Liu Bolin, The Invisible Man

There are many ways to protest, as many as there are reasons to do it for. This has been a particularly hot topic in the wake of the recent riots in London, where scattered amongst deplorable and arguably self-defeating acts of violence and vandalism, one consistent sentiment was beamed out of the city via the international press: we are now visible. For many, feeling invisible is among the worst of the spectrum of human emotions, and probably for the volume of negative emotions it incorporates: powerlessness, worthlessness, disenfranchisement, and so on. Considering the amount of destruction and violence that has taken place – not exclusive to the recent events in the UK – for the sake of feeling visible, why would anyone chose then, of their own accord, to become invisible?

One part magic eye puzzle, one part Where’s Waldo (albeit somewhat easier but with a darker background story), Chinese Artist Liu Bolin’s Hiding in the City series only needs to be seen quickly before the viewer will understand why he’s called “The Invisible Man”. The series started in 2005, when the Chinese government ordered the demolition of Beijing International Art Camp (BIAC), also known as Suojiacun Artists’ Village, which housed several studios, including Liu Bolin’s. In response, Curator Zhang Zhaohui organized the exhibition Demolish! Demolish! Demolish!. For his contribution, Liu Bolin painted himself to camouflage with the rubble of the building. That’s right, these images are not the product of Photoshop or any other form of photographic manipulation; they are the artist hand painted into the scene.

Liu Bolin maintains that his art is a protest against the actions of the Chinese government, who is known for censoring their artists. In a way it is very literal; the government tells you, more or less, to become invisible and you become, more or less, invisible. In another way, it is not so straightforward. In the family tree of protest strategies, his methods may be most closely related to the sit-in, but the visual pun of taking away his own voice hollers as loud as a rally.

Check out Liu Bolin at Fotografiska in Stockholm until September 11^th. If you’re looking for somewhere to disappear into in the city, White Line Hotels Stockholm edit Nobis Hotel, Hotel J, and Hotel Skeppsholmen provide all the backdrops you need.

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Photos www.fotografiska.eu

Work in Progress Photos: www.spiegel.de

Stiftelsen Kokkonst and elBulli Foundation: Considering the Art of Eating at Stockholm’s Moderna Museet

Some say a passion for food is synonymous to a passion for living, and it’s not hard to understand why. If you take a second to remove the basic survival relationship from the equation, the act of eating is a daily opportunity to excite every one of the senses. A meal doesn’t just satisfy hunger, or even the taste buds; done right, a meal is a visual delight and an olfactory experience, the texture of the food thrills the tongue, and a good crunch, snap, or the clang of silverware against a plate or glasses mid-toast brings the ear into the total-sensory event of sitting down to eat. If you think about it, even a simple meal is a gesamtkunstwerk.

Even then, and undoubtedly because it is part of our daily routine, the art of food is often overlooked. This is exactly why the world needs people like world famous chef Ferran Adrià, head chef at elBulli, to remind the rest of us that artistry and innovation is as important on our plates as on the walls of our museums. Despite millions queuing for tables at elBulli, Adrià is closing it forever as a restaurant on July 31^st, only to reopen again in 2014 as elBulli Foundation, an organization entirely dedicated to innovation.

To introduce the concept of elBulli foundation and kick off the new Stiftelsen Kokkonst – a Swedish initiative on innovation through food with the objective of creating a long-term platform in Sweden for the international discourse on innovation, food and art – Stockholm’s Moderna Museet is presenting a unique event. Open to the public, the event will feature a discussion between Ferran Adrià and Vicente Todoli, the former Director of Tate Modern, as well as with artists Carsten Höller, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Elaine Tin Nyo and Tobias Rehberger and the writer Bill Buford. It will be moderated by Moderna Museet’s director Daniel Birnbaum and curator and initiator of Stiftelsen kokkonst Jan Åman. The talk will be followed by an exclusive preview screening of the film “Documenting Documenta”, featuring Ferran Adrià and the artist Richard Hamilton.

Sure to be inspiring, don’t miss the talk on June 27^th at 16.00 followed by the film screening at 18.00. It will take place in Moderna Museet’s auditorium and will be accessible from the sea side of the museum. If you want to reserve your seat, send an email to ferranadria@stiftelsenkokkonst.se.

Continue your journey of inspiration at Nobis Hotel, Hotel Skeppsholmen and Hotel J, White Line Hotels’ edit in Stockholm.

Image courtesy www.stiftelsenkokkonst.se/

Dine like Swedish Royalty

Cities like Stockholm don’t need a reason to be visited. Summer begins when cherry trees are in bloom and cafés and restaurants are (finally!) putting their furniture outside, and it only gets better from there. Locals flood the parks for mid-summer’s eve on the 21^st of June to celebrate the unbelievable 20+ hours of daylight. It’s not uncommon to take a dip in the water after a long day of work, and there are plenty of exhibitions to keep pass the hours, although vintage shopping in Östermalm can be just as inspiring.

Boat rides, soaking up the sun, and the light tastes of the season are a big part of the Stockholm summer experience. Operakällaren in Stockholm’s Royal Opera House will treat epicureans to a royal culinary experience by recreating the regional and seasonal menu of Crown Princess Victoria’s wedding. Operakällaren the caterer for dinners and banquets in the Royal castle since 1961, along with head chef Stefano Catenacci created the menu. Although Chef Catenacci and Operakällaren create award-winning menus year after year, they’ve got 5 red couvert symbols in the Michelin Guide, the cuisine and wine pairings speaks for themselves.

The menu starts with west coast Langoustine tail, served with truffle caviar, lemon marinated cod in flowers with cucumber jelly and cold green pea soup. Following dishes include “Landö” char, Swedish fillet of veal, and strawberry mousse, making your taste buds sing with delight.

Keep your cultural exploration going by staying at White Line Hotels edit Hotel J Nacka Strand. Guests and critics rave about the ambience, it’s currently a nominee for Sweden’s Leading Boutique Hotel, and was named one of the hot 100 Best Hotels in Europe by the Sunday Times, no small achievements.

Photo by: Joel Wåreus

POWER HAS A FRAGRANCE

In 2008 Lisa Kirk launched her art-perfume Revolution, which included smoke, gasoline, tear gas, burnt rubber, and decaying flesh among its notes. This past January the news broke that Lady Gaga will finally be releasing her first signature scent in 2012, reportedly based around the aromas of blood and semen. It would seem that our olfactory sophistication has reached some sort of pinnacle, conceptually, but at the least we can say that those who’ve said that a fragrance like Robert Piguet’s Bandit is hard to wear had no idea what was coming. So, until Lisa Kirk releases Power as a follow up to Revolution, or maybe Lady Gaga surprises us by taking that title for her own, for now we can still speak poetically about the fragrance of power rather than Power: the Fragrance.

If you’re looking for somewhere to have that conversation while you still can, look no further than Stockholm’s Bonniers konsthall where this year’s guest artist, Norwegian Gardar Eide Einarsson, reminds us that the sense of smell is a powerful aphrodisiac, and power itself, as they say, is the greatest of all. Using everyday and sub-cultural symbols, Einarsson juxtaposes authority, power, and rebellion in the very reduced visual language of black and white. The lack of color unsettles, especially on familiar objects, and this creates the atmosphere that permeates the exhibition space. With this tension in the air you might just be tempted to raise a fist and cry out for revolution, but in any case, if you bought Lisa Kirk’s perfume, this is certainly the occasion to give it a spritz.

Until June 12th at Bonniers konsthall, Torsgatan 19, Stockholm. Opening hours: Wednesday through Friday 12noon – 7pm, Saturday and Sunday 11 am – 5 pm.

Need a place you won’t be crying out for revolution at? Check out the Nobis Hotel, our place picked out by the White Line Hotels crew in easy reach of Bonniers konsthall.

All images courtesy Bonniers konsthall.

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Categories: Stockholm, Art

Contributing writer: Melissa Frost

We love Sweden too!

We all have those countries that feel like they embrace us whenever we visit. Whether it’s the friendly chatter of strangers, the taste of the local, or the difference in the way the sun seems to shine, they are places that feel both foreign and like coming home. Parisian Valerie Toumayan feels this way about Sweden and is on a journey to capture the music of the city that has touched her.

Her film “Sounds of Sweden” captures the music and musicians she loves. The settings are casual and local, taken on rooftops overlooking the city, in green forests, and neighbourhood streets. Toumayan says she discovered each artist through the others and realized she should capture them where they live. This comes across wonderfully in the film, it has the feeling of a private concert, especially in comparison to videos of “intimate” music performances with an audience of hundreds. At the moment, many of the artists are the direction of folk, but her goal is to film a much broader spectrum and to take some time to explore the Scandinavian rock, electro and jazz scenes.

You can sense Toumayan’s love for the city and it’s music. It shines through so brilliantly that it takes me back to my own favourite city away from home. White Line Hotels edit Hotel Skeppsholmen knows something about creating a home away from home. It’s easy walking distance to everything or if you want to go further abroad, hop on one of their bikes for a few hours. It’s likely that you’ll recognize some of the sights in “Sounds of Sweden.”

Listen and love the entire video : www.ilovesweden.net

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Categories: Nacka Strand, Stockholm, Culture

Contributing writer: Alicia Reuter