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CONTEMPORARY ART AND LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2020
ArtistRelief.org
SUPPORTING CREATIVES IN THE TIME OF COVID-19
REMO RUFFINI - ETIENNE RUSSO - IBRAHIM MAHAMA -
STUDIO KO - ADAM SILVERMAN - AMY SHERALD -
HUMBERTO CAMPANA
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800.929.DIOR (3467)
D I O R .CO M
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THE LETTER Courtesy of Studio KO.
FROM THE EDITOR
This spring, as we started to work on our annual Impact Issue, the world woke up to the reality of
the COVID-19 pandemic. In the U.S. and in many other countries, we were asked to stay home—a
privilege for those of us who were able to work remotely, including myself.
Millions soon found themselves without jobs, the money to pay rent, to feed their own
families. Essential workers and healthcare providers were not well-equipped with the proper PPE,
risking their own lives to help others. In the art world, it’s resulted in canceled fairs, postponed shows,
furloughed jobs, and a lack of resources for creatives. It’s been nearly three months and, while some
cities are opening back up, the future remains foggy.
While we put together this issue, we spoke with artists and designers in real time, checking
in on how they were doing amid great uncertainty. We covered new initiatives like Artist Relief,
a coalition of several arts organizations that quickly put together a fund to aid those affected by
the impact of COVID-19. We saw brands like Louis Vuitton, Prada, Moncler, Hermès, Pyer Moss,
Christian Siriano, and so many more step up by donating and making hand sanitizer, masks, PPE, etc.
Here in the U.S., the response to the health crisis was bungled again and again at the federal
level. States were left to fend for themselves. Some rose to the task, others not so much. Lack of testing,
medical supplies, and clear information is still a problem. And Black and Brown communities have
been hit the hardest, exposing deep racial inequity in health and healthcare.
And then in late May, George Floyd was killed by the police in Minneapolis. Protests that
began there spread to major cities across the U.S., then to the suburbs and rural towns, and ultimately
to the rest of the world. As we go to print, protests are still taking place, fighting for justice, an end to
police brutality, and in honor of Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and the too
many others killed before them.
At Whitewall, we stand with the protesters in the U.S. and around the world. We support
Black Lives Matter. As individuals and as a company, we believe in racial equality, dismantling
systemic racism, and ending violence at the hands of the police.
In the immediate moment, we asked ourselves how, as an independent publication, we could
contribute to social justice causes and resources for those suffering from the effects of the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic. We started by offering complimentary print and digital ad space to leading
organizations, like Feeding America, No Kid Hungry, Artist Relief, ILYSM, the NAACP, Equal
Justice Initiative, and The Bail Project. We will continue that initiative in future print issues, as well as
on our digital platform, Whitewall.art.
The art, design, fashion, and luxury worlds are historically exclusive. We will not be. We will
use Whitewall and all of its media to elevate the voices of BIPOC, queer and trans artists, designers,
makers, and creative leaders. We are committed to representation in not only who we feature in our
pages and on our cover, but in our contributors in word and image, future hires, and advisory board.
In these pages, you’ll find interviews with Ibrahim Mahama about using his creative capital
to establish a cultural institution for his community in Tamale, Ghana; Counterspace Studio about
designing an inclusive, modular, malleable Serpentine Pavilion; Lily Kwong about a plant-based,
homegrown revolution; Remo Ruffini and Etienne Russo about giving back to Milan; Amy Sherald
800.929.Dior (3467)
about capturing extraordinary Americans; Adam Silverman about finding common ground; and
Karyn Olivier about what it means to make a monument at a time when the U.S. is grappling with its
dark history—and as this issue goes to print, the problematic Frank Rizzo statue has been taken down
in Philadelphia and Virginia’s governor has vowed to remove its statue of Robert E. Lee.
Although our conversation with Olivier took place in February, her work and the questions
she asks are wildly pertinent in this moment. She told us about the memorial she’s making for Dinah,
a once-enslaved woman credited with saving the historic landmark Stenton House in Philadelphia
during the Revolutionary War. The words that will be inscribed on that memorial are a great place to
start.
One is from Alice Walker: “Healing begins where the wound was made.”
The other is from Lorraine Hansberry: “Never be afraid to sit a while and think.”
Katy Donoghue
EDITOR IN CHIEF
ROSE DES VENTS
AND ROSE CÉLESTE COLLECTIONS
Yellow gold, pink gold, diamonds, mother-of-pearl and onyx.
Dior.com
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THE LETTER Courtesy of Studio KO.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
First, allow us to wish you and your loved ones health and safety in this unique time. With no
knowledge of when or if we will see a return to “normal” in 2020, we chose to focus our summer
Impact Issue on creatives and corporations that have shown particular will to help the frontline
workers as well as those mostly deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are honored to be partnering with Artist Relief to shed light on the amazing initiative
they’ve put together to help artists in the U.S. get funding in this time of hardship.
This commitment to positive initiatives is also embodied in our outreach to numerous
nonprofits to give them what we have to offer—visibility via complimentary ad pages, as well as
specific content interviewing the people behind those vital resources.
This is a unique moment in our lives, and we believe that together we can overcome all
hardships.
We look forward to what is next and how we will be able to contribute even more in
making the post-pandemic world a better one. Our Impact Issue is therefore also focusing on key
environmental initiatives, as well as social endeavors, in an effort toward a more responsible,
prosperous future.
Wishing you all health and safety and a pleasant summer, if possible and allowed!
Michael Klug & Laurent Moïsi
FOUNDER, PUBLISHER, EDITOR AT LARGE
COO, ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
WHITEWALL 12 WHITEWALL 13
COVER IMAGES:
AMY SHERALD
20
AMY SHERALD, IF YOU SURRENDER TO THE AIR YOU COULD RIDE IT, 2019, OIL ON LINEN,
130 X 108 X 2.5 INCHES, PHOTO JOSEPH HYDE, COURTESY OF THE ARTIST.
ARTIST RELIEF
COURTESY OF ARTIST RELIEF.
NEWS REMO RUFFINI
HOW BRANDS AND ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE
WORLD RESPONDED TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
COURTESY OF MONCLER.
WITH RESOURCES AND RELIEF.
ETIENNE RUSSO
PHOTO BY BROCK ELBANK.
26 REVIEW
DIOR PLANTS FOR THE FUTURE, “NIRIN,”
“NO SPACE, JUST A PLACE. ETEROTOPIA.”
34 PROFILES
JEAN-MARIE MASSAUD, PAULA MARINCOLA, VICTORIA YAKUSHA,
MAURO COLAGRECO, SAMIR BANTAL, ROBIN FROHARDT,
VANESSA YUAN AND JORIS VANBRIEL.
44 TO WATCH
JUSTIN BRICE GUARIGLIA, KAJSA MELCHIOR. To support artists during the
COVID-19 crisis, a coalition
of national arts grantmakers
have come together to create
an emergency initiative to offer
financial and informational
resources to artists across the
48
United States.
ATELIER VISIT
SUNSET IN A BOTTLE, HERMÈS BEAUTY.
56 FOCUS
NOPOR STUART, MOSHE SAFDIE, KARYN OLIVIER,
LANCE HOSEY, COUNTERSPACE, LILY KWONG.
68 CHECKING IN
WE HEAR FROM ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS ABOUT HOW THEY
COPED AND CREATED WHILE STAYING AT HOME THIS SPRING.
SUBSCRIBE AT WHITEWALL.ART
WHITEWALL 14 WHITEWALL 15
74 ARTIST RELIEF
ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE U.S. COME TOGETHER
TO OFFER IMMEDIATE RELIEF FOR ARTISTS IMPACTED BY THE
EFFECTS OF COVID-19.
78 STUDIO KO
THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN FIRM, WHICH EMBRACES
NATURE IN MATERIAL AND ETHOS, CELEBRATES 20 YEARS.
84 ADAM SILVERMAN
THE LOS ANGELES–BASED ARTIST HAS PUT OUT A
NATIONWIDE CALL TO FIND COMMON GROUND.
90 REMO RUFFINI & ETIENNE RUSSO
IN CONVERSATION ON COLLABORATING FOR MONCLER TO CHANGE
THE EXPERIENCE OF FASHION.
100 AMY SHERALD
THE ARTIST SEEKS OUT EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE TO SIT FOR
PORTRAITS, CAPTURING AMERICANNESS AT ITS BEST.
Freedom should be free.
106 IBRAHIM MAHAMA
THE ARTIST SPEAKS WITH US FROM ACCRA ABOUT COLLECTING,
COLLAGE, AND COMMUNITY.
112
a nonprofit organization designed to combat mass incarceration by
HUMBERTO CAMPANA disrupting the money bail system – one person at a time.
THE BRAZILIAN DESIGNER DISCUSSES
THE WONDER OF WANDERING.
WHITEWALL 16
SUBSCRIBE AT WHITEWALL.ART
bailproject.org/donate
WHITEWALL 17
FOUNDER, CEO, EDITOR AT LARGE
Michael Klug – michael@whitewall.art
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Katy Donoghue – katy@whitewall.art
COO, ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER, EDITOR AT LARGE
Laurent Moïsi – laurent@whitewall.art
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
marion guggenheim
SENIOR EDITOR
Eliza JordaN – eliza@whitewall.art
WHITEWALL FACTORY CO-FOUNDER
THOMAS MONDO
COPY EDITOR
Kristin M. Jones
WORDS
Katy Donoghue - Pearl Fontaine - Allison Jeffries - Eliza Jordan - Kaya Payseno - Taylor Rose -
Julian Thurtell - Elizabeth Williamson - Sarah Young
IMAGES
Mike Allen - Steve Benisty
ADVISORS
RENAUD DUTREIL, PATRICE KLUG, THOMAS MONDO, ALESSIO SCALABRINI, STUART SUNDLUN
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
PEARL FONTAINE
SOCIAL MEDIA INTERN
Jade Alexandre
ACCOUNTING
Mark A. Silver CPA, PC
3182 Monterey Drive - Merrick, New York 11566
MARKETING RESEARCH
MV2 Group, Paris
ACCOUNTING: accounting@whitewall.art
GENERAL INQUIRIES: info@whitewall.art
HUMAN RESOURCES: job@whitewall.art
SUBSCRIPTIONS: subscribe@whitewall.art
Whitewall Magazine is published by Sky Art Media, Inc. Michael Klug, Founder, Chairman, CEO
Sky Art Media, Inc. / Whitewall Magazine
52 Walker Street,
New York, NY 10013
www.whitewall.art
© WHITEWALL MAGAZINE. REPRODUCTION WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OF WHITEWALL IS PROHIBITED.
Whitewall does not assume any responsibility for any inaccuracy of information contained herein. Whitewall magazine contains facts, views, opinions, and statements of third parties, visitors, and other organizations. Sky Art Media,
Inc., its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries do not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any advice, opinion, statement, or other information, displayed or distributed through Whitewall magazine. You acknowledge that
any reliance upon any such advice, opinions, statement, or other information shall be at your sole risk and you agree that Sky Art Media, Inc., its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries shall not be held responsible or liable, directly or indi-
rectly, for any loss or damage caused or alleged to have been caused in any way whatsoever related to any advice, opinions, statements, or other information displayed or distributed in Whitewall magazine.
WHITEWALL 18 WHITEWALL 19FRIEDMAN BENDA FAYE TOOGOOD
515 W 26TH STREET ASSEMBLAGE 6
CONTRIBUTORS NEW YORK, NY 10001 UNLEARNING
STEVE
1 212 239 8700 SEPTEMBER 10 - OCTOBER 10, 2020
www.friedmanbenda.com
BENISTY
Steve Benisty was born and raised in Antwerp, Belgium. After
moving to Paris and London to study theater, Benisty ultimately
settled in New York’s Lower East Side to pursue a career in film and
photography. Along the way he traveled extensively to Asia, South
America, and the Middle East, capturing landscapes and portraits
unique to each region. Benisty is a regular contributor to Whitewall.
His images of artists, collectors, and architects have been featured
in publications including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Departures,
and Marie Claire. He has also directed video commercials for
Zegna, David Webb, Elie Tahari, St. John, and Cirque du Soleil.
When not traveling on assignment, he can usually be found at
a dog run with Beau, Skye, and his daughters, Leila and Eden.
KAYA
PAYSENO
Kaya Payseno is a Berlin-based art critic and a
regular contributor to Whitewall and Kink Magazine.
As a writer, she explores the intersection of art and
identity—from the propaganda of nation-states to acts
of radical self-love. Originally from Seattle, she has an
affinity for rainy days and strong coffee. More of her
writing can be found at kayapayseno.com, including
fiction works. In regard to her story for this issue, she
would like to recognize the artists of the 2020 Sydney
Biennale for their profound work in uncertain times.
MIKE
ALLEN
Michael Allen is an L.A.–based portrait photographer,
interior designer, and abstract painter. He lives for
clean light, medium format film, poppy colors, and
texture. For Whitewall’s summer 2020 Impact Issue,
Allen photographed Humberto Campana in Los Angeles.
WHITEWALL 20 WHITEWALL 21NEWS
DON’T HAVE
ENOUGH MONEY
TO STOCK UP ON
1.
FOOD. WE ONLY
HAVE MONEY
2.
4.
5. FOR GROCERIES
FOR THE NEXT
TWO DAYS.
Elsa, Texas
6.
HELP
FOOD BANKS
3. FEED FAMILIES
A GLOBAL RESPONSE IN NEED.
1. Canali’s nonprofit Fondazione Canali Onlus gave €200,000 to San Gerardo Hospital in Monza, Italy.
7. DONATE AT
FEEDINGAMERICA.ORG/CORONAVIRUS
2. Pyer Moss’s efforts included the conversion of its New York City office into a donation center for masks and gloves, a $5,000 donation for the purchase of addi-
tional PPE, and $50,000 given to small- and minority-owned businesses in financial distress as a result of COVID-19.
3. Hermès donated more than $20 million to public hospitals in Paris; contributed over 30 tons of hand sanitizer and 31,000 masks manufactured at its location in
Vaudreuil, France; and maintained employee wages by redesignating the pay increase of the house’s chairmen.
4. Ermenegildo Zegna and The Zegna Group committed a portion of production facilities in Italy and Switzerland to creating masks and protective suits, while the
Zegna family donated over €3 million to Italy’s Civil Protection organization. Additionally, Fondazione Zegna manufactured protective suits for healthcare workers in
Italy’s Piedmont region and Canton Ticino, with the help of Biella textile district and Unione Industriale Biellese.
5. Contributing two intensive care and resuscitation units to three hospitals in Milan, Prada also manufactured thousands of medical overalls and masks, photo by
Anna Catalano.
6. Vogue and the CFDA joined forces to launch A Common Thread, an initiative supporting those in the fashion community affected by the pandemic.
7. In the U.S., Louis Vuitton’s workshops were transformed to produce non-surgical face masks for donation across the country, while in France the house’s loca-
tions manufactured PPE, masks, and hospital gowns, which were given to the Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris.
WHITEWALL 22 WHITEWALL 23NEWS
FASHION
1. Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti Foundation gave over
€1 million to the COVID-19 cause, helping the newly opened Columbus
Covid 2 Hospital in Rome’s Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic.
REPURPOSED
2. LVMH rededicated its cosmetics and perfume workshops to produce
mass quantities of hydroalcoholic sanitizing gel.
3. UNTITLED, ART Fair came to the aid of artists in San Francisco,
expanding the qualifications for its Emergency Fund to include free-
lance, hourly, and wage-working artists as well as recent visual arts
graduates. (“Free Beer Tomorrow” by Wendy White, presented by
Shulamit Nazarian at UNTITLED, ART Miami Beach, photo by Silvia Ros,
courtesy of UNTITLED, ART.)
4. Ashley Longshore pledged a percentage of art sales totaling over
$150,000 to Second Harvest (Feeding America), Project Lazarus of
New Orleans, New Orleans Women & Children’s Shelter, ACLU, and
more. (Photo by James Letten.)
5. The Graff Foundation contributed $1 million to the World Health
Organization’s (WHO) COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.
6. Design brand Natuzzi manufactured surgical masks for donation at
its plant in Ginosa, Italy.
7. In addition to $1 million donated to both the WHO’s COVID-19
Solidarity Response Fund and to The New York Community Trust’s NYC
1. COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund, Tiffany & Co. matched all employee
donations made to nonprofit organizations supporting COVID-19 relief.
7.
2.
6.
5.
3.
4.
WHITEWALL 24 WHITEWALL 25NEWS
1. 2. America’s
RALLYING 4.
kids need
RESOURCES
1.Accompanying a personal donation by the Santoni family, the brand’s online
fundraising campaign—#NoiSiamoLeMarche (#WeAreMarche)—gave funds to
intensive care units in the Marche region of Italy.
2. Moncler made a €10 million donation for the construction of a hospital with
us now.
400 intensive care units.
3. Sandro’s efforts included a special T-shirt design that benefitted the Red
Cross, the production and donation of 10,000 non-medical masks, and weekly
breakfast provided for hospital workers in Madrid, Paris, London, Berlin, and
New York, photo by Frank Oudeman.
4. Fashion and art collaborative ILYSM launched #ILYSM4ARTISTS, which aids
creatives impacted by the COVID-19 shutdowns with weekly grants of $500.
5. Zadig & Voltaire’s U.S. site donated a percentage of sales to the American
Red Cross, while its French retailers pledged 20 percent of all sales to Paris’s
Foundation of Hospitals.
6. Manufacturing masks and medical overalls with parent company Kering,
Gucci gave over $2 million in donations to the Italian Civil Protection Department
(Protezione Civile) and the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity
Response Fund, and also contributed to four major foundation hospitals in Italy. 3.
6.
1 in 4 children in the U.S. could face hunger this year because
of the coronavirus.
No Kid Hungry is working with school districts, lawmakers and
community groups nationwide to help feed these kids during this
crisis and in the recovery to come. But we need your help.
Donate now at NoKidHungry.org
5.
WHITEWALL 26 WHITEWALL 27REVIEWS
Dior’s Spring/Summer 2020 show, photo by © Hannah Reyes Morales, courtesy of Dior. Photo by © Sophie Carre, courtesy of Dior.
DIOR PLANTS FOR THE FUTURE must. Must we think,” a phrase borrowed from the 2014 book Women
Who Make a Fuss: The Unfaithful Daughters of Virginia Woolf, by
Isabelle Stengers and Vinciane Despret. The book of essays encourages
women to pay attention to Woolf’s plea, “Think We Must”—a call to
Striking a balance between herbaria and humankind. stir conversation about injustice, arrogance, and cruelty.
With this in mind, Chiuri designed a collection around a
strong female figure, like Christian Dior’s own sister, Catherine. “After
By Eliza Jordan fighting with the French Resistance, [she] decided to earn her post-war
living selling flowers and looking after gardens, making her a clear
Last September in Paris, Dior debuted its Spring/Summer 2020 for the duration of the show was produced using generators powered by example of care for nature and conscious femininity,” she said.
collection within a sustainably constructed forest. Designed by Bureau canola oil. Photos of Catherine immersed in her family’s garden showed a
Betak, the spectacularly eerie set reflected today’s urgent conversation “Care and awareness are the key words of the concept behind passionate, independent woman comforted by nature and its changing
around climate change. Assembled by approximately a hundred people my collection. This does not end with the clothes and accessories but seasons. In the new collection, this spirit was evoked with motifs and
working every day for two weeks, it created a special atmosphere—an extends to the runway and all the images published for the collection,” embroideries of botanical species.
environmental echo that moved beyond fashion. said Chiuri. “Collaborating with Coloco to create a set that was not More contemplative than nostalgic, the collection sparked ideas
To create the forest-like environment, Dior partnered with the ephemeral, that had a future beyond that one moment, beyond the clicking about what it means to care for flora and fauna today. What balance can
urban landscape design studio Coloco. “I discovered the work of Coloco cameras and stories that share the runway with the world, fits into my be found between plant life and human life? Chiuri and Coloco created
through their meaningful piece Planetary Garden in the 2018 edition of idea that creative direction is a form of responsibility, of activism. We an “inclusive garden” for coexistence to flourish. Between the paths of
the Manifesta art biennial in Sicily. The way they transformed an abstract decided to extend the show’s life by allowing its defining concept to ‘take trees emerged a collection that preserved both nature and beauty for a
theme into concrete activism made me want to bring them on board to root’ around Paris, so that this one creative act could lead to others.” bright future.
design the environment that would house my collection,” said Dior’s The installation lives on virtually through the “Now more than ever we are conscious of the direction the planet
creative director, Maria Grazia Chiuri. “Together, we thought about what #PlantingForTheFuture hashtag, and literally throughout the Paris is heading and the importance of sustainability. We need to set ourselves
kind of action could spark a positive process through fashion and its ability region. All trees were replanted, in three different locations in Paris, and on this path—it is both a moral duty and an inescapable necessity. I think
to speak to the world. I wanted to make a statement, to challenge the the physical materials used for the set were entirely recuperated for reuse it is essential for the fashion industry to take responsibility for putting
ephemeral nature of the runway by turning it essentially into responsible, by La Réserve des arts. sustainability at the core of the creation, production, and distribution
positive action for the planet, and thus the #PlantingForTheFuture project “Here at Dior, the notion of sustainability is addressed from processes. I always like seeing demonstrations and actions—as well as
was born.” several angles—but for us, above all, it means support, solidarity, and the people who make them possible—that are able to take a situation
One hundred and seventy trees were purchased from plant collaboration. This, for me, stays firmly at the forefront of my mind gone wrong and offer real, concrete solutions for change. This is why
nurseries and resurrected; 4,000 meters of brackets held the construction and the design process, because it helps me understand the present and, I think environmental activism, just like the fight for equality, is a
together; 4,500 square meters of fabric made up the audience’s seats; and particularly, how I can lead a positive, future-facing movement,” said powerful tool to draw attention to what is not working and take the first
over 2,200 square meters of wooden planks were used for the facade and Chiuri. steps to improvement,” said Chiuri.
bleachers. Even the lighting was highly considered—all electricity used The collection notes for Spring/Summer 2020 read, “Think we Maria Grazia Chiuri and Coloco, photo by © Hannah Reyes Morales, courtesy of Dior.
WHITEWALL 28 WHITEWALL 29ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM,
JUST LIKE THE FIGHT FOR
“
”
EQUALITY, IS A POWERFUL TOOL
Photo by ©️ Adrien Dirand, courtesy of Dior.
WHITEWALL 30 WHITEWALL 31REVIEWS
Installation view of Fátima Rodrigo Gonzales, Sabado Gigante (Gigantic Saturday), 2020, MDF, steel, acrylic sheet, enamel paint, LED, photo by Zan Wimberley, courtesy of the artist and 80m2
Livia Benavides Gallery, Lima. Installation view of Teresa Margolles, Untitled, 2020, mixed-media, photo by Zan Wimberley, courtesy of the artist and Galerie Peter Kilchmann, Zurich.
“NIRIN”
real change in our visitors, while also creating an opportunity to reflect and late land rights activist, Pitjantjatjara artist Kunmanara Williams. Can you
connect with not only our own histories, but also global issues that are urgent talk to us about the interplay of architecture and artwork in this case?
and that involve our own responsibilities to each other and the planet.
BA: Before his passing in March 2019, Mr. Williams was planning a political
WW: You’ve talked about leading the 22nd Biennale of Sydney, with a First protest piece for the Biennale of Sydney. His widow, Tuppy Ngintja Goodwin;
his lifelong friend and collaborator Sammy Dodd; and his community carried
Sydney’s biennial moves online, and imagines a different future. Nations methodology; can you talk to us about what that looks like in practice?
the project forward. His inspirational words painted on large canvases fill
BA: When we say that this Biennale is First Nations–led, it’s really about the space of the entrance court at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. In
homing in on my own Wiradjuri heritage’s perception of what art is: the entrance court, his banners open up a dialogue across the architectural
By Kaya Payseno
challenging the dominant narrative of art and seeing life and creativity space and redefine the status quo of a long-established institution like the Art
mutual respect and the diversity of expression and thoughts that empower us outside of the contained and restricted. In “NIRIN” we have artists who are Gallery of New South Wales. Mr. Williams’s powerful words and images
On March 24, the 22nd Biennale of Sydney, “NIRIN,” moved to a digital
all.” First Nations, but we also have many artists who are not; we also have artists in this space project his belief that words can effect change, and such an
platform in the wake of COVID-19—a choice that only reinforces the original
With this introduction, patrons can then enter the virtual experience who are not necessarily known as artists who are using this First Nations installation, where visitors could download an app to translate the words into
intention of the exhibition, to “push audiences to see beyond what they know,
of “NIRIN.” In the wake of COVID-19, the event has switched to a digital methodology to break boundaries and reimagine stories. For example, artists English, invites audiences to see and hear his stories in a dynamic sensory
to challenge history, to be a part of the story and to immerse themselves in
program in partnership with Google Arts and Culture. Patrons may such as Adrift Lab, who are a group of researchers, present their work on the experience. Although with the current news that the Biennale has closed its
inspiration and imagined futures.”
participate in live tours, virtual walk-throughs, podcasts, interactive Q&As, impact of plastic pollution on the oceans and its wildlife, as well as on us. public exhibitions due to COVID-19, the interplay between works will be
“NIRIN,” the title of the 22nd Biennale of Sydney, translates to
curated tours, and artist takeovers. We also have artists like Laure Prouvost from France, and her work draws available to audiences to engage with digitally soon.
“edge” in Wiradjuri, the mother language of the event’s first Indigenous
“As we move the Biennale to digital spaces,” said Andrew, “I hope on unresolved anxieties that stalk our time and ourselves. These works are
director, Brook Andrew, an artist, curator, and Oxford PhD candidate.
people will open themselves up to things that they haven’t thought about and very much aligned with the themes of “NIRIN” and support Wiradjuri WW: What is on the horizon for you?
The title asks the audience to consider perspectives that are often sidelined
empathize with the shared experiences of others.” methodologies.
and introduces a new paradigm for art biennials based on First Nations BA: The horizon always seems endless—it’s like gathering as I walk, then
methodologies. This message of solidarity felt particularly poignant. We couldn’t sharing and collaborating and some rest; it’s an often-unchartered journey
help but note that the world itself seemed on the edge as we talked with WW: You say that “artists have the opportunity to inspire and lead through
Andrew is a multimedia artist whose work challenges colonial driven by intuitive trust. Some don’t like this path or this horizon.
Andrew about the possibilities of art to transform and what we can appreciate difficult times”—can you elaborate on this with our current context?
contexts and Eurocentric approaches. He is known for his use of archival
material and bold patterns inspired by traditional Wiradjuri carvings. The from the biennial—now accessible online.. BA: “NIRIN,” which means “edge” in Wiradjuri, my mother’s language, is
entire event seems to embody the themes of Andrew’s art and is made more about offering different perspectives. The 22nd Biennale of Sydney is the first
powerful by the multitude of voices—from international artists to researchers WHITEWALL: Was there a moment or artwork that has struck you on a time we have seen such a high number of people of color, non-binary, and
and local communities. personal level during the biennial’s vernissage? queer artists come together to share stories about healing and transformation.
Click into the Biennale of Sydney website and a popup fills your These artists are seizing the opportunity to lead communities through
screen, not a notification about cookies or data protection, but a prompt BROOK ANDREW: All of the artworks in “NIRIN” resonate with me on a deep
personal level. I’m interested in themes such as transformation, healing, and difficult times. At a time like our current situation, when we are pitted against
to recognize and reflect on the event’s context. The message reads: “We adversity, it is so powerful to take time to reflect and listen to alternative ways
acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation; Boorooberongal people ways of looking at ideas of sovereignty or the decolonial. These pieces are all
salient reminders of solidarity in times of need. Art is so important at times of working together.
of the Dharug Nation; the Bidiagal and Gamaygal people, on whose ancestral
lands and waters NIRIN gathers. NIRIN is a safe place for people to honour like now, and “NIRIN” provides a space for those without a voice to incite Installation view of Hannah Catherine Jones, Owed to Diaspora(s), 2020, mixed-media,
WW: You adorned the entry court of the Biennale of Sydney with text from the photo by Zan Wimberley, courtesy of the artist.
WHITEWALL 32 WHITEWALL 33REVIEWS
Yunjung Lee, Tongue Gymnastics, 2020; exhibited by d/p, exhibition view of “No Space Just a Place,” Daelim Museum, Seoul (2020).
Cécile B. Evans, What the Heart Wants, 2016, exhibition view of “No Space Just a Place,” Daelim Museum, Seoul (2020).
WW: What has been their lasting impact on the contemporary art community dovetailed with such concerns. New York–based Moroccan artist Meriem
“NO SPACE, JUST A PLACE. ETEROTOPIA”
in Seoul today? Bennani, for example, reenacts her work Party on the CAPS, a video about
the imaginary inhabitants of CAPS, an island in the middle of the Atlantic
MBS: It seems that between the nineties and now, gentrification played an Ocean where refugees and immigrants “illegally” traversing oceans and
important role in the evolution of independent art spaces, and so does social borders are interned. All these artistic interventions playfully question the
media, which has shifted their accessibility. Geographical accessibility narrow perspectives of normative dominant discourses. The work of artist
Gucci debuts exhibition in Seoul exploring alternative artistic scenes. now isn’t the first criteria, for example, which is why the new generation of
independent spaces are not gathered in one specific area—as they are in many
Kang Seung Lee is more direct, as he challenges the narrow perspectives
propagated by biased (art) historical canons and academic institutions,
cities and as they were in the past, in “gallery districts” such as Samcheong- resisting the discursive and academic violence that has resulted in the
By Katy Donoghue Dong or Cheongdam-dong—but rather scattered through Seoul, occupying historical erasure of queer people in Korea.
residential neighborhood as well as commercial ones, sneaking inside
In mid-April, the opening of the “No Space, Just a Place. Eterotopia” exhibition independent art spaces run by artists or curators that were positioned as an markets, old shopping centers, restaurant buildings, and industrial areas. I WW: What future does the show propose for the next generation of
at the Daelim Museum in Seoul, powered by Gucci, was an early sign of alternative to the main institutional and/or market-driven art world. think the first generation opened the road for that, for an art ecosystem that’s alternative spaces for artists—in Seoul and elsewhere?
hope for the future of the art world amid a devastating global pandemic that I had the pleasure of meeting artist and curator InYoung Yeo, who more rhizomatic than centralized, both geographically and institutionally.
has temporarily shuttered art spaces around the world. Interestingly enough, became a curatorial consultant for the project and who was key in making MBS: I think “No Space, Just a Place. Eterotopia” is a celebration of the
the show, on view through July 12 and accessible online via a 360-degree me realize the importance of these structures within the local art ecosystem. WW: What kinds of freedoms and possibilities are opened up for artists when work of these entities, and I hope the exhibition will create connections,
video, is an investigation of independent exhibition spaces—some of the arts Working with these spaces allowed me to reflect on a wider, and more presenting work outside of traditional white box galleries? strengthen the artistic community around those spaces, and foster future
organizations most impacted by the effects of COVID-19. metaphorical, definition of an “alternative” or “other” space: In a moment collaborations.
Featuring presentations from Audio Visual Pavilion, Boan1942, where the perspectives on the future are slightly dark—and I would say MBS: I think presenting work outside of the proverbial white cube opens up
d/p, Hapjungjigu, OF, Post Territory Ujeongguk, space illi, Space One, even more so within the crisis that we are currently experiencing—it seems the question of how ideas are distributed, circulated, and received. It also
Tastehouse, and White Noise, the show is a collaboration between Gucci’s crucial to consider new spaces (physical and mental) for building alternative brings up the audience into the equation. Institutions tend to create an image
creative director, Alessandro Michele, and curator Myriam Ben Salah. narratives, spaces that challenge what’s deemed “normal.” of contemporary art that’s a bit alienating, because audiences feel that they’re
Whitewall checked in with Ben Salah just before the opening, to learn how not equipped to enter the gallery or the museum and to understand what’s
Seoul’s alternative art scene and vibrant community served as inspiration. WW: What role have alternative art spaces played in Seoul since the late in it. But, actually, artists have the same references as the audience. Getting
nineties? out of the museum and presenting art in other locations, to other audiences,
WHITEWALL: What was the starting point for “No Space, Just a Place. and interacting with the immediate urban environment opens up the array of
Eterotopia”? MBS: The first generation of alternative art spaces appeared in Seoul in the contemporary art and makes it more accessible while also more experimental.
late nineties with quite radical of a mission. They intended to truly subvert
MYRIAM BEN SALAH: Gucci’s creative director, Alessandro Michele, was the existing system and provide opportunities for experimentation, which the WW: You also invited a number of local and international artists to participate
eager to get to know and interact with the Korean artistic scene through an mainstream art world was lacking. They were positioned as an alternative in an immersive installation inspired by the near future. Can you tell us about
exhibition project, expanding and developing his reflections on eterotopia, to the main institutional and/or market-driven art world. Independent and the prompt and how the artists responded to it?
and so I was approached. It seemed clear to me that, as an outsider, the most alternative art spaces are historically underground venues that populate
relevant thing wouldn’t be to do something about the Korean scene, but really storefronts, lofts, warehouses, and other places abandoned by the mainstream. MBS: The five artists I invited have a practice that engages with the metaphorical
with Korean cultural producers. While researching art practitioners in Seoul They usually promote work that is politically engaged, experimental, and meaning of “alternative spaces”: They all explore either the margins of our
before my first visit there, it became clear that there was a thriving scene of more concerned with artistic debates than commercial viability. So I believe societies, or the possibilities of our near future. I chose projects that specifically Daelim Museum, Seoul, courtesy of Gucci.
WHITEWALL 34 WHITEWALL 35PROFILES
Portrait © Pierre Monetta.
JEAN-MARIE
Courtesy of Poliform.
with accessories floating over a slim and stylish platform to protect
the floor. It is a will of comfort, refinement, and elegant commodities.
MASSAUD
Seeing the home as an
WW: The multifunctional system includes a movable backrest, coffee
table functionality, side tables, shelving, drawers, et cetera. Do you
have a personal must-add function for your own living space?
JMM: During the day, I always work in horizontal position, in my
garden, or in my living area. That’s the best way to let my mind
float in empathy with the project I dream about. On the Westside
architectural landscape for Poliform. landscape, I need the movable backrest, and for my accessories—
iPad, drink, and some books—the side shelf is perfect and effortless.
By Allison Jeffries WW: How do you see design as a symbiosis between humans and
natural environment?
This year, Poliform debuted its latest sofa, Westside, designed by
JMM: Design is a holistic approach driven by the quest of a qualitative
Jean-Marie Massaud. The modular, multifunctional system allows
growth instead of a quantitative growth. It is a merger in between
for a full customizable living room configuration—ready for any
nature and culture.
situation, day or night.
People, at a human level, and our societies and environment
Massaud approached the seating area as an architectural
come to the core of our thoughts: the quest for harmony that
landscape, supportive of the home’s varying needs and living
conciliates fulfillment and responsibility. It is fair, intelligent, and
scenarios. Comfortable yet sleek, pieces can be pushed together
progressive concepts and architectures combining innovation in use,
or pulled apart to create anything from a classic corner couch to
lightness, and elegance.
a relaxing solo lounge. Elegant, understated side tables, backrests,
It is responsible and sustainable solutions—achievements
headrests, pillows, or discreet bookcases can be added with ease.
that we will love for a long time. In this understanding, if we have to
In an age when so many of us are finding ourselves home for longer
spend time and energy for something else than to live and share, it
periods of time than before, the Westside feels positively fitting for
has to make sense.
our way of life.
Whitewall spoke with Massaud about his latest collaboration
with Poliform, and learned how biomorphic expression in design can
offer responsible, sustainable solutions.
WHITEWALL: How do you envision the Westside sofa being used
within a home? How is it a reaction to our contemporary way of life?
JEAN-MARIE MASSAUD: We have different ways to use our living
room during the week, depending, for example, if we are alone on
Monday, receiving friends on Wednesday, having a party on Friday,
in front the fireplace or watching TV or sharing drinks while looking
at the view . . . Westside is born with this need to make our living
room a flexible and comfortable place to live!
It is an architectural landscape supporting different
life scenarios, from small intimate islands to de-structured and
spontaneous compositions. It can be a soft life raft, where you can
find comfort facing different (three or four) orientations in the room,
for different situations.
From a biomorphic expression, I reduced the concept to the
essential and more architectural system of big, comfortable volumes, Courtesy of Poliform.
Courtesy of Poliform.
WHITEWALL 36 WHITEWALL 37PROFILES “give them a voice” and try to integrate crafts into contemporary design
projects.
Our grandfathers knew all about natural cycles. Their lives were
closely linked to the changing seasons and fertility of the earth; they were
looking for a way to be beneficial to nature, not just exploit its resources. I
believe in a huge value and practical meaning of this knowledge for humans’
future.
In my work, I am using a lot of rare local craft techniques. We
work with clay in furniture, architecture. We study how to mix different
materials and what meaning they had to people centuries ago. For example,
clay is believed to be a healing, warming, and living material; a wool must
be processed in mountain rivers; and while weaving carpets, masters always
sing ancient songs, do not go to work when they are unhappy, because it is
believed to be transmitted into the rugs. All of these details are important
and influence my projects in design.
WW: How are you rethinking a sustainable approach in design, in terms of
closed loop production?
Karyn Olivier, The Battle is Joined, installed in Vernon Park, Philadelphia, 2017, presented as part of Portrait courtesy of Viktoriya Yakusha.
Portrait by Julia Lehman. Mural Arts Philadelphia’s Monument Lab, photo by Mike Reali.
VY: Sustainability in design is not only about the organic material, recycling,
VICTORIA
et cetera, but also about the longevity of the object at your home. We should
PAULA
We want the work that we fund not just to be about something but for carefully choose materials and furniture pieces for our homes, because our
somebody, so thinking about audiences is really important to us in funding surroundings make a great impact on our health and well-being.
these projects. Who is this work for? How are you going to reach them? I think that people should radically change the way they pick
What kinds of meaningful interactions do you really want to have with your furniture. They need to choose them as “companions” by similar values and
YAKUSHA
viewers? principles, with a long-life perspective. Not just to buy another “cool” eco-
MARINCOLA
sofa and 3-D printed chair, but think of them as part of your home for many,
WW: What’s a recent example of a successful project that really captured the many years. Will they still serve you and bring you joy in 20 years? Would
Philadelphia community? you be proud to tell the story of it to your son? And the same with interior and
architecture—we must think of a longer-term planning and pick only things
PM: One project that we’re all extremely proud of in the last few years is whose “company” we truly enjoy.
the “Symphony for a Broken Orchestra,” which was a success on every Designers should also create objects with that idea in their minds
front. It was artistically amazing; the David Lang score for the broken Creating sustainable, living design and not thinking of short-term trends, popular materials, or one-time styling.
The Pew Center aids artists in going instruments was extraordinary. Its impulse arose right out of a community objects with the knowledge of tradition.
beyond business as usual. need: Philadelphia’s school system has many broken instruments that just
languished, and Temple Contemporary decided to see what they could do to
WW: Can you tell us about collaborating with Ukrainian artisans on rolling
techniques to create recent pieces?
fix that problem. By Taylor Rose
By Katy Donoghue What was so extraordinary was this marriage of artistic excellence VY: Yes, we are using a century-old craft technique known as “valkuvannia,”
and community engagement. When you went, the doors opened in the Early this year, Victoria Yakusha debuted a new ZTISTA coffee table at our organic line of furniture called ZTISTA, which in Ukrainian means
Since 2005, the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage has awarded more than $143 Armory and there were 400 people holding these broken instruments and chair made of a curious combination of materials—recycled metal, “made of dough.” We involved this primitive artisan rolling technique of
million in grants, funded over 1,400 projects, and supported 352 individual walking toward you—the youngest one is nine and the oldest is eighty- cellulose, wood chips, and clay. The Ukrainian designer behind the FAINA coating of a solid surface (walls of a house in a village) with a mixture of
artists via annual Pew Fellowships. As a multidisciplinary grant-maker, the something. Amateurs and professionals were playing together—it was so label embraces local artisans and techniques within a sustainable approach straw, hay, and natural clay to a modern design process, because it allows
Center invests in cultural projects and practitioners, on a mission to enhance moving. of closed loop production. Describing her practice as a living, breathing, you to create an absolutely unique design piece with a gorgeous, unperfected
public life in the Greater Philadelphia area. Recent grantees included Becky That is very gratifying for a funder, and you don’t always know that entity, Yakusha told Whitewall how she believes we can create a viable surface.
Suss, Karyn Olivier, and Jonathan Lyndon Chase, as well as unforgettable that can happen. I mean, there are all these great ingredients, but then you future by looking to the wisdom of our ancestors. This experiment with craft technique and contemporary sustainable
projects like “Cai Guo Qiang: Fireflies” and The Crossing’s “The Gulf have to make the cake to see what it tastes like. design approach helps me to emphasize the importance of connection to our
(between you and me).” WHITEWALL: You describe your practice as “live” design. What makes cultural roots. I am trying to create a long-lasting, responsible design that
This spring, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Center ww: How would you describe the most recent group of Pew grants, grantees, design “live”? you would like to give to your descendants as one of the valuable family-
announced an additional $535,000 in unrestricted funds to its current fellows. and fellows, announced in 2019? loved furniture pieces.
Whitewall met with the Center’s executive director, Paula Marincola, about VICTORIA YAKUSHA: I came to the realization of this concept after almost
giving artists and organizations the push and platform to realize their vision. pm: Variety and scope. I think that in the environment, a thriving ecology 15 years of practice and searching for what I really appreciate in the design,
needs healthy organisms of all sizes and types. I like to think that our work what gives meaning to my work. I am still in the process of crystallization STRIKHA handcrafted woven lamp, made of willow, which resembles the straw roof of a traditional Ukrainian hut,
courtesy of FAINI.
WHITEWALL: How would you define your role as executive director here? does go toward fostering that healthy and vibrant and thriving ecology, and of this design philosophy (not just style or trend), and with each new project
when I look at the grantees as you have or will, you see that. All these very I see it more and more clearly.
PAULA MARINCOLA: My role is to make sure the organization works as a ambitious and imaginative and substantive projects, but they’re coming from Live design or live minimalism for me is a combination of two
group to enhance the cultural life of the community and raise Philadelphia’s all these different places. important ingredients. First of all, it is an interior or design piece that is
visibility as a thriving and vibrant center for culture. My job is to inspire filled with the spirit, has a story behind it, and has an emotional connection
and bring out the best in the people that work with me as a team. It’s the WW: The Pew Center’s mission focuses on supporting artists, community to its owner. And secondly, it is a clean, minimalistic approach that we use.
most privileged, amazing, and humbling work to be able to do—to lead this building, and enhancing public life. How do you think this moment of I always loved simple iconic forms, honest design that mercilessly
organization. social distancing, viewing art online, and the negative effect it has had on cuts off all unnecessary things, creating an “emotionally clean” interior
We look for artists and projects of ambition, substance, of independent organizations and artists will impact your purpose? or piece of furniture. When you combine that with natural materials, the
imagination and of distinction to help them realize their mission and also beauty of diversity and imperfection that nature generously delivers to us,
to push these missions further—to really help them go beyond business as PM: Strength of mission as well as relevance to audiences and viewers then you have a live minimalist design—where there is no space for fakes,
usual. It’s what we’re trying to inspire the community to do. are more important than ever in the wake of COVID-19 and its enormous arrogance, or imitation.
consequences for the cultural community. Finding ways to stay visible,
WW: In addition to funding, how does the Center provide support and help a communicate distinctively, and create authentic connection with the public WW: How does your Ukrainian background, and your exploration of
project come to life? has, at this moment, meant engaging primarily technological platforms for ancestral relationship to nature, inspire your creative approach?
delivering and sharing art. I’ve admired and been heartened by the dexterity
PM: We are very hands on, in some ways. We meet with all of our applicants; and creativity with which the sector, even under tremendous pressure, has VY: When I started to discover crafts during my expedition to Ukrainian
we try to provide useful feedback in the development of their project so quickly pivoted to offer a range of inspiring and entertaining content through villages, museums of folk art, meetings with craft masters, I realized the
that it can be competitive in our grant-making process. We do have a super- these alternative systems of communication. And I imagine new modes and whole power of knowledge about the materials, respectful usage of natural
rigorous process. We bring jurors, panelists from all around the country, and reimaginings of artistic production and engagement will continue to emerge, resources, richness of shapes and symbols that were encapsulated in crafts
sometimes outside the country, to adjudicate our grants. Our guidelines are even as we simultaneously look forward to a time when we can again gather by so many generations. I didn’t want us to forget them in our routine “fussy
accessible online and we are totally transparent about what we’re looking for. together in real space and time for cultural experiences. lives.” So my goal is to transform these traditions into modern design, to
WHITEWALL 38 WHITEWALL 39PROFILES before, but I decided to look at this restaurant and talk to the owner, as
it was closed for three years. I fell in love at first sight! The place was
beautiful—a sea view, greenery, and so much energy. That day, I decided
to open my own restaurant in Menton.
At Mirazur, we desire to share and give our guests the unique
experience of the beauty of a region; of a landscape between sea, gardens,
and mountains through the sublimation of products and the freedom of
creation. Respect and admiration for the biodiversity inspires us as much
as the atmosphere. This area is so special—for its light and colors, and
the Mediterranean basin.
We work with a personalized “carte blanche” menu that follows
the rhythm of nature. For us, there is no four seasons, but 365 days to
create in accordance with what nature gives to us! It’s a challenge, but
also very motivating to create from what arrives at the restaurant every
day. That’s the DNA of Mirazur—dishes that play on the beauty and
power of small nuances, like a beautiful musical composition.
Portrait by Matteo Carassale. WW: Tell us a bit about your dedication to sustainability—from product
consumption to zero-plastic policies.
MAURO
MC: We have always worked with sustainability. The first thing in my
kitchen was no waste. We use the whole product to create dishes, sauces,
broths, and more. When we cannot use the product anymore, we put it
in the compost for the garden, and give it back to the earth. Cultivating
COLAGRECO
our organic garden with permaculture is also important for us, to respect
nature and to create biodiversity. Respecting nature is respecting our
clients—their body and soul.
Another thing that we started three years ago was the Plastic
Free Certification. No more single-use plastic in Mirazur’s kitchen! It’s
been one of my favorite things to arrive at this point.
Mirazur feeds sustainability WW: Tell us a bit about working locally with your producers to achieve a
certain menu, and a certain plastic-free approach, too.
in the hills of Menton. Photo by Eduardo Torres; courtesy of Mirazur.
MC: When I arrived in Menton, I had recipes that I had created in Paris
especially for the opening of Mirazur. But from the moment I realized
Eliza Jordan the products from the surroundings were different, I knew I had to make
a clean sweep and start from scratch. I started looking for producers—
In the South of France, where the French and Italian borders meet at tasting, smelling, exploring . . .
the sea, there is a town called Menton. It was here that in 2006 the I also asked my suppliers to follow me into a plastic-free
Argentinian chef Mauro Colagreco opened a restaurant named Mirazur. approach, and I was happy to see they agreed and did what was necessary
Last year, Mirazur was the number one best restaurant on The to stop it.
World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. And earlier this year for New York
Fashion Week, it hosted a pop-up at Spring Place, serving signature WW: In the backyard of the restaurant, you mentioned you have an orno
dishes to fashion patrons from around the globe. In addition to Mirazur, de barro—a traditional clay oven that’s common in country homes in
Colagreco runs Florie’s at the Four Seasons Restaurant Palm Beach and Argentina and Uruguay—that was handmade in three weeks with your
is opening Côte Restaurant in Capella Hotel Bangkok later this year. friend Federico Desseno and your son, Valentin. Today, you’re also
All of these accolades are an honor for Colagreco, but with his opening a bakery to sell bread made this way. Tell us about this.
humble nature, he is happiest in the backyard garden at the restaurant—
planting seeds and watching produce grow. Whitewall spoke with MC: At Mirazur, the menu starts with the “sharing bread” to taste with
Colagreco to hear about how his culinary journey led him to Menton, our olive oils. The bread was inspired by childhood memories; the bread
and why Mirazur is focusing on the future of food. that my grandmother Amalia made. It symbolizes this taste for sharing,
memories of my family, and something simple and universal for lots
WHITEWALL: Tell us a bit about your culinary background leading up of cultures. I started to deepen my research on the quality of flour and
to Mirazur. old wheats, and little by little, the idea of expanding our possibilities of
experimentation in this field has grown. So, we bought a bakery with the
MAURO COLAGRECO: I always dreamed about working with the biggest oldest wood oven in our city and embarked on this great adventure.
French chefs. In 2000, I arrived in France for my first job in Burgundy
at Bernard Loiseau Restaurant (three Michelin stars). I stayed there until WW: How are you spending time in isolation amid COVID-19? What will
his death and then left for Paris to work in L’Arpège—another three- it be like when Mirazur reopens after being closed for three months?
starred restaurant. At the time, [Alain] Passard was vegetarian and was
revolutionizing the French cuisine. I was there for two years and left as MC: I’m lucky to have the Mirazur vegetable garden at home, so I’m
Chef de Cuisine. Then I went to the Plaza Athénée (three stars) for one taking advantage of this time to take care of the land. I’m investing
year. And for the last year, I was at the Grand Véfour (three stars, again). myself more and more in permaculture and organic farming, and I’m
Then, in 2006, I decided to open Mirazur. preparing the garden for the reopening of Mirazur. I am convinced that
the way we produce today is exhausting the earth and making it sick. We
WW: Tell us a bit about Mirazur’s unique beginning, and how its lush must be aware of this and start on a healthier basis with local, organic,
surroundings impact the menu. and seasonal production.
Other than that, I found it improbable to stay at home while
MC: For me, Mirazur was destiny. I was looking for a restaurant in caregivers are fighting this disease and so many people need help. So,
Spain and some friends asked if I knew of Menton because they knew with a small part of my team, we decided to cook for the caregivers and
an incredible location for a restaurant there. I had never been to Menton homeless. With the help of the city and our suppliers, we managed to
make about 70 meals twice a week. Photo by Nicolas Lobbestael; courtesy of Mirazur.
WHITEWALL 40 WHITEWALL 41You can also read
