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Investigation reopens into Rybolovlev’s art fraud claims

by: Cassandra Tanti
31/07/2022

The long-running billion euro dispute between AS Monaco owner Dmitry Rybolovlev and Swiss art dealer Yves Bouvier has reignited, with Geneva’s criminal court of appeal overturning a dismissal of Rybolovlev’s complaints.

It’s a move that Rybolovlev’s lawyers believe will “swiftly establish the criminal responsibility of Yves Bouvier and his acolytes”, according to a statement obtained by Monaco Life.

The case, often dubbed the Bouvier Affair, has been played out in court rooms across the world, captivating the art community for seven years.

Rybolovlev, recognised as one of the world’s most prominent art collectors, is accusing his former agent Bouvier of having swindled €1.1 billion from him through the €2 billion sales of 38 works of art from 2003 to 2014. In 2017 and 2019, the Russian owner of AS Monaco football club filed two complaints in Geneva against Bouvier and his alleged accomplices Tania Rappo and Jean-Marc Peretti, for gang fraud and money laundering.

In September 2021, the case was dismissed by the district lead prosecutor, Yves Bertossa, who claimed that it was mostly based on evidence collected in a previous criminal procedure in Monaco, which was annulled in 2020 for being “partial and disloyal”.

The prosecutor also considered that the accusations of fraud against Yves Bouvier were “contradicted by many elements”.

But on 26th July, Geneva’s court of appeal ruled that the “possible existence of a deception cannot be denied”. It said that it was “surprising” that the prosecutor in Geneva had dismissed Rybolovlev’s criminal proceedings against Bouvier, Tania Rappo and Jean-Marc Peretti on the grounds of violations of the procedure in Monaco, as “nothing of the kind” had happened in Geneva, Bouvier’s home city.

The case has now been returned to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for further investigation.

According to The Art Newspaper, Bouvier has welcomed the decision of the court, “which will see the Geneva Prosecutor’s Office carry out an additional investigation to further demonstrate the hopelessness of Rybolovlev’s claims,” said his lawyer.

Rybolovlev has brought cases against Bouvier in Monaco, Singapore, the US and Switzerland.

“Yves Bouvier has chosen to plead via media, proclaiming an alternate reality and making egregiously erroneous statements about the case,” said Rybolovlev’s lawyers. “Our clients prefer to rely on the judicial system and salute the independence and the quality of the work of the Geneva judiciary. They have full confidence that the prompt demonstration of the criminal responsibility of Yves Bouvier and his accomplices will be made.”

 

Photo of Dmitry Ryboolovlev by Francknataf

 

 

 

Spain invites Prince Albert to travel back a million years in time

by: Cassandra Tanti
28/07/2022

Prince Albert II on Tuesday travelled to the archaeological site of the Sierra d’Atapuerca near the city of Burgos in Spain to discover the fossil remains of the first human beings to settle in Europe around a million years ago.

Accompanied by Monaco’s Ambassador to Spain Catherine Fautrier-Rousseau, the Prince donned an explorer’s outfit to examine the rich excavation sites.

The Archaeological Site of Atapuerca is located near the city of Burgos, in the Autonomous Community of Castilla y León, in the North of the Iberian Peninsula.

The property encompasses over 284 hectares and contains a rich fossil record of the earliest human beings in Europe, from nearly one million years ago and extending into the Common Era. It’s considered an exceptional scientific reserve that provides priceless information about the appearance and way of life of these remote human ancestors.

Prince Albert exploring the Archaeological Site of Atapuerca, photo credit: G. Luci / Prince’s Palace

Just this summer, a bone from the jaw of what could be the first European hominid aged around 1.4 million years was found during excavations.

Prince Albert began his visit at the site of El Portalón de Cueva Mayor, before heading to the site of Sima del Elefante and that of Cueva Fantasma. He then visited the Museum of Human Evolution (MEH) and the National Centre for Research on Human Evolution (CENIEH).

Photo credit: G. Luci / Prince’s Palace

Countdown to AS Monaco’s curtain-raiser

by: Luke Entwistle
28/07/2022

The end of pre-season fixtures, a contract extension and a new kit release: it has been a busy week at AS Monaco with their season opener against PSV Eindhoven looming.

With under a week until their Champions League tie against PSV, Monaco travelled to the UK to face Premier League side Southampton. In an open, end-to-end and exciting match, Monaco took the lead through a ferocious Aleksandr Golovin strike.

Adam Armstrong levelled the score just after the break after Alexander Nübel could only parry Mohamed Elyounoussi’s initial effort. Stuart Armstrong revered the deficit with a smart finish on the swivel before James Ward-Prowse completed the scoring with a driven finish on the break.

However, despite the 3-1 defeat there were a plethora of positives. Takumi Minamino excited, Golovin looks to have refound his best form at the perfect time and after nine months on the treatment table, Krépin Diatta finally made his long-awaited return. His presence will feel like a new signing, and compliments an already stacked attacking force.

Prior to their trip to St. Mary’s, Monaco drew against Inter Milan before travelling back to Portugal for two games against FC Porto. The Principality side won the first match against Porto’s B team 2-0 thanks to a brace from debutant Breel Embolo. That match was a chance to give minutes to some of the most promising products in Monaco’s academy, with five featuring during the tie.

In the second match on Saturday, Monaco were dealt their first defeat of pre-season. Both sides had chances in the first-half, but two of the best fell to Monaco. Takumi Minamino almost got his first goal in Monégasque colours, but he was denied by a fine stop from the goalkeeper, before Wissam Ben Yedder was also smartly denied.

Porto took the lead from the spot mid-way through the second-half before they doubled their lead just minutes later. Ben Yedder halved the deficit in the dying stages with a well-converted penalty. However, Monaco couldn’t muster an equaliser and the game finished 2-1.

Away kit revealed

In that fixture, Monaco debuted their new away kit for the upcoming season. For their trips away from the Stade Louis II, they will wear a slick, simplistic black and white jersey. As with the home kit, Kappa’s design incorporates the club slogan “Rise, Risk, Repeat” into a modern design. The club’s main partner ‘eToro’ also features on the torso. The club’s crest is fixed in silicone on the heart side, as is the Monégasque crown, which is on the back collar.

Aguilar extends

Ruben Aguilar’s form at the back end of last season has earned the right-back a contract extension. He is now tied down with the Principality side until 2025.

Since his arrival from Montpellier in 2019, Aguilar has made 100 appearances for Monaco, including 39 in all competitions last season. He also featured in nine out of the last ten fixtures of the Ligue 1 campaign: a run of games that propelled them to the podium.

The winter arrival of Vanderson seemingly spelled trouble for Aguilar, but it would be Djibril Sidibé who would see his game time heavily limited. Upon the expiry of his contract this summer, Sidibé left, meaning that Aguilar will contend with Vanderson for a starting spot in Clement’s side next season.

In a press release from the club, sporting director Paul Mitchell said, “In addition to his footballing qualities, Ruben has been an important player who is unanimously appreciated by all the staff and playing squad. His fighting spirit, his ability to put himself at the service of the team and professionalism can be a source of inspiration for the younger players.”

After over two months of waiting, Monaco will finally return to competitive action on Tuesday as they face PSV Eindhoven at the Stade Louis II in the first-leg of their Champions League play-off.

Season ticket holders go free

AS Monaco announced on Wednesday that season ticket holders will be able to access Tuesday’s match against PSV Eindhoven as if it was a regular Ligue 1 match. Ordinarily, season tickets only apply to league matches, but for this season’s curtain-raiser, all season ticket holders will be able to access the Stade Louis II freely. More information on Monaco season tickets can be found here.

 

 

 

 

Artcurial’s Auction Week pulls in nearly €20 million

by: Stephanie Horsman
26/07/2022

Artcurial’s biggest event of the year in Monaco, Auction Week at the Hermitage Hotel, secured €20 million in sales of luxury items and art, marking a 32% rise on last year. Here are the items that fetched top price.

Artcurial closed Auction Week at the Hôtel Hermitage with a bang.

The sale, dedicated to jewellery, watches, Hermès and other branded luxury handbags, comic strips and art, drew a vast number of international collectors this year, exceeding expectations on all fronts. The addition of Monaco Sculptures and a selection of vintage comic strips offered an added bonus to Artcurial’s selection, giving buyers a chance to consider items they may not have thought of collecting before.

Running from 17th to 21st July, the auctions were preceded by an exhibition that was open to the public, giving all a chance to peruse what was going under the gavel.

Piaget reigned supreme in the watch sales with 15 lots on offer, including a rare malachite piece that sold for €111,900. An Audemars Piguet, the special edition of the Code 11.59 model, sold for an eye-watering €708,500.

The jewellery sale was marked by a real bidding battle for an extraordinary emerald-cut 17.50 carat diamond which went for €1,274,400.

Hermès, the legendary leather goods maker, was once again at the heart of this summer session with its iconic models in a huge variety of colours and materials.

Bernar Venet, Acier Corten

“I am happy to take up my duties during this new summer sales session, which is still a great success,” said Olga de Marzio, the newly appointed Director of Artcurial Monaco. “I experienced this week of vacations alongside the teams who, as always, worked to present the most beautiful pieces of jewellery, watches, Hermès and luxury bags, Monaco sculptures and comic strips. We are proud to close Artcurial’s semester of sales with a result of nearly €20 million.”

Artcurial hosts regular auctions throughout the year, featuring art, design pieces, wearable art, cars, books, and more.

Monaco Sculptures, the giant works of art that are dotted throughout the Principality thanks to a partnership with SBM for three years now, pulled in close to €6 million in sales with 80% of the lots sold. Bernar Venet obtained the highest bid of the evening with lot 801, 223.5°Arc14 at €524,800. Meanwhile, a world record was set for the comic strip La Tétralogie du Monstre, which achieved €82,800.

 

 

Top photo: An extraordinary emerald-cut 17.50 carat diamond went for €1,274,400

 

 

 

Xiaoxin Yang: “Sport is never easy, especially during key moments”

by: Luke Entwistle
26/07/2022

After taking out gold at the Mediterranean Games in Oran, Algeria last month, Monegasque table tennis star Xiaoxin Yang sat down with Monaco Life to talk about what it is like to represent her adopted country.

Table tennis has always been Xiaoxin Yang’s passion. Born in China, Yang embraced her country’s national sport from a young age before moving to Europe to ply her trade as a professional with stints in France and then Italy. But it is in the Principality where she has flourished and proudly represented the Principality’s colours.

Seven years after being naturalised in Monaco, she was holding aloft the Principality’s flag at last summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, in what she described to Monaco Life as “a source of pride”. Her journey in Japan ended in the third round with a defeat at the hands of Chinese player Sun Yingsha.

Even prior to that impressive showing in the Olympics, Yang showed that she was capable of vying with the best. She came up just short in the 2018 Mediterranean Games in Tarragona, but that competition provided her with the motivation and the momentum to go one better at this year’s games.

A number one ranking going into the tournament was validation of her improvement. “In 2018 I finished second, it’s true that in the past four years I have progressed well and that’s reflected as well in the global rankings,” she told Monaco Life.

A number one ranking can sometimes be a curse rather than a blessing, but Yang didn’t let any complacency seep into her game.

“I told myself that I am number one going into this competition but that doesn’t mean anything, because if you don’t play well you can lose against anyone. I prepared my matches well, and as the number one, everyone was a bit scared of me. When I’m preparing for every match, I am wary,” she said.

That level of preparation showed in her approach to every game, and manifested itself in sheer domination throughout the competition. Yang won three of her matches in straight sets (4-0), including the final against Jieni Shao.

Aware of her capabilities, the extent to which she controlled the final was a surprise to even Yang herself. “Sport is never easy, especially during the key moments. In those moments I played well, using the right technique and choosing the right game strategy. Even when I won 4-0 in the final, I was shocked because I was playing against a girl who is difficult to face and I had previously struggled to beat her. So, I am very happy with myself because I feel that I have progressed in every way,” she said.

“Motivated” by the presence of Prince Albert II during the competition, her gold medal in Oran is a yardstick of her progression. Now a top-10 ranked player, Yang dreams of a medal in Paris in two years’ time, but she isn’t getting ahead of herself.

“If I can bring home a gold medal from the Olympics in Paris that would be super, but I need to qualify first. My first objective there is to get to the quarter-finals and not to set the objectives too high. I need to get to the quarters and once I’ve done that we’ll see,” she said.

Although there is still lots of work to be done, should Yang continue her upwards trend, she could write herself into the Monegasuqe history books in Paris in 2024 by becoming the Principality’s first medal-winner.

 

 

 

 

Photo of Xiaoxin Yang, courtesy Monaco Olympics Committee

 

 

 

YCM backs mapping of seabed initiative

by: Stephanie Horsman
26/07/2022

The Yacht Club of Monaco and the International Hydrographic Organisation have signed a letter of cooperation to work together to improve our knowledge of the sea and to cooperate on the crowdsourced bathymetry initiative, otherwise known as seabed mapping.

As part of the ‘Monaco: Capital of Advance Yachting’ initiative, an agreement was signed between the Yacht Club of Monaco (YCM) and the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) to assist in the mapping of the seabed, an important and useful tool in helping to protect and better understand the oceans.

The official word is bathymetry, meaning a study of the beds or floors of water bodies, and this science helps experts determine where fish and other marine life live, breed and eat. It also is a great way to monitor coral reefs to better defend them.

In 2017, only 6% of the ocean’s lithosphere was known. Today, that has risen to 23.4%, due to huge efforts made by the Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 project. The end goal is to map the entire ocean floor by 2030, as part of the actions taking place for the United Nations Decade of Oceanography for Sustainable Development.

Thanks to this collaboration, a data logger was provided to skipper and journalist Alfredo Giacon, who has dedicated the past 12 years to collecting data about the seabed. In his latest mission, he left from Florida’s Port Canaveral, crossing the Atlantic and arriving in Monaco on 22nd July.

The YCM hosted an evening for Giacon, offering members the chance to contribute to his cause.

Photo source: International Hydrographic Organisation

“Learning about the oceans is the greatest mapping adventure of our time,” Dr Mathias Jonas, Secretary General of the IHO, said. “Many mountain ranges, volcanoes and submarine canyons have yet to be discovered and named.”

These small private endeavours are said to improve knowledge of the oceans by sharing depth measurements made by navigational instruments whilst at sea. Called Crowdsourced Bathymetry (CSB), the information can fill in gaps where previously undocumented features, such as canyons and seamounts, exist.

Despite best efforts by many, there are still countless incidents involving superyachts that are not brought to light due to confidentiality agreements that prevent lessons from being learned or shoals being reported to officials. As these vessels travel far and wide, often to places not usually explored, data from them would be highly valuable.

New methods that protect the privacy of the yacht owners while allowing for information to be gathered are now being put to use on some boats. Data loggers are a simple and effective way to collect data via the ships GNSS and echo sounders. Regularly measured features such as depth and under keel position can be stored, downloaded and integrated into mapping initiatives all over the world without revealing up-to-the-minute information on the whereabouts of any given yacht.

With yacht owners’ participation, so much more can be learned about the seas faster, meaning less environmental impact, and damage, will be done. The end result: the oceans are safer and better looked after for all.

 

 

Top photo From left to right: Thomas de Brouwer, Member of the YCM Management Committee, Bernard d’Alessandri, YCM Secretary General Jamie McMichael-Phillips, Project Director ‘The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030, HE Giulio Alaimo, Ambassador of Italy Rear Admiral Luigi Sinapi, Director of the International Hydrographic Organization, Mrs. Councillor of Government-Minister of Equipment, Environment and Urbanism, Alfredo Giacon, explorer and journalist, Frédéric Genta, Interministerial Delegate for Attractiveness and Digital Transition, Olivier Wenden, Vice-President of the Albert II of Monaco Foundation Claudia Batthyany, Project Manager – Monaco Capital of Advanced Yachting, and Michele Florentino, collaborator and philanthropist