Hong Kong International Art Fair

Hong Kong: Asia's Art capital. http://www.hongkongartfair.com

Sustainable Architecture

Richard Cook, a partner in Cook+Fox Architects and the designer of the new Bank of America Tower discuss sustainable architecture, the use of nature in design, and the debates over the LEED standard. Spot on. http://www.cookplusfox.com

Disconnect

An absolute must read. http://www.environmentalhealthtrust.org

Random Thoughts

The feminist movement and I have matured. Now there’s a sense that we should look carefully at what the traditions are and reinvent them so that we keep the good part of it and share it. To me an engagement ring says out loud, in a culturally symbolic way, ‘I found a life partner, I’m happy and I’m connected to another human being.’

- Barbara Risman

Inspiring, really.

Horizon Field By Antony Gormley

I wish I had the time and luck to see 100 sculptures spread over 150 sq km in the Austrian Alps. Don't miss. Really.

Useful links:
http://www.antonygormley.com
http://www.kunsthaus-bregenz.at

Blood Diamond Update

Andrew Harding (BBC) looks at the legacy of Sierra Leone's 'blood diamond' industry. Shocking, really.

Random Thoughts

As things get better, people with wealth come back into the art market and it gets better faster than the overall economy. And when things deteriorate, our business deteriorates even faster than the global economy. It's faster on the way up and faster on the way down.

- William Ruprecht
http://www.sothebys.com

So true.

Lettie Teague Viewpoint

Spot on. Many thanks for the wine list. http://www.lettieteague.com

James Allen

Immersive experience indeed. http://www.jamesallen.com

Zhang Hongtu

At first, both sides -- Eastern and Western art critics -- hated it, but now I have so many orders to my gallery for this style of work that I cannot keep up. My point is to show how cultures mix. Zhang Hongtu. Brilliantly said. http://momao.com

ARTNews Update

The ARTnews 200 Top Collectors. http://www.artnews.com

Random Thoughts

But by the time I went back to Prada, I felt much lighter. You could see the breeze and lightness of my holiday in the collections. I didn’t have this burden any more. Some people didn’t even recognise them as Jil Sander. It would have to be making something like Apple, reachable, stylish and innovative. I was looking for a chance to find fashion’s equivalent to the iPhone: something that makes sense, no matter where you live.

- Jil Sander
http://www.jilsander.com

Inspiring, really.

Largest Diamond Producers

The Economist report was useful. http://www.kimberleyprocess.com

Public Speaking

Great many thanks to Tim Ferriss for the insightful post. Great advice
indeed. http://www.fourhourworkweek.com

Clutch

Clutch: Why Some People Excel Under Pressure and Others Don’t by Paul Sullivan is a brilliant book. http://www.pauljsullivan.com

Tim Flach

Extraordinary pictures, really. http://www.timflach.com

Tony Cragg

The Economist report on Tony Cragg's contemporary art was interesting. Many thanks. http://www.tony-cragg.com

Shadow Economies Of The World

Check out the list to see the countries with the biggest shadow economies. The problem is on the rise both in developed and developing nations. http://www.econ.jku.at/schneider

Ghost Of A Dream

They have built new dreams out of spent dreams. I really liked it. A great public service indeed. http://www.ghostofadream.com

Global Business BBC

Peter Day gets the long view from a clutch of the distinguished economists including Kenneth Rogoff, Raghuram Rajan and Sushil Wadhwani. Check it out.

Useful links:
http://www.economics.harvard.edu/faculty/rogoff
http://www.chicagobooth.edu/faculty/bio.aspx?person_id=12825569280

Huma Bhabha's Art

Brilliant indeed. I loved it. Many thanks to Hilarie Sheets for sharing the story.

Useful links:
http://www.salon94.com/artists/30
http://www.atmgallery.com
http://www.moma.org

Gems Among Us Contest

The Jewelry Information Center (JIC) is launching a nationwide essay contest to recognize individuals who make the world a better place. JIC’s "Gems Among Us Contest" will launch on September 13, 2010, online at http://www.jic.org. The contest offers a variety of prizes for consumers, retailers and sales associates. Check it out.

MoMA Acquires @ Symbol

The @ sign is an interesting typographic mark. I think MoMA did the right thing. Many thanks to Carly Berwick for sharing the story. http://www.moma.org

Heart Chamber Orchestra

Brilliant performance indeed. Many thanks to Cliff Kuang.

Useful links:
http://heartchamberorchestra.org
http://randomseed.org
http://pure.test.at

Do Good For The Gulf

A Pepsi's Refresh Project campaign. http://gulf.refresheverything.com

Random Thoughts

Warren [Buffett] is one of the best learning machines on this earth. The turtles who outrun the hares are learning machines. If you stop learning in this world, the world rushes right by you.

- Charlie Munger
http://www.poorcharliesalmanack.com

Spot on.

How To Catch An Art Thief

Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures by Robert K. Wittman with John Shiffman. An absolute must read. http://www.robertwittmaninc.com

Modern Indian Art: The Birth Of A Market

Mukti Khaire was spot on.Many thanks. http://hbswk.hbs.edu/faculty/mkhaire.html

Random Thoughts

In engineering, people have a big margin of safety. But in the financial world, people don’t give a damn about safety. They let it balloon and balloon and balloon. It’s aided by false accounting.

- Charlie Munger
http://www.poorcharliesalmanack.com

So true.

Art News Update

Gail Gregg's opinion piece in ARTnews about labels was interesting. Many thanks.

Useful links:
www.museumca.org
www.dia.org
www.artic.edu

Good Books

What you need to read now. Check out the Newsweek list.

100 Places To Remember

Places to remember before they disappear. It was spectacular. Many thanks to Fareed Zakaria.

Random Thoughts

It’s not given to human beings to have such talent that they can just know everything all the time. But it is given to human beings who work hard at it – who look and sift the world for a mispriced bet – that they can occasionally find one. And the wise ones bet keenly when the world offers that opportunity. They bet big when they have the odds. And the rest of the time, they don’t. It’s just that simple.

- Charlie Munger
http://www.poorcharliesalmanack.com

Spot on.

David Attenborough's Favourite Moments

An absolute must watch. http://www.davidattenborough.co.uk

KineticGlue

Vivek Paul's first entrepreneurial venture: http://kineticglue.com

Jeannie Cho Lee

Truly Asian wine market's Julia Child. http://www.asianpalate.com

Unveiled: New Art From The Middle East

I really liked Ramin and Rokni Haerizadeh's art. One-of-a-kind, really. Many thanks to the Economist. http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/unveiled

Gemfields Update

Emerald auction results. http://www.gemfields.co.uk

The Climate Report

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's has just-released 2009 State of the Climate report. Check it out. http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov

Walking The Amazon

You can follow Ed Stafford's journey @ http://www.walkingtheamazon.com

Global Business BBC

Skoll World Forum. Many thanks to Peter Day.

Useful links:
http://www.skollworldforum.com
http://www.benetech.org
http://www.samasource.org
http://www.inventionarts.com

Men's Jewelry: A Recession-Proof Luxury

I think men's jewelry = statement piece. Many thanks to Ruchika Tulshyan.

Men's jewelry is not a popular gift choice. So it's not wives buying jewelry for their husbands. It's men buying it because they like a piece.

- Pam Danziger

Useful links:
http://www.unitymarketingonline.com
http://www.bulgari.com
http://www.npdgroup.com

Ansel Adams

If the glass negatives are real, painter and collector Rick Norsigian may have hit a jackpot. The glass negatives bought for just $45 (£34) have been proven to be the work of iconic photographer Ansel Adams and are now worth $200m. Wow!

Useful links:
http://www.anseladams.com
http://ricknorsigian.com

The Future Of Cinema

Lorenza Muñoz's interview with James Cameron was interesting. He was spot on Hollywood. It will always be a filmmaking center. Filmmakers from China and Japan and Germany come to Hollywood to have meetings with studio executives and to get money for their movies. It is a central switching station for global entertainment. Hollywood is also the place for filmmakers who want to make movies for a global market. China and Russia make films for their own markets, but I don’t see the likelihood of those places replacing Hollywood. India has a huge film industry that supplies hundreds of films a year, but it is very much about that market.


Useful links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Cameron
http://www.jamescamerononline.com
http://www.amazingcameron.com
http://www.jamescameron.net/

Random Thoughts

Anyone who believes exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist.

- Kenneth Ewart Boulding
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_E._Boulding

Spot on.

R. Crumb

R. Crumb is talking about himself again. http://www.crumbproducts.com

ECOWEEK 2010 Workshop

Design workshops. http://ecoweek.netfirms.com

Threadneedle Prize 2010

Seven artists (Boyd and Evans, Patricia Cain, Paul Cummings, Thomas Doran, James Jessop, Stuart McCaffer and Caroline Walker) have been shortlisted for the £25,000 Threadneedle Prize. All the best. http://www.threadneedleprize.com

The Black Swan New Edition

Nassim Nicholas Taleb—the author of The Black Swan, who is also a trader and university professor—has reissued his 2007 best seller in a second edition that includes a new 73-page essay, "On Robustness and Fragility." Don't miss. http://www.fooledbyrandomness.com

Claesson Koivisto Rune

I loved the W101 lamp. http://www.claessonkoivistorune.se

How Will You Measure Your Life?

Clayton M. Christensen was spot on. I am so glad you made this article available. Many thanks. http://hbr.org/authors/christensen

Paul Graham Viewpoint

 Brilliant insight indeed. Many thanks. http://www.paulgraham.com

Countries In The Diamond Trade

Follow the flow of diamonds around the world, from the major legal producers to the countries behind illegal blood' diamonds. Many thanks to Paddy Allen and Ian Jeffries for sharing the info.

Zimbabwe's Blood Diamonds

David Smith's report in the Guardian about Zimbabwe's blood diamonds ( Mutare +Marange) was interesting.

I've lost count of how many diamonds I've bought - but it has made me rich. You can make $1,000 every week, but the diamonds are different quality. If you buy the right things, you score. If you buy the wrong things, you sink.
- Gamba

Useful links:
http://www.kimberleyprocess.com
http://www.hrw.org

Comic-Con 2010

Comic-Con International 2010. http://www.comic-con.org

Random Thoughts

The economic downturn, particularly poor returns from the stock market and property has prompted people to look elsewhere and wine is attracting increasing attention as a commodity which can be expected to rise in value. Wine has performed well in recent years and despite experiencing a correction in late 2008, it has shown good growth since then, with many wines showing better returns now than before. Much of this has been driven by new wine-consuming markets, with China leading the charge. Demand has increased but the supply has remained constant. With banks offering low interest rates on savings, and uncertainty in the world markets, people are seeking out alternative places to put their money.

- James Nicholson
http://www.jnwine.com

Interesting update.

Startup Updates

Sanjay Anandram was spot on. Because something has worked in the U.S. or elsewhere doesn’t mean it will work in India. http://www.jumpstartup.net

Routes of Arabia

The 'Routes of Arabia' Exhibition is now on view at Louvre. Don't miss. Many thanks to Souren Melikian for sharing the info. http://www.louvre.fr

Random Thoughts

The perpetual edge comes from understanding the human condition.

- Larry Williams
http://www.ireallytrade.com

Spot on.

Colored Gemstone Market Update

Burma gem sales and statistics. Many thanks to Palagems. http://www.palagems.com

The Da Vinci Method

The application of X-ray fluorescence in art identification was interesting. http://www.culture.gouv.fr

Bridal Couture Exposition

A unique couture concept of its kind in India. http://www.ttbridalcouture.com

Random Thoughts

I could never stop working. You know how a shark can never stop swimming? I have too many ideas. I can't just sit on a beach and enjoy the surf and the sun; I'm always creating. I'm an idea factory.

- Jim Steranko
http://www.thedrawingsofsteranko.com

Inspiring, really.

Global Business BBC

Peter Day's report on the Swiss biotech company AC Immune + their effective treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease was interesting and insightful. Many thanks. http://www.acimmune.com

Hope Diamond Update

In his latest Roskin Gem News Report, Gary Roskin takes you through an interesting story that involves speculation regarding accomplices and ruses, statutes of limitation and storerooms.

Was Henry Philip Hope a Jewel Thief?

The Masterworks Of Harold Van Pelt

Southern California’s Bowers Museum presents Van Pelt’s 35 years of work in an exhibition entitled Gemstone Carvings: The Masterworks of Harold Van Pelt. Don't miss. Many thanks to Pala International for sharing the info.

All Our Ideas

Professor Matthew Salganik's new site was inspiring. It combines sociology and computer science techniques to collect ideas and rank them more effectively.  http://www.allourideas.org

Fair Jewelry Action

Fair trade jewelry business. Traceability. Transparency. I hope the network's objective will impact small-scale, artisanal communities and support cultural integrity and environmental sustainability. http://www.fairjewelry.org

100 Minds That Made The Market

This is a great book for reading the short bios of the financial history makers. I particularly enjoyed the section on crooks and scams. It's amazing some of the things people will do. http://www.ken-fisher-investments.com

Hanger4Life

Nick Lewis's brilliant innovation = http://hanger4life.com

Greg Mortenson Project

Education is the real long-term fix for everything in life. I think Greg Mortenson has done a terrific job in South Asia to promote community-based education and literacy programs, especially for girls, in remote mountain regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan. http://www.gregmortenson.com

Center For Cartoon Studies

Get a feel for making comics @ http://www.cartoonstudies.org

Europe Without Hotels

Benji Lanyado's report in the New York Times about the new social B&B networks was interesting. I wish India had a similar B&B network, really. Many thanks.

Useful links:
http://www.couchsurfing.org
http://www.crashpadder.com
http://www.istopover.com
http://www.airbnb.com

Inception

Inception is a contemporary sci-fi movie set within the architecture of the mind. Dense. Intense. Beautiful. Totally immersive cinematic experience. Don't miss. http://inceptionmovie.warnerbros.com

TEDWomen

Upcoming TEDWomen conference.http://conferences.ted.com/TEDWomen

Random Thoughts

It’s very possible we will be more continuously connected. Even today, people have Bluetooth things hanging in their ears. There’s no reason they won’t have a video camera located in a buttonhole, maybe even a video projector. And there’ll be no need to carry a laptop or [computer] notebook, because any flat surface with reasonable visibility could become a display. Virtually any appliance is going to be online. Appliances will talk to each other and to the power-generation system. Our appliances will pay attention to our preferences. One of the real hard questions is, how will we keep up with all [the new applications]? Maybe our [computer] systems will be more aware of what our daily lives are like, what things we want to accomplish in the course of a day, and if that could be built into the software, maybe some of this stuff won’t even require our explicit interaction.

- Vinton Cerf
http://www.google.com

I hope the Internet will emerge as a new tool for education.

The Enough Project Report

Conflict Minerals Legislation. http://www.enoughproject.org

Art Market Update

Souren Melikian's report. In the new era of artistic drought, those who hold the goods will ultimately win the contest. But this does not necessarily mean that life is easier for dealers. It sometimes takes weeks, even months, for transactions to be concluded. Collectors love buying from galleries precisely because they can take all the time they need to finalize a decision. As a direct result of the drying up of supplies, another problem for dealers is the relentless rise of art prices — they invest their own money, unlike auction houses, which levy a percentage on sales. For them, the financial risk inherent in each acquisition steadily increases. Even the most powerful galleries feel the need to join forces. Spot on.

Useful links:
http://www.christies.com
http://www.sothebys.com
http://www.richard-green.com

Treehouse Hotel

I loved it. http://www.tvark.se

Luxury Book Market

Luxury Lit = Kraken Opus + Taschen Books = Rarity pays. Check it out.

Useful links:
http://www.taschen.com
http://www.krakenopus.com
http://www.teneues.com

Baibakov Art Projects

Baibakova’s latest exhibition. http://www.baibakovartprojects.com

The New Indian Rupee Symbol

Hats off to the Indian government + D. Udaya Kumar, a post-graduate student from the Indian Institute of Technology for designing the new symbol. http://finmin.nic.in

Random Thoughts

I paid a brief visit to my teenage son's school the other day. The sun was out and the air was thick with restless, hormonal energy. If only we could tap into these kids' hopes, dreams and creative urges, I mused, we could reinvigorate our jaundiced adult world. It's a tempting proposition, is it not? That all of us, in our youth, have the capacity to be innovators, free-thinkers, resolute refuseniks when it comes to accepting the status quo. Tempting, but alas, illusory. Most of us figure out from a very early age that it's safer to conform than rebel. We tend to go with the flow, rather than ask why it has to be so. That's why so many young people today tell pollsters their ambition in life is to be a celebrity, a sports star or a glamorous model. Yes, they want to be rich and famous, but they want success simply to fall into their laps. Change the world? Sounds too much like hard work. But without innovators we're stuck. Every new generation needs people determined to find a better way. Of thinking, doing, and living.

- Stephen Sackur
http://www.bbc.co.uk

Spot on.

The London Transport Museum

The London Transport Museum, which hosts one of the world's most important collections of graphic art, asked illustrators to draw the links between cycling in the capital, environment issues, health and fun. Fifty of the 1,000-plus entries are now on display at the museum, in London's Covent Garden, until 22 August. I loved it because it was educational. Many thanks. http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk

Gary Hamel Viewpoint

Spot on. Bold innovations often take time. Period. Many thanks for the insightful post.

Useful links:
http://blogs.wsj.com/management
http://www.garyhamel.com
http://www.vineetnayar.com

Immersive Theatre

The Duchess of Malfi is a new opera by the German composer Torsten Rasch commissioned by the English National Opera + Punchdrunk, a theatrical company who specialises in site-specific, immersive theatre. Don't miss.


Useful links:
http://www.eno.org
http://www.punchdrunk.org.uk

Gem Market Update

The Mozambican Ministry of Mineral Resources is planning to sell off to the highest bidder around ten tonnes of assorted contraband minerals seized from traffickers in precious and semi-previous stones. The largest group of minerals to be auctioned off consists of 8.7 tonnes of rubies in various states. These are not all gem rubies, however - if they were, their value would run into the billions of dollars. A good quality ruby can fetch over 5,000 dollars per carat. A carat is 200 milligrams, or a fifth of a gram. 8.7 tonnes of good quality rubies could therefore sell for 217.5 billion dollars.The highest price ever paid for a ruby was 425,000 dollars per carat by a London jeweler in 2006. http://www.dnm.gov.mz  I think the rubies will end up in Bangkok for treatments and sold worldwide.

Random Thoughts

It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile. Be yourself, no matter what they say.

- Sting
http://www.sting.com

A fine piece of advice, really.

Microbial Art

An exciting interface between art and science. Check out the collection of unique artworks created using living bacteria, fungi, and protists. Stunningly beautiful indeed.  http://www.microbialart.com

The Book Of Shells

I think The Book of Shells is one of the most charming and interesting books on shells ever, really.

The Serpentine Story

Jennifer Steinhauer's story in the New York Times about issues surrounding the rock serpentine in California was interesting. In my view there is no way one would be in danger by causal exposure to the rock unless you breathe its dust repeatedly. TIC (This is California).

Best Album Art Of All Time

When it comes to album cover art, beauty is in the eyes, and ears, of its beholders. So true. Many thanks to Scott Thill.

Global Business BBC

Peter Day's global business report on watch making in the Isle of Man was interesting. Many thanks.

Useful links:
www.patek.com
www.britishschoolofwatchmaking.co.uk
www.rwsmithwatches.com
www.danielslondon.com
www.iwiwatches.com
www.dentlondon.com
www.christopherward.co.uk

Leonardo's The Virgin Of The Rocks

Interactive guide: the restoration of Leonardo's The Virgin of the Rocks. Many thanks to Jonathan Jones. www.guardian.co.uk/profile/jonathanjones

The Pekar Project

Harvey Pekar has passed away on July 12, 2010. It’s safe to say that, up until his last moments, Harvey Pekar was a walking comic book. But his legacy and passing is a thankful reminder that comics don’t have to be just about supermen (and sometimes women) in tights. They can be about you or me, and our individual and collective troubles, and still make an impact. So true. Many thanks to Scott Thill.

Useful links:
www.smithmag.net/pekarproject
www.smithmag.net/pekarproject/harveyheads

Autobiography Of Mark Twain

Larry Rohter's report in the New York Times about the autobiography of Mark Twain was interesting. Many thanks. I'm a big Mark Twain fan.

I believe that the trade of critic, in literature, music, and the drama, is the most degraded of all trades, and that it has no real value. However, let it go. It is the will of God that we must have critics, and missionaries, and Congressmen, and humorists, and we must bear the burden.
- Mark Twain

Useful link:
http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/MTP

Random Thoughts

It's important to remember that many of the best parts of travel have nothing to do with the sights that you're seeing—they have to do with the stories that surround them.

- Catherine Price
http://catherine-price.com

Spot on.

Start-Up Stories

Start-Up Stories: Nick Swinmurn. Inspiring, really. www.zappos.com

Joel Kotkin Vs Christopher Leinberger

America 2050: What Will We Build. I thought the debate was interesting. Many thanks to Greg Lindsay for sharing the info. I was wondering about India. India 2050: What Will We Build.

Useful links:
www.joelkotkin.com
www.cleinberger.com

How To Lose Time And Money

Paul Graham was spot on. 1. Most fortunes are lost through bad investments. 2. The situation with time is much the same as with money. The most dangerous way to lose time is not to spend it having fun, but to spend it doing fake work.True indeed. Many thanks for the inspiring note. www.paulgraham.com