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VOLUME | 21
life
SOFFA
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food
people
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life
ISSUE THEME: TIME SOFFA 21 is dedicated to something with which most of us battle – time. We hope this issue will inspire you to manage and value your time better. Take a deep breath and slow down!
Contents
SOFFA 21 IS DEDICATED TO
TIME In this issue we explore the notion that time need not be our enemy. While we may not be able to stop the flow of time, we can surely slow it down. Our feature on slow living offers tips for putting breaks on time, as do the original stickers found at the back of the issue. To keep track of time you will learn about clocks, watches and other time measuring devices from the past and the present, and in the story on L. Hainz you can admire precise clock mechanisms, including that of Prague’s famous astronomical clock. This issue also includes maps depicting the development of Prague that hint at the unrelenting nature of time. So unrelenting, in fact, that it quickly swallowed up the basilflavoured ice cream featured in the food section. In our stories on interiors and travel we will transport you in space and time to show you an old countryside villa in Czechia’s eastern highlands, explore hidden treasures of Czech Switzerland and visit the magical island of Bali. You can also savour two sets of gorgeous illustrations: Míša Čejková and Michal Bačák’s vision of the future, inspired by the world of Jules Verne, and Ieva Ozola’s version of the history of humanity and our planet. Finally, you can’t miss our story on individuals for whom time is their daily bread. Peruse these pages and enjoy time well spent with SOFFA!
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Welcome | Slowly Does It Essay | Knowing How to Slow Down Creative People | The Hainz Lily Fashion | The Men’s Cut Photo Essay | Keeping up With Time Editor’s Choice | Tick-Tock Reflection | Creating Our Future Travel | Czech Switzerland Culture | Prague Celebrates Photo Essay | Windows Travel | Bali Illustration | Back to the Future Design | Definition of Luxury Collage | Into the Sun Milan Design Week 2017 | Design Highlights Interior | A Family Retreat Editor’s Choice | Slow Living Food | (An)gelato? Yes, Please! Recipe | Basil Ice Cream Fashion & Cars | Electra Girl People | Footsteps of Infinity
Welcome
SLOWLY DOES IT Before I sat down to write this welcome note, I turned off my mobile phone and my email notifications, opened the balcony door, made a cup of coffee and laid out some sweets. I do this regularly when I need to concentrate on writing or other creative work. Several hours spent offline never hurt anyone, and every time I do it I am pleasantly surprised by just how much I can accomplish when my phone isn’t a constant distraction. As soon as I turn it off I immediately sense an inner calm and a liberating feeling of being unreachable. Is this familiar? If not then I recommend this ritual wholeheartedly. Except for the sweets, but then everyone has their weakness! Why am I sharing my productivity secrets? Because the theme of SOFFA 21 is Time and everything connected with it. At the SOFFA office we have given ourselves the goal of learning how to manage time better and how to value it more, one of the reasons why the spirit of ‘slow living’ permeates this issue. We have put together stories and tips to encourage you to slow down and enjoy life, and at the back of the issue are original stickers to help motivate and inspire you. To see how our team is learning to slow down, visit us on social networks – the sloth image on my laptop tells it all! Just as it has been an inspiration to us, we hope this issue on Time will inspire you to take a moment for yourself, breathe deeply and feel contented.
Adéla Kudrnová | editor in chief
illustrations: Wikimedia Commons
Dedicate a space in your home for relaxation.
Plant a seed and watch it grow.
On the way back from lunch sit for a few moments on a park bench.
Get yourself a really big book and read it.
Find time to do what you enjoy and try new experiences.
Turn off notifications in your telephone and computer.
Go to an art gallery and marvel.
Find a new recipe and work it to perfection.
On your way home get off a stop earlier and walk the rest of the way.
Learn how to politely say no, and refuse to do other people’s work.
Eat your ice cream as slowly as possible.
Make sure you have enough sex. It relaxes body and mind, and leads to a longer life.
Allow your mind to rest – meditate or learn mindfulness exercises
Eat at a table, slowly, without devices and with family and friends.
Try to do nothing for a while. Boredom is a great source for inspiration
Keep a diary or send an old-fashioned letter once in a while.
When stuck in traffic, think of it as time to yourself.
Have a date with yourself. Go for a coffee, turn off your phone and just be!
Essay
KNOWING HOW TO SLOW DOWN SHIFT DOWN A GEAR – YOU WON’T MISS A THING partner for the article: Nila | text: Martin Sova
HOW DID IT HAPPEN THAT WE NOW LIVE IN AN ERA SO MARKEDLY DEFINED BY SPEED? EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE MOVING FASTER, FROM THE HANDS ON OUR EVER-PRESENT CLOCKS TO THE EARTH’S ROTATION AROUND THE SUN. EVEN MORE BEWILDERING, HOWEVER, IS THE SPEED WITH WHICH OUR OWN MIND IS MOVING. TODAY IT SEEMS THAT THE HISTORICAL RACE TO THE MOON HAS GIVEN WAY TO A RACE FOR EVERY BIT OF OUR ATTENTION. PARADOXICALLY, THE PRIZE AWAITS THOSE WHO KNOW HOW TO SLOW DOWN.
If factories and steam engines are the visual symbols of the industrial revolution, future generations will look back at our time through images of portable supercomputers in the form of smartphones and smartwatches – devices that constantly call for our attention with their incessant notifications. Technology can be a great helper, but it can also entrap and enslave. While no one would enter serfdom willingly, if it happens through gradual change then it is easy to miss just how much of your life has become entrapped. After all, how often did you check your email ten years ago, and how often do you do it now? The sociology of cities predicts that the larger the metropolis, the faster people move along its streets. Small towns are inevitably calmer, while giant conurbations are that much busier. As growing numbers of people have moved to large cities over the past few decades, it is not surprising that our speedy existence has led to the rise of a counter-philosophy. The movement espousing slow living is not a product of the twenty-first century, but a modern-day version of earlier efforts to cleanse our lives from the detritus of ‘civilisation’. The roots of the slow living movement would surely include the widely popular New Age philosophy, born in the 1970s, which draws inspiration from traditional cultures, religions and mysticism. New Age aims for a closer connection with nature and with oneself, and is inspired by insights from Asian traditions, in particular Buddhism. Buddhism is also the foundation for mindfulness, a practice that is becoming increasingly popular in the West and draws on many Buddhist meditation techniques. Mindfulness is about turning to oneself and to the world with a view that is not about judging or valuing, but about simply perceiving the present moment. The slow living movement is closely linked to the slow food initiative, which emerged in the middle of the 1980s as a reaction to industrial food production, in particular fast food, and promoted ‘slower’ food made from quality local ingredients based on regional recipes. Today’s popularity of farmers’ markets, the growing interest in the conditions ►
of animals used to produce our meat, milk or eggs, and the renewed practice of craft brewing are all part of the development of the wholesome slow food tradition. Slow food also inspired the slow fashion movement, which places emphasis on conscious fashion defined by quality and longevity, and follows the motto ‘less is more’. Similar perspectives have given rise to slow cities, which are connected through the international Cittaslow network. Cittaslow works to improve the overall quality of city life by promoting the development of urban landscapes that encourage city dwellers to slow down, both physically and spiritually. The movement has influenced contemporary urban planners to consider the complex question of how to ensure a pleasant existence even in big cities. Some cities have begun to explore the concept of slower living from the ground up – through community gardens and neighbourhood celebrations. Slowing down must begin with the individual, however, on a very personal level and starting with the smallest of changes. Instead of rushing around in the constant worry that you will miss something, consider the ‘carpe diem’ motto to mean that you should truly experience every moment, social interaction, taste or smell. It is a simple and clear trade: countless incomplete and fleeting activities exchanged for few powerful and meaningful experiences. You can begin quite simply. In the morning hold your tea or coffee cup in your hands. Take in the warm scent and imagine the tones that make up its complex harmony. Take a sip, let the liquid slowly roll around your tongue, think about the other tastes or images it evokes. Observe how your morning beverage changes as it gradually cools. For some of us the mind is like a fist that is clenched too often. Only when you allow your mind to relax do you begin to sense with the whole of your body the finer features of the reality you are experiencing. This is true about focused reading, listening to music, physical activity and contact with another person. The key advantage of slow living is that you need nothing special to achieve it. There are no set activities that you must first accomplish, or products that you must first purchase. Only your conscious decision that during at least some of your daily existence you will slow down, take a look around, and reaffirm that it doesn’t matter where you are going, what matters is now. To help you attune to mindful peace and harmony, we have prepared a small gift in collaboration with the independent gallery and online shop Nila, which offers slow fashion, other fair trade products, organic cosmetics and items suitable for vegans. Our original slow living stickers are sure to help you slow down. ■
Creative People
THE HAINZ LILY TWO GENERATIONS OF WOMEN LOOK AFTER THE LEGACY OF HAINZ CLOCKMAKERS. THANKS TO THEM THE WELL OILED GEARS OF TREASURED OLD CLOCKS CONTINUE TO TURN. text: Tereza Škoulová | photo: Adéla Havelková and L. Hainz company archive
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SOFFA COMMUNITY WE ARE OFTEN ASKED WHAT SOFFA IS AND WHAT WE ARE PLANNING NEXT. THERE IS A LOT TO SOFFA! IN ADDITION TO THE PRINTED AND ONLINE MAGAZINE, OUR WEB PLATFORM OFFERS ENGAGING VIDEOS AND PODCASTS IN CZECH. EVERYONE IS ALSO WELCOME TO BECOME PART OF THE SOFFA COMMUNITY THROUGH OUR WORKSHOPS AND THE WEB-BASED CREATIVE PLATFORM MINDTRAVELLERS.NET. AND IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A UNIQUE DESIGN GIFT, BE SURE TO LOOK IN OUR E-SHOP!
OnLy in tHe darkness can yOu see the stars. martin luther king jr.
illustration: Lenka Hlaváčová
VIDEOS AND PODCASTS
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Learn how to cook, create, take photographs or even use social networking sites.
Posters, calendars and other inspirational SOFFA products you simply can’t do without!
Fashion
MEN'S CUT FASHION COMES AND GOES, BUT STYLE IS FOREVER. THESE TIMELESS PIECES HAVE DOMINATED THE GENTLEMAN’S WARDROBE FOR CENTURIES, AND THEY ARE SURE TO STAY. concept: Yasmin Keshmiri Hejduk and Adéla Havelková | text and styling: Patrik Florián photo: Adéla Havelková | models: Janek Gregor and David Chmátal / Eskimo-Bohemia Management
Janek: suit and bag, Dolce & Gabbana | shirt, Pietro Filipi David: suit, Dolce & Gabbana | shirt, Calvin Klein, www.bibloo.cz | shoes, design Adam Kost, Baťa
PREVIOUS AND THIS PAGE: David: coat, Kateřina Geislerová | top and pants, Hermès | hat, Tonak Janek: coat, Kateřina Geislerová | hat, Tonak
THIS PAGE: shirt, Calvin Klein, www.bibloo.cz | watch Prim Pilot 40 Q, www.prim.cz | bag, Louis Vuitton | pants and belt, model’s own
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THIS SPREAD: polo shirt, Pietro Filipi | pants, Cos | watch Prim Klasik 40 Q, www.prim.cz
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Photo Essay
KEEPING UP WITH TIME THE EVOLUTION OF TIMEKEEPING DEVICES REFLECTS THE LIFESTYLE OF EACH HISTORICAL ERA. WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT OURS? text: Tereza Škoulová | styling: Lenka Hlaváčová | photo: Lina Németh and Adéla Havelková
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IT IS A SUMMER EVENING AND TWILIGHT IS BEGINNING TO SET. SOON THE MOON WILL RISE AND THE WORLD WILL BECOME SHROUDED IN THE DARKNESS OF THE NIGHT. IN THE MORNING THE SUN WILL RISE AND THE DAY RETURN. THIS IS HOW THE FIRST PEOPLE PERCEIVED THE PASSAGE OF TIME. THE MOVEMENT OF THE SUN AND OTHER HEAVENLY BODIES WAS THEIR FIRST TOOL FOR MEASURING TIME, COMBINED WITH THE ANNUAL RHYTHMS OF NATURE – FROST, FLOODS, THE COUNTRYSIDE IN BLOOM AND THE FLIGHT AND RETURN OF MIGRATORY BIRDS… BUT HOW TO MEASURE IT ALL?
Early people knew that recurring events were akin to units of time – monthly cycles were observed as early as 30,000 years ago. The first tools for keeping time came in response to the need to divide the day into shorter periods for work and rituals. To measure time, people had to carefully observe their surroundings – dripping water, a burning candle, the changing length of a shadow. It was this careful observation that inspired people to develop the first timekeeping tools. The oldest tool for measuring time is believed to be the water clock, a simple vessel with water dripping in or out. The first device that showed the time of the day was the sundial, but its dependence on the sun was limiting, leading to the development of mechanical clocks. Early versions of these relied on the constant flow of energy and were highly inaccurate, until the invention of the verge escapement in the fifteenth century. The need for precision further led to the invention of the chronometer in 1735, a device with a mechanism for adjusting its accuracy and much prized for navigation at sea. Springs and pendulums eventually gave way to electricity and crystals. The quartz timekeeping system, in which a quartz crystal keeps track of time, was developed by Bell Telephone Laboratories in the 1920s. And the twenty-first century heralded the Apple Watch, a device that measures the physical condition of its wearer in addition to keeping time. Now the clock watches the person. Our changing lifestyle, defined by greater connectively and shorter distances between countries, is reflected in the concept of Swatch Internet Time and the unit of a ‘.beat’. The Swatch Internet Time has no time zones or geographic boundaries and its day is divided into 1,000 .beats, pointing indirectly at the dizzying speed of the twenty-first century. ■ TIME BASED ON THE MOVEMENT OF OUR PLANET The sundial tells time based on the apparent movement of the sun: a pointed object known as the gnomon casts a shadow onto a surface with carved or painted hour lines. The first sundial was a pole stuck into the ground, later morphing into carved stone. The oldest known sundial comes from Iran from around 5,000 BC, and some 1,500 years later sundials were used across Egypt, Babylonia, India and China. To this day sundials still tell solar time.
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SAND AS A SYMBOL OF THE INFINITY OF TIME Gravitational force is the timekeeper in an hourglass, with sand flowing from one glass bulb to another. The hourglass was the first reliable time measuring device, used by seafarers as early as the eleventh century. The hourglass shows the present as the space between the past and the future, and it is therefore a poignant visual symbol of time. In computer graphics the hourglass indicates an action in progress.
PERSONAL SERVANT ON YOUR WRIST The ‘smart’ Apple Watch goes far beyond traditional timekeeping functions by monitoring the physical state of its wearer. Through wi-fi technology the smartwatch is connected to a smartphone, and this enables the wearer to use the watch for text messaging, phoning as well as navigation and payment apps. The Apple Watch S1 is essentially a personal computer strapped to your arm.
Editor’s Choice
TICK-TOCK THANKS TO THE UBIQUITY OF MOBILE PHONES WE NOW KNOW THE EXACT TIME JUST ABOUT ALL THE TIME, YET WE STILL LOVE CLOCKS AND WATCHES OF EVERY KIND! styling: Helena Novotná and Adéla Kudrnová | photo: company archives
FROM LEFT: Winston Regal All Red Watch, www.komono.com, €90 | Tube Clock, design Peit Hein Eek, leffamsterdam.com, €89 | Apple Watch Hermès, www.apple.com, $1,299 | Altdeutsche Clock, design Studio Job, www.moooi.com, €3,435 | Take Time XL Watch, design Mathieu Lehanneur, www.lexon-design.com, price upon request | Spartak Retro Watch, www.prim-shop.cz, 54,000 Kč | Multi Morning Watch, aarkcollective.com, $119
YOU ARE INVITED TO THE EXHIBITION
THEATRUM AETERNITATIS FLORAE A romantically cosy installation to delight the nose and eyes on the ephemerality of flowers. A captivating look at some plants never seen before and a chance to experience their fragrance. The research team – Dechem studio, Květinového lahůdkářství (Flower Deli) and illustrator Michal Bačák – will present the results of their many years of effort in the laboratory and out in remote mountains and forests. You can look forward to aromatic extracts, surreal drawings and quaint flasks in the half-light of the Kladruby monastery.
VENUE Kladruby Monastery, Pozorka 1, 349 61 Kladruby u Stříbra
GALA OPENING OF EXHIBITION with a Midsummer’s Eve bonfire will take place on 24 June 2017, 6:00 p.m.; a tour of the cloister and the famous Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary by the well-known architect Santini starts at 5 p.m. The exhibition runs from June 27 to August 31 in the Latin School of the Kladruby monastery.
Free entry
Travel
CZECH SWITZERLAND THE NAME OF CZECHIA’S YOUNGEST NATIONAL PARK – CZECH SWITZERLAND – EVOKES IMAGES OF DEEP FORESTS, DRAMATIC MOUNTAINS, WILD STREAMS AND SNAKING VALLEYS. IT OFFERS PRECISELY THAT AND MORE. text: Hana Švolbová | photo: Tereza Menclová
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THE BANK OF THE RIVER LABE NEAR THE VILLAGE OF HŘENSKO IN CZECHIA’S NORTH IS THE LOWEST POINT IN THE COUNTRY. PERHAPS IT IS THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE LOW-LYING RIVER BASIN AND THE TOWERING ROCK FACES AROUND IT THAT GIVES THE REGION ITS DISTINCTIVE ATMOSPHERE. LOOKOUTS ATOP STEEP HILLS GUARD OVER WILD STREAMS BLANKETED BY DARK, DEEP FORESTS. CZECH SWITZERLAND HAS A LOT TO OFFER, INCLUDING THE REGIONAL CENTRE, THE TOWN OF DĚČÍN. JOIN US TO DISCOVER NOT ONLY THE FAMOUS BUT ALSO THE FORGOTTEN CORNERS OF THE DĚČÍN REGION.
Kamenice – the small river named for the boulders through which it forges its way – enters the river Labe near Hřensko. The river has been a natural thorn in the side of the local residents since time immemorial. Some parts are accessible only by water, the banks too soggy for easy access, and from time to time the water level rises by several metres. In spite of the challenges it presents, the river has always been an important source of livelihood for the local people, for both transporting wood as well as trout and salmon fishing. At the end of Kamenice lies Hřensko, an ideal starting place for trips to some of the best known attractions of the area – Pravčická brána [natural stone bridge] and the Kamenice gorges. To explore the area, we went for a very pleasant walk and could not resist a boat trip through the gorges. There are three gorges on the untameable Kamenice – Ferdinand’s Gorge, Edmund’s (Quiet) Gorge and Wild Gorge. Ferdinand’s Gorge, the highest-lying of the three, was the first navigable gorge on the Kamenice. Today the gorge is not accessible by boat, but you can explore it at your own risk by wading through the stream. The other two gorges were made navigable in 1890 and 1898 by Count Edmund Clary-Aldringen in order to support the development of tourism in the area. The count arranged for some two hundred Italian labourers to dig tunnels and build bridges, footpaths and resting points along the gorges, thus helping to build a spectacular attraction. We recommend Mezní Louka as a starting point for your trip to the gorges, reached easily from Hřensko by bus or car. The marked trail will lead you through a beautiful forest to the edge of the river, and then along its bank through a system of tunnels, bridges and resting points to the embarkation point for trips through the Wild Gorge. ► LEFT: Entry into Edmund’s Gorge on the wild part of Kamenice near Hřensko.
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THIS SPREAD: Some parts of the canyon carved by Kamenice cannot be reached on foot. Punts have been used to enjoy these parts since 1890. The former spa complex of Chmelnice near Děčín has been abandoned since the end of the Second World War.
THIS SPREAD: The descent from the top of the canyon to the edge of Kamenice and to Dolský mlýn is marked by natural and human-made trails and steps. Dolský mlýn is mentioned in documents from 1515 and continued to function until the end of the Second World War. Its ruin beckons tourists and film-makers alike.
THE COSMIC CLOCK TICKS AT ITS WHIM
A day on Earth is not 24 hours long, but 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4.1 seconds, to be precise – the time it takes the Earth to rotate around its axis. One year, the period required for Earth to rotate around the Sun, takes 365 days, 6 hours, 9 minutes and 9.5 seconds. In contrast, on Neptune one year lasts the equivalent of some 40 years on Earth, which means that celebrating birthdays on Neptune would not be much fun. Jupiter seems to be in a constant race, moving at the speed of 45,300 km per hour, its day lasting less than 10 terrestrial hours. Venus is the laziest of all planets, with a day that lasts a bit longer than the entire year. A day at the pole of Uranus is 42 terrestrial years long, followed by an equally long night. And on Mars you can enjoy summers and winters that last almost two terrestrial years.
TYRANNOSAURUS REX LIVED CLOSER TO HUMANS THAN TO ITS ANCESTOR THE STEGOSAURUS The tyrant lizard king, or T-Rex, was one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs. The alpha predator, who weighted as much as 10 tons, lived roughly between 68 and 66 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous Period. You may be surprised to learn that T-Rex’s film buddy, the Stegosaurus, was a very distant ancestor – some 83 million years older. One of the most recognisable dinosaurs thanks to its broad upright plates and spiky tail, the Stegosaurus lived during the Jurassic Period, 155 to 150 million years ago. When plotted on a timescale, the stumpy-armed T-Rex appears closer to humans than to its herbivorous ancestor with a brain the size of a tangerine.
CLEOPATRA LIVED CLOSER TO THE INVENTION OF INSTAGRAM THAN TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA Cleopatra VII Philopator, the Egyptian queen from the Ptolemaic dynasty, was born in 69 BC. She ascended the throne at the age of seventeen and ruled alongside such great historic figures as Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony. By the time of her reign the pyramids of Giza had been standing for more than 2,500 years. Indeed, the Great Pyramid of Giza, the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza necropolis, is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. And if these facts don’t generate sufficient awe, then consider that herds of mammoth still roamed the earth when the Giza pyramids were being built.
CHARLES UNIVERSITY IN PRAGUE IS OLDER THAN THE AZTEC EMPIRE
The beginnings of Charles University in Prague date to the middle of the fourteenth century. A half a century later, in 1410, Prague received its famous astronomical clock, the oldest astronomical clock still in operation in the world. In contrast, the Aztec Empire – which ruled over today’s Mexico – did not come into existence until 1428. Aztec culture used two calendars to mark time: Tonalpohualli, which had 20 thirteen-day periods ruled by the gods, and Xiuhpohualli, which had 365 days divided into 18 twenty-day months plus five so-called ‘useless’ days. It was recommended not to do much on useless days. Do you have these?
COLOUR EVERYWHERE GONE ARE BLACK AND WHITE AND NEUTRAL SCANDINAVIAN INTERIORS. LET VIVID COLOURS SHINE, ESPECIALLY IN COMBINATION WITH THE DELICATE FEATURES OF FURNITURE INSPIRED BY THE 1970s. VIVA THE RAINBOW PALETTE AND NEON!
Week-end Outdoor Furniture, design Studio Brichet Ziegler, www.petitefriture.com | Beetle Acoustic Panel, design MUT, www.sancal.com | Paper Flower, papereden.jp | Francis Wall Mirrors, design Constance Guisset, www.petitefriture.com | t.e. 200 Set of Stones, design Studio Brynjar & Veronika, www.thomaseyck. com | Mellow Vase, hattern.com | Nina Table Lamp and Georges Armchair, www.hartodesign.fr
LUXURIOUS ELEGANCE REFINED MATERIALS, HEAVY VELVETY FABRICS, GOLD AND SILVER FEATURES – THEY ALL EVOKE THE PERIOD OF ART DECO. DARK BLUE AND GREEN TONES ARE COMPLEMENTED BY LIGHT PINK, THIS YEAR’S DEFINITE COLOUR FAVOURITE.
Swirl Fabric, www.martynthompsonstudio.com | Hideout Lounge Chair, www.frontdesign.se | Woman in Paris Dressing Table, www.scarletsplendour.com | Plumage Tiles, botteganove.it | Table Mirror and Divider, lanzavecchia-wai.com | Drift Mirror, www.fernandomastrangelo.com | Vase, design Ettore Sottsass, www.bitossiceramiche.it | D-Vision Trumeaux, www.fratelliboffi.it | Stay Daybed, design Nika Zupanc, se-collections.com | Rotazioni Carpet, design Patricia Urquiola, www.cc-tapis.com | Split Table, www.francescomeda.com
RETURNING TO OUR ROOTS THE LATEST COLLECTIONS FROM THE WORLD’S MOST RENOWNED BRANDS WERE INSPIRED BY ETHNIC ELEMENTS, TRADITIONAL CULTURES, RELIGIOUS ICONS AND TIMES PAST. GLORIOUS TRADITION!
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Polar Byzantine Carpet, design Klaus Haapaniemi, www.moooicarpets.com | Touke Jungle Wallpaper, www.dalwindesigns.com | Umbrella Stand Rimini Blu, www.bitossiceramiche.it | Bahia Chairs, design Mauro Lipparini, www.bonaldo.it | Kagami Mochi Jar, h-concept.jp | Oh Signore! Table Accessory, design Ron Gilad, www.danesemilano.com | Pierina Armchair, www.fratelliboffi.it | t.e. 115 Cabinet, design Christien Meindertsma, www.thomaseyck.com
Interior
A FAMILY RETREAT IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE IRON MOUNTAINS STANDS A SUMMER RESIDENCE ENVELOPED BY WOODLAND SCENTS AND BIRDSONG, A PLACE WHERE TIME STANDS STILL. text: Patrik Florián | styling: SOFFA | photo: Lina Németh
Recipe
BASIL ICE CREAM TOSS CAUTION TO THE WIND. INSTEAD OF ADDING BASIL AND OLIVE OIL TO YOUR SALAD, MAKE BASIL AND OLIVE OIL ICE CREAM INSPIRED BY ANGELATO.
PREPARATION TIME: 45 minutes plus chilling time INGREDIENTS: 500 ml full cream milk 250 ml whipping cream 150 g sugar 80 ml extra virgin olive oil 4 egg yolks handful of finely chopped fresh basil pinch of salt few drops of lemon
DIRECTIONS: There is beauty in simplicity and this very much holds true for ice cream. For this recipe you won’t need an ice cream maker or any special ingredients. Quite the opposite. Simple ingredients with no artificial additives are the telltale sign of quality ice cream. In a heavy pot stir the milk, cream, sugar and salt, and warm it gently until the sugar dissolves. In the meantime whip the egg yolks in a bowl while adding olive oil a few drops at a time. Once the egg yolks are whipped, add the warm milk/cream/sugar mixture to the bowl. Stir the mixture well, return it to the pot, and cook it on low heat until it thickens. Once thick, cool the mixture and add a handful of finely chopped basil leaves and a few drops of lemon. Mix it thoroughly, transfer into a suitable container, and put it in the freezer. If you have an ice cream maker, you can use it at this stage. We could add that the ice cream will last up to two months in your freezer, but we know this is useless information, as it will be gone long before then! TIP: Basil and olive oil ice cream is a perfect complement to the crisp flavour of melon. You can serve it together with melon gazpacho. â–
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ZUZANA HEJNOVÁ PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE AND CHALLENGER OF TIME. ZUZANA’S SPECIALITIES ARE THE 400 METRE SPRINT AND THE 400 METRE HURDLE, FOR WHICH SHE WON BRONZE MEDALS AT THE 2012 LONDON OLYMPICS. IN ADDITION TO COMPETING ZUZANA IS ALSO ACTIVE IN THE HESU SPORTS ACADEMY, WHICH SHE CO-FOUNDED.
Are you always on time? I try to be, but sometimes I’m a few minutes late. I’m not the kind of person who arrives early and waits.
be competing, and I’ll be able to enjoy sports I can’t do at the moment. Is it limiting for you that you sacrifice so much for sport? Athletes don’t have a set time to train. It’s up to us. Some train early in the morning, some in the afternoon, there’s no such thing as nine to five. It’s also very important to allow your body to regenerate. Sometimes I get home very late, cook something, and then collapse into bed. I can’t imagine anything different, so it’s hard to say if it’s limiting.
Time is very important to you – after all, your whole life revolves around it. How do you manage your free time? Since my professional life is highly planned and I have to follow a strict schedule, I try not to plan much in my free time. Instead I try to enjoy the day and not worry about scheduling things.
What inspired you to start HESU and what goals do you have for the academy? I’ve always wanted to train children, and that’s why I studied education. Athletics is my life, and being able to train children and encourage their love of sport is a dream come true. With HESU we wanted to build an academy where both children and adults can develop their love for sport and learn how to relax properly and eat well. That’s also why I recently set up a food blog, where I focus on healthy eating. ■
Will time be a key feature of your life in the future? Do you like it being so prominent? Sometimes it can be really demanding, but sport encourages you to have a routine. And I like knowing that everything is planned. I think I’ll continue to plan important things in the future. I’m someone who likes order. What do you do when you need to relax? Do you still golf? I do, but there isn’t much time for it. That’s why I’m looking forward to the time when I won’t
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LADISLAV ZEDNÍK A COLLECTOR OF SPECIMENS WHO WORKS ON A TIMESCALE MOST PEOPLE FIND HARD TO FATHOM – THE MILLIONS OF YEARS IT HAS TAKEN FOR CERTAIN FORMS OF LIFE TO EVOLVE. LADISLAV RESEARCHES AND PRESENTS AT TRILOPARK, WHICH HE CO-FOUNDED. IN HIS SPARE TIME HE WRITES POETRY.
How do you perceive time? For me that’s a fairly complex question, as the poet in me perceives time differently than the palaeontologist. There’s our biological time, and then there’s geological time, which is almost unfathomable. As a poet I think of time as connected to space. In my work I return to the same places and examine them through different angles of time, so time is a very important theme for me. In my last collection of poetry Město jeden kámen [The City as One Stone], I pit human time against geological time, and explore the bewildering feeling this evokes.
People need this, especially for their creative work – writing, photography. In such moments you can easily let go of all your worries.
What do you think about today’s fast pace? How does it influence you? I’m a bit of a neurotic, so when I sit in one place too long, I start to get bored. But I do like to sit down, have a coffee and smoke a pipe, and I don’t really need much else. In that moment I loose all concept of time and simply let go.
Where do you look for inspiration? I don’t worry much about it; it just comes. Creativity is a natural drive. When you have it, your creative source will yield from time to time – you just have to be present. And even when you’re short on inspiration, you need to capture the moment … be constantly aware and work on yourself. ■
Are the moments when you let time flow good for your creative work? I have my own state of flow and a few specific rituals. For example, I’ve always enjoyed writing in cafés. Amidst the bustle of café life I can create a wall of concentration around me and enter the awaiting inner world of poetry. I can’t do it without it. If I didn’t have opportunities to turn towards myself, I think I would die.
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Registration: MK ČR E 21947, ISSN 2336-5943 Volume 21 published on 15 June 2017
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ISSUE THEME: TIME SOFFA 21 is dedicated to something with which most of us battle – time. We hope this issue will inspire you to manage and value your time better. Take a deep breath and slow down!
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