Friday, July 22, 2011

HKP & ALON



I have just started a partnership with an organization started by two good friends, Anna Hazlett and Anne-Marie Bakker called ALON. These two women are absolutely incredible and an inspiration.

The word “ALON” has different origins and different meanings which connect to the organizations philosophy. Alon means, “WAVE” in Tagalog, Filipino. In Hebrew: Oak, Oak Tree. Strong; In Gaelic: Fierce; In Basque: Lion; In Celtic: Wise. In Irish: Hero. In Arabic: To announce. ALON intends to partner international art, culture and lifestyle concerns with GLOBAL environmental causes, primarily focusing on water.

I think this is an AMAZING start to developing an international community of like minded people from all over the world with a shared vision of environmental sustainability

We hosted a lovely cocktail party recently on our terrace for many of the leaders of ALON, from Jan-Pieter Balkenede (former Prime Minister of the Netherlands 2002-2010), to a renown pianist who had a solo concert after our party at Carnegie Hall, with proceeds going to ALON. We are also involved with Richard Mander who is working to create the Mangenguey island society that sounds simply fantastic!

Mangenguey is a membership Society founded on creativity and the spirit of internationalism. Through the Arts and the Humanities Richard plans to create a sustainable, vibrant, and active society that puts a premium on respect for self and people of different races, cultures, and classes by building on our similarities while celebrating our differences. The aim is to prove that it is possible to achieve the proper distribution of wealth and sustain a self-sufficient society, without abusing nature, while honoring the human spirit, the creative force, and human dignity.

We just this week did a reception in Singapore at Singapore International Water Week and had an exhibition of some great images from our HKP holdings of water, which was done to raise awareness on critical and time sensitive issues of the state of our water throughout the world. It is not that we do not have enough water, it is that we do not have enough CLEAN usable water! Attendees included advisors to the World Bank, UNESCO and Governments in Asia & the Middle East

We will be planning a major international photography exhibition, a portfolio and a book project all dedicated to the theme of Water.

We will keep you posted!






Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Wooster Street Social Club




One of the more extremely interesting hybrid art + life spaces is New York City in Wooster Street Social Club. From the reality series LA Ink and Miami Ink, star Ami James and film producer Charlie Corwin set up an open-to-the-public tattoo shop, art gallery, and event space also has under round-the-clock filming. The former 4600 square foot Christian Science church in Soho is doing tattoos and art events. “I think of the show as a performance-art piece in the gallery,” says Corwin.

This weekend they opened a show by the street political and social artist activist Shepard Fairey. In the last year Fairey initiated a community mural project that encouraged New York youth to create art: The A Positive Thought Cannot Be Denied --8×4 murals designed by the youth of the Citykids Foundation.
The completed murals and limited editions can be seen (and are sold) at the Social Club .
My daughter Kat is working there and we bought a few of the limited edition prints for $150! Tattoos for both of us come next week.
This reminds me of Soho when I worked here in the 1970s + 80s and it is a very refreshing antidote to the couture boutiques.
43 Wooster St (between Broome and Grand Sts) Soho
(646) 545-3300woostersocial.com

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Almost July





and just back from a 4 week art trip to London Paris Basel Zurich Cap d'Antibes Nice Dublin.

One of the best sights was the newly redone Negresco Hotel with its gleaming facade makes the Promenade des Anglais stand out in its Belle Epoque grandeur.

Here is the great Negresco as captured by Massimo Vitali (one of my favorite Vitalis in my collection), with my own recent snapshot.

My other favorite is the DOMAINE LA DILECTA, one of the most grand houses on the Cote d'Azur, that is the best of 1920s French architecture (and I was fortunate enough to stay).

Inspired by the French Riviera here is my new favorite image by Massimo Vitali!