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Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Collector's Room Opens At Gray's Inn, Wollombi

Image: Defiance Gallery, Collector's Room At Gray's Inn

Stellar Chinese, Indian and African antiquities from the 18th and 19th centuries are the grounding objects at the heart of Gray's Inn, Wollombi, between Noyce Brothers' Wines and Panino Cafe. 

Sydney-siders may be familiar with Defiance Gallery, Newtown and its Director, Campbell Roberston-Swann and may also have visited Defiance Sculpture Park At The Gate Gallery, 2480 Wollombi Road, NSW 2325.

Now Defiance has opened The Collector's Room at Gray's Inn and the busy opening night on 21 April saw red dots appearing on a number of highly desirable pieces. Fear not, new acquisitions will await your every visit whether your mission is to add to a collection, buy a piece for decoration or to satisfy your quest for, say, a Buddha figure with a particular significance – protection, meditation, medicine, teaching, contemplation. 

Love the Collector's Room and also enjoy a tasting of Noyce Brothers Wine (exclusive wine Partners to Defiance Gallery and The Gate Gallery) including the desirable The Directors Prize Shiraz 2009, limited release made from  berries selected by Phillip Noyce. Eat great food at Panino Café, also at Gray’s Inn, and your experience is complete. (Panino Cafe T: 02 4998 3355.)



THE COLLECTOR'S ROOM. Access through *The Noyce Brothers Cellar Door or through Panino's Restaurant at 2884 Wollombi Rd, Wollombi NSW 2325. Opening hours Wednesday - Monday 10.30am - 2.30pm


DEFIANCE SCULPTURE PARK AT THE GATE GALLERY, 2480 Wollombi Road, Wollombi, NSW 2325
The Gate Gallery Directors - Willem van Zanten & Caroline M. van Zanten-Klop
10am - 3pm Fri - Mon or by appointment T+61 (0)-2-4998 3370 
www.thegategallery.com.au


DEFIANCE GALLERY, 47 Enmore Road, Newtown, NSW 2042
Director - Campbell Robertson-Swann   Manager - Lauren Harvey11am - 5pm Wed - Sat   T+61 (0)2-9557 8483 
www.defiancegallery.com

*NOYCE BROTHERS CELLAR DOOR, 2884 Wollombi Road, Wollombi NSW 2325 
T+61 (0) 2 4998 3483
Cellar Door open 10.30am–3pm, Monday, Wednesday & Thursday; 10.30am–4.30pm Friday & Saturday; 10.30am–4pm Sunday; closed Tuesday.
www.noycebros.com.au

•Private tastings and tastings outside these hours can also be arranged.

Thanks to Defiance Gallery, The Gate Gallery, Noyce Brothers – and Panino Café for delicious food on a delightful opening night. AP/BCT.

Blue Cockatoo Traveller: Inflatable Stonehenge travels to Hong Kong for Mob...

Blue Cockatoo Traveller: Inflatable Stonehenge travels to Hong Kong for Mob...: Jeremy Deller,  Sacrilege,  Greenwich, 2012  Courtesy of Art Concept, Paris and The Modern Institute/Toby Webster Ltd, Glasgow.  Photo:...

Inflatable Stonehenge travels to Hong Kong for Mobile M+: Inflation

Jeremy Deller, Sacrilege, Greenwich, 2012 
Courtesy of Art Concept, Paris and The Modern Institute/Toby Webster Ltd, Glasgow.  Photo: Jeremy Deller

West Kowloon Cultural District Authority 

Full size inflatable Stonehenge arrives in West Kowloon for Mobile M+: Inflation! 

23 April 2013, Hong Kong: M+ announced today that Sacrilege, a full size inflatable replica of one of the world’s most famous monuments, Stonehenge, will be unveiled in Hong Kong as part of Mobile M+: Inflation!, opening 25th April 2013 (Press Preview 10.30am 24th April 2013). The interactive work, which visitors can bounce on, was created by Turner Prize-winning British artist Jeremy Deller. A co-commission between Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art and the Mayor of London, Sacrilege first appeared in Glasgow before touring major cities across Britain as part of London 2012 Festival. 

 Sacrilege will be placed alongside five other giant inflatable sculptures by local and international artists, including two new commissions created especially for the exhibition by Hong Kong based artist Tam Wai Ping and Chinese artist Cao Fei. The six works will be accompanied by a performance piece by Tomás Saraceno (Argentina) which will be staged on 4 and 25 May and 8 June 2013. 

 Alongside the five other works, Sacrilege will take advantage of the promenade on West Kowloon, the future site of the West Kowloon Cultural District, with an iconic view out over Victoria Harbour. The installation, with inflatable moss covered slabs at over 7m high, and a 35m wide fake green grass base will offer a stark contrast to Hong Kong’s heavily urbanized environment. It’s placement on the site of The Park, creates a fantasy landscape within the city upon the evolving site of West Kowloon. 

By re-presenting one of the world’s most famous existing prehistoric monuments and sites of cultural 
significance as an inflatable sculpture Deller allows audiences to reacquaint themselves with history in a high-spirited and entertaining manner, whilst exploring cultural heritage. 

Monumental artworks of this scale have never been presented alongside one another in Hong Kong, making “Mobile M+: Inflation!” one of the largest contemporary art exhibitions ever mounted in the city to date. The exhibition will be presented on the site of the Park at West Kowloon Cultural District - a fourteen hectare site devoted to arts programming next to M+, Hong Kong’s future museum for visual culture. 

 Inflation! is a part of Mobile M+, a series of pre-opening ‘nomadic’ exhibitions curated by M+ that aim to engage the public ahead of the opening of the museum, scheduled for completion in late 2017. By initiating and realising projects that would not be possible in a single museum building, Mobile M+ seeks to turn the perceived disadvantage of being “rootless” into a strategic advantage by organizing events that embrace a multi-

The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of on-site events ranging from artist talks, workshops, guided tours to performances. 

Lars Nittve said, “I am delighted that the M+ team have been able to secure this incredibly important piece of contemporary art for Hong Kong residents to enjoy. The work was enormously popular when it toured the UK last year, and I can’t wait to see the Hong Kong public’s response. Sacrilege will offer residents a unique experience of interactive public sculpture - hopefully stimulating debate about the kind of works which might be on show in The Park once it opens in 2014. Sacrilege challenges ideas about how art should be displayed and experienced, aligning with M+’s commitment to presenting art in a new dynamic way. Works of art can no longer be classified into fixed genre; which is why M+ will be a museum for visual culture in all its forms. This piece also reflects our commitment to bringing groundbreaking artworks to Hong Kong, as well as supporting local artists.” 



Mobile M+: INFLATION! 

Tues – Thurs: 12pm to 7pm 

Press Preview: Wednesday 24th April, 10.30am 

Fri – Sun: 11am to 8pm 

Closed Mondays 

During Art Basel Hong Kong: 10am – 8pm 

Free of charge 

Venue: West Kowloon Cultural District Promenade 


Sutton PR Asia 
Email: tamsin@suttonprasia.com / phoebe@suttonprasia.com 



M+ 

A centrepiece of Hong Kong's future West Kowloon Cultural District, M+ is the new museum for visual culture, encompassing 20th and 21st century art, design, architecture and the moving image from Hong Kong, China, Asia and beyond. From its vantage point in one of the world's most dynamic regions, M+ seeks, through its exhibitions, programming and permanent collection, to document the past, inform the present and contribute to the future of visual culture within an ever more interconnected global landscape. With the ultimate aim of exploring new ways of seeing, the museum will take a multidisciplinary approach that both challenges and respects existing boundaries while creating a meeting point for a diversity of perspectives, narratives and audiences. M+ has already embarked on a number of public programs and exhibitions, and has begun to assemble its permanent collection, in the run-up to the planned 2017 opening of its 62,000 square-meter (670,000 square-feet) building overlooking Victoria Harbour. M+ will be responsible for integrating and curating art within the park design. 





Wednesday, April 17, 2013

British artist Jim Lambie takes over Pearl Lam Galleries Hong Kong


Image: Pearl Lam Galleries


Image: Pearl Lam Galleries

HONG KONG, 16 April 2013 
Internationally acclaimed Scottish artist Jim Lambie takes over Pearl Lam Galleries Hong Kong with a major exhibition, The Flowers of Romance opens to the public tomorrow. The exhibition showcases site-specific installations, which give an overview of Lambies creative output over the last decade, displaying a mixture of dynamic new works alongside iconic masterpieces from his oeuvre. Lambies work is a charged synthesis of colour, line and space, which he employs to challenge viewers perceptions. The Flowers of Romance, titled after an early British punk band from the 1970s and studio album by Public Image Ltd released in 1981, represents a unique opportunity to see a number of key works from Lambies career which reference popular culture and music. 

....

Pearl Lam Galleries is dedicated to encouraging cultural exchange between the East and West, bringing important Western artists to a new audience in Asia as part of its exciting programme. Jim Lambies installation works directly engage with the exhibition space whilst demanding the participation of the audience. As the phenomenon of interactive installation art grows in Hong Kong, Pearl Lam Galleries is once more at the forefront of breaking new boundaries in the Hong Kong art scene.  

We are delighted to have Jim Lambies first solo exhibition in Hong Kong. He is a dynamic and inspiring artist whose energy is pure creativity. I look forward to exposing this artist to the recognition he deserves in Hong Kong and hope that his vision will inspire our visitors as it has done me over the last decade. Althea Viafora-Kress, International Gallery Director of Pearl Lam Galleries, April 2013

Extract from press release: Erica Siu and Veronica Chu / Sutton PR Asia 
http://www.pearllam.com/


Monday, April 15, 2013

Blue Cockatoo Traveller: Ragley Hall Artist In Residence

Blue Cockatoo Traveller: Ragley Hall Artist In Residence: Dawn Harris, Artist in Residence, Ragley Hall, UK Ragley Hall has announced that Dawn Harris will be its ‘Artist in Resi...

Ragley Hall Artist In Residence



Dawn Harris, Artist in Residence, Ragley Hall, UK
Ragley Hall has announced that Dawn Harris will be its ‘Artist in Residence’ during 2013. On select days between Easter and October, Dawn will be based in the Ragley Gallery & Studio, within the Grade I listed stables and will use the residency for reflection, research, presentation and production of work that responds to the Ragley environment.  Dawn, who was born in Birmingham, was previously in partnership with the National Trust as Artist in Residence.
The residency will enable visitors, local schools, universities and community groups to explore contemporary art through discussion, workshops and exhibitions within this valued heritage site. Dawn's residency will enable her to explore her practice within a different community; meeting new people, using new materials and experiencing life in a new location. This year Dawn will be considering why 'Heritage' is important to the community.
Dawn Harris stated ‘I am delighted to be Artist in Residence at Ragley and I am looking forward to developing the residency entitled: ‘Negotiating Heritage’. Through negotiation I plan to begin a dialogue that services my interpretation of the heritage of Ragley”.
Dawn will be engaging with visitors between 11am and 4pm on selected dates which can be found on the Ragley website. Engagement with Dawn is included in the Ragley Park & Gardens admission rates.
For more information on Ragley please visit the website at www.ragleyhall.com.

Where in the world?

©Alison Plummer

Friday, April 12, 2013

BVLGARI ART AWARD winner, Jon Cappatan.


The Art Gallery of NSW and Bulgari announced today that Jon Cattapan is the 2013 recipient of THE BVLGARI ART AWARD.

The Bulgari Art Award consists of a $50,000 painting acquisition for the Art Gallery of NSW and a residency in Italy valued at $30,000. The total award of $80,000 is one of the most valuable art awards in Australia. The award-winner has been selected by the Art Gallery of NSW Trustees and the head curator of Australian art. 

Jon Cattapan is a highly regarded artist and one of Australias finest contemporary painters. Cattapans subject is often contemporary cities, both their architecture and organisation and how we inhabit them. He overlays specific imagery with an abstract patterning that recalls the digital matrixes through which information circulates, extending local references into more global concerns. 

Cattapans winning painting Imagine a Raft (Hard Rubbish 4+5) 2012 is a triptych painted over a five year period. Images of a city and abstract digital grids are juxtaposed with an image based on humble discards, a pile of disused furniture waiting for the council collection trucks at the end of Cattapans street in Melbournes St Kilda. The discarded objects resembled a marooned vessel and started Cattapan thinking about broader issues of what we value and what we discard. How do simple belongings shape our sense of identity? And how, by extension, can global preoccupations with territories and surveillance inform the creative zeitgeist of our times? These questions are a part of the artists thinking and aesthetic. 

Jon Cattapans parents were born in the Veneto region of Italy and this award will enable him to reconnect with his family origins as well as experience the rich contemporary and historic cultural life of Rome and Italy.

Wayne Tunnicliffe, head curator of Australian art, said:
'The Gallery has looked to acquire a major painting by Jon Cattapan for several years now and we are thrilled that the Bulgari Art Award will enable us to have Imagine a Raft (Hard Rubbish 4+5) 2012 for our permanent collection. It is a tough but also lyrical painting, which finds a form of beauty in an unlikely subject matter. This winning painting veers between abstraction and representation and is a superb addition to our contemporary Australian collection.

Julie Ann Morrison, managing director of Bulgari Australia and UK, said:
'We are delighted that the Art Gallery New South Wales has selected Jon Cattapan as the recipient of the Bulgari Art Award 2013. Jons work acquired for the state collection is highly distinctive in the context of Australian painting, combining a contemporary sensibility with a mythical and vivid depiction of the city as cast out from the landscape. Throughout his extensive career, Jon has challenged the conceptual boundaries of Australian art, bringing new questions and allusive associations to realisation with particular force, expressed with the tradition and timeless skill of a fine painter. 


Bulgari was founded in Rome in 1884 as a single jewellery shop, whose magnificent jewellery creations soon became emblems of Italian excellence. Throughout the last few decades Bulgari developed into a global luxury brand renowned for its highly creative design in jewels, watches and accessories, and retailing in the major luxury retail precincts of the world. Up until 2011 Bulgari was majority-owned by the Bulgari family and, though it is now part of the LVMH Group, the Bulgari family are still instrumental in the management of the Bulgari brand and the design of jewellery. International success has carried the distinctive Bulgari design into a diversified portfolio of products and services and, increasingly, hotels. 

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

China post ...

Sensory pleasures in a tiny shop/post office in Yangshou, China. Exploring this intriguing, cosmopolitan town after a misty journey down the Li River and an overnight stay at the Yangshou Resort on a Wendy Wu tour, flying China Southern Airlines, an option for flights between Australia/New Zealand and Europe on the 'Canton Route'. Wendy Wu operates in the UK and USA as well as Australia with a wide range of personalised and escorted tours, including scenic overland routes.


Thursday, February 28, 2013

Last day of summer in Australia ...

... time to think of spring and summer in Europe. But not before some all-out luxury in a handful of Australia's most sensational properties,  a taste of the Outback and some exclusive pampering in Bali ... just for starters!

Friday, February 15, 2013

Updating Stratford & West Midlands App


Checking prices and news for 2013 for an app update ... tell me your news you Stratfordians/West Midlanders I haven't contacted yet! Thanks Sadie at The Fleece, Bretforton, for the asparagus festival image.



Friday, February 8, 2013

Love shopping at Heathrow.

Love shopping at  Heathrow Terminal 3 and finding something for £12 in the Zara sale. Makes a change from gazing into the hallowed halls of the designers with costs equal to another flight. Nice things, though.

Celebrating Chinese New Year Early ...

... with a brown snake in the house under the fridge. Hope it's a good omen!

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Five Star Service: Singapore Airlines & Enterprise Car Rental

Fantastic service from Singapore Airlines at Heathrow last week. Thanks to the team on the desk (especially Miriam), a problem was solved without any fuss and Enterprise Car Rental made it a pleasant experience to hire a car at short notice.  I'll be using your services again.

My flight back to Sydney with Singapore Airlines was great – Changi is an easy airport.


Fantastic, thank you all.
www.singaporeair.com
www.enterprise.com

Monday, November 12, 2012

Meet you for lunch: The Dining Room, Park Hyatt Sydney

The Dining Room, Park Hyatt Sydney.

Having lunch at the new look Park Hyatt Sydney reminded me  how much I love this location! The waterfront restaurant has become The Dining Room and you can enjoy Chef Andrew McKee's seasonal Australian lunch menu with a choice of one ($39), two ($59) or three ($69) courses with a glass of selected wine Monday to Friday.

A dish of cow's milk burrata with heirloom tomato and apple balsamic hits the spot as do crispy balls of potted Alaskan King Crab. Goat cheese gnocchi and a delicious truffle mushroom risotto leave little room for dessert which in my case would have been the hazelnut dacquoise, milk chocolate ganache and milk ice cream. (A dacquoise is a layered dessert cake of almond and hazelnut meringue with whipped cream ... so I'm just hoping it's on the menu next time.)

The Living Room and The Bar also echo the lifestyle feel of the new-look Park Hyatt and an inspection of the stunning premium Sydney Suite leaves us longing for an opportunity to be able to experience the incredible views for longer than just a ten minute look-see.
http://www.diningroom.com.au/diningroom/menus-en.html
http://sydney.park.hyatt.com





The Dining Room at dusk, Park Hyatt Sydney.