G&M Design gallery has unveiled its latest exhibition titled ‘Immerse’ by British artist Adam Bricusse, an incredible display of one man’s fascination with nature and featuring his jaw-dropping butterfly series.
It’s been a busy week for artist Adam Bricusse and G&M Design gallery owner Tina Green. After a beautiful inauguration dinner on Tuesday night, the pair were back in the gallery on Avenue Princess Grace on Wednesday evening for an opening cocktail with Monaco Ambassadors Club members.
Guests were treated to a private showing of the artist’s work; giant, colourful pieces that explode from the black walls of the Monegasque gallery as if they were always destined to be there.
In fact, Bricusse had just four weeks to prepare this exhibition after the scheduled artist cancelled unexpectedly, finishing five extra pieces in record time.
“I have never done a show with such short notice,” laughs Adam Bricusse. “Tina Green also wanted five extra paintings, so I worked from 5am to midnight for four weeks solid. It normally takes about a month to complete one piece.”
The Butterfly series by Adam Bricusse, photo by Monaco Life
A month seems rather short when you see the detail of these masterpieces. The illuminous butterfly wings, purposely created without bodies to reflect the ethereal nature of the insect, are mesmerising in their complexity. It is as if someone placed a giant magnifying glass over the canvas, revealing the intricate details of a butterfly’s natural beauty.
And that’s exactly what happened to Bricusse 30 years ago, thanks to the British natural scientist and author Dame Miriam Rothschild.
“In the 1990s, Miriam Rothschild gave me access to her entire butterfly collection and allowed the glass to be removed. So, with my micro lens, I got all my source material years ago,” reveals the artist. “And I play with them, I manipulate the colours, blur them, and make them look like they’re moving.”
In addition to the well-known Butterfly paintings is his Scarab series, both of which have evolved and progressed over the years and are now almost exclusively done as commissioned work. It is therefore quite a coup for Monaco to have them on public display at the gallery.
Drawing is Adam Bricusse’s favourite technique, photo by Monaco Life
Depending on the subject, says Bricusse, he will also use drawing (his favourite technique) or silk screen in addition to paints, giving the pieces different finishes so each is unique. “Sometimes I crack them, or I dust them with gold. The ones here have an iridescent paint on them, which shines in white and blue in the light,” he says. “They just couldn’t look better against these black walls.”
Adam Bricusse was born in London in 1964 and grew up between Britain, France and the USA. He was educated at St. Martins School of Art and The Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art at Merton College, Oxford, and has been a practicing artist ever since. He currently works between studios in London and the south of France.
A 3D piece by Adam Bricusse, photo by Monaco Life
G&M Design gallery always features young, collectable contemporary art, and Tina Green says she is very happy with her latest exhibit.
“I am thrilled to have Adam’s work here, I absolutely love what he does. I love his oils, his butterflies. I think he is an incredibly talented artist and a very nice man,” she tells Monaco Life.
Other highlights of ‘Immerse’ include animal drawings, his spaceman series, 3Ds, and the Queen silk screens, created for Art Save the Queen in London and recreated for this Monaco exhibition.
‘Immerse’ by Adam Bricusse will be on show at G&M Design gallery until September.
Visit Monaco Life’s Instagram page for videos of the exhibition, and click on the gallery below to see more photos from ‘Immerse’…
Photos by Monaco Life, top picture source G&M Design gallery
“We want people to come together, Latin American style!”
Daniela Spanier is on a mission to create and strengthen links between the people of Monaco and Latin America. She tells us more about the root of her ambition in life, and reveals exciting details about the upcoming Mystical Bolivia AMLA gala in September.
The Monaco Latin American Association (AMLA) is a non-governmental organisation designed to promote cultural dialogue, solidarity and cooperation, and exchange of ideas and “dreams” between the Principality of Monaco and the countries of Latin America.
AMLA’s focus is on providing a platform and a community for Monaco residents to discover Latin American sociocultural heritage and lifestyle, through a series of charity events ranging from galas and workshops to music auditions and conferences.
Monaco Life: Can you tell us about yourself and where it all began?
Daniela Spanier: I’ve been very international since a very early age. I was born and grew up in Bolivia. I had a diplomat father and a mother who always worked with international organisations. In Bolivia and in Latin America in general, we’re very social, but especially in Santa Cruz where I grew up. Since it’s a small place in a poor country, the society was quite small and the social engagements were quite important.
My grandmother was always in Rotary, and I grew up with charity fashion events where even I had to parade when I was seven or eight. My grandfather was also in the Rotary and the Lion’s Club. My grandmother was also a co-founder of the university and a director, so I grew up like this… in an academic family where mainly the women were academic and socially engaged.
I always say that if I’m ambitious and if I have the capacity to dream, that it’s never too late, and this is thanks to my mother who allowed me to take every possible private lesson in everything I wanted, from gymnastics to piano, and this led me to think that there is always more I can go for, that there is more that I can do.
If I have to define myself, I am very forward-looking. I have a vision and I never think it’s too late to change things. I think every day is a starting point. I believe you don’t have to look at what’s before to actually set a new trend because it’s all a sequence. You can choose to use the sequence from yesterday or choose to start one from today. I believe the sky’s the limit.
On the other hand, growing up like that makes you feel like you are missing something, because if there’s always more you can have, it means you’re never full. That’s something I’ve had to work on the last 15 years. Now my ambition is coming from a place of wholeness.
What brought you to Monaco? What was your vision coming here?
I grew up in Bolivia and went to German school, then when I was around 11, my mum got a job at the UN in New York, so we moved to New York until I was about 13. We then went back to Bolivia and I started at the international school in Santa Cruz, before moving onto La Paz (capital of Bolivia). At 18, I went to study in Germany, as I speak German.
I then moved to Switzerland where I was working in private banking, then as a head-hunter, and back to private banking. This is where I met my husband… and he brought me to Monaco, though our first dates were not ideal. We didn’t really match. But after six months, he proposed and we moved to Monaco.
I did know Monaco because my dad lived in Nice and he brought me here where I saw the cathedral, the palace, the aquarium… so I knew Monaco, but I didn’t come looking for Monaco. I’ve made my life here and made amazing friends. It also slowed me down being here. I wasn’t constantly running after the next big position. I have three kids, I had to settle down, but I must say, I found myself in Monaco.
Daniela Spanier (centre) at the ‘A Story of consciousness, connection and balance’ gala in 2021
It must have been difficult to go from a very academic, female-driven family, and the banking industry in Zurich, to a place like Monaco where your focus was being a mum. How have you managed to balance that innate drive to succeed with the reality of what is here in Monaco?
It was difficult for me to find value as a female, because I always competed with men. I took on men’s roles, but I still am quite feminine and sensitive and emotional… so it has been a release, though at the beginning it was difficult. When I first arrived, there wasn’t anything for children, either, they didn’t have ‘Munchkins’.
It was liberating, but it took years. At the beginning, I didn’t speak a word of French. With nothing to do for children, it was boring and quite shocking because when I walked down the street I didn’t see any men. I saw only women with babies at the park.
After a few years, I learned French and ‘Munchkins’ opened and I started making friends and it was nice. I accepted my role. My husband was always travelling so it wasn’t easy.
In 2017, I met these three Latina girls and we were like, ‘Why don’t we open an association?’ For me, after five years in Monaco, I felt like I was going to have a chance to “be” professionally something.
Can you tell us about the Mystical Bolivia gala?
The AMLA Gala events honour a different Latin American country every year. This year in 2022 we will immerse Monegasque and international guests in the unique DNA of the Bolivian cultural melting pot.
We are bringing No Finish Line (NFL) to Bolivia next year, so we’re exporting Monaco to Latin America at the gala so people can see what Bolivia is really like.
The gala will be held on 17th September at the emblematic Monaco Yacht Club, starting with a sunset cocktail with Bolivian drinks, traditional cocktails and live cooking by Bolivian barmen and chefs who will be happy to tell our guests the stories behind them, just as the artists attending the auction will do.
We will also connect by Zoom to the No Finish Line organisers in Santa Cruz, who will be launching the NFL during the international exhibition Expo 2022. It will be an opportunity to introduce our iconic NFL Ambassadors living in different parts of the world.
Cocktails will be followed by a dinner animated with folkloric dances (los Tinkus, la Diablada, los Caporales, los Tobas), a fashion show, unique music performances, more storytelllng by our celebrities and lots of fun discovering and sharing culture.
Voyage to Colombia gala in 2019
Why did you create the AMLA association?
I am privileged to have been able to study and have parents who pushed me to try things and grow. So, I wanted to give something back. I’m a proud Latina and I’m also aware there are some cliches. Even though in Monaco it is much less, you do experience a little bit of racism and categorisation being Latina. I had to clarify that there are Latinos in good positions all over thew world. I wanted to be a door between Latin America and Monaco.
We originally wanted to help local charity organisations because we thought it was a good way to make sure the money got to where we wanted it to go. We chose organisations we knew personally, or that had contact with people we knew locally. This means we can hand-pick the little projects we are interested in.
Long term, I hope to one day explore economic options. A dream is to send a Monaco delegation to Bolivia, like they did with Brazil; to look at us as access to Latin America.
How are you building the profile of AMLA?
Building a community through an association is difficult. AMLA has been successful because of the quality of the events we do. Our events don’t make people feel like they are there to impress or to be seen. People are literally there to have fun. We want to be open to everyone! We want people to experience the Latin American way… being amongst friends, listening to nice music, with good cocktails, decorations and other nice people. The idea is to awaken interest in Latin America. We do need to position ourselves as more than just parties though, and this is the next challenge.
Moving forward?
I see myself as a window to an association with a proven track record. I want to build membership, anyone can join, you don’t have to be from Latin America. The idea is to say ‘you come to AMLA, and AMLA hooks you up with the world’.
Prince Albert officially opened the Top Marques supercar show on Thursday in Monaco ahead of the busy four-day event that features the absolute best in luxury cars and all things automotive.
After two years impacted by the Covid-19 health crisis, Top Marques returns to the Grimaldi Forum from Thursday 9th to Sunday 12th June as big and as bold as ever.
Filling the exhibition centre are the most incredible contemporary cars by everyone from Bentley, Aston Martin and Rolls Royce, to McLaren, Maserati and Lamborghini.
Top Marques is more than just the world’s most prestigious supercar show. Two wheelers also feature heavily, as well as flying craft such as Mc-Clic’s new manned drone, and Monaco-made Esurf, an electric surfboard.
In officially opening this year’s Top Marques ahead of the public at midday, Prince Albert toured the Grimaldi Forum, meeting with exhibitioners and seeing first-hand the incredible vehicles on display, as well as unveiling some world-premiers.
Highlights include the Deus Vayanne, an electric hypercar derived from Formula 1 pedigree by Deus Automobiles, Italdesign, and Williams Advanced Engineering; McLaren’s new supercar Artura – dubbed the supercar for the next generation; and Jetson AeroOne, a one-man electric helicopter, one of three flying machines at this year’s show.
Thierry Boutsen with his winning Shelby Cobra, photo by Monaco Life
For the first time in Top Marques history, the entire ground floor of the Grimaldi Forum has been dedicated to classic cars, organised by Thierry Boutsen from Boutsen Classic Cars – a venture the former F1 driver only started three years ago.
“It is quite an emotional thing, I mean these cars have been living for 60 years and they are still in top condition, sometimes better than new,” Thierry Boutsen told Monaco Life. “Some, like the GT40 for instance, is in exactly the same condition as it was in 1969… the colour, the edging, the gear box … they are all the same. So, all the collectors come here because they have a passion for these types of cars and they can also buy them.”
Some standout favourites for the Belgium, who has enjoyed three Formula 1 successes with Williams-Renault, include the Shelby Cobra that he won the Tour Auto rally in France this year driving.
“Another favourite is the GT40 next to it, a fabulous car built in the 1960s that still looks like a modern car. We have a former F1 Benetton, that Michael Schumacher won the Canadian GP with. We have the jaguar e-type, BMW M1, an old Porsche from 53, and also a 911 which has been totally electrified with a similar system that powers a Tesla today.”
Top Marques runs until Sunday 12th June.
Visit Monaco Life Instagram to see videos of Top Marques 2022, and click on the gallery below to see more of our images…
Top photo: Manuel Vitali, Government Communication Department
The Oceanographic Museum has unveiled its major new exhibit for the next two years, an immersive experience to the polar regions where visitors are able to discover the beauty, the fragility, and the hope that lies within.
For the next two years, visitors to the Oceanographic Museum can discover the sometimes forbidding, but incredibly fragile, polar regions of our planet. With the inauguration of Polar Mission on Thursday 2nd June, the public can now delve into this crystalline world and learn all about the Arctic and Antarctic from a new perspective.
Through this new major exhibition, the Oceanographic Museum first offers a “one-on-one” journey with polar explorers Jean Malaurie, Frederik Paulsen, Jean-Baptiste Charcot and Matthew Henson, retracing their discoveries, reproducing a polar environment, and showing what a traditional igloo is like.
The objective is to allow visitors to learn more about the way of life of the Inuits and their traditions.
The exhibition then moves through four more spaces to create a real immersion in these remote regions of the globe.
“It is my hope that the emotion aroused by the beauty of the polar regions, together with the awareness of the vital role they play on a global scale, will lead mankind to regard them with respect and caution,” said Prince Albert, “because one thing of which we are now certain is that the future of the poles foreshadows our own.”
In space number three, the challenge is to unlock the secrets of the North and South Poles; not only to understand how they function, but also to realise what tremendous upheavals are taking place there because of climate change. It offers visitors an opportunity to become fully aware of the differences between these two extremes and the crucial role played by them in the planet’s climate balance.
In space number four, visitors physically feel as if they are at the Poles. The wild, grandiose beauty of those icy lands comes to life in a never-before-seen immersive, interactive projection featuring bears, seals, beluga whales, whales, sea elephants, killer whales and penguins. It is a wonderland which culminates in the dreamlike polar aurora, while an audio projection relays the fragility of this ecosystem, and the dangers which threaten these species.
Finally, space number five reveals how far the knowledge of global warming and its consequences have come, how it is impacting biodiversity, and how it is impacting humans.
With the help of an entrance ticket in the form of a press card, the “visitor-reporter” can activate extra content and, at the end of their visit, hand over their report using an interactive terminal. They are also invited, if they so wish, to pledge their support to the Oceanographic Institute and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation by actively backing measures in favour of the poles, most notably the creation of new Marine Protected Areas in the polar oceans.
“Ecology is a subject that concerns all of humanity,” Mélanie Laurent, who is ambassador of the new exhibition, said.
Explorer Jean-Louis Etienne, who was also on hand, added, “The poles are the lungs of the Earth, their role is essential. They are the main carbon sinks on the planet. They regulate the climate.”
Mathieu Ferragut, CEO of CFM-Indosuez, the main sponsor of the exhibit, concluded by saying that finance is necessary for sustainable development. The bank has been a partner with the museum since January 2020 and has also offered its clients sustainable project inclusion in support of the institution in lieu of fees, which last year contributed €171,000 to the museum.
Fête de la Musique is returning later this month to celebrate the first official day of summer with an evening of music, dance and serious fun. Here’s what you can expect.
After two years of dreary pandemic, the world can use a bit more music and it will find it at this year’s Fête de la Musique being held throughout Monaco on 21st June.
During the day, starting from 10am in the Condamine, music will fill the air with a concert by Dixeland jazz group Golden Jazz Band on Rue Princesse Caroline. Next up, on Place des Moulins, are pop rockers Princesse de Nuit, followed by Reds at 3pm in the Condamine on Place Gastaud, comprised of players from Monaco’s fire brigade who will be performing a rock and pop playlist.
From 5pm, there are several choices, including ‘The Where’ and ‘Dedicate’ in Fontvieille on Place du Canton and a concert by the Wind Ensemble of the Rainier III Academy, under the direction of Ludovic Tallarico, on Place Gastaud, while the band Highwood will be performing at Apero Pizza on Allee Lazare Sauvigo in the Condamine.
This celebration of summer will feature many artists playing around the Principality throughout the day, culminating in an 8:30pm concert on the Quai Albert 1er with the Lille-based rock group Skip the Use, who will play songs from their new album ‘Human Disorder’. Performed exclusively in English, this new album is described as “intense and paradoxical”.
The opener will be with the DJ Afroman Radio, who will take the public on a journey through a universe of funk, deep house, break beat and soul.
An elephant that lay dying amongst a pile of plastic waste in Sri Lanka is a heart-wrenching image that is hard to ignore on the Larvotto Promenade. It has also just been awarded top prize in the Environmental Photography Awards 2022, organised annually by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.
It may be only the second edition of the Environmental Photography Awards, but the impact of this awareness raising initiative by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation is incredibly forceful.
Displayed along the sun-drenched Promenade at Larvotto Beach are large prints of the most beautiful photographs of this year’s competition; the best of 8,000 images submitted by 2,000 photographers from across the globe.
The Foundation’s idea is to relay the connection between humans and nature, both positive and negative, and it was up to a jury of professional photographers to select the overall winner of the Environmental Photography Awards 2022, as well as five categories: Humanity versus Nature, Towards a Sustainable Future, Polar Wonders, Life Under the Surface and Beneath the Canopy.
On Wednesday 1st June it was revealed that Easa Lebbe Muhammed Jamsith had won the Environmental Photographer of the Year Award for his heartbreaking photograph Tears.
Tears by Easa Lebbe Muhammed Jamsith, photo by Monaco Life
“In Sri Lanka, there is a garbage dump near the forest in Oluvil,” explains Easa Lebbe Muhammed Jamsith. “It was a tragedy to learn on the morning of 5th January 2022 that an elephant was about to die in this landfill. I immediately alerted the wildlife authorities and rushed to the scene. As soon as I arrived, I saw the Himalayan creature cowering in pain, so much so that it could not even stand up and had lost its strength. I approached to take the picture and she looked at me with tears in her eyes. Wildlife officers accompanied by a doctor examined the elephant and reported that it was suffering from a sudden blockage of the oesophagus due to the daily ingestion of polyethylene waste (food packaging), a phenomenon that has already taken place six times in this landfill and which testifies to the relationship that men have with nature.”
Easa Lebbe Muhammed Jamsith has made it his mission to raise public awareness about the crisis facing the environment. Tears is part of that mission.
“Photography competitions are essential because they allow us to give a voice to creatures and habitats in danger,” says Daisy Gilardini, President of the 2022 jury. “Through their ability to reach a very large audience, they help raise awareness among as many people as possible. This year’s award-winning photograph vividly illustrates the devastating anthropogenic consequences of our consumer society. The stillness of the image, achieved by framing the dying elephant in the centre of the photo, is both poignant and gruesome. The duty of committed photographers is to stimulate audience’s emotions in order to move them from apathy to action. This year’s winning photo does just that.”
Alongside each photograph displayed on the Larvotto Promenade is a QR code that the public can scan to understand more about the story behind each image.
The open air exhibition at the Larvotto Promenade, photo by Cassandra Tanti, Monaco Life
In the Humanity versus Nature category, Tran Van Hong won for his photograph entitled Disaster. In this scene, the photographer captures the moment when two children are fleeing a forest devastated by fire and waste, a testament to the negative impact of man on nature, exposing the most vulnerable populations to the risks linked to pollution and climate change.
Far less traumatic is Simone Tramonte’s Net Zero Transition (II), which was awarded top prize in the Towards a Sustainable Future category. It shows the largest hydroponic greenhouse in southern Europe, located in Italy, which is based on the principles of a circular economy. The image is a spotlight on the innovations and solutions that are emerging in the face of an uncertain future and which gives us hope for a more conscious and sustainable life.
Indeed, with this latest edition, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation wanted to deliver a message of hope, “that together we can still act in a meaningful way, if we join forces to limit the effects of climate change and promote the resilience of ecosystems.”
In the Life Under the Surface category, Yung Sen Wu was awarded for his photograph Pacific Red Sockeye, his “remarkable execution” being highlighted by the jury. Glowworm by Haikun Liang won top honour in the Beneath the Canopy category. In this exceptional scene, glow worms dance in the middle of a forest in Guandong, China.
Kirstin Jones took top stop in the Polar Wonders category for The Great Trek, a photograph taken during an expedition to Antarctica. The photographer was able to capture three Gentoo penguins – a species considered to be “near threatened” – crossing the mountains to reach their colony.
Two hears, one love by Sultan Ahmed Niloy, photo by Monaco Life
Meanwhile, the general public were invited to vote online for their favourite and chose Mathieué Courdesses for his photograph Black and Wild, featuring a silverback gorilla encountered during an expedition to Rwanda.
“Exhibiting these large format prints is a precious opportunity to bring the environmental values dear to the Sovereign and the Principality to the general public while inviting us to rethink our relationship with Nature,” says the Foundation.
The open-air exhibition will run until 29th June on the Promenade du Larvotto, in Monaco. The exhibition is also available to view online here.
Top photo by Easa-Lebbe-Muhammed-Jamsith
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