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Month: July 2022

Princess Grace-inspired jewellery collection unveiled at Palace

by: Cassandra Tanti
17/07/2022

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene have welcomed guests to the Palace to celebrate and showcase a new jewellery collection by Van Cleef and Arpels in support of the Princess Grace Foundation USA.

The new creations, inspired by Princess Grace, were unveiled on 14th July, the same day the pieces became exclusively available in three boutiques in Monaco, Cannes, and Place Vendôme in Paris.

The new Van Cleef and Arpels collection features a Vintage Alhambra long necklace, a pendant, and a bracelet.

“With each piece of jewellery, the warmth of yellow gold unites with the iridescence of gold mother-of-pearl and the sparkle of diamonds. The reflections multiply from one motif to another, giving rise to creations imbued with a sunny elegance,” says the jeweller of its new collection.

The pieces will only be available for 18 months with a portion of the profits to be donated to the Princess Grace Foundation USA.

“In keeping with the organisation’s commitment to emerging artists, Van Cleef and Arpels reaffirms its dedication to the arts and to Grace Kelly’s majestic legacy,” said the company.

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene with Brisa Carleton, CEO of the Princess Grace Foundation USA (far right), and representatives of Van Cleef & Arpels, photo by Eric Mathon/Prince’s Palace

“Two years ago the Princess Grace Foundation USA launched Grace Influential with the goal of ensuring new generations continue to be inspired by Princess Grace’s ongoing influence and impact,” Brisa Carleton, CEO of the Princess Grace Foundation USA, told Monaco Life. “One of our proudest collaborations as part of this new initiative is our partnership with Van Cleef and Arpels. It’s been a privilege to work with such an iconic company and one that has such close personal history with Princess Grace and Monaco. We are delighted that proceeds from this exclusive collection will go directly toward continuing Princess Grace’s legacy supporting emerging artists in theatre, dance and film.”

Grace Kelly had an affection for the maison when she lived in the United States. In 1956, Prince Rainier III gave her a pearl and diamond set from Van Cleef & Arpels as a wedding present, which she kept for the rest of her life. The following year, as a result of that commission, Van Cleef and Arpels became the Official Supplier to the Principality of Monaco.

Princess Grace expanded her personal collection over the years with high jewellery creations, such as the diamond and sapphire Daisy clip (1956), as well as jewels she wore on a daily basis, including animal clips from the ‘La Boutique’ collection and various Alhambra long necklaces.

“Whether in yellow gold, white mother-of-pearl, onyx or malachite, this iconic creation adorned the elegant princess on various occasions in her public and private life,” reveals the house. “

Princess Charlene wearing the tiara/necklace created by Van Cleef & Arpels and gifted to her by Prince Albert

“Today, the Maison maintains its relationship with the Principality of Monaco through prestigious commissions such as the Océan necklace, which can be transformed into a tiara; a gift from Prince Albert to his wife, Princess Charlene,” it added.

The Princess Grace Foundation USA is dedicated to honouring the legacy of Princess Grace of Monaco. Her commitment to advance the arts in the United States is sustained by the Princess Grace Award which supports and elevates extraordinary early career artists in theatre, dance and film through game-changing grants, and nurtures and supports Princess Grace Award winners throughout their careers.

 

 

 

Top photo by Eric Mathon/Prince’s Palace

 

 

 

 

Paul McCarthy’s Pirates Stew Pot in Monaco

by: Cassandra Tanti
16/07/2022

Hauser and Wirth’s new exhibition by Paul McCarthy is a timely reflection on the links between violence, depravity and masculinity, despite the 20 years that have passed since its inception.

‘Paul McCarthy. Pirates Stew Pot’ at Hauser and Wirth Monaco marks the 20th anniversary of McCarthy’s Pirate Project. One of his most important bodies of work, the show highlights the artist’s dedication to this theme across multiple strands since 2001. Originally stemming from Paul McCarthy and his son Damon’s fascination with the Disneyland amusement park attraction ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, the selection of works includes sculpture, drawing, video and photography, and explores the complex universe of the pirate theme.

McCarthy’s pirate world offers an allegory of society, focusing on a range of unrestrained behaviours or forms of resistance, from untrammelled greed, rampant commercialisation and social ostentation to sadism, perversion, anarchism and corruption. Two decades after its inception, the work continues to be relevant in the context of current global conflicts for the way it addresses the links between violence, depravity and masculinity.

Piggies, Painted – Paul McCarthy 2008/2018. Photo by Monaco Life

“Paul thinks it is very relevant to show the exhibition at this time because of the context of the war on Ukraine,” Gregoire Schnerb tells Monaco Life. “The series started in 2001 when George W. Bush decided to invade Iraq, and throughout the work of Paul, there’s been a denunciation of the American society and all its kitsch; all the positive images it conveys and the parallel with war. On the other hand, there is the image of celebrity, beauty, and wealth, contrasted with imperialism and violence.”

The exhibition in Monaco starts where the project began, with a series of large-scale Pirate Drawings including‘Large Pirate Drawing (Poop Deck)’ and ‘Cut off the Lips’ (2001). These works, McCarthy says, lay bare the psychological sources of this wide-ranging project about the imaginary world of pirate yarns. Enormous sheets of paper serve to gather associations and mould thoughts into pictorial form. Combining charcoal, pencil and marker with collage, McCarthy examines the flow of images from the consumer world and the porn industry.

“It is the second exhibition that we have here in our Monaco space and it is important for us to show the work of Paul McCarthy, to show exactly what the gallery is about,” adds Schnerb. “McCarthy is a central artist and part of our DNA. The artists that we show are linked, and he is representative of the values that we have at the gallery.”

Pig, Paul McCarthy 2003, photo by Monaco Life

Utilising playfully oversized characters and objects, sculptures such as ‘Piggies, Painted’ (2008/2018) and ‘Paula Jones, Painted’ (2007/2018) merge the fantasy Pirate world with figures from the real worlds of politics, philosophy, science, art, literature, film and television. McCarthy locates the traumas lurking behind the American Dream, presented as a Hollywood or Disney-style stage set gone wrong, and identifies their counterparts in the art historical canon.

The exhibition also celebrates ‘Caribbean Pirates,’ an immense two-volume artist’s book by Paul and Damon McCarthy, released in 2019. It details the ongoing endeavour of the Pirate Project, an acclaimed example of McCarthy’s multidisciplinary practice, through photographic documentation and production stills of the performance alongside a text by the artist and an essay by John C. Welchman.

The exhibition will run until the end of summer.

Click on the images below to see more works from Paul McCarthy’s Pirates Stew Pot…

 

 

 

All photos by Cassandra Tanti, Monaco Life

 

 

 

 

A picture is worth a thousand words

by: Cassandra Tanti
16/07/2022

Photographers are once again being encouraged to submit their photos for the RAMOGE – Man of the Sea competition, highlighting the relationship between human activity and the Mediterranean sea, in all their positive and negative dimensions.

‘RAMOGE – Man of the Sea’ (L’Homme et la Mer) international photography competition is on now until 30th September 2022, under the auspices of the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP).

This year, it features an internationally renowned jury, composed of Riccardo Busi (President of FIAP), Greg Lecoeur (Nature Photographer of the Year – National Geographic, 2016), and Sergio Pitamitz (Environmental Photojournalist of the Year – NPPA, 2016).

As part of its awareness-raising activities, the RAMOGE Agreement invites all lovers of the sea and photography to highlight in their photos the relationship between human activities and the Mediterranean in its multiple aspects.

The ‘RAMOGE – L’Homme et la Mer’ competition is divided into three categories for adults: Free theme, L’Homme et la Mer, and RAMOGE Zone, as well as a category dedicated to young people aged under 21. The competition is free and open to all.

To participate, simply register and upload your photos on the RAMOGE website: https://ramoge.org/concours-photos/.

The RAMOGE Agreement is a scientific, technical and administrative cooperation tool between the French, Monegasque and Italian governments for the protection and conservation of the marine environment in the area of sea stretching from Marseille (France) to La Spezia (Italy). Since 1976, the RAMOGE Agreement has been organising awareness-raising initiatives targeting citizens and tourists on key environmental issues concerning the Mediterranean Sea, and is the promoter of this photo contest.

 

Photo of 2021 3rd place winner of the the ‘Man and the Sea’ category: “Pirate Slurp” by Giannicola Marello.

 

 

Monaco’s biggest auction week returns

by: Stephanie Horsman
16/07/2022

Artcurial auction house is taking over the Hotel Hermitage to host Monaco Auction Week, where exceptional, rare and unexpected pieces will go under the gavel and into the homes of collectors from all over the world.

In a fantastic display of incredible items, ranging from jewellery and watches to vintage Hermes bags, and comic strips to artwork, Artcurial is on the case this July when they host a follow up auction to their successful January 2022 event at the Hermitage Hotel.

For lovers of bright and shiny things, the auction house will hold an exhibition of jewellery and precious stones followed by three sales events bringing together a selection of contemporary and antique pieces for every taste and style.

“2022 will definitely be sparkling on Le Rocher this summer,” says Julie Valade, Director of the Jewellery department. “Only a few weeks before our jewellery catalogue was to close, our sale already had many treasures: Cartier, Van Cleef, Bulgari, Chaumet, Boucheron, Buccelatti, Boivin, diamonds including one of over 17cts, stunning sapphires and an exceptional case of emeralds and diamonds from a prestigious private collection. We are preparing for a sale that, once again, is full of promise.”

Artcurial is also selling beautiful timepieces as part of their Sparkling Collection, an exceptional assemblage of nearly 80 ladies’ watches from a private collection. One piece is being called a “hidden treasure from the Thousand and One Nights, which has remained in a chest for more than 40 years and is of remarkable quality.”

Piaget reigns with some 15 lots on offer, but there are also pieces from Vacheron Constantin, Chopard and Longines, featuring watches adorned with diamonds, tiger eye, opal and turquoise dials.

Artcurial has a magnificent selection of Hermes and Luxury handbags going on the block as well.  Beloved and coveted models such as Birkin, Constance, and Kelly bags in summer colours will make any lover of these iconic handbags swoon.

“The Hermès and Luxury Bags sale will offer a selection of handbags in summer colours, with classic leathers and exotic skins on iconic Birkin, Kelly and Constance bags. We will present a lovely array of the most beautiful pieces made by the craftsmen of Maison Hermès,” says Alice Leger, Hermes and Luxury bag specialist at Artcurial.

Comic strips by Enki Bilal

Monaco will hold a “first” in the sale of matchless comic strips by Enki Bilal. The sale will include 25 drawings, dealing with themes of time and memory.

“For the first time, Artcurial Monaco will dedicate a sale to Enki Bilal, the contemporary French artist who portrays a colourful and avant-garde world,” says Eric Leroy, Comic Strips expert at Artcurial.

Finally, Monaco Sculptures is back for the third edition with a selection of pieces by leading 20th century artists such as Wang Keping, Bernar Venet, Christian Lapie and Philippe Hiquily.

An open-air gallery will be set up in Monte-Carlo, from the gardens of Petite Afrique to the Saint-James, from Beaumarchais Square to the Hôtel de Paris, the Hermitage and the Monte-Carlo Beach. Artcurial will also present a lot of five pinwheel roses in varying sizes to benefit the Monegasque Red Cross’s effort in Ukraine.

Monaco Auction Week takes place from 15th to 21st July.

 

 

Image: Comic by Enki Bilal, Le Sommeil du monstre. This article was originally published on 28th June 2022

 

 

Alicia Keys live in Casino Square

by: Stephanie Horsman
15/07/2022

The countdown is on until American pop diva Alicia Keys performs for this year’s Monaco Red Cross Ball in an open-air concert at the heart of Monte-Carlo. This is how the night is set to unfold…

After the success of last year’s party on the square, the Red Cross will be hosting its gala’s musical entertainment on the Place du Casino. This year, for their 73rd edition, they have enticed American pop superstar Alicia Keys to the stage.

The evening will start with a welcome cocktail on the Terrasses du Soleil at 7:30pm where model Adriana Karembeu and pop artist Imany will lay out the 2022 actions of the Monaco Red Cross, then present the raffle of five amazing prizes. The party then makes its way to the Casino Square where a short film detailing the Red Cross’s actions will be screened.

Then it’s time for the main event. Alicia Keys is set to perform some of her famous hits including If I Ain’t Got You and Girl on Fire,  as well as introducing the audience to new works.

Artist and environmental activist Philippe Pastor will be offering to the Monaco Red Cross a painting called Les Arbres Brûlés (The Burned Trees), a piece using living matter including soil, natural pigments minerals and plants.

The Red Cross Ball is an annual tradition in the Principality and showcases the daily work the organisation does for the most vulnerable. It also is a way to pay tribute to those who donate to the Red Cross making their work possible.

The Monaco Red Cross was founded in 1948 by Prince Louis II and was recognised that same year by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. It is one of 190 national entities under that umbrella.

Prince Albert II is at the helm as President of the association, and this year will celebrate 40 years in the post. The Prince has ensured the Monaco Red Cross plays an active role on the national and international scenes and has been very hands on over the years.

 

Photo source: Monte-Carlo SBM

 

 

 

 

Nice Airport launches new summer destinations

by: Stephanie Horsman
14/07/2022

From Transylvania to Iceland, Sardinia to Crete, Nice Airport welcomed a host of new airlines and new routes in July. So, where are you heading this summer?

With all the bad press surrounding air travel this summer in Europe, it’s nice to hear a bit of good news with Nice Airport adding some fantastic new flights to some very travel-worthy spots.

At the start of July, perennial low-cost favourite EasyJet added two flights a week to Alghero, Sardinia, as well as three flights per week from Nice to Brest. Both flights run out of Terminal 2, with the flight to Alghero running until 4th September and the one to Brest until 28th October. These flights feature reasonable ticket prices, even during the peak months of the summer season.

Nice Airport has added a new airline company to the line-up, as well. Amelia Airlines has been around for 40 years but this is the first time they have added a Nice flight to their itinerary. From now until 3rd September, the airline is offering a weekly flight from Nice to Brive in the enchanting southwest of France. 

Meanwhile, Wizzair has added a flight to mysterious Transylvania and the vibrant city of Cluj. The Nice to Cluj flight runs two flights each week from 1st August to 28th October.

Icelandair has added a Reykjavik routing that allows passengers to visit the natural beauty and warm people of Iceland. They will be running two flights per week in July and August, taking advantage of the short summer season the island nation has to offer.

Air France has also jumped into the fray, adding a new Nice-Crete flight. Travellers will now be able to go to the most populous of the Greek Islands and enjoy the pink sand beaches and clear waters of the coast, as well as the delights of Heraklion three times a week for all of July and August.

Finally, the latest addition at Nice Airport is an Iberia flight to Valencia three times per week in the high season months of July and August. Visit all the city’s offerings, and enjoy the futuristic buildings, planetarium, oceanarium, walks, parks and beaches.

For those looking to stay closer to home, the trains of the region have 30 stops, each one as charming as the last. Take a day trip to a new beach, enjoy one of the many different village restaurants, or just wander through the streets of a town not visited before.

The options are plentiful this summer, so take advantage of the new choices, as well as enjoying the best of the established.

 

 

 

Photo source: Nice Côte d’Azur Airport