ESPINASSE31 presents Tomasz Kucharski

Espinasse31, a Milanese contemporary gallery and artist’s residency, is presenting a solo exhibition of the Polish artist Tomasz Kucharski. Monaco Life attended the exclusive opening of the exhibition at Le Meridien Beach Plaza last week and witnessed first-hand the impressive nature of his works.

Tomasz Kucharski, Girl in a hat, 2018

Tomasz Kucharski, born in 1955, is an engineer and self-taught painter who lives and works in near Warsaw, Poland.

The main subject of his work is portrait. More specifically, he specialises in the image of women and men transformed by his imagination. Sometimes this is presented in a very abstract way, sometimes it is more realistic, but always with a hint of refection and irony.

Tomasz Kucharski, French Officer, 2017

“I think that the capacity of the word ‘portrait’ in my painting is very broad” says Tomasz. “The main series of portraits, which I have been carrying out for almost eight years, are ‘Officers’.

“These are the performances of soldiers of various armies, not necessarily existing in reality, but rather are creations of my imagination.”

The paintings reflect the artist’s interests in the army, uniforms and military and he says a new series of “officers” are still in the works.

Tomasz also paints still life and abstract art, using both oil and acrylic techniques.

“I like to put processed ready-made elements on the pictures, collage and photography,” he says. “I am still trying to introduce new techniques and methods of painting to my work. All this gives me the joy of painting – because that’s how I understand my passion.”

Tomasz Kucharski, Officer in a crescent, 2018

The works of Tomasz are inspired by the great painters of the beginning of the 20th Century, to which he adds his personal contemporary interpretation.

The exhibition is open to the public until the 1st of October. Espinasse31 will also be organising special events throughout the summer.

Giant seeds exhibition

A unique exhibition is being held in the Exotic Garden in Monaco this summer, showacasing the intricacies of enlarged seeds by artist Séverine Cadier, otherwise known as Artgraine.

In total, 30 works will be presented outdoors and in the Louis Vatrican greenhouse, each representing a seed enlarged to between 20 and 100 times its normal size.

Most of the seeds actually come from the Exotic Garden itself and have been entrusted to the artist to reveal their extraordinary shapes through the work of enlargement and molding using various materials.

Séverine Cadier was born in Paris and has been making ceramics since 1992. For the past 15 years she has focused on botanics, a subject which she is passionate about.

As Séverine Cadier explains: “Around us are thousands of seeds: under our feet, on our clothes, in the air, when we walk. Tiny, unnoticed, insignificant. These potential treasures contain the largest trees, the most beautiful flowers, the plants. To reproduce them in a big way is to open ourselves up to a mysterious world, to finally make it accessible.”

“My work of art is very symbolical, suggesting life and death: the seed has to die for the plant to live,” says the artist. “The grain that feeds us has an important economical and ecological issue.”

The Artgraine exhibition will be on show until 30th August at the Jardin Exotique. There is free access upon presentation of the entrance ticket to the garden.

 

Francophone Secretary General in Monaco

In anticipation of the upcoming 36th Ministerial Conference of Francophones in October, Prince Albert has welcomed the newly elected Secretary General of International Organisation of Francophones (OIF), Louise Mushikiwabo. The conference will be held at the Grimaldi Forum to an expected audience of approximately 450 people from 88 countries.

Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary General of La Francophonie © Axel Bastello / Prince’s Palace

“This will be for me the first ministerial conference and I intend to take the opportunity to build or renew relations with ministers of the francophone space,” said Ms Mushikiwago.

Ms Mushikiwabo, who hails from Rwanda, served as the Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation from 2009 to 2018, and was the Minister of Information prior to that. Her term as secretary general of the OIF lasts four years.

The OIF, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year, started as a small club in Northern France and has expanded globally since its inception in 1970. The purpose is to bring member states together to share information, namely regarding justice, science, culture, economic development, and peace.

 

Incredible ‘villa in a rock’ opens to public

If you love having cheeky peeks into other people’s spectacular homes, mark Saturday 6th July in your calendar.

The exterior of Villa Troglodyte. Photo credit: JB Pastor & Fils

Villa Troglodyte, a feat of engineering and energy efficiency built by JB Pastor & Fils, will open its doors for public viewing from 10am to 6pm. The 520 square metre villa is carved out of a giant stone boulder and laid out over five floors.

Located at 21 Hector Otto, the villa is accessed by a footpath from the street level and features an interior swimming pool dominated by the rock it lies within. The sitting area and three bedrooms are situated on the upper levels and can be reached by a glass lift.

The streamlined beauty of this house is but only one aspect of its appeal. The big news is how “green” it is.  Utilising geothermal and solar energies for up to 40% lower consumption compared to other such buildings, and designed with a rainwater collection system, this site is being dubbed an “environmental laboratory”.

“More than just a house, Villa Troglodyte is for us an opportunity to reflect on space and energy,” said the company. “This project involves surveys and studies of what could be the house of tomorrow.”

In accordance with the mandate set forth by Prince Albert, the villa’s design is environmentally-friendly in terms of energy efficiency and carbon footprint control.

So take a break from the beach this Saturday and head to Villa Troglodyte. Entry is free.

HSH Prince Albert II celebrated in Brussels

More than 250 royals and dignitaries attended the anniversary of HSH Prince Albert II’s ascension as Sovereign Prince.  The reception was held at the stunning art deco Villa Empain in Brussels on 27th June in the company of, to name but a few, HRH Princess Léa of Belgium, the Apostolic Nuncio, and Monaco’s Belgian Ambassador Sophie Thevenoux who, along with Marc Thevenoux, organised the event.

PHOTO: © Bénédicte Maindiaux

The morning of the celebration was business as usual, with the annual consular meeting covering news from the Monegasque Consuls of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. The Director General of the Department of Finance and Economy Thierry Orsini also made a presentation of the Principality’s tax system, and Monaco’s international commitments in these regions.

Prince Albert came to the throne after the passing of his father, HSH Prince Rainier III, in 2005. He was well prepared, having assisted his father in affairs of state since 1984, and the transition was seamless.

 

Gelson Martins completes permanent move to AS Monaco

Former Atletico Madrid winger Gelson Martins has completed a permanent move to AS Monaco, just one year after joining the club from Sporting CP.

Gelson Martinis

The 24-year-old left the Portuguese club amid a player exodus last summer but failed to fit into Diego Simeone’s system, and was loaned out to Monaco in the second half of last season.

He impressed despite difficult circumstances, scoring four times and contributing four assists to help his new side avoid a disastrous relegation. Gelson has now committed for five seasons until June 2024.

“I am very happy to be able to join AS Monaco permanently and I am now very much looking forward to seeing the group again in preparation for the upcoming season,” said Gelson through a statement released by ASM. “Despite the difficult situation, we managed to show some good things last season and I will do everything to help the Club achieve its goals this season.”

Born on May 11, 1995 in Cape Verde, the winger trained at the Sporting Clube de Portugal where he played 140 matches in four seasons, including 26 in the European competitions at “Sportinguistas”. After winning a Portuguese Supercup (2015) and a League Cup (2018), he played at the start of last season at Atlético Madrid.

A regular member of the youth squads of Portugal, the explosive winger has 21 caps with the national team, with which he played in the 2017 Confederations Cup and the 2018 World Cup.

“We are very pleased to announce that Gelson remains at AS Monaco,” said Oleg Petrov, AS Monaco Vice President and Chief Executive Officer. “In a few months, Gelson showed a lot of qualities. His skill, vivacity and energy have helped the team and will undoubtedly be valuable assets for the group in the future. We are confident that Gelson will continue to grow and continue to demonstrate his full potential.”

To celebrate the transfer, ASM is giving away a signed Gelson tshirt. Click here to enter.