April 2, 2023: Emma Nelson is joined by Enrico Franceschini, Vincent McAviney in Zürich and Tyler Brûlé in Tokyo.
Sunday Morning: Stories From London And Zürich
Monthly Archives: April 2023
Art Exhibitions: ‘HILMA AF KLINT & PIET MONDRIAN – FORMS OF LIFE’ At The Tate
Although they never met, af Klint and Mondrian both invented their own languages of abstract art rooted in nature. At the heart of both of their artistic journeys was a shared desire to understand the forces behind life on earth.
HILMA AF KLINT & PIET MONDRIANFORMS OF LIFE
20 APRIL – 3 SEPTEMBER 2023
Best known for his abstract work, Mondrian in fact began his career – like af Klint – as a landscape painter. Alongside Mondrian’s iconic grids, you will see the rarely exhibited paintings of flowers he continued to create throughout his life. Also on display will be enigmatic works by af Klint in which natural forms become a pathway to abstraction.
Both artists shared an interest in new ideas in spirituality, scientific discovery and philosophy. Af Klint was also a medium, and this exhibition showcases the large-scale, otherworldly masterpieces she believed were commissioned by higher powers.
Travel: A Walking Tour Of Hội An In Central Vietnam
Front Page: The New York Times – April 2, 2023
How Alvin Bragg Resurrected the Case Against Donald Trump
A year ago, the investigation into the former president appeared from the outside to be over. But a series of crucial turning points led to this week’s indictment.
Venice Is Saved! Woe Is Venice.
After centuries of flooding, Venice has at long last raised seawalls to save itself from high water.
China Draws Lessons From Russia’s Losses in Ukraine, and Its Gains
With an eye on a possible conflict over Taiwan, analysts have scrutinized the war for insights ranging from the importance of supply lines to the power of nuclear threats.
A Chicago Mayoral Hopeful Who Took on Hard-to-Fix Schools Faces a Political Shift
Paul Vallas has long been a supporter of charter schools. He is running against Brandon Johnson, an ex-teacher with a different approach.
The Arctic Circle: China’s Emerging ‘Polar Silk Road’
But what are China’s plans for the region? In 2013, the “Yong Sheng” made history: It was the first Chinese cargo ship to reach Europe via the Arctic. This promising route, which Beijing soon dubbed the “Polar Silk Road,” made the “Yong Sheng” a symbol of Chinese ambitions in the far north. Increasingly self-confident, China is now expanding its sphere of influence bit by bit in the Arctic – a place of high geopolitical significance.
The country’s influence is spreading, with projects that include investments in gas resources in the Russian Arctic on the Yamal Peninsula. In January 2018, China initiated the “Polar Silk Road” project. Now, the country is pursuing a rapprochement with Iceland and Norway through businessmen. China maintains a research station on Spitsbergen and has even started to define itself publicly as a country “close to the Arctic” – a status from which China hopes to derive new rights.
The Arctic seems a long way from Beijing. But Chinese president Xi Jinping has understood how important this region is. China’s need for resources is driving Xi Jinping to negotiate with the major Arctic powers, who largely view him with suspicion. The new geopolitics of the Arctic are playing out not only in world capitals and in the media, but also on the ground: Emissaries, entrepreneurs, and mediators are traveling to the strategic region.
This group includes Chinese nationals as well as Norwegians, Icelanders, Swedes and Americans. China is expanding. After “Chinafrica,” will we now also speak of “Chinarctica”? China, it is said, has time on its side. And in the meantime it is openly dreaming of superpower status. The Americans are worried, the Europeans are hesitant and the Russians are eager for investments. But what are China’s real goals?
New Art Exhibitions: ‘Juan de Pareja, Afro-Hispanic Painter’, The New York Met
Largely known today as the subject of The Met’s iconic portrait by Diego Velázquez, Pareja—who was born in Antequera, Spain—was enslaved in Velázquez’s studio for over two decades before becoming an artist in his own right. This presentation is the first to tell his story and examine the ways in which enslaved artisanal labor and a multiracial society are inextricably linked with the art and material culture of Spain’s “Golden Age.”
Diego Velázquez’s portrait of Juan de Pareja (ca. 1608–1670) has long been a landmark of European art, but this provocative study focuses on its subject: an enslaved man who went on to build his own successful career as an artist. This catalogue—the first scholarly monograph on Pareja— discusses the painter’s ties to the Madrid School of the 1660s and revises our understanding of artistic production during Spain’s Golden Age, with a focus on enslaved artists and artisans.
The authors illuminate the highly skilled labor within Seville’s multiracial society; the role of Black saints and confraternities in the promotion of Catholicism among enslaved populations; and early twentieth-century scholar Arturo Schomburg’s project to recover Pareja’s legacy.
The book also includes the first illustrated and annotated list of known works attributed to Pareja. Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press
World Economic Forum: Top Stories- April 1, 2023
0:15 What happened in the Credit Suisse takeover – The Swiss government has brokered an emergency takeover of Credit Suisse by rival bank UBS. Experts are calling it the ‘most dramatic moment in global banking’ since the 2008 crisis. The deal was worth $3.2 billion, that’s 6% less than what Credit Suisse was worth last Friday and wiped out $17 billion in additional tier 1(AT1) bonds. So what are AT1 bonds? AT1 bonds were created after the 2008 financial crisis when the banking industry became more regulated. They are a type of hybrid debt issued by banks. AT1 bonds can offer high returns. Watch to learn more about how the AT1 bonds were related to the Credit Suisse crisis.
1:48 The world’s lightest paint – It was inspired by butterflies’ wings. It’s so light that you could coat a Boeing 747 with just 1.5 kg of paint, rather than the 500 kg of paint typically used. Its inventors say it’s light enough to make cars and planes more energy-efficient. It absorbs less heat than standard paint and keeps underlying surfaces up to 16˚C cooler. So it could help us cut down on energy used for air conditioning
3:05 Belgium’s Artificial Energy Island – Belgium is building a new island in the North Sea to transform offshore wind energy. Princess Elisabeth Island will be 45km off the coast and will serve as a hub for the Princess Elisabeth Zone, a planned 3.5GW offshore wind farm. This artificial wind energy island will be 6 hectares in size, equivalent to around 12 football pitches. It will collect all the electricity generated by turbines, then send it to the mainland through undersea cables. The artificial wind energy island will also host interconnectors from the UK and Denmark, which will, in turn, connect to other North Sea wind farms. Construction is set to begin next year, and the island is due to be fully operational by 2030. Watch to learn more about Belgium’s artificial wind energy island.
4:11 Switzerland’s Solar Railway – Start-up Sun-Ways has collaborated with the Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne for a pilot project testing the panels on a section of rail near Buttes in Western Switzerland. If rolled out to the country’s entire 5,000km rail network they could supply 2% of Switzerland’s electricity. Sun-Ways believes 50% of the world’s railways could be equipped with its system.
_____________________________________________
The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.
Travel Guides: The 15 Most Visited Places In Germany
- 1. Cologne Cathedral
- 2. Elbphilharmonie Hamburg
- 3. Museum Island Berlin
- 4. Topography of Terror Berlin
- 5. Zollverein Coal Mine Essen
- 6. Humboldt Forum Berlin
- 7. Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg
- 8. St. Michaelis Hamburg
- 9. Deutsches Museum Munich
- 10. Frauenkirche Dresden
- 11. Fernsehturm Berlin
- 12. Berlin Wall Memorial
- 13. Natural History Museum Berlin
- 14. Heidelberg Castle
- 15. Neuschwanstein Castle
Architecture: Hepburn’s Road House, New Zealand
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Ultimate Country Home 01:08 – A Symmetrical Home 01:27 – Using Durable Materials 01:52 – An Anecdote to a Town House 02:11 – The transition Between Inside and Outside 02:29 – The Theme of Longevity 02:55 – An Honest and Tailored Approach to Detailing 04:01 – Meeting the Needs of Entertaining 04:18 – Proud Moments 04:35 – Favourite Aspects of the Home 04:45 – Elegant Spaces of Good Proportions
Using a range of trees, orchards, a tennis court and walls, the architects slowly reveal the country home, creating an air of suspense as nothing is immediately available upon arrival. With its symmetrical layout, the home begins with a long gallery at the front entrance with bedrooms on either side and a large living space that is placed behind. To deal with a tough site and the New Zealand climate, Warren and Mahoney employed materials that directly respond to these challenges while also providing durability. Such materials used include concrete, timber weatherboard, profiled metal roof and cladding, timber shutters and flooring, and stone.
Designed to be an antidote to the townhouse, the employed materials of the country home also respond to the difference between the types of homes and, in turn, the difference between city and country living. As such, the approach towards relaxation, level of formality and materials used allows the country home to become a place that the owners can find shelter and freedom. Used to break down the transition between inside and outside, moving timber shutters are placed over the operable glass doors and walls to help create versatile uses for the spaces.
Additionally, the themes of longevity, proportions, symmetry, and the juxtaposition between the interiors and the exterior façade, helped to lead the design choices by Detail by Davinia Sutton. Embracing New Zealand design throughout the build, with an honest and tailored approach, the interior designer offers a sincere tactic delivered with a contained palette. Seen through the bedrooms, the calming palette is a union of travertine stone alongside honed and soft finishes that add a wholeness to the private spaces. Addressing the needs and requirements of the home’s landscape, the interior design incorporates elements that answer these needs directly.
Experienced within the laundry, the room has been turned into a mud room that allows the owners to freshen up before entering the home. Furthermore, extra storage has been introduced with appliances such as a wine fridge and cool and dry fridges, which offer a prolonged ability to store produce. Finished with Fisher & Paykel appliances, the country home integrates a refined ease of living for the owners and responds to their love for entertaining. Deepening the connection and celebration of landscape and entertainment, Warren and Mahoney’s work seamlessly unites with Detail by Davinia Sutton’s interior design so that the owners can easily transition from inside to outside living.
Tours: Hassan II Mosque In Casablanca, Morocco (4K)
Video timeline: 0:00 Minaret & Outside 0:50 Prayer hall 4:39 Minaret & Outside
This mosque was completed in 1993 and was named after the previous king of Morocco, King Hassan II (1929-1999). As the largest mosque in Morocco, it has the capacity to allow 105,000 worshippers to gather together for prayer. Among those, 25,000 people can gather inside the interior of the mosque, while the remaining 80,000 can gather in the mosque’s outer courtyard.
The mosque’s 210m high minaret and was designed by French architect Michel Pinseau. There is a laser installed at the top of the minaret which directs its light towards Mecca.
Boomers Daily 