Latest news with #modernity
The Guardian
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on the sensuous splendour of art nouveau: ripe for revival in the age of AI
Walter Benjamin, the great German theorist of early 20th-century modernity, was famously unimpressed by art nouveau. Dismissive of the style's dreamy aesthetic and flowery taste for designs inspired by the natural world, he described it as 'the last sortie of an art besieged in its tower by technology'. An artistic movement embodying a reaction against the mass production of the industrial age deserved a more sympathetic reception. Nevertheless, the 20th century appeared to agree with Benjamin's analysis. By the end of the first world war, art nouveau's decorative curlicues and flowing forms had fallen out of fashion as a more machine-inspired modernist aesthetic came into vogue. But that was then. More than a century on, as artificial intelligence offers a fresh tech challenge to humanity, a timely spot of revisionism appears to be taking place. Last month, in Paris, it emerged that a museum is finally to be dedicated to one of art nouveau's most deserving and neglected exponents. During the early 1900s, the architect Hector Guimard designed 167 entrances to the city's new Métro, one of which was later to be donated to the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The stylised lettering and sinuous green ironwork, resembling insects' wings or orchid stalks, quickly became synonymous both with art nouveau and with Paris itself. But despite their much-loved and emblematic status, almost half were bulldozed in an ill-advised wave of modernisation. Much of the rest of Guimard's work in the city has been treated with equal disdain. With good reason, the art enthusiasts who have lobbied for the new museum for years see it as the historic 'righting of a wrong'. Meanwhile, 200 miles away in the birthplace of art nouveau, more rehabilitation work has been taking place. As part of a spectacular new exhibition, Brussels' Art and History Museum this summer unveiled a restored version of Victor Horta's famous Winter Garden, an immersive stained-glass marvel that helped make the artist's name when it was designed in 1900. This too became a victim of postwar architectural aesthetics, unceremoniously dismantled as part of a wider urban development programme. A six-year process of reconstruction has salvaged much of the original and replicated the rest. And completing what might be viewed as an upliftingly revivalist year, the work of Alphonse Mucha – best known for his poster portraits of the Parisian actor Sarah Bernhardt – is now being showcased at a new Mucha museum in Prague. In the US, a recent exhibition has also highlighted his influence on the psychedelic art of the 1960s counterculture. Benjamin might have raised a sceptical eyebrow. But art nouveau's emphasis on the importance of craftsmanship, and the conviction that artistic originality can introduce beauty as well as utility into the objects of daily life, are principles with a strong echo of William Morris's work. They are energising doctrines to recall in a new age of existential anxiety. Year by year, concerns grow over the extent to which artificial intelligence will colonise creative processes that once defined the meaning of being human. Guimard's stunningly innovative Métro entrances remain a tourist attraction in their own right, and a tribute to the power of the free imagination. The Guimard and Mucha museums, and Horta's rebuilt Winter Garden, can serve as reminders of what must be protected, as we enter our own equivalent of a new industrial age. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
The Guardian
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on the sensuous splendour of art nouveau: ripe for revival in the age of AI
Walter Benjamin, the great German theorist of early 20th-century modernity, was famously unimpressed by art nouveau. Dismissive of the style's dreamy aesthetic and flowery taste for designs inspired by the natural world, he described it as 'the last sortie of an art besieged in its tower by technology'. An artistic movement embodying a reaction against the mass production of the industrial age deserved a more sympathetic reception. Nevertheless, the 20th century appeared to agree with Benjamin's analysis. By the end of the first world war, art nouveau's decorative curlicues and flowing forms had fallen out of fashion as a more machine-inspired modernist aesthetic came into vogue. But that was then. More than a century on, as artificial intelligence offers a fresh tech challenge to humanity, a timely spot of revisionism appears to be taking place. Last month, in Paris, it emerged that a museum is finally to be dedicated to one of art nouveau's most deserving and neglected exponents. During the early 1900s, the architect Hector Guimard designed 167 entrances to the city's new Métro, one of which was later to be donated to the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The stylised lettering and sinuous green ironwork, resembling insects' wings or orchid stalks, quickly became synonymous both with art nouveau and with Paris itself. But despite their much-loved and emblematic status, almost half were bulldozed in an ill-advised wave of modernisation. Much of the rest of Guimard's work in the city has been treated with equal disdain. With good reason, the art enthusiasts who have lobbied for the new museum for years see it as the historic 'righting of a wrong'. Meanwhile, 200 miles away in the birthplace of art nouveau, more rehabilitation work has been taking place. As part of a spectacular new exhibition, Brussels' Art and History Museum this summer unveiled a restored version of Victor Horta's famous Winter Garden, an immersive stained-glass marvel that helped make the artist's name when it was designed in 1900. This too became a victim of postwar architectural aesthetics, unceremoniously dismantled as part of a wider urban development programme. A six-year process of reconstruction has salvaged much of the original and replicated the rest. And completing what might be viewed as an upliftingly revivalist year, the work of Alphonse Mucha – best known for his poster portraits of the Parisian actor Sarah Bernhardt – is now being showcased at a new Mucha museum in Prague. In the US, a recent exhibition has also highlighted his influence on the psychedelic art of the 1960s counterculture. Benjamin might have raised a sceptical eyebrow. But art nouveau's emphasis on the importance of craftsmanship, and the conviction that artistic originality can introduce beauty as well as utility into the objects of daily life, are principles with a strong echo of William Morris's work. They are energising doctrines to recall in a new age of existential anxiety. Year by year, concerns grow over the extent to which artificial intelligence will colonise creative processes that once defined the meaning of being human. Guimard's stunningly innovative Métro entrances remain a tourist attraction in their own right, and a tribute to the power of the free imagination. The Guimard and Mucha museums, and Horta's rebuilt Winter Garden, can serve as reminders of what must be protected, as we enter our own equivalent of a new industrial age.
The Guardian
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Works and Days review – wild ride charts the arc of human progress
Belgian theatre collective FC Bergman's take on 'the crisis of modernity' in this show, which travels from the ancient world to mechanisation, is nothing if not wild. The boards of the stage are dug up with a plough at the start – a sign of things to come. A chicken is bashed in a sack as part of a pagan sacrifice (the real chicken remains unharmed), a naked man emerges from within an animal's carcass and there is an apocalyptic landscape of erupting pineapples. It's wacky, but stays just on the right side of reckless. Directed by Stef Aerts, Joé Agemans, Thomas Verstraeten and Marie Vinck, and part of the Edinburgh international festival, this is a wordless piece, based on muscular movement and stunning live music composed by Joachim Badenhorst and Sean Carpio. The arresting scenes mark the arc of human progress, from the taking up of tools onwards. When the industrial age dawns, a steam engine is shown with human limbs wrapped around it, as if they are extensions of the machine. The title refers to a poem by Hesiod on agrarian culture, for what that's worth, but the narrative stays oblique. Yet you feel the changing mood. There are revels and fertility rites when actors' trousers are unbuttoned, skirts raised. One couple literally roll in a sack. Spiritual ceremonies are enacted, too, and spinning around fire. There is a construction phase, with nature tamed and a chorus of hammers on wood, a storm of sawdust. A house-like structure is erected from this industriousness. Civilisation arrives as animals are gutted, with fluttering red scarves standing in for blood and viscera. Performers, including Aerts, Agemans, Verstraeten and Vinck, plus Susan De Ceuster, Geert Goossens, Fumiyo Ikeda and Maryam Sserwamukoko, are as physical as dancers. There is an almost constant shaking, pounding, swirling on stage, and beauty, too, in some of the scenes, but it is invariably interrupted by savagery – a large animal, maybe an elephant, is eviscerated and strung up – or a violent sound. The sonic effects are enthralling, with instruments used in original ways: two flutes taped together, a table harp and saxophone that sounds like a didgeridoo, six Tibetan singing bowls fused as one and played with a bow and mallet … The music is inspired by Vivaldi's Four Seasons, but seems so much stranger. The lighting, by Aerts, Agemans and Ken Hioco, is magnificent, too, with swarms of blackness and columns of light. Is this theatre, installation or dance? Who knows. As indefinable as it may be, it arrests. AI raises its head in the final moments. It is funny but unnerving. The endpoint of progress, it seems, is arriving. At the Lyceum, Edinburgh, until 10 August. Edinburgh international festival runs until 24 August All our Edinburgh festival reviews
Times
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
My behind-the-scenes tour of art deco Paris
It was a time of change, of modernity and industrialisation, of rejection of the old tropes, and it pervaded all areas of art and design, from architecture to music, dance and fashion. I am talking, of course, about art deco. The movement caused a stir. Take the premiere of Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring in the inaugural season of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, which prompted a near riot in 1913. Or Josephine Baker performing in little more than a banana belt at the Folies Bergère in 1926. Le tout Paris was both scandalised and delighted. As 2025 marks the centenary of the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, from which the term art deco is derived, I am here to celebrate. And the Prince de Galles — refurbished in period style by Pierre-Yves Rochon in 2013 — is the ideal base. From the moment I step into the 159-room hotel, in the 8th arrondissement near the Arc de Triomphe, I am transported back to those heady years that began in the Paris of the 1910s and flourished over the next two decades. Legend has it that the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VIII, was staying at Le Meurice, on the Rue de Rivoli, and declared that Paris needed a more modern hotel. The Prince de Galles, which opened in 1929 and was named in his honour, was the response of the architect André Arfvidson. A paean to the art deco aesthetic, its exquisite colonnaded courtyard of intricate mosaics is now a listed monument. Inside it's all clean lines, wrought iron balustrades, precious woods, geometric textiles and crystal sconces in the shape of the Prince of Wales's feathers. Guests staying in one of the hotel's eight Mosaic suites — black-and-gold mosaic bathrooms, polished macassar, lashings of black marble and lithographs from the period — are being offered a tour of the city by the 20th-century architectural historian Jacob Simpson. This three-hour tour offers rare, behind-the-scenes access to five seminal buildings and includes a quintessentially Parisian personal shopping experience at Printemps department store, with its sweeping 1924 staircase and luminous stained glass and iron dome. 'Art deco,' writes Andrew Ayers, the architecture journalist and author of the booklet accompanying the tour, 'is a loose term, which was not coined until 1966, to describe a style that was inspired by different sources, and was interpreted in different ways in the countries to which it spread.' Its rejection of the flounces of art nouveau in favour of purity of line, volume and geometric forms would never be as radical as Le Corbusier's modernism. And although art deco moved away from 19th-century historicism, in Paris it never entirely shook off the classical teachings of the École des Beaux-Arts. Key to this new style was the invention of reinforced concrete, which was both faster and more economical than working with stone. Plus it permitted new forms of construction, exemplified by the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, commissioned by the impresario Gabriel Astruc (who invited Sergei Diaghilev and his Ballets Russes for that infamous Stravinsky premiere). Completed in 1913, it was the first art deco building in Paris, and it is our first port of call, a short hop from our hotel in the chic 'golden triangle'. Despite having been to numerous performances, I had never fully appreciated the building's revolutionary structure. It was the first theatre to offer unobstructed views of the stage from all seats, due to the absence of any pillars in the circular auditorium — which also enabled the aristocratic audience to see and be seen. Designed by the 'poet of concrete' Auguste Perret, the columns in the foyer were unadorned and the whole interior housed within a complex concrete frame. As a swansong to tradition, however, the façade was clad in marble, with a bas-relief of the Muses by Antoine Bourdelle. Unsurprisingly, Charles Garnier, most famously the architect of the ornate Paris Opéra, hated it. He was not alone in considering the restrained façade ugly. Some 25 years later, with the Palais d'Iéna, Perret would create his apotheosis of naked concrete, taking the possibilities of this medium to an extreme, and setting himself the not inconsiderable challenge of rivalling the Parthenon. Originally commissioned as the Museum of Public Works, and now a government building, it is viewed by appointment, and is the unmissable last stop on my itinerary. 'Not a bag of plaster has entered here!' Perret boasted. 'Concrete is sufficient unto itself. Concrete is stone we manufacture; more noble and beautiful than natural wood. It must be given the honour of being awakened.' We see the raw exterior, the concrete hammered and textured to imitate fluted stone columns, its aggregate of green porphyry, pink marble, and flint hinting at mosaic. Inside, a 60m by 18m Hypostyle Hall, with 18 truncated-cone columns supporting the coffered ceiling 7m above, served as the exhibition area. The imposing rotunda houses an amphitheatre — now the councillors' auditorium — crowned by a glass and concrete-ribbed dome with a flame-shaped chandelier. A fresco by Jean Souverbie and three 1940s Gobelins tapestries add warmth to the austere grey walls. For me, the climactic feature is the double horseshoe floating staircase, a mesh of triangular concrete and glass, behind it, filtering a geometric pattern of light onto the steps — Perret's contemporary take on the grand staircase of the Paris Opéra. Between Perret's two masterworks, Simpson accompanies us to the Palais de Tokyo, opposite the Eiffel Tower. Built for the 1937 Exposition Internationale (the last of its kind to be held in Paris), this architectural showpiece sits above a series of grand terraces that cascade down to the Seine, making it a popular spot for skateboarders. Its massive verticals and Alfred Janniot's stylised reliefs of the Legends of the Earth and Sea framing the façade remind me of both fascist and Stalinist heroic architecture of the period. But inside, we see a different aspect of art deco. The Musée d'Art Moderne, in the east wing, dedicates a whole gallery to the spectacular furniture and objects of the period, by such luminaries as Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann and Jean Dunand. And here, in contrast to concrete and restraint, is the use of luxurious organic materials and masterful craftsmanship. I can see myself working at the exquisite angular desk and bucket chair in exotic woods and python skin by Michel Dufet. Later, in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, home to the largest collection of art deco in the world, we discover not only objets d'art, glassware, textiles and tableware, but entire suites of rooms, including those designed in the 1920s by Armand-Albert Rateau for the couturière Jeanne Lanvin featuring marble, bronze furniture, and silks in Lanvin bleu. It is in this museum, which owns several pieces from the 1925 exhibition, that the Expo's centenary will be celebrated from October 22 with the exhibition 1925-2025: One Hundred Years of Art Deco. Back at the hotel, drinks await in the duplex Lalique suite, the most luxurious accommodation in the hotel and with panoramic views over the City of Light. A symphony in black and gold, it features custom-made period furniture, textiles and one-off crystal pieces by René Lalique's workshop that perfectly reflect the ethos of those golden Levonian Cole was a guest of Marriott, which has the Unlocking Art Deco package at £2,088pp, including one night's B&B in a Mosaic suite, a three-hour expert guided tour of five art deco venues and a personal shopping experience ( Take the train to Paris By Agnès Poirier In August Paris feels almost deserted, inhabited by only a few special breeds: true Paris lovers, eccentrics and poets. And, of course, by all those who have learnt to enjoy all that Paris has to offer in summer for free, from swimming in the Seine to playing pétanque and having a nap on a deckchair along the riverbanks and on the pop-up beaches — not to mention at the open-air cinema at Parc de la Villette. So why not join them? This wonderful hotel in South Pigalle, in the 18th arrondissement, is a well-kept secret, but it won't remain so for long. With 16 rooms, some of them duplex suites, and reasonably priced, the Elysée Montmartre transports you to a world of complete zen in the heart of belle époque Paris still known today for its colourful nightlife. With a hint of Japanese-style wabi-sabi (the art of imperfect beauty), the interior design is mostly made of eucalyptus wood and stone, and the result is spectacularly refined. Next door is the Elysée Montmartre concert venue, a favourite of Toulouse-Lautrec and, more recently, of David Bowie, Björk and Daft Punk (room-only doubles from £156; Place Dauphine is a triangular square dating from the beginning of the 17th century, at the western tip of Île de la Cité, near Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle. In this quiet and leafy refuge, Restaurant Paul is a favourite with locals in all seasons, its terrace giving onto Place Dauphine and the quai overlooking the Left Bank. This discreet Parisian institution has the added quality of remaining open throughout August. Visitors will find traditional bistro fare, from snails to foie gras and beef tartare, with a few vegetarian options (mains from £21; The small café next door, with the same owners, is ideal for early coffee or cocktails at dusk. The Musée Montmartre on Rue Cortot is one of the most picturesque small museums of Paris. With regular exhibitions on lesser-known figures of the impressionist and post-impressionist era, it harks back to the old village of Montmartre, with its large gardens overlooking Paris's vineyards, the studio of the painter Suzanne Valadon and a small pavilion turned into a bucolic café. Until September 14 the exhibition area is dedicated to Maximilien Luce, an anarchist turned pointillist who painted Parisian daily life between 1887 and 1900. It is the first Luce retrospective since 1983 and is well worth the detour (£19; The Jardin d'Acclimatation near the Fondation Vuitton in the west of the city has been welcoming families for more than 160 years. Restored to its former imperial glory in 2018, it has kept its historical merry-go-rounds alongside newer ones and 40 other attractions. While wild animals are no longer roaming freely, peacocks can still be seen parading on the lawns. Spread over 44 acres, the Jardin offers events for children and many cafés for exhausted parents. Don't miss the little train, winding through the gardens on a ride of wonder (£6;
Zawya
15-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Azizi unveils lagoon-facing residential enclave in Dubai
UAE-based Azizi Developments has announced the launch of Milan Heights, a new residential enclave within Azizi Milan, its AED75 billion ($20 billion) landmark project on Mohammed bin Zayed Road. Nestled within this flagship development, Milan Heights is a vibrant residential district that embodies modernity and elegance. Offering studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, it is designed to balance contemporary design with functional living. The project is complemented by a wide range of amenities including six infinity swimming pools, a lagoon-inspired pool, five kids' pools, rooftop infinity pools, a modern cinema, a fully equipped fitness centre, jogging and bicycle tracks, saunas, jacuzzis, steam rooms, a multipurpose hall, barbecue areas, children's play areas, ample parking, and 24-hour security. The development also features over 20,000 sq m retail space, providing residents with everyday convenience and an active, community-oriented lifestyle. Strategically located on the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311) – one of the UAE's most important arteries that connects Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah – Azizi Milan offers key facilities. According to Azizi, the sales will officially kick off at Conrad Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road on July 17. Located on the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road – one of the UAE's most important arteries that connects several emirates – Azizi Milan offers unmatched accessibility. Adding to its location's appeal, the community is just a short walk from the nearest future Blue Line metro station. Azizi Milan is slated to cover 40 million sq ft in GFA, making it one of the largest mixed-use communities in the entire country. The master plan will be home to a population of 144,000, with 800 hotel keys to be created. Unveiling the project, Group CEO Farhad Azizi said: "Milan Heights represents a key milestone in the ongoing progress of Azizi Milan, our Italian-inspired community that celebrates the harmony of design, culture, and sustainable, modern living. This new enclave reflects our vision of creating human-centric spaces that are elegant yet practical, seamlessly woven into a master plan shaped by nature, connectivity, and thoughtful urban design." Azizi Milan, he stated, has been conceptualised with inspiration from Milan's rich cultural heritage. "Its bold arches and design elements add to aesthetics as well as function. The community embodies Italian sophistication, inviting future homeowners to immerse themselves in a lifestyle centered around living life to the fullest, where the beauty of everyday moments and simple pleasures are truly appreciated," he added. Azizi Milan is poised to become the fashion capital of the region with its network of pedestrian-only fashion streets - each dedicated to their own realm of fashion, including one for perfumery, one for cosmetics, and more for bags, dress fashion, and beyond. Lined with an ample number of high-fashion brands and boutique shops, as well as numerous cafes, fine-dining restaurants, and nightlife entertainment options, Azizi Milan will form a focal point for those who enjoy the city's vibrant after-hours, as well as for those wanting to be part of internationally acclaimed fashion shows and other high-caliber events that will be hosted there, stated the developer. According to Azizi, sustainability is a key consideration that guides the entire development of this contemporary community. To offset emissions, Azizi will support landmark mangrove carbon projects, as well as global forest and solar developments certified by VERRA and the Gold Standard. "Next to a wide array of green building practices being implemented, every single building will feature its own beautifully landscaped rooftop garden, with the entirety of all roofs, as well as all podiums and a vast number of dedicated areas surrounding the residences, being planted with trees and flowers. Infinity pools will be framed by lush, meticulously manicured greenery," stated the top official. "Through panoramic elevators that form an awe-inspiring feat of architecture in each and every building, residents and visitors are granted all-encompassing, scenic views of the community's stunning nature, its many fountains and water features, and its wide array of sports courts and other facilities that will enrich lives and foster a sense of community and belonging," he added. Copyright 2024 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
