The Prince Pierre Foundation, chaired by the Princess of Hanover, has announced Cristiano Raimondi as the new Artistic Director of the International Contemporary Art Prize (PIAC). He will now be responsible for the coordination of one of the most prestigious prizes in the world of contemporary art.
Cristiano Raimondi is an exhibition curator and set designer. Anxious to lead collaborations between artists, curators, collectors and museum institutions, he brings together contemporary creation at the crossroads of history, design, fashion and the human and social sciences.
According to a statement released on Wednesday, Mr Raimondi’s aim is to infuse PIAC with new energy and dynamism while continuing the heritage and artistic lines that have animated it since its creation. His wish is that “the next Prize be awarded to an artist or a collective with a sensitive approach to the issues of environmental sustainability, human rights, minorities, as well as the sciences specific to ecology”.
The new artistic director has suggested that the next winner “must have developed a particular reflection that is part of a thought of diversity and cultural mix, nourished by the relationship to the coastal area and to maritime areas”.
Cristiano Raimondi has surrounded himself with a team of international experts from the art world to form the new Artistic Council of the Prince Pierre Foundation, all of whom place at the heart of their approach the practice of collective and interdisciplinary work, education and research as artistic means of action.
Since its creation in 1965, the PIAC rewards a recent work proposed by the Artistic Council every three years. Placed under the presidency of HRH the Princess of Hanover and the Vice-presidency of Marie-Claude Beaud, the winner of this Prize is awarded the sum of €75,000.
Previous finalists include Arthur Jafa who received the distinction in 2019 for his work ‘Love is the message, The message is death (2016)’, as well as Rosa Barba, Dora García, Guido van der Werve, Didier Marcel, Candice Breitz and Carlos Garaicoa.
Covid nasal self-tests have been trickling into pharmacies in France since 12th April, but how effective are they?
The long-awaited nasal auto-tests for Covid were meant to land in pharmacies in Nice on Monday, but due to a delay, they are now arriving mid-week.
Many see these tests as a comforting way to ensure they are not positive for the virus without taking time away from busy schedules to go to the doctor, but these tests are not entirely fool-proof and must be used correctly to get reliable results.
“Self-tests are not diagnostic tools, they are screening tools. They are much less sensitive considering that it is taken in the nose but in a much shallower way than for nasopharyngeal tests,” explained Philippe de Meester, Director General of the PACA Regional Health Agency.
“If these self-tests are negative, that does not mean that we can permit everything. We must maintain barrier gestures. If they are positive, then a more reliable PCR test must be carried out, because those are capable of detecting the virus in 95% of cases.”
This leads many to ask if these new self-tests are muddying already murky waters. There are scientists who don’t fully believe in the effectiveness of these unattended tests, as the possibility of incorrect usage is high, despite correct usage returning 80% accurate results.
Germany has been using these types of tests for months, and the general population don’t have much faith in them. The self-tests are not being accepted by many as valid. In order to access a non-essential business, a negative test must be presented, but most only accept those coming from an official lab.
In France, the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS) had given the green light for the deployment of self-tests but states that any positive result must then be confirmed by a PCR test to count it as a positive case as well as to detect any possible variants.
Seven kits are for sale, including four produced in China, two by Swiss companies and one by French distributer, AAZ. The price is set at €6 until 15th May, when the cost drops significantly to €2.50. The tests will not be available online.
The person taking the test obtains a sample with a swab provided and puts the swab in a tube with a solution. Results take roughly half an hour and positive results are indicated by a change in colour of a band.
Use is restricted to asymptomatic people over 15 years of age, two times per week. The government hopes to be able to expand the usage to schools in upcoming months.
An exhibition featuring the winning snaps for the 1st annual photo competition organised by the Organisations of International Solidarity of Monaco is taking place on the Terraces of Fontvieille.
In 2019, the Organisations of International Solidarity (OSI) of Monaco, in conjunction with the government’s Directorate of International Cooperation, launched the photo competition under the theme ‘A sustainable and united perspective’.
The original plan was to display the 19 selected photographs in spring of 2020, but due to the pandemic, the event was postponed. Now, after a full year of waiting, the exhibit will be open to the public from 12th to 17thApril.
It not only gives visitors a chance to see some beautiful photos, but it also enlightens them as to how diverse and vital the nation’s OSIs are. These organisations take part in actions in different fields such as health, education, environment, the promotion of peace, access to water, the fight against discrimination and support for the most vulnerable, including children, women, refugees and displaced people.
The launch of the photo competition this week was presided over by Prince Albert II, with many high-ranking personalities also in attendance such as Laurent Anselmi, Minister of External Relations and Cooperation, José Badia, President of the External Relations Commission, and Bénédicte Schutz, Director of International Cooperation.
The public also has a chance to participate in selecting a Public Prize winner of the competition via an online voting system, also allowing those who prefer not to attend in person to view the photos digitally.
In addition to the Public Prize, two other awards will be presented on Friday 16th April at 5pm during a ceremony which will also be attended by the Prince. The two other prizes are the Grand Jury Prize, which will be selected by a panel of photography experts and from International Solidarity 1. Then there is the Youth Prize, which will be chosen by students from selected schools in the Principality.
Photo of the inauguration of the 1st Photo Exhibition of ISOs by Eric Mathon – Prince’s Palace
AS Monaco Basketball brought home the bacon on Monday night crushing Châlons-Reims 94 to 76 in Jeep Elite action, and also were given word they are qualified for the first time in the team’s history in the Euroleague, the giant of European basketball leagues.
It was a big night for the Roca team. Hot off the heels of their qualification for the EuroCup 7 finals, they took on Châlons-Reims in a Jeep Elite match at Gaston Médecin where they dominated from start to finish.
Despite Rob Gray and Damien Inglis being out due to injury, the team played like the pros they are and took full advantage of their talents. Notably, Branden Frasier was on fire during the first half, pulling in 17 points on his own and going six for six on shots, including three for three in the three-point range.
The team from Champagne didn’t know what hit them.
The first half was a wash out for Châlons-Reims. They found themselves 19 points down at the half with the score sitting at 55-36.
After the break, things didn’t improve much for them, as Monaco was everywhere. At one point in the third, the score was an incredible 72 to 45 for the Roca boys. The game tightened up a bit in the last quarter, but Monaco was never in much danger of falling behind. In the end, they held on and finished with a 94-76 victory.
“After all the excitement of qualifying for the final in Gran Canaria, my team was very professional and kept the pressure on,” said Coach Zvezdan Mitrovic. “I congratulate my players. Rob (Gray) and Damien (Inglis) were a bit injured, but they could play the next game.”
Meanwhile, far to the north in Saint-Peterburg, the team waited news on a decisive game. The Russian Zenit team beat Greek powerhouses Panathinaikos 112 to 83, thus securing the eighth place spot and catapulting Monaco into the Euroleague for the first time ever. The Euroleague is a top-tier competition that has run since 2000, replacing the previous FIBA EuroLeague.
When asked about the securing a place in the Euroleague, Coach Zvezdan Mitrovic proudly commended his team. “It’s a very big moment for the club, the result of a lot of work. We don’t have the biggest budget, nor the biggest squad, but my players showed huge heart to reach this Eurocup final. The club was in Pro B when I arrived and were climbing from N1 (3rd Division). Today, they find themselves in the Euroleague, there is an incredible side to all that.”
Monaco Life speaks to diamond expert Alberto Vitale, founder of Monaco’s Vitale 1913, about Covid’s impact on the industry, how it historically sent down diamond prices, and the rise of transparency thanks to blockchain.
Like many diamond traders throughout the world, Alberto Vitale follows the Rapaport Diamond Report. Created in the late 1970s by controversial figure Martin Rapaport, the list has become the de facto pricing baseline for wholesale polished diamonds.
Despite backlash from some heavy hitters within the industry, Rapaport believes that diamonds are a commodity as they are bought and sold for cash. His critics say diamonds are unique and valued by subtle idiosyncratic characteristics like colour, clarity and cut, and that Rapaport is driving down diamond prices with his price guide. Monaco Life: When did you see the effect that Covid was having on the pricing of diamonds?
Alberto Vitale: For the first time in his life, Martin Rapaport sent an email last year to around 7,000 significant diamond traders across the world asking if we wanted to do something different. He explained that a lot of rough diamonds had arrived in the market, which is normal because of Christmas, Chinese New Year and Diwali celebrations, without potential clients due to Covid.
After reducing prices in his 20th March price list, he asked if we would agree to the short-term suspension of the price list until 1st May.
He downsized the diamond price list to reflect their true value, by between 5% and 8%, which has never happened before.
In reality, the price in the market actually went down between 10% and 15%, and we were able to buy diamonds at that reduced price for the first time ever. By the end of the year, diamond prices returned to the same pre-crisis level.
But a lot of things changed that year. Many of us agreed with Martin Rapaport that diamond trading needed to be more fair and accurate, more transparent and socially responsible. How exactly did the crisis force the diamond trading industry to be more transparent and why is this important?
We saw that companies who were not providing customers with certificates and reliable information about the legitimate source of their diamonds were beginning to suffer. Companies that were more open, like my small company who are used to giving information about diamonds, had positive feedback because people were more confident about investing in our diamonds as a store of value.
Eventually, most companies began to understand that they have to be more transparent and provide information and certificates to their clients, to the point where practically all of the diamonds that arrive in the market now have a certificate.
There is also now the possibility to transcribe the certificate number inside the diamond. This creates a clear and reliable relationship between the stone and the certificate, and between the certificate and the market value.
It makes the resale process much easier for us. If we had diamonds here, I could make you an offer right now. This easy way to work made it possible for a lot of diamonds to be sold last year, even during the crisis.
I often use this as an example: When my father was selling diamonds, he would say: “You can trust me, I am a third-generation diamond trader. I am honest, I have a large, respected company, etc.”
Today, I prefer to say to my clients: “Don’t trust me, trust the information and the certificates that I am giving you.” Of course, I too have a reputation, but I don’t want to rely on that; I want my clients to be reassured by the reliable information that I can provide about their diamonds. Blockchain is able to safeguard this transparency by storing information in such a way that it can’t be altered without those changes being recorded as well. Where do you see blockchain in the future of diamond trading?
We are currently in the process of creating a system where information about each diamond is stored on the blockchain. It is not only small company’s like myself doing this; big companies are also working in this direction, such as Tiffany & Co.
By 2021, I believe people will be able to buy diamonds with a code inside them, and all the information about that diamond – where it came from, who cut it, the certificate number, who set the stone, etc. – will be available on the blockchain. What will this mean for the diamond industry?
The small companies who want to remain “closed” and not transparent will not survive. There is no space for them in the market anymore. Now, the attitude is to open the door and be truthful and transparent, because everyone benefits. How are diamond traders such as yourself looking to become more socially responsible?
Firstly, there is the need for transparency about the origin of a diamond. Rapaport says that we should ask ourselves, ‘Is our diamond dream someone else’s nightmare?’. ‘Do we care if people are killed or hurt so we can sell jewellery?’. ‘Are we responsible for what we buy and sell?’. He points to the ‘shameful’ trade in Zimbabwean diamonds and blood diamonds from the Congo, and says that social responsibility is not just a consumer matter, it is a ‘defining aspect of our humanity and who we are as a trade’.
There is also the trend towards a circular economy. New age consumers across the world are creating demand for unique one-of-a-kind jewellery that is environmentally positive and socially responsible. According to Rapaport, branded estate jewellery is particularly strong. ‘Recycled jewellery’ is now ‘Upcycled jewellery’. Did Covid illustrate that diamonds are a good investment as a store of value, particularly during times of crisis?
Yes, because between March and June the price of diamonds was 10% to 15% less than today. I brought, and I suggested to my clients and friends to buy, and it was a good investment.
Today, the prices for some diamond categories are increasing significantly, particularly for blue, pink, and some yellow diamonds because they are quite rare. The fact that there were a lot of diamond sales at auction last year shows that it is a good investment. More people are interested in diamonds than before, so the crisis has helped in that way.
It has definitely shown that diamonds as a store of value are an opportunity in a volatile, uncertain world.
But like the rest of the world, the crisis has challenged the industry to implement solutions in order to survive. And I think the future of smart companies in the diamond industry looks much brighter as a result.
Photos by Maison Vitale
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