In the Summer of 2014 we discovered the highly inspirational Victory Journal, which instantly became one of our favorite magazines being printed today. Founded in 2010 - the same year when that other elegant frontrunner in sports magazines; Green Soccer Journal first saw light - the three New York-based creatives Christopher Isenberg, Aaron Amaro and Kimou Meyer started their magazine concerned with the eternal glories and ignominies of players and pursuits the world over. Published by design studio Doubleday and Cartwright and printed on unusual large-format unbound pages, every one of the issues they have released in the following five years makes you feel the excitement of sport, yet never losing its elegance and somewhat classical feel through an excellent curation of imagery. At the end of last year the magazine celebrated the release of their 10th issue, which is totally based around the intersection of sport and art. Victory Journal stays winning. [ Continue reading ]

Last year we first mentioned the thrilling New York-based Greek artist Panos Tsagaris. To our great excitement, the 14th of this month marked the day that the work of the artist crossed the ocean and travelled to Brussels once more (after his show at BOZAR), where it is being exhibited at Pascaline Smets' inspirational Stems Gallery. Given the moniker 'apocatastasis', the exhibition features two series of works; on the one hand the truly incredible 'Golden Newspapers' works on paper, next to a group of dark shaded abstract paintings. Despite its differences, the two series are very connected - aesthetically and conceptually - inspired by the same search for the emanation of the Divine which is the great motivation in all of Tsagaris' creations. Combining a societal arena of great relevance in subject-matter (the financial crisis in Greece) and immaculate style, Tsagaris' works are a hybrid of extraordinary aesthetics and a sharp thought-provoking frame, making it the epitome of what in our eyes great contemporary art could (or should) be. [ Continue reading ]

We recently discovered the beautiful work of Glasgow School of Art graduate Euphrosyne Andrews, who's not just blessed with a first name reminding of an ancient Greek goddes, but also with a remarkable talent in creating incredible motifs which she applies in multiple numbers on different materials. Motivated by the modern conflict between the ornamental motif and the multiple, Andrews plays with typical procedures applied in traditional print methods; always aiming to change the traditional process by incorporating techniques inspired by modern printmaking, searching for a unique contemporary hybrid between decorative and fine arts. Subsequently, in the exhibition of her work, she underlines her vision by presenting her processes on various materials, ranging from textile to paper, creating the best possible framework on the intersection between the applied and fine arts, where her work can be fully appreciated. [ Continue reading ]

We continue to stay in Japan, bringing you another Japanese artist whose exceptional work we recently discovered - in this case through a feature by the always inspirational Phases Magazine. Although the excellently curated platform almost always succeeds in curating captivating imagemakers, the work of photographic artist Yuichiro Higashiji stands out in the most subtle way possible. Reminding us strongly of the work of another photographic imagemaker which we hold in the highest esteem; Adam Jeppesen, the Japanese photographer's works from the principle of reproducing his images to the point of fading. In this proces a fascinating dynamic is instilled through which his - in the case of his 'Everybody Knows, Nobody Knows' series - grainy black and white representations come to life and fade away, almost mimicking the way affect and memory are sometimes stimulated in the brain. As a result the series of images by Higashiji become their own profound kind of projection on anyone who takes the time to really indulge in the images. [ Continue reading ]

During the weekend of the 5th of February, Amsterdam will welcome a new initiative by the name of MONO JAPAN. The debuting event organized by the Japan Cultural Exchange offers a stage to acclaimed Japanese masters of traditional practices next to the new generation of ambitious and enthusiastic creators from the country famous for its craftsmanship and design vision. The inspirational new platform has curated a diverse selection of exhibitors, presenting their products which range from pottery, washi (paper), textile, clothing and furniture to teas, sakes and art in the iconic rooms of the Lloyd Hotel & Cultural Embassy. Out of this beautiful lot of ambassadors of the Land of the Rising Sun we particularly love the work of multidisciplinary artist Ryo Okamoto, who is present with fellow artist Daimon Kanno, to introduce his totally unique, yet very Japanese vision on contemporary art. [ Continue reading ]

As much as we love elegant well-balanced design, it are those makers who create with a similar precision, but always inhabiting a certain element of friction, who continue to stand out rather than loose real relevance over time. Among the artist who have proven to be just that; exquisitely precise but always finding ways to be represent friction into in their case timeless sculptural creations based on animals and nature - full of humor - are the French artist duo Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne, who have inspired us with their timeless work since we discovered it through the Yves Saint Laurent art sale in 2009. Following a retrospective exhibition in 2009, inspired by the death of François-Xavier, last month on the 12th of December, the Paris-based Galerie Mitterrand opened another grande exhibition devoted to extraordinary work of Les Lalanne, celebrating 40 years of collaboration between the artists and Jean-Gabriel Mitterrand, and 25 years with the gallery. This exhibition is the opportunity to discover (or rediscover­) the art works of this internationally renowned, extremely talented couple of sculptors. [ Continue reading ]

After last night's incredible very first edition of the two weekly 5-course 'Forthnight Dinners' by our dear friends of The Village, which we will elaborate on in the near future, we decided tot end this weekend in style. What better day than this first real crispy winterday to take out the vintage casino glasses acquired at the extraordinary vintage market of Lisbon during a visit in 2013 and create our favorite mix around; Gin & Tonics out of one of the finest gins available; Amsterdam's own V2C. Spiced up with some gunpowder, in this case dried bay leaf, cardamom and some dried juniper berries. There is no better way to end this wonderful weekend. [ Continue reading ]