The winners of the annual Monte Carlo Woman of the Year Awards have been announced at a gala ceremony at the Oceanographic Museum. The theme for the 8th edition, which was held on Saturday 4th May, was Art and Science, inspired by the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci.
Sougwen Chung, Orlan and Elena Rossoni-Notter
Sougwen Chung (Chinese-Canadian) won the main ‘Woman of the Year, Monte-Carlo Award’, while Elena Rossoni-Notter (Monegasque) received the ‘Woman of the Year – Monaco’ award, and Orlan (French) received the ‘Woman of the Year, Special Award’.
Sougwen Chung is a Chinese multimedia artist who spent her childhood in Canada and lives in New York. She has been working with robots since 2015, exploring the links between handmade and design machines, to understand the relationship between humans and computers. Her work includes film, painting, sculpture, installation and performance.
Elena Rossoni-Notter is the Director of the Museum of Prehistoric Archaeology of Monaco, and was awarded for her commitment and tenacity during the discovery and dissemination of archaeological research in Monaco. Her current goal is to show the many treasures contained in the museum which are not open to the public, as well as continue to search for hidden treasures in local land and caves. Recently, the director and her team found ancient human remains in a cave under the gardens of Saint-Martin, including a skull which, thanks to new technology, will soon have a face.
Orlan is a contemporary French artist known for the radical act of changing her appearance with plastic surgery in the name of art, using her face and body as malleable tools for shifting identities. The artist has worked with a French robotics company to create a robot in her image: ORLANoïde.
The awards were Created by Cinzia Sgambati-Colman and the awards were presented by Prince Albert II.
The Principality of Monaco is set to host the 36th La Francophonie Ministerial Conference, which will take the theme: “Reconciling humanity and the planet: perspectives in the Francophone space on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the OIF”.
A high-level delegation from the International Organisation of La Francophonie visited Monaco on 7th and 8th May to discuss the protocol and logistical aspects of organising the event, which will bring together numerous ministers and nearly 450 delegates on 30th and 31st October 2019.
During the visit, Vanessa Lamothe-Matignon, Special Adviser to the Secretary General of La Francophonie in charge of forums and partnerships, spoke with Gilles Tonelli, Government Counselor-Minister of External Relations and Cooperation, in the presence of Christophe Steiner, Ambassador, Personal Representative of Monaco to the OIF.
Mr. Tonelli confirmed that all services of the Government of Monaco will be mobilised to make the event a success. In addition, he said that every effort would be made to minimise the carbon footprint of this ministerial conference.
The working visit marks the “excellent collaboration between the OIF and the Prince’s Government,” read an official statement.
The winners of the annual Monte Carlo Woman of the Year Awards have been announced at a gala ceremony at the Oceanographic Museum. The theme for the 8th edition, which was held on Saturday 4th May, was Art and Science, inspired by the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci.
Sougwen Chung, Orlan and Elena Rossoni-Notter
Sougwen Chung (Chinese-Canadian) won the main ‘Woman of the Year, Monte-Carlo Award’, while Elena Rossoni-Notter (Monegasque) received the ‘Woman of the Year – Monaco’ award, and Orlan (French) received the ‘Woman of the Year, Special Award’.
Sougwen Chung is a Chinese multimedia artist who spent her childhood in Canada and lives in New York. She has been working with robots since 2015, exploring the links between handmade and design machines, to understand the relationship between humans and computers. Her work includes film, painting, sculpture, installation and performance.
Elena Rossoni-Notter is the Director of the Museum of Prehistoric Archaeology of Monaco, and was awarded for her commitment and tenacity during the discovery and dissemination of archaeological research in Monaco. Her current goal is to show the many treasures contained in the museum which are not open to the public, as well as continue to search for hidden treasures in local land and caves. Recently, the director and her team found ancient human remains in a cave under the gardens of Saint-Martin, including a skull which, thanks to new technology, will soon have a face.
Orlan is a contemporary French artist known for the radical act of changing her appearance with plastic surgery in the name of art, using her face and body as malleable tools for shifting identities. The artist has worked with a French robotics company to create a robot in her image: ORLANoïde.
The awards were Created by Cinzia Sgambati-Colman and the awards were presented by Prince Albert II.
The Monaco City Council is continuing efforts to minimise waste in the Principality, this time organising the collection of electrical items that no longer work or that people have no use for.
The Monaco City Council, under the leadership of Marjorie Crovetto Harroch, Second Deputy Mayor in charge of the Living, Environment and Sustainable Development Framework, and the Monaco Sustainable Development Association (MC2D), are already working together to reduce food waste in Monaco. They have since gone further, creating MEGs – an acronym for ‘Monaco Engages Against Waste’.
In early December 2018, toys were collected under the MEG initiative and were donated to two Monegasque associations, Mission Enfance and the Monegasque Red Cross. On 6th and 7th March 2019, ‘MEG Books’ allowed for the collection of more than 4,000 books which were resold on Internet by the RecycLivre association.
Now, it is the ‘MEG electrical and electronic appliances’ drive, in partnership with the Monegasque Society for Sanitation (SMA). Like the previous two, this collection is organised over two afternoons: Wednesday 15th May and Thursday 16th May from 1pm to 6pm at Espace Léo Ferré.
The public is invited to drop off devices that are in good condition, but also those that are no longer working. Everything will be accepted, from small household appliances (toaster, coffee maker, vacuum cleaner, hair dryer), to power tools, printers, computers, mobile phones, game consoles, and even electronic cigarettes. They will also take cables and remotes that accumulate uselessly around the home.
In addition, the SMA will provide a bin for light bulbs and neon lights, and another for used batteries.
Electrical devices that are still in working order will have a second life with affiliates of the association Fight Aids Monaco or a donor in contact with the SMA. Out-of-service appliances will be recycled using an appropriate circuit to recover reusable raw materials and to protect the environment from possible polluting substances contained in the equipment.
The next initiatives are ‘MEG textbooks’ on 3rd and 4th July, ‘MEG warm clothes’ in October, and ‘MEG toys’ in November and December 2019.
The future of real estate at the Monaco Blockchain Conference
The real estate industry has long been overdue for an overhaul in modernity. Dependence on paper-heavy processes with slow turnaround times are contributing to rising interest in alternatives like tokenisation and automation. The use of smart contracts, the benefits of liquidity and fractional ownership, and successful existing examples of blockchain in real estate are ensuring the future of the technology in the real estate sector. Real estate can also provide needed stability in the often-volatile token industry, providing some risk protection for new and more cautious investors.
Firstly, let’s get a simple explanation as to what is tokenisation: money, shares in a company or a piece of real estate could all be represented by tokens recorded on a blockchain. It’s called tokenisation and it’s one of the most significant aspects in the development of blockchain technology. Many say it could affect the economy as much as the development of the Internet.
There is a growing shift to modernity in what is a typically ‘tied-to-tradition’ industry. Real Estate has been known for many years as a slow, paper dependent process, causing significant delays in change of ownership, delays in transactions and much more. The solution? Tokenisation, which offers the ease of access and speed previously deemed impossible by connecting real estate to a Blockchain or Token.
When we look at global averages, it can take anywhere from three months to a year to execute real estate contracts. These cause massive delays in an industry with a global value of over $200 trillion. So, let’s look at how tokenisation of real estate can make a massive difference.
Traditionally, real estate has been a very safe investment but an illiquid asset. This effectively locks away the investor’s money for extended periods of time. An asset with high liquidity on the other hand, can be changed into cash quickly and with relative ease. Real estate assets can become liquid, but the costs and timing associated with the process remain high.
Tokenisation introduces this liquidity in a simpler way through tokens which can be traded at all hours from nearly anywhere in the world. Higher liquidity can also have a positive influence on the value of assets by removing intermediaries and helping investors maintain current costs and prices.
Smart contracts are computer protocols which can facilitate, enact and verify contracts which are traceable via a public ledger. These contracts can be of huge value to the real estate industry by enacting transfers in a more transparent, traceable and efficient way than ever before. The use of smart contracts in real estate also opens a pool to global investors and purchasers who are now able to invest across borders, bolstering new international investment opportunities.
Applicable to everything from home searches to rental agreements and more, smart contracts can provide smooth, fraud-proof transaction and agreement processes without the use of costly third-parties and intermediaries. By using smart contracts and drastically reducing costs, real estate investment has also become more accessible to younger investors who have typically turned to crypto investments above other assets.
Fractional ownership is another major draw to be found from tokenising the real estate industry. In the majority of blockchain networks, tokens can be created even when representing a physical asset which wouldn’t traditionally be divisible. This brings the possibility of fractional ownership to real estate investors and entrepreneurs.
Like shares, tokens can represent a stake in an asset, with multiple owners who can gain profits with lower overall exposure to risk. With fractional ownership, token holders could even own shares in a rental property and collect a portion of rent as passive income on a regular basis. This is a big draw to newer investors looking for a gentler and more risk-averse entry to real estate investment, and who were previously unable to invest in the sector due to high thresholds of traditional REITs.
From the United States to Europe and more, tokenised real estate has grown in prominence across the globe, with multiple examples making the rounds in the media. In Manhattan, a multi-story property in the East Village became the first real estate to be tokenised on the Ethereum blockchain in 2018. Similarly, in Italy, a 1613 square metre mansion designed by the famed Giacomo Della Porta was recently auctioned by Propy using blockchain technology.
The most successful tokenisation of real estate to date, however, took place in Aspen, Colorado, with the prestigious St. Regis Aspen Resort being sold for Aspen Coins. Beyond this success the adoption of real estate tokenisation has even extended to property in virtual reality, an unexpected use-case with intriguing possibilities for 2019.
To learn more about Blockchain in the real estate sector, join us at the Fairmont Hotel for the Monaco Blockchain Conference on 31st May. Tickets available from www.MonacoBlockchainConference.com
Travel back in time and submerge yourself in an evening overflowing with colour, beautiful gowns, people, seducing lights, sounds and delicious treats.
Davily Partners, in partnership with AMLA and under the patronage of the Chambre Monegasque de la Mode, brings to Monaco the creativity of a group of 17 contemporary Latin American designers, who integrate ancient manufacturing techniques and artisanal methods into their creations.
The event, titled ‘Presente Ancestral’ aims to highlight the importance of keeping standards of sustainability as an integral part of the luxury and fashion industries, encouraging responsible manufacturing and commercialisation, which in-turn safeguard faire trade, respect for the environment and promote solidarity towards cultural diversity.
It uses Latin American advances in this direction as an example of how artisanal knowhow can be combined with state of the art design to add meaning and value to its fashion industries, while keeping the highest standards in haute couture.
Funds raised by the AMLA, through the auction of selected designs, will support the Kaalan Neek project, whose objective is the use, rescue and organic reproduction of traditional Mayan seeds. Women in the Tulum area in Mexico have developed community and family orchards for human consumption and for the reproduction of the seeds.
A traditional seed bank exchanges with other communities once yearly at the Seed Exchange Fair.
Book your tickets now to discover beautiful fashion, enjoy the show and dance!
