contemparabia is a cultural travel program that lays bare the middle east’s many cultural treasures and showcases interesting contemporary art initiatives throughout the region. this year’s program is held mar 7-19 and focuses mainly on the fast re-emerging lebanese capital beirut. listed are a variety of activities, including art gallery visits, meets with contemporary artists and designers, plus the opportunity to indulge in the good life as savvy beirutis nowadays enjoy it.
through affiliation, the contemparabia program also offers the option to continue on to dubai for the annual art dubai fair held on mar 17-20. click [here] to register and/or receive further event information.
referencing a bygone era in which berlin was still a walled and draft-free western enclave in communist europe, the new civilist store certainly knows how to work the city’s heritage. established by two editors of lodown magazine in the mitte area, the space is set up as an ever-changing store, art gallery and showroom with a coquettish subversive edge.
civilist boasts a well-tweaked basic interior that includes a concrete floor, vintage displays and a stencil art wall. as for the merchandise, leave it up to the savvy founders to come up with a nice range of elite streetwear brands, including anything, p.a.m., huf, nike sb and dave’s quality meat. location: brunnenstrasse 13 [mitte].
the transnatural event explores the classic dichotomy of nature and technology, and at the same time focuses on all the possibilities when fusing the two. launching fri - feb 19 at de verdieping / trouw, there’ll be an art + design exhibition and a string of workshops and lectures. participating artists and scientists include elio caccavale, lucy mcrae and tobie kerridge. a related symposium will be held one month later, on sat - mar 13. click [here] to view the full program. location: wibautstraat 127 [oost].
event: status magazine issue #11 launch party
date: wed – feb 17 [8pm-midnight open bar]
location: suite, fort bonifacio, bayani road [taguig city]
dj lineup: unknown
new york-based fxfowle architects designed a futuristic mix-used complex that’s going to be a first for the ethiopian capital addis ababa. the design of the addis ababa exhibition center is inspired by the city name itself [meaning ‘new flower’] and aesthetically parallels the organic and emergent qualities of a flower orienting itself to the sun. while the two towers look outward, they remain grounded and connected through the low-rise structure. pieces of colored glass that adhere to the curtain wall system compliment the materials used in the various buildings that surround the site, giving each building a reflective effect.
the addis ababa exhibition center complex measures over 70,000 sqm., includes retail, food + beverage amenities, office space, cultural + entertainment facilities plus a business hotel, and is scheduled for completion in 2011. location: meskel square south [downtown].
there’s a fascinating exhibition at whitechapel gallery. dubbed where three dreams cross, it celebrates 150 years of photography from india, pakistan and bangladesh [on until apr 11]. the show gives an inside view of how these countries have been shaped through the lens of their photographers and tells the story of the development of photography in the subcontinent from the 19th century till the present, featuring over 400 works from important collections. mind you, a related symposium is held on fri - feb 19]. location: 77-82 whitechapel high street [city].
takao oshima is one of japan’s leading fashion photographers. based in both paris and tokyo, he knows the fashion biz inside out and has worked for renowned publications in japan and abroad. his exhibition u face just opened at gallery speak for [on until feb 17, featuring an elaborate series of portraits and cityscapes shot both in paris and tokyo. location: 28-2-b1 sarugaku-cho [daikanyama].
image: model + stylist rila fukushima photographed by takao oshima for nylon japan [august 2006]
conceptual sculptor tom friedman’s solo show up in the air just launched at magasin 3 stockholm konsthall [on until jun 6]. on display is an enormous installation that summarizes the artist’s work and his artistic perspective on contemporary reality. additionally a series of key works are also put on display. location: tullvakstvägen [frihamnen].
coming soon continues to spawn strong collections with a hybrid contemporary flavour and the brand’s a/w 10 men’s collection is no exception. classic silhouettes are creatively tweaked and redefined with an exceptional sense of shapes and colours. shown below are six styles we particularly like.
well, you probably heard. opening ceremony sets up shop at new york’s hottest lodging du jour, ace hotel. the popular retailer’s second outlet in the city opens sun – feb 14 and will feature a sharp selection of men’s and women’s apparel [you know, the stuff that shoppers expect to find at opening ceremony] travel necessities, magazines, dvd’s and more. location: 1190-1192 broadway [nomad].
next june it’ll be 30 years ago that the democratic republic of congo [formerly zaire] gained independence from its colonizer belgium. belgian photographer carl de keyzer traversed the african country on several occasions between 2003-2009. his current exhibition congo (belge) at fotomuseum provincie antwerpen is inspired by the publication guide du voyageur du congo belge [1954] and documents both crumbling colonial buildings and their current occupants [on until may 16]. location: waalsekaai 47 [centrum].
for her a/w 10 menswear collection swedish designer camilla norrback drew inspiration from charlie and veruca, two characters from roald dahl’s charlie and the chocolate factory. the menswear silhouettes are classic yet in a fluid way and boast style elements that wouldn’t look out of place at a brit boarding school.
the camilla norrback menswear collection is available at selected stores across the planet, including steven alan [los angeles], tg170 [new york], kask [copenhagen] and the camilla norrback flagship store [stockholm] .
the giuliano fujiwara brand expands its collections to womenswear. as of the a/w 2010 season, designer masataka matsumura will add a women’s line to his menswear, jewellery and home furnishing collections. making its debut at milan fashion week’s next edition, expect razorsharp conceptual designs that are inspired by the peculiar geometries of japanese origami and infused with western style elements, resulting in clean fresh silhouettes. the giuliano fujiwara women’s line will be available at the brand’s flagship stores in tokyo, milan, taipei and rome and at selected stores across the planet.
brit deejay duo groove armada just released this video for paper romance, the second single off their album black light. the single will be in stores on tue - feb 23 and the new album a little later on tue - mar 2 [u.s. dates].
coinciding with the 2010 iida awards for design students, japanese cell phone brand iida recently presented its newest concoction, the fabulous lotta. created by former sony product designer ichiro iwasaki, the new cell phone was specifically designed with fun in mind. compact and simple, the light-weight device comes in three striking two-tone models, each stylishly engraved with a number. check all technical specifications [here]. the lotta cell phone is available and operational in japan only.
for her a/w 10 womenswear collection swedish designer camilla norrback drew inspiration from charlie and veruca, two characters from roald dahl’s charlie and the chocolate factory. the result is a series of subdued sexy silhouettes in which ‘plain’ fabrics are playfully alternated and matched by hybrid patterns fit for any occasion and any mood. shown below are four styles we particularly like.
artist joe holbrook has a solo show at sid lee collective [on until mar 31]. dubbed tender ‘n tasty, the showcase features a series of new paintings and drawings which reflect the artist’s recent contemplations on consumerism and urban life. location: gerard doustraat 74 [de pijp].
opening sat - feb 13 [7.30pm] at art lounge is beirut street art, an exhibition that showcases graffiti and street art by a string of lebanese and international urban artists, including red eye kamikazes, alonso & navarro, shepard fairey, ashekman soldiers and kokian. simultaneously, an eponymous publication will be launched in attendance of a few lebanese graffiti artists. location: adam’s factory, pierre gemayel corniche [quarantaine].
it looks like surface to air tops its previous paris flagship on rue charlot with this new stunner, also in the marais area. a collab project by the creative collective and architect federico masotto, the new store is a total design upgrade and the brand’s new retail standard. the 150 sqm. store incorporates interior innovations such as moving panels and trompe l’Å“il flooring.
to keep things edgy, the wall decoration references a midnight juggernauts video, directed by surface to air in 2008, and a series of new age furniture pieces are placed across the space. surface to air’s new flagship features the entire menswear and womenswear collections and additionally features shop-in-shops by other brands, berlin’s bless to begin with. location: 108 rue vieille du temple [marais].
this one’s for all you exotic movie buffs! launching fri – feb 11 [6pm-9pm] at rana salam design studio is an exhibition of a concise series of vintage egyptian cinema posters from the 1950s, featuring fav old time movie stars such as faten hamama, farid al atrash and leila mourad. mind you, limited-edition silk screen prints of the posters will be on sale. the show will travel to beirut next. location: 50 golborne road [maida hill].
check out the next edition of club culture mag the bling and subculture platform platoon kunsthalle’s night flea market on sat - feb 6 [from 8pm] and shop edgy, hard-to-find and one-of-a-kind items by a string of independent artists and designers. location: 97-22 nonhyeon-dong [gangnam-gu].
as huge fans of j.d. salinger’s iconic catcher in the rye novel, amsterdam-based wolf & pack collaborated last christmas with the create build destroy label on a catcher in the rye-inspired pencey prep. sweater and shirt. now with the unfortunate passing of the writer the collab has taken on new meaning. get your slice of salinger and celebrate the man who’s work has had a huge effect on a whole generation. the pencey prep. sweater and shirt are available at the wolf & pack store and also online. location: spuistraat 232 [centrum].
see a different and underexposed side of creative multi-tasker henrik vibskov at pool gallery’s next exhibition. the show, kicking off on fri – feb 5 [7pm-11pm], features an interesting selection of his graphic pieces alongside installation and knit works. location: tucholskystrasse 38 [mitte].
stone island’s s/s 2010 shadow project collection, the ongoing collab with german label acronym, is another one to watch. a fusion of functionality and technical innovation, the collection introduces a new range of urban apparel. hidden details and potential action are at the core of the designs, giving the collection signature versatility and style.
opening at c/o berlin on fri - feb 5 [7pm] is the megapolis tour #3, an exhibition on urban photography by a string of young international photographers. this third edition is dedicated to the city of lagos, featuring work by thomas dworzak. a total of 14 cities will be featured, all of which are expected to be on the shortlist of the planet’s biggest cities by 2020. location: oranienburgstrasse 35-36 [mitte].
originally a laid-back offline gathering for the online generation in dubai, geekfest now expands to bustling beirut, launching there on fri – feb 5 [8.30pm]. next to chilled social talks there’ll be a slew of presentations and promos plus food + drink and what else? be there or be square! location: art lounge, adam’s factory, pierre gemayel corniche [quarantaine].
on the move? hectic lifestyle? for men with a busy schedule there’s a skin care brand that’s able to keep up. we’re talking men’s skin brand min new york and its highly efficient skin care regime of products. we particularly liked these three:
these products all come in quasi-surgical tubes and pump packs. both the proenzyme trio facial scrub and proenzyme trio facial cleanser pack a minty after punch without adding to any resident dryness. the scrub works wonders, lifting layers of oil and debris off with minimal effort, and leaving your face tingling and energized.
the complex intensive moisturizer is light blue and has a smooth, velvet consistency. it contains an exotic cocktail of azulene, avocado, grapeseed, lavender plus a blend of essential vitamins, and nourishes thoroughly without leaving any oil slick or post-afternoon puddles. it’s best suited to normal and oily skins. min new york is for fans of no-fuss skin routines and hard-edged bathroom shelves.
dutch menswear brand cold method launched its first flagship store in amsterdam’s canal district. a retail extrapolation of the brand’s aesthetics, the shop interior is a fusion of understated contemporary materials and the building’s historic details. originally a dairy, exposed brick walls and tilework are now off-set by concrete, steel, wood and elements of high-gloss black. the store features cold method’s entire menswear collection. location: wolvenstraat 10 [centrum].
virgin atlantic has temporarily slashed fares for upper class travel from london to a wide range of destinations in the u.s., caribbean, africa, middle east, china and japan on selected dates between feb 24 – sep 30 [slightly different timespan for chicago, dubai and johannesburg].
the airline’s upper class features a string of nice extras, from dedicated check-in desks and access to the airline’s lavish clubhouses to priority boarding and enjoying award-winning inflight entertainment. click [here] or call (0844) 2094724 for reservations.
upper class sale fare examples:
new york from gbp 1,487 chicago from gbp 1,797 los angeles from gbp 1,997 dubai from gbp 1,457 tokyo from gbp 2,198
