Awesome: The Sheats-Goldstein Residence at night*

Since the 90s TV-Series “Beverly Hills, 90210”, one knows that this address is one of the most elegant ones in California. In this top quality location the Hollywood stars are next-door neighbors. Here lives the US-American real estate mogul James Goldstein, an eccentric fashion- and basketball enthusiast, who sits in the first row of every international fashion show and whose best friends are the top players of the NBA-League; a secret monger when it’s about his age or how he made his money. In the hills of Benedict Canyon, the cosmopolitan lives in a puristic villa with concrete triangles, steel beam and glass rhombus and overlooks Los Angeles from here, on good days even to the Pacific. 1963, on behalf of the couple Helen and Paul Sheat, the house was built by the architect John Lautner, until Goldstein acquired it in the 70s and, since then, continuously reconstructed.

Stunning view from the pool terrace to Los Angeles, on the horizon, the skyscrapers of downtown

The living room with a breathtaking view of Los Angeles*

The most beautiful tennis court of Los Angeles: let’s take a pic!

James Goldstein, expert for fashion, architecture and basketball

MyStylery: Jim, is your neighbor Rupert Murdoch actually still speaking to you? You buy off the whole region successively and expect the residents to put up with continual construction sites and the associated background noises.
James Goldstein (laughs): True! I’m not really making myself pleasant. The new project – Club James – is nearly done. Then it will be quite relaxed again. And also, after all these years I’ve never really seen Rupert Murdoch anyway.
MS: To build the new grounds, you took down the house which stood on there. Now there is a new construction with guest rooms and a nightclub, above all a tennis court. Why the private nightclub?
JG: There are no good clubs in LA, so I needed my own one. And the first parties where well received by my guests like Quentin Tarantino or Karolina Kurkova.

Five years ago still under construction: Nightclub James

Infront of the glazed bedroom with it’s completly opened windows, there is an outside whirlpool

MS: Why would one buy a house which is constantly in renovation?
JG: I love changes. The actual reason for buying the house was my afghan dog Natasha, the love of my life. These dogs love to run. Therefore I needed more space. So I thought this house would be the ideal. Also I’ve always been a big fan of the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wrights, who is from Wisconsin just like me. Coincidentally I was able to buy this house in 1972 and showed it John Lautner, one of Wrights’ pupils. He was shocked about the conditions and what the former owner had changed. They nearly destroyed the house, as they painted the concrete roof green and yellow. This is how our 15-year collaboration started, in which we transferred inside and outside of the house into its original condition, until John died. Now I work together with Duncan Nicholson.

Kitchen and counter were also designed by designer-legend John Lautner

MS: In the kitchen, the dining room and bathrooms one can now retract the sealing electronically, in the entrance hall there is a koi pond including a water fountain, the windows of your bedroom can be retracted as well… All this sounds pretty elaborate and expensive.
JG: Still there had never been a budget. It should always be realized, what is best for the house. This also applies to the new nightclub.
MS: Three Angels for Charly and The Big Lebowski – your house already served many film productions as a setting…
JG: … and Snoop Dogg got his music video produced here. Yes, this gave me a kick. I don’t open the house due to monetary reasons. I just want to have fun.  BvH

The dining room with a concrete and glass table and chrome leather chairs designed by John Lautner

James Goldstein in front of the stairs leading down to his private bedroom

Designer fashion is part of the lifestyle of James Goldstein. He knows all the top designers in person

Never without headgear: Part of the hat collection of James Goldstein

Room with a view: Watching L.A. downtown from the daybed

James with his VIP friends: fashion guru Karl Lagerfeld and model-icon Kate Moss

James’ retreat to relax and to chill

So cool!

Also the fireplace is made of concrete, beside an African sculpture

James Goldstein and the stars … everywhere in the house are framed photographs of James and his famous friends

The fashion-king and I

James Goldstein and me

The property is surrounded by exotic plants

Jim’s car collection includes a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud convertible from the 60s …

… and a Cadilliac from the 60s

Featured pic and photos marked* © ARTJOCKS

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The Livingroom of Thomas Dellert-Dellacroix in his Loft in Berlin-Kreuzberg

In the 70’s, Andy Warhol decided that Tommy Dollar sounds better than Thomas Dellert. That was the time of the ‘Sex Pistols’ and Dellert was a punk rocker and follower of Warhol. Wether ‘Phantom of the Opera’ or ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’: The multi talent Dellert left out hardly any art- and music genre. Since five years, the native of Stockholm, with compassionate connections to the Swedish royal house, lives in Berlin Kreuzberg. The 120 square meter loft of the former Berlin Wall painter is full of memories and dedicated pictures from Yoko Ono and Michael Jackson to Nina Hagen. One isn’t surprised that the antique Samovar was a present of the Russian tsar family to one of Dellert’s ancestral and that he enjoyed the, meanwhile empty, caviar cans together with the erstwhile Shah of Persia and his wife, Empress Farah Diba.

Multimedia-artist, actor, singer, painter & film maker: Thomas Dellert-Dellacroix

MyStylery: Your life took you to many different cities, Paris, London, New York. Today you live in a former chocolate fabric in Berlin. Does an artist have to be here nowadays?
Thomas Dellert: No, to me, Berlin is only a stopover. I’m restless and in thoughts already somewhere else. Maybe I’ll go back to Paris or Stockholm next.

Highheel on telephone: Artpiece by Thomas Dellert

MS: In your loft you live with your wife and two children. And you also work here…
TD: I never separate work and privacy. My life is my work.

This is what the home of a manic collector looks like

MS: Two times within five years you got robbed. Do the things that stayed with you become a different meaning?
TD: Yes, such as Miles Davis’ trumpet or my collection of stockings from the 30s and 40s. Among is also a pair that Marlene Dietrich gave to me in 1973. Especially the things that can’t be replaced are the important ones. Therefore I saved all my projects on harddrive, which I keep in a hundred years old, very thick steal-safe.

Dellert loves provocation – even and especially in his art

MS: Wherever you look around here, you always find something new. Have you always been a collector?
TD: Yes, a passionate one. My style is creative and full of love. The carpets I designed myself. But I also like Danish design, such as the chair from Kjaerholm.

The black leather chair is by Kjaerholm, the carpets are Dellert-Design

MS: How did you get the idea of wallpapering your bedroom with a leopard print?
TD: (laughs) Since I was 18 I always had a leo-wallpaper. It’s the energy from back then, which I hope for and thereby get back. Now I am 60, three times divorced, survived fires and car accidents. Today I’m standing in the Autumn of life and look back.

Wherever one looks, there is always something new to discover

MS: Kitchen furniture, floor, lampshades, nearly all walls are black here. Why?
TD: I never really thought about this. Black isn’t a color, it’s a powerful basis, a symbol and has something sedative. When I close my eyes, I see black, but also all the other colors. Actually black is the beginning and ending of everything.  BvH

Besides Andy Warhol, Dellert is the only artist who ever designed a SL-Edition for Mercedes

Thomas Dellert’s likeness as a bottle label – also an expression of his versatility

Dellert – who was named Tommy Dollar by Andy Warhol – was enthusiastic about pop art and inspired Warhol to his camouflage series

VIP toilet: On the walls pictures, autographs and dedications from Nina Hagen to Michael Jackson

Former Berlin wall painter Dellert, who was born just eight years after the end of WWII, deals in his works with the war theme, the Holocaust and the division of Germany

Thomas Dellert in his bedroom: Here he also keeps treasures of his collection such as the snakeskin-heels of Leni Riefenstahl or a stage outfit of Jimi Hendrix

Dellert’s art is represented among others in ‘The Absolut Vodka’ Collection and ‘The Heinz Collection’ and the Holocaust Memorial Museum

Dellert was already fascinated of leoprints as a jung man. Today his entire bedroom is papered with it

Memories of Africa. Dellert lived in New York, Barcelona, twelve years in Paris, eight years in London, in Barcelona and in Stuttgart

Customized workplace

Dellert has a certain penchant for the morbid

And again Leo: this time not a print, but a real one

Contact Thomas Dellert:

www.thomasdellert.com

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The mellow vineyards of the Santa Rita Hills and the Hilliard Bruce estate*

In Santa Barbara, California, 20 miles from the sea, lies the 250-hectare winery Hilliard Bruce, which is surrounded by the Santa Rita Hills. The big bronze gateway opens for appointed visitors only. Past many rosaries and herb gardens, the palm-lined driveway leads to the house of the couple John Hilliard and Christine Bruce, an in Tuscan-style built villa with adjacent horse stables. Since 2004, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are cultivated here – in fact, personally by John and Christine.

The rippling fountain and palm-lined paths welcome me

A stylish mixture of fabrics and materials in the living room – Interior design by Christine Bruce

MyStylery: John, you led the domestic shipyards from Houston for ages, later engaging in the art scene. What caused a Texan tradesman to grow wine in California?
John Hilliard: I had a serious kidney disease, including two kidney transplantations and chemotherapies. I am a fighter, I survived, and I knew, that this was not everything my life had to offer. And as Christine and I had always been passionate gardeners, the idea of growing an own winery arose. At first the plan was Texas…

I love the antique furniture in a mix with modern country style

The ancient door handles – now used as a decoration – come from France

MS: … not the classic area for winegrowing really…
JH: Exactly. When we came here for the first time, we instantly knew that this was the right place. We benefitted from the cool breeze of the pacific. The grapes can be cooled naturally over night and, by the way, are only harvested in the early morning hours and after sunset to keep the aroma of the grapes during the process.

John Hilliard with poodle Wig relaxing on the sofa in the living room, which is also used for wine tasting

MS: Christine and you, both of you are certificated gardeners and also created the parks and orchards. But isn’t winegrowing on a new level?
JH: Especially in a country, where everything is “organic”. We do not take stock in these biodynamical methods. We pit on sustainability and traditional agriculture.

John and Christine infront of the painting “Monkey” by the American artist Donald Roller Wilson*

MS: What does that mean?
JH: We bear in mind the ecological principals, including organisms in their environment. Our winery is completely solar-powered. A specific aquifer waters the vines to save water. We comply the “SIP Certified Standards”, an independent control system, which is incentive for us. And we only grow 50 hectares of wine, so that we can keep the project small and the quality high.

Christine’s piano with a view into the rose garden

Christine Bruce sits down with us, grey-bluish paint on hands and check shirt.

CB: Sorry, I just had to paint a table for the kitchen.
JH: Christine has an incredible sense for interior. She arranged the house and the hall for the winetastings and chose colors and fabrics. The horse stables were also built to her specifications.

In this newly built hall the wine of Hilliard Bruce is produced

MS: Christine, you studied music and were a successful keyboard player in R&B bands. An unusual career for someone who is a horse breeder and vintner today.
CB: I grew up in the countryside and loved playing in the garden since I was a child. When I could not see anything at night, I took a lamp and placed it next to the patch. For me, there is nothing better than the smell of fresh mint, the living nature and to work with my hands.
JH: We are here now and happy. Our life motto comes from the german-american author Robert Green Ingersoll, which is also printed on all our wine labels: “Happiness is the only good. The time to be happy is now. The place to be happy is here. The way to be happy is to make others so.”  BvH

The main entrance next to the horse stables

The oak barrels from France cost $ 1,200 a piece and after five years they have to be exchanged for new ones

Floating islands keep the lake algae-free

Tip:

The beautiful tasting room is open by appointment only

Contact Hilliard Bruce:

2097 Vineyard View Lane,
Lompoc, CA 93438,
USA
+1 305-979-2601

www.hilliardbruce.com

Photos marked* and featured pic by Jeremy Ball, www.bottlebranding.com

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The home of the writer Ivana Jeissing in Brandenburg. The historical coloring of the house had to be reconstructed again. It was rehabilitated for two years

A beautiful woman in a beautiful house by a beautiful lake. Sounds almost like in a picture book. And it is. Ivana Jeissing, a native of Austria, lives by one of the most magnificent lakes in Brandenburg. In 1998 the successful writer came to Berlin. At first she lived in a purist townhouse in the trendy center of the capital. By chance, Ivana Jeissing discovered this jeweler’s jewel, elaborated it, and awakened the almost striking mansion with the light outer facade and the green-red wood elements from the Sleeping Beauty sleep. Here the author lives since 2012 together with her Icelandic companion and two dogs on 900 square meters.

In 1998 the successful writer Ivana Jeissing came to Berlin

MyStylery: You can not really complain about lack of space, dear Ivana…
Ivana Jeissung (laughs): Right! I was not aware how big the house actually was at first. But when I first saw it from the lake, it was clear, that it had to be this one.
MS: The house and you searched and found each other?
IJ: I’ve always been a fan of the opposite laying horticulture and have watched the house over the years. It was empty for 15 years. Nobody wanted this object, which was located directly on the street. The property was so grown with plants that you could not see the lake. The roof had partly fallen into place. A complete renovation case, which I approached with great naiveté.
MS: To what extent?
IJ: The third floor was completely removed. Roof and truss were renewed. The house stood under a gigantic shell like a hollow tooth. Despite these enormous interventions, there was nothing that went very wrong. No catastrophes. Most complicated was the construction of the terrace, which did not exist before and which had to be approved. The house served as an old dormitory in GDR times and ran in the immediate border area, which is why terraces and balconies were presumably removed. I cannot imagine a house by the lake without a terrace.

The beautiful terrace with lake view

MS: You’ve lived five years in Berlin’s wild center. What a contrast program…
IJ: My then husband and I had a townhouse built over five floors in Oberwallstrasse (Street in Berlin). Minimalist and reduced, it consisted only of stainless steel, glass and stone. At that time I wanted only the most necessary, so there was not even a closet. Instead, emptiness where one looked. Not a single little tin in the bathroom, no frills. It was like an inner inventory, which made me feel very well at the time. I also wrote my second novel there.
MS: Your first novel was made in an old Berlin apartment building. Do you move for each of your books?
IJ (laughs): One could think so. But suddenly there was the longing for something old again, a house with a bit of tutelage. I came out of this reduction and found myself suddenly in this old house with all its playful elements.

In the hall the huge original fireplace with its colorful ceramic tiles, the coat of arms of the builders and playful details

MS: Tell us about the magic of this place …
IJ: It is the view you have from here, which is absolutely timeless. There is nothing to indicate at which time we are living, no electric cable, no car, no sign of our high-tech age. The rest. And nature.
MS: And there are many walls for your art. How did you become a collector?
IJ: When I came to Berlin at the end of the nineties, I got to know artists through befriended gallery owners. The purchase of my first pictures came through the personal contact to the artists. I do not see myself as a collector, I just like to live with art. Meanwhile, the walls are full. If something new came along, I would separate myself from the existing one.

Installation „Hydrate“ by Sylvie Fleury and a porcelain figure from the 1940s by Wiener Werkstätten: “The gift of a friend whom I have conceded during his lovesickness.”

MS: What does your focus lie on?
IJ: On contemporary works. I decide intuitively and am not determined in a particular direction.
MS: What art would not come into your house?
IJ: Kitschy craftsmanship or decorative art that wants to please is not my thing. I am interested in corners and edges.
MS: Is there a favorite artist?
IJ: Difficult to answer. In the moment when I say one, many others come to my mind. The last work I bought was from the Frenchman Emmanuel Bornstein. I could not say no.

Working with a view to the lake side: This is the place where Ivana Jeissing writes her new novel

MS: You were a film director and creative director in advertising. How did you get to writing?
IJ: I was an actress too, until I realized I had no talent at all (laughs). After all the turbulent years, I suddenly felt as if I had been thrown out of a high-speed car. It was a real challenge because suddenly I had to start something with myself. I began to write short stories until my agent motivated me for my first novel “Invisible”. Writing went better than I thought. And now I start with my fourth novel.
MS: There are writers who deliver a novel every year.
IJ: I’m definitely not one of them. I need to write longer. Sometimes I come to a point because I have to think a lot or pause for several days. I then need change of scenery and go to the cold store in the supermarket and look at the yoghurts (laughs). Sometimes I also travel spontaneously or meet friends. On other days I write through and am totally immersed in my figures and their parallel world.

“There are no original plans from the house. Also the architect is not known. It was built in 1904 by a Berlin beer brewer family, expanded in 1908 to a total of 900 square meters of living space.”

MS: Workwise, did you get where you’ve always seen yourself?
IJ: I always keep a door open with a willingness to move on. I’ve never been to the point in my career where I told myself, right, this is it now.
MS: You live in a dream villa, have a great man and two cute dogs. Are there any left open wishes?
IJ: I’m very happy. From time to time I dream of a very minimalist house on Iceland in the snow with a view of the North Atlantic and a cozy cottage in the sun. I do not want to live in the city anymore. BvH

Ivana Jeissing in the stairwell of her villa – always accompanied by the dogs

About Ivana Jeissing:

Ivana Jeissing was born in Salzburg and grew up in Austria and Italy. Other stations in her life were Vienna, London and Barcelona. Today the author lives and works in Berlin. She worked as a film director and creative director before devoting herself exclusively to writing. Her first novel “Invisible” was translated into several languages. Her second novel “Felsenbrüter” and the third novel “Wintersonnen” deal with the elementary questions of life. For her debut “Invisible”, Jeissing received the DeLia Literary Prize in 2008.

The entrance of the villa built in 1904. The floor is decorated with original tiles

The Chinese vintage shelf was discovered by Ivana Jeissing in Berlin

The picture above the sofa is by Sergej Jensen. In front, the blowball lamp of the South-American designer Jorge Pardo

“I bought these copper deers in Milan in an antique shop”, says Ivana Jeissing. “The Bambis remind me of my childhood in Italy.” Above the fireplace, a picture of Carsten Fock, developed in collaboration with the fashion designer Bernhard Wilhelm

Details of the fireplace

Framed by pictures and sculptures is the white lamp classic „Nessino Tavolo“ from Artemide

Oil painting by Carsten Fock behind a daybed with blue velvet cushions

The Greyhound comes from a gallery in England. “I love greyhounds and find that this one fits very nicely beside the porcelain figure, which I found in a antique store in the Berlin Mommsenstraße.”

Lovely light reflections and a capitoned sofa by AMJ Design, “Babydoll” by Jonathan Meese. The “Fun Lamp” lamp is by Verner Panton

„Come down to Earth” by Daniel Pflumm, beside a sculpture under plexiglass by John Bock

Beautiful view of the intersecting rooms on the ground floor of the villa

The five fireplaces of the house are historic, but not all original: Ivana bought them in England or at auctions. Only the large chimney in the hall with the coat of arms of the builders on colorful ceramic tiles, on which the artist has immortalized, is original

Ivana Jeissing in her custom made kitchen: “I came to Berlin in 1998 and always lived in the middle of the city. Endless parties and nights for example at the Paris Bar. I do not need that anymore today.”

Perfectly arranged and color-matched ball vases on the fireplace mantelpiece in the kitchen

The large kitchen sink is made of wood

In the kitchen tulip chairs and table by Eero Saarinen, behind it a brown leather sofa by Piero Lissoni

Almost like on vacation: Lunch on the magnificent terrace overlooking the lake

From the living room you enter the terrace with a large round table and chairs by Verner Panton

Everything in sight has Jack Russell Mr. Pipo: the cognac colored Egg Chairs infront of the fireplace are from Arne Jacobsen

Image with Pitbull Terrier: A work of Russian artist Kalonin. “When I acquired the picture, the concept of ‘fighting dog’ did not exist yet.”

In the large hall with the original fireplace the Ball Chair by Eero Aarnio …

… and the historical stucco ceilings, which were no longer available and were reconstructed according to old models

Always there: The Jack Russell Terrier Lady Ena (7) and Mr. Pipo (4)

The colors for the walls had to be mixed: “Two shades of blue, which vary depending on the room and the light incident. From light blue to blue-gray.” The ceilings are white as a contrast.

In the guest room the oil painting “Alice” by Stefan Rinck

The façade with the green-red wooden elements reminds us more of architecture from southern Germany

Watched through the wooden pier: From here you can admire a wonderful view …

… that is also loved by the two dogs

Living where others go on holiday

Lush rosaries line the 4,000 square meter lake property

Under the terrace is a sheltered seating corner …

… where you can sit comfortably even in indifferent weather

Ivana Jeissing loves gardening

In her garden there are roses, lavender and fruit trees …

… and shady places under old trees

Mr. Pipo checks the situation: The doggies like to take over the water

Pure idyll on the boat bridge – it doesn’t get any better, I think!

Ivana Jeissing found her first Jack Russell Ena over a note in the horse stable. “My Greyhound had just died. I cannot imagine a life without a dog. “

Small still life with apples from the garden

Contact Ivana Jeissing:

metrolit.de

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Haralampi Oroschakoff in his studio …

The atelier of artist Haralampi Oroschakoff is located in a 30’s building of an industrial district in West Berlin. Although I know the Austrian-born for many years now, this is my first visit to the nearly 300-square-meter studio, which offers huge windows with a view into a garden settlement. Light shines into the loft-like rooms in which the largely sized pictures of Oroschakoff arise. The avowed Wiener comes from the Old Russian noble family of the Boyars Haralamow-Oreschak, which can be traced back to the eleventh century. For 16 years the internationally successful artist lives with his wife, Countess Diana von Hohenthal und Bergen and the joint children in the German capital. His works hang at the walls of celebrities like Vicky Leandros, Jette Joop or Princess Firyal of Jordan. Nevertheless, his artistic career has always been a struggle for recognition.

… which is located in a 30’s building of an industrial district in West Berlin

MyStylery:  An artist’s studio automatically associates the idea of creative chaos. I’m amazed by the tidiness of your place – it’s downright homely…
Haralampi G. Oroschakoff: To me the atelier is not only a think tank, but also the last place that offers me some personal freedom. I also need to feel comfortable and this is why the rooms haven’t been reduced in their expediency.

“I need to feel comfortable and this is why the rooms haven’t been reduced in their expediency.”

MS: What does the initial ‘G’ in your name stand for?
HGO: Georgijewitsch.
MS: Your father was a successful steel producer in Vienna, where you spent parts of your childhood. You could have followed his footsteps.
HGO: My father never got over the loss of the Russian Empire and the fall of the aristocracy. I should have taken over the factory, but after a year it was clear that this wouldn’t be something for me. I often overslept, thought it’s more amusing to go for Lunch instead of driving to construction sites. My father was also a mathematician and structural engineer, for example he built the Franz-Josef train station in Vienna. I, however, was an incredibly bad student who flew from ten boarding schools.
MS: Did your father make you feel that?
HGO: He never talked with me, only talked to me. Even when I exhibited at the Biennale in 1988, he remained implacable. Only when Forbes listed me as newcomer star next to Jeff Koons and Franz West in 1990 my father understood and even came to an exhibition in Belgrade.

On the wall in Haralampi’s office posters of his exhibitions

MS: That must have been very sad for you to experience no recognition as a young person.
HGO: As a child I was a silent, soul-searching powerhouse. I have much compensated by sport, I played tennis, rode horses, later drove classic car rallies. And I painted. For me drawing was thinking with a pencil.

Haralampis great-great-grandfather was the Royal Regent of Serbia. On the left: “Different Worlds (17)” , 2013; On the right hand side: “Different Worlds (30)”, 2014

MS: Why did you quit the Viennese academy of arts after only three months?
HGO: The structures were too rigid. I always hated dogmas and ideologies. It’s an inner ambivalence in me. As an artist I have to destroy things to create something new. I have actually damaged my career three times itself.
MS: What do you mean?
HGO: In the 80s I got the needed media attention to be considered as successful. But this was not enough for me and in the 90s I felt I had to face up to Eastern Europe, also as a tribute to my roots. At the turn of the millennium I went to Berlin. However my gallerists didn’t support my decision. It was always a new beginning.

“True personalities only exist barely those days. Nowadays it’s all about consumption and verbal egalitarianism.”

MS: The extreme lifestyle and the provocation seem to be parts of your personality.
HGO (laughs): The dandy and aristocrat always irritated the art scene, merely by their appearance. I also maintained these relationships, including drinking bouts and brawls – but always with the necessary elegance.
MS: The ‘Paris Bar’ in Berlin has been your second living room for years. Nowadays you seem to be very brave. Don’t you miss something?
HGO: Let’s say it like that: I mostly said adieu to vodka. I’ll come back.
MS: You describe yourself as a family man. Does family play such an important role to you due to your childhood experiences?
HGO: I consider myself a “penultimate member” in the family series. That’s why I have to give more living tradition to the next generation. This does not only include friendship and respect, honor and responsibility. I also hope that later, my children are going to preserve my work. BvH

Argo 3, 2012

With the double-cross series Haralampi Oroschakoff succeeded an international breakthrough. With the historical fiction book “Die Battenberg Affaire” (“The Battenberg Affair”) Oroschakoff also made himself a name as book author

Today, paintings, drawings and texts are from equivalent expression for Oroschafkoff. Here the artwork “Different Worlds” (31), 2014

Haralampi Oroschakoff: A Dandy in the art scene, who turns up rock music of Lou Reed and Metallica whilst working

Haralampi Oroschakoff: I’ll come back

While the large-format works of Haralampi Oroschakoff arise in the studio in Berlin, he paints Aquarelle on the family estate in Cannes: “With a sea view and an incredibly beautiful light.”

A real Grandseigneur: Haralampi Oroschakoff speaks Russian, French, English, Bulgarian – and Viennese.

Contact:

www.oroschakoff.com

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The manor of the Fritzen family was built in 1801 by the German noble family Freiherren of Hammerstein

Who does not dream of it? Living in a beautiful country house, with lots of space for the family, surrounded by endless nature and a large garden with old trees. This dream came true for Austrian interior designer Simone Fritzen and her husband. Since 2003, the couple, with their four children and dog Amy, live in a 200-year-old mansion in Schleswig-Holstein, a one hour car ride north of Hamburg. Previously, the Fritzens had their home in the Hansestadt. How do established urban people become convinced landlords? MyStylery visits the north!

Simone Fritzen: “My guiding principle is to meet my customers, their wishes and the object, taking into account the budget.”

MyStylery: Many dream of living in the countryside. You took the step. Was it planned for a long time?
Simone Fritzen: My husband is a hunter and always had the vision of country life. Then we found this oasis of calm through an auction house. When I first entered the house being pregnant, I knew immediately: This is it. Not visible and still located in the middle of the village. My husband lured me with the argument to be able to make a beautiful house even more beautiful. He has plenty of room for tinkering and – most importantly – a plug for his lawn mower. And for children, there is nothing better than to grow up in the countryside and in the midst of nature.

What a wonderful view from the living room into the garden!

MS: Was there any major redevelopment effort or were you be able to move in right away?
SF: We’ve made some spatial changes. Where before was a bird aviary, today is the kitchen. The floors were sanded, walls were trowelled and dyed. And then all this ravaged wallpaper. It had to go away. (laughs)
MS: From my own experience, I know that rural life requires a different organization and logistics than life in the city.
SF (laughs): Oh, yes. As a mother you will be the chauffeur of your children whose school is 45 minutes away from here. Almost everything is done by car. You have to compromise. As a passionate chef, I also follow my passions here, cooking jam, puzzling around in the garden. That fits.

In the beginning of the 19th century the Freiherren of Hammerstein commissioned the Danish architect C.F. Hansen with the design of the mansion

MS: You used to accompany international projects as an interior designer. Do you miss this?
SF: I’ve been working from my home-office for years and am still on the road. Right now I am planning for a real estate broker. At first she was interested in my furniture design. Now I organize the entire object for her. The most beautiful thing about my job is that I see many interesting houses and always adjust myself to the customer and the object again and again.
MS: You’re dealing with a demanding clientele. Does it follow your opinion or does it want to make its own decisions?
SF: This is always different and requires a lot of fingertip feeling and empathy. I remain true to my principles. Firstly, a Tuscan country house does not fit into the metropolis. And secondly, never do everything new. Things that are special to the costumers always get their place.

View into the dining room

MS: Sounds simple, but it is not. What should be considered?
SF: In principle, you should pay attention to where you step. And this in the truest sense of the word: I would otherwise have stepped on a painting of Chagall lying on the floor in a London apartment of a customer. (Laughs) Another customer first commissioned a swimming pool, had an excavation pit excavated, which then was subsequently reprocessed. Instead he now wanted a billiard room. As an architect, you always live with the spontaneous decisions of your customers.
MS: What is important to you in your own four walls?
SF: I love colors, a passion that was shaped in my time in England, where I studied color theory. The furnishing is a certain casualness. I do not like it when everything is so sterile and stereotyped. Furnishings is linked to a story that tells something about its inhabitants. It is authentic. Like our home.  BvH

“I love colors, a passion that was shaped in my time in England”, Simone Fritzen says

Soon it will be Easter, as evidenced by Simone Fritzen’s decorations

About Simone Fritzen:

Grown up near Kitzbühel, Simone Fritzen studied interior architecture in Rosenheim. After a year in England, where she worked with color theory at Coloroll, the Austrian went to Hamburg. She knows how to pad chairs and distress furniture. S.F. worked for well-known architects and realized hotel and boarding house projects, among other things such as the “Madison” in Hamburg and Berlin, as well as the “Elbflorenz” in Dresden for the interior installer Holger Stewen. As an independent interior designer, Simone Fritzen looks for an international clientele. She designs furniture and specializes in high-end fabrics such as Rubelli, Pierre Frey, Osborne & Little, Nobilis and Nina Campell.

Beautiful porcelain painting by Simone Fritzen:

Since for years multi-talented Simone Fritzen has also been a porcelain painter

The Danish architect C.F. Hansen, a well-known architect of his time, built whole streets in Hamburg and various mansions with classical facades in Schleswig-Holstein according to the Italian model of the Palladio villas

The wardrobe is guarded by hunting trophies

The corridor with zebra skin on antique tiles

The large kitchen was designed by Simone Fritzen in collaboration with kitchen builder Hecker. Eye-catchers are the red Panton chairs

Next to the kitchen the playroom of the children, where Simone also supervises the homework of the kids

The gray lacquered wooden kitchen table lit by Tobias Grau lights

Doggy Amy, a Parson Russell Terrier

Simone Fritzen mixes the old and new: The antique secretary is Viennese Biedermeier and was a wedding gift from Simone’s father

The fireplace corner with a black and white fashion photography by Philipp von Hessen

Classically elegant with modern elements is the furnishing in the house of Simone Fritzen

Soon it will be Easter, as evidenced by Simone Fritzen’s decorations

Large wing doors frame the magnificent viewing angle

Simone Fritzen discovered the golden wall-holder at Holger Stewen, beside it a zebra photograph from a Hamburg gallery, the side-lamp with the orange-colored glass base is made of Murano glass

Beautiful view …

… and love to detail

The studio of the Interior Expert …

… on the wall a black and white photograph of the “Wilde Kaiser” in Kitzbühel, Simone’s Austrian home

From the white-lined corridor on the first floor, which is also used by the Fritzen boys as an area for car racing …

… the children’s and bedrooms are separated

Daughter Emma’s room

The guest’s bathroom

The room of Simone’s youngest son Willem

The neo-classical entrance portal

Magnificent is the rosery, which has accurately cut bushes, from which you have a view to the orangery with its original metal windows

From the city to the countryside: Simone Fritzen and her family fulfilled this dream in Schleswig-Holstein

Contact Simone Fritzen:

simone@fritzen-interior.de

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Inés Carvajal and her husband the Spanish Embassador Pablo Garcia were the representatives of Spain in Germany for four and a half years

In a few days the tenure of the Spanish Ambassador Pablo Garcia-Berdoy Cerezo and his wife Inés de Carvajal-Argüelles in Germany ends. Then suitcases have to be packed and goodbyes are spoken. I meet Inés in the Spanish Embassy, a neoclassical, representative building with a column portal and a view of the Tiergarten in Berlin. For four and a half years, the building, which was built during the period of National Socialism and now under monument protection, was the home of Inés and her family.

Inés Carvajal infront of the painting of the former Spanish Queen Sofia in the staircase of the Spanish Embassy

MyStylery: Inés, did you feel at home in the embassy? It is very large and representative.
Inés Carvajal: We have our private rooms, including a private living room. The room decor, however, I have not changed. Back then we arrived with only one suitcase. Over time, a lot has accumulated. Unfortunately (laughs). We are collectors. Of course, we will take books and souvenirs back to Madrid. I think the less you have, the less stressful it is.
MS: Some ambassadors’ wives have changed the entire embassy at the time of their husband’s entrance …
IC: Apart from the fact that this was not necessary, Spain is in an economic crisis. Such an expenditure would be inappropriate. It is not our house, although I felt very comfortable here.

The grand salon of the Spanish Embassy welcomes visitors in warm colors

MS: You only have a few days left in Berlin. What will you miss?
IC: I will miss our local friends very much. Berlin is so green, so young and a great bike city. I drive all routes by bike, also from Tiergarten to Dahlem. This is my workout at the same time. Biking gives me the feeling of freedom. In the summer I swam a lot in the Berlin lakes. This cannot be done in any other European city. I am a fan of classical music and the cultural program in Berlin is fantastic. I love Berlin.
MS: The Berliners are not considered as friendly and obliging. Did you experience it like this, too?
IC: I like the openness of the Berliners very much. One might think we’re here for only four years, so it’s not worth getting to know each other. The opposite was the case. And although from the beginning it was clear that we would go back after four years, I could imagine staying here.

Inés Carvajal infront of the pictures from the Spanish artist Francisco Borès and a sculpture from José Subira Puig

MS: I can imagine it to be hard to move from one location to the next: you’ve just got acclimatized, it’s adios again!
IC: Even my grandparents were diplomats, I know it no different. I was very young when I married Pablo at the age of 22. At 23 I was mother for the first time. Juan was born in Manila, Pepe in Bonn and the youngest, Pablo in Madrid. The children were with us in Bucharest. Only my eldest went to the boarding school in Sankt Blasien in the Black Forest because there was no German school in Bucharest. I like to be abroad, it gives me a special energy. I am curious and like to meet people.
MS: You’re a studied linguist, but you’ve put your own career behind your husbands.
IC: True, especially as it is not easy to work as a diplomat’s wife abroad. Nevertheless, I have, of course, always performed tasks and committed myself. Teamwork is an essential aspect of the ambassadorial existence. And I see myself with Pablo as a team. The representative tasks are always fun.

Inés Carvajal and I having teatime under the tapestry: This one is from the 17th century

MS: But you did not have an easy start in Germany. When you came to Berlin four and a half years ago, your family suffered a heavy fate.
IC: One of my sons was suffering from Rhabdomyosarcoma, a very rare type of cancer. When we got the diagnosis, we flew to Boston the next day, where they specialized on this form of cancer. Pepe was operated and received chemotherapy for five months. When we returned to Europe, we thought he was completely cured. In time, my husband has embarked on his new job as an ambassador in Berlin. In Germany cancer came back massively. Nine months later he died. At the age of 19.
MS: How do you deal with it as a parent?
IC: It’s so difficult to find the right words. Many things simply sound like a platitude. “You still have two healthy children ‘or something. This does not help.

The tableplate in the salon is made of antique tanned leather and manufactured according to ancient craftsmanship traditions

MS: Are you in despair?
IC: It is an almost unbearable grief to lose such young people. At the beginning, you think you’re in a nightmare. In Spain, we would have felt the sadness and farewell differently. Berlin was a new task, a new environment and a challenge that distracted us. To meet people was then my life-saving. One also slips into a role and does not carry its inner being outwards. I’ve always done a lot with my son, sang a lot, he accompanied me on the piano. Pepe had a great sense of humor, I miss him very much.
MS: Some partnerships are broken by such an experience. Did it work with you and Pablo?
IC: In the beginning, it was difficult to talk about it. Everybody mourns differently. I think men tend to run away and don’t want to feel.

The representative premises of the embassy serve for official events. For this reason, Inés and her husband renounced family photos or personal belongings

MS: What helped you during that time?
IC: I’ve read a lot about the subject. In fact, the book Don Quixote de la Mancha helped me.
MS: The man who fights against windmills?
IC (laughs): One who takes the fight with everything. Miguel de Cervantes has a special philosophical way and how he looks at life is great. When he wrote the book, he was 58 years old and was able to incorporate his life experiences into the book. He was never recognized as a great poet and the book was misunderstood at first. He was very coherent. Cervantes has lived from hand to mouth, was very generous and is therefore already admirable.

The blue work of the artist José Maria Yturralde in the dining room measures 3.5 x 7.5 meters

MS: I admire your ability to express yourself in German.
IC: Oh, thank you! In Germany I have studied linguistics and the philology of the 15th and 16th centuries. And I love the German grammar.
MS: Really? Hardly a German says that about himself.
IC (laughs): Yes, nobody can understand that. German is really a heavy language. But I love to master things. But in fact, I speak better Romanian and English.
MS: And from January comes another foreign language with French …
IC: Exactly. Our next diplomatic station is Brussels.

Gobelin detail: What an great art piece!

MS: I love Spain with all its facets. Nevertheless, Spain is often reduced to bullfighting, paella and Mallorca.
IC: That is undoubtedly a part of Spain. I think it’s okay. I personally love Mallorca very much and spend the holiday there with the family.
MS: What do you think about the fact that many Germans see the bullfighting critically?
IC: A difficult debate. The issue is now polarizing in Spain, especially in the vegetarian movement. I believe that bullfighting is a tradition that may not survive. Although bullfighting is also a cultural treasure and art. The beauty in movement. By the way, with many complicated rules. It is said that they are the only rules that are respected and accepted by all Spaniards. BvH

The porcelain of the Spanish embassy is decorated with the Spanish coat of arms

For desert Inés Carvajal has prepared fresh fruits

I am touched by the openness of Inés and our conversation

The well-known interior expert Rosa Bernal is responsible for the interior design of the Spanish Embassy

Inés loves chamber music and the music of the Renaissance: “We like to go to the Opera and the Philharmonic. Whenever possible. We just went to Fidelio. A great orchestra and great singers.”

Did you know that every Spaniard has two surnames? “I have my father’s last name and my mother’s name. And Pablo that of his parents, “says Inés Carvajal. “Even if you marry, you do not accept the partner’s surname.”

Beautiful contrast between modern art and antique furniture

A portrait of the former King Juan Carlos hangs in the staircase of the Spanish embassy

The garden of the Spanish Embassy

“When the children were small, I discovered the craft for myself and set up a studio in which I had bound books. I could do this in the evening when the children slept.”

The neoclassical building in Berlin’s Tiergarten where the Spanish embassy is located

Contact:

www.info-spanischebotschaft.de

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The US Residence is located in a white Wilhelmanian-style house in Berlin-Dahlem

Today is Thanksgiving, which, for many Americans, is the most important of all family celebrations. And for Kimberly Marteau Emerson, the wife of US Ambassador John B. Emerson, this is the most important time of the year. I met the professional lawyer in her residence, a white Wilhelmanian-style house in Berlin-Dahlem. As a member of the board of directors of Human Rights Watch, she is heavily involved in the struggle for human rights and equality of women.

“I dedicate a lot of time and energy to human rights, which is important to me and is part of what makes me tick.”

MyStylery: Kimberly, what is so special about Thanksgiving?
Kimberly Marteau Emerson: Thanksgiving was originally celebrated in the 17th Century by the Pilgrims, refugees who were some of the first immigrants to come to the New World. Native Americans had helped the newcomers survive in this strange land called America. Thanksgiving was the Pilgrims’ way to say thank you. It is parallel to what is happening right now with the refugees in Germany. They are experiencing big changes and learning in a new world with the help of Germans who are volunteering and assisting them.

Sitting area and fireplace in the US Residence

MS: What does Thanksgiving mean to you and your family?
KME: To us, it’s the most important holiday of the year, a uniquely American holiday, where everyone comes and cooks together. The central idea is to break bread and be together. Being grateful for what we have and giving back to those who have less. This year we are focusing on the refugees, and we are making donations to the ‘Berliner Stadtmission’ and ‘Doctors Without Borders’ (Médecins Sans Frontières). Christmas is a fantastic holiday, too, but you have to keep trying to find the real meaning of Christmas and not let it get too materialistic and commercial.

Family dog Ginger, a Golden Retriever, welcomes me

MS: Right now everyone in the residence seems to be very busy …
KEM: That’s right. We are hosting three different Thanksgiving dinners this week, so the kitchen is prepping around the clock. It will be especially wonderful to share this holiday with our German friends.

On the coffeetable is the artwork ‘Love-Hate’ by the Berlin artist Mia Florentine Weiss. The embroidered cushions on the chairs are a homage to Berlin and Los Angeles

MS: A Thanksgiving dinner without a pumpkin pie is not conceivable. Tell me about what makes your pie so unique.
KME: This pumpkin pie is one of my family’s recipes. It’s about things you can find from the earth. The secret is the right balance of spices, like cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. They give pumpkin pie a kick. Otherwise you can’t bring out the complexity of the pumpkin. And you should try to add your personal twist, too.

The table is already set: “We will have three different Thanksgiving dinners with approximately 150 kilos of turkey this week and every person is somebody we know and like personally.”

MS: What is yours?
KME: I prefer a little extra cinnamon. And for the topping I only use freshly-made whipped cream.
MS: Sounds great! What do you miss most about Los Angeles and your life in the US?
KME: Well, I miss my family and my friends, even though I have made some wonderful friends here. Also, the beach and the beautiful weather. What I really don’t miss is the driving in L.A. and the permanent traffic jams. (Laughs)

On the piano: family photos and memories

MS: What do you like most about Berlin?
KME: Berlin has something really meaningful because of its history: It’s only been 25 years since the fall of the Wall and before that, the Cold War. I love the creativity of Berlin and the people I meet here. The mix of new and old, before and after. The way it faces its WWII history. It’s a beautiful, green city with edge and grunge. It’s like New York in the late seventies, it offers you so much space to grow and is still affordable. Berlin is a cool place.

The Livingroom: Remarkable is the beautiful wooden ceiling

MS: Your daily schedule is really packed. Do you still have time remaining for your family and hobbies?
KME: I have less time for everything, but I love reading books, even if it takes awhile. I spend time with my kids, and it’s a priority to go see my girls playing soccer. They actually attend a lot of events with us, which makes going even more fun. I make time to play tennis. It’s not just a hobby, it’s about health. And John and I try hard to keep up watching the TV series ‘Homeland’, where one scene of the last season was shot under the Berlin Reichstag in the subway station. Great, right?

Library and small dining room

MS: Absolutely. I am also addicted to ‘Homeland’. Beside this, can you remember the last time John and you spent an enjoyable evening together, just the two of you?
KME: Yes, a month ago we went to an island for one week to celebrate our 25th anniversary. We had dinners on empty beaches, with nobody else around. Honestly, we couldn’t remember the last time we did anything like this. But we also realize how lucky we are to have had that luxury. Now we are back at work and really are dedicated to helping the less fortunate during the holiday season. That’s important for us.

The Obamas and the Emersons

MS: You are already the so called Ambassadorable. Could you imagine becoming an Ambassador yourself?
KME: (Laughs) I have some background in foreign policy and foreign affairs. I got a Masters Degree in French Private Law and spent two years in France. I worked as an official in the US Information Agency during the Clinton Administration. Obviously to have this opportunity would be an enormous honor, but right now it’s not something I think about. Right now I am supporting John to do the best job possible.

The Emersons are art enthusiastics. In the residence they have assembled and brought together a collection of abstract and representational artworks in a variety of media in collaboration with the US Department of State’s office of Art in Embassies. Here the painting ‘In every city’ by Martinez

MS: John’s term formally ends on January 20th in 2017 …
KME: … but fortunately there’s still a year left and we have many things to do. We have enormous affection for Germany and especially for Berlin. This is an important chapter in our lives. We are not ready to leave yet. BvH

This Interview was first published November 25, 2015.

Kimberly Marteau Emerson and me

Contact:

www.hrw.org

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Performance artist Mia Florentine Weiss lives and works in this restored former warehouse in Berlin

When I visited the performance artist Mia Florentine Weiss last week in her Berlin studio, I had to watch my steps. On the floor: an in groups ordered, artistic mess of glassware, photographs and picture frames: Preparations for Mia’s new exhibition ‘Wunderkammer’, which starts in Berlin this weekend.* In between exhibits of previous projects such as the just-ended solo exhibition in the Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt. The in Wuerzburg born artist commutes between Berlin, Frankfurt and Los Angeles. Since the birth of her son in 2014, Berlin is the center of life. Here she lives with her husband and child since one and half years in a former warehouse, idyllically situated beside the River Spree. The hall-like industrial loft – divided into living and work area – was lovingly restored by Mia and her husband.

Mia explains the concept of the Pegasus project, which can be seen this weekend in the former State Council building of the GDR in Berlin

MyStylery: In your studio it looks like a lot of work, dear Mia …
Mia Florentine Weiss: Tell me more! I could be relaxing on the sofa in the evenings. Instead, I arrange the bones and limbs of porcelain figurines in night shifts.
MS: Wunderkammer is your new exhibition. That sounds exciting …
MFW: In the Renaissance, there were to be found Wunderkammern in all the courts and royal houses where anomalies and curiosities were issued. Cabinets, that represented the universal connection of all things as a unity of art, nature and science. The new exhibition is a spatial installation of curiosities, objets trouvés and photographs.
MS: What can I expect there? More-headed monsters and three-eyed dragons?
MFW (laughs): Expect to be thrilled. The exhibition is an extension of my ,Pegasus’-sculpture, a symbol of escape and hope that will be shown during the ‘Global Council Summits’ of Human Rights Watch this weekend in Berlin. In the former State Council building of the GDR, which was once the residence of Erich Honecker. What an irony!

Curiosities and objets trouvés, which are shown in the ‘Wunderkammer’ exhibition …

… and various photographs

MS: Why has a natural history museum shown a contemporary artist with polarizing work?
MFW: The visitors should open new horizons: Nature meets culture. And I seemed to be the only artist who served this interface of tradition and modernity, human and machine, life and transience. Pegasus was not just Greek mythology and the winged horse, but represents differentness that does not correspond to the prevailing standard.

The wings of Mia’s performance ‘Art Angel’ 2011-2012 in Los Angeles

MS: After high school you went to travel the world in the late 90s for a year, where you already collected the first objects. Have you already been aware of your artistic ambitions back then?
MFW: From every major city – whether Denpasar or Nairobi – I sent a big box with artefacts home during my Work and Travel Journey. I knew I would fall back again to these things. Just as the special collection of African dragonflies of my grandmother, which my mother gave me at graduation. I should take good care of it, she said to me then.
MS: And how was her reaction when she discovered the fireflies in your work?
MFW: Kinda like my father when he looked at the ,Pegasus’ in the Senckenberg Museum: Ah, that’s Grandpa’s! Oh, I’ve been looking for this all the time … Even my confirmation bracelet is plugged in ,Pegasus’ and many other personal items that mean something to me.

The family fleet: An old Harley beside a Bobbycar

MS: In 2000 you studied fashion and journalism in Hamburg. After that acting in Berlin. Were you not so sure about your artistic ambitions anymore?
MFW: There are some artists like Tracey Eman or Valie Export, that came in a roundabout way to their destination. My mother studied at the renowned Folkwang School in Essen and is a freelance artist and designer. Although she is a great role model, an art school was not an option for me. I wanted my own way. Nevertheless, it was important for me to get an education, to which I can always go back to. So I graduated at the AMD in Hamburg. The study of acting I stopped however, because I quickly realized that I can only work independently.

The photographic work was created in the historic pharmacy of the Frankfurt Senckenberg museum in the middle of test tubes with conserved anomalies

MS: You polarize with your art. When I saw the protection shields labeled with your blood in an exhibition, I was a bit scared.
MFW: Statements are part of my work, this includes ambigrams like ‘Love-Hate’. I am not inflationary in words. Only a few words are special, which I express with my blood. It’s not about effects or disgust-art. The worst reaction to my work would be to have no opinion. If someone would say, darling this would fit perfectly in our bedroom or above the couch, then I would have to change a few things.
MS: How much blood you have already processed?
MFW: Over the years there did come together a few liters. In 2006 I had a tank in which I kept the blood. That was a tick from me to always have blood on hand in the refrigerator.

Performance ‘Art Angel’ in Los Angeles with Mia’s blood metaphors on the police car

MS: Art experts often assess artists after their career. They only take artists seriously if they have completed a master class with a renowned artist and have absolved their studying at an eminent academy.
MFW: Warhol, Kienholz, Penck, Nicki de Saint-Phalle, Basquiat and others were no master students. Clear the art academy would have been the classic way, but I always had my own head and ideas.
MS: Are you advise-resistant?
MFW: To the contrary! I’m totally a team player, otherwise my studio world would not work with all my stakeholders. Sometimes a little crazy, but surely also inspiring. (laughs)

“The Berlin artist Nikolai Makarov has a bathtub in the middle of his kitchen. That inspired me.”

MS: How do you separate living and working? Is there potential for conflict?
MFW: Art is my life. Here we saw an opportunity to combine both. I am responsible for my studio, my husband for his workspace. Eventually he looked at my mess from the top and asked, is this staying that way? And I said, this is likely to get worse.
MS: Since 1 ½ years you live in this wonderful loft that you have rebuilt over the past three years. How did you find your Paradise?
MFW: During a boat ride we discovered it from the water and immediately fell for it. I always wanted to be in the city, my husband did not. This was the compromise.

Beautiful view over the Rummelsburger bay

MS: Are you always agreeing on the design, choice of materials and furniture?
MFW: I say it this way: We are still together (laughs). On my flea market finds my husband sometimes reacts a bit skeptical, but then I react that way with his souvenirs from Hongkong, where he lived long. The highlight is the kitchen, which he has built himself. But it is still missing some things, such as lampshades.
MS: But then you have water view from everywhere.
MFW: The other day a friend asked, are you often outside to enjoy the water view? And I realized that I did not even once sit outside. I shift and put off, only the next project, after the catalog, when the exhibition is over. Instead of living in the here and now. I intend to change that now. BvH

Since 1 ½ years this wonderful former warehouse has become the center of life to Mia and her family

On the boat bridge Mia does yoga regularly. From here you have a wonderful view over the Rummelsburger Bay

The state of the industrial loft before renovation

“I often write something on my hand or arm. On an airplane the word ‘love’ on my arm reflected in the window and I saw the word ‘hate’ in it. That was the idea for the Love-Hate Ambigram.”

Mia’s wrists decorated with two white tattoos: ‘Love’ on the left hand and ‘hate’ on the right

The turquoise sofas by the fireplace are a gift from Mia’s gallery manager

Beautiful detail: The fireplace has Mia’s husband built himself

The antlers on the chimney comes from the flea market Porte de Clignancourt in Paris

View into the study of Mia’s husband. On the wall is a photograph by Tracey Eman

Finds from the flea market

Flea market treasures

View into the inviting kitchen

On the piano Mia’s little son exerts in first attempts

A good place for the wine stock

Great idea: An old workbench turns into a kitchen furniture

On the fridge memories from Hongkong

“The elephant teapot I found at the flea market and gave it to my husband as a birthday present.”

The cuisine is made from old wood and was built by Mia’s husband himself

View into the livingroom

Light object from the Milan ‘Luce’-Collection guarded by two Warhols

Beautiful staircase: The connection between the living and working areas

A cemetery fence as parapet

The parapet served formerly as a cemetery fence, which Mia discovered next to the Parisian cemetery Père Lachaise

Mia’s studio seen from above

Also this ragbag of glass vessels will be used in Mia’s work …

… just as these processed findings

“I have all my contacts who supply me with exceptional and rare finds such as this figure with a gas mask.”

“We do not have many symbols, the heart, skull, wings. However, the cross has the greatest symbolism and is most afflicted by all.”

In search of Jesus: “The other day my husband asked me about the Jesus figurine. I said, oh, that is being processed. Meanwhile this is kind off like running gag to us.”

“1 ½ years ago, I have, in collaboration with Pro-asylum for my performance ‘Edges of Europe’ visited various refugee routes …

… and found one of those stranded inflatables. That was the idea to create my performative works as assemblage, with the items that I have found to the Greek stalls. The full extent of the refugee disaster we had at that time not yet understood.”

“The Edra Flap sofa in the studio has been with me for many years. Many memories are associated with it.”

Love and Hate

“Before this skin was mounted on the model of Pegasus, it was in the fridge of our Frankfurt studio, which my team didn’t find so funny because it smelled very intensively. So there had to be bought an extra refrigerator. For a performance on the subject of second skin, life and death I have wrapped myself in the skin, which cost me a great overcome. The smell I still have in my nose today.”

Mia and me!

*Info:

The Cabinet exhibition ‘Wunderkammer‘ runs from June 18 to July 14, 2016 at the Berlin gallery Galerie Friedmann-Hahn. As part of it’s this year’s Global Summit, the organization ‘Human Rights Watch’ at the initiative of US Ambassador wife and ‘Human Rights Watch’-Board Member Kimberly M. Emerson, shows the Pegasus project from 19 to 22 June at the former State Council building (ESMT) in Berlin.

Contact Mia Florentine Weiss:

www.mia-florentine-weiss.com

The post At home with artist Mia Florentine Weiss appeared first on My Stylery.