Monaco’s Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace has put out a call for blood donations, saying stocks of all blood types are needed.
The Principality’s main hospital requires 5,000 blood donations each year in order to maintain supplies.
From cancer sufferers and those undergoing chemotherapy to patients in need of transfusions due to surgery, burns or conditions such as haemophilia, blood supplies are essential for the treatment of a number of conditions and illnesses in Monaco. On top of this, the Principality also has an agreement with France that allows the two nations to share supplies when needed.
But due to a fall in regular donations during the summer months, supplies at the CHPG are running low, leading to a call for donors new and familiar to the system.
“We need all blood types,” says Dr. Mélanie Rinaudo Gaujous, Head of the Blood Transfusion Center at CHPG.
Who can give blood in Monaco?
Adults aged between 18 and 70 are able to give blood in Monaco, but there are some limitations. For example, those who have previously received a blood transfusion or a skin graft are unable to give blood, as are people who spent a year or more in the UK between 1980 and 1996. Similarly, those who suffer from cardiovascular conditions, have had a stroke or been diagnosed with cancer are unable to donate.
For a full list of the contraindications, click here.
To organise an appointment to give blood at the CHPG, click here.
The Princess Grace Foundation USA has revealed the winners of the 2024 Princess Grace Awards with 18 talents newcomers making the cut alongside 11 Honoraria recipients.
Continuing the legacy of Princess Grace of Monaco and her dedication to the arts, the Princess Grace Foundation USA hands out annual prizes to exceptionally talented young people who are starting out in dance, theatre and film. In all, over 900 artists have been welcomed into the fold.
Every year, the eponymous Foundation rewards a handful of beneficiaries by offering grants, networking opportunities and career development opportunities, and in 2024 a group of 18 have been selected alongside 11 Honoraria winners.
Desiré Graham (Theater 2024). Photo source: PGF USA
This year, as part of the Foundation’s 40th-anniversary, recipients have been placed into one of four categories: The Princess Grace Award, Special Project Grant, Grace Kelly Scholarship and, for the first time since 2019, the Princess Grace Statue Award, an unrestricted $25,000 grant given to distinguished previous award winners for achievements above and beyond.
This year’s winners are Pulitzer Prize contender and playwright, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and theatre and film director Lila Neugebauer, who won best revival of a play at the 77th Annual Tony Awards for her work on the theatre rendition of Appropriate.
“I am delighted to announce the 2024 Princess Grace Award winners and Honoraria recipients. As we celebrate 40 years of unparalleled grant making and a steadfast commitment to extraordinary artistry, I thank our esteemed artistic luminaries who serve as Arts Advisory Council members and panellists,” said Diana Kemppainen, President of the Princess Grace Foundation USA. “Their discerning judgment and dedication have been instrumental in selecting this distinguished cohort of artists in theatre, dance and film. We eagerly anticipate the contributions these artists will make to the cultural landscape.”
Anna J. Takayama (Film 2024) on set of The Voice Actress (2022). Photo source: PGF USA
A gala will be held for all the award winners at New York City’s Pierre Hotel on 23rd October. For a full list of all the honourees, click here.
Main photo: Amari Frazier (Dance 2024) performing with A.I.M by Kyle Abraham the piece, YEAR, at the Krannert Center. YEAR was choreographed by Andrea Miller. Photo by Chris Strong.
Photos: Prince Albert II joins Emmanuel Macron at WWII Provence Landings commemorations
80 years after the Allied forces landed in Provence and began the historic Operation Dragoon on 15th August 1944, Monaco’s Prince Albert II has joined French President Emmanuel Macron in paying tribute to the thousands of soldiers who participated in Operation Dragoon.
At a moving ceremony on 15th August in Saint-Raphaël, Prince Albert stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the French leader as he and several other heads of state commemorated the Provence Landings of WWII.
Under the code name of Operation Dragoon, US troops landed in the south of France during the summer of 1944 with the goal of securing important maritime ports and locations along this stretch of the Mediterranean coast.
Primarily led by US, British and Canadian troops, some 100,000 of soldiers invaded the region, which was under German control, by night. The naval assault on 18 beaches between Toulon and Cannes was by and large a resounding success; by the end of the month, the Allied forces involved in the operation had liberated much of the region and had begun their advance into the Rhône Valley. By 3rd September, the Principality of Monaco was also liberated.
The ceremony commemorating the efforts of these soldiers was held at the Nécropole Nationale de Boulouris, a military cemetry in the Var where 464 French soldiers have been laid to rest.
Among those who attended the event were former French President Nicolas Sarkozy and nearly a dozen African leaders and government representatives from Cameroon, Togo, the Central African Republic, Burkina Faso and Senegal.
The presence of the African delegations, which included former servicemen, was significant as the initial batch of US, British and Canadian troops who landed on 15th August 1944 were followed up by 250,000 other soldiers, some of whom were recruited forcibly from France’s overseas colonies.
From misty English landscapes and the enchanting canals of Venice to the famous Blue Rigi, ‘Turner’s Sublime Legacy’ at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco paints a vivid portrait of J.M.W. Turner’s enduring influence on art and imagination.
The traditional press preview, led by Curator Elizabeth Brooke, was held on Thursday 4th July, with a large contingent of local and international press guided through the expansive exhibition.
Earlier, Neil McConnon, Director of International Partnerships at Tate, which holds the largest collection of Turner works, addressed the crowd of journalists.
“You can imagine my great delight when we were approached by the Grimaldi Forum Monaco to present the works from Turner, pushing the boundaries of what Tate has done before,” he said proudly. “We’ve embarked on a remarkable journey with the Forum; we’ve selection 40 iconic Turner paintings, but more so, we have juxtaposed that with works by contemporary artists who have been inspired by Turner and the sublime. We couldn’t have hoped for a better partner to stage this show.”
A journey into the universe of Joseph Mallord William Turner
The Grimaldi Forum’s expansive exhibition space, spanning over 2,000 square meters, provides ample room to create various scenes and ambiences. Information panels in each area explain the curation process and offer detailed descriptions of some of the most significant artworks.
“This exhibition shows the breadth of what he did. Turner painted and made art every day of his life, so it goes through all the different emotions and phases he would have felt every day of his life,” said Elizabeth Brooke. “You can feel that it is a body of work that amounts to a person as well; he has experienced and seen so much of Europe and the world, and travelled so much for someone of his time, and I think you feel that in the range that is in the exhibition.”
‘Moonlight, a Study at Millbank’. Photo by Monaco Life
It all begins with A Darkened Room, because when Turner invited guests into his home and gallery in London, he was said to have asked them to wait briefly in a darkened room before continuing into the gallery itself. This ceremony also mirrors Turner’s appreciation for spectacle, evident in the stories he narrated about himself and the dramatic sensibilities of the Romantic era in which he was active.
Turner was preoccupied with light and its effects throughout his career, and here we see one of Turner’s most important pieces, ‘Moonlight, a Study at Millbank’, created around 1797. It is an early example of Turner’s fascination with atmospheric effects and his ability to capture the nuanced interplay of light and shadow.
‘Totality’ by Katie Paterson. Photo by Monaco Life
Next, ‘Totality’ by Katie Paterson (born 1981) also focuses on the representation of light and darkness with her giant disco ball, on which photographs of almost all of the solar eclipses documented to date are printed – thousands of images that are projected into the room in a rotating motion for a truly mesmerising result.
The dramatic British landscape is the focus of the next room. After all, it was Turner’s detailed depictions of places like the Lake District and the craggy coves of Cornwall that first established his reputation. This is juxtaposed with the works of land artist Richard Long (born 1945), and his process of immersing oneself in the environment.
Richard Long’s monumental sculpture is exhibited alongside Turner’s painting. Photo by Monaco Life
The blue room that follows takes visitors ‘Into the Mountains’, highlighting Turner’s fascination with the dramatic scenery of the Alps following his tour of Europe in 1802. As well as the impressive Alpine scenery, Turner was fascinated by the unique light and atmospheric qualities of the mountains.
Turner’s mastery of light and colour inspired the likes of Monet and the French impressionists, and his approach has influenced generations of international artists since, like Peter Doig (born 1959), whose series of 30 photographs, taken over 20 years, are also presented and document the tragedy of melting glaciers.
‘Sublime History’ at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco. Photo by Monaco Life
‘Historical Sublime’ is a spectacular display of Turner’s mastery of history paintings, in which he took classical scenes and applied pioneering painting techniques to appeal to a less idealised generation.
‘Venice: Sublime City’ reveals Turner’s unique works that express all the beauty and melancholy of the Venetian experience, while the works of Howarde Hodgkin (1932-2017) show the fascination that the city continues to exert on visual artists.
One of the most exciting pieces the is ‘Blue Rigi’, one of Turner’s most famous works.
“It is a water colour, which means that Tate were obliged to follow certain rest periods because of the light exposure,” explains Elizabeth Brooke. “You can only see the Blue Rigi for 16 months every two years.”
Each section of the exhibition evokes a different emotion in the viewer. Photo by Monaco Life
‘Storm at Sea’ features a collection of seascapes, which make up more than half of Turner’s oeuvre. This selection includes paintings of whaling ships, fishing boats, shipwrecks and naval battles. These artworks rank among his most powerful and evocative, vividly portraying the peril of the ocean and humanity’s helplessness against its relentless force.
The exhibition finishes with ‘Late Turner: Elemental Sublime’, his purely elemental depictions of light and atmosphere.
“His contemporaries considered these as unfinished,” explains Elizabeth Brooke as the tour winds up in a cathedral-like setting. “However, the sheer number of these paintings that remained in Tuner’s studio after his death suggest the artist was very satisfied with the finished result.”
An audio visual installation in the ‘Turner’s Sublime Legacy’ exhibition at the Grimaldi Forum. Photo by Monaco Life
Overall, ‘Turner’s Sublime Legacy’ provides an extraordinary journey into the world of this immensely influential artist, a passionate observer of nature’s grandeur. The collaboration with Tate has enabled Monaco to present an exhibition that allows visitors to experience Turner’s work from a fresh perspective, and the contemporary artists who have drawn inspiration from this iconic master.
Ticket information
‘Turner’s Sublime Legacy’ runs from 6th July to 1st September 2024. Admission is €14 for adults, free for children under 18, and discounted fees apply for groups, students, seniors and SNCF train ticket holders.
Public and private guided tours are available, as well as digital audio guides for an additional €6.
The Yacht Club de Monaco, designed by the eminent British architect Lord Norman Foster, first opened its doors back in June 2014, and was a marvel of beauty, elegance and sustainable construction techniques. Now, a decade later, has the iconic building stood the test of time?
The Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) was, from the start, a special place. Designed by Lord Norman Foster, known for his modernist glass and steel structures, the hi-tech edifice fashioned in the shape of an ocean liner was created to impress.
With 5,000m2 of interior space and 4,000m2 of outdoor terraces, the 204-metre-long Yacht Club was destined to be a focal point of the Principality due to its immense size alone, but it was the way it was made that particularly stood out.
FOSTER’S PLAN
Foster was a pioneer in sustainable design – a concept we throw casually about today but was still in its infancy in 2014. He built the YCM on a philosophy, one that challenged conventional practices by making efforts to seamlessly integrate the building with its surroundings as well to use renewable energies and practices to make it energy efficient.
The YCM is a unique social hub for the Principality. Photo by Monaco Life
The mild Mediterranean climate certainly helped make his job easier. Solar panels, sea water based heating and cooling systems and clever facades to make natural ventilation a snap were incorporated into the design, as was the use of local materials when possible to keep the overall carbon footprint down.
SOCIAL ASPECT
The YCM was certainly purpose-built to accommodate the maritime and yachting world, but it also was intended to be a social hub for the Principality.
“The building is a little like a city in microcosm,” said Lord Foster back in 2014, “with schools, parks, offices, restaurants, a network of interior circulation ‘streets’ and a hierarchy of public and private, social and functional spaces. It is a continuation of Monaco’s dense urban fabric, as well as the yacht club’s traditions and will be an important part of civic life.”
Indeed, it has become just such a focal point, and is host to events and functions year-round, including the obvious boat-related fare, like sailing regattas and the Monaco Yacht Show, but also symposiums, conferences, cocktail events and as a sought-after place to view the Monaco Grand Prix each May.
As Bernard d’Alessandri said in an interview with Monaco Life in February of this year, “This 10th anniversary of the new clubhouse is significant, as we wanted to reflect the international ambitions of the Principality… But the YCM also has a public service mission to promote as a yachting destination.”
The Yacht Club de Monaco 10th anniversary book
ANOTHER ANNIVERSARY!
Lest we forget YCM was part of the Monegasque landscape long before its most current form. This year marks a milestone for the club for another reason – the 40th anniversary of Prince Albert II at the helm as President. To celebrate, the Yacht Club de Monaco has published a beautiful coffee table book, simply entitled Yacht Club de Monaco, loaded with gorgeous photos, anecdotes and stories from author Jill Bobrow and a foreword from the Prince himself. This collector’s edition costs €105 and be found here https://eu.assouline.com/products/yacht-club-de-monaco?country=FR
For those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the Principality, the South of France offers a range of boutique hotels that provide a more intimate getaway experience. Monaco Life has compiled a guide to a selection of Boutique hotels for a relaxing escape.
Sezz Saint-Tropez is a five-star design boutique hotel that offers modern amenities, including an outdoor pool, a spa, and guest rooms with private patios. The hotel’s Restaurant Colette serves grilled meat and fish, while the Dom Pérignon Bar provides poolside drinks. For more information, click here: Hotel Sezz Saint-Tropez .
La TartaneSaint Amour is another Saint Tropez gem in a green oasis. This five-star hotel has a pampering spa and gourmet dining and caters to those seeking a more luxurious experience. For more information, click here: La Tartane Saint-Tropez .
Hotel Tartane in St. Tropez
Muse, outside Saint Tropez, is a sanctuary of simplicity for those seeking a more serene escape. This five-star hotel is designed for relaxation, with its deluxe rooms, tranquil outdoor pool, and a seafood restaurant. For more information, click here: MUSE Saint-Tropez .
Chic hideaways
In Saint-Tropez, White 1921, also found in Courchevel, is a chic little hotel designed by the renowned architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte. Housed in a former mansion, its minimalist and contemporary interiors offer a sophisticated ambience, complemented by a sleek cocktail bar. For more information, click here: White 1921 Hotels l.
Hotel Particulier Arles
A similar concept can be found in Arles, where L’Hotel Particulier is a boutique hotel in a grand mansion in the city centre. Its 13 luxurious bedrooms are split between contemporary and traditional wings, offering comfort and elegance. For more information, click here: ~ Hotel Particulier.
La Maison du Frêne in Vence, a place known to have housed renowned artists over the centuries, is another great choice for a chic hideaway, set in an 18thCentury townhouse adorned with contemporary artworks by Hockney and others. For more information, click here: La Maison du Frêne in Vence.
La Maison du Frene in Vence
Rustic elegance and gourmet escapes
For those seeking a rural escape, Chateau de Massillan, located in Provence, is a renovated chateau set amidst parklands and a lake. The interiors are contemporary, and the hotel features a spa, a dedicated wine-tasting room, and modern French cuisine. For more information, click here: Château de Massillan).
Hotel Alain Llorca, also in the Provencal countryside in La Colle sur Loup, offers traditional and elegant interiors with a garden and a pool. However, the Michelin-starred restaurant steals the show, serving exceptional regional dishes that reflect the local terrain. For more information, click here: Alain Llorca.
Chateau de Massillan
Closer to the Principality, in the hills above Cannes and opposite Mougins, Les Rosees provides a French guest house experience. For more information, click here: LES ROSEES.
Hostellerie de L’Abbaye de la Celle, set among vineyards in Provence, provides elegant rooms with Louis XVI-style furniture. The Michelin-starred restaurant serves dishes made from local produce, offering a rustic yet romantic stay in the heart of Provence. For more information, click here: Hostellerie de l’Abbaye de la Celle.
For a unique experience, Couvent d’Herepian is situated in a renovated convent in Héraultais surrounded by vineyards. This hotel is an intriguing choice for a rural retreat with a wine cellar, spa, and various outdoor activities. For more information, click here: The Convent of Hérépian.
