Relax for two minutes

We stumbled upon this video at the ever excellent Lost At E Minor today and it made us all very relaxed.  There is nothing quite like watching someone draw (maybe Chris Piascik could become the Bob Ross of Gen-Y).  If you don’t find yourself relaxed at the end of this, then you really , really need a holiday.

Put your feet up for a minute, take a break from your iPhone and maybe even draw some inspiration from this short video.

Jenny Holzer in Basel

American artist Jenny Holzer (b. 1950) is one of the most significant artists of our time. She has held exhibitions and presented art projects worldwide and won many awards, including the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale (1990).

Fondation Beyeler is presenting her first large exhibition in a Swiss museum until 24 January 2010. Incorporating texts she has written since the late 1970s, the show comprises important objects from various phases of Holzer’s career since the 1980s. The focus is on recent works, some of which have never before been shown in Europe.

On view are paintings and sculptures, as well as her famous LED installations, containing compelling combinations of overwhelming visual effects and memorable texts of a poetic, socio-critical, and political nature. The presentation is supplemented by a selection of works the artist has chosen from the Beyeler Collection (A. Giacometti, P. Picasso, K. Malevich, and F. Bacon). In addition to the museum space, the exhibition also extends outdoors to the public domain. Spectacular light projections on key buildings and sites in Basel, Baselland, and Zurich will be on view on special nights.

Conceived in close cooperation with the artist and the MCA, Chicago, the exhibition was curated by Elizabeth A.T. Smith and Philippe Büttner.

If you are planning a visit, the Krafft Hotel in Basel is a great base from which to see the exhibition from.

Luchs 11 Restaurant

In October 2009, after several months of renovation work, the new “LUCHS restaurant and bar” opened at the Lux11 design hotel in Berlin’s Mitte district. The “LUCHS“ is managed by Hilke Saul and Matthias Peschke, who for almost ten years have been running the popular “Restaurant Schoenbrunn“ in Volkspark Friedrichshain, and Christian Khalaf, former head chef at Berlin’s infamous “Schwarze Rabe“ restaurant.

The cuisine is Italian with a hint of “South Tyrol“ but is not crossover, Christian Khalaf is keen to emphasise. Khalaf cooks exclusively with premium-quality fresh products sourced from a range of small Italian suppliers, and attaches great importance to the preservation of vitamins in his cooking, also avoiding the unnecessary use of fats such as butter and cream. Sumptuous delights on offer include fresh pasta with creative fillings such as home-made ravioli filled with venison, plums and ricotta on red wine sauce or shrimp-stuffed guinea fowl supreme on port wine sauce with Romanesco broccolli and white bean and rosemary purée. Classics such as vitello tonnato and buffalo mozzarrella also have a place on the menu.

The restaurant serves a buffet breakfast, quick, delicious meals during the day and a select menu in the evenings with a changing daily special and Italian hors d-oeuvres served from the antipasti bar.

Designed by architects Efe Erenler and Paul Bauer, LUCHS’ clear forms with warm darker tones, such as the grey seat cushions, wooden floor and indirect lighting, ensure a contemporary snugness. Guests should feel at ease and be able to wind down after a hard day’s work or chat in an upmarket yet unpretentious environment.

The spacious LUCHS bar, with well-known DJ Clé behind the counter, offers the ideal setting in which to savour a drink, regardless of whether you intend to eat in the restaurant. A sophisticated cocktail list, featuring classics, new variations and house creations such as the “Rhubarb Girl“ with rhubarb pulp, get your evening off on the right foot.

LUCHS is situated in the Lux 11 hotel in Berlin’s Mitte district.  More info on LUCHS can (or will be available when the temporary site is replaced) be found on their own site. Details on Lux 11, including contact information, can be found over here.

KUNST 09 ZÜRICH

This visitor-friendly fair with its 80 galleries mixes a selection of high quality art from top Swiss galleries together with exhibits from international galleries reflecting the global world of contemporary visual arts.

As well as cutting edge art the fair also focuses on contemporary classics and modern art.

The ZKB Art Award Hall showcases the most important representatives of today’s young Swiss gallery scene.

Over the last 15 years, KUNST ZÜRICH has become a hot spot for international art. The fair has grown into an important meeting point for collectors, gallerists, curators, artists and art-lovers. During it’s four day run, more than 20 000 visitors will transform the impressive former factory buildings of the ABB Halls into a vibrant art centre.

For tickets and info, visit the KUNST 09 ZÜRICH official site. Your recommended home for your visit to Zürich is the Greulich Hotel.

Win a unique Stockholm experience

White Line Hotels, the Hotel Skeppsholmen and Byredo Parfums – three likeminded souls who believe in the spirit of personality invite you to create your future memory of Stockholm.

Tell us in 18 words what your future trip to Stockholm would consist of HERE. The future memory that touches our soul the most wins:

- a two-night weekend stay at the new Hotel Skeppsholmen (including breakfast)
- a personal consultancy session in Byredo’s first boutique and Byredo gifts for you and a friend.

Don’t be shy.