By Jessica Bowen

For full style marks this summer have the courage to go bold with super-bright colours and clashing prints

So you’ve done Morocco, burned through Bali, and Bhutan is just so yesterday. Take a tour with Caroline Davies of six destinations that are for now – and the future

THE ATACAMA DESERT, Chile

There are few places as serene as a desert at sunrise. The world’s most arid desert, a drive through the Atacama can lead you to volcanoes, salt flats, geysers, natural hot springs, isolated beaches and fertile valleys rich in wildlife. Dotted with colonial towns such as San Pedro de Atacama, the desert is also famed for its clear skies. Combined with the lack of light pollution and radio interference, it is one of the best places in the world for astronomical observation.

Where to stay? Alto Atacama Desert Lodge and Spa. Tucked in a secluded valley alongside the San Pedro river, the lodge’s red sandstone blends into the craggy deep red ridges. And of course, it has its own observatory. altoatacama.com

SYLT, Germany

OK it’s not exactly a discovery, but the German chi-chi classes like to keep this stretch of idyllic sandy haven to themselves. The island sits off Northern Germany in the influence of the Gulf stream, keeping its summer temperatures above those of the mainland. A favourite of the well-to-do, the small island even has its own branch of Hermès and a polo club which hosts beach polo cup games.

Where to stay? Kampen is perhaps the most famous of the 11 villages on the island. Beautiful beaches, broad heaths and a rugged red cliff, the scenery is dramatic and the hotels refined.

KURDISH, IRAQ, Iraq

A trip for adventurers who like their routes untrodden. The region retains a degree of political freedom from Baghdad and surprisingly boasts 5 star luxury hotels and spas – the Marriott, Hilton and Kempinski are all on the way too – as well as a UNESCO World Heritage site. In fact, the ancient city of Erbil was named 2014’s tourism capital by the Arab Council of Tourism. Castles, churches, monuments and archaeological sites are all key tourist spots, but few sites beat Gali Ali Beg. Also known as ‘the Grand Canyon of the Middle East’, this dramatic lush green ridge provides biblical views as well as rafting and rock climbing.

Where to stay? At present, tourism infrastructure is still in its infancy outside Erbil, so take a tour to see the country fully. ‘Undiscovered Destinations’ provides a good grounding in the harrowing recent history of the country as well as the ancient influences that shaped the region. undiscovered-destination.com

MONTENEGRO

Referred to as the hidden pearl of the Mediterranean, the small state of Montenegro is tucked next to better known Croatia and holds the same beautiful coastline, ready to be explored. Despite the unspoiled mountainous scenery, parts of Montenegro are far from rustic. Porto Montenegro, one of the newest luxury yacht developments on the Mediterranean, houses Versace, Armani, Missoni and Feragamo alongside gleaming mega yachts.

Where to stay? Luštica Bay. After a few days in the noise and the action, retreat to Luštica Bay on the ancient bay of Trašte. No less well catered for, the Bay has a quieter pace than the port and is just a stone’s throw away and holds the country’s first 18- hole golf course. lusticabay.com

MYANMAR

Previously closed off by a military regime, Myanmar, (or Burma), remains relatively unaffected by the trappings of a globalised world. Intrepid travellers are beginning to dip their toes into this mysterious country, although don’t expect fast food restaurants, credit card machines or 3G just yet. The release of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2010 and Obama’s visit in 2012 have made for a more optimistic atmosphere in a country steeped in a fascinating if volatile past.

Where to stay? Orient Express, Orcaella Myanmar. From July 2013, Orient Express will launch its newly built luxury river cruise into the heart of Burma down the Ayeyardwady and Chindwin Rivers. With only 25 cabins on its four decks, the cruise is an intimate way to be introduced to the country. orcaella.net

THE NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS, Scotland

A stay in the rugged highlands can inspire novels and symphonies as aristocrats, royalty and artists have known for centuries, and a new generation of travelling classes is discovering for themselves. Drive through twisting valleys and watch your phone signal and worries drain away as the lochs and purple heather appear. The land of countryside pursuits, you can try trekking, fishing, stalking, mountain biking, white water rafting or clay pigeon shooting. Alternatively, a brisk walk and a wee dram from a whiskey distillery can be just as rewarding.

Where to stay? Alladale, Wilderness Reserve. Follow in the gentry’s footsteps and stay in the main sporting lodge at Alladale. Built in 1877 it is protected by a dense forest of Caledonian Scots pine. You can go helicopter fishing, stalking, shooting, hiking, and even hit the beach. With a roaring fire in winter the drawing room has its own baby grand piano which might get you singing, the array of single malt whiskies certainly will. alladale.co.uk

Quality and quantity might just be what Singapore needs to be in with the rest of the cool kids in the international fashion arena. Just what kind of quality and quantity are we looking for here? Lucinda Law ‘talk shop’ with some of Singapore’s fashion stalwarts and decide on how Singapore can have it all

A surreptitious makeover is taking place in the fashion industry in the last ten years. While Singapore has certainly touted itself as a shopper’s paradise, more savvy shoppers are turning their heels away from the rapid rise of homogenous shopping malls housing run-of-the-mill high street brands. A new generation of Singapore business owners, artists, designers and visionaries – shoppers – are filling the supply that they have demanded. A more diverse shopping experience made up of concept stores or shopping venues away from the malls, with an increasing range of local design-led fashion products with a focus on quality is upon us.

The hunt for quality amidst the massproduced goods readily found in Singapore gave rise to a number of bespoke services and artisan brands. With almost 25 years of experience in the fashion scene, Kevin Seah, Director of Kevin Seah Bespoke, says he is “targeting men with discerning taste who appreciates quality and well-made products.”

Carolyn Kan, Founder and Designer of Carrie K. Artisan Jewellery, is toeing the front line for quality in Singapore. The former Managing Director of M&C Saatchi started her jewellery line in July 2009 and in 2011, launched KEEPERS, an artisan showcase bringing together independent designers, artists and artisans, and lends these brands more visibility. Kan says, “I see a greater appreciation of artisan craftsmanship and bespoke design. I’ve also noticed a growing pool of people who value quality over quantity. So we started KEEPERS to give people an opportunity to learn more from the artisans and independent designers behind the work”. And they come from a range of fashion products, namely bespoke shoes, timepieces and hats.

A more robust fashion economy certainly calls for a more diverse range of fashion products, and as confidence in the industry grows, more cult brands emerge. One such designer is Chee Sau Fen, Founder & Designer, Heads of State Millinery. Chee is a self-taught designer who has worked for more than fifteen years in the visual arts and events industries before starting her own millinery label. It is quite curious to observe that the media release includes a footnote explaining that ‘millinery refers to the art of hat-making’. A consideration on Chee’s part, perhaps due to fact that a local brand dealing in millinery is largely unheard of. Her beautiful sculptural head pieces are made from traditional handloom abaca fabric of the Daraghuyan Community of the Bukidnon Tribe in Philippines and they are each hand-draped and sewn by Chee.

Highly-coverted, never-been-done before, hip and made from utmost quality, brands like Heads of State check all the boxes for the new emerging Singapore labels. Likewise, Mystic Vintage Eyewear, is just one of the brands that understands cool eyewear is part of the complete head-to-toe assemblage in fashion. Mystic Vintage was started in 2008 by Alvin Tan, Jason Tong and San Yin Mei, the three veterans in the design and creative industry were brought together by their passion for eyewear.

A bespectacled, Alvin Tan, who is also part of PHUNK, a famous Singapore art collective, says, “Mystic Vintage is very focused on design and the theme revolving around it. Each model is inspired by a different theme, for eg, Music, Aviation, Magic, etc, and its design relates to that. What’s unique about each design is that the frames have different quotes engraved on the arms of the eyewear, it could be lyrics from a song or a quote from a movie, something that might bring a sense of familiarity to the person wearing it.” Their obsession for details and quality has garnered them a sizeable following and helped raise the bar for cult labels in Singapore and their presence overseas.

Tan adds, “There’s a heightened interest in creating locally and also more awareness for supporting local labels. The market in Singapore is small so many brands might find themselves having to explore foreign markets. We think the fashion industry will grow regionally, creatively and gain international awareness.” Because Singapore is a little red dot, she is immensely conscious of the need to reach out to an international audience, but first, some local attention never hurts and is imperative for the makeover to take place. There has been a longstanding sentiment about the lack of support for local products, but all this is beginning to change.

Goh Ling Ling, founder and designer of LingWu bags, a lecturer in Fashion at Lasalle College of the Arts and a veteran of the Singapore fashion scene says, “In the last 10 years, I’ve seen such a dramatic increase of designers developing their own creations; not just fashion but visual artists and designers, jewellery, textile, etc. But for a long time designers in Singapore were having a pretty hard time getting acceptance from people here, and Singaporeans like to compare the local with the international, which can be unfair at times.”

So the time has finally come to do away with the naysayers. Instead, a more enthusiastic and ‘pret-ta-support’ attitude fans the industry.

Samuel Wong, Creative Director of evenodd, a young menswear label says, “Singaporeans now support and buy local designers and is proud of it. There is a significant growth for ‘made in Singapore’ fashion. The media attention and customers patronage have increased.” Wong’s edgy and youthful menswear label is a testament to the confidence among young start-up brands, with a good measure of business sense thrown in.

There is an unprecedented rise of independent fashion labels. Some freshly out of school, but those with prior experience in the creative industry are helming the fashion industry.

The message is loud and clear: We are doing it ourselves and we are doing it our own way.

Mash-Up, an independent street-wear label is just one of the brands that is echoing this zeitgeist. Daniel Monasterios Tan, Nathanael Ng and Shaf Amis’aabudin says, “we design for ourselves and because we are always changing it means our brand is always changing and growing. Everything about our brand is about promoting the D.I.Y. Spirit and mashing together different elements of the world around us with stories/cultures from the past to create a new visual language through fashion design.”

The D.I.Y and entrepreneurial spirit is palpable across the country. Tan says, “the very fact that a non-corporate and niche label like us exists in Singapore will hopefully inspire and encourage other brands/designers to make their own ideas come alive, no matter how whacky.”

Look around and you can begin to see that it is certainly taking place. “It feels like everybody in our generation is starting something of their own and it feels like the whole world is connected and supporting each other”, says Tan.

Singapore’s fashion is gaining traction. Fast. Tan says, “currently it’s an ‘act local, think global’ scene for fashion and small cult labels.” Goh also notes, “I think creative Singaporeans now feel they are competing on an international stage. You can see this across all creative industries – fashion, art, music and design. This is partly due to various government support initiatives, and partly because there are some really prominent Singaporeans out there – Andrew Gn, Ashley Isham, Ethan K, Phunk Studio, Tham Khai Meng. This helps build a sense of pride and responsibility in the industry and the next generation of creative thinkers.”

A new level of playing field has been created and Alvin Tan notes, “with more fashion and trade shows coming into the country in recent years, local fashion brands are exposed to a growing number of international press, media, buyers and consumers”. This influx of interest is working in favour for everyone, as quality gets better and the quantity of diverse fashion products increases.

You can witness this progression yearly at Blueprint. A four-day fashion trade and consumer event organised by the Blueprint Group, a joint venture between the Textile and Fashion Federation of Singapore, MP Singapore and Mercury Marketing and Communications to catapult emerging talents to international prominence. All in order to help these brands grow their export market.

Tracy Phillips, Project Director of Blueprint Tradeshow and Emporium, says, “as Asia’s fashion gateway, we want to feature the best of Asian fashion design talent, including a good mix of emerging talents to be discovered, as well as established brands looking to grow their distribution, all together under one roof ”. Besides Blueprint, there are also events namely, the Asia Fashion Summit conference, Audi Star Creation competition and Audi fashion week to engage the fashion community.

A rise of such events are great opportunities for labels to showcase their works and certainly help foster a bigger, better and stronger community.

Lasalle College of the Arts is also one to recognize this need as it launched the Asian Fashion Graduate Showcase 2013 (AF/GS) in May to showcase its fashion graduates’ work from across Asia. Nur Hidayah. A. Bakar, Dean, Faculty of Design at LASALLE College of the Arts, says, “the objective of AFGS is to develop a network linking fashion schools in Asia. I would like AFGS to be the official platform for these institutions to discuss and exchange ideas on what could be the next phase of the fashion industry in the region”.

So as Singapore continues to get creative in whether launching new malls, new fashion labels or showcases, the industry is making strides in creating a myriad of artisan-quality fashion products, meaningful showcases and hopefully exploring further developments of new market segments, thus moving the scene ahead, fashion forward each time.

Lucinda Law lectures, writes and creates art installations inspired by music, fashion, literature, arts, design, spirituality and travel.

 

Technology fairs are not just about geeks comparing chips. A raft of collaborations between the art and science worlds means tech fairs can be as wild as a festival. Caroline Davies presents six of the best

Kinetica Art Fair Kinetica is the galleries’ tech art fair. Bright lights, a pulsating spiky suspended ball and an agressive looking, electronically operated boar’s skull all fought for attention at this year’s show with exhibitors from Singapore to the States, Russia to Indonesia. The fair encourages independent and student artists to exhibit alongside established galleries making it a good place to pick up unique art works.

London,UK, February/March 2014; kinetica-artfair.com

Ars Electronica First started in 1979, Ars Electronica is the techwhizz- kid grandfather of technology art festivals. 2013 is the year of ‘Total Recall: The Evolution of the Memory’, but AE is far more than just a fair. Its annual competition, Prix, spots the talent before the markets do: previous winners included Pixar, Wikipedia and Wikileaks. Their exhibition centre draws year round crowds with their interactive exhibits on everything from media art to prosthetics and the cinematic sounding ‘future lab’ supports experts in art, design, architecture and virtual reality that will change the way we interact with the world.

Linz, Austria, 5-9^th September 2013; aec.at

The first place to see entertainment innovation. Originally held in Barcelona in 1990, Art Futura holds 13 festivals simultaneously across different Spanish speaking cities. If digital technology connects the world, it makes sense that a fair does too. Last year’s central event was held in Uruguay. Focusing on new media, interactive design, videogames and digital animation, previous participants include Brian Eno, MIT Media Lab and Pixar.

International. November 2013; artfutura.org

As bohemian as tech gets, OFFF is all about the arts, not the funding. A post-digital culture festival, it showcases films, art, design and music and holds its own market, lounge, gallery and classroom. Independently curated, it is free of the big corporate atmosphere and has more of an extended family vibe. Conferences are so popular, guests sometimes sit on the floor to hear speakers.

Barcelona and international, 6-8th June 2013; offf.ws

 

Founded under the dramatic title ‘Manifestation for the Unstable Media’, DEAF – Dutch Electronic Art Festival – is the biennial art and media technology fair run by interdisciplinary art and media centre, V2_. Aimed at pulling in a new, diverse audience, the fair is another way of sparking debate for the group who also publish works by the great minds of technology today. Expect to hear the big questions, even if you don’t always find the answer.

Rotterdam, Holland, Next in 2014; deaf.nl

Festival de Arte Digital – FAD, the quirky art tech festival in Brazil was set up by Tadeus Mucelli, aka DJ Tee, and Henrique Roscow to encourage young creators to experiment with digital technology. A pioneering idea in their state, the fair began in 2007 as a way of informing the public and exciting artists. Today the fair is concerned with democratising information on new technologies so that everyone can make the best use of the new digital world.

Belo Horizonte, Brazil. October 2013; festivaldeartedigital.com.br

 

Mayfair is so 2012. The future of London retail, art, cuisine, and trends, is east, on the grimy streets of Shoreditch, Hoxton and beyond. Kitty Valentina Harris selects her favourite boutiques and also quizzes John Skelton, founder of cult Dalston fashion store Late Night Chameleon Café, on the secrets of his success

 

Nelly Duff

‘Not on your Nelly!’ Even the name, rhyming slang for life, oozes cool and conjures intrigue like the treasure chest that the gallery is. Located in a small pocket of East London, Nelly Duff was brought into the world by Jessie Dyer and Cassius Colman to serve a purpose. Its calling: ‘to exhibit emerging and explosive talent.’ They buy the artwork that evokes an emotional response and pieces ‘that will feather the nest that is their home’. The lino-cut work of Baltimore’s social muralist Gaia and Obama’s favourite Ben Eine are a few gems cloistered in this truly original and precious artistic hub. nellyduff.com

11 Boundary

Born and bred in East London, Debra Winstanley dreamed of owning her own boutique. Spotting a niche in the market for a womenswear store, 11 Boundary is now ‘a chic London boutique with a Parisian edge.’ Filled with diverse and exciting labels, the store is refreshing to wander around in. When she buys she goes for ‘versatile pieces that are wardrobe staples.’ Her perfect customer would be Keira Knightley or Sienna Miller as she already stocks lots of the labels they wear. Labels range from Tom Ford sunnies to American Vintage. 11boundary.com

 

Tatty Devine

In 1999 after graduating from Chelsea School of Art, Harriet Vine and Rosie Wolfenden came across a bin liner of discarded leather and decided to create their own cuffs to sell on a market. Now their shop in Brick Lane is ‘fun, original and all about jewellery.’ They look for pieces that are different and that excite them and ‘more importantly things they want to own.’ Currently they are focusing on Tatty Devine’s own collection. In celebration they throw a party in traditional Holi Style from which everyone emerges covered head-to-toe in powder paint. tattydevine.com

 

Present

 On entrance Gwilym, the world barista champion, is there to hand-pull you an espresso and while you wait one can flick through an issue of Monocle or take in the fantastical, fanciful smells of their candles such as one titled ‘Mars’. Further into the store the walls are adorned with one off items collated from around the world. The sophisticated and fun shopping arena houses both international and British brands such as Bass Weejuna leather shoes and Hartford clothing. Founders of the new age store, Steve Davies and Eddie Prendergast, balance their stock with both established and niche brands. It captures oldschool retro with new school swarve bringing men’s fashion into the present. present-london.com

 

Start

Where to begin? One has to choose where they wish to start; in the newest addition to Mrs Brix and Mr Philip Start’s: Mr Start’s store empire, in the Suits Store, in Start for women, or in Start for men across the street. Start cherry picks their buys with items from designers such as Helmut Lang and Rick Owens, and if you are puzzled how to piece them together, don’t panic! All the staff are trained stylists. Coming in July is the Mr Start Woman AW13 range; expect structured slim fit trousers with soft, plush jumpers and elegant overcoats. The bonus of a visit to the shop is meeting the fashion famous Gladys and Pixie. These are Brix’s (who was a guitarist and lead singer respectively in post-punk cult bands The Fall and The Adult Net) precious pugs that were the faces of the Christmas scarf last year. start-london.com

 

A Child of The Jago

Expect the unexpected is generally a good mindset to approach this store with. Founded in 2007 by Joseph Corre and Simon ‘Barnzley’ Armitage (who has now left for Peru) it resides in a former Victorian slum and is described as ‘a child of the street. The destitute and illegitimate progeny of a hopelessly rundown environment.’ ACJ seeks to cause trouble while it interrupts the status quo of menswear with high quality garments ruling over pre-packaged trends. Made in Britain, in nearby Clerkenwell, these pieces are limited and unique as they are dependent upon the length of the different British fabrics they source. achildofthejago.co.uk

MEETING THE CHAMELEON

A hybrid of creativity and determination that is rapidly becoming a global discovery icon, Late Night Chameleon Café is an evolutionary anomaly in the retail biosphere. Its arena is the up and very becoming Dalston and its camouflage is a cave like structure in what appears to be a derelict building. The benefit of such a misleading exterior: one is transported to another realm of outspoken luxury. LN-CC’s cofounder John Skelton became Selfridges’ youngest buying team member at age 20 before moving to Harrods two years later. Now as LNCCs Creative Director, Skelton takes a birds eye view and hands-on approach to styling shoots, market perception and brand direction. LN-CC.com

Where does the name Late Night Chameleon Café come from?

John Skelton: LN-CC stands for late night chameleon café. The name comes from a variety of places, and is kind of tongue-in-cheek but at the same time is a true reflection of how we came about and what we are about also. The idea of LNCC was born over many late nights, mostly music related and just coming up with ideas in the early hours and developing them through the very early hours over the course of years I guess. I like the idea that a chameleon is constantly changing and is such an interesting creature and we had always planned to have a library, a club, and a café so it just stuck. It just felt right, and it still does.

Why did you choose Dalston for LN-CC’s home?

J.S: Dalston is a place where most of us were living or have lived over the past 8 years, and when we decided to launch LN-CC it was a very natural choice. Even though there was nothing around here three years ago when we secured our space, we knew the area was ready for something like LNCC. In the last year the area has exploded with new stores, bars, galleries and restaurants opening up weekly. Initially people told us an appointment only space carrying some of the most expensive products in the planet would never work in a run down area like Dalston. We believed in it and it’s been an incredible ride.

Now revamped how would you describe the vibe at the hub that is LN-CC? J.S: I think the beauty of LN-CC is the simplicity of what we are doing. Yeah, sure our store may be seen as a concept store however I don’t believe what we do to be overly conceptual, or conceptual at all for that matter. I’ve spoken about this with Dan (Mitchell) the other half of the creative here at LN-CC and our concept essentially is to put all the things we love whether it be clothing, music, books etc in an environment that is interesting to us. That is quite simply our concept. The good thing about us is that we get bored very easily so were always looking to progress, create, re-create and keep moving the project forward from all angles as to keep ourselves interested. The vision is quite simply that, to excite ourselves, as if we can do that then you will excite and interest others also.

How has your original vision changed over time?

J.S: I don’t think the vision has ever changed, we have just evolved and moved things in the direction that feels right at as we develop. Our main aim is to keep pushing things forward and keeping everything we do on the front foot as to push not just our concept forward but retail in general.

With LN-CC in mind and on a broader scale where do you see the future of retail going?

J.S: Retail is quite simply in the hands of retailers and it can go anywhere they want to push it. At the moment it is very easy to make an impact and do something new and interesting as the mass majority of retailers’ offerings are so safe that there is a lot of room and scope for development in the sector.

Which designers do you see leading the way?

J.S: It’s hard to say really. The future of retail is about carving your own niche, a world for people to come and get inside. The formula for that is to put your own selection of brands together in a way that is personal to you and then to develop the customer base as you grow. This therefore means that you will benefit from doing something different as opposed to just selling the hot brands of the moment.

Which designers do you currently carry and can you tell us a little bit about them?

J.S: In terms of brands that I think are in a good stage of development and will become more relevant for the future, I think Yang Li is currently leading the pack. For a new designer his production and fabric choice is second to none and has a very strong idea of where his brand is going. I also have to say that I think JW Anderson’s womenswear is developing into a really strong brand and will be a force to be reckoned with going forward.

JOHN SKELTON’S SELECTION OF MUST SEES IN DALSTON

Trangallan

This restaurant has been set up by 2 young (very nice) Spanish couples who have a real love of food/wine/culture. The food is delicious, very interesting yet refined Spanish cuisine, and the wine list is great also. It obviously has a great selection of Spanish wines; a lot of them on the front foot but offers the best of the French and Italian staples also. In the basement they have a space that they use for more cultural events and have done all kinds of things from independent film screenings, offbeat music projects, etc, etc. trangallan.com

 Trullo

Restaurant For those who know the area and are into food then they will obviously know about this place, but if you don’t, then you should go. You’ll need to book a few weeks before. The food is (in my opinion) the best Italian food you will eat in east London and as a full package is amazing. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, the atmosphere is relaxed and very comfortable (ask if you can have a table upstairs; downstairs feels a bit like sitting on a dancefloor full of tables as the lighting isn’t quite right) and the wine list is diverse, extremely well considered and not crazy expensive. They do however have a specials wine board which has more expensive and really good staples and experimentals. trullorestaurant.com

 Bottle Apostle

This wine store in Victoria Park is a great little independent. It covers everything from the best of the Italian and French (which it does extremely well) but also has some very interesting Portuguese, Swiss, Hungarian and many more that are very well edited and curated. They also have supper clubs downstairs with guest chefs and wine pairings which are really good also. bottleapostle.com

A couple of years after The Arts Club shook up London’s already buzzing members’ club scene, Hong Kong is getting its own world-class den of artistic cool. Duddell’s is a new type of space for the city, with its laid-back interior design by Ilse Crawford (of Soho House fame), impeccable arts credentials courtesy of Yana Peel, co-founder of the Frieze Outset Art Fund, and ahead-of-the-curve founders. Alan Lo and hyper-restaurateur Paulo Pong are among the dream team behind the venue in Central, near all the best galleries. And the presence of Pong, one of Asia’s most respected wine traders, also ensures the wine is as good as the art. Now get yourself nominated as a member!

duddells.co

Technology fairs are not just about geeks comparing chips. A raft of collaborations between the art and science worlds means tech fairs can be as wild as a festival. Caroline Davies presents six of the best

Kinetica Art Fair
Kinetica is the galleries’ tech art fair. Bright lights, a pulsating spiky suspended ball and an agressive looking, electronically operated boar’s skull all fought for attention at this year’s show with exhibitors from Singapore to the States, Russia to Indonesia. The fair encourages independent and student artists to exhibit alongside established galleries making it a good place to pick up unique art works.
London,UK, Febuarary/March 2014 kinetica-artfair.com

Ars Electronica
First started in 1979, Ars Electronica is the techwhizz– kid grandfather of technology art festivals. 2013 is the year of ‘Total Recall: The Evolution of the Memory’, but AE is far more than just a fair. Its annual competition, Prix, spots the talent before the markets do: previous winners included Pixar, Wikipedia and Wikileaks. Their exhibition centre draws year round crowds with their interactive exhibits on everything from media art to prosthetics and the cinematic sounding ‘future lab’ supports experts in art, design, architecture and virtual reality that will change the way we interact with the world.
Linz, Austria, 5-9^th September 2013 aec.at

Art Futura
The first place to see entertainment innovation. Originally held in Barcelona in 1990, Art Futura holds 13 festivals simultaneously across different Spanish speaking cities. If digital technology connects the world, it makes sense that a fair does too. Last year’s central event was held in Uruguay. Focusing on new media, interactive design, videogames and digital animation, previous participants include Brian Eno, MIT Media Lab and Pixar. International. November 2013 artfutura.org

Offf
As bohemian as tech gets, OFFF is all about the arts, not the funding. A post-digital culture festival, it showcases films, art, design and music and holds its own market, lounge, gallery and classroom. Independently curated, it is free of the big corporate atmosphere and has more of an extended family vibe. Conferences are so popular, guests sometimes sit on the floor to hear speakers.
Barcelona and international, 6-8thJune 2013 offf.ws

Dutch Electronic Art Festival – DEAF
Founded under the dramatic title ‘Manifestation for the Unstable Media’, DEAF is the biennial art and media technology fair run by interdisciplinary art and media centre, V2_. Aimed at pulling in a new, diverse audience, the fair is another way of sparking debate for the group who also publish works by the great minds of technology today. Expect to hear the big questions, even if you don’t always find the answer.
Rotterdam, Holland, Next in 2014 deaf.nl

Festival de Arte Digital – FAD
The quirky art tech festival in Brazil was set up by Tadeus Mucelli, aka DJ Tee, and Henrique Roscow, the fair encourages young creators to experiment with digital technology. A pioneering idea in their state, the fair began in 2007 as a way of informing the public and exciting artists. Today the fair is concerned with democratising information on new technologies so that everyone can make the best use of the new digital world.
Belo Horizonte, Brazil. October 2013 festivaldeartedigital.com.br 

 

Ronald Ventura is already a record breaker. When his piece, ‘Grayground’ went on sale at Sotheby’s Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Paintings auction in Hong Kong in April last year, the result astounded onlookers. Met by a whirlwind of bids, the piece sold for $1.1 million, the highest for Sotheby’s in its bracket. A year later and now back in Hong Kong, Ventura opened his solo show “Voids and Cages” at Galerie Perrotin this spring. Combining disconnected imagery and references, his work is a mixture of traditional craft and tales, informed by a wide array of artistic inspirations from old masters to Japanese anime and horror films. Ventura, who one days hopes to open a contemporary art museum in Manila, has recently begun the painful business of buying his own art – which is appreciating rapidly in value – back from buyers for his own collection. Today, he holds on to one piece from each solo exhibition so he won’t be stung again. With his work in high demand from solo shows across America, Europe and all of Asia, Ventura is one to watch, particularly for aficionados of southeast Asian art, which is growing in influence each week.

DESIGNERS ARE SETTING THEIR SIGHTS ON THE NEXT GENERATION, AS THE FIRST GLOBAL KIDS FASHION WEEK IN LONDON PROVED

High fashion for little people. The first ever Global Kids’ Fashion Week, in association with designer children’s outfitters AlexandAlexa.com, was held in London’s Freemason’s hall this spring.

With not a miniature fashion faux pas in sight, the catwalk featured designs from Chloé, Junior Gaultier, Supertrash and Little Marc Jacobs to scratch the surface.

With ambassadors including model, Portia Freeman and founder of my-wardrobe.com Sarah Curran and Jodie and Jemma Kidd on the front row, no one could deny that the show had style. Taffeta party dresses, neon laced new rave trainers and real indie kids tiptoed and clomped down the catwalk, cooed and snapped by well-heeled mothers and fathers. But how much sartorial elegance does an eight year old need?

Opinion may differ on having children on the runway, but the show wasn’t a solely commercial exercise; all proceeds from the SS13 public fashion show were donated to Camila Batmanghelidjh’s highly respected Kids Company charity, which works with dispossessed children a million miles away, metaphorically, from the privilege of the party. globalkidsfashionweek.com 

As Bowiemania takes over the world, our columnist tells how he is putting on a particularly original, global tribute to the multifaceted cultural icon. JEAN-DAVID MALAT

The current exhibition on David Bowie at London’s V&A, sponsored by Gucci, is an interactive hi-tech exhibition featuring more than 300 objects – handwritten lyrics, original costumes, fashion, photography, film, music videos, set designs, personal instruments and original album artworks, brought together by the V&A for the very first time in order to give visitors a more comprehensive insight into the life, career and mind of David Bowie. One would ask “why such mass enthusiasm for the artist?”, to which only one answer is possible: because he is a legend and his influence on contemporary creative society is exemplary and will be remembered.

Bowie has sold close to 136 million albums, and ranks among the ten best selling acts in UK pop history. In the BBC’s 2002 poll of the ‘100 Greatest Britons’, Bowie ranked 29 – that’s Britons of any type.

Bowie’s avant-garde artistic aura is what made him the legend he is, and art has played a large part in his life. Andy Warhol, probably the most famous artist of the pop art movement, was one of Bowie’s greatest inspirations. In 2003, in an interview with Performing Songwriter magazine about the song he wrote about Warhol, Bowie explained that he took the song to The Factory (Warhol’s studio and workshop) when he first visited America and that Andy Warhol hated it. After this unfortunate event, Bowie got to know Warhol and they became friends.

In 1996, David Bowie even played the part of Andy Warhol in Julian Schabel’s film ‘Basquiat.’ So, in parallel to the Victoria and Albert Museum exhibition, in 2013, the Opera Gallery is opening a visual artistic tribute exhibition on the legendary musician and icon.

Over twenty contemporary artists, from the US, the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe have been asked to create an artwork that pays homage to the singer, in their own style and technique.

The list of participating artists include Spanish portraitist Lita Cabellut – whose large-scale portraits fascinate the viewers with striking depth and colours; French stencil artist C215 who usually makes portraits of the poor 01 and homeless but eagerly accepted the challenge to depict the iconic singer for this exhibition.

British street artists Bob and Chaz from The London Police (TLP) collective are also taking part in the exhibition ‘The Many Faces of David Bowie.’ Famous for their lovable & iconic ‘Lads’ characters that have been seen on streets all over the world, they will bring a new dimension to the tribute display thanks to their unique back-to-basic black and white ink drawing technique. Other street artists from the British scene were selected to take part in the exhibition, such as Bristol-born Nick Walker, who emerged from the graffiti scene in the early 1980s and is now famous for his style and humour that have gained him worldwide recognition. Finally, Mac1 is a photo-realistic graffiti artist who came out of Birmingham’s innovative scene in the 1980s & 90s. He is a selftaught artist who deals mainly with acrylics, oils and inks. Inspired by pop and comic art as well as iconic figures from the past and present, Mac1 has been painting for 19 years, mainly with aerosol paint.

Nick Gentry presents a portrait in his very own recycling-upcycling technique that consists in painting with oil on a background made of floppy disks and cd-roms

And British visual artists Zoobs continues to incorporate different cultures and their representations into breath-taking iconic images that are often themed with death, love, pain, celebration and magic. His images, verging on the surreal, are haunting and sinister yet fashionably contemporary. There is no doubt that his take on a portrait of music and fashion icon Bowie, right up Zoobs’ street, will be strikingly edgy and sensual.

From the French scene, we are delighted to welcome Kan and Blo, from the ‘Da Mental Vaporz’ collective, as well as Hisham Echafaki and Jef Aerosol.

Initially from the south of France, Kan joined the Da Mental Vaporz crew in 2000. Blo, on his side, discovered graffiti at the age of 14, inspired by the urban landscape and hip-hop culture of his childhood. Following his first personal exhibition in 2003, Blo’s work evolved towards a more contemporary approach, yet remaining firmly attached to the codes of his graffiti background. Moving to Paris in 2005, he further developed his figurative style on a variety of mediums. Integrating various techniques and influences, the art of Blo earned him respect from the graffiti community as well as recognition in the contemporary art world, allowing him to display his work in prestigious venues such as Paris’ Grand Palais in 2008.

Jef Aerosol is a main proponent of the first generation of French street artists who started working on the streets in the early 1980s. A legend himself, he will take on the challenge of paying tribute to the British legend David Bowie in the recognisable stencil and collage style that he is famous for.

From the rest of the world, the exhibition will showcase works by the infamous Los Angeles based Mr Brainwash, moniker of Paris-born Thierry Guetta who became famous thanks to Banksy’s film ‘Exit Through The Gift Shop’ and who was introduced to the London public in the summer of 2012 when he took over the Old Sorting Office to present his large-scale installations, murals and stencils largely inspired by the iconic pop culture imagery.

Canada will be represented by painter André Monet, who blends collage of old newspapers and books, and paints portraits over this specially-made background. The traits of his characters are recreated with such precision that one might see a realistic photography arising from a distance. This new technique reveals the strengths and weaknesses of individuals appearing on the canvases.

In the mixed media category, the Italian sculptor Marco Lodola, who participated in the Venice Biennale several times in the past, will illuminate the exhibition with a neon and aluminium sculpture depicting David Bowie as Aladdin – the alter ego hero of his sixth album ‘Aladdin Sane’.

Joe Black, the London genius who describes himself as an ‘image-maker’ rather than an artist, features in the exhibition as well. Famous for his portraits made out of toy soldiers, badges, Lego and other small mundane objects, he will present a portrait of David Bowie entirely made with painted test tubes, proving once again that his ingenuity and resourcefulness are endless when it comes to depicting figures that inspire or have inspired him.

Finally, the most famous Scottish contemporary sculptor, the Royal Academician David Mach, who works with postcards, coat hangers, match-heads and pin-heads to create monumental installations, sculptures and collages, will create a new piece for the purpose of this exhibition, and to render homage to one of the most beloved singers and musicians of our times.

Jean-David Malat is director of the international Opera Gallery group; operagallery.com

David Bowie Is, V&A 23 March to 11 August 2013
The many faces of David Bowie, Opera Gallery London 20 June to 31 August 2013. After London the exhibtion will tour in Opera Gallery venues in Hong Kong, Singapore and Seoul.