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Monaco’s Song Qi Restaurant – Curating Food as Art
Song Qi is a gourmet Chinese restaurant in Monaco. The establishment is well-known for its intimate surrounding. The decor is a great example between modernity, luxury and timelessness. Much have been written about Alan Yau’s restaurant (Michelin-starred chef of Hakkasan fame) Song Qi since it opened its door in Monaco back in 2014. Yes, it is true that the establishment was named one of the best 17th restaurant in the world by Casa Vogue Brasil. Yes, it’s also true that the scrumptious Chinese gourmet food found at Song Qi is unique in the sense that it is the first of its kind to be opened in the principality.
Song Qi is the brainchild of two of the world’s top restaurateurs: Alan Yau and Riccardo Giraudi. But little has been said (until now) about how their elevated cuisine is able to transform Asian flavors, and Mediterranean products into edible works of art.
Alan Yau and Riccardo Giraudi’s artful collaboration brought to Monte-Carlo the only offer that had not yet been created: a luxurious Chinese gourmet restaurant with quality cuisine. 
Song Qi was named one of the 17th best restaurant in the world by Casa Vogue Brasil.
Song Qi’s signature dishes, include their famous whole Peking duck, with homemade pancakes, cucumber and spring onion. That particular dish requires 45 minutes of preparation. 
Gastronomy paradise: Once can relish in the superbly presented dishes at Michelin-star chef Alan Yau’s restaurant Song Qi. 
Homemade Dim Sum, jasmine tea smoked pork ribs, mango crispy beef fillet, honey roasted char sui pork, crispy dragon shrimps are all in the menu at Song Qi. 
Part of the experience of dining at this restaurant (besides savoring their delicate artful dishes), is their glamorous surrounding. The decor, sleek and luxurious, reflects the spirit of Shanghai’s golden age of the 1930’s. -
Eastern Treasures from Asia Week New York
Asia Week New York: More IS More
Asia Week New York, the yearly 10-day annual event where collectors, museum curators, designers, scholars, and art addicts, get to hunt down art treasures such as paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs, bronzes, ceramics, jewelry, jade, even textiles, from all over Asia, officially started on March 9th and will continue until the 18. There is an expected open house weekend on Saturday and Sunday, March 11 – 12, 2017. Due to its growing popularity, this year, the organization opened its doors to the largest number of privately curated exhibitions from a total of 50 galleries – all featuring antiquity and contemporary treasures.
Asia Week New York will offer a non stop schedule of gallery open houses, auctions at Bonhams, Christie’s, Doyle, iGavel, and Sotheby’s. There will be lectures, symposium and special events. For more information on this now iconic New York event, visit www.asiaweekny.com.
R.M. Chait Galleries 
Kaikodo LLC 
Intersections between Classical Elements, and Contemporary Asian art 
Indian Paintings and Early Photography 1600 – 1880 
Joan Mirviss celebrating 40 years as a fine art Japanese dealer 
Joan Mirviss Gallery 
Dr. Robert R. Bigler 
Phoenix Ancient Art 
Background: A large aquatic scroll painting, ink on paper, signed Guo Fu. Probably 19th Century 
Details of a large aquatic scroll painting, ink on paper, signed Guo Fu. Probably 19th Century. Michael C. Hughes 
Sleep Dancers from the Western Han Dynasty (2nd-1st B.C) from Kaikodo gallery 
A silver-inlaid bronze tripod censer and cover, signed Shishou & dated 1426. Ming/Qing Dynasty, 15th/17th century. Robert Hall at Michael C. Hughes 
A large cinnabar lacquer circular box and cover. Jiaqing (1796 – 1820) 
Kapoor Galleries 
Joan Mirviss Gallery 
Lu Shoukun Zen Lotus, 1974. Ink on Paper 
The 6th Annual Japan Week 2017 celebrating Japanese culture, travel and technology. 
Opening ceremony of the 6th annual Japan Week at the Vanderbilt Hall Grand Central Terminal 
During Asia Week NY, The Japanese Tourism Office held their annual event by including a zen garden landscape design at the Grand Central Station in New York 
Figure of an elderly Buddhist at Phoenix Ancient Art during Asia Week NY In addition, there is a number of cultural events, and performances all over Manhattan. Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) held their 6th Annual Japan Week 2017 celebrating Japanese culture, travel and technology. The show is taking place at the Vanderbilt Hall at the Grand Central Terminal (89 E 42nd St., New York, NY 10017).
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Young Collectors Night at The Winter Antiques Show
Young collector Aurelia Denmark Text and Photos by Rose Hartman
More than 800 young and stylish guests filled the Park Avenue Armory for Young Collectors Night at the venerable Winter Antiques Show, in-between admiring (and buying) the highest quality antiques and modern designs from Regency to 20th century works (including extraordinary jewelry) no wonder that this event is a must on anyone’s social calendar.
Sophie Coryndon “Gold Writing” at Todd Merrill Studio 
Georgia Vlahakis 
Sargent’s Mrs. Huth Jackson 
Ex-model, NY Real Estate Broker Dovanna Pagowski 
Elle Shushan miniature portraits 
Award-winning architect Alison Spear 
Photo via Todd Merrill Studio 
Jean Shafiroff, American philanthropist, author and socialite at the La Vieille Russie booth 
Giacomo Brunelli (Italy, b. 1977) “Churchill” – Eternal London. Peter Fetterman Gallery 
From The Winter Antiques Show: A young collector admiring an exceptional piece of Americana from Aldrich Rockefeller. 
An outstanding example of Americana Art at The 2017 Winter Antiques Show 
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Hong Kong’s Most Stylish Hotel Gets An Upgrade
The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong Apartment Suite designed by award-winning architect Joyce Wang Unlike the overly photoshopped interiors splashed across those shelter magazines (which we all love, right?), the images of The Landmark Oriental Hong Kong actually live up to the hype. The luxury hotel, known for its sophisticated, comfortable and spacious living areas, recently unveiled the first of two new suites designed by Hong Kong famed architect, Joyce Wang. Ms. Wang’s ‘Apartment Suite’ is truly a home-away-from-home located on the hotel’s top floor.
A second super-entertainment suite will be the hotel’s largest, and is scheduled for completion in mid-2017 The suite’s stylish entrance leads to an open plan living area filled with furnishings custom-designed in a palette of gold, caramel and royal blue, and with natural wood floors. Specially commissioned artworks complete the subtle yet luxurious experience.
The living room suite designed by international “nomad” architect, Joyce Wang 
“The Apartment Suite is the perfect accommodation for style-conscious travellers who can enjoy all the comforts of a home-away-from-home in the heart of vibrant Hong Kong,” says Torsten van Dullemen, the hotel’s General Manager.
Designed to impress, the dining space of The Landmark Oriental Hong Kong is equipped with a chic cocktail bar and pantry for showcasing gourmet treats. Giving the dining area its wow factor is a bespoke perforated brass chandelier paired with a 6-seat crackled gesso-finish dining table that imitates the natural beauty of bark. -
Top Picks from The New York Ceramics & Glass Fair
Top Picks from The New York Ceramics & Glass Fair
The 2017 New York Ceramics and Glass Fair kicks off the art season at The Bohemian National Hall with a dazzling array of bottles, beakers, jewelry, jars, vases, and glass from 28 top-tier vetted participants from England, Europe, and the United States. Starting Thursday, January 19 through Sunday, the 22nd, a vast number of collectors, curators and design aficionados are set to experience a multitude of ceramics and a “profusion of other beautiful but fragile things that span 500 years—from 16th-century Venice, Italy, to 21st-century Venice, California.”
Kaplan Worcester frill vases, circa 1768 
Cliff Lee, Triple Dragon 2016 
Fenichell R.Jolley, Scent Bottle 
Michael Boroniec Spirals Vases 
“Sting Ray Embola” by Carrie Gustafson 
Lacoste Warren MacKenzie, Drop Bowl with Iron Marks Deep into its 18th anniversary, the New York Ceramics & Glass Fair is the only exposition of its sort in the United States, bringing together the best of the best in glass, ceramics, pottery, and enamel.
Here are a few memorable highlights from the show: A Lisa Battle Sculpture, headed by a sculptress based in Rockville, Maryland. Like all of Battle’s hand-built sculptural pieces, “the artwork explores organic form and line, mimicking the curvilinear grace of natural objects. Standing almost two feet tall, the piece was fired in a noborigama wood kiln in 2011.” The ceramics and glass fair will also focus on thirty-three-year-old Michael Boroniec, an artist who resides and creates in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Michael started making art at a youngster, and had since gravitated to ceramics because it was a medium that celebrated the oldest material known to man: the earth itself.
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Top Picks from The Winter Antiques Show
From January 20 to the 29th, The Winter Antiques Show will celebrate its 63rd year anniversary as America’s leading art, antiques and design fair, and we will be at The Park Avenue Armory to salute them. The fair will feature an array of fine art photography from Dennis Stock’s unforgettable portrait of Audrey Hepburn during the filming of Sabrina. The Tambaran Gallery will preview an impressive fang figure from Africa. There will also be a loan exhibition which will highlight a spectacular blanket chest of Johannes Spiltler from Virginia. This year, the prestigious antique show will feature over 70 distinguish experts in fine and decorative arts from around the world. All net proceeds from the fair will benefit the East Side House Settlement, a nationally recognized community-based organization in South Bronx.
To purchase tickets for the Opening Night Party on January 19, 2017, or Young Collectors Night on January 26, 2017.
Melvin Sokolsky, After Delvaux. France. c. 1963. Archival Pigment print. – Peter Fetterman Gallery. 
Fang figure, Unknown. Africa. Wood. – Tambaran Gallery. 
Kei Studio-Built Bronze Table Light. Alexandre Logé. France. c. 2014. Bronze. – Donzella. 
Georgia O’Keeffe, Abstraction. United States. c. 1945. White cast epoxy. – Gerald Peters Gallery. 
An 18th Century Italian Walnut Armchair. Unknown. Italy. c. 1750. Walnut. – Cove Landing. 
Audrey Hepburn during the filming of “Sabrina” by Billy Wilder. Dennis Stock. United States. c. 1954. Gelatin Silver print. – Peter Fetterman Gallery. The 2017 loan exhibition, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum: Revolution & Evolution, honors the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum (AARFAM), one of the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. The exhibition salutes the museum, which is the oldest continuously operating institution in the United States dedicated solely to the collection, exhibition and preservation of American folk art, commemorating its 60th anniversary in 2017.
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Ai Weiwei’s Platform at The Armory Show
Per Kirkeby This coming spring (March 2017), The Armory Show will début Platform, a new, curated exhibitor section that stages large-scale artworks, installations and site-specific commissions across Piers 92 & 94. The inaugural edition of Platform, entitled An Incident and curated by Eric Shiner, encompasses twelve artworks by internationally acclaimed artists from a range of generational perspectives.
Participating artists include: Abel Barroso, Patricia Cronin, Douglas Coupland, Olga de Amaral, Dorian Gaudin, Jun Kaneko, Per Kirkeby, Yayoi Kusama, Iván Navarro, Fiete Stolte, Lawrence Weiner and Ai Weiwei.
Participating artists and galleries: Abel Barroso (b. 1971 in Pinar del Rio, Cuba) | Pan American Art Projects, Miami. Patricia Cronin (b. 1963 in Beverly, Massachusetts). Douglas Coupland (b. 1961 in CFB Baden–Soellingen, Germany) | Daniel Faria Gallery, Toronto. Olga de Amaral (b. 1932 in Bogotá, Colombia) | Galerie Agnès Monplaisir, Paris. Dorian Gaudin (b. 1986 in Paris, France) | DITTRICH & SCHLECHTRIEM, Berlin / Nathalie Karg Gallery, New York, Jun Kaneko (b. 1942 in Nagoya, Japan) | Edward Cella Art & Architecture, Los Angeles. Per Kirkeby (b. 1938 in Copenhagen, Denmark) and Lawrence Weiner (b. 1942 in The Bronx, New York) | GALLERI SUSANNE OTTESEN, Copenhagen. Yayoi Kusama (b. 1929 in Matsumoto, Japan) | Victoria Miro, London. Iván Navarro (b. 1972 in Santiago, Chile) | Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York. Fiete Stolte (b. 1979 in Berlin, Germany) | albertz benda, New York. Ai Weiwei (b. 1957 in Beijing, China) | Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki.
Ai Weiwei “With my selection of artists, I endeavor to present a series of incidents that start to change our relationship with the art fair—a series of happenings, interactive works, objects and images that make the viewer take pause, think, refresh, smile, and remember that art, by its very nature, is meant to provoke, incite and challenge,” says Eric Shiner. “It is my hope that the artists and works included in An Incident will bring a new energy to the art fair model, encouraging visitors to share in the moment, and to enjoy the phenomenal offerings in vendors’ booths with gusto.”
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The NEW Gold Standard for The Home
Ashton Woods’ Oxford Foyer: “From the moment you walk into the foyer of the Oxford model, you are greeted with luxurious details which express classic elegance,” said Dwayne Hill, President of the Ashton Woods Atlanta Division. “With rich wood ceilings and coffered beams, the interior design is as breathtaking as it is accommodating.” The Gold Standard
The award season is in full swing – both in the entertainment, and design industry. On Wednesday, January 11th, at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando, Florida, Ashton Woods, one of the nation’s largest private homebuilders, took home six Gold and five Silver Awards at The Nationals ceremony. The National Association of Home Builders recognizes Ashton Woods with eleven total awards for its innovation in home design.
Award winning Atlanta Studio bathroom by Ashton Woods Ashton Woods received the high honor of the Gold Award by The National Association of Home Builders in the category of Best Design Center for The Studio by Ashton Woods in Atlanta. The Studio is a space where homeowners collaborate with Ashton Woods’ professional design team to share the vision and inspiration that will make their homes unique and special.
The Oxford Family Room: The Ashton Woods Hanover model home at Amberly Estates in Raleigh, North Carolina took home Gold for Best Interior Merchandising of a Model 3,501 to 4,000 square feet. The Hanover model features traditional details with clean, elegant furniture to capture transitional aesthetics. 
The Atlanta Studio Living Room “We are honored to receive recognition for The Studio by Ashton Woods in Atlanta,” said Leigh Spicher, Director of Design Studios at Ashton Woods. “The Studio is a beautifully illuminated space where design-forward products are displayed like art. You won’t find the typical design center “noise” and clutter in this open and comfortable space where homebuyers can explore the personalized touches that transform a house into a home.”
The Oxford Model Kitchen: In the category of Best Interior Merchandising of a Model 2,000 to 2,499 square feet, the Chestnut model home in Limehouse Village in Charleston, South Carolina won the Gold Award from The National Association of Home Builders. 
Ashton Woods Takes Home Gold at The Nationals 2017 for their Atlanta Studio Kitchen -
Art & Beauty Celebrated – For A Good Cause
Jeff Koons, Marie-Monique Steckel at the Trophée des Arts Awards. The Plaza Hotel, NYC. October 28, 2016 While accepting the 2016 Trophée des Arts award at The Plaza hotel on Friday, October 28, the famed artist Jeff Koons noted “Growing up, I needed to have support and a place to learn about art … where I made things out of popsicle sticks or I would draw – and that came from their programs.” Koons of course was referring to FIAF’s programs. For him, art is a way to connect people in society and therefore needs to be accessible to everyone, which is one of the top priorities of The French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF). He continues “When you are able to educate children through the arts, it connects them to all the humanities; it allows them to accept themselves as human beings; and once you accept yourself, you can go out into the world and you can accept other people. That really is what the journey of art is.”
“I always wanted to relate to the avant-garde.” – American artist Jeff Koons
at The Trophée des Arts 2016 Awards
Jeff KOONS, LArry GAGOSIAN 
Marie-Monique STECKEL 
Anne FONTAINE at Trophée des Arts 2016 Awards on October 28, 2016 at The Plaza Hotel 
Chrissie ERPF, Larry GAGOSIAN 
Olivia WALTON 
Virginie MORGON 
Nathalie SANN attending the Trophée des Arts 2016 at The Plaza Hotel 
Jean-Paul AGON, Sophie AGON, Justine KOONS, Jeff KOONS, Marie-Monique STECKEL 
As soon as he stood on the stage, Christie’s Adrien Meyer, (Senior Vice President, International Director of Impressionist & Modern Art at Christie’s), showed a magnum of Cheval Blanc and asked, ‘Anyone interested at $100?’ In the historic New York Plaza Hotel ballroom, hands rose in the air, so did the price. 
Jean-Paul Agon and Ron Agam 
Martine and Prosper ASSOULINE “This year’s Trophée des Arts and Pilier d’Or recipients are pioneers and adventurers,” explained FIAF President Marie-Monique Steckel. “There is no doubt that each of them is a leader in beauty and exploration. Jeff Koons has reinvented contemporary art and created a conversation about new forms and ways to express artistic creation; Jean-Paul Agon has spent his career traveling the world for L’Oréal and exploring new expressions of beauty.”
As soon as he stood on the stage, Christie’s Adrien Meyer (Senior Vice President, International Director of Impressionist & Modern Art at Christie’s), showed a magnum of Cheval Blanc and asked, ‘Anyone interested at $100?’ In the historic New York Plaza Hotel ballroom, hands rose in the air, so did the price. Christie’s Adrien Meyer, auctioned off a magnum of Cheval Blanc (the wine ultimately went to the higher bidder – Larry Gaggosian). The bottle of wine set the atmosphere to raise record-breaking funds to support classes, programs and cultural exchange at France’s premier cultural destination in New York City, it was the Jeff Koons’ artworks in the live auction that created an unexpected artistic dialogue. One of the pieces was a Bernardaud vase (actually one of only two vases that Koons has made along with the Puppy) adapted from the Split Rocker sculpture he created in 2000 at the Palais des Papes in Avignon, France, originally made with 90,000 flowers. “Eventually, President Jacques Chirac made me a member of the Legion of Honor through the Split Rocker,” Koons recalled.
The first person who congratulated Koons for his Trophée des Arts award during the Gala was the other honoree of the evening, L’Oréal Chairman and CEO Jean-Paul Agon: “Congratulations, Jeff, because ‘You’re Worth it’.”
Like Koons, Agon emphasized the need for “creative cultural ties” and the importance of “cross-cultural dialogue and understanding,” two concepts that he has focused on as the leader of the number one beauty company in the world. Acknowledging “the stellar work,” Steckel and her team at FIAF have done to strengthen the cultural values shared by France and America, Agon added, “Beauty is multicultural, just like art is.”
Photo credit Amber De Vos (www.adevosphoto.com)
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Visual artist Jeff Koons to be honored with the 2016 Trophée des Arts
Visual artist Jeff Koons The French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) is set to honor American visual artist Jeff Koons with the 2016 Trophée des Arts at The Plaza hotel on Friday, October 28, 2016. That same evening, the FIAF will also pay tribute to L’Oréal Chairman & CEO Jean-Paul Agon by awarding him with the 2016 Pilier d’Or.
Since his first solo exhibition in 1980, Jeff Koons has been recognized as one of the most prominent artists working today. Since then, the world-famous artist has long contributed to the cultural life in France. He presented his extraordinary floral public sculpture, Split-Rocker, for the first time at the Palais des Papes, in Avignon. The famed artist subsequently had a notable solo exhibition in the gardens of the Château de Versailles, which opened its doors to a living artist for the first time, in 2008. A recent exhibition, Jeff Koons: A Retrospective was presented to great fanfare in 2015 at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.
BREAKING: The French Institute Alliance Française confirmed that visual artist Jeff Koons will be honored with the 2016 Trophée des Arts at The Plaza Hotel on Friday, October 28, 2016. “This year’s honorees are pioneers and adventurers,” explains FIAF President Marie-Monique Steckel. “There is no doubt that each honoree is a leader in beauty and exploration. Jeff Koons has reinvented contemporary art and created a conversation about new forms and ways to express artistic creation; Jean-Paul Agon has spent his career traveling the world for L’Oréal and exploring new expressions of beauty.”
The annual FIAF Trophée des Arts gala evening will raise funds to support FIAF’s educational and cultural programs and is co-chaired by Larry Gagosian, Kenneth M. Jacobs, William & Clémence Von Mueffling and Robert & Elisabeth G. Wilmers.
Created in 1992, the Trophée des Arts distinguishes artists who shows FIAF‘s mission of French-American friendship and cross-cultural exchange. It has been bestowed upon French and American artists and cultural icons, including: François Cluzet, Alain Ducasse, Jacques Grange, Marc Jacobs, James Ivory, Angélique Kidjo, Philippe de Montebello, Charlie Rose, Robert Wilson, and most recently Françoise Gilot.
