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Day: 5 July 2021

The ribbon is cut at Cala del Forte

by: Cassandra Tanti
05/07/2021

Prince Albert has officially inaugurated Monaco’s new port, Cala del Forte in Ventimiglia, alongside his niece Camille Gottlieb and children Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella.

It had been a long-time coming. After officially opening in October 2020, authorities in the Italian seaside town had to anxiously await the lifting of restrictions in order to host the official inauguration.

But that time came on Friday 2nd July when Prince Albert was welcomed on the quay by President of Monaco Ports Aleco Keusseoglou, Navy CEO Gian Battista Borea d’Olmo, Construction Coordinator Daniel Regalini and Port Director Marco Cornacchia.

By his side were his six-year-old twins and the youngest daughter of Princess Stephanie, Camille Gottlieb, the “godmother” of Monaco One, a superfast shuttle connecting Cala del Forte with the Principality of Monaco.

Photo credit: Cala Del Forte

The new port features 178 berths from 6.5 to 70 meters in length, and has been built with sustainability in mind, including solar panels on the Service Tower, recharging stations for electric cars and boats, dedicated waste collection rooms, low consumption LED lighting of the port, and electric golf car and forklift.

Monaco holds the concession to the Cala del Forte until 2094, the longest port concession in the Mediterranean.

The port also has 577 parking spaces, 15,000 m2 of promenades and gardens, and 35 businesses including restaurants, bars, offices and boat services.
Meanwhile, the 2,700 m² shipyard, being run by Cantieri di Imperia, has hauling and launching capacity for yachts up to 30 metres long.

Photo credit: Cala del Forte

This port has been a long time in the making – the first stone was laid 12 years ago – and it is now a key aspect in the development of the Italian city.

“Today is an important day because this beautiful port is being inaugurated after a period of health emergency that has united Italy, France and the whole world,” said president of the Liguria Region Giovanni Toti in his inauguration address. “It is an example of collaboration, which opens a way for all of us and which will bring satisfaction both to the Principality of Monaco, which has invested in this truly beautiful and extraordinary work, and for the citizens of Ventimiglia. Liguria was the first nautical production district in Italy and it is nice to see places like this, where the boats built by our workers are housed.”

I thank those who believed in this initiative and contributed to creating this jewel: the Principality of Monaco, the Municipality of Ventimiglia and also the Liguria Region. Whatever the Principality intends to do here, it will have an attentive and present partner in the Region.”

Photo credits: Cala del Forte

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Everything you need to know about Monaco Art Week

by: Stephanie Horsman
05/07/2021

Monaco Art Week returns to the Principality this July, joining together galleries, auction houses, collectors and art lovers for the largest art show in Monaco. 
Monaco Art Week was created in 2018 as a way to bring together auction houses, galleries and institutions to promote the artistic offerings in the Principality. This year, after being forced to take a hiatus last year due to the health crisis, it is back for its third edition and is proposing a wide variety of art and artists from 13th to 18th July.
The week will give art lovers a chance to see paintings ranging from classic to modern to contemporary, as would be expected from a top-flight art show. But Art Week Monaco doesn’t stop there. The event will also feature different mediums, including photography, installations, graffiti art and sculpture, making it a great all-rounder for those interested in all types of artistic expression.
One of the unique aspects of the fair is that it is not static. Pieces can be found at several locations around the Principality following a route. The first stop is the Condamine at the NM Contemporary Gallery, whose space has been transformed by the optical installations of Vincenzo Marsiglia. The Italian artist has other works on display at the Venice Architecture Biennial.

GALERIE L’ENTREPÔT & ART-BOX.STORE – Jean Antoine Hierro, La Tentation, 2016, Mixed media on canvas, 215 x 310 cm

Next up in the district is Art-Box.Store, located in the basement of the Galerie l’Entrepôt, featuring three artists – Jean Antoine Hierro, ManouMarzban and Joris Brantuas, whose genres straddle performance and street art.
The final stop in the Condamine is at Daniel Boeri & Magdalena Gabriel presenting two artists whose inspiration is nature. Sonia Falcone and Pierre Bonnefille offer up works on paper for their exhibit entitled Royal Love.
In the Monte-Carlo district, visitors can head to Galerie Adriano Ribolzi, which is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Maison Ribolzi by hosting painting-sculptures by Italian artist Sergio Fermariello.
Next door at the MF Toninelli Art Moderne Gallery, where visitors are asked to book an appointment, there are works by artists such as Hans Arp and Constantin Bråncusi. Then, just steps away, guests can visit Sotheby’s pop-up, the first of its kind, with a selection of modern and contemporary paintings as well as designer pieces.
Next up is Moretti Fine Art who are known for being Italian Renaissance Masters experts. They will be unveiling a piece representing the Virgin and Child done by Sienese artist Sano di Pietro (1405-1481). After this, Wannenes Art Contact auction house presents a preview of jewellery and objects that will soon be going under the gavel.
The route continues as Artcurial displays modern and contemporary sculptures as part of their Monaco Sculptures Programme in collaboration with SBM. The pieces are exhibited in the heart of the Principality and will officially be sold this month.
HAUSER & WIRTH – Louise Bourgeois

Opposite the Casino, visitors will no doubt easily spot one of Louise Bourgeois’ enormous spider sculptures, marking the entry to Hauser and Wirth’s enchanting new space. The gallery’s inaugural event is celebrating Bourgeois’ works.
Heading toward Larvotto is the Galeries Bartoux who have works by two artists who left their mark on the Principality, Jean-Michel Folon and Fernando Botero.
In the Larvotto district, the Kamil Art Gallery is presenting pieces by German painter Eric Massholder with his exhibition called Monte Verita. Just next door, the G&M Gallery is dedicating its Knife Egde exhibition to the work of Mark Evans, including his interesting work on leather.
Monaco Moder’Art Gallery is next up, showing the fantastic paintings by local son Philippe Pastor, whose work focuses on the protection of the environment, completely in sync with the place he calls home.
On the border between Larvotto and Saint Roman is Espace 22. They are hosting an exhibit of the Fight AIDS Association’s philanthropic project led by Julien-Daniel Gueudet featuring photos from a book and a workshop.
Finally, an “outside the walls” event is being organised by NM Contemporary in conjunction with Mazzoleni Torino-London. This special event will be held by reservation only on 16th and 17th July in the home of a private collector in Eze-Bord-de-Mer and is entitled Le Dejeuner sur l’Herbe curated by Gaspare Luigi Marcone featuring works by Nina Carini, Andrea Francolino, Goldschmied & Chiari, David Reimondo and Fabio Roncato.
 
Top photo: Artcurial Tony Cragg
 
 

Terminal 1 reopens for summer

by: Stephanie Horsman
05/07/2021

Nice Côte d’Azur Airport is temporarily reopening Terminal 1 to accommodate passengers coming in from higher risk zones.
Perhaps it’s a harbinger of better things to come as Nice Côte d’Azur Airport makes the announcement of the reopening, albeit temporarily, of Terminal 1 between 21st July and 7th September.
The decision comes just as the European Union launches health passes allowing freer movement between member state countries, and the airport will continue to use Terminal 2 for most of these flights. Terminal 1 will, alternatively, be used as an area for certain international flights, namely those coming from or going to places that are subject to stricter controls. The use of this terminal will streamline operations there and take pressure off Terminal 2.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, all of our airport partners have consistently demonstrated flexibility, agility, and adaptability, if not anticipation, to protect the health and also the comfort of our passengers. This reopening is part of this approach and will last as long as necessary,” said Franck Goldnadel, Chairman of the Board of Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur.
Terminal 1 passengers will benefit from the reopening of several shops, as well as food and drink outlets.
The Terminal reopening also roughly coincides with the return of long-haul flights coming into France’s third busiest airport. On 2nd July, an Emirates flight coming from Dubai landed at the airport, the first of many scheduled over the summer months.
This simple act of a flight landing from outside the EU has raised spirits for travellers and employees, who see it as the first steps in a resumption of normalcy. It was quickly followed on 3rd July by the first flight coming in from New York City.
“Our destination Côte d’Azur France is once again directly linked to the American continent,” said David Lisnard, President of the CRT Côte d’Azur France. ‘I am delighted with the resumption of this line and this first full inaugural flight is testimony to the unique links between the Côte d’Azur and the United States, at the end of this unprecedented crisis.”
Nice Côte d’Azur served up to 120 destinations pre-Covid. They will not come close to touching the kind of schedule they normally would run in summer, but they are expecting to handle over 1,000 flights per week. That’s roughly 400 less flights than usually would be found in the skies around the region for this time of year.
“We are around 55% of 2019 traffic,” says Franck Goldnadel. “This is mostly because we have almost 50% more traffic than last summer. It is good for the teams of the airport and to all economic players on the Côte d’Azur.”
The optimism is encouraging for sure, but it is still estimated that things will not go fully back to normal until 2023 or 2024. In the meantime, travellers, local merchants and airline workers can rejoice in the small victories and enjoy a far less restricted summer.
 
 
 
Photo of Nice Côte d’Azur Airport, source Pixabay
 
 
 

Revealed: New 'Grace de Monaco' brand, all proceeds go to the arts

by: Cassandra Tanti
05/07/2021

It was a heavily veiled secret as the Princess Grace Foundation USA called philanthropists and exclusive media to the Hôtel de Paris courtyard on Friday evening. The vibrant, live display set the scene for what promised to be a big reveal.
And it was. Grace de Monaco – a worldwide icon and forever Monaco’s sweetheart, is now a global brand that is setting a new standard at the intersection of luxury and philanthropy, an important new chapter in her iconic legacy.
“Even when she passed away, Grace had so many long-term relationships with Cartier, Mont Blanc, Dior, who were all continuing to create incredible products around her brand,” Brisa Carleton, CEO of the Princess Grace Foundation USA, tells Monaco Life. “This is a continuation, but it was important to the Princely family to make sure that her story was being told.”
The first in the Grace de Monaco line of sustainably-produced luxury products is a signature fragrance, Promenade sur le Rocher, presented on Friday to her son, Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Photo of Prince Albert receiving a bottle of the Grace de Monaco perfume, by Gaetan Luci, Prince’s Palace

“I was a bit nervous working for this project because Princess Grace is such a legend,” perfume creator Olivier Cresp reveals to Monaco Life, “but I knew that she really loved roses, so I mixed a duo of roses from Grasse and Bulgaria, quite powerful, feminine roses of excellent quality, and I added jasmin from India. That’s the classic, timeless fragrance. Then, in order to make it more avant-garde, I used fractions of patchouli and musk, and added warmth with some vanilla. And that’s it – a very minimalist, natural and modern fragrance that I am sure is going to be a great success.”
It is certainly an intoxicatingly romantic blend encased in an equally exquisite bottle, the design of which was kept secret even from the perfumer himself until this evening. Beautiful, dramatic, artistic … just as Princess Grace would have had it.
“When the foundation got in touch and asked if I could do something for them, of course I was deeply honoured, because Princess Grace is so iconic,” says bottle designer Jérôme Faillant-Dumas, who has worked for the likes of Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent. “I thought to myself, ‘Ok, if she were alive, what would she love to have for herself?’ So, I gave the bottle some haute couture spirit – golden ‘jewellery’ with a jasmin flower, frosted straight lines that must be done by hand on each bottle. The box also has embossed flowers – it is all very haute couture.”
Photo by Gaetan Luci, Prince’s Palace

The Grace de Monaco brand was inspired by the luxurious setting and timeless feeling of the French Riviera, and through this new initiative the Princess Grace Foundation aims to inspire and educate a new generation about her legacy.
The perfume had its soft launch in Monaco to give the local community time to “connect” with the brand, says Brisa Carleton, ahead of its global launch next year.
“We chose to start with a fragrance because it is less about a product and more about a sense and a feel, so people can start feeling Princess Grace here again. Then we will move into other very limited product lines. We will always be ultra-luxury and highly curated, very exclusive products as is appropriate for an icon.”
Photo of Christopher Le Vine, Brisa Carleton, Prince Albert and John F. Lehman, Chairman Princess Grace Foundation-USA, by Gaetan Luci, Prince’s Palace

Brisa Carleton was brought in as CEO two years ago to usher the Princess Grace Foundation USA into a new era and explore alternative business models. Much of that time has been impacted by the Covid pandemic.
“That is partly what inspired us in doing this now, there has never been more of a need to fund the arts,” says Brisa Carleton. “We are excited to be blazing a new trail that will hopefully create a recurring revenue stream so that in ups and downs, the arts can continue to be funded.”
Uniquely, 100% of the proceeds of the Grace de Monaco brand go to the Princess Grace Foundation USA’s charitable activities.
“This brand is wholly owned by the foundation, so it really is luxury for good in every sense of the word,” says Brisa.
To finish the spectacular launch, Prince Albert had these words:
“It is my hope that you will support this project and serve as its ambassadors around the world. Please help us to ensure this endeavour thrives so that tomorrow’s extraordinary artists can achieve their dreams.”
For more information, visit the website: https://gdmonaco.com/en
 
Photos by Gaetan Luci, Prince’s Palace…
 

 
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Drama filled Austrian Grand Prix

by: Stephanie Horsman
05/07/2021

The Austrian Grand Prix was not without excitement or drama as Verstappen continues his dominance, Leclerc gets forced off the track twice by Sergio Perez, and nine drivers get called up by the stewards for incidents during the race.
Monegasque Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc had a tricky time of it at the Austrian Grand Prix over the weekend. As he was battling for eighth place in the 41st lap, he was forced into the gravel by Sergio Perez, who was slapped with a five second penalty. Before Perez could even serve the penalty, he shoved Leclerc into the gravel a second time, earning himself another penalty.
The Ferrari driver finished in eighth place whilst teammate Carlo Sainz did extremely well, finishing fifth. It appears there are no hard feelings between Leclerc and Perez though, as Leclerc took to social media without even mentioning the incident, saying, “Tried our best to make things happen but there weren’t as many opportunities to overtake today. We managed to move forward but had the pace to do better than P8.”
But Perez wasn’t letting himself off lightly, telling Autosport after the race: “It’s not nice when you have this type of issue, but he knows from my side that I’m not that type of driver and that I’m not comfortable with myself. We were on very dirty air, very hot tyres, very hot brakes, and we were just trying to brake as late as possible, obviously. I haven’t seen the incidents, but I’m very sorry if I ended up affecting his race because Charles is a driver that races very hard, but always on the limit and I’m the same. So, I’m not happy with myself in that.”
This was but one incident on the day. In all, nine drivers were summoned to the stewards for incidents that occurred during the race. In addition to Leclerc and Perez, George Russell, Kimi Raikkonen, Carlos Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly, Nicholas Latifi, Nikita Mazepin and Antonio Giovinazzi were asked to report to the stewards. There is a possibility that, depending on the outcome, there will be a shift in the rankings on the day, but as yet this is still an unknown.
Max Verstappen finished in the top spot, whilst the once unbeatable Lewis Hamilton didn’t even make the podium, finishing fourth. Valtteri Bottas came in second and third went to Lando Norris.
The next race will be on 18th July when the racing moves to the UK for the British Grand Prix.
 
 
Photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Press Office