My Look: Life Is Beautiful

Life is beautiful, especially in sunny California. Here you see me this week on iconic Rodeo Drive in front of the the sculpture «Life is Beautiful» by Mr. Brainwash. His real name is Thierry Guetta, and the French-born, Los Angeles-based artist rose to fame as a protégé of Banksy after appearing in his film Exit Through the Gift Shop.

My look: High Tide cropped embroidered tulle top, and matching High Tide tiered embroidered tulle maxi skirt, both by Zimmermann, Dellena 100 leather espadrille wedge sandals by Jimmy Choo, faux-pearl tassel earrings by Oscar de la Renta, medium Lady D-Lite Bag in burgundy multicolor Mizza embroidery, and matching Wildior Mitzah scarf in ivory and red silk twill, both by Dior.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / @collagevintage2
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Meet Beeple

At the WWD Art Gala in Seoul, I had the pleasure to sit next to Mike Winkelmann a.k.a. Beepledigital artist and graphic designer, that you should definitely know. Based in Charleston, SC, USA, he does a variety of digital artwork including short films, Creative Commons VJ loops, everydays and VR / AR work. After he began releasing a set of widely used Creative Commons VJ loops he has worked on concert visuals for Justin Bieber, One Direction, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, Eminem, Zedd, deadmau5 and many more.

«BEEPLE is mike winkelmann
he makes a variety of art crap across a variety of media. some of it is ok, but a lot of it kind of blows ass. he’s working on making it suck less everyday though so bear with him… :)»

One of the originators of the current «everyday» movement in 3D graphics, he has been creating a picture everyday from start to finish and posting it online for over ten years without missing a single day. His Instagram account @beeple_crap is absolutely worth following – 2.3 million people would agree on that.

On 1 May 2007, he posted a new work of art online. He did the same thing the next day and the next, and the next one after that, creating and posting a brand-new digital picture, or «everyday» as he called it, every single day for 13-and-a-half years. Now those individual pieces have been brought together in EVERYDAYS: THE FIRST 5000 DAYS, a unique work in the history of digital art. This monumental collage was the first purely digital artwork (NFT) ever offered at Christie’s. EVERYDAYS: THE FIRST 5000 DAYS sold online for $69,346,250.

Beeple (b. 1981), EVERYDAYS: THE FIRST 5000 DAYS, 2021. Non-fungible token (jpg). 21,069 x 21,069 pixels (319,168,313 bytes). Minted on 16 February 2021. Sold for $69,346,250 in a single lot sale concurrently with First Open.

 

Beeple in Fashion

Apparently, Nicolas Ghesquière, Louis Vuitton Creative Director, was thinking of using some futuristic landscapes for the Maison’s S/S 2019 ready-to-wear collection. Florent Buonomano, Louis Vuitton Artistic Director, then initially approached Beeple after noticing his work on Instagram and brought several of his designs to the attention of Ghesquière. Nine of the «Everydays» pieces were selected and adapted on 13 of the 45 pieces being shown in the Louis Vuitton S/S 2019 collection, mainly on shirts, jackets, and dresses.

When the collection debuted during Paris Fashion Week at The Louvre Museum in Paris, Mike Winkelmann and his wife, with whom he is together since 15 years, attended the show and were impressed themselves to see the digital artwork on the clothing.

Mike Winkelmann has an amazing success story, but he is still down to earth,  and very easy to talk to. The guy from next door. Bravo!

Below you can find some of his recent works that I really love!

LoL, Sandra

He posted this right after the trip to Seoul: JETLAG

FAMILY

X IS COMING

WORLDCOIN

NEW COOL THING

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, © Louis Vuitton and © Beeple
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WWD Art Gala in Seoul

I just got back from Seoul, South Korea after an amazing week. One of my highlights was the WWD Art Gala that took place at my Hotel Josun Palace.
Hosted by WWD Korea and parallel to the opening of Frieze Seoul, this illustrious event celebrated the vibrant and diverse world of art and fashion, while honoring the achievements of remarkable artists across all genres, collectors, curators, and art enthusiasts. This year’s gala featured captivating ballet performances  and several live acts, while fostering cultural exchange, and providing a platform to connect with luminaries in the creative communities of art, culture, entertainment and fashion.

The curated exhibition on display presented beautiful artworks for the live auction hosted by the famous Simon de Pury, captivating performances, an elegant cocktail reception and a gastronomically delightful dinner. I tried really hard to get one work but got outbidding by the wonderful Mrs Sung-joo Kim, who is the founder, chairwoman and chief visionary officer of the Sungjoo Group and MCM Holding AG.

Sun-joo Kim with my humble self at the gala. Such an inspiring woman.

«Women are often discriminated by age, especially in Asia. I am trying to represent a new kind of trendy woman, who is not victimized by fashion but rules over it!»
– SUN-JOO KIM.

The culmination of the night was the announcement of the winner of the Art Prize of the Year. Personally speaking, it was a great opportunity to engage with fellow art connoisseurs, meet amazing artists and collectors, forge meaningful connections, and immerse myself in the beauty and creativity that Korea has to offer, while supporting the arts.

Please enjoy my impressions of the night. I already marked my calendar for 2024!

LoL, Sandra

Most stunning floral decoration at the gala by LA based floral artist Gina Kim Park.

With wonderful Yuna Kim, CEO & Publisher WWD Korea

Live auction by Simon de Pury.

I sat next to digital artist Mike Winkelmann, alias Beeple, who sold «Everydays: The First 5000 Days,» an NFT-linked digital collage at Christie’s for $69.3 million two years ago.

And yes, we had a lot of fun!

With my dear friend Susan Shin, Art Advisor to WWD Korea, who helped organizing the event, and Jamie QQ Wu.

From left to right: Yuna Kim, a guest, my humble self, Kim Robson Ortiz, Amy Kim Young, Kim Heirston, Susan Shin and a guest.

Always inspiring Nataliya Pissarro.

With artist Dustin Yellin, who wore a traditional festive Korean outfit.

Amazing goodie bag with lots of Korean beauty products!

Photos: Courtesy of WWD Korea, © Sandra Bauknecht and Photo of me at photo wall: @photo_hola_
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Briefly Gorgeous

This was one of my favorite encounters this week while being in South Korea. I met artist and curator Hilde Lynn Helphenstein, known for the popular Instagram art meme account @JerryGogosian, to talk conceptual art, including her work «Neo-Narcissus» at the PhillipsX exhibition «Briefly Gorgeous» in Seoul.

The «Briefly Gorgeous» exhibition has been curated in collaboration with Joan Tucker, and sponsored in part by Hanwha Life. Featuring work by over 30 international artists, this exhibition presents an exciting blend of talents from a new generation such as Susan Chen, Hilde Lynn Helphenstein, Yoora Lee, Se Oh, Kaifan Wang, and Ho Jae Kim; alongside art historical titans such as Hernan Bas, Alexander Calder, David Hockney, Scott Kahn, and Yayoi Kusama.

«There is no collecting art without social media anymore.»
HILDE LYNN HELPHENSTEIN

The notion of impermanence in beauty is a poignant reminder that nothing lasts forever. By showcasing the dynamic interplay between these fearless new voices and established luminaries, this exhibition prompts us to reflect on the significance of embracing beauty in its transitory forms, while  remaining true to our own principles and values. It encourages us to recognize that true beauty lies beyond fleeting trends and external judgments, and that our own standards and beliefs can shape our appreciation of the ever-changing world around us. Briefly Gorgeous serves as an enduring testament to the profound understanding of beauty’s temporality.

It was a true pleasure talking to Hilde Lynn. She explained that bringing this one sculpture to life has been a «wild mission». She found the original photograph of the statue of narcissist that sits in the Louvre. And then on Instagram she found someone to draw that sculpture but change it the way she wanted it to. «Neo-Narcissus» is her largest and most complicated physical work that she has ever exhibited. The price for this amazing sculpture is approximately $150.000.

Hilde Lynn said: «It seems as our relationship with technology develops and we become more intertwined with it every day deeper and deeper, this warning seems to be disappearing. Even in the ’90s, ’80s, ’70s, things were considered beautiful multi-dimensionally, because a person had beautiful personality or they gave a lot to charity, or they helped others, there was something about their being, that made them lovelier. Because today we live with technology, that is alienating and dividing us, and then reflecting back, not just our own image constantly, but an unreal artificial version, there is an implication of ugliness in that. But it is very hard to parse, because there are some people who fall somewhere into it, some people are deep and some people are watching it trepadaciously happen. Some people are like me and go «OMG that is awesome, OMG no its is not,» they go back and forth with it.»

Songwon Art Center
75, Yunposun-gil, Jongno-gu,
Seoul, 03061, Korea (map)

Viewing
1-9 September 2023
Open daily: 10am – 6pm

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
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Prada Mode Seoul

While being in Seoul, Prada presents the tenth iteration of Prada Mode, Plural and Parallel, at cultural venue KOTE, to coincide with Frieze.

Curated by Lee Sook-Kyung, the space showcases multiple site-specific installations by esteemed directors Kim Jee-Woon, Yeon Sang-ho, and Jeong Dahee, advancing an ambitious vision of contemporary cinema through each director’s idiosyncratic lens.

Lee Sook-Kyung

Lee Sook-Kyung is a curator, lecturer, writer, and the Director of the Whitworth, University of Manchester, UK. Dr. Lee began her career as Exhibitions & Displays Curator at Tate Liverpool, before working as Senior Curator of International Art at Tate Modern, where she curated a number of key exhibitions and headed a major research initiative, Hyundai Tate Research Centre: Transnational. She later cemented her global profile as the Commissioner and Curator of the Korean Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015. Active in the world of contemporary art curation for 28 years, she has played a leading role in the organization of groundbreaking exhibitions, broadening global perspectives and raising the profile of Asian art—particularly Korean art—across the world. Dr. Lee also served as the Artistic Director of the 14th Gwangju Biennale, which ran from April to July 2023 in Korea, and has recently been appointed as the Curator of the Japan Pavilion at the 60th Venice Biennale in 2024.

The Installations
KOTE is a cultural space for creators crossing boundaries. Originally built as a furniture craft store in 1964, the space served as the birthplace of countless stories and memories. For Prada Mode Seoul, KOTE is transformed into a multi-dimensional destination where guests can explore the different universes on offer. Across KOTE’s multiple buildings, the three directors bring their visions to life, brought into conversation by Lee Sook-Kyung and spanning questions of culinary culture, absence, and mortality. Guests are able to move from space to space, experiencing the full depth and richness of each.

LoL, Sandra

The Shadows of Faded Old Love

Hellbound

Paper, Light, Ghost

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht and © Prada
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First Night in Seoul

Greetings from Seoul where I arrived last night to immediately attend the ARTIVIST‘s Inaugural Exhibition, the opening reception «Spooky Portals» by Dustin Yellin, followed by an intimate dinner at Raum East.

I love Dustin’s works. The Brooklyn-based artist tells stories that weave together the diverse forces of nature and technology. Through his multidisciplinary body of work, which includes object making, painting and animation, Yellin draws attention to the interconnectivity of all beings and things. His approach tunnels across traditionally siloed fields so as to crystallize the idea that both the human world, and all other worlds around us, are a collection of enmeshed networks – even if many are hidden.

Yellin’s glass works in particular is absolutely spectacular. Paint and images clipped from various print media are embedded within laminated glass sheets to form grand pictographic allegories, invite viewers to engage with the legions of their own consciousness and its embodied emotions, as well as that of our collective society and its infrastructures.

Yellin is the founder and director of Pioneer Works, a multidisciplinary cultural center that builds community through the arts and sciences. The artist balances descriptive poetry with a prescriptive social practice so as to span new ways of seeing and being, and build a bridge to a more holistic world.

With art collector Kim Robson Ortiz and Walker Waugh at the exhibition opening.

Dustin’s first Asia solo exhibition is open until October 21, 2023 at  27 Dosan-daero 67-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

With artist Dustin Yellin at dinner.

Enjoy some impressions of last night! I am here one week, so lots of interesting things will be coming up!

LoL, Sandra

Amazing dinner location in Seoul at Raum East.

Great dinner conversation with Mr. Song, who snapped away my favorite art piece. Congrats!

Great success of the night. Amy Kim is happy.

With lovely Payal Shah, founder of L’Dezen.

With Korean actor Lee JunHyuk, Susan Shin and Payal Shah.

Great night among great people. From left to right: My humble self, Amy Kim, Dustin Yellin, Susan Shin, Walker Waugh and Payal Shah.

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
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Renault Twingo by Sabine Marcelis

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of its iconic Twingo, Renault has partnered with internationally renowned designer and contemporary artist Sabine Marcelis to reimagine this iconic model, unveiling an artistic vision of the original Twingo launched in 1993.

Sabine Marcelis, the latest winner of the ELLE DECO International Designer of the Year Award, has established her as one of the world’s most influential designers. Her impressive art installations have captivated international audiences, from design and art lovers at Art Basel to visitors to museums around the world.

Renault has commissioned Dutch designer Sabine Marcelis, that is known for her work with pure, elegant forms, her particular affinity with light, and her mastery of technologies that push the limits of what’s possible when it comes to making better use of materials, to revisit the iconic Twingo. The project began with a detailed exploration of the Twingo, returning to its most recognizable features: its iconic single-volume silhouette, its characteristic headlights, its modular interior with its incredible sense of space and luminosity.


This was followed by meticulous work on the play of transparency and the interplay between color and materials. The result is striking: a Twingo like no other, yet faithful to the very essence of the iconic model, 30 years after its creation.

«The collaboration with Renault began with an invitation to rethink Twingo as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations. It was a fantastic opportunity, and a new field of exploration for me, as I’d never designed a car before. Working on such an iconic and popular car was a real challenge, especially given the scale of the project. It was an opportunity to create something truly innovative and memorable,» says Sabine Marcelis.

This collaboration between Renault and Sabine Marcelis is a true testimony to the values of artistic and creative freedom. Renault’s commitment to electric cars – the concept has been retrofitted with an electric motor – and Sabine Marcelis’ innovative approach to materials and design create the perfect synergy to celebrate the anniversary of the iconic Twingo, revealing the car in a whole new light. Unique and unexpected, this concept is the meeting of the emblematic Twingo and the designer’s artistic vision, offering a refined reinterpretation of the vehicle.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Renault
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Louis Vuitton Editions Pop Up at Art Basel

Louis Vuitton opens an Editions Pop Up from 12th to 18th June at Art Basel, celebrating the Maison’s literary launches.

Following successful similar pop ups across the globe – from Venice to Shanghai and Dubai – this latest touchdown at Art Basel will be housed in Hall 1 of the world-renowned contemporary art fair, presenting a large array of works from Louis Vuitton’s Editions catalogue. The Maison’s pioneering publications of over one hundred titles – including the City Guide, Travel Books and Fashion Eye collections – explore travel, design, art and fashion. Each of these oeuvres call upon the talents of freelance journalists, experienced authors and cultural savants, to capture the essence of the subject or destination.

Open to visitors for the duration of Art Basel, this latest Louis Vuitton Editions pop will welcome painter and illustrator, Yann Kebbi, for an exclusive signing of his latest work for the Maison, the Travel Book Las Vegas. On site from 4pm to 5pm on the 13th and 14th June, Kebbi’s Travel Book will also be available in an exclusive «Artist Edition».

Louis Vuitton invites clients and visitors on a journey across the Maison’s literary works, from far off destinations to wide-ranging themes, all soon to be discovered in the heart of Art Basel.

Practical information:
Art Basel, Messe Basel
Messepl. 10
4058 Basel, Switzerland
Louis Vuitton Editions Pop Up from 12th to 18th June, in the entrance of Hall 1

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
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Louis Vuitton – New Store On Graben in Vienna

Last month, I took the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express from Paris to Vienna as guest of Louis Vuitton. Once I arrived in the Austrian capital, I visited the new Maison’s new store that has relocated to an expanded space on Graben in the heart of the city. Occupying four floors of a historic building, this new store presents the Louis Vuitton universe within a beautiful Viennese backdrop.

The store is the latest realisation of the design concept developed by Peter Marino for locations such as New Bond Street, Los Angeles and Ginza. Among the largest in Europe, it benefits from Vienna’s status as a dynamic cultural destination and a nexus for travel.

Designed by Max Kröpf, Oskar Laske and Viktor Fiala, the building dates to 1898-99. Its listed façade is ornamented with reliefs depicting long-distance trade and coats of arms from such cities as Hamburg, Trieste and London.

A spacious layout showcases the full Louis Vuitton offer and Peter Marino signatures, including striking art, objects and furniture that correspond with the design heritage of Vienna. Defined by curving walls and open sightlines, the store is organised around an exceptional staircase that unfurls with floating steps in four tonal varieties of stone. At once sculptural and a means of circulation, it is juxtaposed with a statement wall, panelled in commissioned works by well-known Austrian artist, Erwin Wurm. Bright and graphic, the eight paintings are composed of abstracted words: Form, Love, Body, Beauty and more.

As the history of Vienna is inextricably linked to its progressive movements in art and design, both figure significantly in the store’s expression. Notably, a pyramid of trunks has been hand-painted in the spirit of Gustav Klimt and other artists of the Vienna Secession. Vintage extends to contemporary – from an Alvar Aalto daybed and a Carl Malmsten modular sofa to Matt Gagnon’s Custom Light Stacks and Fernando Daza’s Four Intercepted Circles. With its flower-shaped bubbles, Atelier Biagetti’s Flower Tower lamp stands as a glass totem at once decorative and whimsical.

If you are in Vienna, this new store is a must-see, not only for the things to shop, but for its design!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / © Louis Vuitton 
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Prada Marks Anniversary of Timecapsule NFT

Prada announces the twelfth installment of its Timecapsule NFT Collection. Featuring a yellow and grey design in the style of a tank-top, the drop on May 4th continues Prada’s expansion into the Web3 community.


This drop celebrates the one-year anniversary of Prada’s NFT Timecapsule collection. Through this journey, Prada is creating a unique experience that combines its rich heritage and creativity with innovative technology and utilizing archived materials to provide a phygital experience for collectors. Over the last year, the Prada Crypted community were offered opportunities to attend exclusive experiences, such as trips to their fashion week shows in Milan and invitations to cultural events such as Prada Extends and Prada Mode. Prada looks forward to continuing its exploration of this dynamic and evolving space and collaborating with different creators and artists.

For drop #41 of the Timecapsule collection, Prada crafted a tank top in grey and yellow striped technical fabric with striped monochrome knit borders featuring the iconic Prada enameled triangle logo and the name of the month transferred on the back. Each shirt comes accompanied with its own gifted NFT, serving as an invitation to join Prada’s exclusive Crypted NFT community on Discord.

Prada continues to create unique experiences for its community, with members receiving an invite to attend the ninth iteration of Prada Mode in Tokyo on May 12th and 13th 2023. This event will see the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum transformed into a space where the guests can explore art in different forms and experience the historic architecture, the museum and the site-specific artworks, curated by Kazuyo Sejima – architect and a long-term collaborator of Prada.
Purchasers of Prada Timecapsule items prior to the launch of the NFT initiative in June 2022 can retroactively claim past Timecapsule NFTs in sync with their existing physical product. More details can be found on the Prada Crypted Community on Discord.

The drop is limited to 50 items, for 24 hours only, starting fromMay 4th, 2023 at 3pm CET.
To be eligible, you must:
● Hold a Prada Timecapsule NFT in your wallet (purchased from Prada directly or secondary market)
● Be part of the Prada Crypted discord
● Be verified as a holder and have the green tick to prove verification in the Prada
Crypted Discord

LoL, Sandra

Photos: ©Prada
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