“Poïpoï”, a private collection of two Monaco-based collectors and their “pioneer spirit of decipherment”, opened Friday at New National Museum of Monaco’s Villa Sauber.
The challenge of this exhibition, which runs until April 30, was to conceptualise within the museum walls the collection of art that surrounded F and J Merino on a daily basis in their Monaco apartment.
According to the curator, the curiosity of F and J Merino’s encounters with Nice-based artists during the 1960s would encourage them to develop an interest in contemporary art, which quickly became a passion, yet they kept their distance from the art world.
FM became food critic for Gault & Millau and JM was responsible for the Public Relations of the Société des Bains de Mer.
In the early 1980s, they “plunged back into the contemporary art world”, focusing on American appropriationist photography (Richard Prince, Louise Lawler, Cindy Sherman) and the following decade, they hung out with a group from the Grenoble School of Fine Arts: Dominique Gonzales-Foerster, Philippe Parreno, Pierre Joseph, now major names in the international art scene.
F and J Merino’s apartment in Monaco was a meeting place – the walls painted by Stéphane Dafflon, projects by Liam Gillick, Carsten Höller, and Franz West – and their collection included a large number of internationally renowned artists: Arman, Fischli &Weiss, Andreas Gursky, Georg Herold, Ann Veronica Janssens, Paul McCarthy, Philippe Parreno, Raymond Pettibon, Jim Shaw, and Shimabuku, all of which can be seen at Villa Sauber.
The “Poïpoï” exhibition (€6) is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm (free on Sundays).
As part of the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Canadian Confederation, children of the Principality are invited to a hockey game Monday, February 27, at the ice rink in Port Hercule.
The game between the Nice Aigles and the Monaco Barracudas starts at 5:30 pm, and the invitation is open to children in neighbouring towns as well, accompanied by their parents.
Thanks to the Skating Club of Monaco, this is an opportunity to introduce young people to a true Canadian passion, and the rules and pace of a demanding sport that requires technical mastery and instinct.
After the game, families can enjoy a traditional Canadian meal of tourtière (meat pie) or mouth-watering poutine (French fries and cheese curds drizzled with gravy), followed by a sponge cake dessert with maple syrup sauce, at the Brasserie de Monaco (€15 main course, dessert and drink). Canadian wines and beers will also be available.
With the support of Isabelle Bonnal, Director of Education, Youth and Sport, and Mr Jacques Pastor on behalf of Monaco Town Hall, the hockey game has been organised by the Consulate of Canada in Monaco, represented by Mr Marc Devito, Honorary Consul of Canada in Monaco, and in close collaboration with the Canadian Club of Monaco, chaired by Ms France Rioux. This sporting and festive event will launch a year of celebrations in the Principality to mark the 150th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation.
As part of the Pasteur public works operation, notably the extension of the tunnel Charles III (T34), the demolition work on a part of the stone wall in the access tunnel at Fontvieille will require the temporary closure of the avenue de Fontvieille from the Canton underground roundabout. This will take place from 8 pm on Friday February 24, until Sunday, February 26, at 4 pm.
During this period, the upstream direction of the avenue de Fontvieille will be open to traffic. From Sunday, February 26, at 4 pm, traffic flow will be reversed, as in previous weeks, giving priority to the downhill direction of the avenue de Fontvieille.
10th Anniversary cake with Monica and Umberto Tozzi, Victoria Silvstedt and Bruna Maule. Photo: Studio Bazile 23
Bruna Maule, the president of Monaco’s Guardian Angels Association, seems to have a magic ability to attract volunteers to participate in its charity activities on the streets of Nice.
Brunella Pastorelli, Lionel Deverdun, Victoria Silvstedt, Monica and Umberto Tozzi, among others, have all responded to the call, each according to their availability.
For Simone Pastor, what is exceptional is the hands-on nature of the actions of the Anges Gardiens de Monaco: “They are on the ground, in direct contact with the greatest misery, and come to the aid of the most deprived.”
And for Gloria Kollbrunner, who had gathered a dozen friends around her, the most important thing is to share her good fortune and help the Guardian Angels of Monaco to act concretely. Angela Craciun insisted “I participate in many charity galas: for me it is a duty to redistribute wealth, and charities are our best way of doing so.”
Anges Gardiens de Monaco President Brauna Maule with Italina pop star Ezio Gregio. Photo: Studio Bazile 23Victoria Silvstedt with HE Cristiano Gallo, Ambassador of Italy in Monaco, and his wife. Photo: Studio Bazile 23
On Friday, February 17, 200 privileged couples united in their generosity in the Empire Room of the Hôtel de Paris to make a wonderful 10th anniversary present to the association. With Italian pops star Umberto Tozzi and model-presenter Victoria Silvestdt, funds raised will help to pay rent for one year to several families living in poverty, relocate and avoid expulsion for the most disadvantaged or pay for nights in a hotel for those waiting for housing. Contributions will be allocated to help pay electricity bills, buying sleeping bags, and distribute hot meals to more than 400 people every Monday night in Nice.
The highlight of the evening was a concert performed by Umberto Tozzi accompanied by his musicians, whose hits “Ti Amo” and “Gloria” brought guests on the dance floor.
The gala’s success was made possible thanks to the generosity of the companies Switch On, Backloc and Laurent Faou, who offered all the rental of sound and light equipment: a budget of more than €20,000. The company Mediacom graciously lent the video-projection equipment.
In the midst of preparing for the annual Comedy Festival in Monaco (February 28-March 5), actor Ezio Greggio – who costarred with Victoria Silvstedt in “Un maresciallo in gondola” in 2002 –congratulated Bruna Maule and all the volunteers of the association for their actions and dedication.
At the Yacht Club Thursday, Gareth Wittstock and François Forcioli-Conti, President of the Côte d’Azur Racing Society, draw names of horses to match with associations for the Charity Mile. Photo: Axel Bastello/Palais Princier
This coming Saturday, the “Prix Princesse Charlène de Monaco-Charity Mile” race takes place at the Hippodrome in Cagnes-sur-Mer, in association with the Côte d’Azur Racing Society.
The Charity Mile began in South Africa in 2006 and has developed into a Group Two competition, a hot ticket on the galloping calendar.
Now, after months of preparation for HSH Princess Charlene’s first Charity Mile, including the Princess personally choosing the eighteen local charities and foundations, the draw matching an individual horse to an association was held out at the Monaco Yacht Club on Thursday morning, with Gareth Wittstock, the Princess’s brother, and François Forcioli-Conti, President of the Côte d’Azur Racing Society presiding.
Photo: Axel Bastello/Palais Princier
In a brief speech, Mr Forcioli-Conti thanked Princess Charlene for her involvement, and for lending her name to the event, which will help to revitalise the sport at a local level.
Saturday’s Charity Mile at 3:05 pm will be preceded by one of France’s most distinguished horse races – the Défi du Galop – which should get the crowds fired up.
French jockey Christophe Soumillon, ranked number two worldwide according to Longines World’s Best Jockey, will be competing Saturday and the winner of the 1st Charity Mile will be awarded the Princesse Charlène of Monaco prize. A donation of €50,000 will be made to eighteen charities.
The Cagnes-sur-Mer racetrack is one of the most important in France, as many trainers use this for pre-season training thanks to the favourable climate of the Côte d’Azur.
British-born John Hammond, who has been a thoroughbred horse trainer in France for 30 years, is a fan on the Hippodrome in Cagnes-sur-Mer. Speaking by phone, he told Monaco Life, “It’s the one place in Europe with sunshine all year round, and it’s well run.”
With its all-weather surface and unique seaside setting, the Hippodrome in Cagnes has more individual race days than any other racetrack in France. “It’s very cosmopolitan” Mr Hammond said, “and well-known to the expat community from Antibes to Nice to Monaco.”
Based in Chantilly, in northern France, Mr Hammond has trained several Group One champions, including the winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the country’s most famous race. This 2,400-metre event, described by some as more fun than Ascot, usually falls on the first Sunday in October and is popular with Brits.
Horse racing is a fascinating mix of nature, business and the unknown, Mr Hammond explained. “To those who’ve never been, I say, ‘Come along, it’s fun, you’ll enjoy it. It’s always been known as the Sport of Kings, but it’s the King of Sports too!’
“This particular race is a great initiative, a brilliant innovation. Good on the Princess!”
Mr Hammond, unfortunately, is not able to attend Saturday but was quick to emphasise that the Côte d’Azur racing community and Hippodrome are “touched” by the Charity Mile initiative, which has never been done before. “Princess Charlene’s name adds prestige and a connection to this event. It’s fantastic for the charities and new and exciting for the racing world.
“And as a handicap race, it will be very competitive to see who has the right horse with the right conditions on the right day.”
Entry to the Charity Mile, the Défi du Galop and all other races on Saturday is €4.50 (free for under-18) and there’s plenty of free parking. The day kicks off at 1 pm.
The International Emerging Film Talent Association (IEFTA), a Monaco-based international NGO, celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2016 with a series of events in the Principality and at the Cannes Film Festival, which included “Refugee Voices in Film”.
This moving all-day event was in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Marché Du Film, and explored the ways broadcasters, humanitarian agencies and filmmakers – some of whom are refugees themselves – portray refugees and their predicament.
IEFTA is once again working with UNHCR, to help launch their musical campaign to spread awareness about the dangers of crossing the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea from Africa to war-stricken Yemen and highlighting the horrendous conditions and rising risks in Yemen.
“A refugee is a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster,” Marco Orsini, IEFTA President, told Monaco Life. “We must remember their plight and do what we can to warn them of the dangers. It is their right to seek asylum. Our opportunity to help UNHCR facilitate this message has been an amazing experience and an eye opener for us all.”
The multilingual campaign, a song and video led by singing star and former refugee Maryam Mursal, kicked off on February 7 and was created last month in Cairo during a workshop with local musicians and refugees, including shipwreck survivors with harrowing tales.
The music was arranged by acclaimed Hollywood producer George Acogny, known for his work on “Blood Diamond” and the video was directed by Amr Salama, a young Egyptian film director.
Amin Awad, UNHCR Middle East and North Africa Director, said, “It’s a humanitarian catastrophe inside Yemen,” adding that UNHCR cannot “sit by while so many people, mainly young, board smugglers’ boats after making uninformed decisions about Yemen and the desperate and dangerous situation there”.
Almost 19 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance. Although Yemen is a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, UNHCR believes that war and insecurity mean conditions there are not conducive for asylum.
The country has been torn by war since March 2015 and an estimated 7,100 people have been killed, 44,000 injured, and more than 2 million displaced.
