T Qatar

10 T Qatar: The New York Times Style Magazine

82 A Passage to India After selling her haute-bohemian fashions in Brussels and Mumbai, the free-spirited designer and hotelier Loulou Van Damme shifts her sights to a guesthouse in the scenic Palani Hills. By Michael Snyder Photographs by Simon Roberts

90 The Art of Eating While deskside takeout is largely replacing the power lunch, three artists are breaking the mold by breaking bread with their staff. By Sarah Douglas Photographs by Andreas Laszlo Konrath

ON THE COVER: Photograph by Mario Sorrenti, Styled by Jane How. Hair by Bob Recine and Makeup by Yadim. Model: Amanda Murphy. Chanel cardigan, QR5,510,Lisa Marie Fernandez bikini (top shown), QR1,550, barneys.com

Features72 Lost in Paradise

The laid-back surf town of Todos Santos, Mexico, serves as a vibrant backdrop for summertime knits that provide cover — and a touch of hippie chic — to any vacation ensemble.

Photographs by Mario Sorrenti Styled by Jane How By Julia Chaplin

80 Women of the House For four generations of Ferragamo women, fashion is about much more than business. Photograph by Simon Watson

Styled by Malina Joseph Gilchrist By Claire Howorth

TravelJuly-August, 2014

The front porch of Loulou Van Damme's hotel in the Palani Hills of Tamil Nadu, shows a hand-knotted cashmere throw, inspired by the tiger prayer-rugs used by Tibetan monks, draped over a cane chair.

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Lookout12 Sign of the Times A case for taking the scenic route — not by boat or bike, but on two feet.

14 This and That Fancy ways to fly; Alvaro Catalán de Ocón’s line of pendant lamps; Anish Kapoor remembers the sculptor James Lee Byars; and more.

20 Market Report Dazzling pendant earrings for an evening stroll.

22 The Scene Uncovering the hidden charms of Isola, Milan’s most authentic — and secret — neighborhood.

25 Take Two Raymond Pettibon and Iris Apfel slather on self-tanner while considering portable dinosaur bones and a pair of surreal sandals.

Quality41 Jewelry Report In one’s own jewelry box, it’s often the less showy, everyday pieces that carry the most meaning.

45 In Fashion Skin-baring tops and dresses are a sharp and sexy complement to masculine dressing.

50 Objects Covetable accessories go organic in neutral hues.

Clockwise from top left: Five-year-old Leo Kaufman in front of Jasper John's "Three Flags" at the Whitney Museum of American Art; a view of the sunlit palms in Colombia's Chocó region; Benedetta Cibrario has a passion for collecting vintage fabric and for the bedroom wallpaper, she chose Zoffany’s ‘‘Fleurs Rococo,’’ a pattern that reminds her of the old homes of her childhood.

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Arena53 By Design

The Italian novelist Benedetta Cibrario’s apartment in Milan is, like her writing, a paean to the beauty of past.

56 On the Verge After years of civil war and conflict, a writer returns to the Colombia of her youth and uncovers a region at crossroads, ripe for discovery.

60 The Shape of Things For a certain set of artists and thinkers, Legos are not mere child’s play.

96 Document The photographer Dean Kaufman actually loves when his son gets lost in a museum, which would be a nightmare for most parents.


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Publisher & Editor-In-ChiefYousuf Jassem Al DarwishChief ExecutiveSandeep SehgalExecutive Vice PresidentAlpana RoyVice PresidentRavi Raman

EDITORIALEditorSindhu NairChief Fashion CorrespondentDebrina AliyahSenior CorrespondentsAbigail MathiasAyswarya MurthyEzdihar Ibrahim Ali

ART

Senior Art DirectorVenkat ReddyDeputy Art DirectorHanan Abu SaiamAssistant Art DirectorAyush IndrajithSenior Graphic Designer Maheshwar ReddyPhotographyRob Altamirano

MARKETING AND SALESSenior Manager – MarketingFrederick AlphonsoManager – MarketingSakala A. DebrassAssistant Manager – MarketingThomas JoseMedia ConsultantsHassan RekkabLydia Youssef

Accountant Pratap ChandranSr. Distribution ExecutiveBikram ShresthaDistribution SupportArjun TimilsinaBhimal RaiBasanta P

T, THE STYLE MAGAZINE

OF THE NEW YORK TIMESEditor in Chief Deborah NeedlemanCreative DirectorPatrick LiDeputy Editor Whitney VargasFashion Director at LargeJoe McKennaManaging Editor George GustinesPhotography DirectorNadia Vellam

THE NEW YORK TIMES

NEWS SERVICESGeneral ManagerMichael Greenspon Vice President, Licensing and SyndicationAlice TingVice President, Executive Editor The New York Times News Service & Syndicate Nancy Lee

LICENSED EDITIONSEditorial Director Josephine SchmidtEditor, T International Editions John HaskinsCoordinators Gary CaesarKaren Hanley

Tucked away bang in the middle of Corniche, with stunning views of the glittering towers of West Bay as well as the iconic Museum of Islamic Art, is this quaint tea shop.

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COPYRIGHT INFOT, The New York Times Style Magazine, and the T logo are trademarks of The New York Times Co., NY, NY, USA, and are used under license by Oryx Media, Qatar. Content reproduced from T, The New York Times Style Magazine, copyright The New York Times Co. and/or its contributors 2013 all rights reserved. The views and opinions expressed within T-Qatar are not necessarily those of The New York Times Company or those of its contributors.

Lookout Qatar32 This and That Amouage and its latest fragrance; multimedia artist Marianne Petersen and her Pop Art depiction of the Arab world; local artists in Turkey; Omega salutes the history of science.

34 Market Watch The Middle East has its fair share of eco-experiences.

36 The Event Chanel was the first European label to choose Dubai for such a crucial event on the international fashion calendar.

38 Art Debate The discussion that has been unleashed by Richard Serra’s installation continues.

40 In Time An unlikely partnership brings about a change that takes on the challenge of protecting important birds such as Darwin’s finch, the mockingbird and the Vermilion Flycatcher.

44 Legacy Hermés hosted a celebration in honor of its theme of the year: metamorphosis.

Arena Qatar68 Food Matters Taking you through the culinary treats that await you once night falls during Ramadan in Doha. By Ayswarya Murthy Photographs by Sema Panther

73 Art Matters Singapore pushes designers to create a value-added contribution to the national economy. By Sindhu Nair


TO READ A BOOK about the pleasures, epiphanies and mettlesome feats someone has accumulated over the course of an incredibly long walk is to be fascinated, jealous and, most of all, incredulous. Who has time to walk, in this overscheduled age? I always seem to be running, not walking, whenever I happen to be at large on two feet, suffused with a cold-sweat adrenaline panic that I’ll be late to whatever the next vital thing is, miss the train, the flight, the crucial email, the fateful encounter or just closing time at the grocery store. It’s one thing to distractedly click on an Instagram photo or a Facebook note a friend has posted of a breathtaking scene or enviable meal he’s scored on a far-flung holiday; that doesn’t jolt us from our harried workday routines. We absorb them half-consciously before checking Twitter, then return dutifully to our inboxes. The literature of walking shakes us out of this world set on whir, nudging us into a parallel universe where days are measured not by the messages on the screen, but by the rising and setting of the sun.

Both consolation and inspiration can come from reading the unrushed accounts of observant souls who found a way to live, for a while, in slow motion; on the other hand, those satisfactions are mingled with the mournful recognition that most of us who read these books — and there are so many of them — will never manage to do what their authors did: to slow down and lead a proper, examined human life in the manner of the togaed philosophers, drinking in the natural world and nursing introspective reveries footfall by footfall. Envy kicks in at the thought that anyone, in any era, had the

luxury of detaching himself from the daily grind for weeks, months, even years at a time. Are long-distance walkers more antisocial than most people? More enlightened? Or are they just luckier?

In 1988, at the age of 50, the explorer Helen Thayer walked alone (if you don’t count her husky dog, Charlie) to the magnetic North Pole, and wrote about it in a book called ‘‘Polar Dream.’’ Thirteen years on, not remotely walked-out, she traversed the Mongolian desert, having prepped for the ordeal by trudging across Death Valley (200 miles) and the Sahara (4,000 miles). What induced her to subject herself to this effortful form of hooky? In ‘‘Walking the Gobi: A 1,600-Mile Trek Across a Desert of Hope and Despair,’’ she explained, ‘‘I yearned to test myself, to push myself to the limit, and to associate with little-known cultures.’’

There’s a more accessible and beguiling charm to be found, I believe, in the variety of walkalogues, written by casual rovers — call them ambulatory amateurs — whose purpose is idiosyncratic, whose rules are loose and who make you feel you could retrace their steps. Ever since Bill Bryson grudgingly trod the Appalachian Trail in 1996 for as long as he could stand it, and wrote about it in ‘‘A Walk in the Woods,’’ I’ve toyed with the idea of bumbling through a bit of that trail,

encouraged by the knowledge that giving up is allowed. But when I read Graham Greene’s 1936 book, ‘‘Journey

Without Maps,’’ about his monthlong walk through the uncharted African country of Liberia, I was so enthralled that I boarded a flight to Ghana and embarked on a walking journey of my own. I published an article or two

Walk, Don’t Run

Sign of the Times

Travel by foot leaves an imprint on the memory, and slows down time for a precious moment.

BY LIESL SCHILLINGER

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Fermor at the Rila Monastery in

Bulgaria during his trek through

Europe in 1934.

17July - August 2014

about it, but never, to my shame, wrote about the most indelible leg of that trip — a detour to track the ‘‘Predatory Beast of Penkwasi,’’ whose rampages had occupied the front pages of Ghanaian newspapers during my visit. Even now, when I close my eyes, that expedition, made nearly 20 years ago, unspools in vivid color in my mind. It’s as if every step I took had engraved each unfamiliar sight and taste, each interaction with a stranger I’d never see again, onto a reel of memory that cannot be eroded.

Henry David Thoreau, one of the fathers of American nature writing, reproached deskbound people like me in ‘‘Walking,’’ one of his thousand exhortations on the virtue of wild rambles, for ‘‘sitting with crossed legs’’ all day long in our workplaces. He marveled that we hadn’t ‘‘all committed suicide long ago.’’ It’s reassuring to know that his untrammeled wanderlust was fed by pies and cookies that his mother and sister cooked for him in their civilized kitchen, a few miles away from his lair in Walden Pond.

Fairly recently, Rory Stewart, a British member of Parliament, made the capricious decision to walk across Afghanistan, from Herat to Kabul, the month after the end of Taliban rule, in the dead of winter. His route, about 600 miles as the convoy rolls, but much longer as the goat walks, would be mountainous, snowy, sparsely populated and mined with dangers. When you read his book, ‘‘The Places in Between,’’ you can’t help being entertained by the hand-wringing reactions he got from Afghani bureaucrats who clearly wished he would leave them in peace and fly back to England, impressed by his stoicism in the face of armed heavies. On the outset of this journey, Stewart had a walking stick made for himself. As soon as that stick popped up, it was impossible not to think that he must have been emulating Patrick Leigh Fermor, the dashing 20th-century British war hero, famous for kidnapping the Nazi general Heinrich Kreipe on the island of Crete during World War II

(and for reciting Horatian odes with his captive the next morning as the sun rose over Mount Ida). In 1933, when Fermor was an 18-year-old ne’er-do-well, unfettered by responsibility, he strolled from the Hook of Holland through Germany and what was then Czechoslovakia, down through Bulgaria and on to Istanbul (which he called Constantinople). Before hopping a steamer to Holland, Fermor had bought a walking stick at a London tobacconist, a ‘‘well-balanced ashplant.’’ At each German town he entered, he nailed a different silver badge to this staff, just as in the Cinque Terre today, hikers add a different bead to a necklace to mark each village they’ve passed. He wrote, ‘‘When I lost the stick a month later, already barnacled with 27 of these plaques, it flashed like a silver wand.’’ Seventy years later as Stewart furnished himself with a ‘‘well-

balanced’’ broom handle in Herat, onto which, through force of will, he persuaded mystified blacksmiths to weld a metal tip to the bottom and a lead ball at the top, you could envision his heroic forebear. A bemused old man, watching him stride off with his

staff, remarked, ‘‘You’re carrying it for the wolves, I presume.’’ It took ‘‘Paddy’’ Fermor over 40 years to get around to writing

the first volume about his walk, ‘‘A Time of Gifts,’’ which followed his ‘‘great trudge,’’ as he called it, only as far as the Danube, leaving addicted readers craving the rest of the itinerary. But Fermor could not be rushed: the third and final volume, ‘‘The Broken Road: From the Iron Gate to Mount Athos,’’ only emerged last fall, put together posthumously, since Fermor died, at 96, in 2011. The would-be walker who hungrily devours this long-awaited book feels not only gratitude, but wonder. Really, it is proof that any path you break remains yours, no matter how long ago you broke it; the ground you cover on your feet stays with you always, imprinted on your neural pathways. Books like these let us hope that maybe each of us, one day, can take a walk worth remembering.

Most of us will never slow down and lead an examined life in the manner of

the togaed philosophers, nursing introspective reveries footfall by footfall.

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WELL TRAVELED Clockwise from top left: the novelist Will Self’s 2006 jaunt from J.F.K. Airport to Manhattan; Graham Greene in Libya in 1935; Rory Stewart in Afghanistan in 2002; Robert Byron’s ‘‘The Road to Oxiana,’’ 1937; the title page from Henry David Thoreau’s ‘‘Walden,’’ 1854; Patrick Leigh Fermor’s ‘‘A Time of Gifts,’’ 1977; Graham Greene’s ‘‘Journey Without Maps,’’ 1936; Parker Liautaud’s journey to the South Pole in 2013.


Lookout

This and ThatA Cultural Compendium

ILLUSTRATIONS BY KONSTANTIN KAKANIAS

FEELING FOR

Pop LightingTrash was the inspiration for Alvaro Catalán de Ocón’s vibrant line of pendant lamps, now on display at the Design Museum in London as part of its ‘‘Designs of the Year’’ exhibition. In 2011, while working on a project to combat pollution in Colombia, the Spanish industrial designer came up with the PET collection, its title a playful abbreviation of the polyethylene terephthalate bottles that contain soft drinks and water. He then hired Bogotá artisans to weave colored fibers into the repurposed bottles. A cluster of them above a dining table, or even just one over a nightstand, adds a welcome punch of color. ‘‘When you see the lamp,’’ Catalán de Ocón says, ‘‘you can’t help but smile.’’ From QR730, petlamp.org — TOM DELAVAN

BY DESIGN

Fly Like Rich PeopleAir travel is going the way of Uber. EvoLux Transportation, a new

helicopter service, will offer ride-share options and on-call private flights from an array of operators. The program started in New York and

Miami in April, with other American cities to be added in the fall. Also in the works is FlyJets, through which customers with a little tech savvy

and a lot of cash will be able to bid on private jet routes, Priceline-style, or book a standard rate immediately without all the auction fuss. In other

flight news, JetBlue, the most democratic of airlines, is getting in on the cabin caste system. Flights between J.F.K. and LAX will feature first-class seats and amenities, from lie-flat beds to Saxon & Parole-curated tapas.

evo-lux.com; jetblue.com — KRISTINA ENSMINGER

Busy BodiesWith splashy prints that are artfully tropical, the classic

one-piece is no longer just for conservative moms.

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From left: Swash Swim swimsuit, QR1,510, beachflamingo.com. Missoni swimsuit, QR2,150. Zero + Maria Cornejo swimsuit, QR1,330, zeromariacornejo.com. Kenzo swimsuit, QR1,055, openingceremony.us. We Are Handsome swimsuit, QR1,345, wearehandsome.com. Christopher Kane swimsuit, QR1,350, matchesfashion.com.

ALL PRICES ARE INDICATIVE

www.maserati.com

GHIBLI, QUATTROPORTE, GRAN TURISMO AND GRANCABRIO

For over 100 years, Maserati has been perfecting the art of automobile design and manufacture, producing some of the world’s most highly acclaimed examples for a very discerning clientele. Today the fruits of its endeavours are clearly displayed in its current range: the Ghibli, Quattroporte, GranTurismo and GranCabrio.In these inspirational cars are found the perfect blend of breathtaking styling, groundbreaking innovation, prodigious performance and sumptuous luxury – each one handcrafted and personalised with passion for a new generation of equally demanding customers.

A W O R L D O F O P P O R T U N I T I E S

GH IB LI S - ZF E IG HT SPEE D AU TOMATIC G EA RBOX - EN GI NE 3.0L 60°V6 - POW ER 410 HP - TOP SP EE D 263 km/h - A CCELE RATI ON 0-100 km/h 5.0 s - TOR QUE 550 Nm. QUATTROPORTE G TS - ZF E IG HT SPEE D AU TOMATIC GEA RBOX - EN GI NE 3.8L V8 - POW ER 530 HP - TOP SP EE D 307 km/h - A CCELE RATI ON 0-100K M /H 4.7 s - TOR QUE 710 NmTop. G R A NTURIS M O - ZF E IG HT SPEE D AU TOMATIC G EA RBOX - EN GI NE 4.7L 90°V8 - POW ER 460 HP - TOP SP EE D 303 km/h - A CCELE RATI ON 0-100 km/h 4.5 s - TOR QUE 520 Nm. G R A N CAB RIO - ZF E IG HT SPEE D AU TOMATIC G EA RBOX - EN GI NE 4.7L 90° V8 - POW ER 460 HP - TOP SP EE D 289 km/h - A CCELE RATI ON 0–100K M /H 4.9 s - TOR QUE 520 Nm.

The data can not refer to the models represented.

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Lookout This and That

Fit for a KingA new shopping site brings artisans with royal stamps of approval to the masses.

Less daunting than 1stdibs and not nearly as exhaustive as One Kings Lane, Crest and Co. is carving out its own online niche with a meticulously curated selection of fashion and design

items made by purveyors to royal households worldwide. From Böle (a fourth-generation tannery whose leather rucksacks are

coveted by the King of Sweden) to Kay Bojesen (whose stainless steel cutlery is now a fixture at Danish embassies), the site’s

founder Nima Abbasi values the importance of the artisan, many of whom he discovered in history books and through

conversations with universities. ‘‘It’s not about ‘red is the color of the season,’ ’’ he says. ‘‘We like the idea of products with a story

behind them.’’ crestandco.com — JEFF OLOIZIA

BUILT TO LAST From left: Nima Abbasi; the Nymphenburg porcelain factory in Bavaria; a limited-edition tea set by the artist Olaf Nicolai.

The Art of Inscrutability

‘‘James Lee Byars has been sadly ignored, especially in America. He’s an artist who came out of the ’70s post-minimal tradition, and yet the exhibition at MoMA PS1 is the first major retrospective of his work in the United States, which I think is appalling. It’s partly because the work is confounding. What you think you’re looking at is not what you’re looking at.

‘‘I became aware of his work fairly early on. We both had an interest in similar questions to do with the mysterious object, the sense that in perfection there is an eternal moment that is ever-invisible and fleeting. He was incredibly obtuse — very much an artist. Always on show. Often, artists are artists when they’re in their studio and then, later, they’re like anyone else. James Lee was different. I never saw him casually having a drink. He dressed in a

particular way. The whole of his life was a performance. There’s a myth about how he died in a room in Cairo, overlooking the pyramids. It’s hard to tell how true it is. I don’t think there is a room in Cairo overlooking the pyramids. But that’s a James Lee story. He was just a strangely present being who was always about to do something that was an act, a work. What energy! How exhausting.’’ ‘‘1/2 an Autobiography’’ opened at MoMA PS1 on June 15, momaps1.org

A TRUE VISIONARY Left: James Lee Byars’s gold lamé sculpture, ‘‘The World Flag,’’ 1991. Below: a portrait of the artist.

On the cusp of a big James Lee Byars show, the artist Anish Kapoor

remembers the lamentably unsung American sculptor.

THE FIND

Vaux Le Vicomte, a quieter but equally majestic alternative to Versailles, has undergone a simple yet spectacular restoration. The wooden doors blocking

the view through the north and south arcades of the chateau have been removed, reinstating the original transparency between the interiors and the grounds proposed in the 17th century by the architect Louis Le Vau and the

royal gardener André Le Nôtre. vaux-le-vicomte.com

Déjà View

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Lookout

On the outskirts of Mumbai, homegrown concept shops are starting their own suburban sprawl.

THE SCENE

Bandra, a posh neighborhood in western Mumbai, is best known as Bollywood’s playground, housing the grand abodes of some of India’s brightest stars.

While the area’s shopping scene has long been identified with the cacophonous street stalls of Linking Road, a new wave of boutiques selling fashion, art

and interiors has cropped up amid less crowded areas. The recently opened design collective Kulture Shop (shown above) offers T-shirts and framed prints illustrated

by emerging graphic artists. For housewares, there’s Freedom Tree, which carries screen-printed rugs and colorful lampshades. NorBlack NorWhite incorporates traditional handicrafts into edgy streetwear — think bandhani

bomber jackets and ikat jumpers. Meanwhile, the city’s chic set has a new style temple in Bandra 190, seven floors of shops including Kitsch,

which carries Alexander McQueen, Chloé and Stella McCartney. kultureshop.in; freedomtree.in; norblacknorwhite.com; kitsch.in — SARAH KHAN

When in India

Renzo Piano Reflects

The B&B Italia building was this little job I did a long time ago with Richard Rogers, when we started working together. In this country building, we were testing something that we would eventually design on a bigger scale — the idea of exposing and expressing the structure. Rogers and I share the same value that architecture should serve as shelter for human beings and that making shelter is not just a technical activity but also a semantic one between desire and space. The B&B is an expression of this, with its flexible design and its unpretentiousness. Piero Busnelli, the founder of B&B [who died in January], understood these ideas. He was interested in curiosity, production and experimentation. I was a lucky young man at age 30 to have this sort of client, one who trusted me and had a wonderful imagination. I remember he used to sit in his chair, lean back, close his eyes and say, ‘‘O.K., I understand. I can see it.’’ Busnelli was a dreamer. When you build this kind of structure, you don’t really think — you just do it. bebitalia.com

Forty years later, the architect remembers one of his most

meaningful Italian commissions.

This and That

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FASHION MEMO

Childishly bright primary colors are making a play for most popular.

Clockwise from left: Prada crocodile handbag,QR163,820; Chrissie Morris shoe, QR4,330;

Céline luggage, QR12,010; bergdorfgoodman.com. Rupert Sanderson sandal, QR3,985; rupertsanderson.com.



Lookout

When worn with a slicked-back bun and a fresh face, a pair of

dazzling pendant earrings is the perfect mate for a sunset stroll.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOANNA McCLURE PRODUCED BY MALINA JOSEPH GILCHRIST

Drop Everything

Market Re p ort

Clockwise from top left: Tiffany & Company, QR128,000. Pomellato, $11,500. Sara Weinstock, QR26,000. David Webb, $55,000. Hanut Singh, QR40,000.

Andrea Fohrman, $6,400. Paul Morelli, QR53,00. Hemmerle, price on request.

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Lookout

Industrial Revolution

BY MARELLA CARACCIOLO CHIA PHOTOGRAPHS BY FEDERICO CIAMEI

Tucked behind the city’s rail yards, the many charms of Milan’s burgeoning Isola neighborhood are

little known, even to the most design-savvy locals.

The Scene

JUST NORTH OF THE CITY center, past the new skyscrapers of Porta Nuova, lies Milan’s best-kept secret: the enchanted, Old World neighborhood of Isola. As the name implies, this 19th-century working-class quarter is isolated from the bustling city like an island. What separates it from the rest of Milan, however, is not water but iron. The city’s railway tracks and station have cut this neighborhood off, essentially preserving its pastel-colored houses,

genuine trattorias, street markets and big sky views. For years it’s been described as one of those up-and-coming neighborhoods, only it’s never quite gotten there despite the influx of artists who started flocking here for the cheap real estate back in the ’90s. Now, as it begins to change with new galleries cropping up and trendy restaurants coming in, it still represents one of the last bastions of self-preservation and authenticity in this increasingly commercial city.

Ristorante Capra e CavoliIn an area known for its traditional eateries, chef Barbara Clementina

Ferrario is leading the way for lighter, vegetable-based fare at her sunny,

plant-filled restaurant. Though her lunch menu is mainly vegetarian (her

specialties include pumpkin-and-licorice risotto and lavender gnocchi, as well as an impressive dessert list),

she does offer meat dishes, organic of course, in the evening.

Via Pastrengo 18

Lorenzo LippiHidden from the street, this leafy inner courtyard features a cluster of workshops. Maestro Lorenzo Lippi makes and repairs lutes, mandolins and other plucked instruments. (The area used to be home to a well-known music school.) ‘‘Musicians all over know where to find me,’’ says Lippi, who is an expert on late-19th-

century Roman instruments. Next door is the artisan Simona Colombini, well-known for her decorative painting and furniture restoration. There is also O’ (on-o.org), an artists residency and nonprofit arts organization that hosts exhibitions, live performances and concerts.Via Pastrengo 12

SOUND BITES From left: Lorenzo

Lippi’s plucked instruments keep the native artistry

alive; the chef Barbara Clementina Ferrario;

the restaurant’s dessert offerings.


The Scene

BY HAND Clockwise from left: Isola’s outdoor produce market; tabletop ceramics at Caterina von Weiss’s studio; Costanza Algranti in her furniture workshop; Algranti’s nephew; inside Algranti’s space; Elena Dal Cortivo’s sculptures.

Elena Dal CortivoThe tiny home-studio of Elena Dal Cortivo has no opening hours. If the lights are on, she’s probably in there creating her elaborate hand-cut parchment roses, which each take up to a week to make. Local musicians use them to embellish their harpsichords and guitars.Via Pastrengo 13; parchmentroses.com

Caterina von WeissThis hole-in-the-wall workshop and store features the designer’s surreal miniature ceramic replicas of pots, pans and colanders, which have earned her a devoted following. For the practical-minded, von Weiss makes a wonderful line of cups and saucers for everyday use.Via Guglielmo Pepe 36; caterinavonweiss.com

Costanza AlgrantiWhen Tuscan native Costanza Algranti first came to the neighborhood in 1997, she felt instantly at home among the noisy workshops of traditional carpenters and ironmongers. The designer makes furniture and made-to-measure kitchens using recycled metal and wood salvaged from nearby scrapyards — though her pieces look more elegant than industrial.Via Guglielmo Pepe 20; costanzaalgranti.it


Lookout The Scene

Monica CastiglioniThe jewelry designer Monica Castiglioni splits her time between Brooklyn, where she lives in an old church, and here, where she has worked out of her minimalist workshop for the last two decades. Castiglioni, whose late father was the renowned Italian designer Achille, creates botany-inspired pieces in bronze and silver, a nod to the area’s industrial past. Via Pastrengo 4; monicacastiglioni.com

Blu Anche RistoranteThis popular restaurant offers traditional

Milanese cuisine with a twist, like its signature dish, the ‘‘Wrong Milanese

Cutlet,’’ which is prepared with pork rather than veal. The décor is just as quirky as the food, with bicycles hanging from Klein-blue walls and whimsical furniture made by the

local designer Costanza Algranti.Via Carmagnola 5; blumilano.net

Numero Nove Floral DesignWhen Giulio Guazzoni and Andrea Daneri opened their flower shop here in 2001, they knew that their minimalist and monochromatic approach to floral design would be better suited for a more bohemian neighborhood. To add an artful touch, their arrangements are frequently presented in handmade ceramics. Via Pastrengo 9; numeronove.it

GOOD TASTE From left: inside the richly hued Blu Anche Ristorante; co-owner Matteo Stefani; Blu’s ‘‘Wrong Milanese Cutlet.’’

HEAVY METAL Above: a bronze necklace

designed by Monica Castiglioni, displayed

artfully in-store. Right: her utilitarian-

style kitchen, featuring some of

Costanza Algranti’s recycled materials.

IN BLOOM Above: the Numero Nove flower shop.


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I think museums are the last bastions of civilization, but what does somebody

need a museum in their pocket for? It’s one of the dopiest ideas I’ve ever heard.

It definitely makes you tanner. I normally have a dark complexion, so much so that I remember coming home with the family from Tijuana and the border patrol asking me questions, as if my parents were bringing home a Mexican orphan.

I didn’t even know what Birkenstocks were until I tried to put one on. They’re kind of

like half-sandals? I hope Magritte would have been cool with these. I don’t see why not.

I guess this is shoe-gazing music. I would like to read the lyrics, because I

can’t make them out. Abba is probably my favorite group, even over the Beatles.

Iris Apfel

I used to tan. That’s why I look like an old shipwreck. I’ve got barnacles and bumps

and spots and everything. I’m afraid to use this because I don’t want to get any kind

of reaction, but I think it’s a great idea.

My accountant heard it and he said it didn’t sound very good to him. I’m an old

jazz buff from the early days. I’m a big Duke Ellington fan. He was a friend of mine.

I liked it a lot. I didn’t know he was an artist. I haven’t read much of his stuff,

but he seems like he was a wonderful character, like a British eccentric.

Style icon, interior designer and self-proclaimed ‘‘geriatric starlet’’ who will return in June to HSN (a televised shopping show), where she sells her Rara Avis line of chic and

affordable accessories.

American artist and counterculture prophet whose drawings for the

band Black Flag helped define punk culture. A new book of his work, ‘‘Raymond Pettibon:

To Wit,’’ was recently released.

Raymond Pettibon

Take TwoA dual review of what’s new.

They’re fun, but they’re too wide for me. I think licensing art is a good idea

if it’s done well. If it’s put on junky T-shirts, I don’t approve of it, but if it’s

something like this, I’m all for it.

It reminds me of the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City. Every kid goes

through a dinosaur period, but museums don’t necessarily have to encompass big dioramas of

brontosauruses — they can be minuscule.

Self-Tanner

James Read Sleep Mask Tan (QR155, net-a-porter.com)

It looks like the kind of doodling you do in marginalia. I haven’t doodled anything since

high school. Kids’ work is so great, you know? I’d love to be able to replicate that, but you

can’t, despite what Picasso says.

‘‘Kurt Vonnegut Drawings,’’ with sketches by the late writer (QR145, monacellipress.com)

Book

Lykke Li’s third album, ‘‘I Never Learn’’ (atlanticrecords.com)

Music

Birkenstocks by Opening Ceremony printed with René Magritte’s 1928 painting

‘‘The Lovers’’ (QR670, openingceremony.us)

Shoes

Hans Fex’s Mini Museum, which includes a piece of human

brain and a portion of a brick from Abraham Lincoln’s home

(from QR360, minimuseum.com)

Museum


This and ThatLookout Qatar

The Art of Self-DiscoveryOman has had an early tryst with fragrances. That it continues to be part of the beautiful Sultanate’s history is not a coincidence.

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There has been conscious work; work to cultivate a brand that is rooted in history while it transcends beyond its shores to explore ingredients and market conditions abroad. The result was Amouage, a brand that cannot be contained within geographical constrains or regional confines. That the brand took on board a creative director from the East, Christopher Chong, with no formal training or experience, is indicative of how unconventional the brand aspires to be. Meanwhile, Chong has proven his talent by the creative transformation of the brand and is now a respected craftsman who defies convention and pushes artistic boundaries. Based in Amouage’s London office, Chong travels the world to meet clientele from all walks of life, which he believes is one of the most rewarding aspects of his role; the sharing of personal stories and journeys through perfumery. The darling of local and international media, Chong is close to obsessive when it comes to presenting the concept of the perfumes within Amouage. The

latest from the house of Amouage is Journey for man and woman, where Chong pieces together remnants of his personal odyssey as he metamorphoses through life. “Our lives play out in fragments,” says Chong. “I am making sense of mine by drawing elements from my experiences and morphing them with other art forms to define, articulate and transcribe my world within the compositions of these fragrances.” Inspired by a love of Shanghai deco and a passion for Chinese cinema, (particularly Film Noir) Chong pays homage to his heritage through his latest creations.Chong believes that there is a fallacy that Arab perfumes are mostly oudh or their derivatives, and he feels that those who share these perceptions have not experienced his creations yet. Amouage Journey is a strong fragrance, which could be one reason the uninitiated compare it to the oudh, but on further exploration, the fragrances have a distinct spiciness that is nowhere near anything experienced before. SINDHU NAIR

Charming little ceramics depicting whirling dervishes dot the display window of a small rustic shop – completely unassuming with staff whose soft murmurs contrast the lively

ambience of the market. The little appointment, called Sufi Art, offers an insightful look into the work of artists and craftsmen from all over Turkey — many skilled in traditional Turkish

handwork of ceramics and fine jewelry. Founded by Yusuf Kaya six years ago, the shop is an extension of his business in authentic Turkish carpets, all in the promotion of local talents to a wider audience. Turkish ceramic masters Nuray Ada and Ismail Yigit are among the artists

whose work can be found in Sufi Art, along with the abstract representations of painter Cemal Toy and Hidayet Sen. Meticulously handmade decor in Turkish patterns make for great gifts while the fine jewelry collections from emerging designers are truly one-of-a-

kind pieces that embody the spirit of the historical city of Istanbul. “The store is a reflection of my love for my homeland,” Yusuf says. “Where else would you see all major religions

coming together?” DEBRINA ALIYAH Sufi Art is located at 45, Misir Carsisi. www.sufiart.net

Turkish DelightsWhen wading through throngs of visitors at Istanbul’s Spice Market, all

clamoring for the stickiest Turkish delights and finest tea leaves, you will eventually come to a discreet corner devoid of crowds.

SPICED ASIA Clockwise: Amouage's Journey is influenced by the mysteries of China; the packaging is distinctly Arabian; Christopher Chong takes us through his personal journey.



Women draped in layers of black fabric, mon-ey so abundant that it sometimes is hard to comprehend and a mysterious shroud over the ever-changing political landscape. But it almost makes for visually stimulating material in contrasting the old with the new, as in the case of the works of Marianne Petersen. A multi-media artist with a particular interest in the culture of the Gulf, MarpLondon as she prefers to be known, has cleverly condensed her social observations on Arabs in frame-size pop art and photographs. Images of veiled

women hidden in the latest designer shoes form the series The Great Harrods Exodus — Petersen’s layered response to the debate of the banning of full-face veils in England. “The assumptions from both Muslims and non-Muslims are as ignorant as the other and I wanted to highlight the paradoxes,” she says. In A Taste of Dubai, Petersen highlights the ordinary man on the street by taking away the usual glitz and skyscrapers associated with the Emirate — reframing the individuals in plain backgrounds of traditional Arab environment.

These quirky and highly circumspect works caught the eye of Khurram Rafique, owner of UAE-based shoe and handbag brand Nicoli, and Petersen was asked to collaborate in de-signing the label’s 2014 campaign. “With a mix of old Hollywood icons and new icons of the East, the campaign is a play on the mind to create your own inner style,” she explains. Selected MarpLondon pieces are available through Saatchi Art online but the artist prefers to be in touch with clients personally on www.marplondon.com DEBRINA ALIYAH

July 21, 1969, two NASA astronauts became the first human beings to set foot on the surface of a celestial body. When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the Moon, they met the challenge set only a few years earlier by President John F. Kennedy. This feat — one of mankind’s crowning technological achievements had a brand literally on hand, on this historic occasion. Strapped around his spacesuit, Buzz Aldrin wore an Omega Speedmaster

Professional Chronograph. Neil Armstrong left his own Speedmaster aboard the Lunar Landing Module as a reliable backup to the electronic timekeeping system. The Omega Speedmaster Professional Apollo 11 45th Anniversary Limited Edition wrist-watches commemorates the first lunar landing and celebrates its link to the iconic chronograph that was part of this great lunar adventure. SINDHU NAIR

A Time LeapWhile some of us shrug away the importance of brands and their history there is no ignoring the significance of this scientific event.

Layers of FlairIn an inquisitive context, the Arab world provides an almost ideal

environment, one that is abound in mystery to be revealed.

LIFE IN ARABIA MarpLondon's take on Arab culture through Pop Art.

LUNAR LINK ABOVE: This exclusive packaging has a black polyamide “NATO” strap and a black Velcro strap inspired by the one astronauts wear in space, a tool to change the bracelet, a loupe with a tachymetric scale around its edges and a book highlighting the adventures of the Speedmaster; right, the Omega Speedmaster Professional Apollo 11 45th Anniversary Limited Edition.


Lookout Qatar

Hearth and Soul

BY DEBRINA ALIYAH

The Middle East is envied for the indulgence and exuberance of the hospitality it extends. Here are some

destinations that set themselves apart from the rest.

Market Watch

Alila Jabal AkhdarJabal Akhdar is one of the Arab world’s best kept secrets — a rugged plateau some 2,000 meters above sea level that at first glance seems an empty parched landscape. But the rocky geography holds a treasure trove of adventures. Designated in 2011 by the Sultan of Oman as a nature reserve, selected eco-friendly institutions have made in-roads to offer off-the-beaten-track hotels and cultural experiences. The latest addition, Alila Jabal Akhdar is sculpted into the natural rocky landscape, staying true to its commitment to provide guests with an immersion experience with nature. The locale, famed for its Omani roses and juicy pomegranates, has yards of orchards and gardens to be explored through Alila’s specially crafted journeys that emphasizes cultural learning and conscious living. Rates start from QR1,200 at www.alilahotels.com/jabalakhdar

Feynan EcolodgeWith almost zero carbon footprints, Feynan Ecolodge, an off-the-grid adventure escape, is located in Jordan’s Dana Biosphere Reserve. Designed by renowned eco-architect Ammar Khammash, the lodge generates all its energy needs from the sun, and is lit by candles and stars at dusk. In symmetry with its local environment, the lodge is not only completely solar-powered but is run entirely by local communities from service staff to adventure guides. Explore nature, historic copper mines, archaeological treasures and lush canyons and be one with the Bedouin culture through interactions with the friendly locals. Food served at the lodge is exclusively vegetarian and plastic bottles have been replaced with clay jars made by local community cooperatives. Rates start from QR450 for beds at www.feynan.com


Al Jasra Hotel Step into the heart of old-world Doha from the doorstep of Al Jasra, one of the culturally-inspired boutique hotels that pioneered a change in the hospitality landscape in Qatar. Part of Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels, this hotel was among the first that offered an alternative to the big name chains that dominate the city. Designed to reflect old Qatari dwellings, Al Jasra's rooftop is the best gazing point to view the hustle and bustle of the busy souq, from its traditional traders to the lively restaurants. Rates start from QR720 at www.swbh.com

XVA Art HotelA complete escape from the glitzy hotels of Dubai, the XVA Art Hotel is a rare gem — refurbished from the former home of the Seddiqi family (Dubai’s Rolex dealers) into a soulful boutique retreat. Hidden in the heart of the Al Fahidi neighborhood, Dubai’s historical traders' settlement, the hotel combines all the characteristics of an art-furnished space with the architectural splendor of a 100 year-old house that includes two traditional courtyards and three wind towers. The space is also home to the XVA Art Gallery, an outfit dedicated to contemporary art from the Arab world and the subcontinent. Dubai’s creative crowd fills the restaurant and cafe on cool evenings led by the estabishment’s owner Mona Hauser – the city’s art doyen. Rates start from QR650 at www.xvagallery.com

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Lookout Qatar

KARL LAGERFELD LIKES TO MAKE A STATEMENT. Some of the designer’s most recent examples of pushing the boundaries include Chanel’s Haute Couture show for fall 2013, which was staged against a battered and demolishing cityscape backdrop while models dressed in elegant winter wear strolled through the debris. The set seemed to point to a society in ruins where the only beauty that could be seen emanated from its fashionably dressed inhabitants. Then there is Lagerfeld’s most recent Couture show for Chanel Spring/Summer 2014 with models wearing knee and shoulder pads on top of dainty, airy and predominantly white attire — as if they needed to protect themselves from a potential threat. Now, with the Cruise show in Dubai, Lagerfeld has delved into a new realm: that of the East. Everyone is talking about Dubai — the ultramodern city currently on the fast track to development. The booming rate at which Dubai has built itself has attracted all sorts of investors and creative projects. And it was within this futuristic metropolis that Lagerfeld chose to stage his Cruise collection — on an island in the Arabian Sea.

The first European label to choose Dubai for such a crucial

AT HOME IN DUBAIChanel's mashrabiya-like edifice decorated with the iconic gold interlocking double Cs.

event on the international fashion calendar, Chanel held its show in a gigantic sand-colored rectangular edifice covered in a lattice, which at first glance resembled traditional Islamic patterning. However, as guests neared the structure decorated in emblematic mashrabiyas (an Arabic term for a carved wood latticework window), they could see that the venue was actually made up of a multitude of Chanel’s interlocking double C’s. This hyper branding on the show’s temporary location said “this is Chanel” to all who could behold the giant box-like edifice from afar. Reflecting the fast-paced mentality of Dubai itself, Chanel claimed its territory much like the 19th century explorers who ventured to the Far East in search of new opportunities. “This is my idea of a romantic, modern Orient, a new One Thousand and One Nights,” said Lagerfeld.

The luxurious shopaholic embrace that is Dubai, where East meets West over a flood of entrepreneurship and where the real and fake are in constant battle for supremacy, were all sentiments revealed in Chanel’s 2014/2015 Cruise collection. “Dubai is the world of tomorrow,” assures Lagerfeld. The show began with a literal interpretation of the shamagh — the tasseled and patterned

A Mirage in the Sand

BY REBECCA ANNE PROCTOR

Staged on an island in the Arabian Sea surrounding Dubai, Chanel’s 2014/2015 Cruise collection married the brand’s

longstanding heritage with an oriental flair.

The Event


ORIENTAL GODDESSESChanel's contemporary princesses walk through the rows of Bedouin-style seating arrangements with their curly hair "a la Marisa Berenson".

garments, which were adorned with a multitude of Chanel’s exquisite watches and high jewelry — just in the way that Mademoiselle Chanel liked to do. Lagerfeld’s creations ultimately depicted a desire to break free of boundaries — uphold a bit of tradition and then move forward. And set in the modern magnificence of Dubai, this is what the collection conveyed. There was also humor and a hint of what might be thought of as political satire. Quilted petroleum can bags revealed Lagerfeld’s witty play on contemporary culture. Intriguing as they were, some in the audience thought the bags might have gone too far in a stereotypical portrayal of Gulf history. Other puns were seen in jeweled sandals with bright soles evoking Aladdin-esque slippers — all details of this magnificent affair that amazed the close to 1,000 guests in attendance, including Chanel ambassadors Vanessa Paradis, Tilda Swinton, Anna Mouglalis, Alice Dellal and Zhou Xun. Also present were actresses Dakota Fanning, Freida Pinto, Elisa Sednaoui, Yasmine Hamdan and Razane Jammal, as well as the film-makers Nadine Labaki and Abdulla Al Kaabi.

For the grand finale, sweet Hudson Kroeig, the toddler of Lagerfeld’s main muse Brad Kroenig, made a guest appearance in what is fast becoming a regular Chanel catwalk conclusion. There was also a private concert given by the singer Janelle Monae that rounded off the show. At the end, each guest got back into the wooden abras that had brought them to the Chanel Island. They left behind Lagerfeld’s magical world and journeyed back into the megapolis of Dubai’s bright lights and shiny skyscrapers. It was a mirage in the sand.

headdress or a scarf worn by the traditional Arab male. The excitement of the collection then burst forth through its many golden hues, tiaras, bolero jackets with voluminous sleeves embroidered with micro-sequins and baggy pants in gold Lurex silk. Chanel’s contemporary princesses walked the rows of Bedouin-style seat arrangements where guests dined on dates and champagne as the models haughtily walked past with their curly manes done up “à la Marisa Berenson”, as Lagerfeld explained.

Ethereal and radiant, the collection came together in an explosion of striking floral, geometric and gold patterns — much like a delicate Eastern mosaic. The women were confident, free and sophisticated. They boasted a boyish charm and a feminine pride. “This is who I am,” they seemed to say as they magnificently walked through the contemporary majlis setting and its customary floor seating. The unforgettable Burj Khalifa tower could be seen in the distance — a backdrop for the scintillating embroidery, silk, chiffon, linen, gold lamé and cotton voile — all airy and sensual fabrics that allowed for a play of layering and transparency. There was something slightly Orientalist about Lagerfeld’s work. Androgynous and feminine ensembles recalled the visions of 19th French painters such as Eugene Delacroix and Jean-Auguste Ingres. There were tunics hemmed with Lesage embroidery in powdered sequins; pleated blouses with embellished beads; a tailcoat in tweed coupled with a bronze sequined dress and kaftan tunics in black and white geometric forms to recall the traditional patterns typical in Oriental art. “It’s my idea of an idealized East, an East that is for everybody,” explained Lagerfeld. “There’s nothing folkloric. The influences are multiple, from fairy tales to film, from the paintings of Delacroix to the 1914 creations of Paul Poiret.” The eclectic

‘It’s my idea of an idealized East, an East that is for everybody,’

says Karl Lagerfeld.

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WHEN STANDING NEAR THE COLOSSAL METAL structure that marks the last point at the Museum of Islamic Park on a weekend evening, you will hear whispers in a mélange of languages. Some ask what it is, how was it erected, and why it is in the park at all? Years before the prolific arrival of the Richard Serra exhibitions that are taking place all over the city, “7”, his inaugural work in Qatar, has been fascinating visitors — many who have not heard about the artist at all. But unfamiliarity did not stop discussions and questions about the structure. People from all walks of life formed ideas and opinions of what they thought “7” was, and there in lies the core of the Creation Generation project, Qatar Museums’ outreach initiative to engage the community to express what they feel is happening in the prevailing art landscape of the country.

In a crowd-sourcing approach, a social media campaign was launched in tandem to Serra’s exhibitions — inviting the audience

to choose one word that best represents what they felt about the works. “Tiny” and “Powerful” were popular but words like “Confused” and “Weak” sparked a wide array of reactions.

Through social media, QM selected six visual artists to participate in the art initiative and create their own work based on what they had experienced and seen of Serra’s exhibitions in Qatar. Photographers Mohammed Al-Dosari, Haya Al-Thani, Abdul Aziz Al-Ajail, Ameera Fareed, swordmaker Khalifa Ghaith Al-Kuwari and cartoonist Abdulaziz Yousef began their creative journey while being documented by QM. Their experiences were shared on the museum’s social platforms. As the weeks progressed, the public followed the stories of the artists that culminated in a public exhibition held at The Pearl – Qatar. It was an interesting discourse — giving the community a chance to speak their minds and instigating new perspectives toward the onslaught of contemporary art in Doha in recent years. There may have been proverbial ‘bumps’ in form of criticism and controversial remarks towards the choices of art forms exhibited in the country, but “that makes the work successful and it invites

NEWINTERPRETATIONS

Left and top: The exhibition serves to

promote discourse on the onslaught of

modern art on the city; right: a behind-

the-scenes look at Al-Kuwari's sword

installation.

The Conversation Continues

BY DEBRINA ALIYAH

Richard Serra has unleashed a cultural surge in the country, which echoes his sensitivities while also

questioning them. All of these were on display at the Creation Generation initiative.

Art Debate

Lookout Qatar

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reactions and dialogue,” Al-Ajail says. “Contemporary art takes time to be understood and what Serra has done really is to highlight the Brouq Nature Reserve and put our country on the world map,” he says. Al-Ajail’s own contribution to the project uses Serra’s pieces as a focal backdrop to highlight the cultural aspects of the Qatari community — in living life with dignity and hope through difficult times.

Yousef, no stranger to the creative crowd, experiments with colors and anchors animated sculptures with his signature cartoon mascot. Evoking the spirit of Serra’s concept of space, his explosion of energy and rainbow shades fit into the idea of what he

would put into his own space. “Serra’s work has positive and negative feedback and me, being a Gemini, have two personalities so I channeled the polar opposite concepts into the work,” he explains. Al-Thani captures the emptiness of space in “Passage of Time” which reminded her of Noah’s Ark, believing that Serra’s work is more of an internal experience than a physical one. Fareed plays with photography techniques to blur the lines between the I.M. Pei - designed structure of Museum of Islamic Arts with “7”, the latter work chosen for its proximity to the museum, while Al-Dossari finds the abstract in desert sand. An avid desert adventurer, Al-Dossari photographs dune lines in striking resemblance to Serra’s work, “seeing that movement is truly universal regardless of material,” he says.

The acme piece at the exhibition perhaps comes in the form of the sword installation by Al-Kuwari, an artist who is dedicated to perfecting the age-old craft of sword making. If it is Serra’s intention to challenge the our perspective of space, then it is Al-Kuwari’s aim to present the sword in all its dimensions. “Serra

combines culture, nature and architecture in one work, and here I present all the different angles of a sword that comes together harmoniously in the end as one vision,” he explains.

The conversation continues on the museum’s crowd-sourcing micro site, www.richardserra.qa, inviting you to reflect and share your thoughts. The Creation Generation exhibition was also displayed a second time at the W Hotel & Residences from July 3 to 17.

Contemporary art takes time to be understood and what Serra had done really is to highlight the Brouq Nature

Reserve.

ART COLLECTIVE Clockwise from left: Al Dosari, Yousef, Al-Kuwari and Al-Ajail at the opening of the exhibition; the first installment that took place at The Pearl-Qatar; Al-Kuwari has been championing the traditional art of swordmaking throughout the last two decades.


TRAILING THE SHARKS: Executive Director of the Charles Darwin Foundation Swen Lorenz chats about the far reaching impacts of research like the shark tagging project being carried out at the island.

Watching the Waters of Galapagos

BY AYSWARYA MURTHY

On the 50th anniversary of the Charles Darwin Foundation Research Station, T Qatar takes a closer look at an unlikely partnership that brought together two organisations worlds apart, binding them to the

cause of restoring the skewed ecological balance.

In Time

TIME. WHILE HUMANS are consumed by its relentless march — willing it, in parts, to jump forward, turn back and stand still — our animal friends, to quote research, are “stuck in time with no sense of past or future”. In a sense, they live in the moment more than we could ever hope to.

Close to a century and half ago, when Charles Darwin was still working on The Descent of Man and growing out his distinctive bushy beard, and an International Watch Company was setting up its first factory in Schaffhausen, the sharks of the world didn’t

have to worry about being plucked out of water for a brutal de-finning, only to be thrown back in, effectively immobile, to die of hunger, suffocation and predatory attacks. Today, this happens to millions of sharks annually. Every day hundreds of them sink helplessly to the ocean floor, unable to count the minutes till the inevitable end. Several metres above, an organisation that fights on behalf of this species was itself locked in its own battle for survival. And, just as for the finless shark, time was running out for the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF)

at Galapagos Islands. But all this changed at the hands of a certain unassuming tourist who arrived on the island ten years ago and a luxury watch-making company thousands of miles away.

When Swen Lorenz landed in Galapagos he was immediately taken to the island’s rich and unique ecosystem, much like Charles Darwin was years before him. Though Lorenz had business interests spread across England, Russia and Macau, his heart refused to leave the deep blues and lush greens of the island. So he stayed and through the friends he made and his work with local high school students, he established connections with the Charles Darwin Foundation. Charged with undertaking all-important research to preserve the delicate balance in nature here and elsewhere, the foundation would soon find itself a victim of the global economic recession. Its “lack of a sustainable funding model” would compound these woes. By this time, Lorenz was already working closely with CDF and contributing both time and money towards its many projects. Eventually, in 2011 he was invited to join the board and a few months later, took over as its Executive Director. Barely three years on, the foundation is operating on the right side of the ledger, with an annual budget of (QR13 million) $3.5 million. Equally important, Lorenz’s business acumen has given the foundation’s research work better focus and has led to streamlined and effective partnerships

Lookout Qatar

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with the Government of Ecuador, local and global organisations and corporations all working towards the common goal of conservation.

Throwing his mind back, Lorenz remembers some of the issues plaguing the foundation when he was handed over its reins. “The organisation found it easy to raise funds for specific science projects, but it always had tremendous difficulties gathering the funding necessary to operate a physical research station with 15 buildings, high costs for electricity and internet, and expensive costs for boat charters since it didn’t own its own research vessel,” he remembers. “The CDF was also too dispersed in its efforts, trying to manage a staggering 69 projects among roughly 100 staff members.” It was evident to Lorenz that their organisation needed a different funding model, renewed focus, and “to simply have someone pull the cart and provide leadership at a time when the organisation was on the brink of collapse”. Fast forward to 2014 and there is a dramatic change in the whole narrative. Much of it, Lorenz says, boils down to good old fashioned experience, hard work and long hours in the office. And through this, the support of organisations like IWC Schaffhausen, which has been one of the biggest corporate benefactors of CDF since the beginning of their association in 2009, has been invaluable.

CDF is one of the many charitable organisations supported by IWC Schaffhausen, according to Karoline Huber Regional Brand Director, but the association goes beyond their Corporate Social Responsibility agenda. It has become a creative driver and an opportunity to produce an array of meaningful and evocative stories which “emotionally anchor our timepieces in the world of the Galapagos Islands”. IWC has been “generating awareness for the unique universe of the Galapagos Islands and informing a larger audience about their projects” and also through newly launched special edition timepieces, CDF has become “a vital part of IWC’s emotional brand universe”, she says. The Galapagos-themed exhibit at the IWC Museum features photography and in-depth information about the islands, attempting to explain its history, uniqueness and introducing the beauty of its flora and fauna to visitors of the IWC museum, who number several thousand per year. For the 50th anniversary of the research station, IWC introduced their new Aquatimer diving watches,

A TRIBUTE IN DESIGN: For the 50th anniversary of the research station, IWC introduced their new Aquatimer diving watches, among which are three special chronograph models dedicated to the magical archipelago of Galapagos —Galapagos Islands, 50 Years Science for Galapagos and Expedition Charles Darwin; top rightCreative Director at IWC, Christian Knoop.

among which are three special chronograph models dedicated to the magical archipelago of Galapagos —Galapagos Islands, 50 Years Science for Galapagos and Expedition Charles Darwin. Combining IWC’s brand DNA of clean-cut, functional and masculine design, Aquatimer’s technological superiority and ruggedness and the colours and textures of the Galapagos Islands, Creative Director Christian Knoop has crafted a story that, when strapped onto your wrists, transports you to a different time and place. “We took inspiration from the Galapagos, looking at everything from the blue of the ocean to the brown tones of weathered wood and the greys of the different stones, while the idea for the bronze case of the Edition Expedition Charles Darwin came directly from reading the history of the HMS Beagle’s voyage and discovering how the ship was extensively equipped with bronze fittings,” Knoop says. “The Galapagos Islands are made of volcano stone and are surrounded by a cold, rough and dark underwater world,” Huber adds. “Inspired by this setting, the matte black rubber coating on the stainless-steel case, applied in a complex vulcanization process, has come to be a special feature of the Galapagos edition.” And the timepieces came a full circle when CDF scientists helped field-test


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these to help make them the best possible product for divers and help improve safety of diving. This brings us back to the marine reserve at Galapagos where CDF’s research team works on projects that preserve not only the unimitable diversity of the islands but also has a scalable impact in helping protect ecological diversity and endangered species in other parts of the world. One of Lorenz’s first acts was to limit the number of science projects to 15 and focus on a few priority areas that promise huge impact. The Galapagos Shark Research and Conservation Project is one of them. Facilitated by IWC, a new shark tagging project got underway in July 2014 through which 123 satellite tags were attached to the different shark species living in the waters surrounding the Galapagos, enabling more insights into their movement and migration patterns. The vision of the project is long-term and far-reaching. Lorenz hopes to demonstrate the connectivity of different hotspots of the Pacific Ocean through this project and “use this data to convince decision-makers in various governments of implementing necessary changes to ensure the health of shark populations when they leave the reserve”.

Tangible results are already being achieved in the case of Cocos Islands of Columbia, which has been identified as an important point along the migratory path of the sharks. “Cocos has now started to step up its protection of sharks, and in many ways they are using the lessons that were learned in Galapagos. Better protecting the sea between Galapagos and Cocos will be the next step,” Lorenz says. “I hope that one day we will have a carefully constructed network of marine protected areas across the Pacific, doing their bit to help the oceans recover. The discussions, both in science as well as politics, are definitely moving into this direction.” Closer to home, the project is helping bring to light some of the practices that are inadvertently hurting the shark population. “With our tagging program, we recently provided evidence how certain fishing techniques applied by the artisanal fishermen in the marine reserve lead to sharks getting killed accidentally. When we delivered this evidence to the Galapagos National Park they immediately put a ban onto this fishing technique,” Lorenz says, proud to point out that this is what the

work of the CDF, supported by partners like IWC Schaffhausen, is all about. IWC’s involvement will enable the research centre to further study the vast underwater world which accounts for a remarkable two-thirds of the entire Galapagos, take on the challenge of protecting important birds such as Darwin’s finch, the mockingbird and the Vermilion Flycatcher and develop innovative technologies to enable large-scale reintroduction of certain plant species without using large amounts of water, the company says. Lorenz says the financial stability accorded by new income sources like a new student program and a gift shop catering to the 100,000 foreign visitors annually has dared them to be ambitious about the future. “There is a lot more work to be done. I would like to build a new student campus in the research station, replace our marine research center with a new facility, and open a museum to show our history and achievements.” But for now, Lorenz and his team deserve to take a break to look back on their accomplishments and the jubilee celebrations planned this year provide an ideal opportunity to do exactly that.

‘Inspired by Galapagos Islands’ setting of volcanic stone surrounded by rough, cold and dark water, the matte black rubber coating on the stainless-steel case, applied in a complex

vulcanization process, has come to be a special feature of this edition.’

THE PATH TO CONSERVATION:

Tangible results are already being

achieved in the case of Cocos

Islands of Columbia, which

has been identified as an important point

along the migratory path of

the sharks.

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Lookout Qatar

SINCE 1986, HERMÈS HAS CONCEIVED a theme for each calendar year. An idea, subject matter or culture, themes have included “The Year of India” in 1986; “Paris in the Air” in 2006; “The Gift of Time” in 2012 and “A Sporting Life” in 2013. This year it is “Metamorphosis.” These wonderfully poetic ideas symbolize for the entirety of a year, the nature of Hermès’ various collections. With its inherent philosophical and fantastical connotations, thoughts of the word “metamorphosis” conjure up all sorts of whimsical images and physical and mental transformations. A metamorphosis is, indeed, a change. An inevitable part of life and one which many both fear and crave, it is as necessary an element for the development of the human and natural world as it is for the process of artistic creation.

It was a secret we were told. The location and nature of the occasion was to be unveiled when we arrived at our destination. No interviews had been planned and no itinerary had been prepared. For the nearly 200 international guests who attended the event, the experience was new and unexpected. Aside from the name of theme, we were told to wear comfortable walking shoes and that the event would take place in Normandy, near the town of Saint-Malo. But there, on the back of our invitation cards, was a lone piece of land with a tall

tower that rose far into the skies. It was encircled by nothingness or perhaps water — maybe an indication of where we would be received.

After several hours on a train gliding through the depths of the French countryside, we arrived in Normandy. A quick bus ride drove us past St. Malo and towards the sea. And there, magnificently placed, as if with regal designation, was Le Mont Saint-Michel — a historical island commune with a great and ancient past. Since the eighth century, it has been home to a monastery by the same name. Its unusual geographical position as an island that is but 600 meters from land has throughout the centuries made it accessible to many pilgrims who have sought out its abbey. It is a visionary example of feudal society: God, the abbey and the monastery, are located on top of the island, while below are noble offices, then housing and at the very bottom,

cottages for farmers and fisherman to live. Le Mont Saint-Michel’s silhouette against the blue sky and surrounding sea is at once bold and gracious. Endowed with a spiritual essence, it is a place where people can retreat to for religious reasons, solitude and the beauty of its walls. It is a building that signifies positive transformation by its very presence —an engagement with nature, spiritual growth and

DINNER WITH A VIEW: Above: Guests gather on

top of Le Mont Saint-Michel, an island

commune in Normandy, France, to enjoy a

magnificient sunset and indulge in preparations by

Chef Olivier Roellinger..

In Praise of TransformationIn June, Hermès hosted a celebration in honor of its theme

of the year: metamorphosis. Held on the French isle of Le Mont Saint-Michel, a select number of international guests were able to take part in this experiential event

celebrating transformation and change.

BY REBECCA ANNE PROCTOR PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALFREDO PIOLA

Legacy


solitude. And it was here that Hermès decided to stage its event.

We climbed up over a 90 steps to reach the top of Le Mont Saint-Michel. Bag pipe players greeted us from early on, with their music resounding even into the nearby vicinity of the island. They were perched at various intervals as we climbed our way up – situated at places where there was a particular scenic view or a historical entrance way. The music was entrancing and many stopped amazed, simply to revel in its physical and emotional vibrations. Evoking what was seemingly a trance-like call to something greater — we followed the music continually upwards. And once reaching the top, we came into a large space typical of an Italian piazza with the main church located right behind. In front of us was an expansive view of the beach, the sea and the sunset.

There were no Birkin bags, square scarves or enrapturing Hermès dresses present on Le Mont Saint-Michel. More live musicians ensued playing joyful tunes while we were served savory dinner items prepared by Chef Olivier Roellinger — nearly all of which carried a name preceded by “metamorphosis” in line with Hermès’ theme. It was a pause in the day and in life - a chance to appreciate the surrounding beauty as well as the spiritual and historical significance of the place. The experience was a chance encounter with contemplation — a time for brief personal reflection on the momentous changes that are constantly taking place around us and within us.

The show went on. We were led into the church and asked to take a small white ceramic bowl and keep it with us for the duration of our journey. More music was played - this time by singers from Sardegna and a traditional musician from Mongolia. They played simultaneously — mixing sound and heritage in an intriguing and beautiful ensemble. Afterwards, we were led into a nearby chapel and this is where the small white bowls were first used. They signified, as we were later explained, “our common

secret” and our own ongoing metamorphosis: life. Throughout the experience we were led to taste four broths that were made with the purpose to purify, energize, invigorate and soothe. They were four flavors created that touched upon different aspects of our lives. Here we had the first one: “birth.” It was made from seaweed, green tea and a touch of acidity. We sipped this as we watched more performers. The Bian Lian, or “Changing Face”, a character from a

traditional Sichuan opera, came out to dance around the crowd. The figure was adorned with a mask and various colors, which were meant to reflect the mood of the person it represented. Traditionally, it is portrayed sometimes happy and sometimes sad.

Out from a corner to sit on the chapel’s stone steps was Lingling Yu, a virtuoso of the pipa, an ancient Chinese stringed musical instrument. Born in Hangzhou, in South East China, by the age of 13 Yu devoted herself to the pipa. She travels through China with her master Dehai Liu and her favorite instrument to give concerts and teach music. Here she was seen alone, while her playing filled the venue with an eerie and pristine beauty. At one point, Pierre-Alexis Dumas, the artistic director of Hermès and a member of the founding family that has run the brand for six generations, spoke.

SIGHTS OF SAINT-MICHEL: Clockwise from top: A panaromic view of the masrshland of Le Mont

Saint-Michel; an Egyptian dancer performs the dance

of Nil Soufi; whirling dervishes dressed in

colorful garb dancing on top of Le Mont Saint-Michel.

There were no Birkin bags, square scarves or enrapturing Hermès dresses present on

Le Mont Saint-Michel.


He addressed the multitude of guests with his own thoughts on metamorphosis. “There are no Hermès products here,” he said. “The event represents the philosophy behind the brand and the theme it has sought to follow for the entirety of a year. Metamorphosis is about life. Like nature, our lives our constantly changing and transforming.” And through its creative aims and maintenance of its inherent craftsmanship, Hermès does, too. Dumas clearly didn’t want to talk about fashion. It was this special event that was to lead us to truly experience Hermès.

Our experience of the journey was heightened when we were confronted with a dance by whirling dervishes in an outside courtyard. It was called the dance of the Nil Soufi and was based on the Mevlevi practice that spread to Egypt during the Ottoman period. It celebrates the men of Nil with a dance that has the performers spinning around with their white or colored dress that opens like the flowers of a cosmic garden. Called the “Tanoura”, the skirt is the key choreographic element of the dance. The dancers swirl anti-clockwise to evoke the planetary system and ignite an experience that invites the audience and the performer to enter a state of transcendence. That it did. We watched in awe as a young Egyptian boy continued to turn for what seemed to be eternity,

while Arab musicians played the drums in harmoney with his movements. His dress began a twirl, a constant but temporary vision, that mesmerized and united us all into a state of wonderment. As we moved between the various chapels and corridors of the abbey we were given the remainder of the four broths in our little white bowl. The second referred to a child who was discovering life’s adventures. It was made from the chlorophyll of a flower bud, chervil and galangal. The third recalled the passage of growing up. Energizing and filling, it was composed of burnt ginger and black cardamom. We were given the last as we exited back into the main outdoor area. Made from honey, nutmeg and vanilla, it was the sweetest, and referred to the dream-like passage of time.

By now the sun had set and it was dark, except for the lights on the whirling dervishes’ colorful costumes. They danced again, glistening as they twirled in the night sky on the top of Le Mont Saint Michel. Unforgettable and a life experience in itself, even without the Maison’s stunning creations to behold, we could sense the spirit of Hermès and particularly this theme that is so pertinent to all. Metamorphosis has been a subject explored since ancient times, such as in the Greek myth of Daphne and Apollo a story that mirrors the brand’s ad campaign for this year. The human world and the natural world often intertwine. And like Apollo chases Daphne out of desperation and love, while she is unwilling to return his and she transforms into a laurel tree, we too, as Pierre-Alexis Dumas explained, are in a constant state of

transformation. Lives, like artistic creation, metamorphosize. And what they leave behind is experience and often beauty.

Apollo has his beautiful laurel tree, and we take back an evening on Le Mont Saint-Michel. Because of the inherent richness of the event, the history and tradition that was tied together in such a creative and avant-garde way, it will ultimately remain with us — even as we continue to change.

SUNSET SOUP: The crowd of happy guests

feasting on Chef Roellinger's

metamorphisis-inspired cuisine; the white bowls used for

the four broths; musicians performing

during sunset

‘Metamorphosis is about life. Like nature, our lives our constantly

changing and transforming,’ says Pierre-Alexis Dumas

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A Little Something SpecialSmall, delicate pieces of jewelry, meant to be mixed and worn every

day, are sentimental talismans of a particular moment in time.

Jewelry Report

PHOTOGRAPHS BY PHILIPPE JARRIGEON STYLED BY JASON RIDER

Right arm: Harry Winston bracelet (right), price on request, harrywinston.com. Maison Martin Margiela bracelet, QR9,100, and ring, price on request, Left arm: Van Cleef & Arpels rings, QR5,280 each (index finger), and QR4,910 (ring finger), vancleefarpels.com.

Maison Martin Margiela ring (middle finger), QR3,350. Ana Khouri bracelet, QR30,215, barneys.com. Valentino sweater, QR12,340.


Quality Jewelry Report

Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet (top), QR166,000. Oscar Heyman bracelet, QR225,700, oscarheyman.com. Louis Vuitton rings, QR3,350 each (middle finger), and QR3,490 (index finger); Sophie Bille Brahe ring (ring finger),

QR2,365, newyork.doverstreetmarket.com. Ana Khouri necklace, QR76,500. Proenza Schouler T-shirt, QR1,910. Altuzarra skirt.



Left arm: Cartier watch, QR85,550, and bracelet, QR6,950. Alex Sepkus ring, (middle finger, top), QR5,025, bergdorfgoodman.com. Lorree Rodkin ring, (middle finger, bottom), QR30,490, lorreerodkin.com. Eva Fehren ring (ring finger), QR5,280, barneys.com. Right arm: Dina Kamal ring, QR8,136,

newyork.doverstreetmarket.com. Louis Vuitton cuff, price on request. Cartier necklace, QR16,200. Stella McCartney dress, QR3,985, and belt, QR2,000.


Quality Jewelry Report

Right arm: Gucci bracelet (top), QR22,000. Hermès necklace (worn as bracelet), QR4,500. Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane ring, QR2,700. Left arm: Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane bracelet, QR14,000. Trademark sweater, QR650, and pants, QR1,020, trade-mark.com.

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Versace jacket, QR8,100; Calvin Klein pants, QR12,720; Tiffany & Company earrings (worn throughout), QR490; tiffany.com. Jil Sander belt (worn throughout), QR910; saksfifthavenue.com. Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci shoes, QR4,550; neimanmarcus.com.

A Little to the Imagination

The season’s strategically worn bandeau tops and shoulder-baring dresses are a sharp

and sexy complement to masculine dressing.

In Fashion

PHOTOGRAPHS BY SCOTT TRINDLE STYLED BY JASON RIDER


Quality In Fashion

Giorgio Armani jacket, QR5,915, and skirt, QR6,900; Jil Sander top, QR2,400.



Chanel dress, QR20,930; Haider Ackermann shoes, QR5,190; saksfifthavenue.com.

Section Sub Section


Quality In Fashion

Salvatore Ferragamo trench,

QR12,010. Alexander

Wang top, QR1,440; alexanderwang.

com. Proenza Schouler pants,

QR4,550. Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci shoes, QR4,550.



Dior jacket, QR9,830, and pants, QR4,730.M

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To the Ends of the EarthFrom woodsy fabrications to finely woven canvas, a homespun yet high-end sumptuousness runs through the season’s accessories.

Objects

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARTIN VALLINSTYLED BY JOHAN SVENSON

From left: Stella McCartney shoe, QR3,400. Brian Atwood clutch, price on request. Bottega Veneta bag, QR18,930.



From left: Jimmy Choo bag, QR9,280. Dries Van Noten shoe, QR3,510; barneys.com. Chloé bag, QR7,390.


Quality Objects

From left: Chloé shoe, QR2,895; neimanmarcus.com. Michael Kors bag, QR4,350. Hermès boot, QR5,280.



YEARS AGO, I VISITED Jane Austen’s home in Chawton, England, and left feeling I had tapped into the source of her prose. The well-worn floors and the walls, papered in delicate Regency designs, represented a kind of narrative architecture. The small table on which she wrote each day, having completed her domestic chores, spoke of her patience. The meticulous embroidery on a fine cotton

scarf made me think of her hands and eyes — the intensity of her focus. Since that visit, I have come to realize that writers’ spaces reflect our work, and vice versa.

When I begin a novel, I rarely have a clear idea of where it will take me, but my fascination with the passing of time and objects that convey a sense of history inevitably makes its way onto the

REMEMBRANCE OF THINGS

In frenetic Milan, Benedetta Cibrario’s

flat manages to achieve the feeling of a grand country

home in the 19th century, with pieces

as disparate as a Napoleonic

mantelpiece and fabrics by her friend

Allegra Hicks.

The Narrative of HomeAs with her novels, the decoration of the Milan apartment belonging to Italian writer Benedetta

Cibrario reveals an obsession with moments gone by and objects that mark the passage of time.

BY BENEDETTA CIBRARIO PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANNABEL ELSTON TRANSLATED BY MARELLA CARACCIOLO CHIA

By Design


page. Two of my three books are period pieces — ‘‘Rossovermiglio,’’ set in the early 20th century, and ‘‘Lo Scurnuso,’’ in the 18th.

Here, in the bustling center of Milan, I found what I was looking for: a place lost to time. The Palazzo Lurani Cernuschi dates from the 16th century and has been owned by the same family ever since. When I moved in three years ago, the apartment had been inhabited by the same tenants for over 50 years, and had the sense of having been left behind in the rushed evolution of this city. Not knowing how to design spaces, I enlisted Paolo Cattaneo, an

architect with a deep knowledge of art history who has done beautiful homes in Turin and Tuscany, to help me instill the classical but comfortable character I desired.

Starting in my office, Cattaneo and I tentatively placed a few objects here and there, including a red velvet chair by Giuseppe Gibelli for Sormani from the 1960s. Soon, throughout the apartment, the objects seemed to dictate where they wanted to be placed, just as my characters do when I write. Sofas that Cattaneo designed and upholstered in Rubelli velvet gathered in an intimate sitting area, while over by the window went two Napoleon III chairs from Liguria. I bought the desk, which was originally a 1930s vanity, at an antiques shop in North London. The small tables and stools are all from the 1930s and ’40s — ‘‘poor’’ objects with no aspirations, but they all have a rigorous and elegant design.

I knew that I wanted blues and greens throughout, and fabrics designed by Allegra Hicks, whose aesthetic dialogues as well with antiques as it does with contemporary furniture. She created the rug and tablecloth in the dining room, textiles for the other sofa and chairs in the living room and the dhurrie in my office. There are

I can envision the anonymous hand embroidering the curtains with

painstaking concentration. In what other windows have they screened the sun?

LIGHT OF HEART Left: Cibrario has a

passion for collecting vintage fabric and

curtains, like these, found at an antiques fair in Parma. Above

and right: for the bedroom wallpaper, she chose Zoffany’s ‘‘Fleurs Rococo,’’ a

pattern that reminds her of the old homes

of her childhood.


plenty of windows here, so I hung vintage cotton voile curtains made in St. Gallen, Switzerland, over 120 years ago. I love how the light filters through the botanic motifs. I can envision the anonymous hand embroidering them with painstaking concentration. In what other windows have they screened the sun?

I do know of one other place the curtains have hung: in the bedroom of the protagonist in ‘‘Rossovermiglio.’’ The nameless

narrator comes from a wealthy family, the kind who would own homes brimming with beautiful things. As the story unfolds, she emancipates herself from her material legacies, giving away the very paintings, clothes and jewelry that had defined her. The catalyst for the plot was a work of art: a portrait by John Singer Sargent of a woman in an evening gown, hers the distant gaze of someone who no longer knows where she belongs. Even there, it is the plush velvet pleats of her dress, the sparkle in her diamond earrings, that inform who she is, and where she is from.

Much of the furniture in the apartment comes from the family villa of my husband, Emanuele Tournon, a descendant of French officials who came to Italy with Napoleon. When I found an Empire mantelpiece in Orvieto, I felt I had come full circle: ‘‘Lo

Scurnuso’’ is the tale of the brief life of an 18th-century Neapolitan sculptor who made his living creating figures for nativity scenes. The mantelpiece once belonged to Enrico Medioli, the screenwriter for many Luchino Visconti films, including ‘‘The Leopard,’’ based on the 1958 novel of the same name by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (with whom I share a publisher, Feltrinelli Editore). Everything came together in that one object — the act of writing, the Napoleonic era, family bonds. The mantelpiece arrived in Milan in many pieces, in the trunk of my car. It took months to bring back the shine of its ormolu bronze decorations, but when it was finally in place in the living room, I felt a rush of emotion. Now it looks as though it has always been there, a part of my life.

The objects seemed to dictate where they wanted to be placed, just

as my characters do when I write.

THOUGHT PATTERNS Left: next to the gilt mirror found at an estate sale in Naples hangs a portrait of Cibrario’s ancestor, a historian; Above: behind an antique silver lantern and a 1950s coral-shaped vase sits the Empire mantelpiece that Cibrario says completed her home.


Arena

CHILDREN WHO GROW UP ALONG Colombia’s isolated and practically untouched Chocó region on the Pacific coast, where the jungle extends to the ocean, are used to glimpsing humpback whale mothers teach their babies to jump across the water. They routinely encounter hundreds of species of butterflies and birds; the region even boasts golden poison dart frogs with powerful venom that is being studied for potential medical use. The majority of those who live here, in one of the most biodiverse and sparsely populated zones on the planet, are either black Colombians, many of whom are the descendants of escaped slaves the Spanish originally brought to work the gold mines and sugar-cane plantations or members of formerly fierce indigenous tribes, both considered to be among the poorest, least educated people in Colombia.

The country’s coastline extends from the Panamanian border to Ecuador, over 800 miles of mostly tiny subsistence villages accessible only by air or by water, which evoke a ‘‘Dr. Livingstone, I presume,’’ Indiana Jones-style vibe that hypnotically pulls you out of your own reality. Television arrived about a decade ago, more or less at the same time the drug dealers who were losing too many planes did, offering those who had the know-how the chance to make an unheard-of 30 million pesos (about $15,000) by racing a 32-foot power boat north to Panama, hopefully undetected. Today the government

has become much more vigilant in the territory and Chocó, located in the north, is part of its strategy to make Colombia an important nature destination.

The goal is ambitious. For years the rap on Colombia has been that it is not a safe place to travel. But the country has been breaking away from its violent past for some time now and currently boasts one of the most vibrant economies in Latin America. Ironically, Colombia’s long civil war, along with its drug war, has served to preserve vast swaths of the country from development or exploitation. Colombia, for example, has more bird species than any other country on earth. Fifty-three percent of the country — an area larger in size than California and Texas combined — is still natural forest. There are three mountain ranges, sophisticated cities and port access to both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Colombia recently won an international poll for having the happiest people on the planet. With over 2.5 million foreign visitors annually, tourist earnings have become the country’s third largest source of foreign currency.

Colombia, however, faces a unique challenge before becoming global nature destination No. 1. It is part of the Pacific Alliance, the free-trade bloc with Mexico, Peru and Chile that increasingly looks to the Pacific Rim and to trade with Asia as a source of economic wealth. In

CURRENT AFFAIRS Above: wooden motorboats are used for transport on the Nuquí river in Colombia.

The Razor’s EdgeThe staggering beauty and abundant resources of

Colombia’s Chocó region have been preserved through poverty and neglect. With its natural wonders

now being discovered, it stands at a crossroads.

BY MAUREEN ORTH PHOTOGRAPHS BY BEN HOFFMANN

On the Verge


these markets the demand for its myriad resources, as well as the needs of its own emerging middle class in a country where the median age is about 29, threatens the ‘‘magical realism’’ experience the government’s latest tourism campaign promises. Colombia is going to have to decide pretty quickly whether it wants to be Exxon or Conservation International.

The children who grow up strolling the untouched beaches of Chocó’s impoverished villages have never really been taught that the astonishing natural beauty they wake up to every morning is beyond value because its sheer profusion is so rare. But maybe that privilege doesn’t mean as much when the only choice of going beyond the fifth grade is a six-hour walk along the beach to the town that has a bigger underserved school.

Certainly, the kids in the seaside village of Termales had never seen anyone surf or dreamed that they themselves might one day hang ten. Termales is somewhat south of the midpoint of the coast, a 40-minute boat ride from the town of Nuquí, where I flew in on a small prop plane from Chocó’s provincial capital of Quibdó. The Nuquí airport features an abandoned drug-running plane rotting in the weeds. Chocó has never catered to mass tourism but its wonders are slowly being discovered by adventurers such as thrill-seeking surfers. Several years ago, the children noticed that the co-owner of a nearby eco-lodge, Guillermo ‘‘Memo’’ Gómez, had taught himself to skim across the tips of seasonal, giant hollow-tube waves. Gómez, a 46-year-old former businessman from Medellín, did not even know that the waves were suitable for surfing until a guest at his hotel, El Cantil, suggested they were. Gómez taught a curious villager who then started giving lessons to the children with a board he donated; they eventually started to make their own boards from balsa wood. In February of last year, some Australians who had visited Nuquí arranged for the Australian surfing foundation, Share the Stoke, to donate five real Firewire boards. The children of Termales were so excited they decided to form a club, which grew to 35 members, from ages 5 to

18. The Chocó Surf Club, with strict rules about behavior and discipline, was headed by Nestor Tello, a young leader of the village. Within eight months, they had participated in two national championships and earned medals in both.

After years spent watching N.G.O.s come into Chocó without making much of a change, Gómez was elated to see the whole town get behind the club. ‘‘One of the biggest problems in Colombia and Chocó

is that these groups just give things and money and when they leave it’s worse,’’ he said. ‘‘Yes, you have rights but you must also have goals and produce your own things.’’ He was mainly referring to human rights groups and others who seek to educate the Chocóanos about their ability to stand up for themselves according to the law but do not offer or teach a way to earn a decent income.

In the past, the remoteness of Chocó, its abundant rainfall and primitive amenities discouraged tourism. Although I had traveled extensively in Colombia in the last decade, I had not been to Chocó since I was a 21-year-old Peace Corps volunteer many moons ago. I found that not much had changed — the Pan-American Highway still stops near the Panamanian border. The difference today is that tourism presents a solution for those who no longer wish to live

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE Clockwise from

bottom: lush volcanic rock formations fill Cabo

Corrientes, a series of coves along the Pacific coast; an Embera Indian

family at home in the village of Jovi; sun-soaked

palms, as seen from the El Cantil eco-lodge in Nuquí.

The most striking feature of this landscape was the pocked volcanic rocks in

the emerald water that looked like giant dried natural sponges with large

trees growing straight out of their tops.


Arena On the Verge

by catching fish or harvesting rice in the humid tropics. Still, friends in Bogotá and Medellín confessed they had never ventured to Chocó and, except for those who loved to fish like me, didn’t understand why I would want to go. The answer lies in the opportunity to feel overwhelmed by the scale and beauty of the land and water; Chocó is home to about 8,000 plant species, thousands of them endemic to the region. One also hears passing comments: ‘‘Oh, that’s the place where Captain Morgan was supposed to have buried all his treasure.’’ Here, it seems so normal to fantasize about pirates and parrots.

Yet there is a constant tension between preserving and extracting Chocó’s resources. I spoke to Juan Carlos Gutiérrez of the Eduardoño Foundation who helped lobby successfully on behalf of artisanal fishermen for a ban in northern Chocó against large industrial trawlers from Korea, Japan and Colombia, who threaten to take away not only the people’s protein but also their livelihoods. In the early ’90s, laws were passed in the Colombian congress to recognize and guarantee the protection of ancestral lands for both blacks and the indigenous people, who suffered discrimination by those of African descent, forcing them back farther into the jungle. According to these laws, any development has to go through a long, slow bureaucratic process and be approved by local community councils, who may or may not be susceptible to outside pressures. So far they have checked any Club Meds from moving in, though the Gulf of Tribugá of which Nuquí is the hub will see its first small cruise ship come in to port this year. “The contradiction is being backwards saves these places,” says María LaCouture, head of a government trade and tourism agency. Unlike parts of the triple-canopied Chocó interior that were torn apart by illegal gold mining, cocoa cultivation and deforestation from palm-oil production, for example, the coast around Nuquí, and farther north in Utría National Natural Park, is still breathtakingly pristine.

Within a few minutes of my entering El Cantil’s 21-foot power boat to cruise past empty brown beaches dotted with palms, two mother whales and their young calves suddenly appeared and swam nearby. One of the boatmen said that he had gone out fishing the night before in a canoe and the whales were so close that the sound of the spume from their breathing frightened him into coming ashore. Gómez’s wife, Adriana ‘‘Nana’’ Cardona, told me that if you dived down at least three feet and stayed underwater, you could sometimes actually hear the humpback whales sing.

The most striking feature of this landscape was the pocked volcanic rocks in the emerald water that looked like giant dried natural sponges and had large trees growing straight out of their tops. The rock formations were somewhat reminiscent of Big Sur’s landscape but far more alien. Sometimes I could make out thatched-roof vacation getaways built atop rocks or near the beach, but they were hardly ever visible because there was so much lush vegetation all around, literally falling into the sea.

In Chocó, the people walk the beaches or jungle trails to go from village to village. The indigenous population still

often uses handmade canoes. One sunny morning I took a power boat to another village, Jovi, where my guides were two local men who, with the help of a small grant from the United States Agency for International Development (U.S.A.I.D.), had opened their own business to take tourists up the Jovi river. Along the way we passed under a living arc of pichindé trees growing on either bank and I kept involuntarily murmuring “oh my god” to myself at the total beauty while the guides announced the medicinal properties of all the trees and plants.

Many noteworthy characters make their homes along the beach, like the two artist-activists Fernando Arias, 50, and Jonathan Colin, 47, who run an arts organization called Más Arte Más Acción. ‘‘The idea,’’ Colin explained, was to bring other artists out to Chocó to engage with the community and ‘‘to reconsider what it means to be on the periphery, the edge.’’ Sixty years ago someone who needed wood for a canoe felled a giant Jenené tree on their land — the wood was so hard that termites could never digest it. In 2011, they decided to commission an artist who frequently works in fiberglass: the Dutch dystopian avant-gardist Joep van Lieshout, who came to the jungle and created an amazing treehouse from the wood. The only level surfaces are two tables and a bed; even the bathroom sink and toilet are made of carved wood. In the run-up to the 500th anniversary of Sir Thomas More’s ‘‘Utopia,’’ first published in 1516, the treehouse has served as an intellectual fort where for the last two years artists, writers and chefs have gathered to contemplate nuevotopias.

Other neighbors include a lesbian couple, a Colombian biologist and a Spanish writer, who paddle nude in their canoe. Although Colin has written of ‘‘humanity’s disconnect from the heart of nature’’ and ‘‘the national and international companies [that] circle like vultures over Chocó’s gold, platinum, silver, its rare earth metals,

The goal is to change the paradigm that success is a threat

instead of an inspiration.

HANG TEN Above: young members

of the Chocó Surf Club on the

beach in the village of Termales.


minerals and trees,’’ he told me he goes for days without seeing anyone on the beach and he doesn’t expect ‘‘any Sheratons anytime soon. Luckily Chocó has a very bad image among upper-class Colombians who think it’s black and it rains a lot.’’

Colombia has so far given over 12 percent of its territory to national parks, including the 140,000 acres of land and almost 18 square miles of the Pacific for its Utría park in Chocó. U.S.A.I.D. has put its confidence in the local community leader Josefina Klinger, a 50-year-old Chocóana mother of three, who operates the lodge of Utría and is the founder of Mano Cambiada, an eco-tourism business in the area. Her son manages the visitor center at Utría situated in a large mangrove forest, alongside a warm, sheltered bay that serves as a nursery for mother whales to bring their newborns. Klinger said that when she was growing up, Chocó had a barter economy where everyone exchanged and shared; money did not really intrude. Today, both in Nuquí where she lives and runs an after-school center for music and dance, and at Utría, she tries to change the prevailing Chocó mind-set: ‘‘When I don’t value the resources I feel poor. I am always sending the message I have nothing.’’ Like Gómez, she decries the innate sense of victimization she sees after centuries of

neglect. Her goal, she told me, is to change the paradigm that ‘‘success is a threat instead of an inspiration.’’

Klinger’s message has certainly been heard by Leonilde Caizamo Isarama, a sure-footed 21-year-old Embera Indian. A guide in training at Utría, he led me up and over slopes of red clay mud contrasting with a riot of green — palms, vines, flowers and towering trees as well as down along creek banks to the ocean. Wordlessly he whipped out his machete, whacked off a nearby branch and handed me my walking staff. The day before, I had taken a canoe up the Chorí river to the village where he lives, where the older females are bare breasted and the tribe administers its own justice by putting offenders in wooden stocks. For years the Indians said they did not want outsiders coming in, but recently they have changed their minds.

If there are not more people visiting Colombia, the government is not entirely to blame. Things are not at all helped by an overly harsh travel warning issued by the U.S. State Department that includes kidnapping and narco-trafficking. But since 2003, kidnappings have declined over 85 percent. Colombian officials joke that the reason for the warning is that U.S. government personnel receive an extra 15 percent in ‘‘danger pay’’ while serving in Colombia, plus at least another 5 percent for being at a ‘‘hardship post.’’

The travel warning was not on my mind at all as I set off to stroll the beaches under a full moon near midnight from El Cantil with Memo and Nana Gómez and Sifredo Mendoza, known as the Turtle Man. We were looking for the eggs and nests of the rapidly disappearing giant leatherback tortoises along the coastline near Termales — about a 45-minute brisk walk from the hotel at low tide. My moon shadow was about 20 feet long. It all seemed unreal. When we came upon some fresh human tracks near a nest but found no eggs, Mendoza said he knew the culprit. I immediately wanted to go find him. Tracking turtle poachers was something I had never imagined doing. But I was in Chocó.

BODIES IN MOTION Clockwise from top

left: Nuquí’s coastline and river, as seen from the air; the

entrance to the artist-activists Fernando Arias and Jonathan Colin’s treehouse

in Chocó, crafted by the Dutch artist Joep van Lieshout for the

arts organization Más Arte Más Acción;

Chocóana girls learn a traditional dance

at the Mano Cambiada organization in Nuquí.

Colombia is going to have to decide pretty quickly whether it wants to

be Exxon or Conservation International.


TOY STORY Clockwise from top left: the artist Valentino Fialdini’s miniature Lego room, photographed to appear full-size, from his ‘‘Translucent’’ series; the Cuban artist collective Los Carpinteros’s ‘‘Robotica,’’ a sculpture of wood, metal and Lego bricks; Chanel’s plexiglass Lego-inspired clutch from its spring 2013 collection.

The Shape of Things

BY ADA CALHOUN

For a certain set of artists and thinkers, Legos are not mere child’s play, but

objects of both abstract and formal perfection.

By Design

WHEN BJARKE INGELS, THE VISIONARY LEADER of the Danish architectural firm BIG, first heard about the competition to build the Lego House, a museum and activity center near the toy company’s headquarters in Billund, Denmark, he gathered his staff. ‘‘If there was one building that BIG was founded to build,’’ Ingels announced, ‘‘this is it.’’

For Ingels, Lego proportions have a mystical perfection that ‘‘borders on ‘The Da Vinci Code.’ ’’ Like most enthusiasts, Ingels refers to them as ‘‘bricks,’’ not ‘‘Legos’’; he doesn’t see them as toys, but as tools for ‘‘systematic creativity.’’

Indeed, the way he talks about the beloved project he ultimately won sounds very much like the description of a building created from Legos. ‘‘It’s like a cloud of interconnected spaces that creates public spaces —

interconnected worlds that you can see as one spatial experience and as little worlds within themselves.’’

One evening at a bar in Billund, about a three-hour drive west of Copenhagen, members of the Lego House design team geek out about the aesthetic perfection of the Lego brick. ‘‘The cool thing about it is it’s simultaneously real and

abstract,’’ Brian Yang of BIG says. ‘‘So it’s a bridge between your imagination and reality.’’ Alex Vlack, of New York’s Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA), which is designing the exhibitions for the project, chimes in. ‘‘For me, it’s like a paper clip. There’s no way to improve it.’’

For certain creative types, the Lego brick (whose name is an abbreviation of the words for ‘‘play well’’ in Danish) is not a toy but the perfect object. Last year, the Cuban artist collective Los Carpinteros used the plastic bricks to construct their own versions of Soviet-era monuments at the Sean Kelly gallery in New York. ‘‘It’s such an active, creative tool, getting you to think about structure,’’ says Caroline Baumann, the director of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. ‘‘How can it not influence you?’’ The designer Karl Lagerfeld even created a Lego-inspired handbag for Chanel’s spring 2013 collection. This summer, the author and artist Douglas Coupland will have an exhibition in Vancouver that will feature a suburb of 100 identical Lego houses, each one made from a 1969 kit that, he says, ‘‘pretty much single-handedly turned me on to midcentury at the age of 9.’’

Lego, in turn, has responded to this newfound appreciation among adults by coming out with the Lego Architecture Studio ($150), a smart-looking set that includes more than 1,200 white and transparent pieces and a collection of essays and how-to ideas provided by architects like Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Moshe C

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Safdie, who is best known for Habitat 67 in Montreal, a modular apartment building that looks like it came straight out of a Lego box. There’s also Lego’s Architecture series, which features models of iconic structures like Fallingwater and Villa Savoye. The series has garnered a diverse fan base, including Brad Pitt and David Beckham. When the soccer star mentioned in an interview a few years ago that he was building the Lego Taj Mahal, sales of that set reportedly went up by more than 600 percent in one day.

When Ole Kirk Kristiansen founded Lego in 1932, the company made wooden toys, but after World War II, it switched to plastic. The Lego brick as we know it today was developed in the mid-1950s. From the start, it was a feat of classic Scandinavian design: clean, practical, reliable and somewhat revolutionary with its ‘‘clutch power,’’ which made it easy to snap and unsnap. Today, Lego enthusiasts marvel that those first Legos still fit perfectly with the current ones, and that six identical eight-studded bricks can be combined in more than 900 million ways. ‘‘The human condition is, sadly, divisive,’’ the British television host James May said on an episode of his show ‘‘Toy Stories,’’ on which he explored a full-size house he built entirely out of Lego bricks. ‘‘But there are simple spiritual experiences that unite all of humanity in unqualified communal joy: sex, the dance, foot massage — and to those I would add the simple sensation of pressing Lego bricks together.’’

There is also a sense of nostalgia attached to Legos, which have been among the world’s most popular toys since the brand’s inception. ‘‘Lego fans want a representation of reality. For them, it’s a hobby or something they want to be proud to show off. They don’t want a quote-unquote toy,’’ says Jamie Berard, a 38-year-old American who was recruited as a Lego designer after attending a fan event years ago. In fact, some of the models are quite complex. When Berard was creating the 3,000-piece set of the Sydney Opera House for the Architecture series, he obtained blueprints and consulted with the building’s engineers. ‘‘It was great to hear where they struggled,’’ he says, ‘‘because I found that their struggles making the real opera house paralleled mine. The hardest part was the sails.’’

Four times a year, the Billund factory and complex opens its doors to its most ardent fans to meet the designers and tour the company’s inner sanctum,

BRICK BY BRICK Clockwise from above:

a rendering of the Bjarke Ingels Group’s

design for the Lego House, to be built

near the company’s headquarters in

Billund, Denmark; a Christoph Niemann

photograph from his book ‘‘I Lego N.Y.’’;

the designer Tobias Tostesen creating a

floor-to-ceiling transparent Lego

chandelier for the 2013 Milan Furniture

Fair.

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including the basement vault, which houses one box of every Lego set ever made. On the factory floor, robots glide around organizing the bricks; the facility can store up to a billion. The bins are stacked so high they almost fade out of sight.

The company will break ground on the Lego House this summer. Bjarke Ingels says that even if they just put in the ideas that already exist, the Lego House would be ‘‘jaw-droppingly cool,’’ but his team and RAA’s are working with Lego to take their concepts as far as possible. In a conference room at the Billund factory, a crew of designers talk about their plans for the Lego House. One of them jumps up to show off an all-white scale model. He pushes sections together to demonstrate how visitors will be able to walk all the way over the top of the building and lounge on steps flanking the sides. He points enthusiastically into the mini-rooms, including one devoted to robotics, and notes proudly that they’re using Lego bricks for the rendering.

After all, what other material would be worthy of such an ambitious, creative, unique building? ‘‘When you put two bricks together, it feels like a Mercedes-Benz door closing,’’ RAA’s Matthew McNerney says. ‘‘It’s deeply satisfying. . . . It makes me think of Milton Glaser’s line, ‘Just enough is more.’ When you look at a beautiful Lego model, you see it’s just enough to become poetry.’’


Arena Qatar

From Dusk Till Dawn

BY AYSWARYA MURTHY PHOTOGRAPHY SEMA PANTHER

A tour around the city and a smorgasbord of culinary treats once night falls gives a taste of what it means to

celebrate Ramadan in Doha.

Food Matters

THOUGH THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN is about abstinence from physical needs in the noble pursuit of feeling closer to God, it’s strange yet obvious, that, for these 30 days, food is the giant elephant in the room, if there ever was one. For one reason or the other, it’s on everyone’s mind - from counting down the minutes to sunset and planning for the night ahead; even when we are berating ourselves to get back to work and stop day-dreaming about piping hot shawarma dripping with creamy Tahini garlic

sauce and washed down with a cool, sweet glass of Jallab...we are doing it again! But once the evening call to prayers echoes around the city, signaling the start of Iftar and the end of the fast, life returns in a whoosh to a city whose batteries have been steadily draining through the day. Before the beige tones of Doha are revealed again in first rays of the morning sun, the pendulum swings to and fro between festive gusto and deep food-induced stupor.

FINALLY, IT'S IFTAR: The entrance to Souq Waqif's restaurant quarter buzzes with activity after sun down.


6.30 pm: Though painfully familiar with the fickle and relative nature of time, we can’t help but check the clock every two minutes and keep our ears peaked to listen out for the sweet static from the speakers of the neighbourhood mosque. It’s even more brutal when you are breaking your fast at a hotel, sitting around and waiting and as the buffet is being stocked up, the live kitchen is becoming a blur of activity and you can almost taste what’s on offer from the luxurious mix of aroma hanging heavily in the air. But hotels generally also offer plenty of distractions. Ramadan tents that are propped up in almost all the hotels compete with each other in their grandiosity. Lanterns hanging from the ceilings or peeking out from behind a Ramadan motif filter through the sheer linens of the tents to cast lights in a riot of colors, complementing the exotic tunes of a traditional live band. The fare is relatively standard — Arabic mezze and grills with a few Western dishes thrown in for comfort. Sometimes, the restaurant might decide to play up its specialties like the W Hotel does with their sushi offerings. Iftar is generally over before you know it; a quick whetting of the appetite and preparation of the palate for the evening ahead.

A TENT LIKE NO OTHER: Hotels try to out-do each other in propping up elaborate Ramadan tents, complete with live music and sheesha

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Food Matters

8:00 pm: Once the ravenous hunger has been dealt with and you start noticing the people around you, it’s time for a more leisurely, indulgent meal with family and friends. Souq Waqif, which is popular throughout the year, holds a special appeal during the Holy Month. From Moroccan to Turkish and Lebanese to Iranian and Syrian to Egyptian fare, all being offered just a few of steps from each other, there is very little opportunity to get bored. The variety in décor and ambiance will doubly ensure that. Rustic interiors like that of Tajine, with tasteful splashes of color, serve to disassociate you from the hustle of the souq outside and focus all your energies into devoring the Chicken Mecharmel, savoring its infusion of parsley, coriander, confit lemon, saffron and olive oil. In sharp contrast is the absolutely dream-like quality of a few others like Shebestan Palace, that for a moment make you think you have plunged into an ancient Persian court. The fine dining Iranian restaurant, in addition to serving a mean Chelo Kebab Koobideh, will dazzle you with its crystals, mosaic patterns and tiles, all shining at you from the floor, walls and ceilings like a million little suns, as you sit cross-legged in a

cushioned booth and sip on your pomegranate juice. All the while, fruity smoke from tens and hundreds of sheesha being smoked across the souq waft through its lanes, threatening to go straight to your head. Want something less striking? Just hobble across towards Fanar mosque and queue for the Harees, served fresh and hot outside Asherg Egyptian restaurant in an unassuming little silver takeaway box. A Ramadan specialty, this lumpy mixture of ground meat and rice might not be the most appetising dish you have seen. But you have to only taste it to realise why it was once considered a privilege of the affluent class in ancient Arabia. Right across Souq Waqif lies the Corniche, where another unique dinner experience awaits. A few hotels and tour operators organise dinner cruises on the dhow, though you really have to keep your ears and eyes open to zero in on them. So if the weather isn’t oppressive and a little rocking doesn’t make you nauseous (especially critical when you are around so much food), there's nothing like drifting amidst the black sea and letting your tongue dance around some tender, flavorful meat while the city lights sparkle in the distance.

COMING TOGETHER OVER FOOD: Friends, family, colleagues...Ramadan is a chance to renew your bonds and food sits at the focal point of this endeavor.

Arena Qatar


10:00 pm: Al Nasr Street is as close to a food street that Doha has. But it isn’t like any you’ll ever see. Since the climate is hardly ever conducive for anyone to stroll down the length of the road to grab a Shawarma here and nibble on a Baklava there, the street is almost always chocked solid with cars, especially when Suhoor is in full swing. And why shouldn’t it be; from Korean to Afghan and Thai to fast food, you can savor the flavors of the entire world in one single trip down this narrow, inconspicuous street. Sit at the window and watch the goings on as you scoff down a traditional Mandi, the tender meat fighting for dominance over the flavored rice. If you are part of a big group, you can ask for the large communal dish that is popular in weddings and feasts and share in the spirit of the season. Once ready for a break from the Hummus and Pita bread, what better than some Khao Pad and Gaend Daeng, started off with fluffy white-meat stuffed buns. To intrigue and confuse your palate, finish your dinner with a selection of authentic Arabic sweets, fresh out of the oven. If you simply can’t decide between a Kunafa and a Basboosa, throw caution to the wind and have both. This is one time of the year when you don’t have to justify indulgence, not even to yourself. You don’t need to come to Al Nasr to indulge in some quality Shawarma, the fast food of the region, and this street has its share of Shawarma joints, each better than the last. Every different type of bread used gives the Shawarma its own unique twist, from the thick and chewy Egyptian ones to the large, thin Turkish ones. The juicy shavings of meat, tender from the spit, are given the crunch factor with a small scoop of salad or a few French fries. And if you haven’t had French fries in your Shawarma, you haven’t lived.

QUINTESSENTIALLY DOHA: Nothing is more typically Doha than its inherent diversity and taking a trip down Al Nasr Street is to stroll through the culinary traditions of the countless nationalities who have made Qatar their home.


Midnight: For those who complain that there is nothing to do in Doha that doesn’t require

money, Bandar is the answer. Tucked away bang in the middle of Corniche, this corridor along the sea has stunning views of the glittering towers of West Bay as well as the iconic Museum of Islamic

Art. Right after you enter the unmarked road going into Bandar, make a mandatory stop at Tea Time. The monumental task of trying to catch the

attention of the waiters zipping from vehicle to vehicle is totally worth it when they eventually bring your searing hot tea of any kind — sweet

and milky to dark and bitter or even served with a generous sprinkling of cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. But don’t drink it yet. A further drive down

reveals a long parapet wall that runs along the length of the road, separating you from the short rocky shore and the dark sea. You can drive your

car right up to the wall, sit there and take in some of the most spectacular views the city has to offer while sipping your steaming beverage.

Friends are appreciated, but optional. Want to ponder over an existential dilemma? This is your spot. Want to read the messages flashing across

Doha Tower? This is your spot. Busy all year around, tea at Bandar is a rite of passage for

those who already love Doha or those who are looking for reasons to fall in love with it.

1:00 am: For a coastal city, Doha has precious few beaches. Those that are available are artificial ones and often private to the residents of developments like The Pearl. So when the rare opportunity crops up to wind down your night with sand between your toes and the sound of waves ringing in your ears, you’d be a fool to pass it by. Enter Katara. This cultural and entertainment village is brimming with restaurants by the sea that serve everything from Indian and seafood to Egyptian and Turkish. Some restaurants, like Sukar Pasha, have claimed a bit of the beach for their VIP guests with gorgeous private tents dotted around the sand, lit up lanterns and the moon. Does a fragrant charcoal grilled chicken and Burghul rice taste better when you bite into it surrounded by plush and luxurious Ottoman cushions and soft lights of the night? We’d have to say yes. Is the sheesha headier still when powered by the ocean breeze? Again, we must say yes. Like all restaurants at this time of the year, the ones at Katara also serve food till the first light of dawn. So linger longer to catch the sunrise and then amble into bed for a short nap, to steel yourself for another day of fasting, running on fumes by the end of the day and then setting out into the city again in the evening, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of choices you have. What a life!

THE BEACH BECKONS: Sukar Pasha's exclusive Ramadan tents give guests a chance to enjoy Turkish delights like the Kuzu Testi Kebab by the sea.

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Food MattersArena Qatar


THE SINGAPORE URBAN PLANNERS can never call it a day; they can never say their work is complete, ever. As a country that is restricted by space, Singapore has to keep reinventing itself to accommodate its (mostly migrant) growing population. But Singaporeans are a tough lot who are used to distinctive, everyday challenges; like the lurking fear of flash floods in a country which has its fair share of monsoons. And the solutions are equally imaginative, with technology playing a strong role in alleviating many of its miseries. It is no wonder that the authorities intend to go underground to utilise unused real estate, thereby opening up enormous possibilities for these smart islanders.

A country that is so focused on giving its population the best of living options is equally concerned about the designs it portrays, not just in the architecture of its buildings but in the image of Brand Singapore; to develop the sector and help Singapore use design for innovation and growth. And the city has an agency that is designated with this role. DesignSingapore, the national agency for design, has chalked out the deliverables and allocated duties for themselves. Jeffrey Ho, Executive Director of the DesignSingapore Council says, “Our vision is for design to differentiate Singapore from global competition.”

Since the DesignSingapore Council was established in 2003, a steady growth of the design sector has been contributing to the economy's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

And the fruits of the endeavor is already being harvested. “In 2012, the value-added contribution of the design sector to our nation’s GDP was an encouraging S$4.7 billion,” he says.

While the first phase has involved presentations, trade shows and recognition to the torch bearers who raised the level of design excellence – the President’s Design Award, in the second phase of the DesignSingapore Initiative, new programs were introduced “to infuse design thinking capabilities in enterprises”.

But what matters most is the new generation of designers who draw on the multicultural heritage of Singapore and its rich juxtaposition of the region’s history and heritage, while surpassing

these influences to create original design languages. We meet these promising designers, the winners of

the 2013 President’s Design Awards, who transcend different design disciplines, including advertising design and visual communications, architecture and urban design, fashion design, interior design, landscape design, and product and industrial design to create more than just an installation, a product or a building.

COMMUNITY MEET Above left: Design film

screening at the National Design Center; above right, exterior of the

national Design Center, the hub of Singapore Design Week and atrium of the

Center.

We Are DesignSingapore pushes designers to create a value-added

contribution to the national economy, but without sacrificing the inherent beauty of the material.

BY SINDHU NAIR

ART MATTERS

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Art MattersArena Qatar

CHIA CONSIDERS PHILIPPE Starck his role model, simply for the consistency in Starck’s philosophy and approach for the past 30 years. When Chia’s first furniture collection was chosen by Starck for the lobby of the Mondrian Hotel in Los Angeles, he knew he was on the right trajectory. He is almost fanatical about his profession in a Singaporean sort of way, where work is considered close to sacred. “Products do not just happen to exist, they are all designed. A product has to exist in a material form. The material which it is made from, and the process which it is made of, is bound by materiality, logic and constraints,” he says almost reverently. “It also has to exist in a space and time. The context which it exists in and how it relates to the user defines the experience which it provides and gives value.” But beyond this complex description of his vocation Chia is truly driven to create products that resonate with the user. His work celebrates serendipity while appealing to the user in subtle ways. His work might occupy a major portion of his life but his collections speak about a designer who sees the extraordinary in the ordinary. The kitchen walls of his home are lined with Ziploc bags of scribbled notes and curios collected over the years. “They are sources of inspiration,” he says. The Ziploc bags seem to unleash his creativity, as Chia is not just any product designer; he has been the founding director of the Design Incubation Centre at the National University of Singapore since 2006. Being an instructor at the University allows him to explore new and emerging methods for research. For Chia, there are three concepts to consider at the start of a project: human needs, technology and social trends. And most of his research takes off from these three, with one of the Centre’s interactive media projects emulating movements when a loved one (with a similar device) moves. Apart from giving a sense of physical presence, the device also tells a story and engages the user to “complete” the story.

Patrick Chia, Industrial Designer

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY Top left, clockwise: Tower Satin, a vase made for Design Lab, the design incubation center; touch hear, an intuitive text recognition dictionary; Patrick Chia; Stick is a container made at the Design Lab. P

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FLUID MOVEMENTSTop left: AWOL fall/winter 2011/2012; AWOL fall/winter 2012/2013; MU fall/winter 2011/2012; Alfie Leong insists on working on each design to give all of his products a unique character.

LEONG HAD NO GREAT PHILOSOPHIES early in his life but he always had a love for dressing up. He realized that the designs he loved to adorn were particularly expensive and hence inaccessible to him. And then he discovered his mother’s sewing machine and created clothes for himself. “I was surprised to find out that I could do it,” says the most humble designer that I have met in a long time. But the challenges of being an entrepreneur in the fashion industry at the time forced Leong to look into the next “trendy” thing to do at that early age; he joined college to become an electronics and computer engineer. “I realized that I was more interested in dressing up for the classes than in electronics,” he says. Thankfully for the Singaporean fashion industry, Leong decided in time that he was unfit for a technological career and moved in the direction of creativity. Like all great talents, he was discovered while working in a designing company. From head merchandiser to designer to the head designer, Leong worked his way up the ladder of fashion, with nothing but his talent and passion as credentials. He won the Singapore Fashion Designers Contest in 1995; and subsequently received a scholarship for the Raffles LaSalle International School of Design. But even in this there is a hidden story that reflects on his personality. “The

winners of the contest are usually sent to Canada for the degree but since my father was not well, I wanted to be near him and asked to study in Singapore,” he says. Looking back, Leong is happy he made this decision; taking care of his father and working from his home town, he could be the change that the Singaporean fashion industry needed at “a time when the fashion industry was much different from what it is now, very conservative”. With numerous startups that didn’t last for long, not for the absence of talent nor innovation, but due to partners moving out, Leong finally settled down and founded the fashion label mu and A.W.O.L. He is noted for his signature draping, unique cut and attention to detail. But more than his immense talent is his modesty that reaches out and makes his designs much more lovable. And it is this aspect of his character that led him to start Workshop Element, a label that hosts a fashion community. It seeks outlets and opportunities for local designers to showcase their works in a curated space. The first edition of Workshop Element, launched in 2012, was a pop-up store that presented an ensemble of 19 brands and 16 designers and curators. The venture was driven by a passion to give back, inspire and inculcate values that have served him well over the years.

Alfie Leong, Fashion Designer


Art Matters

IMAGINE A COUNTRY that honors a florist. Well, Singapore does just that and for a good reason. The recognition of floral design is a contributing factor in upholding Singapore’s title as a Garden City, says the winner of the President’s Award, Setiawan, who is an architect by training. Setiawan’s most recent achievement includes the Silver Gilt Medal at Chelsea Flower Show London in 2013. Setiawan is working on changing the image of floral design. As a floral designer, he feels the need to go the extra mile for the floristry industry, as it takes time for the public to accept floral design as a design discipline. He asks a pertinent question as to why people deliberate before spending money on flowers. “Because we are not considered as a premium design element,” he answers sadly. He feels that it is important to realize the importance of flowers in one’s life.

“With the growing affluence of Singaporeans, the level of appreciation for all forms of design, including floral design, is increasing,” he says. For Setiawan, floral design should not be exclusive to a few, but available to everyone. It should be accessible to the broader community.

The Garden Festival held every two years in Singapore, shows signs of a growing floral design industry. “This year, after I won, we had so many entries for the Festival, we had to reject a few,” he says. He understands that floral design will never ever be on par with architectural design but that doesn’t stop him from trying, with his floral designs to follow almost a sculptural tone, even architectural in its construction.

Harijanto Setiawan, Floral Designer

FLORAL SCULPTUREFrom top left, clockwise: Contrast, an award winning presentation; Obsession that won an award at the Fusion flowers London; moss brassiere; Harijanto Setiawan is humbled by the possiblities of the flora and fauna; goddess of lotus, inspired by Asian culture.

Arena Qatar

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July-August, 2014

Fashion on the Coast of Mexico Page 72Italy’s Modern Dynasty Page 80 An Enduring Romance With India Page 82Artists Who Lunch Page 90

SUMMERDREAMS

76 T Qatar: The New York Times Style Magazine ALL PRICES ARE INDICATIVE


Calvin Klein Collection cardigan,

QR12,560, and top, QR2,820. Stella

McCartney shoes (worn throughout),

QR3,620. Opposite: Céline

sweater, QR7,645, and skirt, QR8,190,

saksfifthavenue.com.

PARADISELOST IN

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARIO SORRENTI STYLED BY JANE HOW


While driving down the Mexican coast from Tijuana to Oaxaca in the early 1980s, my father happened upon Todos Santos. A surfer and author, he was looking for a place to write his next novel when he discovered this sleepy farming village on the Pacific Coast of the Baja peninsula. He camped on a beach called La Pastora with perfect peeling waves. It was empty except for one surfer living in a trailer who asked him not to tell anyone about the place. ‘‘It’s a secret!’’ he kept saying. Famous last words.

So my father went home to Washington, D.C., loaded up his new girlfriend and her two teenage daughters into an Airstream and drove back down. By the time my sister and I arrived from Key West, Fla., where we were living with my mother, my father had moved into an abandoned sugar-storage warehouse built in the 1800s called the Casa Dracula, which he later ended up buying with some friends, and where this story was photographed. It was a crumbling brick building with pointy gothic windows that resembled a Mexican jail. We slept on dusty foam mats in a room covered in graffiti and tried to avoid the bats swooping down from the palm-tree-beamed ceiling. None of the locals would visit because they said the place was haunted.

But we loved it. There were few other expats in town except a couple of surfers and a guy who soon left to join a cult in Montana. During the day we’d explore the parched, lunar landscape, dotted with cactuses flanking miles of deserted beach — perfect for sneaking cans of warm Tecate beer. At night we’d pile into the rusty Land Cruiser and dar la vuelta, or cruise, through the town, a mission settlement from the 1720s with an old theater, a Catholic church and the Santa Monica restaurant, where we’d order ostiones rancheros from Todos Santos’s only gay waiter. After dinner, we’d hit Club de Leones, where a semi-formal dance with a live ranchero band was regularly held in a concrete courtyard. The men, dressed in crisp ranch hats and polished cowboy boots, would ask my father permission to twirl my sisters and me around the dance floor until we collapsed, giggling, into our plastic chairs.

Soon I discovered Todos Santos’s real secret, the one that the surfer begged my dad to keep: the waves. I met a couple named Garth Murphy and Euva Anderson who kept a ranch out by one of the area’s best surf breaks. Anderson was an exotic beauty, aspiring actress and international socialite while Murphy dabbled as an author, environmentalist, musician and surfer. Whenever I would visit their ranch, there was a conga line of bohemian jet-setters — from the hotelier Sean MacPherson to the surfing champion Nat Young — coming out of their place to take on the waves. Finally one day Murphy asked me if I wanted to surf. I did. He handed me a board, an eight-footer called the Green Bean, and suddenly life began to make a lot more sense.

Todos Santos has changed over the years, for better or worse. The once treacherous road from Cabo San Lucas, about 45 miles away, has been paved, making the town too accessible to day tourists. Garish villas are starting to mar the pristine landscape. A developer is even trying to take over Anderson and Murphy’s ranch. But there are a few chic, small hotels in town, like the Todos Santos Inn as well as the Hotelito, a modernist-looking property that is run by Jenny Armit, an English expat. And there’s even the Todos Santos Music Festival, which was started by R.E.M.’s former guitarist Peter Buck, a part-time resident.

But Todos Santos is still small enough that if you’re looking for someone you can simply go to the Cafe Santa Fe, an Italian restaurant in a restored adobe building in the center of town, which serves as its de facto country club. Both old guard and arrivistes gather around long tables on the black-and-pink tiled floor in the dining room. Afterward, as you stroll home, you can still hear the sound of distant roosters and old, sputtering pick-up trucks blaring scratchy ranchero music. — JULIA CHAPLIN



Ralph Lauren Blue Label

dress, QR4,725, ralphlauren.com.



Dior sweater, QR10,560.

Opposite: Chloé sweater, QR8,355, net-a-porter.com.



Stella McCartney cape, QR13,630.

Lisa Marie Fernandez bikini,

QR1,440, barneys.com.

Opposite: Gucci sweater, QR3,820.

Model: Amanda Murphy/IMG. Hair

by Recine for Recine Luxe Hair Oil by

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ALL IN THE FAMILY The Ferragamo matriarch, Wanda, in blue, surrounded by her clan, from left: Chiara, Consolata, Wanda, Vittoria, Giovanna, Maria, Martina, Vivia, Fiamma, Fiona, Amelie, Olivia, Giulia, Louise, Fulvia, Angelica and Christine.


A FATHER WHO ASKS his teenage daughter to drop out of school should have a very good reason. Salvatore Ferragamo must have felt the pull of destiny, when in 1958

he begged Fiamma, then 16 and his eldest child, to join him in the family business.

‘‘She was so gifted, she understood my father’s creativity like no one else,’’ Fulvia Ferragamo says, recalling how her older sister at first resisted their father’s recruitment efforts but eventually caved. Fiamma’s first footwear collection came out soon after, inaugurating 40 years of winning designs, including the iconic Vara with its grosgrain bow.

Fiamma was the first of many women in the Ferragamo dynasty to help shape and propel the company. When Salvatore died in 1960, his widow, Wanda, took control, and today she remains honorary chairwoman, showing up at the office every day. Daughters Giovanna and Fulvia followed Fiamma’s path, taking on the design of ready-to-wear and accessories while still in their teens.

‘‘We all found our own way of expressing our talents; we completed each other, like all sisters do,’’ Fulvia says. She and Giovanna are now deputy chairs of the holding company and fashion label, respectively, while Fulvia’s daughter, Angelica Visconti, is Ferragamo’s retail director of Italy.

As Fiamma’s name — ‘‘flame’’ — all but promises, her legacy burns bright 16 years after her death. A new handbag line named after her draws on decades of the house’s heritage, from her own contributions, to Fulvia’s silk scarves, to the label’s signature Gancio lock.

Today, the sisters and their prodigious offspring, four generations of which are photo-graphed here, still look to Wanda, 92, for guidance in life and in business. ‘‘She managed to continue what my father started, while always prioritizing her role as a mother,’’ Giovanna says. Fulvia adds, ‘‘She is still able today to give us the ultimate advice on any matter, and keep her children together.’’ — CLAIRE HOWORTH

WOMEN OF THE HOUSE

PHOTOGRAPH BY SIMON WATSON STYLED BY MALINA JOSEPH GILCHRIST



INDI

AA PASSAGE TO

Having cut a stylish swath from Brussels to Bombay, the free-spirited designer and hotelier Loulou Van

Damme has returned to her birthplace in the Palani Hills

for her latest adventure.

BY MICHAEL SNYDER PHOTOGRAPHS BY SIMON ROBERTS

SCENIC OVERLOOK Loulou Van Damme stands at the edge

of her hotel’s property in the

Palani Hills of Tamil Nadu, India.


IT’S ONLY MID-FEBRUARY, but winter is already starting to retreat into the hills, leaving South India’s fertile plains to bake under the pre-summer sun. After a year of weak rains, the landscape here in the Palani Hills — where the flat expanse of Tamil Nadu rises to the spice and tea estates of the lush Western Ghats — is dry.

Just above the coconut fields, Isla Van Damme (call her Loulou) walks onto the veranda of the home she’s spent the last year building in this remote, largely unknown corner of India. She glances down at the table she’s just finished setting — the colonnade of candles, the offhand flourish of bougainvillea set out for her first dinner party in the new house — then up at the sky. ‘‘There aren’t going to be many stars tonight, but you never know,’’ she says. ‘‘We make our own stars.’’

That’s precisely what the 68-year-old Van Damme has done her whole life, building her career as a designer, a stylist, a restaurateur — you name it — on two basic precepts: ‘‘It has to be mad and it has to be beautiful.’’ Van Damme, of course, is a little of both.

Earlier in the day I’d arrived here to find her overseeing work on the plunge pool she was having installed on one of the terraces below her veranda. She greeted me in a pair of tatty overalls and old rubber flip-flops, wavy gray hair clipped above her ears. Back in Mumbai, Van Damme cuts a graceful, elfin figure in flowing caftans and gypsy skirts, beads and pendants, patterns and textures all layered with abandon; here in the hills she is every inch the happy gardener, though no less graceful for that. She coos adoringly to her cows, Lakshmi and Sita (she uses their milk for homemade paneer and yogurt), and putters away for hours in the nursery where she’s raising dozens of plants from cuttings gathered in England and Belgium, picked at nearby roadsides and carried up from the garden at her previous home in Goa.

Van Damme’s parents first came to India in 1938 in the hopes of rebuilding their wealth after financial troubles left them bankrupt back home in Belgium. Born in 1945, raised on the outskirts of Bombay (now known as Mumbai), then in England, Van Damme spent the first part of her adult life in Brussels selling her vibrant, gypsy-style clothes to diplomats and royals populating the staid capital city.

When she returned to India for good in 1999, Van Damme opened a restaurant called the Olive Ridley in Morjim, on an empty beach that is now one of the more fashionable seaside stretches in Goa — too fashionable, in fact, for Van Damme’s liking. Tiring of the crowds, she moved inland in 2003 to a guesthouse she designed on a hill between two branches of the Mapusa River. People thought she was crazy to build away from the coast. ‘‘As usual, my project was taken very negatively by everyone,’’ she remembers. ‘‘And I must say, the more people

say ‘don’t do it,’ the more I think ‘but I’m right.’ ’’ And she was. The five-bedroom Indo-Portuguese guest villa, which she named Panchavatti (from the Sanskrit for ‘‘five trees’’), with its lovingly tended garden, marvelous views and open, Geoffrey Bawa-inspired architecture, began attracting a steady client base of artists, writers, filmmakers and creative types. They came for the quiet, for the home-cooked meals, for the rooms filled with antiques and objects from Van Damme’s own peripatetic life — but mostly they came for Van Damme herself, who presided like a patroness over a fashionable salon.

In 2005, while still running Panchavatti, she came on board to help style a shop called Bungalow 8 in Mumbai. The store’s founder, Maithili Ahluwalia, says that Van Damme has since become ‘‘the godmother, the grande dame’’ of what is one of the most popular design shops in Mumbai, a three-story emporium of clothes, furniture, jewelry, accessories and objets d’art imbued with Van Damme’s singular style. Through Bungalow 8 and Panchavatti, Van Damme has honed a distinctive haute-bohemian look that is frequently imitated in Mumbai, built on the juxtaposition of old and new. ‘‘Loulou’s aesthetic has nothing to do with products or items. It’s about a worldview,’’ Ahluwalia told me, recalling her first visit to Van Damme’s

Storytelling, the feeling of life

in process, is at the core of

Van Damme’s aesthetic: as much collage as narrative.


NATURE MADE Clockwise from right:

a table set for an alfresco dinner; the

kitchen, where Van Damme prepares

fresh meals using dairy products from

her cows and produce from the garden; the

front porch, with a hand-knotted cashmere

throw, inspired by the tiger prayer-rugs

used by Tibetan monks, draped

over a cane chair.



She’s built her career as a designer, a stylist, a restaurateur — you

name it — on two basic precepts: ‘It has to be mad and it has

to be beautiful.’ Van Damme, of course,

is a little of both.

Goan guesthouse. ‘‘Panchavatti was the storybook of a person and her history. Every room was another chapter.’’

Van Damme sold Panchavatti in 2011, but she has continued that story at the new guesthouse in the Palani Hills, a two-bedroom cottage that nods to the style of English bungalows and French plantation houses built here during the Raj (the property abutting Van Damme’s is a working pepper and coffee plantation founded by French Jesuits). There’s the outdoor teak furniture; there’s the handknit cashmere ‘‘leopard-skin’’ carpet, a take on the tiger carpets used by Tibetan monks for meditation, that took Van Damme’s weaver in Delhi a year to complete; there’s the Turkish kilim, similar to the ones she used to sell in Belgium; and there are shelves of books bought at art exhibitions. Storytelling, the feeling of life in process, is at the core of Van Damme’s aesthetic: as much collage as narrative, constantly in flux, defined not by the perfectly placed object, but by the perfectly misplaced one.

Van Damme’s birthplace, Kodaikanal, is a 90-minute drive from her latest property. Kodaikanal is one of the hill stations that the

SIMPLE PLEASURES From top: the garden

combines native vegetation with

plants gathered from around the world; a

bedroom looks south over the hills.

Opposite: Van Damme wears a silk

dress of her own design, an Indian dupatta over her

shoulder and a collection of antique

men’s jewelry from Rajasthan.


British established throughout the subcontinent as temperate highland escapes, away from the steaming, teeming cities. She was born here (her name is still in the records at the Van Allen Hospital: ‘‘They have these huge ledgers, and there I am: ‘Isla Maria Van Damme. Birth: Normal.’ Not normal!’’), but Van Damme was raised in Marol, which today is a dense industrial suburb near Mumbai’s international airport, then a dense forest far from the urban hub of South Bombay. ‘‘My youth was . . . I would say, junglee,’’ Van Damme remembers, using the Hindi word for ‘‘wild.’’ ‘‘I was a tomboy — short hair, in the trees.’’ At 9, Van Damme was packed off to England to study in a convent school.

By 15 Van Damme was booted out for things like making clandestine trips to the candy shop in town and keeping a transistor radio in her room (‘‘Decadent! I was decadent! Can you imagine?’’). After a brief stint at a private school near Cambridge, she was sent to Heidelberg to study German for a year, and at 17 came to Brussels for the first time. There, she met her (now former) husband, whom she followed back to England a year later. After three years in London, primarily spent working in a store that specialized in high-end Indian garments, Van Damme went back to Brussels to establish her own shop, Santosh.

‘‘When I see it now, I say, ‘I was completely crazy.’ A Belgian woman, first of all, is the most difficult in the world. The first thing she’ll do is look inside at the seams. That’s a Belgian: very classical, very severe. And here I am at 22 with my huge Rajasthani skirts, and I sold it to them,’’ she says, as though still a little astonished. ‘‘Even our queen came. They all came — and they loved it.’’

And though Van Damme’s personal style is more Banjara than Belgian, she is fastidious about the most minute details. She began to design her own collections for the shop, working closely with some of the finest embroiderers in Gujarat and textile designers in Delhi. Eventually, she started receiving commissions for one-of-a-kind garments — wedding dresses and gowns that she would sketch during long, in-depth interviews. Santosh became a kind of parlor for adventurous women with Van Damme not just selling, but outfitting and advising. (Even now, when visiting Bungalow 8, Van Damme thrills at the opportunity to sell. ‘‘I love dressing fat women — always very badly looked after by salesgirls. And I take them and say, ‘Of course we can dress you!’ ’’)

At 50, Van Damme reached a turning point. ‘‘50 is 50,’’ she told me, ‘‘more than halfway through.’’ That was when she decided to return to India for good. Then, a couple of years ago, she uprooted herself once again — a move that has brought her even closer to her birthplace. ‘‘Change, change, change all the time’’ is, after

all, a kind of mantra for her. Moving to this plot of land in the hills is both a homecoming and a grand new adventure.

Despite her age, Van Damme says that she is busier now than she has ever been. On top of her work with Bungalow 8, which requires frequent trips around India, she is designing homes for a smattering of clients, styling interiors and photo shoots and, much to her surprise and delight, even modeling — and refusing to wear even a shred of makeup while doing it. ‘‘Loulou embraces age,’’ Ahluwalia had told me, ‘‘because she embraces life.’’ And life, as Van Damme’s homes have so clearly demonstrated, leaves beautiful traces.

Now that her guesthouse in the hills is complete, she’s begun work on the design for a second, larger house farther along the ridge. By the time that’s finished, Van Damme plans to be growing as much as 60 percent of the produce she needs for herself and her guests in her own garden. She recently started making her own butter; she may even learn to make cheese. She’s talked about starting up a drum festival with her neighbors to promote local tribal music and wants to work with a friend to improve sanitation and awareness about littering in the nearby villages.

It all sounds exhausting, but Van Damme simply explains, ‘‘I have to hurry up and have all my dreams now.’’

At 50, Van Damme reached a turning point. ‘50 is 50,’

she told me, ‘more than halfway through.’

That was when she decided to return

to India for good.


GREEN ACRES Clockwise from right: Van Damme with her cow Lakshmi, whose

milk she uses to make butter, paneer and

yogurt; the view to the south from

the Palani Hills; the bathroom, decorated

with tiles handmade in a style traditional

to Tamil Nadu’s Chettinad region;

artworks gathered over years of sourcing

trips around India adorn the walls.


THERE IS ONE HARD AND FAST RULE at the lunches the artist Cai Guo-Qiang has with his studio assistants nearly every day: no chicken. Cai was born in the Year of the Rooster, and his grandmother taught him not to eat his own

kind. As for his employees who enjoy chicken, ‘‘It’s a good thing I travel often,’’ says Cai, a Chinese artist who is known for his elaborate artworks often created with fireworks.

These days Cai’s studio on East First Street in Manhattan is undergoing massive renovations that have rendered its kitchen unusable, so he’s been bringing everyone around the corner to his former apartment, a loft on Great Jones Street where his older daughter, Wenyou, lives.

For 14 years, Cai’s chef has been Zhenhuan Zhou, a longtime studio assistant who shops daily for ingredients in Chinatown and specializes in the Cantonese cuisine of her native town in the Guangdong region. On an autumn Wednesday, the menu includes winter melon soup with duck; stir-fried lily bulbs; steamed cod with pickled

mustard greens; fried pancake with grated lotus root and pork (a favorite of Cai’s); rich black preserved duck eggs, known as thousand-year-old eggs; and gua bao

(steamed buns) with duck, scallions and plum sauce — a famously filling dish, Cai points out, traditionally served during special occasions in the homes of Chinese farmers. At his lunches, Cai tends to lead the conversation, speaking Mandarin with his staff; he laughs often. Zhenhuan, one of his most experienced assistants, helps in particular with his famous gunpowder drawings, created by igniting chemical explosives. ‘‘It’s similar to cooking,’’ Cai says. ‘‘You mix a little bit of this and that.’’

Cai Guo-Qiang

THE ART OF EATINGBY SARAH DOUGLASPHOTOGRAPHS BY ANDREAS LASZLO KONRATH

The congenial lunchtime ritual of breaking bread with others is becoming a rarity, replaced by snacking on the go or in front of a computer. For a few artists, the midday meal is a chance to bring everyone to the table for pleasure and conversation.


A TASTE OF HOME Cai Guo-Qiang serving

himself steamed cod prepared by his chef

and assistant, Zhenhuan Zhou, at a staff lunch in his daughter’s loft.


GATHER ROUND Marianne Vitale (standing) with

performers in her Long Island City, Queens, studio. Opposite, from

left: an apple pie in the kitchen; Vitale

cooks while the performer Walter Gambin looks on.


ON A CHILLY AFTERNOON, Marianne Vitale is in the second-floor kitchen of her studio in Long Island City, Queens, putting the finishing touches on an apple pie she will soon be baking for the devil, the messiah and a trio of prostitutes (all are

part of a piece for Performa, the performance art biennial, that had its debut in the fall). In the meantime, the shark is in the oven.

Vitale is known for her large-scale sculptures, such as a series made of steel railroad tracks that is currently on display in a group show at the High Line in New York. No matter what she’s working on, though, she often cooks for whoever is in her studio.

‘‘I’m going to make this a Jimmy Buffett,’’ Vitale says. ‘‘You know, a bouffay.’’ She summons everyone to lunch by clanging a cowbell, and sets out shark fillets, cabbage with caraway seeds, purple potatoes, wild rice and squash. Her cast, along with her main studio assistant — a lanky, heavily tattooed guy named Cole — eats in the center of the studio, seated on improvised chairs made from things like riding saddles. Against a wall behind them is a sprawling century-old wooden bar the artist found on eBay, a relic from a watering hole in Manitowoc, Wis.

Vitale has experience cooking for artists. When a friend, the sculptor David Adamo, moved to Berlin several years ago, she took over his job cooking for Rudolf Stingel’s studio. In her studio, the menu varies, she says, depending on what sort of work is going on. She favors chicken soup, partly for the aroma it brings to the place. She gets her vegetables at the Union Square

Greenmarket — ‘‘whatever has been recently pulled from the ground’’ — and likes Blue Moon fishmongers for seafood. She also makes a fantastic Wiener schnitzel.

‘‘I designed my studio so that my kitchen overlooks the shop,’’ Vitale adds. ‘‘Cooking relaxes me, helps me focus and problem-solve. The stress and anxiety that comes with running a business is not permitted in my kitchen, so it’s a safety zone.’’

Marianne Vitale


when people have these lunches where they all go out individually, and then have plastic containers of salads, and sit in front of computers.’’

Fischer met Stone four years ago through his dealer Gavin Brown, for whom she still cooks postopening dinners. ‘‘There’s this moment where, no matter what you do at the studio, you sit down for half an hour, talk and relax and share food, and nobody is worried about anything else that is going on,’’ Stone says. ‘‘It creates a nice energy and gives people this family feeling that makes them work better.’’

Lately, she and Fischer have been focused on sharing that energy. This fall, Fischer’s imprint, Kiito-San, will publish Stone’s first cookbook, with the artist serving as creative director. Stone describes her cooking as Greek-influenced, as well as American and seasonal. Studio favorites include a sweet, moist homemade bread. ‘‘Mina has a divine touch for food,’’ Fischer says. ‘‘From nutrition to color, texture, flavors. It’s a postdogmatic cuisine. It’s a bit of everything.’’ Like a minimalist painter, the chef keeps her culinary palette simple. ‘‘There’s a joke around here,’’ she says. ‘‘People say of my dishes, ‘What did you put on it?’ and it’s always the same three things: olive oil, lemon juice and salt.’’

RISING HIGH ABOVE a radio playing ‘‘Crimson and Clover,’’ over the chatter of assistants and the barking and collar-rattling of three (there are usually four) studio dogs, Mina Stone’s 1 p.m. lunch bell reaches every corner of Urs Fischer’s

13,000-square-foot workspace in Red Hook, Brooklyn. On this Thursday afternoon, lunch is faki (Greek lentil soup); roasted sweet potatoes; beet tzatziki; shaved purple cabbage; halibut with fennel, lime and cilantro; and freshly baked olive oil cake — an array of dishes fit,

in their dazzling colors, for a gallery. All of it is laid out on two oval marble tables in the studio kitchen in the mezzanine. (Nearby is a much smaller table, for when Fischer’s 4-year-

old daughter, Lotti, turns up.) For Fischer, the studio meals are a way of avoiding some of the more dispiriting aspects of takeout. ‘‘What makes me sad,’’ he says, ‘‘is

Urs Fischer

TABLE TALK The artist Urs Fischer (in white T-shirt) with his chef, Mina Stone (in yellow), studio assistants and visitors conversing during lunch in the mezzanine kitchen of his studio in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Opposite, from left: Fischer serves himself at one of two long marble tables in his studio kitchen; Stone’s faki, a Greek lentil soup.


Document

About a BoyFor nearly two years, the Brooklyn-based photographer Dean Kaufman has relished the simple pleasure of watching his son lose himself in a work of art. He began this series when Leo was 4 and started toting a small notebook on family trips to New York art museums. Leo would plunk down near whatever caught his eye and begin to sketch, while his father stealthily captured the moment. Kaufman says the activity — whether sprawling out in

front of a Jasper Johns painting at the Whitney Museum of American Art (middle left), or carefully copying Chris Burden’s tower of concrete bags at the New Museum (bottom center) — has nurtured Leo’s love for drawing. Still, he hesitates to interpret the 5-year-old’s curiosity as a sign of future art stardom. ‘‘He’s got a limited attention span,’’ Kaufman says. ‘‘He does the drawing and then he says, ‘Let’s go have lunch.’ ’’ — JEFF OLOIZIA ‘‘D

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