Head’s up NYC! It’s Art Book Fair Weekend!

Maybe you’ve noticed too, but in the last year or so, it seems there was a noticeable shift in the way people use Facebook. Suddenly my more exhibitionist friends stopped posting updates of every move they made, and the ones who had always been more social networking reticent started posting more regularly. The sudden lack of status updates like “Just fed the cat, sitting down with the newspaper.” was at first an incredible relief, and then incredibly illuminating. No one was typing that anymore because no one was doing it anymore, and that was partly because Facebook itself had turned into a news and human interest Reader’s Digest of sorts, compiled and edited by our online friends. Why kill a tree when all the stories you need to stay up to speed with your friend-circle are right there on your screen?

So, yesterday, when one of my Facebook friends made a contribution to the Daily Digest of a photo of John Waters with the quote caption, “We need to make books cool again. If you go home with somebody and they dont’ have books, don’t **** them”, I had to smile. If you’re in agreement about the fast-disappearing tactile experience of holding a book, if you love smelling the ink, feeling the quality of the paper on the edge of your thumb, or the irreplaceable suspense of turning a page to discover who-knows-what, oh, AND YOU’RE IN NEW YORK CITY THIS WEEKEND, head straight to the NY Art Book Fair at MoMA PS1 between today and Sunday October 2nd.

Apart from 200 exhibitors of contemporary art catalogs, monographs and art periodicals, this year introduces an outdoor tent of 60 zinesters to the mix of international presses, booksellers, antiquarian dealers, artists and independent publishers that make up the NY Art Book Fair. This year also includes special projects, screenings, book signings, and performances, details of all of which can be found on their website. One not to miss is e-Flux’s presentation of Liam Gillick and W.A.G.E. launching the new e-Flux reader Are You Working Too Much? Post-Fordism, Precarity, and the Labor of Art with special readings October 1st and 12noon.

Just as irreplaceable as the feeling of physically holding a beautifully made book, make White Line Hotels edit The Greenwich Hotel your place in NYC.

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all photos http://nyartbookfair.com/

A good time to be young, creative and talented

Nurturing talent is clearly where it’s at. Not sure about you, but recently I’ve been coming across an increasing number of platforms and showcases that are solely and entirely dedicated to the young, their talent and the development and support thereof. This phenomenon appears to be spreading at a particularly fast rate within the creative sector, from fashion to furniture, from interiors to graphics – so if you’re young, creative and good, the conditions are excellent and your chances of getting exactly the right support in order to emerge successfully as a contender on the international design scene, couldn’t really be better. Cue design spotlight on Vienna from the 14th to the 16th October – where young creativity is pooled big-time within the superbly appointed blickfang international design fair.

The blickfang concept was launched a few years ago and has since established itself quite firmly as one of the most important international design events. It stands out from other design trade fairs as it welcomes not only trade visitors but also the general public; visitors are invited to explore new design resources, be inspired and also purchase directly from this new generation of carefully selected designers. So far blickfang venues have included Stuttgart, Basel, Vienna and Zurich – from 2012 the map broadens with the addition of new venues in Hamburg and Kopenhagen. Visit www.blickfang.com for updates and the latest on forthcoming dates and venues.

Next month’s blickfang sees the start of a curatorship by Stefan Diez, Munich-based interior designer, and his wife Saskia Diez, award-winning jewellery designer. As Curators of the Year, the renowned couple will lend their guidance and support to all four blickfang events over a period of one year, offering advice and answering questions on creativity and design at each event in Stuttgart, Basel, Vienna and Zurich.

Underlining the “nurture and promote” concept, the Vienna event will feature regular blickfang highlights such as:
blickfang design award – where a winning product is nominated and subsequently featured for several months at the prestigious MAK (Austrian Museum of Contemporary and Applied Arts) Design Shop
blickfang selected – five specially selected young designers are given the opportunity to exhibit free of charge and present their products to the general public and trade visitors
blickfang promotes – young design graduates, industry novices and innovators who would not usually have the possibility to exhibit at such an event, are given the opportunity to present their products and concepts through the support of the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture.

See you in Vienna!

Another spot in Vienna where creativity is pooled big-time? White Line Hotels edit The Hollmann Beletage, of course!

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Contributing writer: Stefanie Soar

Photos courtesy blickfang

BEYOND DAILY STRUGGLE

Not “beyond” in the sense of “way more than”, but rather in “stepping past” — and when the words following that “beyond” are “daily struggle”, you can be beyond happy in the former sense that this time it’s meant in the latter — White Line Hotels edit Hotel Miramonte is offering an inviting series of retreats this September to help you break out of the box of your daily routine for a freer and happier life. They’re coming up fast, but even if you can’t run away on such short notice this time, be sure to check in with their special offers again soon; you just know their next offers will be every bit as exciting.

From the 16th until the 18th BEYOND DAILY STRUGGLE – TRANSFORM STRESS INTO VIGOR offers practical exercises and lifestyle coaching for a more stress free and happier life for everyday life led by Leela Isani and Frank Weckesser of the SELF Empowerment Company, who have specialized in wellness and lifestyle retreats. Outside of group sessions, a special cook will provide for the physical welfare under the motto “Soul food”, and plenty of personal time allows the chance to take a treatment at the Aveda Spa. Where could be better than isolated mountain beauty of Bad Gastein to withdraw in order to renew?

The week after, from the 22nd to the 25th, YOGA MEDITATION AYURVEDA will teach beginners as well as more experienced practitioners methods and techniques that can easily flow back into your everyday life. Guided yoga programmes in the morning and evening (90 min.) are complemented by outdoor walks, and of course the incredible food and views you can expect anytime from Hotel Miramonte. Experience how to be in balance, increase your vitality without pressure, stress reduction through mindfulness, to be in contact with inner joy.

Don’t forget to feel the exhilaration of standing at the base of the Gastein Waterfall, and if you’re lucky maybe you’ll get to test your inner peace by meeting with an Alpine cow.

Wine and MADness in Copenhagen!

If you happen to be in Copenhagen at the end of August, make sure to come hungry and don’t forget to bring your taste buds!

For the seventh time Scandanavia’s largest annual food festival Copenhagen Cooking is taking place in Denmark’s capital city from August 19^th to 28^th. With more than 80 events the streets of Copenhagen’s Frederiksberg district will be dominated by street food stands, farmer’s markets, wine tastings offering all different kinds of delicacies.

The festival starts off with the Copenhagen Wine Forum, a three day wine tasting for which the Forum Copenhagen, a huge venue that can hold up to 10.000 people, gets transformed into the biggest Scandinavian wine shop. There you will be able to sample wine and gourmet delicacies, both offered at favorable prices.

One of the festival’s most popular events is Taste Of Copenhagen where the cities’ best restaurants offer special menus at bargain prices throughout the week. Among the featured restaurants this year will be many Michelin starred restaurants such as NOMA, recently awarded World’s Best Restaurant for the second year in a row. You may want to make a reservation for that…

In a part of ‘Kødbyen’, Copenhagen’s rejuvenated meatpacking district, up to 40 top Nordic restaurants will be participating in a competition to win the gastronomic prize ‘The Nordic Fork’. For visitors to the festival, this means lots of samples of each entrants’ fantastic local produce and traditional Danish dishes on the 27^th and 28^th of August. The competitors will be accompanied by a huge market offering all kinds of Nordic twists on specialties such as coffee, wine, cocktails, ice cream and chocolate.

During the same weekend MAD Foodcamp, a new festival will be held for the first time, ‘MAD’ is Danish for ‘food’, but the founders, NOMA headchef and co-owner René Redzepi and entrepreneur Claus Meyer, have already claimed, that “there will be more than a bit of craziness involved” as well. Their aim is to celebrate food in all its richness and possible facets. Visitors will get the chance to meet international chefs and talk to local farmers, be offered workshops, watch grazing livestock, and buy fresh high quality produce from the large fruit and vegetable market.

From Refshaleøen, the site of MAD Foodcamp, it is only a pleasant ten-minute bike ride and a short – free – boat ride to get back to White Line Hotels insider tip Avenue Hotel, where you get to rest and relax after a long day of food MADness.

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Contributing writer: Julia Schröder

Images courtesy Copenhagen Cooking and MAD Foodcamp

Fashion Night Out

If you’re in Copenhagen this evening — Friday August 5th — there’s only one place to be, and that’s Fashion Night Out. No invitations for Fashion Week? No problem. Get a taste of the VIP treatment as many of Copenhagen’s stores open their doors for sneak peaks of the upcoming collections accompanied by free drinks, fashion shows with popular DJs, special offers and goodie bags. After 6pm the party really starts as Kronprinsensgade, the epicentre of Copenhagen’s fashion area, turns into one big street-garden party.

Whether you’re an industry insider, or just love your clothes, round out your Copenhagen Fashion Week at White Line Hotels edit Avenue Hotel. Their fashion week pop up restaurant Avenue Kitchen will keep you going and Avenue Fashion High Tea is sure to be a welcome relaxation.