Tag Archives: Contemporary art

Switzerland: 7 Activities For a Weekend in Gstaad

1. Snowshoeing & Nature In Sparenmoos

When it is snowing a lot and the fog is falling, I much prefer snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing with an experienced instructor who will be able to choose the right place. Significantly less stressful than being at the top of a slope for skiing without any visibility! So I discover with pleasure the beautiful scenery of Sparenmoos. Big crush on the fir trees, a bit like in Méribel! A fairytale landscape.

2. Visiting The Mirage of Doug Aitken

The Unusual Experience

I really liked the short hike to the Mirage by the American artist Doug Aitken. A visionary construction, located between Gstaad and Schönried. Fantastic! All walls (including ceiling and roof with the exception of the floor) are mirrors. Stunning and fun! A must see and experience! The installation will remain until January 2021.

3. A Drink On The Slopes

Enjoying The Panorama

During this weekend, the weather is pretty capricious, two white days (very foggy) and one single sunny day (the one of my departure, lol!). Finally with a friend and our instructor, we take a long break at the top of the slopes, waiting for a better visibility. The weather darkens and we went back down by cable car. But happy!

4. Sleeping at 1,450 Meters Above Sea Level

In Nature

I spent the first night of my trip at the Rinderberg Swiss Alpine Lodge. A  real change of scenery! You need to take the cable car to access this very welcoming and cozy little hotel, located near the Rinderbergbahn intermediate station. From the small balcony of my room, I have a panoramic view of the mountain and the fir trees. The landscape is a bit magical. Photo above: the spa bordered by fir trees.

5. Strolling in Gstaad

Away From The Hustle And Bustle

The Gstaad I discover (off of the season) is a quiet and charming village. People are relaxed and the general rythm is calm. Perfect when you need to recharge, or if you are agoraphobic. On the shopping side: Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Dolce Gabbana … are installed in beautiful wooden “chalets”. There are plethora of restaurants and some cafes and bars are really cool.

6. Discovering Saneen

The Historic Village

The center of Saanen is charming with small streets lined with wooden houses built between the 15th century and the 18th century. The woodwork (facades and doors) is beautiful. And the al fresco paintings of the Saint Maurice church date back to the 15th century. There are also a few lovely shops with local handicrafts. A nice walk after skiing.

7. The Hype Design Hotel

Where To Stay

The HUUS Hotel Gstaad is defenitely my favorite place in Gstaad! I am absolutely delighted with my two nights there. Awesome design, team and atmosphere! I really liked my room, the common areas, lounge with the fireplace, long bar, excellent Italian restaurant, view, champagne evening, breakfast and location!

Photos : © Mademoiselle Le K – Tous droits réservés

Informations  

www.MySwitzerland.com, www.gstaad.ch, www.visitvalais.ch, www.swiss.com, www.swisstravelsystem.com

Related articles : Destinations & Hotel Review

Many thanks to the tourist offices, My Switzerland and Gstaad for this beautiful invitation. As always, these are my opinions.

Germany: Arty Weekend in Düsseldorf

  

Day 1 : Gallery & Street Art Tour

After Berlin, Cologne and the Black Forest,  I’m on my way to Düsseldorf! As always, I’m not fully awake. And I forgot to download the app of b-europe to check in real time my train schedule. I find my buddies in the Brussels-Düsseldorf Thalys! 2h15 of laughter with cool mates (yes, it happens especially when I’m tired, lol!). And here we are at Düsseldorf station, ready to discover the city!

As soon as you arrive, I recommend you to buy the DüsseldorfCard for free public transport and discounts in museums and attractions. 

After a late lunch, we have an appointment with Klaus Rosskothen, the owner of the Pretty Portal Gallery specialized in street art artists. Photos above: on the left, a painting by the Irish artist FinDAC. And on the right, a painting by Kurnachzehn. Guided by Klaus, we discover many Street art works in the district where his gallery is located. End of the tour around 16h30-17h. Awesome overview of a less touristy Düsseldorf!

Polar temperature! Of course Brussels is not the Caribbean either, but all the team had a big shock with the cold here, lol! I go to the hotel to warm up (with a good hot shower) and get ready for dinner, we have an appointment at 18:30. 

  

Dusseldorf By Night 

Dinner at Küzert

At night everything is more beautiful, starting with this huge wheel (photo above). The team gathered again, I discovered the very lively cool atmosphere of the crowded streets of Altstadt, the old town. At Kurze Straße 18-20 is the Brauerei Kürzer, a traditional brewery on the Rhine, where we will have dinner tonight.

Outside, standing people drink glasses of beer. Ditto indoors where we sit down to eat (photos below). I like the contemporary setting, the mix of generations and genres with hipster waiters and a soundtrack for picky clubbers (with fine and demanding hearing, lol!).

Difficult for us to leave as the place was really cool! About the tasting of the beer produced by this brewery? Er, how can I tell you, I do not drink any beer, oops! But very good I enjoyed the chicken wraps. 

  

Back To The Hotel

After a long walk, we finally got back to the Hotel Friends Dusseldorf, with an awesome (Instagram) bohemian interior design of the common areas (left picture above and pictures of the photo montage below). It feels like being in Portlandia (the series) …

The + : The photogenic hotel where to have a drink, with music live and DJs sets. Located near the central station of Dusseldorf, 5 to 10 minutes walk or a bit less in tram. Very good breakfast. It feels good and friendly.

The – : the neighborhood is not reassuring at night. I didn’t like the interior design of my room (except the small modern clean bathroom). I think the common areas are the best.

Jour 2: Archi & Contemporary Art

Another Day, Another Weather

We take the new metro to the commercial complex, Kö-Bogen designed by the architect Daniel Libeskind, facing the Hofgarten Park. Great mix of modernity, heritage and nature! I’d have liked to have more time to look at all the details of the building facades and stroll in the park.

And  viisiting the Gerhy buildings… We head by foot to Altstadt, the old town. 

  

A Small Museum

A Concept

As the small group walks towards the Rheinturm, I stop at the small museum of contemporary art, opened in 2007. I liked the architecture and exhibition spaces of the KIT – Kunst im Tunnel.

Photo above: in the foreground, a composition of Rosa Sarholz. Photo below: the further you go towards the black wall of the bottom, the more the floor tends to reach the ceiling. If we want to continue to move towards the “black board” of Marcel Stahn, we must stoop more and more. I stopped when my head touched the ceiling.

On the photo montage above: photos on the left, the main exhibition hall. Photo on the right (top): a flat screen – table, where hands are exchanging photos and flipping through magazines. An art work of Fabian Ruzicka.

Then we will have a late brunch in Frida, the warm tapas bar with Mexico colors on walls. Cosy atmosphere, nice interior design and impressive salad size!

Have a Nice Weekend Everyone !

  

Photos & vidéos : © Mademoiselle Le K – Tous droits réservés.

Informations  

To make a train reservation: the website of b-europe , or the b-europe appli.

Düsseldorf Tourist Board

Related posts : DESTINATIONS & HOTEL REVIEWS

Many thanks to b-europe & the Düsseldorf Tourist Board for this lovely invitation. As always, these are

Exhibitions: Brussels-Sintra-Lisbon

Brussels-Belgium-Exhibition-Denis-Meyers-Remember-Souvenir-2-Photo ©Mademoiselle Le KBrussels, Belgium

Brussels-Belgium-Exhibition-Denis-Meyers-Remember-Souvenir-1-Photo ©Mademoiselle Le K

“Remember Memory” by Dennis Meyers

This spring and summer, I really enjoyed two exhibitions and a contemporary art fair between the cities of Brussels, Sintra and Lisbon.

Early in the summer, I discovered the monumental exhibition, “Remember Souvenir” by Denis Meyers in the Solvay building, an old office building abandoned in Brussels (above: a selfie with the artist). A declension of infinitive verbs covering walls in a maze of rooms, corridors and cellars of 25000 m².

In the two short videos (below), Denis Meyers summarized the crazy adventure of his monumental exhibition:

 

 

Brussels-Belgium-Exhibition-Denis-Meyers-Remember-Souvenir-3-Photo ©Mademoiselle Le KBrussels-Belgium-Exhibition-Denis-Meyers-Remember-Souvenir-4-Photo ©Mademoiselle Le K Brussels-Belgium-Exhibition-Denis-Meyers-Remember-Souvenir-8-Photo ©Mademoiselle Le K

 

Brussels-Belgium-Exhibition-Denis-Meyers-Remember-Souvenir-5-Photo ©Mademoiselle Le K Brussels-Belgium-Exhibition-Denis-Meyers-Remember-Souvenir-6-Photo ©Mademoiselle Le K Brussels-Belgium-Exhibition-Denis-Meyers-Remember-Souvenir-7-Photo ©Mademoiselle Le K

Sintra, Portugal

Portugal-Sintra-Point-of-View-Exhibition-Parque-do-Palacio-da-Pena-Antonio-Bokel-Cura-1-Photo ©Mademoiselle Le K

“Point of View”

Portugal-Sintra-Point-of-View-Exhibition-Parque-do-Palacio-da-Pena-Antonio-Bokel-Cura-2-Photo ©Mademoiselle Le K

During My Week-end in Cascais,

I took the opportunity to visit the exhibition of contemporary art, Point of View” (do not miss it, until May 2017). The works of ten international artists are scattered in the beautiful Parque do Palácio da Pena in Sintra (listed World Heritage by UNESCO).

Another monumental exhibition that makes you do exercise, because the park is huge! You go up and down non stop. And plan some time, to avoid running from one point to another as I did! In photos above:  the “Cura / Cure” installation by Antonio Bokel.


Photos below: 1, the untitled art work in acacia wood by Bosco Sodi. 2 & 3, I really like this “painting” of Nils-Udo, “Clareira / Clearing” (composed of grass and granite), supposed to remind the Eden Garden. 4 Nespoon, The Big Picture. Looking up, you can see the magnificent Palácio da Pena.

Portugal-Sintra-Point-of-View-Exhibition-Parque-do-Palacio-da-Pena-Bosco-Sodi-1-Photo ©Mademoiselle Le K Portugal-Sintra-Point-of-View-Exhibition-Parque-do-Palacio-da-Pena-Nils-Udo-Clareira-2-Photo ©Mademoiselle Le KPortugal-Sintra-Point-of-View-Exhibition-Parque-do-Palacio-da-Pena-Nils-Udo-Clareira-1-Photo ©Mademoiselle Le KPortugal-Sintra-Point-of-View-Exhibition-Nespoon-The-Big-Picture-1-Photo ©Mademoiselle Le KPortugal-Sintra-Parque-do-Palacio-da-Pena-Photo ©Mademoiselle Le K

Lisbon, Portugal

Portugal-Lisbon-ARCOlisboa-1rst-International-Contemporary-Art-Fair-2A-Photo ©Mademoiselle Le K

ARCOlisboa

Portugal-Lisbon-ARCOlisboa-1rst-International-Contemporary-Art-Fair-Galeria-Luisa-Strina-Nicolas-Paris-Sala-de-aula-para-o-erro-quadrado-Photo ©Mademoiselle Le K Portugal-Lisbon-ARCOlisboa-1rst-International-Contemporary-Art-Fair-Vera-Cortes-Art-Agency-Nuno-da-Luz-Bullroorers-Photo ©Mademoiselle Le K

Now Lisbon Has Its Contemporary Art Fair

The fair is not huge, so I could take the time to see everything … on ten centimeter heels (4 inches! LOL, no comment!). You’ve never seen me in an art fair or museum:  I take for hours to see everything! Especially when I am excited by what I discovered.

So here are my favorites of this first edition of ARCOLisboa which included 45 Portuguese and international galleries. Photos above: 1. The fair was held in the Cordoaria Nacional (heritage monument opposite the Tagus). 2, Fantastic square bike: Nicolas Paris, Sala para o erro auta (quadrado), 2015, Galeria Luisa Strina. 3. The skate boards: Nuno da Luz, Bullroarers, 2015, Vera Cortês Art Agency.

Photos below : 1, Rita McBride, Previous Owner, 2008, Galeria Pedro Oliveira. 2, Domingos Rego, untitled, 2016, Galeria João Esteves de Oliveira. 3. The exhibition spaces. 4, Philippe Decrauzat : Flag (WV), 2015 (right) et Untitled, 2014 (left), Parra & Romero. 

Portugal-Lisbon-ARCOlisboa-1rst-International-Contemporary-Art-Fair-Galeria-Pedro-Oliveira-Rita-McBride-Previous-Owner-Photo ©Mademoiselle Le KPortugal-Lisbon-ARCOlisboa-1rst-International-Contemporary-Art-Fair-Joao-Esteves-de-Oliveira-Galeria-Arte-Moderna-e Contemporanea-Domingos-Rego-Photo ©Mademoiselle Le K Portugal-Lisbon-ARCOlisboa-1rst-International-Contemporary-Art-Fair-1A-Photo ©Mademoiselle Le KPortugal-Lisbon-ARCOlisboa-1rst-International-Contemporary-Art-Fair-Parra-e-Romero-Philippe-Decrauzat-Photo ©Mademoiselle Le K

Photos & vidéos : © Mademoiselle Le K – Tous droits réservés.

Informations  

Denis Meyers, Point of View, ARCOlisboa

Related posts : HOTEL REVIEWS & DESTINATIONS

A big thank you to Patricia, my guide of the “Point of View” exhibition that I recommend you!