contessanally

PARIS: Maison et Objet - Art - Design - Food - Restaurants - Fashion - People... and more

2012-01-28T16:09:00.001+01:00

PARIS: Chocolatier and Tearoom – Jacques Genin. The elegant haute Maraischocolatier and tearoom opened by renowned pastry chef, maître chocolatier andconfectioner, Jacques Genin has been described more like a luxury “jewelry” boutique than a chocolateshop. The self taught Genin started hisculinary career in a slaughterhouse and later worked as head patissier at LaMaison du Chocolat. Today he suppliesmost of the grand hotels of the capital like the Hotel Meurice and the Hotel deCrillon. “Pastry leads us to times of happiness, pleasure and forgetting.”Genin explains and adds ”I like to rework the classics, like fruit paste,caramels, nougat and soon the Provencal calissons, a fine tradition that hasfallen by the wayside. And why not lookback into the specialties of French candy? And also design a lighter, sugar version of the Black Forrest cake?”

Note: Be prepared to stand in line for tea, chocolates, candies andpastries.

PARIS: Chocolatier and Tearoom – Jacques Genin. Votedone of the top French chocolatiers in 2010 by the Club des Croquers de Chocolatwith the accolade “Conventional orcreative, his chocolates are distinguished by a remarkable sense of balance andan authentic purity of taste.”

PARIS: Maison et Objet - Art - Design - Food - Restaurants - Fashion - People... and more

2012-01-27T19:21:00.000+01:00

Paris - Les Arts Décoratifs: Goudemalion exhibition. UntilMarch 18 at Les Arts Decoratifs museum is the first exhibition of Jean-PaulGoude’s work. Goude is one of the most brilliant ‘image makers’ of contemporarycreation and the show proposes a retrospective and creative vision of hisoeuvre encompassing all his areas of activity, from fashion and photography toadvertising and live events. His entire forty-year career is retraced in thenave of the museum, featuring his drawings, objects, music, films andphotographs.  Conceived as a large installation, the exhibition also evokes theBicentenary of the French Revolution he staged down the Champs Elysees in 1989.

Above: the monumental locomotive in the middle of the nave, is installed ona conveyor belt and surrounded is by numerous drawings.

Goudemalion exhibition Jean_PaulGoude’s sketchbook is open at a page for the parade to celebrate theBicentenary of the French Revolution he staged down the Champs Elysees.

Below: A video for Galeries Lafayette which he directed staring Ines de la Fressange.

La Parisienne aux Galeries Lafayette - Ines de la Fressange & Jean-Paul ...

2012-01-27T19:13:00.000+01:00

PARIS: Jean-Paul Goude - Goudemalion exhibition.

2012-01-27T19:11:00.001+01:00

Goudemalion exhibition. Jean-Paul Goude’s imagination was equally fertilein the presence of a number of fascinating women whose image he magnified bymeans of what he referred to as the “French correction”, a method of stylizingand transforming bodies, foreshadowing many of today’s computer techniques. Bydisguising, transforming and restructuring, cutting up an increasing number ofektachromes, he brought to life a succession of fabulous creatures, figures fromhis own personal mythology. Grace Jones(above), for who he produced both images and shows, is undoubtedly the mostfamous of these icons.

Goudemalion exhibition. Grace Jones, Automate, Los Angeles, 1986 for theCitroen Cx 2 commercial.
Below: Citroen Cx 2 commercial directed by Jean Paul Goude and staring Grace Jones.

Grace Jones: Citroën Cx 2 1985 Commercial

2012-01-27T18:50:00.000+01:00

PARIS: Jean-Paul Goude - Goudemalion exhibition.

2012-01-27T18:49:00.001+01:00

Goudemalion exhibition. Azzedine et Farida, Paris 1985.

Below: Jean-Paul Goude's commercial for Chanel Egoiste perfume.

Rue Faubourg: Famous Chanel Egoiste Ad Jean Paul Goude Commercial

2012-01-27T17:55:00.001+01:00

PARIS: Maison et Objet - Art - Design - Food - Restaurants - Fashion - People... and more

2012-01-27T17:22:00.006+01:00

Paris –Concept store and restaurant: Merci and La Cantine du Potager: In the northern Marais district of Paris isthe well known concept store Merci, and in it’s basement is the busy and trendyrestaurant La Cantine du Potager which translates as the canteen of thevegetable garden and so it is, as there is a real vegetable garden outside thebig greenhouse type windows. The rosemary was picked fresh for this tisane ofginger and rosemary, which I had with my vegetarian meal. I have since made this tisane at home and it’sdelicious, and we all know how good ginger is for you.

La Cantine duPotager. A view of the big greenhousetype windows that look out onto the vegetable garden right in the heart ofParis. The blackboard displays the menu,which is mainly vegetarian. Simple dishes, include soups, salads, vegetabletarts, risotto, cheese and deserts.

Note: Tryalso, just round the corner from Merci, the new and cool pizza cocktail barrestaurant called Grazie, which means merci in French and thank you in Englishand as the name suggests it is all in the family as it is owned by JulienCohen, the son of the owners of Merci.

La Cantine duPotager. Chicken Kefta and auberginepatties are served with spicy broccoli and fennel salad and yogurt dressing.

La Cantine duPotager. Mixed greens and carrot salad are a side to a vegetable tart. Beware both where seasoned with freshcoriander or cilantro, which is an acquired taste.

La Cantine duPotager. Un-resistible is the Molleaux au Chocolat which is a cross between aMolten chocolate cake and a chocolate a mousse and just melts in your mouth.

Merci – TheBike. The theme for January and February in the Merci showroom is thebicycle. An exhibition called My Bike,Transportation in the City, until February 20, covers most of the floors.Always sensitive to trends and lifestyles Merci has put together the bestdesigner bicycles on the market. Thebike has become the new subject for innovation and style for designers.

A Bianchi bike.

Merci – TheBike. Designed by the Danish designers Maik,the Bike Crate is made from100% recyclable materials that can withstand everyday use and all kinds ofweather. The bike crate is made of dibond, stainless steel and polycarbonateand all brackets are custom crafted in lightweight aluminum, which canwithstand even strong impacts. “We are presenting the perfect solutionfor the people who do not want to ride a cargo bike, but who still must carrystuff around on their bikes, no matter if it’s a computer bag, 30 oranges, twocrates of beer or 12 bottles of wine.” Said Rune Rex, designer and co-founder withAndreas Sachse of Maik.

PARIS: Maison et Objet - Art - Design - Food - Restaurants - Fashion - People... and more

2012-01-26T17:28:00.002+01:00

Paris - Design: Promemoriacocktail. It has become a standingappointment to attend, on the Saturday of Maison et Objet weekend, thePromemoria cocktail party in their Paris store on the Rue de Bellechasse on thetrendy Left Bank. The Italian designcompany’s Ceo and Creative Director Romeo Sozzi and his son Davide hosted theevent.

Promemoria – a detail. Adetail of the sofa called Augusto. The full essential shape is softened by softfabric upholstering. The arms are madeentirely in bronze and give a very modern look to the piece. The soft and low back cushions give completecomfort.

Note: the innovative mix offabrics with the "cold" metal: velvet, linen and chenille.

Designer, Chrystal Ohoh works in the David Collins Studio in London.

Promemoria's P.R. Chiara Del Vechio and Alain Lardet, founder of Designer's Days in Paris.

The fabric and furniture company C and C's Emanuele Castellini and his daughter Matilde.

smoked salmon and rucola "rolls'.

designer and photographer Carina and Paul Robida.

Interior decorators relax in the courtyard, Rafael Gimenez and Emilye Morgan.

photograph courtesy Promemoria

Promemoria – a detail. Adetail of the pouf Coccolone in special woven leather with smooth cognacleather sides and base in anthracite oak.

Maison Francaise's Gilles Dalliere and Chiara Del Vecchio.

Journalist Paolo Bagnara, designer Ludwig Hartmann, architect Nicola Falcone and photo agent Luca Selvi.

photograph courtesy Promemoria

Promemoria. Poufs Coccolone and Coccolino. The colorsare lively but never aggressive because Romeo Sozzi is a specialist in colors;he loves them, studies them and notates them in his inseparable notebook as hetravels the world. Two colors and twomaterials, fabric and leather which go well together also under different lightreflection.

Designer Eric Gizard and Marie Claire Maison's Jean Pascal Billaud.

Founder of the Salone Satellite Marva Griffin-Wilshire, Promemoria's Romeo Sozzi and Sandra Arigoni.

Mini "mother of pearl" macaroons.

HAPPY 2012 - Fornsetti Calendar Plates

2012-01-01T19:16:00.000+01:00

HAPPY2012 – with - Fornasetti calendar plates. Piero Fornasetti’s collectablecalendar plates were first created and produced in 1968.   Piero’s son, Barnaba has continued with thistradition since 1989, establishing a limited edition of 700 plates. The earlyeditions of the calendar plates have entered the auction circuit selling athigh prices. Other special New Years objects where produced and in the 1940s,the annuari or yearbooks were created in cooperation with Gio Ponti;hand-printed booklets in limited edition were given exclusively to friends and areof an unobtainable rareness.

Photograph courtesy Fornasetti

The Fornasetti mirrors. A collectionof more than twenty mirrors with curved reflective surfaces, either concave orconvex, which therefore have a deforming, enlarging or transformative effectare on show in the Fornasetti Milan flagship store. The mirrors are embellishedor etched to various degrees, and are enclosed in beautifully decorated frames.These are magical objects because in their very complexity they induce a vividsensation of ancient legends and fantastic stories, recalling aspects of along-forgotten collective imagination. There was a well-known belief innorthern European folklore that a convex mirror was “the witch’s eye” because,just like a huge eye, it could both observe and attract the attention ofothers. The strategy was to place at least one of these next to a door orwindow to prevent the entry of the evil eye and misfortune.

Above: The Optical Mirror designed by Barnaba Fornasetti has fourconvex mirrors decreasing in size; the wooden frame is decorated with a blackand white optical pattern.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2011-12-19T15:52:00.002+01:00

Photo credit Gérard Blot courtesy Eniand Comune di Milano

Milano: Palazzo Marino – George de la Tour exhibition. For the first time in Italy the "The Nativity" by Georges de la Tour (1593-1652) is on display (untilJanuary 8 2012) accompanied by one of the most famous masterpiecesby the artist from Lorraine, "St. Joseph the Carpenter". Thespecial event for the traditional Christmas exhibition at PalazzoMarino was organized by Eni with the collaboration of the Municipality of Milano and the Louvre and curated by Valeria Merlini and DanielaStorti. There is little documentary evidence about the life of the artist, whosetraining and background remain shrouded in mystery. There is acontinuing hypothesis that he may have travelled to Italy where he came intocontact with the work of the great Caravaggio, to whom reference is always madein any critical analysis of de la Tour's work. The Nativity was added to thecollection of the Louvre in 1926 after being attributed to La Tour by HermannVoss, the great German art historian who, in 1915, had brought the artist backfrom the oblivion into which he had fallen.

Photo credit Gérard Blot courtesy Eniand Comune di Milano

George de la Tour: - The Nativity - a detail: The theme of thenocturnal adoration of the shepherds was one that spread outfrom Italy, starting in the early sixteenth century with Correggio's celebratedAdoration of the Shepherds, held in Dresden and commonly known as The Night.But, in the magical atmosphere of the work of Georges de La Tour, in theintimate and restrained domesticity of the scene, the Franco-Flemish stylistictradition plays an important role.

Photo credit Gérard Blot courtesy Eniand Comune di Milano

George de la Tour: St Joseph the Carpenter – a detail. Also in the perhaps better known work, St Joseph the Carpenter, thewarmth of the diffused light from the candle held by the young Jesus, whowatches his putative father at work with admiration, is immersed in anight-time scene that was familiar to the Northern European tradition of theperiod. In the painting, the moving father-sonrelationship, also allows us to reflect on the iconographic character ofthe devotion to the Saint, the Son and the Cross, which is reflected in thework the Joseph is leaning over, in the manner of many of the religious textsof the period. Also from a technical perspective the work is perhaps the best example of a body of"candlelit" work by de la Tour. The light, which is hidden fromthe eyes of the observer by the hand of the Child and is spread across hisface, which becomes the true source of the luminosity of a familiar andintimate scene, made transcendent. Visitors will be able to admire these twopaintings against a dedicated backdrop, with carefully selected materials, thatgives them the appropriate space to be fully appreciated.

Photo credit Gérard Blot courtesy Eniand Comune di Milano

A donation has been made

AIRC

Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca

sul Cancro

www.airc.it

Bright Colors for Gloomy Winter Days.

2011-12-16T16:27:00.000+01:00

Photographcourtesy Lisa Corti

Milano:Lisa Corti - Bright colors for gloomy winter days. Colorful cushions brighten up a room on thegloomiest of winter days and textile designer Lisa Corti is a master at color. The range of furnishings, clothesand articles made by Lisa Corti are well known for their characteristicweightlessness, transparency and wise use of colors and dyes. Mezzeri, quilts,mandala, blankets pillows, curtains, tapestries and tablecloths. The style isvery oriental. The design is not only based on taste and elegance, but also onthe care given to what is essential for a lifestyle that combines a touch ofthe Orient to the standards of Western living.

Lisa Corti. Textile designer Lisa Corti wears her brightcolorful clothes. “Askme about my work and I will tell you about my passion for color, a love thathas roots in far away lands, in my childhood in Africa. Women dressed in color,only one color, moved into the light as if gliding. Mysterious angels in cobaltpink, yellow, green, violet. I have always carried them within me. It seemsincredible, yet that cobalt, that pink in the sun are something I thrive on.” She explains.

Lisa Corti. Lisa Corti’s sketchbook sits on a table inher home. Inspiration comes from hervarious trips to India where she has carried out an in-depth search on the widerange of fabrics and patterns in various areas of the country and creativelytransforming her designs, materials and colors in an infinite number of objectsand articles intended as house decorations and furnishings

Lisa Corti. Roses from the garden are also an inspirationfor her designs.

Lisa Corti. Color swatches hang over a painted chest inher design studio. "When I discovered India. Ifound the essence once again in the sweet organza, the impalpable glossy coloredair and the fragment of a cloud to be touched and used. Pure color that comesto life as substance, it is weightless and runs, cheerful and gentle, stoppingat a central point. It winks and cannot be ignored. These are my tapestries.”  Lisa talks about her inspiration.

Photograph courtesy Lisa Corti

Lisa Corti. Just six of the many colorful patterns Lisa Corti has designed. For thedesigner, taste and beauty are not only aesthetic objectives, they are alsoessentials that fill up her daily life, as well as her furnishings andclothing. Geometry is a constant, as are the elements of nature, the intensecolors, the transparencies and weightlessness of the fabrics. Lisa inventsthings that she enjoys; she does not chase after fashion but goes for the senseof color, light and shapes, in the constant search for symmetry between ancientand contemporary Western cultures.

Follina: Local color - people seen at the Christmas Market

2011-12-06T20:40:00.006+01:00

Follina: Local color - people seenat the Christmas Market. Tucked amongstthe Prosecco vineyards the picturesque village of Follina, just north west ofVenice, is famous for it’s Cistercian Abbey built in 1150. Not to be missed, isa visit, not only to the Abbazia di Santa Maria di Follina itself, an impressivefusion of Romanesque and Gothic styles but also to its cloisters withelegant columns. For the past seven years every first weekend of December aChristmas market is held in and around the main square, called Colori d’Invernoor winter colors the market opens the festive season.

Above: Better known as La Contessa,local watercolor artist, Francesca Brandolini d’Adda stands in the main Follinasquare in front of her enlarged watercolor of the Follina square as it used to bein the mid 19^th century.

Follina: Local color - people seenat the Christmas Market. Marco Milillo is a private investigator in Conegliano and also a landscape and fashionphotographer. Melillo presented hisinfrared, black and white photos of vineyards.

Follina: Local color -people seen at the Christmas Market. Gigi Miracoli with his partners producesbiological wine in Venice, Yes Venice, the winery is called La Laguna nelBicchiere or The Lagoon in a Glass and the wines are derived from an unusualbower-fruit garden at the Murano Cemetery, andfrom a vineyard of the 1960s in Giudecca's Cipriani zone. He is also a streetartist; he blows bubbles, eats fire and walks on fire, just to name a few ofthe crazy things he does to amuse.

Follina: Local color - people seenat the Christmas Market. Mari is theyoungest of the hoteliers Zanon siblings; she runs the La Volta luxury gift shop,which is part of the elegant Relais & Chateaux Villa Abbazia Hotelcomplex. La Volta looks onto the mainsquare and in the store you can find elegant gifts, ranging from silver, handblown glass, candles, pot-pourri, perfumes and naturally at this time of theyear Christmas ornaments.

Follina: Local color - people seenat the Christmas Market. The indefatigableMaria Gabriella Sorbara Sammartini owns and runs two Magamaison stores, as well as her home,her husband the very talented wood worker, Vettor Sammartini, two dachshunds, Mollyand Krauti, and last but not least Berta the cat. And, she still has the energy to visitclients and run Magamaison the interior decorating showroom/store/laboratory, whichsells custom made items for the home. New for Christmas these amusing embroideredlinen sacks, which can hold towel sets, Foutas or anything that strikes yourfancy.

Follina: Local color - people seenat the Christmas Market. Localchocolatier Oriana Chantal Balliana has a soft spot for heart shapedchocolates; in fact her company is called Q-ori & Chocolato, Q-ori being aplay on the word hearts in Italian. Year round, with her gourmet chocolates she tours the local specializedfairs and recently she has gone to India for a wedding where she made flowerand… wait for it…. Heart shaped chocolates, non stop for five days running.

Follina: Local color - people seenat the Christmas Market. In the neighboringvillage of Miane, entrepreneur Ornella Tonet founded the luxury small knitwearworkshop Carella with her late sister Carla. Later the ToneT collection (inthe photograph above) was added to the company, it focuses on a total look with strongstylistic contents. The quality Italian knitwear company sells in major marketsaround the world as well as producing samples and knitwear for third parties.

Follina: Local color - people seenat the Christmas Market. Self taughtflorist Francesca Simonetti's shop, L’Idea in Follina is right by the Cistercian abbey, so it is no wonder that she specializes in flower arrangements forchurches and weddings. She conceived anddesigned the decorations for the Christmas market. Her style could be described as moderncountry.

L’Idea: Via Padre Anacleto Milani 2 –Follina (Treviso) – tel: +390438970033

Follina: Local color - the ChristmasMarket. The obelisk decorations conceivedand designed by Francesca Simonetti of L’Idea flower shop in Follina wherescattered around the streets and added a festive tone to theChristmas market. “I am inspired by whatis available,” she explained.

Milano: Armani Hotel

2011-12-05T17:54:00.001+01:00

Milano: Armani Hotel Milano. The Armani Hotel Milano is located inGiorgio Armani’s hometown above the Emporio Armani block on the very centralVia Manzoni. The Armani style and philosophy defines every detail of theninety-five rooms and suites. Each elementhas been personally designed by Giorgio Armani and chosen for sculptural,aesthetic as well as sensual qualities, Armani notes, “Ihave concentrated all my efforts on delivering my personal aesthetic visionwithin a precisely defined ambience of total comfort.”

Armani Hotel Milano – a detail. A detail of the second Armani Hotel, (thefirst is in Dubai), which is housed in the ex Assicurazioni Generali building, it has been “topped” by a stylish glass ‘hat” allowing the visitors to havean amazing 360 degree view of the rooftops and terraces of Milan. The buildingwas designed in 1937 by Enrico Griffini and built with reinforced concrete; thecontours of the doors and windows are in marble. The statues of the patronsaints of Milan, Venice and Trieste are by MarcelloMascherini.

Armani Hotel Milano - Armani/Lounge.Overlooking the magnificent skyline and terraces of the city. Armani/lounge offers guests an exclusive yetelegant and relaxing ambience. The Armani/Bamboo Bar with its double ceiling,louvered window wall and back lit onyx features, creates a perfect place tomeet friends, discuss business during an informal lunch or simply watch theworld go by while enjoying an elegant afternoon tea or a pre dinner aperitivo.

Armani Hotel Milano - Armani/Lounge.From the louvered window in front of the Armani/Bamboo Bar you can see the baroquefacede of the Church of San Francesco di Paola on the Via Manzoni.

Armani Hotel Milano - Armani/Restaurant. The Armani/Restaurant draws on the richgastronomic traditions of Italy to provide the diners with classic andauthentic culinary delights. The dishestake advantage of fresh produce served amidst an elegant ambience withimpeccable and lifestyle service. It features a unique enoteca with anexclusive and wide selection of wines, a private dinning room and a magnificentchefs table located within the kitchen.

Armani Hotel Milano – ground floorlobby. A big A on the glass window ofthe downstairs lobby looks onto the busy Via Manzoni.

For dog lovers one of my favorite advertisements

2011-11-29T19:46:00.002+01:00

New York New York: Dog lovers, enjoy Bergdorf Goodman's Christmas ad.

Carbonera; Private Sunday lunch at Villa Tiepolo Passi.

2011-11-23T19:05:00.005+01:00

photograph and copyright manfredi bellati

Carbonera; Private Sunday lunch at Villa TiepoloPassi. Near Treviso, just north of Venice is the VillaTiepolo Passi whose nucleus dates from the beginning of the 16th century.In the 19th century the villa became property of the Conti Passi de Preposulowho continue to live in this historic residence.   The villa remains a place ofrare beauty and today functions as the headquarters of an agricultural estate,an important destination for cultural tourism, as well as the setting forexclusive events. With its architecture and art, it allows the visitor toexperience the hospitality of another era, the authentic flavors of a cuisinebased on age-old family recipes, and the magical atmosphere of its buildingsand gardens.  Guided tours are held each Sunday at 11 am at the end of whichthere is a tasting of jams and preserves produced  on the agricultural estateof Villa Passi. “Our goal is toexplain the historical situation in Venice from the 16th century onwards andhow it led to the construction of thousands of Venetian Villas. Additionally,here at the villa, we demonstrate how the “Civiltà di Villa”, the unique way oflife in Venetian villas, still exists in our customs, work, food, andpastimes…” Count Alberto Passi di Preposulo, who is also the president of the Ville Venete association, explains.

Conte Alberto and Contessa Barbara Passi di Preposulo

Sunday lunch at VillaTiepolo Passi. Products for sale producedon the estate include preserves and jams made with quince which are the specialty ofVilla Tiepolo Passi.   The quinces used in the various products come from the brolo(ancient vegetable garden of Ville Venete) where they are grown usingcompletely natural methods.

Sunday lunch at VillaTiepolo Passi. Besides the quince cotognata, preserves,candied fruits; piquant, sweets and Mostarda Veneta are prepared using anancient Venetian process  which dates back to 1300s.

Sunday lunch at VillaTiepolo Passi – aperititvo # 1. Before lunch the Villa Tiepolo Passi Proseccowas served in the carriage house. TheProsecco grapes are grown on the vineyard of the estate, which stretches beyondthe wrought iron gates, which separate the informal rear courtyard and thecountryside.

Sunday lunch at VillaTiepolo Passi – aperititvo # 2. Elegant starched white uniforms are handed downthrough the decades. The epaulettes boastthe family colors.

Sunday lunch at VillaTiepolo Passi – aperititvo # 3. As if onthe set of a period movie, the maid is also, comme il faut, smart in her frillystarched white apron and gloves.

Sunday lunch at VillaTiepolo Passi – aperititvo # 4. Simple bites of bread and salami are garnishedwith sliced gerkins, also served, Bacala mantecato,a savory spread of whipped salt cod.

Sunday lunch at VillaTiepolo Passi. The table wasset for twenty-five, with an ivy printed green and white tablecloth, in the magnificentlyrestored stables with a vaulted ceiling adjacent to the coach house. Built in1600, the buildings continue to reflect the refined efficiency of an era inwhich beauty and function went hand in hand.

Sunday lunch at VillaTiepolo Passi. An autumn composition of Hydrangeasfrom the garden adorn the stables.

Sunday lunch at VillaTiepolo Passi – first course. ContessaBarbara always favors local recipes, some of which have been handed downthrough the centuries. The first course included: Split Pea Soup with croutons,a pumpkin and rice pie and a broccoli tart.

Sunday lunch at Villa Tiepolo Passi – secondcourse. Radicchio di Treviso, which is a typical lettuce from the region andresembles Belgian endive sits next to Baccala alla Vincentina a native dishfrom Vicenza made from driedunsalted cod and served with white, soft steaming polenta. On another table, spare ribs, mushrooms,cabbage and polenta were offered.

Sunday lunch at Villa Tiepolo Passi –puddings. Budino al Cioccolato orchocolate pudding, Budino Dipolmatico, homemade Langue du Chat biscuits andChestnut Mousse.

Sunday lunch at Villa Tiepolo Passi – cheeses andjams. The Villa Tiepolo Passi alsoproduces jams, preserves, mustards, and candied fruit grown in the brolo, thevilla's vegetable garden, which are delicious eaten with cheese. The centuries-old ortus conclusus, the walledin orchard has been enriched with the introduction of over six hundred organicvarieties, including apricot, cherry,  prune, plum, pear, apple, and quincetrees.  The variety of trees ensures a constant supply of fruit from May toOctober for the villa’s kitchens.

Venice: Palazzo Fortuny - Fortuny Mission Project

2011-11-21T19:09:00.001+01:00

VENICE: Palazzo Fortuny - Fortuny Mission Project. The restoration of Mariano Fortuny’stheatres carries on….

A cocktail party was held at Palazzo Fortuny for thecompletion of the restoration of Mariano Fortuny’s Teatro delle Feste andDipinti Dell’Atelier and the cry for help for the restoration of the BayreuthTheatre and the Theatre Drawings Album. “THANK YOU” said Franca Coin president of the Venice Foundation “When you dosomething for Venice it bounces back at an international level.” The thanks was directed to all the micropatrons who bought virtual seats to help restore the Teatro delle Feste to itsfull splendor.

The story: In 1912,Mariano Fortuny, Gabriele D’Annunzio and Lucien Hesse designed the Teatro delleFeste, which was to be constructed at Esplanade des Invalides in Paris. Marianohimself built the model, based on their design, with his prodigious hands,inside the studio of the present-day Fortuny Museum where it is now exhibitedin all its former glory.

The virtual seats: The restoration of the model of the Teatro delle Feste was financedthrough the booking of virtual seats.

The restoration team. In less than one year, StefanoProvinciali directed his team of restorers, Laura Folin, Gea Storace togetherwith Francesco Rado who restored the electrical parts. They will now be restoring the BayreuthTheatre, which has to be ready for Wagner’s bicentennial in 2013 to commemoratethe great German composer’s connections to Venice and the city of his death.

The Bayreuth Theatre # 1. Since 1891 Mariano Fortuny was completely captivatedby the allure of the staging of Wagner’s theatre, however many years passedbefore he concretely measured himself against the theatre experimenting atlength with both lighting and technology and the preparation of scenographicsketches. It was in fact starting withthe realization of scenographies linked to the works of Wagner that this modelwas born in 1903. Made of wood and metaland now kept in the atelier, it is a reconstruction of the layout and therisers of the setting of the German Bayreuth Theatre. In addition, certain reduced scale lightingapplications like the cupola or dome and indirect and diffused lightingtechniques are visible. This maquette isan intricate and complex system made up of small cables, electrical powertransformers and light bulbs; of wings and scenes depicted on cardboard; of thecupola, an important stagecraft element of Fortuny’s reformist project. These are all elements, which are in verypoor state of preservation and must absolutely be restored. The objective is that of being able to onceagain admire the captivating luminous effects projected onto the setting ofthis impressive theatre model, which was meticulously created by MarianoFortuny’s skilled hands. The dimensionsof the model are: height 240cm, width 210cm and depth 170cm.

The Bayreuth Theatre # 2. In a rare autobiographical recollection,Fortuny affirms: “All that I saw and heard kindled in me a desire to achievenew forms and new aspects that would enhance the general effects of thetheatre: I still remember certaindetails of The Rhine Gold scene that were dissatisfying to my youthfulimagination. The effect of the river inthe distance was lacking in the effectiveness because of a bad light trick.”

Note: The scene above is for The Rhine Goldproduction.

HELP!!! – The Bayreuth Theatre # 3. You can see for yourself the sorry state ofthe Bayreuth Theatre, which stands in one of the rooms of the piano nobile ofPalazzo Fortuny crying for help. It desperatelyneeds restoring. Donations for the restoration of the model are inspired bycertain Wagnerian works that Mariano Fortuny depicted in paintings andetchings: the Flower Maidens (E 200 $ 280) running after each other and playingin Parsifal: Wotan (E 100 $140), the King of the Gods found in the tetralogyThe Ring of the Nibelung; Sieglinde (E 50 $ 70), Sigmund’s sister in TheValkyrie and finally Mime (E 25 $ 35), a character present both in The RhineGold and Siegfried. The names of the contributors, in the manner, which theythemselves indicate, shall be included in the list of supporters of therestoration of the Bayreuth Theatre model. For more information contact The Venice Foundation.

Greetings. The mayor of Venice, Giorgio Orsoni,the director of the Fortuny Museum, architetto Daniela Ferretti, the chairmanof The Venice International Foundation, Franca Coin and the president of theFondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, Walter Hartsarich greeted guests at thecocktail party held at Palazzo Fortuny. “Dear Friends,” Franca Coin writes in the Venice Foundation newsletter “in 2013 we shall celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of Richard Wagner. There are many connections between the greatGerman composer and Venice, a city that he visited six times. During his first visit, in 1858, he worked onthe composition of Tristan and Isolde, while he spent his final one, in 1882,at Palazzo Vendramin Calegi. It was herethat he spent the last six months of his life. Yet there is another link which for us is very significant: even MarianoFortuny - a man to whom the Venice Foundation has been dedicating the FortunyMission Project since 2010 for the restoration of great works - had since his youthbeen so fond of Wagner’s works that he created a model of the Bayreuth Theatre,so dear to Wagner, upon which to apply his brilliant technologicalinnovations. This model, which is keptat the atelier of Fortuny Palace Museum, was created by Mariano and now needsyour generous contribution in order to be restored. We must start right away because therestoration will be long, difficult and meticulous. We would like to finish in time tocontemporaneously celebrate the skill of Wagner and the genius of Fortuny.”

Theatre Drawings Album. Fortuny expert Claudio Franzini explains the Theatre Drawings Album andpoints out the sorry state it is in.

HELP!!! Also on the Fortuny Mission Project agenda is therestoring of the Theatre Drawings Album, an extraordinary and uniquecollection of drawings relating to studies and the scenic and lighting applications,which Fortuny designed insupport of his complex and structured theatrical reform at the beginning of thetwentieth century. Worthy of note in this album are various drawings andsketches dating back to 1898 of scenographies of Wagnerian operas along with several architectural reliefs of the Bayreuth Theatre, but above all it isthe ﬁrst drawings of 1902, done in Paris, of the structure of the scenographicdevice commonly known as the “FortunyDome” and the system for the lighting of scenes with indirect andreﬂected light that are the most striking. This thick and bulky album gatherstogether an undeﬁned but very consistent number of drawings, which are attacheddirectly onto pieces of cloth. Given the poor preservative condition of thealbum, upon the completion of the restoration the individual insertion of eachdrawing into a double page with the inventory number on the outside isforeseen.

Therestorer. Margherita Errera will be restoring the Fortuny Theatre DrawingsAlbum. She was also responsible forrestoring Palladio’s drawings from the collection of the Musei Civici di Vicenza.

DanielaGiussani, Giulia Venturini and Marialiusa Frisa

Fashionista,Cecilia Matteucci

TheFortuny Dinner. A dinner party for the Fortuny Mission Project was held afterthe cocktail party in a palazzo on the Gran Canal.

Adele Re Rebaudengo, Manfredi Bellati and Franca Coin

Cesare de Michelis, Emanuela Bassetti and Tonci Foscari

Journalist Manuela Pivato who wrote one of twentyshort stories in the book I Nuovi Veneziani (The new Venetians) curated byCaterina Falomo and published by Studio LT2.

Not on the menu. Hand blown Murano fruits sit in mid nineteenth century ceramic bowls.

Los Angeles: The Museum of Contemporary Art – MOCA - Gala dinner.

2011-11-16T17:48:00.000+01:00