The government of Monaco has installed solar panels at an archaeological research centre in a remote part of Mongolia, bringing reliable light and hot water to the facility where none existed before.
Located eight hours by car from the Mongolian capital city of Ulaanbaatar, the Tsatsyn Ereg Archaeological Research and Exhibition Centre is an unlikely place for Monegasque mission, and an even more unlikely place to be a model for environmental responsibility, yet that is exactly what it is.
The centre is now equipped with a photovoltaic system provided by the Prince’s government that generates up to 4 kWp, enough electricity to supply the building, as well as a solar thermal system for hot water. As this part of Mongolia enjoys nearly 260 days of sunshine per year, the system will be a dependable source year-round.
The staff at the Archaeological Centre have been taught how to maintain and operate the system by the technical partner of the project, GERES (Group for the Environment, Renewable Energy and Solidarity), a French NGO founded in 1976.
The centre is part of a joint operation between the Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology of the Principality and the Institute of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences that has been locating and studying the Bronze Age tombs and petroglyphs of the region since 2006. As a result of these efforts, UNESCO is currently considering the area to be included on the World Heritage Tentative List.
Indian-born British artist Anish Kapoor has been honoured with the Futurum Association’s Futurum Award for his work Sky Mirror, which sits majestically in Casino Square.
The Fairmont’s Gold Hall II was the scene for the gathering of the Futurum Association’s board of directors, with Prince Albert II as honorary president, to celebrate the 9th edition of the Futurum Awards.
The prize is offered to an artist who not only shows great creative skill, but who also appreciates the use of technologies to make the designs unique and special.
In the running were glass sculptor Dale Chihuly, photographer Marc Mawson and conceptual artist, Anish Kapoor. In the end, it was Mr Kapoor’s Sky Mirror, a polished steel disc reflecting the sky, fountain and the Casino of Monte-Carlo in its face that won the day.
Thought by many to be the world’s greatest living sculptor, Anish Kapoor is known for utilising diverse materials to create interesting and engaging shape and colour combinations.
The Futurum association’s goal is “to encourage and promote futuristic projects in all Arts, including Science (as an Art), at an international level, encouraging the participation of a young generation of artists and scientists, in all of the domains that affect everyday life.”
New tech lab to fast track digital transition of schools
The government is equipping teachers with the knowledge and tools they need to shape a generation of digital savvy students with the launch of a new tech laboratory.
‘EduLab Monaco’ was inaugurated on Thursday 17th October by HSH Prince Albert II. It forms part of the #ExtendedMonaco program and provides a space for teachers to experiment with innovative digital tools and create of new teaching practices.
The 200m² lab is located in the same building as DENJS and will help bring the Principality into a new era of e-education by providing tools for the realisation of digital educational projects.
“The digital transition […] induces an in-depth questioning of the pedagogical practices themselves,” said Patrice Cellario, Minister of the Interior, during the inauguration. “EduLab Monaco marks a new and symbolic step in our global, proactive and inclusive policy of transforming our digital education system to prepare new generations for the world of tomorrow. This new space, which is open to all teachers, will be the pivot of the digital transformation in education in the Principality where teachers, students and partners will build together the educational experience of tomorrow.”
It was also announced that one of the flagship projects of Monaco’s e-education, a computer programming course that was introduced to young students this school year, will be extended to high school students within the next few years.
“This initiative attests to the Principality’s wish to develop children’s ability to use digital tools and applications in an interactive and fun way starting with the basics: mastering a new language as one learns the alphabet,” said the government in a statement
According to a UBS Art Basel report, 40 million artworks changed hands globally in 2018 – a trading volume worth around €63 billion. It’s an impressive figure, especially when considering that, according to experts, up to 50% of all artworks worldwide are forgeries.
4ARTechnologies presented its digital solution to this multi-million euro problem at the recent Vroom Summit and the Deloitte Art and Finance conference, both held in Monaco recently. Director Dino Lewkowicz spoke to Monaco Life about his company’s unique and patented “Augmented-Authentication-Technology” which is set to revolutionise the art market.
4ARTTechnologies Director Dino Lewkowicz
Monaco Life: Can you explain for us what 4ARTechnologies is, because it appears to be quite a ground-breaking concept…
Dino Lewkowicz: It is very ground-breaking because it finally solves issues and challenges that have existed in the art market for decades. We provide a service that combines key technologies, one being our own patented “Augmented-Authentication-Technology” which allows anyone to use a smartphone to create a unique digital fingerprint of any art piece. This means you can always make sure you have the original and not a copy that looks just like it. We also use the blockchain to secure information across generations in a way that cannot be manipulated and really solves strategic and infrastructure problems that exist in the art market on a global scale.
What are the problems that exist in the art market?
One of the key issues is forgeries. Surprisingly, while we are close to the year 2020, statistics say half of all artworks in the world are forgeries – an incredible number and quite unbelievable in today’s world. So, we really need to solve that challenge.
The other problem is that the art world is notorious for being hard to get into and difficult to understand – you need many years in the field. It is an industry that is very tightly connected so you need a lot of trust and reputation. We want to democratise the market and digitise processes – make them easier, faster and more cost-efficient. We want to make it easier for people to get into the market, to buy art, to make sure they have an original and that their investment/passion is being handled correctly. Essentially, they are the challenges we are trying to solve.
So, you envisage this technology being used by everyone in the art world, not just major players?
Very much so, our aim is to be a friend of all stakeholders in the art market. It is a trend of start-ups to disrupt and change the foundation of all markets, but we are providing a service that makes the work of all people in the art markets – artists, curators, gallerists, restorers and the like – easier, faster and more cost-efficient by modernising the process. We have had a lot of success so far, and we are gaining more interest every day.
Tell us about the technology…
Using a standard smartphone camera, several detailed photographs are made of the artwork to capture its structural and material properties and to read its DNA. This data is converted into a digital fingerprint and secured with the blockchain, together with other relevant data on the artwork’s provenance, such as origin and previous owners, as well as information on restorations and transports in a tamper-proof manner.
This provides each artwork with a biometric passport which accompanies the painting throughout its entire life cycle. All stations are stored without gaps, every damage is registered, all restorations are documented, and every change of ownership is recorded, all secured for eternity. Once a painting has been scanned, its digital fingerprint can be compared to any other artwork that claims to be the same.
It sounds obvious, so why hasn’t it been done up until now?
Sadly, there is inherent resistance to change within the art market. There are a few entities, especially big institutions, that hold a lot of power and have a lot of money, while on the other hand there are a lot of people who are in the art market who are not doing as well, who don’t have a voice and can’t create any sort of change. There has been a resistance to change, especially when it comes to offering data, because they ask: “where do you store the data?” People are very secretive when it comes to that, so it’s taken some time to find a modern technology that makes sure privacy is respected, that the information about the works and ownership are kept safely, and – this is key – that a link is created between the digital world and the physical world, which has been lacking so far. We have had such great success because we provide that link without any additional tools; you can always make sure that the information you have is linked to the physical art piece. And you can be sure that even if you have a series print of a hundred artworks that are exactly identical, you can differentiate each and every one of them and make sure that you have your original and not one that looks just like it.
You are in Monaco for the Vroom Summit, I imagine this is a pertinent destination for you to be in given the demographic?
Yes, we were the only venture from Switzerland invited during the European roadshow to come to the summit here in Monaco, and it’s because we provide quite a unique product that has had a fair bit of success so far. We are also returning for the Deloitte Art and Finance conference, so Monaco is a central place for us. It is obviously important financially, but there is a lot of culture here and a tremendous amount of people who are very interested in art and trading art, so this is one of those key places for us and we are always keen to be in Monaco.
This year’s Monaco Yacht Show not only featured the most impressive fleet of superyachts in its history worth a jaw-dropping €6 billion, it also attracted a record number of exhibitors.
Held from 25th to 28th September, the Monaco Yacht Show is considered the largest and most luxurious in the world. This year’s show reached new highs, attracting 600 exhibitors – the highest number in its 29-year history. There was also slight increase in attendance, with 31,565 visitors compared to 30,400 in 2018.
According to the show’s organisers, “Two weeks after the 29th edition of the MYS, feedback from the exhibitors is pragmatic and positive: although the market could be stronger, positive signs are to be noted, including the higher number of private visitors present at Monaco’s Port Hercule this year. They included guests of MYS, invited to visit the various superyachts up for sale or charter. The MYS private concierge service invited over 200 VIP visitors (211 to be precise, compared to 150 in 2018), linking them up with the show’s exhibitors and triggering over 50 yacht visits. The majority of these potential clients came from the United States, Russia, England, China and India. Exhibitors noted a definite trend in visitor profile: a broader range of countries, a wider age bracket, and serious intentions to buy or charter.”
Once again, the MYS unveiled exciting new superyacht projects, technologies and joint ventures during the four days. It showcased 125 superyachts with an estimated total worth of around €4 billion. The superyacht exhibition included 44 new models and 14 megayachts over 70 metres in length – including two over 100 metres. Although the average length remained stable at 49.5 metres, the average price for a motoryacht exhibited at the show reached €37.8 million this year. All in all, the 2019 MYS boasted yachts that were bigger and more amazing than ever, as well as a tendency towards “greener” yachts and enhanced performance in terms of technology, speed and design.
600 participating companies occupied a large portion of Port Hercule in Monaco, organised into different themed areas. Yacht builders, brokers and designers set up their stands on the quaysides, close to their yachts. Tender and water toy manufacturers showcased no fewer than 55 pieces of equipment, over half of which were being presented for the very first time. Their stands were mainly situated on the port’s Quai Antoine Ier, where the yacht show’s Car Deck displayed 30 collector or custom-built cars and motorbikes. The show’s many nautical equipment manufacturers and country pavilions were set up in tents on the port’s Darse Sud and Quai Albert Ier. The Parvis Piscine tent was dedicated to luxury products and services, drawing many visitors. Its fully revamped Upper Deck Lounge, reserved for the show’s partners from the luxury industry, spanned over two floors.
On the eve of the MYS, four prizes were awarded at the 6th Monaco Yacht Show Superyacht Awards ceremony. The list of winners comprised three vessels. Attila (64m, Sanlorenzo) received the MYS/RINA Award for its design, which complies with the environmental standards established by RINA, the Italian company in charge of classifying superyachts. TIS, a brand new 111-metre yacht by German shipyard Lürssen, received the MYS Interior Design Award. Excellence (80m, Abeking & Rasmussen) won two prizes: the MYS Exterior Design Award, and the ceremony’s most prestigious award, the MYS Finest New Superyacht Award.
TIS by Lürssen received the MYS Interior Design Award
Immediately before the ceremony, the MYS hosted the 4th edition of the Monaco Yacht Summit, during which a variety of yachting-related subjects were discussed by some 40 participants interested in purchasing or chartering a yacht in the near future.
The 3rd edition of the Senior Games was held last week showing that competitive spirit is alive and well amongst the Principality’s young at heart.
Put on by the Monaco City Council Department of Seniors and Social Action, the games were held at the Espace Leo Ferré with four teams competing in three different activities: belote, darts and petanque.
The four teams, Amicale des Aines Monegasques, the Hector Otto Foundation, the Club Le Temps de Vivre and the Recipients of Home Help from the Mairie first met for a luncheon organised by the Town Hall and were treated to an opening speech given by Mayor Georges Marsan.
The games then commenced and were punctuated throughout the afternoon with live performances given by the young dancers of Dolls Stars, who not only entertained the crowd but also served as flag bearers, medal distributors and collectors of scoring sheets.
By 5pm, the winners were announced with the Mayor and several other elected officials in attendance. Club Le Temps de Vivre were the victors in darts but it was the Amicale des Aines Monegasques who came out on top winning both petanque and belote, earning them the Winner’s Trophy for most overall points for the third year running.
The day was a great success all around, and both participants and bystanders await next year’s games.
Photo courtesy Monaco City Council
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