Porto
PORTO Torel 1884 Suites & Apartments
SPAIN
MALLORCA Convent de la Missio
MALLORCA Es Racó d ’ Artà
MALLORCA Fontsanta Hotel Thermal Spa & Wellness
MALLORCA Hotel Can Simoneta
MALLORCA Pleta de Mar
PRIORAT Mas d'en Bruno
TENERIFE Ecohotel El Agua
VALENCIA Serra Nature Ecosmart Hotel
SWEDEN
LAPLAND Treehotel
SWITZERLAND
LUCERNE Hotel des Balances
VALLÉE DE JOUX Hotel des Horlogers
ZERMATT Hotel Matterhorn Focus
USA
ARIZONA AmbienteTM Sedona
Familiar comforts remain ever-present: attentive childcare, indoor and outdoor play areas with a bowling alley and carousel, sports halls, a petting zoo, and secluded corners offer a sense of security and warmth for every generation. At the same time, new experiences blend harmoniously: the “Area 500” with its Ninja Warrior course and climbing wall turns each day into a small adventure, Woody’s Activity Pool beckons with slides and water delights, while the Zirben SPA offers moments of gentle restoration. Spacious family suites combine modern comfort with Tyrolean charm. A contemporary fitness area, thoughtfully curated products in the hotel store, and bike and ski rentals open up further possibilities. Here, time-honored traditions and fresh ideas flow together into a living, breathing whole. Mia Alpina is a place that grows organically, all the while preserving its soul – just as children do naturally.
Host Carolin Kobliha on the hotel’s evolving spirit:
How do you know when it’s time to change something, rather than stick with what’s familiar?
We often sense it directly through conversations with our guests – when their wishes evolve or new holiday habits emerge. Our own standards also push us: if we find ourselves excited about something new as guests, it’s time to act. Stagnation doesn’t suit a lively house like ours – we want to surprise, inspire, and always stay one step ahead.
In what ways do your growing children shape the hotel?
Our children are our most honest advisors. They test the play areas, tell us straight away whether a dish on the kids’ menu works, and show us how family needs evolve over the years. As they grow, so does the hotel – from baby facilities to attractions for teenagers. They naturally keep us in tune with the times.
How do you preserve the soul of a place while its shape keeps changing?
The soul of our house lies in personal hospitality – and that remains, no matter how much we remodel or modernize. Of course, spaces, designs, and concepts evolve, but the warmth with which we welcome families stays constant. Many guests feel that even as the hotel expands, it still feels like a home away from home. That sense of belonging is at the very heart of what we do.
Room to grow
Just as children continuously rediscover the world through play, the Mia Alpina Zillertal Family Retreat gently reinvents itself again and again. Sometimes through spaces brimming with adventure, sometimes through quiet oases of calm – always guided by the belief that variety and change are essential parts of family life.
“True transformation must begin at the root.”
Two places,
There are places that have fallen silent. Their walls still hold memories, yet warmth has long since faded. A Venetian palazzo, decayed and forgotten. A clinic, once renowned, later neglected. And then there are people like Angela Valach and her sons, Florian Valach and Christoph Valach, who dare to see beauty in decline and who believe in turning loss into life, distance into closeness, and fear into hope.
With the ATOMOS Clinic in Vienna and Hotel Heureka in Venice, they have, with subtle artistry, restored the gentle whisper of two forgotten worlds — uniting them in a shared vision and giving them a voice once more.
And therein lay the true metamorphosis. The palazzo would not survive merely as memory within a hotel, but as both: palazzo and hotel, history and hospitality intertwined.
BEAUTY REDISCOVERED
When Angela Valach and her sons, Florian Valach and Christoph Valach, first entered the palazzo in one of Venice’s most authentic quarters, they barely registered its ruin. What caught them instead was its quiet majesty — the grace of its architecture, the generosity of its spaces.
The building already carried permission for hotel conversion, yet the plans reduced its vastness to a maze of narrow rooms. They set them aside at once. Their vision was different: the palazzo was not to dissolve into a hotel of cells, but to breathe again in its original splendor. Choosing this path meant beginning anew — every application, every negotiation with heritage authorities — but it was the only way to honor the soul of the house.
Today, Hotel Heureka stands as such a house — expansive in its rooms, touched with modern sensibility, and alive with the Venetian spirit. A house that breathes, that welcomes, that opens its doors with ease. From the very beginning, they turned to Venetian hands and hearts. It was never about bringing Austria to Venice, but about finding, as Austrians, their own path into the Serenissima. In a city so bound to water, where every material demands reverence, they leaned on the wisdom of time-honored workshops and master artisans.
Guided by Angela Valach’s eye as interior designer and founder of MasterPlan A EinRichtung, the interiors embrace contrast — subtle tensions that spark vitality. An Indian marble seating group, a Nepalese birdhouse: each chosen with care, each entering into dialogue with the Venetian. Together they weave a place of arrival. A house where one feels sheltered, embraced, at home. Again and again, guests leave these very words in the hotel’s guestbook, testifying to a feeling that lingers long after their stay.
Photos: Luca Nicolao
Angela Valach
HOTEL HEUREKA Italy / Venice / Cannaregio
one mindset
FROM HOSPITAL TO HOSPITALITY
The same ethos can be felt in the feedback left by patients at the ATOMOS Clinic, who speak of its comforting atmosphere and say they would gladly “check in” again if needed. Six hundred kilometers north of Venice, the Valach family’s visionary philosophy continues in Vienna — now extended to health.
Like Hotel Heureka, the former beauty clinic was a building in need of complete renovation, its prime long past. It’s no surprise that the Valachs were the only applicants. But their motivation to create lasting change matched their courage. With Florian Valach as managing director with medical expertise and Christoph Valach as a practicing physician, together with their mother, they rebuilt the clinic from the ground up.
While heritage restrictions did not apply as they had in Venice, they faced another challenge: every aspect of the renovation had to comply with strict hospital regulations. Down to the very tile adhesive, each detail had to be approved by the authorities — a level of diligence few would have undertaken. Driven by the desire to transform a fractured healthcare system, they turned the building into an indivisible whole, living up to its name, ATOMOS. Today, it is far more than a clinic for cosmetic medicine: numerous specialties are now housed under one roof. Though it meets the highest technical standards, one hardly senses that they are in a medical facility. Here, emotional well-being is given equal weight alongside medical expertise — not in competition, but in harmony.
As Florian Valach explains: A clinic must radiate confidence. It must be a place where people can truly heal. It must be a place for humans.
This is not an empty phrase, but a reality lived every day. Staff are trained to provide not only medical excellence but also the attentive service and human warmth that reflect the philosophy of the house. The interiors are bathed in warm colors and light where it matters most — in common areas, waiting rooms, and the bistro. A rooftop terrace invites moments of pause, while the abundant artwork throughout the clinic guides the mind and sometimes even
offers a small, healing distance from oneself. When asked which design pieces she chooses, Angela Valach considers the question secondary. For her, the secret lies in the overall concept — the interplay of colors, materials, and forms, “the right thing in the right place,” she says — creating a true transformation of a space.
Just as the individual pieces of a mosaic weave together into a harmonious whole, so do Angela, Florian, and Christoph Valach blend their differences into a family united, each finding their own place. Carried by trust and shared vision, they move forward together — and, inspired by Paolo Cazzin, Sales & Marketing Director of Heureka, they are now making their dreams visible through their very presence.
In this way, they have given not only their houses in Vienna and Venice a renewed voice, but also, with quiet elegance and charm, have found a way to give voice to themselves.
“When assembling a mosaic, it’s not enough for each individual stone to be beautiful — what matters is placing them in the right position. Only then can a new image emerge.”
Angela Valach
HOTEL HEUREKA Italy / Venice / Cannaregio hotel-heureka.com
A Venetian palazzo reborn, Hotel Heureka offers 10 uniquely styled rooms, each with its own character. Tucked away in the heart of the city, it is a quiet sanctuary — a place to arrive, linger, and feel truly at home. ( + )
ATOMOS KLINIK Austria / Vienna / Währing
Moments
to Take Home
A TASTE OF HAPPINESS
If happiness had a flavor, it could well be the airy sweetness of Kaiserschmarren with homemade apple compote from Hermann’s Kitchen. Or perhaps the delicate artistry of sushi, prepared here by a master chef from Tokyo. Either way, it’s about authentic dishes that stir emotions, awaken memories, and reach the soul.
THE WARMTH OF HOSPITALITY
There’s a saying in Tyrol: If you’re Tyrolean, you’re human. And here, the people embody that spirit – grounded, warm, and deeply welcoming. Where guests feel seen, where a sense of belonging arises, and where even unspoken wishes are fulfilled, happiness takes root. And this human connection doesn’t end at the hotel door – it’s something you can carry with you, and share. After all, happiness shines brightest when we meet each other with genuine humanity.
THE COMFORT OF RETREAT
At Bergwiesenglück, the privacy of a chalet village blends seamlessly with the comforts of a boutique hotel. Here, retreat means more than seclusion – it’s about stepping back, listening to your own needs, and rediscovering clarity. Balanced with moments of connection, it creates a harmony that lingers. Even at home, you’ll remember: how restorative it is to create small islands of calm in everyday life – even without an infinity pool overlooking the Alps. Perhaps a dinner out, or a spontaneous day trip, could be your own version of it.
THE LUXURY OF EASE
Part of Bergwiesenglück’s charm lies in its scale – intimate rather than grand, making it easy to unwind and leave the everyday behind. Back home, the lesson remains: happiness doesn’t need spectacle. Often, it’s enough to slow down, put the phone aside, breathe deeply. Small gestures, learned in the stillness of the Tyrolean mountains, can become everyday keys to happiness.
Before setting off on a journey, we carry a sense of longing with us. But what remains afterwards?
With the right place to stay, a touch of happiness lingers. High above the everyday at 1,250 meters, nestled in the Tyrolean Alps, the Chalet Boutique Hotel Bergwiesenglück offers exactly that: a feeling you can take home with you. What elsewhere might sound like a tired magazine cliché reveals itself here in the Paznaun Valley in its purest form: four simple ways to step straight into happiness.
A Gift from the Past
EVERELMUS Belgium / Flanders / Bruges
A charming boutique hotel on the Dijver Canal, with four rooms in a historic house –lovingly restored and thoughtfully furnished.
Some presents don’t come wrapped in colorful paper – they arrive in unexpected moments. For Fernand and Marjan, an extraordinary surprise appeared while they were strolling along the canals of Bruges: an old, dilapidated house that would soon change everything - and what happened next would transform not only the building but also themselves.
“It was early 2021, in the midst of the pandemic. Marjan and I were in Bruges with our children to celebrate my birthday. Almost everything was closed, except the museums. We visited the freshly renovated Gruuthuse Museum, enjoyed a birthday cake outside on the go, and I even got crowned, which drew applause from passing tourists.
On our walk back, we happened upon an old house, just steps from the museum. It was in poor condition, but its location –by the water, tucked into a small medieval street, right next to major museums –was enchanting.
This house had history. On Marcus Gerards’ famous 1560 map, small medieval houses already stand at this exact spot. In the 18th century, they were combined into a single townhouse, and the interior structure has remained largely unchanged ever since. We were also captivated by the garden, perfectly aligned, and just a few steps from Groeninge or Arentshof – the heart of Bruges at its most picturesque.
We quickly realized, however, that the house was too big for us alone. We wanted to give it a meaningful future, something connected to art, history, and culture. Our dream was to create a space where people like us could meet, a home for guests to feel truly at home – minimalist, clear, comfortable, yet full of soul. Inspired by the Old Masters like Van Eyck and Memling, we named each room after the pigments they favored.
The house presented its challenges. Authorities strictly limited what we could change, and only part of it could be adapted for guests. But as we peeled back layers of time, we uncovered traces of the past: 18th-century block-printed wallpaper, old floors, doors, and ceilings. Historians told stories of early settlements along the Dijver,
Celtic rituals, and Canon Johannes van der Stricht – history we felt compelled to preserve. Renovation brought surprises, too. Archaeologists unearthed small objects in the garden, including a child’s sandal. And then, toward the end of the work, it all fell into place –we felt the house had finally become what we had envisioned.
Today, welcoming guests feels like a blessing. They explore the house, the garden, and the city, experiencing a mix of old and new, and the charm we have preserved with care. Many delight in the breakfasts we prepare with love and the sense of being part of a larger story.
Looking back, the journey was long and sometimes exhausting – but ultimately wonderful. For over two years, we made weekly trips to Bruges, debated every decision, and sought the best solutions for our guests. Today, we know we made the right choices. The house has a new heart and fresh breath – a gentle rejuvenation you can feel when you live here or spend a few days with it.”
From Confinement to Comfort
Berlin is famous for its inexhaustible energy, its pulsating creativity, and its multifaceted history – a city that never stands still. Amidst heavy traffic and urban noise, the search for places of retreat can seem almost impossible. And yet, on Kantstraße, an unexpected sanctuary unfolds: Hotel Wilmina.
Where once, behind the neo-baroque façade of a courthouse and shielded by high brick walls, a prison lay hidden, Grüntuch Ernst Architects have rewritten a piece of the city’s history. With great sensitivity, they have brought the once-sealed-off ensemble into the present, creating an oasis of calm – rooted in the awareness that the past remains, but the present is always open to transformation.
The tall walls now evoke a near-monastic tranquility. Lush courtyards weave the buildings together, offering peaceful retreats. Where windows were once barred and doors locked, Hotel Wilmina has emerged as a space of openness and comfort. Forty-four light-filled rooms and twenty-two lofts, an atrium with a Bocci light installation and a view of the sky, a rooftop terrace, library, spa,
and pool create an atmosphere of weightless ease. The past is still present here, yet it is released into freedom. The window grilles, disappearing below and only visible above, whisper quietly of this letting go.
In the same spirit, the former gatehouse has been transformed into the restaurant Lovis, sheltered beneath a new roof. Here, chef Sophia Rudolph serves regional cuisine with a contemporary twist. The hotel’s own bakery adds to this rhythm with freshly baked, handmade bread every day – not just for guests, but also for the neighborhood. The ensemble feels like its own small urban quarter, one that thrives not on separation, but on connection.
This ethos extends to the Lotta Day Bar, where fresh waffles with berries and buckwheat crunch await, and to the Lovis Bar, where drinks are mapped out by a flavor compass rather than labels. Or even to the former courthouse itself: Amtsalon / K79, now reimagined as a multidisciplinary space for temporary projects in art, architecture, and design.
WILMINA Germany / Berlin / Charlottenburg wilmina.com
A historic hotel ensemble reimagined: a retreat in the heart of Charlottenburg with bar, restaurant, bakery, and multidisciplinary space. ( + )
WILMINA Germany / Berlin / Charlottenburg
Photos: Wilmina / Robert Rieger; Markus Gröteke; Slowdown Hotels
The Ahrntal valley in South Tyrol was never entirely untouched. A modest guesthouse once stood here. And still, the movements of earth that made space for geothermal energy stirred unease at first. Change often does. We are, after all, creatures of habit. But what first appeared unsettling soon softened into curiosity, and then into wonder.
Today, OLM stands as a circle in harmony with its surroundings – an eco-aparthotel that generates its own warmth and electricity, living fully energy self-sufficient and CO₂-neutral. Its round form is more than design: it is a symbol of wholeness, of cycles, of continuity.
At first glance, some thought it looked like a UFO had landed in the valley. But what truly arrived here was a vision: a place where architecture and nature embrace one another. A place that inspires reflection, connection, and renewal. Quietly, OLM has become not just a hotel, but a landmark of mindfulness in the valley.
Where Nature Comes Full Circle
When a thread is gently pulled from nature’s green carpet, it doesn’t go unnoticed. That was also the case with OLM. Yet sometimes, a small disruption can open new spaces – places where life blossoms in surprising ways and nature reveals itself with renewed beauty.
OLM Italy / South Tyrol / Sand in Taufers
OLM Italy / South Tyrol / Sand in Taufers olm.it
A spacious, sunlit and tranquil resort –anchored by its historic farmhouse, enriched with chalets, and completed by a state-of-the-art spa.
Gentle Steps
For 280 years, a mountain farm with cattle has stood on this very spot. And for the past 180 years, it has belonged to the Madreiter family. As early as the 1950s, long before the first major ski lifts arrived, rooms were already being rented out at the Embachhof alongside the farm work – five at first, then twenty. Back then, the fact that each had its own bathroom was considered a true luxury. A sauna and infrared cabin later added even more comfort.
In 2007, the first seven chalets were built, followed by another seven. The Steinalmdorf was one of the very first of its kind in Austria, and to this day offers a truly unique overnight experience. Over time, the wish grew to merge the different parts into a single whole. The historic farmhouse was carefully renovated, 60 additional rooms were created, and under the name Puradies, a nature resort was born – pure and paradisiacal. In 2023, the resort expanded once more with the opening of the Heaven Spa.
What’s next? Even founder Michael Madreiter doesn’t know for sure. Many ideas linger in his mind: housing for staff, a burger restaurant, a cold-water pool for the sauna. Guest wishes are also taken seriously – not only through feedback forms, but often through the intimate conversations staff have in the spa or sauna, where people tend to share their thoughts most freely.
Changes happen here only when they feel necessary or simply right. As long as Michael Madreiter still delights in the striking design bar at the entrance, built from 16,000 wooden cubes, it will remain a part of Puradies. At the same time, he knows that holding on to the familiar is not everything.
“We often wish people would stay just as they are,” says Madreiter. “But that’s actually the worst wish – it means not being open to change or adaptation.”
“We don’t want to be bigger, faster, higher,” he explains. “We want to maintain our current size, and take careful steps forward. That requires both roots and wings. With only roots, you lose your perspective; with only wings, you’re no longer grounded.”
He fondly remembers a long-time guest who spent his holidays here for 70 years, before passing away at the age of 90. On one of his last visits, Madreiter asked how he felt about all the changes in the village and at Puradies over the decades. Sitting on a bench, looking out at the mountains, the guest simply replied:
“But nothing has really changed…”
It is quiet here, in this part of Leogang. At certain corners of Puradies, you might even feel that time itself has paused – like when sitting by the old stone wall, gazing out at the mountains, or when taking in the stately façade of the Pinzgau farmhouse. And yet, things are always in motion here – though only in a soft and steady rhythm.
PURADIES Austria / Salzburg / Leogang
PURADIES Austria / Salzburg / Leogang puradies.com
On a Journey to Transformation
Every journey is, in a way, a journey to another version of oneself. At kaer retreats, founded by Barbara den Bak, this inner voyage is gently guided through breathwork, immersion in nature, shared experiences, and mindful practices that cultivate clarity, serenity, and profound transformation. The retreats also invite guests to enchanting destinations around the globe, including the Lifestylehotel-Members Sublime Comporta in Portugal and Es Racó d’Artà in Spain. We had the pleasure of speaking with Barbara den Bak about her vision and the experiences she creates.
When you hear the word “transformation”, what feeling comes up for you?
For me, transformation feels like freedom, the moment someone realizes they are not defined by old patterns, but can choose a new way forward. It’s both powerful and deeply human.
What different goals do people bring to the Kaer retreats and is there something that connects them all?
Some arrive to recharge, some to break patterns, some to gain clarity for a new chapter in life. What connects them all is the desire to feel more aligned with themselves and to reconnect with what truly matters.
What special power emerges when transformation happens not alone, but within a group?
There’s something profoundly healing in being witnessed. A group amplifies breakthroughs: when you see someone else’s courage, it sparks your own. Community makes change feel both safer and stronger.
At what point do you notice that something is starting to shift?
It often happens in subtle moments, during breathwork, a walk in nature, or an honest group sharing. You see it in someone’s body language: the shoulders soften, the face lights up, the eyes become present again.
Your retreats take place in extraordinary locations – how do you discover these places?
We look for destinations that already carry a transformative energy, untouched nature, architectural beauty, and a strong sense
of place. Most of our locations come from personal connections or word-of-mouth within our community.
What makes Sublime Comporta so special for you? And what about Es Racó d’Artà?
Sublime Comporta is grounded in simplicity and elegance, with endless beaches and pine forests that invite deep reflection. Es Racó d’Artà feels like pure artistry, a place where design, sustainability, and Mallorcan tradition merge into something truly soulful.
Soon, a retreat will take place at Sublime Comporta – what can participants expect? They can expect an immersive journey with daily practices from the Kaer Method, nourishing food, time for rest, and deep connection, both with themselves and with others. And of course, the magic of Comporta’s landscapes.
Personalized retreats, like the ones at Es Racó d’Artà, offer a unique escape – but what truly makes this experience stand out? It’s almost like an exclusive concierge service: with our Kaer Takers, we craft personalized multi-day journeys that combine practices such as breathwork, mindfulness, and bodywork with the unique atmosphere of Es Racó d’Artà. More and more people are seeking not just rest, but a personal path to recenter themselves and reconnect with their inner selves.
How does one decide which location is the right fit for them?
We guide participants to choose based on what they feel drawn to: the desert calls for stillness, the mountains for resilience, the
A magical retreat with discreet rooms, suites, and villas set amidst 17 hectares of pristine nature, surrounded by pine trees, cork oaks, and dunes. ( + )
wilderness for courage, the ocean for clarity. The location becomes a mirror for the inner journey.
You combine ancient methods with modern science – how can we imagine that in practice?
For example: we might start with guided breathwork (an ancient practice) and then explain its effect on the nervous system through neuroscience. This blend ensures participants not only feel the shift but also understand why it works.
Which exercises or practices are particularly effective in creating real change?
Breathwork, mindfulness in nature, and guided group sharings are among the most impactful. They regulate the nervous system, create awareness, and build emotional resilience, the foundation for lasting transformation.
What has been the most impressive transformation you’ve witnessed in a participant? And in yourself?
I’ve seen people arrive burnt-out and leave with clarity and light in their eyes, ready to make bold life changes. For myself, Kaer has been a constant reminder that growth is not linear and that creating space for stillness allows new ideas and energy to emerge.
Does transformation end with the retreat –or does it only begin there?
It only begins there. A retreat acts as a catalyst, but the real transformation happens back in daily life, when participants bring new awareness into their relationships, work, and habits.
Which sentence or comment do you hear most often from participants?
“I didn’t know how much I needed this.”
SUBLIME COMPORTA Portugal / Alentejo / Grandolan sublimecomporta.pt
With the decision to travel to Es Racó d’Artà, the transformation has already begun. Even a glance at the website invites a gentle pause. B R E A T H – six soft white letters, quietly asking us to do just that. A tender hint of what awaits.
A Quiet
(
Where exactly is this place? Yes, Mallorca. And yet it feels like stepping into a world of its own: untouched, serene, in the northeast of the island. On 220 hectares of natural land near the coast and the town of Artà, a 13th-century finca rises, both sheltered and open to the unfolding moments.
Here, the chirping of birds fills the air, Mallorca’s light enchants at every season – as it once inspired Joan Miró. Olive trees offer gentle shade, a light curtain sways in the breeze, sculptures quietly guide the way, and countless paths invite you to discover your own.
Barefoot and wrapped in a flowing garment, we set out in search of ourselves – only to realize that we have already found it, even if the awareness has yet to reach the surface.
Perhaps the path leads us on a soft exploration of the grounds. We hear the rooster crow, the rustle of leaves, we catch a whisper of a delicate fragrance, and gather small moments that slowly ground us deeper in the present. We lose ourselves in the now.
WHAT TIME IS IT, TRULY?
Time to let our hands drift through traditional basket weaving with dried palm leaves, to sink gently into the Mallorcan way of life, and let the mind quietly unwind.
Then a few soft, mindful strokes in the pool, before a quiet culinary journey, discovering the simple gifts of earth and water.
We share the table, the conversation. We speak, we laugh, we feel the gentle threads of connection – and with them, ourselves – before a heartfelt farewell and the quiet embrace of retreat.
And then, softly, almost imperceptibly –a flutter in the stomach, a deep breath, a delicate scent, or a distant gaze – quietly, we feel it. A moment when everything can be released, when a new understanding of life blooms, when the key to ourselves is gently felt. Or at least one of several.
“A transformation that begins when you find the inspiration to follow your own path – a new way of being.”
ES RACÓ D’ARTÀ Spain / Mallorca / Artà
Can a place ever lose its identity, or does it merely transform into another form of memory?
Is metamorphosis a visible process of form, or an invisible process of meaning?
Is every metamorphosis also a translation –from the language of things into the language of humans?
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Is there a threshold where transformation becomes destruction, and when does something new emerge from it?
How does our perception of an object change once it no longer serves its original function?
What role does transience play in every act of transformation?
Can a garment or a work of art be a subject of metamorphosis itself – or is it always the human being who transforms through it?
To what extent is metamorphosis less a fixed state than an opening toward possibility?
Could beauty itself be considered a form of metamorphosis, or is it only a fleeting moment within its flow?
QUESTIONS
BETWEEN
Architecture: DnA Design and Architecture
Year: 2024
Location: Jinyun, China
Before: Quarry
Now: Cultural & Art Center
For centuries, natural stone was quarried in the mountainous region of Jinyun. Over time, a dramatic landscape of caves and subterranean waterways emerged: a setting so extraordinary it deserved to be revealed rather than concealed.
Today, three of these former quarries have been transformed into a 20,000-square-meter cultural and art center. The architectural intervention was minimal, allowing the raw beauty of the site to remain. Wooden lattice bridges connect different areas. Small boats invite visitors to experience the quarry from the perspective of its turquoise lakes. Galleries and a café are carved into the rock walls, while the towering chambers – rising up to 38 meters and glowing in golden hues – serve as natural concert halls, their acoustics enhanced by stone itself.
Architecture: Bindloss Dawes
Year: 2025
Location: Gascony, France
Before: Farmhouse
Now: Wellbeing Retreat
ACNE STUDIOS HEADQUARTER PARIS
Built in the 1930s as a city palace with its own laboratory, this Parisian landmark once produced herbal tinctures and essential oils for the cosmetics company Gomenol. Today, it has entered into a new cultural dialogue –this time with Swedish fashion house Acne Studios. The building now embodies the same minimalist, avant-garde, and elegant spirit that defines the brand itself. Together with Swedish design studio Halleroed, Acne Studios Creative Director Jonny Johansson preserved the raw grandeur of the historic palais – its gilded stucco details, wooden panelling, and parquet floors – while setting them in bold contrast with contemporary furniture and art, including works by Lukas Gschwandtner and Daniel Silver.
The former laboratory now serves as a showroom, its vaulted glass-tile ceiling and raw concrete columns providing a striking backdrop for new collections. Playful statement pieces, such as Max Lamb’s oversized pink vinyl sofas, punctuate the space, while a stainless-steel industrial kitchen nods subtly to the building’s original purpose.
HUANGYAN QUARRY CULTURAL & ART CENTER
Photos: Wang Ziling
Photos: Acne Studios / Benoit Florençon
Architecture: MVRDV & Zecc Architecten
Year: 2027
Location: Heerlen, Netherlands
Before: Church
Now: Public Swimming Pool
When a church becomes a swimming pool, the phrase holy water takes on a whole new meaning. For now, however, silence still reigns inside the century-old Sint-Franciscus van Assisiëkerk, as the project by MVRDV and Zecc Architecten has only just won the design competition. By its planned opening in 2027, though, the nave will be filled with water.
The former pulpit will host the lifeguard, and the church pews will find their new home along the edge of the pool.
Ingeniously, the water can also be hidden beneath a platform, allowing the space to transform into a venue for cultural events.
And when just a thin layer of water covers the floor, the effect is almost mystical: shimmering reflections create the illusion of walking on water – a symbolic echo of the church’s past life.
Architecture: Bindloss Dawes
Year: 2025
Location: Gascony, France
Before: Farmhouse
Now: Wellbeing Retreat
It seems almost inevitable that this once-abandoned farmhouse in the secluded landscapes of southwest France would find new life as a retreat center.
The weathered stone walls and meditative stillness of its surroundings seem destined to invite inner reflection.
Lovingly preserved, the ensemble of main house, pigsty, bakery, and tractor shed has been carefully renovated without losing its rustic charm. At the heart of the property stands a 300-year-old barn, soaring up to ten meters high, radiating a serene, almost sacred presence. To secure its structure, a concrete frame was introduced – doubling as a platform that creates two levels. Where hay was once stored, today yoga and meditation unfold in quiet harmony.
HEERLEN HOLY WATER
AMASSA RETREAT
Renderings: MVRDV
Photos: Ellen Christina Hancock; Bindloss Dawes Architect
It is not just walls, floors, and connections that shape a kitchen – it is the idea of life that manifests itself within it. In an old building in the middle of the city, a bare, purely functional room was transformed into a new center of life. The transformation impressively demonstrates how interior design goes far beyond mere aesthetics.
HOW ROBERT EISENBERGER FROM INSIDE EINRICHTUNGEN TRANSFORMED AN UNUSED ROOM INTO AN ARCHITECTURAL STATEMENT
Where once a windowless storage room with a low ceiling dominated, today a light-flooded kitchen landscape opens up, harmoniously blending old and new. Structural elements such as old masonry arches were preserved and deliberately highlighted, while modern materials –matte black, brushed stainless steel, bright natural stone surfaces – create a striking contrast.
From Space to Idea
The central guiding idea of the renovation was not only functionality but also emotionality: the kitchen as a stage for everyday life, as a social meeting point, as a place of inspiration. The transformation took place in close collaboration between the client and the interior designer –a process marked by respect for the existing substance and the courage to reinterpret it. Particularly striking: the kitchen island is not just a workspace but a sculpture. Built-in lighting makes it appear to almost float in the evening. Technical elements disappear discreetly behind seamless fronts – only what has impact is left visible.
This metamorphosis is an example of how spatial transformation can create identity. A forgotten room became an architectural centerpiece – clear in its formal language, bold in its execution, and deeply rooted in the idea of contemporary living.
inside-einrichtungen.at
As Managing Director of Creative Industries Styria and co-creator of the UNESCO title “City of Design,” Eberhard Schrempf has put Graz and Styria on the international map. In conversation with The Stylemate, he speaks about openness, the power of networks, the significance of Design Month Graz, and why he sees the Styrian creative scene well positioned for the future.
The Creative Industries Styria have made Graz and Styria visible internationally. What was your motivation to open the network beyond the region?
Well – if you want to stay among yourselves, I’m definitely not the right person. My experience as CEO of Graz 2003 –European Capital of Culture – showed me what is possible: the dynamism, the courage, the demand for top quality. All of that catapulted Graz from the periphery of Europe to the center.
The UNESCO “City of Design” title has no expiration date – it’s a mandate for the future, a logical consequence of the Capital of Culture year.
Opening up externally always requires openness internally. Authentic openness has to be an attitude – then something comes back. My goal was always to bring real benefits to companies in the network: increase reach, open markets, unlock potential. CIS acted as radar and bridge builder – into international networks like the Creative Cities of Design, discovering opportunities and giving creatives direct access to business.
How has the term “design” changed internationally during your time as Managing Director, and how did you bring these developments to Graz?
In Austria, design was long reduced to aesthetics and luxury: shiny surfaces, branding, expensive – and often negatively connoted. Changing that was a long process, even among creatives. For me, design today is “the intelligent management of chaos to create results of order.” It’s an attitude that shapes urban, sustainable culture, designs living spaces intelligently, improves daily life – acting ecologically and socially responsibly.
Design is methodology, process, analytical approach, responsibility for resources, circular economy, sustainability. Designers have evolved into conscientious creators with an ethical compass.
Design Month Graz is now internationally established. What role does it play in the worldwide network of UNESCO Cities of Design?
Design Month is central for the visibility of Graz as a UNESCO City of Design – and for the community itself, locally and internationally. It is a showcase, a terminal within the network of design cities, a “must” for the industry. Local creatives meet international guests here – collaborations, ideas, and impulses emerge. Despite a relatively small budget, we achieved enormous reach: DEZEEN listed Design Month in 2018 and 2019 as a “Best Design Event,” and Contemporary Lynx ranked Graz in 2019 among the “must visit” top ten design festivals worldwide – alongside Milan and London.
Other cities have since adopted the “Design Month” model. Spreading events across a whole month instead of concentrating everything in one week benefits studios, audiences, media, and tourism –and reliably boosts overnight stays in Graz.
You initiated numerous international collaborations – which ones were particularly formative or surprising?
Graz became the tenth City of Design in 2011 – shortly after, Beijing joined. I strongly supported the inclusion of Detroit, Valencia, and Istanbul, also in connection with the internationalization of FH Joanneum. With the UNESCO Cities of Design, a completely new world of cooperation opened up. Particularly exciting projects included the staff exchange program, “Designers in Residence COD 100” – a 100-day scholarship – and the “World Wide Things Collection” launched with Montreal, a global online marketplace
for carefully selected design products. Another highlight was the “Design Clinic”: an online format where renowned experts offer free initial consultations. In 2025, the first licensed Design Clinic opened in Puebla, Mexico.
At the core, it was always about creating value for the creative community: broadening horizons, increasing competitiveness, opening new markets.
How important is internationality for a comparatively small creative scene like Styria’s?
Very important – but only if studios are willing and able to operate internationally. Through mentoring programs, we encouraged many to take their first steps. At the same time, many design studios are internationally oriented anyway.
The “small” scene here is an advantage: people know each other, exchange ideas, collaborate. The network plays a central
role: as an international showcase, a place for encounters, cooperation, and impulses. Many creatives take their first international steps at festivals.
Are there design and creative industry trends that particularly inspired you on your international travels?
It depends strongly on the city. Detroit ticks differently than Valencia, St. Etienne differently than Helsinki, Kortrijk, or Bilbao. Yet all face similar challenges: urban development, vacancies, traffic, design of public spaces.
Kortrijk, for example, installed parking sensors in asphalt so drivers can run quick errands. Montreal created the “Quartier de Spectacle” – a district where it’s allowed to be loud. Helsinki integrates design into elementary school curricula. Such examples inspire, even if they are less noticed here.
What challenges did you face in positioning Graz internationally as a design city?
Graz was never about “glamour and glitter.” We positioned the city as an underdog with depth – designers who, away from red carpets, work on real solutions. Our credo: “Design follows content.” It was rocky, but honest.
Is there a meeting with a personality from the international design or architecture world that you will never forget?
Many. A memorable one was drinking Turkish çay on a boat on the Bosporus with Stefan Sagmeister, Karim Rashid, and others – discussing the role of design in nation branding.
Looking to the future: what role could the Styrian creative scene play more strongly in global exchange?
I see great potential. First steps have been taken with mobility and automotive cities in the network. What strikes me is that many ideas are reinvented over and over again – that’s where we could contribute. Styria’s strength lies in its compact ecosystem and clusters: innovative companies, close collaboration with universities, and strong R&D investment. The real opportunity is to integrate design and creativity into development processes from the start, promote cross-cluster projects, and strengthen collaboration across borders – locally and across Europe.
On a personal note: which cities or creative hubs worldwide have shaped you most –and where do you see yourself spending time after retirement?
Sun-seeking, I’d say Valencia. Equally fascinating, but rougher, are Detroit or Bilbao. But most of all, Istanbul attracts me – the cultural clash, the chaos, the mix of Orient and Occident, everything in abundance – it exerts an incredible pull.
“GRAZ WAS NEVER ABOUT "GLAMOUR AND GLITTER." WE POSITIONED THE CITY
DESIGN IS THE INTELLIGENT MANAGEMENT OF
CHAOS.
Text: Nina Prehofer
WORKSHOP
RUNWAY: FROM TO
Text: Nina Prehofer
TOKYO, A COOL AUTUMN NIGHT. ON THE STREETS OF SHIBUYA, CON -
STRUCTION JACKETS MINGLE WITH OVERSIZED COATS, WORK BOOTS WITH HIGH-FASHION SNEAKERS. IT’S NO COINCIDENCE, BUT PART OF A FASHION MOVEMENT THAT HAS SHAPED JAPAN FOR DECADES: THE TRANSFORMATION OF WORKWEAR INTO AVANT-GARDE. FEW COUNTRIES HAVE MASTERED SO VIRTUOUSLY THE ART OF TURNING THE FUNCTIONAL, THE EVERYDAY – EVEN THE WORN-OUT – INTO HAUTE COUTURE.
Workwear in Japan carries a deeper cultural meaning than in Europe or the United States. It is not only pragmatic clothing but also an expression of respect for craft and materials. As early as the 17th century, families stitched their work kimonos with sashiko embroidery, not only mending them but also creating an almost meditative beauty through geometric patterns. Even more iconic is the technique of boro: patching and layering old fabrics into new garments. What originally arose out of economic necessity became a symbol of sustainability and aesthetics. Today, designers such as Kapital or Blue Blue Japan deliberately embrace this practice, presenting denim jackets that look like relics of a bygone era – yet are sold in boutiques from Paris to Los Angeles.
AVANT-GARDE AS ATTITUDE: YAMAMOTO AND KAWAKUBO
Japan entered the international stage in the 1980s with a fashion shockwave. Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo (Comme des Garçons) showed collections in Paris that were black, asymmetrical, deconstructed –and yet subtly inspired by workwear. “I design for people who want to look strong, not for those who want to please,” Yamamoto once declared. His coats recalled uniforms, his fabrics evoked the
rough materials of street workers – and suddenly, workwear was no longer trivial but radical.
Kawakubo, in turn, pushed deconstruction further with Comme des Garçons: vests without function, jackets with deliberately “wrong” seams, garments that appeared unfinished. Beneath it lay a political subtext – an outright refusal of convention, but also a tribute to the act of making itself.
THE NEW GENERATION: KAPITAL,
VISVIM, WATANABE
While the first avant-gardists shook the Paris salons, a new scene emerged in Japan that redefined workwear as luxury. Kapital is famous for its almost humorous reinterpretation of denim. A single jacket can be boro, Americana, and pop culture reference all at once. It’s fashion with a wink – yet crafted so artfully it could hang in a museum. Visvim, founded by Hiroki Nakamura, embodies the Japanese dream of authenticity. Nakamura travels the world to study ancient dyeing techniques, translating them into garments inspired by American workwear silhouettes. The result: parkas, boots, and jeans as luxurious as a tailored suit – only infinitely more relaxed. Junya Watanabe, once Kawakubo’s protégé, goes a step further. His collections are experiments in functionality: parkas brimming with pockets, hybrid jackets merging workwear with couture,
or denim with technical detailing. “I see clothing as a tool,” he once said in an interview – and from that, he made high fashion.
WHEN STREETWEAR MEETS COUTURE
What’s fascinating is how Japan’s workwear avant-garde blurs into streetwear. Labels such as Neighborhood or Undercover reference uniforms, biker jackets, and construction pants, but their staging is urban, rebellious, at times almost punk. In Harajuku, these pieces collide with Louis Vuitton accessories – a mix that has long since dictated global trends. Even Western houses such as Dior Homme or Balenciaga now rely on codes that originated in Japan’s workwear cosmos: oversized silhouettes, utility pockets, fabrics that look raw yet are technically sophisticated.
MARGIELA AND THE EUROPEAN TRANSLATION
As Japanese avant-garde conquered Paris, a European visionary was drawing on the same codes: Martin Margiela. The Belgian designer understood workwear as a universal language of fashion. He dismantled work uniforms, flea market jackets, and overalls, reassembling them in ways that revealed the process itself.
His most radical reference to Japan, however, was the shoe: the Tabi Boots, inspired by Japanese work shoes with a split toe worn by farmers and laborers.
In 1989, Margiela translated them into leather and sent them down the runway – transforming a practical everyday shoe into a global symbol of avant-garde.
Later, his Replica sneakers, modeled after German army trainers, underscored how much workwear – whether Western or Japanese – was, for him, the foundation of luxury.
Thus, a bridge was built: in Tokyo, workwear was elevated into avant-garde, while in Paris, Margiela transformed it into myth.
WHY NOW?
The rediscovery of workwear in fashion has much to do with the present moment. In a world saturated with excess and digital surfaces, many yearn for authenticity. Japanese fashion offers exactly that – but without nostalgia. It elevates work clothes into art without forgetting their origins. It is a philosophy that goes far beyond fashion: an attitude of appreciation, respect, and sustainability. “Workwear is honest,” says designer Takahiro Miyashita (TheSoloist). “It tells stories about life, not about trends.”
A TOUCH OF GLAMOUR IN THE ROUGH
What makes Japan unique is its ability to find subtle elegance even in the roughest fabrics. On a Tokyo Fashion Week runway, a construction jacket might be adorned with sparkling embroidery, paired with pearl necklaces and silk trousers. The contrast doesn’t feel like a clash, but like a revelation: beauty lies in the functional, glamour in the grit.
THE FUTURE OF WORKWEAR AVANT-GARDE
The next generation of Japanese designers is carrying the movement forward, with an even sharper focus on sustainability and innovation. From upcycling projects to high-tech fabrics that are both weatherproof and luxurious, a movement is growing with global reach. Workwear is no longer just fashion. It is cultural statement, avantgarde, and vision of the future all at once. Perhaps that is the essence of Japanese fashion: it forces us to see the ordinary anew. Where others see only work clothes, Japanese designers uncover poetry, rebellion, and a new form of elegance. A pair of work boots or a patched denim jacket can be just as glamorous as a couture gown –if only one understands how to wear them.
THE ROOTS: SASHIKO, BORO, AND THE BEAUTY OF USE
Fashion
BETWEEN EUROPE AND JAPAN, BETWEEN CONCEPT AND BEAUTY, BETWEEN EVERYDAY LIFE AND PHILOSOPHY: AUSTRIAN DESIGNER EDWINA HÖRL, WHO LIVES IN JAPAN, SEES FASHION AS A LANGUAGE. HER CREATIONS ARE MORE THAN CLOTHING – THEY ARE REFLECTION, IMPULSE, AND A BRIDGE BETWEEN WORLDS. IN THIS CONVERSATION, SHE EXPLAINS WHY FABRICS SOMETIMES SPEAK LOUDER THAN HER OWN INTENTIONS, WHY SHE SEES CLICHÉS AS OPPORTUNITIES, AND WHY TRUE BEAUTY ALWAYS ALSO MEANS ATTITUDE.
Text: Nina Prehofer
AS A SPACE FOR THOUGHT
Your designs often feel like little impulses for thought woven into fabric – when was the last time you yourself were surprised by what a garment can “say”?
When I design, I start with an idea, a concept, sometimes a material or a technique. But as the process unfolds, the piece often develops its own language that I cannot fully control.
That is a special moment: when form, fabric, and cut come together in such a way that the garment expresses an attitude beyond my original intention.
It is as if the fabric itself were telling a story – about time, space, culture, and movement. These unexpected “messages” make the act of designing exciting and alive for me. Sometimes this very sense of wonder pushes me to rethink old designs or to radically reimagine seemingly familiar forms.
Japan and Europe – two worlds, two aesthetics. Where do you catch yourself thinking in clichés?
Working between Japan and Europe means constantly living with projections –including my own.
I think clichés do not stem from ignorance, but often from a need for orientation.
But as a designer, I am interested in the in-between: that space where categories blur, where expectations dissolve, and new connections become visible.
My work is not about uniting cultures or “mixing” aesthetic codes. It is about showing how we see – and how strongly our seeing is shaped by historical, cultural, and societal filters.
The productive contradiction between both worlds is not a problem for me but my field of work – and perhaps an opportunity for new perspectives.
You often talk about the concepts behind your fashion. Are there moments when you think: “Oh, let’s just make it beautiful”? For me, beauty is not the opposite of concept – it is part of it.
I don’t aim to “overcomplicate” fashion. But I believe that true beauty often emerges where form, content, and attitude come together.
“Simply beautiful” is often the result of a great deal of conceptual work – even if you can’t see it at first glance.
Which garment, in your opinion, reveals the most about a person – and why?
It’s less about a particular garment and more about how someone wears their clothes, which reveals a lot about a person. Also, the way someone combines clothing says more than a single piece, I think –except maybe dresses or overalls.
In times of fast fashion: what makes a garment “valuable” to you at all?
A garment is valuable to me when it tells a story – whether through the way it was made, the material, or the cultural or social context it embodies. In a world shaped by overproduction and short-lived trends, value for me does not mean luxury or a brand name, but depth, time, attention. I believe in clothing as a medium – as a way to express an attitude, to build relationships: with the environment, with people, with one’s own identity. If a garment comes out of a respectful process that honors resources, safeguards human dignity, and allows for reflection, then it becomes valuable to me. It’s about regaining a sense of what we wear –not just on the body, but also as a responsibility.
If you had to describe fashion with a philosophical concept – which would fit best? Performativity – clothing as action, not just as shell. And perhaps the aesthetics of the political – clothing as reflection on society, not merely as a consumer good. Performativity describes how identity is not fixed, but is continually brought forth through actions, gestures, language, and clothing. The aesthetics of the political describe how aesthetic forms (art, design, fashion, etc.) can make societal power structures visible, shift them, or criticize them.
Have you ever started a collection and then completely abandoned it because the idea suddenly bored you? No, never. For me, a collection is not a spontaneous idea but always a longer, intense process. I fully commit to that path – and along the way, many questions arise that I need to answer. That is challenging, but never boring. If I were to begin the same process at a different time, the outcome would probably be a completely different collection. That’s exactly what fascinates me about it.
What bothers you more: fashion as a mere consumer product or fashion as elitist art? Both are problematic – in different ways. Fashion as a pure consumer product devalues clothing, people, and resources. It fosters exploitation, waste, and alienation from our own bodies and needs. But fashion as elitist art can also exclude –it then becomes self-serving, untouchable, detached from reality.
I am interested in the in-between: fashion as everyday practice, as a way to think critically, to take a stance, to create connections. Fashion is not a status symbol, nor a gallery piece – it is a social language.
EDWINA HÖRL
IS ONE OF THE MOST INTRIGUING VOICES IN AUSTRIAN CONTEMPORARY ART. THROUGH HIS “REACTIVE PAINTINGS,” HE PUSHES THE BOUNDARIES OF THE MEDIUM BY FOREGROUNDING MATERIALS AND PROCESSES THAT RESIST FULL ARTISTIC CONTROL. IN HIS PRACTICE, THE PAINTING IS NEVER COMPLETE BUT BECOMES A LIVING EVENT – A SILENT, POETIC REVOLT AGAINST THE EXPECTED.
Text: Nina Prehofer
THE SILENT REVOLT OF
ABOUT SIMON QUENDLER
Simon Quendler was born in 1983 in Wernberg, Austria. His medium is contemporary painting, as well as process and material art. His central theme is transformation. He lives and works in Vienna and Carinthia.
simonquendler.com
Simon Quendler, born in 1983 in Wernberg near Villach, is an artist who not only expands the notion of painting but fundamentally questions it. For more than two decades he has been working in Vienna, during which time he has developed a practice that resembles a laboratory far more than a traditional studio. His works emerge through processes in which pigments, chemicals, and organic substances are not merely means to an end but autonomous agents in their own right. It is no coincidence that critics and curators have dubbed Quendler the “Malchemist.” He employs substances such as potassium sorbate, aluminum silicate, or cadmium sulfide, combining them with volcanic ash, resins, metals, and even the hardened skin of alligators. These ingredients are more than mere materials – they are the true protagonists. They react, transform, form crystals, cracks, and layers. Quendler’s role is not that of the omnipotent creator, but rather that of an instigator who sets processes in motion whose outcomes he can only partially control.
From a curatorial perspective, Quendler’s practice opens a field in which painting is translated into a performative understanding: the canvas is no longer a finished artifact, but a site of transformation that continues to unfold during the act of viewing. This dynamic became strikingly evident in exhibitions such as Reaktionen at the Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien (2017). Visitors were confronted not with completed paintings, but with works in becoming – objects that evolved over the course of the show. This shift of focus from result to process points to a fundamental artistic approach: painting as an open system. At a moment when art markets and visual cultures push toward the sleek, the perfect, and the immediately legible, Quendler insists on unpredictability. His works contain within them the risk of disobedience – they may stain, discolor, or decay. Yet precisely in this lies their aesthetic power. They confront us with impermanence, with the autonomous life of matter, with the question of control and autonomy. These are questions that
Matter
reach beyond painting itself: How do we handle resources? What happens when we allow things the time to unfold their own processes?
Viewed up close, a microscopic world of particles, layers, and structures reveals itself, evoking geological formations or biological growth patterns. From a distance, however, the paintings appear as atmospheric fields of almost metaphysical radiance. This dual legibility – microscopic and macroscopic – is central to their fascination. Quendler works at the intersection of science, philosophy, and art without exhausting himself in any one of these domains.
For a curatorial reading, it is crucial to emphasize that Quendler’s work cannot simply be slotted into the tradition of abstract painting. Rather, he reactivates historical discourses around art informel and postwar material aesthetics, but translates them into a contemporary register in which ecological and societal questions resonate. When he works with residual matter or unconventional substances, it is not only about surface
effect, but also about a material ethics –a reflection on what artistic practice in the 21st century can be. The result are works that are neither purely object nor purely process. They are manifestations of an attitude: the recognition that art is not only representation but also transformation. In this sense, Quendler’s paintings are less completed works than permeable events that renegotiate the relationship between human and matter. Simon Quendler’s position within Austrian contemporary art can thus be understood as a silent yet insistent revolt. He resists the expected by foregrounding the autonomous life of substances. His painting is an open system – fragile, resistant, poetic. It invites us to linger, to look more closely, and to recognize becoming itself as an aesthetic value.
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