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“Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy” Enchants Los Angeles

A vision of the world’s first art amusement park which first ran in Hamburg, German for three months during the summer of 1987

Julie Wolfson

19 January 2024

Driving around Los Angeles you might pass a car painted with one of Kenny Scharf’s signature KARBOMBZ. His colorful and smiley blob faces on hoods and doors throughout the southland are easy to spot. In 1985 Scharf was splitting his time between New York and Bahia, Brazil, where he was metamorphosing his family home into a colorful and immersive art space, just a few years before Austrian artist André Heller would ask him to be part of his vision for the world’s first art amusement park, Luna Luna in Hamburg, Germany. 

Now in Boyle Heights, just east of Downtown LA, the highly anticipated exhibition Luna Luna shows visitors what several artists created in the 1980s to help bring Heller’s vision to life. “Los Angeles felt like a natural first stop for Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy, as our team has been working in LA reassembling the original park since transferring the 44 containers from rural Texas in January 2022,” says Michael Goldberg of the media company DreamCrew, which was founded by the recording artist Drake.

From Scharf’s presence in the original iteration of this art experience, to his ever-visible adorable smiley faces zooming around town, it feels as if Luna Luna was meant to land in the City of Angels. “Even before planning Forgotten Fantasy, LA had become a part of the Luna Luna story,” says Goldberg. “And the city will forever be a part of Luna Luna’s history as the park continues to tour the world.” 

Now extended through the spring, the response by the crowds in Los Angeles has been overwhelmingly positive. “We honestly couldn’t have imagined such an incredible response. Seeing young families, friend groups, dating couples, tourists, seniors and everyone in between line up before our doors open and then leave hours later, smiling ear-to-ear, has been really moving for the whole team,” adds Goldberg.

As people gather each day in front of the large warehouse, they are greeted by a vibrant puffy tent designed by Heller with horn-shaped spikes jutting out into the sky. Inside visitors have been promised a vision of the world’s first art amusement park that only ran in Hamburg for three months during the summer of 1987. 

Back then a lawsuit led to a delay in reopening and eventually the Jean-Michel Basquiat ferris wheel, Salvador Dali pavilion and Keith Haring carousel were packed away in containers and largely forgotten and later transported to rural Texas. Now with many of the attractions reassembled, visitors are led into a darkened corridor and the world of Luna Luna unfolds like the pages of a rare storybook discovered in a deep corner of a magical bookstore. 

The lights and sounds of a carnival sit deep within our psyche. These are the moments of wonder and fear when we were young, the thrills of the rides, sight of glowing lights, and the feeling of carrying large plush prizes around in the dark. Tiny local fairs and large amusement parks draw in people of all ages. That is just what Heller was thinking about when he was formulating art experiences to appeal to a large audience in a fun, visceral way. His dream of merging aspects of the world of art and amusement parks ignited a spark that led to creating Luna Luna.

When Goldberg was asked if he had met anyone who had attended Luna Luna during that original summer he replies, “One of the first days we were open, I met a woman who told me about attending the original in Hamburg. She explained that she couldn’t decide if her memories of attending were a dream or reality, as she had such vivid memories, but had no photos. Years later, she found a journal documenting her frustration that she didn’t bring a camera to Luna Luna, but had the most incredible experience. Now, with Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy, she gets to make new memories and get those photos she always wanted.” 

Sonia Delaunay created the entrance archway that depicts colorful geometric shapes to set the tone for the whimsical collage of the artists’ contributions. Arik Brauer’s surrealist wolf, mermaid and butterfly are the seating for his carousel. Visitors get to see the cars of the Ferris wheel that Basquiat restored to rotate with the sounds of Miles Davis’ “Tutu.”

Music plays a strong role. Salvador Dali’s geodesic Dalidom evokes the feeling of entering a funhouse. A song by Blue Chip Orchestra provides the soundtrack for this immersive light experience. Philip Glass music plays in the Roy Lichtenstein Pavilion. David Hockney’s Enchanted Tree—a cylindrical pavilion, painted with geometric trees—is filled with the sounds of a selection of waltzes by composers Johann and Josef Strauss. 

Haring’s carousel is composed of seating made out of colorful versions of his outlined people and animals. Scharf designed his own version of a chair ride, known as a wave swinger, as well as free-standing large cartoon figures. The exhibit shows these attractions, and a few others, with archival photos of the process of planning and assembling all of the elements. An elaborate timeline flanks one wall—and a small amphitheater is set up to show film footage to help imaging what it was like to be there in 1987. And although there’s much credit given to the past, the owners of Luna Luna imagine a future where a new contemporary art version of an amusement park is created.

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Miami Art Week 2023: “8 Minutes and 20 Seconds” by Marjan van Aubel is Ready to Glow

Commissioned by Lexus for ICA Miami, a solar-powered sculptural artwork

Julie Wolfson

4 December 2023

The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami) will host a colorful new collaborative installation from Lexus and acclaimed Dutch solar designer Marjan van Aubel this Miami Art Week. The interactive work, positioned in the museum’s outdoor sculpture garden, will harness the power of the sun to great effect. Entitled “8 Minutes and 20 Seconds,” which refers to the time it takes light from the sun to reach the earth, the exhibit blends together van Aubel’s exploration of light and color and sound in concert with Lexus’ pursuit of innovative automotive design and sustainability to highlight their newest creation: the LF-ZC (Lexus Future Zero-emission Catalyst) concept car.

“We knew that we wanted to demonstrate the Lexus design ethos and commitment to carbon neutrality through an immersive artwork. In her solar practice, Marjan crafts design solutions that emphasize sustainability and innovation—values we share at Lexus,” says Brian Bolain, Global Head of Marketing for Lexus. 

Random Studio, known for their spatial experience design, came on board to help realize van Aubel’s vision, which models the LF-ZC at-scale, though constructed with OPV sheets that cast colorful shadows as sunlight hits them throughout the day. Light and motion sensors within the sculpture will add to the installation’s interactive elements, aiming to be an immersive multi-sensory experience.

Coinciding with the installation, Lexus will once again host Lexus Art Series: Art and Innovation talks with Whitewall, a program of talks between Lexus ambassadors and industry leaders across the art and design worlds. In advance of the programming and installation, we spoke with van Aubel to learn more about the thrills of carbon neutrality.

How did this project originally come about? What were some of the first conversations about the intersection of your solar creations, Lexus, and the setting at the ICA?

I formed a relationship with Lexus earlier this year when I was  a mentor for the Lexus Design Award, which supports emerging designers around the world to create new products that build toward a better, more sustainable future. I guided the winners through their process and helped them to realize their ideas. It was super-fun to do and also inspiring to work with the next generation of designers, who were working on exciting, sustainable, future-forward ideas.

After that program concluded, Lexus approached me with the idea of an immersive artwork directly inspired by the LF-ZC concept. I thought it would be interesting to bring my solar vision to reimagine the car as a sculpture that would be colorful, playful and interactive. Having work at ICA during Miami Art Week has been a massive opportunity to highlight design as a vehicle for change for a global audience. 

What is your design process? From concept to planning out the elements and collaborating with partners like Random Studio?

I mostly work collaboratively with visionary partners. I have long admired Random Studio for their ability to blend technology and intelligent design in the creation of immersive experiences. So this project was a perfect fit to collaborate with them. It worked really well and the design development team at Random Studio has been instrumental in realizing the possibilities of interactivity in ways that both complement and expand my solar design practice.

How does this being an automobile themed project inspire you?

I wanted to recreate the feeling of driving. We used light, color and sound interplay with human actions to create a sensory experience.  While the car stays on its location, it highlights the elements that give a notion of movement, where the surrounding changes constantly.  Lexus uses beauty and simple, elegant design in an innovative way to create electric vehicles that are a step toward a carbon neutral future. 

In what ways can you plan out the variations of the interactive aspects of the installation and how much will be up to variations that will happen with viewers?

When a viewer approaches the installation, it triggers a reaction from the installation through motion sensors.  The movement of the audience is reflected in different ways, like ripples of light that travel in the same direction. The installation does include some scheduled elements, such as a bright light show that erupts at regular intervals. 

Who created the sound/music for the “8 Minutes and 20 Seconds?” And how does that part of the sensory experience tell the story?

The sound design, composed by Sabina Charfauros and Malloy James, is an integral part of the overall experience. In designing this aspect of the installation, we specifically drew from the ambient sounds of nature, grounding the experience to its roots of sustainability. The woody bamboo notes of the composition are a nod to the bamboo material utilized throughout the interior of the LF-ZC concept car.

In what ways will this installation help viewers experience the importance of sustainability? 

I hope that “8 Minutes and 20 Seconds” will inspire viewers to reflect on and imagine the ways clean energy can beautifully integrate with our everyday lives. The Organic Photovoltaic (OPV) solar cells are a practical aspect of the sculpture, and yet they also brim with life and color in a way that isn’t associated with the solar panels one might typically see on rooftops. When viewers experience this installation, they are witnessing sustainable technology in action and, simultaneously, I hope, they are taken away by the beauty of the design in action.

What is something that surprised you while creating “8 Minutes and 20 Seconds?” How did you feel seeing all of the elements come together?

Throughout this process, the design team has sought to deliver a spectacular experience, all built on this proof of concept that solar energy can thrill and delight us. Each detail has been designed to encourage viewer participation, so I’m excited for the final ingredient to be added: the audience’s presence.

The installation will open in December and be on view throughout Miami Art Week.

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Yoshitomo Nara’s Time-Traveling Solo Exhibition at the Aomori Museum of Art, “The Beginning Place”

A comprehensive look at the beloved Japanese artist’s work

Julie Wolfson

22 November 2023

Aomori, Japan’s Aomori Museum of Art celebrates the work of local artists, with an enthusiastic focus on their hometown hero, Yoshitomo Nara. Now ten years after his first solo exhibit at the museum, Nara’s The Beginning Place exhibition has opened with much excitement for the world-renowned artist (born nearby in Hirosaki). 

The Aomori Museum of Art opened in 2006 and was designed by the architect Jun Aoki, who was inspired by one of the largest and most well-preserved villages from Japan’s Jomon Period, the Sannai-Maruyama archaeological site. While the museums’ celebration of Nara’s work is ongoing, The Beginning Place marks a new chapter in this story with a comprehensive look at his work since the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, alongside earlier pieces, weaving the past and the present into a layered tapestry of themes from time and space to house and home. The exhibition fills several indoor galleries and extends to the exteriors of the museum.

Exhibition curator Shigemi Takahashi explains how the theme of fresh starts is depicted. “The idea of beginning is so important in artistic expression,” says Takahashi. “An artist, who works over many years, needs to keep coming up with ideas and making them work. The Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011 was an extremely significant event for the artist, forcing him to rethink his sense of values and his attitude toward creation. The artist then began to look back to past times and landscapes in order to find the roots that support his own creation.”

In a region of Japan that sees the changing of the seasons, “Nara’s Aomori-Ken” dog looms over viewers as a much beloved symbol of the museum and the region. Visitors flock to see this massive sculpture under blue skies, rainy days and topped with mounds of snow in the winter. “The snowy Aomori region where Nara was born and spent his childhood plays a very important role in this process,” says Takahashi. “The Beginning Place refers to the specific place of his hometown, where his sensibility was nurtured. And secondly, in a broader sense, it refers to the place where something is born. We hope that the exhibition itself will be a place where something new and hopeful is born for visitors.”

With the many themes explored, Nara’s prolific output is on full display. “His early works made extensive use of collage, literally attempting to create layers,” Takahashi says. “The visual impact of the collages are indeed modest, and if you don’t look carefully, you won’t even notice that they are layered. However inconspicuous, the fact that something invisible is enclosed in the lower layers is important to the artist.” 

Some of Nara’s most recent large scale portraits of girls reveal a colorful mosaic style. In March 2020 at LA County Museum of Art (LACMA), after just a few days of planning and installation, Nara returned to Japan and the realization set in that the delay was indefinite and the future murky. Nara began to paint a portrait he named “Study,” referring to a signal of something that is about to begin. In this large scale portrait, he depicts a girl’s face that is not clearly defined, emerging almost from within a fog, reflecting the uncertainty and unpredictability of his experience. He achieved this effect by pressing the surface of the paint with more hesitation than definitive lines. Nara added “Study” to the LACMA exhibit when it finally opened in the spring of 2021.

For the most recent painting in The Beginning Place, Takahashi explains some insights into Nara’s evolving painting techniques. “Recently in the process of creating his paintings, he often arranges the canvas in a mosaic of different colored flecks, from which the forms emerge,” she says. “Underneath a simple figure, such as a bust of a girl, there are many layers of colors, and these layers have tended to become more multiplexing as time passes. The time he has lived seems to be woven into the increasingly thick layers.” In the emotional “Midnight Tears,” a girl emerges from the dark background. Her hair, face and clothing are flecked with layers of color. A tear wells up in her eye and appears to be about to roll down her cheek. 

A new large sculpture entitled “Peace Head” (2021) is also included in the exhibition. “It is a three-dimensional work of a huge head made of aluminum and painted with white urethane,” says Takahashi. “The prototype is a small clay sculpture the size of a fist. The clay is kneaded in the palm of the hand, as children play with clay, and parts such as the eyes and nose are carved in with chopstick-like wooden sticks. With this work, the artist says he tried to be as mindless as possible. It can be said that the artist is interested in the resonance of the forms that emerge when everything that is unnecessary is stripped away.”

The Beginning Places includes a recreation of Jail House 33, a significant place in Nara’s early years. The coffee shop, which became known as Thirty-Three, opened in 1977 and was a community gathering place to drink coffee and listen to rock music. Nara, who was then in high school, had met the musician Masaki and helped him transform a garage by hand-building the rustic space. Nara frequented the cafe after school and worked as a dishwasher and spun records in the DJ booth. Though the Thirty-Three closed in the mid-’80s it has been recreated in the museum with the help of available documents, images and by speaking to people who had been there. Nara’s love of music has been a recurring theme throughout his career.

For an artist known for painting on found pieces of wood, corrugated cardboard and envelopes, even the special tickets created for The Beginning Place offer an opportunity to have whimsical keepsakes made on scraps of apple wood boxes. On it a young girl with her eyes closed is under a sign that has the word tomorrow crossed out and says, ”tomorrow’s far away.” This quote could be a thesis for this time traveling experience with Nara’s life and work.

Yoshitomo Nara: A Beginning Place is on view until 25 February 2024.

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Word of Mouth: Low Impact Travel in Copenhagen

More and more travelers are making intentional choices to explore the world by orchestrating ideal itineraries that minimize impact on the environment

Julie Wolfson

27 October 2023

Denmark’s capital city offers accessible options for traveling with a light footprint. Known for historic castles near innovative contemporary architecture, a vibrant art and design community, and culinary offerings from some of the world’s most well-known fine dining restaurants, the storybook streets and waterways of Copenhagen often feel idyllic. The air is fresh. The water is clean (you can swim in the public harbor baths). Communal meals are popular, as are community gatherings that share resources at places like Rodder in Nordvest and Absalon in Vesterbro. 

To travel to Copenhagen, consider airlines that offer carbon offsets for the journey. SAS provides direct flights from NYC and Los Angeles with the option to buy biofuel by booking with the Go Smart Bio. SAS is working toward a goal of zero CO2 emissions by 2025 (and a mission to fly planes fully powered by electricity). After landing in Copenhagen, visitors are provided with many low impact travel options. The city transportation system includes many electric buses and taxis, metro trains, walkable streets and accessible bike lanes. The following suggestions align with these values, as well.

Coco Hotel

Like many accommodations in Copenhagen, Coco Hotel’s sustainability efforts are multifaceted. The hotel runs on solar energy. For each hotel room booking, they donate one tree per night to the Eden Reforestation Project. While staying at the hotel they follow the Green Key Certification encouraging participation in their Environmental Policy to wash sheets and towels only when necessary and encouraging guests to drink Copenhagen’s very clean tap water. A card in the room read “Please drink the water. Copenhagen tap water is among the World’s best, please enjoy!” Pack a reusable bottle or pick up one at the many cafes and shops and skip single use bottles while walking, biking and boating around the city. To make a different low impact accommodation choice throughout the city, Visit Copenhagen offers this list of more than 20 eco-certified hotels in the city. Several historic buildings have also been upcycled into hotels. The repurposing of these existing structures preserves the building’s character while reducing the environmental impact of new construction.

Ark 

For first time visitors, a meal at Ark begins with a discussion of philosophy. Ark is the vision of founder Jason Renwick and creative director Jenia Nelisova, and focuses on sustainability with the goal to have a positive impact. This mission is reflected in the locally sourced Danish design—from furniture and décor to ceramics by Hannah Blackall-Smith of Blacksmith Ceramics. Executive chef Brett Lavender and his team serve seasonal and foraged ingredients with a focus on mushrooms grown nearby (by Kyle Cometta at Funga Farm). They serve biodynamic and natural wines. With the Ark menu, Lavender makes every effort possible to employ zero waste practices in the kitchen and throughout every aspect of the service; the menu focuses on plant-based ingredients to meet these goals. What follows is the most beautiful presentation of an elegant and delicious fine dining menu with thoughtful wine pairings or inspired non-alcohol offerings. This is the place that a locally grown mushroom is elevated into an umami-laden delicacy. Even the bread course with brioche served with onion and pepper accompaniments feels transformative. Clever interpretations of dishes that traditionally have seafood or egg come in luscious variations like a “chawanmushi,” made with corn and coffee. All of this effort and artistry has earned them a Green Michelin star for restaurants focused on sustainable gastronomy. 

Green Kayak

With beautiful sites throughout the city, seeing Copenhagen by boat provides some of the best views. In Denmark and six other countries, the environmental NGO Green Kayak offers free kayaks to explore the waterways. Volunteering while on vacation has also gained popularity. The free kayaks are available to anyone who agrees to pick up any trash they see along the way to help spread the message of the problem of environmental pollution. Green Kayak participants are also asked to share the experience on social media. In Copenhagen, even in the waters that appear pristine, pieces of garbage accumulate and the Green Kayak program helps to clean them. Seeing the city from the water is one of the best views of the historic and contemporary architecture. Paddling a Green Kayak may evoke some cheers from the walkways and bridges as the locals are well aware of how the program has helped keep their city clean. Tobias Weber-Andersen, founder of Green Kayak says, “You get some fresh air and exercise, and do something good for the environment. The trash is taken to the incinerator and burned and transformed into energy.”

Kødbyens Fiskebar

Located in the Meatpacking District near Prolog Coffee and Hart Bageri, restaurant Kødbyens Fiskebar is a don’t miss for their inventive menu of sustainable seafood with local grown and foraged produce. Head chef Jamie Lee focuses on cooking seafood from what he refers to as unique sustainable fishing communities. He and his team handpick shellfish for peak flavor. Vegetables and herbs are from organic farms or foraged around Copenhagen. Dishes bring together fascinating ingredient combinations—like squid, radish, lemon verbena and chicken wing finished with smoked tuna heart, or roasted monkfish dusted with koji and dried shrimp served with pickled butternut squash, stewed kale and lovage finished with a sauce of roasted almonds split with sea buckthorn oil. Lee grills horse mackerel over coal and serves it with gooseberry butter. House-made bread comes with a side of savory seaweed butter. For many dishes, the team sources wild fish caught from small boats in the afternoon, making their menu offerings the definition of fresh in a bustling restaurant where everyone has a glass of wine in hand and a smile on their face. 

Unesco World Capital of Architecture

Hop on a bike, boat, bus or walk to discover why Copenhagen has been nominated as a Unesco World Capital of Architecture. This three-year designation as the World Capital of Architecture will feature hundreds of events through 2026. Explore some of the city’s most sustainable buildings, and neighborhoods like Nordhavn. Visit the Design Museum Danmark. From the water, take in views of the Danish Architecture Center with exhibitions about Danish design and the Royal Library and Black Diamond Building with the National  Museum of Photography in the basement. With a focus on human-centered architecture and urban planning, Copenhagen serves as an ideal case study for achieving many UN goals. beCopenhagen offers half-day and full-day bike tours to explore the city, where you can learn how urban design and architectural solutions are being implemented to improve the daily life for everyone in Copenhagen. 

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Word of Mouth: Coffee in Copenhagen

Exploring café culture in the capital of Denmark one cup of locally roasted coffee at a time

Julie Wolfson

13 October 2023

Exploring the picturesque city of Copenhagen quickly reveals that it’s a dream destination for coffee enthusiasts. Here, the Nordic or Scandinavian roasting style reigns supreme, referring to high-quality beans that are lightly roasted to bring out optimal flavor in the coffee. Relaxing while sipping and savoring filter coffees and pour-overs feels in tune with the lifestyle in this waterfront city, while each café also offers an array of espresso drinks and delicious pastries. These are just some of many of Copenhagen’s coffee styles, which also include the espresso martini (for example, made with Prolog coffee at the Soho House) or coffee soft serve ice cream and espresso croissants at Andersen & Maillard Coffee Roastery & Bakery.

The city’s delectable cardamom pastries—at Hart Bageri, Juno the Bakery, alice and more—provide the perfect pairing with a freshly brewed cup of black coffee. As Dane Phillip Oliver at La Cabra Coffee Roasters explains, “It’s a big part of the coffee culture here because Denmark has such a rich history with bakeries and baked goods and with the new bakers coming along, they just play so well together. For us bakery and coffee, having them side by side at that level is so important.”

The following world class coffee roasteries and cafes brew up some of the best coffee in the city—and as Oliver suggests, don’t miss the pastries along the way. 

Coffee Collective

At Coffee Collective’s roastery, in the Godthabsvej neighborhood, café goers can view the goings-on behind the scenes while they sip expertly crafted coffees and espressos. Klaus Thomsen started this coffee company in 2007, the year after he won the World Barista Champion. This temple to Nordic roasted coffees has expanded to nine locations including their bakery. Though known throughout the city and around the world for carefully sourced and pristinely roasted beans, Thomsen is resolute in his mission. “Coffee does not need to be that fussy,” he says. Coffee Collective has spent years fostering direct relationships with coffee farmers. “The benefit of having your own shops is you get to go taste the coffees—how they are actually brewed,” adds Thomsen “You get the whole picture of the life of that coffee. Our job here at the roastery and in brewing is to release the full potential of what the farmer has created.”

April Coffee Roasters  

In the Osterbro neighborhood, a visit to April Coffee Roasters showroom, which opened in 2020, requires some sleuthing. This is an intentional choice by the founder, Patrik Rolf, who wanted to create a coffee experience. Set in the mostly residential neighborhood, at first glance the café and store might look like an interior design gallery. Just inside the doors a sleek Modbar espresso machine sits atop a low counter. There, three choices are offered: espresso, espresso with milk and filter coffee. The seating feels more like a living room than a coffee bar, and is appointed with furniture designed by The House of Finn Juhl. The interior design, with Danish and Japanese influences, provides both a relaxing space to enjoy drinking coffee as well as an ideal setup to display their retail offerings from coffee beans and drip packs to brewing equipment. Their custom brewer is engineered to be an ideal shape for Nordic roast coffees. April also sells a line of utility clothing that has been designed for their staff in the café and roastery—with jackets, trousers, shirts and accessories.

Prolog Coffee 

With a location in the Vesterbro Meatpacking District, Prolog Coffee has distinguished themselves as a significant chapter in the Copenhagen coffee story. The original café now faces Hart Bageri, with some of the best pastries in the city including their cardamom croissant and pecan financiers. Opened in 2016 by Sebastian Quistorff and three-time Danish barista champion, Jonas Gehl, the name Prolog refers to something that is always at the beginning and aiming for a goal. They opened a café in Osterbro earlier this year, near Juno the bakery, which also serves Prolog coffees alongside their cardamom buns, cream buns, tarts and slices of lemon cake. Prolog launched a tray collaboration with the Standard Practice, a stackable design made from Scandinavian Douglas fir off-cuts and produced locally in Standard Practice’s Copenhagen workshop. They also sell the  Prolog Apron, made with Danish fabric company Kvadrat, that the staff has been wearing in the café since they opened. Quistorff and Gehl plan to open up a new roastery in Frederiksberg next year. 

La Cabra Coffee Roasters 

Launched in Aarhus in 2012 by Esben Piper, the Copenhagen location of La Cabra roastery and café are currently in Frederiksberg—but as they move to a larger location coffee enthusiasts will follow. La Cabra’s inner-city Copenhagen location is a collaboration with lifestyle brand Another Aspect, on Møntergade in the heart of Copenhagen’s fashion district. Their goal to create bright and transparent coffee experiences across Denmark has now expanded around the globe with their first international locations in New York City on Lafayette Street in Soho and in Bangkok’s Samphanthawong district plus one coming soon in Muscat. La Cabra coffees are also served at Koffee Mameya’s tasting experience in Tokyo. “We see ourselves as promoting modern Nordic coffee experiences alongside International inputs and influences which comes with the mix of nationality working within our companies,” says Dane Phillip Oliver, while giving a tour of the roastery. “We bring a lot of these different perspectives and meet with that Scandinavian Nordic coffee approach.”  In Copengahen, La Cabra coffees are also served at Democratic Coffee, a café on Krystalgade street in Copenhagen University’s library. 

HipHop

After working together at Prolog, Luke Allen asked Nobu Matsui to join him in a new venture. Next to Alle Station they opened HipHop, a tiny café with big dreams. They serve a menu of filter coffees and espresso drinks: americano, piccolo, cortado, flat white, cappuccino and latte. Named for the music genre, HipHop promises attention to detail in the coffee roasts and preparation along with a carefully chosen playlist. “Nobu is the head roaster. He is the sensei and I am the student,” says Allen. “We’ve adopted his approach, that he has developed over ten years of brewing and roasting in Copenhagen. We are pushing into a new Nordic style, focused on light roasted coffee that’s also at optimal development.” A mural by @waltgisli flanks the back wall of the coffee bar with a vibrant interpretation of the world’s most famous mouse, apropos in a city also known for Tivoli Gardens, the whimsical destination that inspired Walt Disney to build amusement parks. 

ORSA 

Opened in June in Vesterbro, on Vesterbrograde street, ORSA may be the new kids on the block but they have made their intentions loud and clear. With an Instagram that says, “We just don’t care” and tables that emphatically are labeled “No Fucking Laptops,” you’d think that maybe this is that don’t-bug-us variety of coffee shops. But in reality the light-filled cafe is warm and inviting, fulfilling their goal to create a space where coffee and music meet. The name Orsa is Latin word for initiated or begun. Serving Prolog and a rotating series of featured monthly roasters like Casino Mocca from Budapest and Candycane Coffee in Prague, ORSA also features local artists and started their Public Display of Inspiration series with Gokce Terciogiu who paints with the Turkish art of marbling. They also host a social running club named NORSA with weekly runs that begin and end at the café. 

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Jinju Lee Dazzles During Seoul Art Week and Beyond

Spending time with the South Korean artist across her numerous exhibitions and installations

Julie Wolfson

4 October 2023

During this year’s Seoul Art Week, painter Jinju Lee‘s work could be found impressing art observers just about everywhere. The prolific artist, who teaches at Hongik University College of Fine Art, was showing at the Frieze Art Fair and at three other galleries, while also preparing for an exhibit in the Netherlands. Two paintings from her mesmerizing Black Paintings series, “Gaze” and “Perception,” commanded attention at Arario Gallery’s Frieze booth at COEX. An installation representing her studio was set up on the top floor of the Arario Gallery itself. Her works were also a part of The Embodied Spirit group show at the newly opened White Cube Seoul. We met up with Lee, however, at her exhibit within the SongEun art space, designed by the Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron (their first-ever project in Korea). There, we learned more about her achingly beautiful Black Paintings, as well as glowing canvases layered with images of women, children and nature. 

Talking about the subjects in her work, Lee says through a translator, “It is very symbolic. A metaphor of life. It is the stones that I see when I am walking along the street. Even when I face something ordinary that I see every day, it will remind me of a special memory or event. Everything has meaning.” She paints with materials used in very traditional Korean painting, which she describes as similar to water colors but with more depth. Lee depicts these memories in the form of photorealistic hands and faces glowing from the darkest black to evocative layered scenes of natural forms. Her work lives in the space between beauty and heartbreak. 

In recent works, white walls and planes obscure the full story, a reference to our time inside during isolation. Clues to a deep maternal bond fill the images from female bodies, hands holding eggs and young children being comforted and nourished by a parent. Foliage appears to have been rendered by a botanist as well as images of the natural world with animals, soil and stones existing in relation to each other. It’s as if Lee has found a way to share not only her memories, but also her philosophy, dreams and desires, all with radiant and hypnotic clarity. 

At SongEun, Lee’s paintings fill two galleries in the group exhibition Panorama, highlighting the works of sixteen contemporary Korean artists. One wall, with five of her Black Paintings, depicts photorealistic hands holding raw eggs whole, cracked and dripping down. Each hand glows out of a dark black paint, which she explains has been made by her husband, artist Lee Jeong-bae, by combining powdered pigment, “agyo” (a type of animal skin glue) and water. She calls this material “Leejeongbae black.” She believes hands can express human emotion (and even a quick glimpse at her work confirms this).

For the piece “(Im)possible,” Lee explains that she was interested in exploring the theme of seeing, and wanted to depict what lies beyond the peripheral vision that cannot be seen. “When there are two people and they face each other, then you cannot see,” she says. “You are too close to each other, so it is the relationship of the person who is there.” The painting, which is also a freestanding sculpture, is structured to give the viewer blinders like a horse would wear during a race, so that the viewer can only see the parts Lee wants to be revealed. The artwork incorporates a long stem of bamboo held upside down that Lee pulled out of the ground herself, a rock she saw in her neighborhood and a dragonfly that was caught by one of her children.

Lee paints glimpses into intimate moments of family life and visions of her memories, both beautiful and scary. As a young girl she was kidnapped and held with her hands and feet tied. Though her captivity did not last for very long and she kept it as a secret from her mother, the fraught emotions have stayed with her to this day. She talks about how she has tried to push these traumatic moments away, but they continue to stick to her. Painting helps her process these complicated feelings. 

At The Embodied Spirit group show, curated by Susan May, Lee’s Black Paintings stand out from the gallery walls with an almost lifelike presence. In “Clearly Revealed,” a woman looks away from the viewer holding her face in her hands, appearing to possibly be the same person revealed twice, but with slightly varying marks on the skin. While in the next canvas two women face front with both sets of their hands hiding the woman in front. The viewer wonders if this is two reflections of a person or a relationship between two women standing so close to protect each other. For an exhibit exploring the theme of metaphysics and philosophy, these images evoke inquiry and offer multiple interpretations from such simple gestures.  

During Seoul Art Week, the worldwide art community visited the sprawling metropolis to attend the fairs, gallery and museum shows, events and exhibitions installed throughout the city. As art from around the globe was celebrated, the breadth and depth of the Korean art community was on full display. While Lee was attending events in Seoul, she was also preparing for an exhibit at Marres, House for Contemporary Culture, in Maastricht where her paintings will be shown alongside works by artists Hyesoo Park and James Webb. The show, entitled Goodbye to Love (inspired by the bell hooks essay “All About Love”) shares the transformative power of love and its importance to the social and political fabric of society. Lee’s work offers so much to add to the thematic exploration.

Spending time with Lee leaves a lasting impression. She refers to her husband as her muse. Not only did he create the black paint that she uses to great effect in her work, he also constructs the shapes and forms of her paintings that exist beyond squares and rectangles. She speaks of her love and devotion to her children and how she prioritizes time with her family. For the Goodbye to Love exhibit, they have created a page for people to share their own stories about love. Lee depicts her own reflections on love in her incandescent work, which she shares with a growing following around the world. 

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Chef Aitor Zabala Brings His Inventive Culinary Stylings to Seoul

Journeying through South Korea, the visionary behind LA’s Somni restaurant also finds new inspiration in monk Jeong Kwan’s Buddhist temple food experience

Julie Wolfson

18 September 2023

In Los Angeles a discussion about the artistry of the tasting menu experience often leads to a reflective conversation about Aitor Zabala’s Somni. Born and raised in Barcelona, Zabala cooked for several years with Fernando Adrià and then Jose Andres before opening Somni, a 12-seat tasting experience inside the Bazaar at the SLS. After closing Somni in 2020, Zabala began to envision a stand-alone space for his inventive and playful menu which evokes flavors of Spain with inspirations from around the world. In anticipation of an opening now set for the beginning of 2024, his culinary team has been hard at work to plan the menu. They shared a customized version earlier this month at Myomi, adjacent to the Arario Museum, in South Korea during Seoul Art Week.

“When you are making a menu personal, you try to think of everything. How you present the food, the space, even the flowers. It’s a type of art,” he says as he prepares for his pop-up dinner. The event begins for guests in the museum’s courtyard and continues as they walk through the labyrinthine building designed by Kim Swoo Geun in the 1970s. It has been carefully preserved and transformed into a contemporary art space with low ceilings, brick walls and narrow passageways. Each twist and turn reveals photographs by Cindy Sherman, Kohei Nawa’s glass deer and a sculpture of the artist Mark Quinn’s head made of his own frozen blood. This eclectic collection is also complemented by the Arario Gallery in the next building, which features several shows and artist Jinju Lee’s studio presentation on the top floor. An outpost of Fritz Coffee has drawn a gathering of locals to the lush patio.

After the art-filled tour, a small elevator takes diners up to Miyomi where Zabala and his team have prepared an interpretive version of the Somni menu (which earned the chef two Michelin stars). It begins with a delicate frozen cocktail made with pine water, sake, yuzu and grapes topped with edible flowers and a whimsical presentation of small snacks, tapas style, including a one-bite croquette, paper thin ginko-leaf-shaped crackers with idiazabal cheese and beet bon bons. “It’s a Willy Wonka party,” says Zabala, serving his flavorful creations, a visual feast that feels fitting for an evening at the museum in the midst of an exuberant art week in this bustling metropolis. Zabala carries out plates for the seventeen courses with both a seriousness for the feat that he has tasked himself with and a twinkle in his eye. 

Some Korean ingredients have been incorporated into Somni classics include a perilla leaf in a tempura dish that originally featured shiso. Grilled local scallops are complemented by a cuttlefish ink, roasted onion sauce and a small cup of dashi. A dish he calls “Spaniard Visiting Korea” pairs noduguro fish with dry tomato, sesame milk, perilla leaf, liver sauce, black olive oil and edible flowers. 

Zabala and his team also brought some ingredients with them. Huitlacoche from Oaxaca was packed with the kitchen equipment they could not live without. Delicate savory meringues in the shape of bones were made in LA and carried on the plane, then filled with eel, caviar, bone marrow and apple just before serving. “We are bringing all of the continents together,” explains Zabala. “We always play with shapes and textures and with flavors.”

When asked why Seoul, Zabala replies, “I wanted to see and experience a totally different perspective.” After three services over two days, Zabala and his team pack up their knives and kitchen tools that helped shape the roasted eggplant and nori cracker and cheese course served in the shape of the black and white cow and begin to look toward their next adventure. When Zabala agreed to the pop-up dinner he drew up a list of what it would take to pull off such a complicated menu in another kitchen. He also made another request after the dinner, to travel to the Buddhist temple where monk Jeong Kwan is known for being a master of temple food.

Driving four hours from the bustle and lights of Seoul to Naejangsan National Park feels like time traveling. Arriving at Baekyangsa Temple almost immediately calms the mind. Kwan stands waiting for Zabala and follows her greeting with an invitation to sit down for cold tea and fruit. Through a translator Zabala begins to ask Kwan questions about ingredients and techniques and soon it is evident that she will be sharing much of her knowledge through cooking demonstrations.

Preparing dinner Kwan looks both serene and intense. She makes it abundantly clear that she is particular about how she wants vegetables cut. Each fresh green has been carefully picked at the peak of season with each dish mixed by bare hands, which she says is the best utensil for food preparation. Aged soy sauce and sesame oil with a spare few more ingredients provide the seasonings. She places dishes in bowls for the family style meal. She rolls leafy greens in bean powder for soup. The fresh flavors are as alive as the vegetation they are made from. Her blessing is translated into English for all to pray together before eating. 

The after-dinner activity is a demonstration of kimchi. This temple version is fully plant-based without any fish ingredients, as Buddhist food does not include animal products, garlic or onions. Kwan squeezes the extra liquid from the salted cabbage and layers each leaf with a mixture of fragrant ingredients that are bright red. She says through the translator that without fermentation, this is “just salad,” eliciting giggles from her kitchen audience. 

After a night of sleeping on matts at the temple stay quarters, Zabala wakes up to join Kwan in the kitchen to make breakfast. When the question of coffee came up the night before she pointed to some coffee beans and pour-over filters. Zabala starts to make coffee, while she sets about making tofu two ways, a pressed version and a softer style. Smooth black sesame porridge is cooking on the stove and some of last night’s kimchi, still in its salad state, is plated for each person. The group gathers around the table for breakfast together followed by a foraging walk and a tour of her bean paste, kimchi, soy sauce and other fermentation projects. 

Sipping a final cup of tea together, Jeong Kwan takes the time to make a specific blessing for each of the people who have made the journey to visit her. Zabala tells her he wants to return to learn about this food and way of life. When asked about the experience he replies, “You need to do the best you can with the hands you have.”

Back in Los Angeles Zabala turns his focus to the reopening of Somni. He’s dreaming up his ideal dining experience. Every detail feels vital. “The food, service and environment are important,” he says. “When you have an emotion and you explain that emotion and you see their reaction, then people want to come back.”

“I have always liked the idea at the restaurant to have a never ending experience,” he says, talking about connecting the time that guests make a reservation, arrive at the restaurant and enjoy the meal to weeks later when they receive information that helps keep them feeling that they are always involved with the restaurant and the experience. Zabala compares it to the photo on the fridge from a cherished vacation memory. He wants to tap into that essence when interacting with diners at Somni.

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Interview: Regina Spektor On How She Ignites Her Inner Flame

Catching up with the acclaimed recording artist mid-tour

David Graver

7 August 2023

Recently on The New Yorker Radio Hour, Regina Spektor told writer Amanda Petrusich, “I pledge allegiance to the imagination.” This classically trained, multitalented musician, who was born in Moscow and moved to the US when she was 9 years old, writes songs that often exist in the realm of fairy tales. To begin her NPR Tiny Desk performance, she improvised a quirky and whimsical song about…a tiny desk and the journey she took to get there.

Spektor has performed on stages around the world, on Broadway, inside Disney Hall, at music festivals, and for events like the celebration for Mikhail Baryshnikov’s 75th birthday at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park in Tivoli, New York. Currently on tour, Spektor and a nine-foot Steinway piano are traversing the US from coast to coast to play three shows in California then wrapping up in New York and Martha’s Vineyard. 

Her lush instrumentation and gorgeous lyrics tell stories that are lavish and theatrical, yet intimate and emotional. She often explores the theme of time—from the theme song “You’ve Got Time” for Orange is the New Black to songs on her current album, “Becoming All Alone,” where she has a conversation with god: “And I said why doesn’t it get better with time? I‘m becoming all alone again.” In “Spacetime Fairytale,” where she explores the concept of time in varying ways, she discovers, “This world began outside of time. Some days it’s yours, some days it’s mine. Some days it’s cruel, some days it’s kind. It just can’t stay the same.”

We spoke with Spektor in the midst of arriving in a new city to soundcheck for another show. Spektor, who craves adventures, travel and performance, shares with us why she rarely sticks to a planned setlist, her inspirations from fashion and literature, and the beauty and importance of friendship.

Do you have an object that has special meaning that you bring along with you when you’re on tour?

I always carry way too many books. I have a really good book with me now by Marie-Louise von Franz, who was the closest associate to Carl Jung. This book is just called Dreams. The study of the dreams of Jung, Descartes, Socrates and other historical figures. She talks about the history of each one of these people all their lives and then a monumental dream that they had. She shares her thoughts on the dream. She also has written really interesting books about fairy tales. I’m interested in dreams and fairy tales and myths and all those kinds of things. So this is a fun read. And it’s very dense. My brain can only handle little bits at a time, but I’m making my way through.

Home, Before and After came out about a year ago, and so many of your songs are about the theme of time. What is your experience of time on the road?

I was just talking to my front of house engineer—we were talking about the tour that started in Milwaukee. And it was three days in a row, you know, you just play, drive, play, drive, play. He said to me, “it feels like Milwaukee was a month ago.” And it kind of does. And so I think on tour time, especially for my kind of brain, I’m kind of time traveling all the time. I think everybody loses their sense of time on tour. it’s kind of beautiful because you almost tune to this other thing. There’s a reason why the road gets into people and we all kind of become road dogs a little bit. We need the open road!  

Do you have a ritual before performing that helps you focus and feel ready?

I like doing makeup and picking clothes is my ritual. I travel with a whole bunch of dresses and outfits and think: what is tonight? When I do makeup before the show, it’s almost like those fun photographs of the old Yiddish theater, where they would put on their makeup. I have this really wonderful Chagall book and there’s photos from that era of people just looking in the mirror and becoming King Lear. In my own little way, it’s where I gather into myself. It feels very in the tradition of all of those old theater actors.

Your wardrobe since the new album came out has been especially colorful, like the La DoubleJ flower dress, the Psychic Outlaw bandana dress, the Batsheva zebra gown. What inspired this exuberant palette this year?

A lot of it is my friend Orlee Winer, who’s my stylist. She inspires me in a big, big way. We knew each other from Hebrew school. We reconnected when I was doing SNL. And she was working with the stylist who was hired to dress me for Saturday Night Live. She’s got such an incredible eye for finding fun clothes. I’m not the easiest person to dress because I need to have a certain kind of wingspan to be able to reach the keys. I can’t deal with a high collar or having anything around my neck. The sleeves have to be a certain way, so that I don’t get my fingers tangled when I play. Because sometimes I face the audience and I have my legs pretty spread out and have to make sure I’m not flashing anybody. There are all these kinds of parameters and she magically finds these dresses that I love every time and so I’m very grateful to her. And I’ve been rocking a lot of FARM Rio and CeliaB. 

Your fashion choices seem to be integral to the visual look and focus of the tour that feels celebratory and vibrant. Does this all reflect how you are feeling?

I am grateful for all of these clothes because they really help me express myself. When I go through it all on a certain night, and I pick the dress that feels just right for that moment, it feels really good because it is part of the accompaniment and it does take a lot of things to put on a show—like the lighting design. Everyone works so hard to make the show happen, so that the audience can kind of get lost in the moment. If they want to close their eyes, there are good things for them to hear. And if they want to open their eyes, there are things for them to see. It’s just all for them.

Speaking of things to see, you travel with a very large piano. What is the piano’s story??

I’m a Steinway artist and Steinway has taken care of me for years. They’re incredible, my favorite pianos in the world. Each one has its own personality. If anybody is coming to visit New York and they want to have a very special experience, they should go to Astoria, Queens to the Steinway factory. They do give tours and one of the most interesting things is that they start out with all of this wood that’s just laying out in the elements of New York City for at least a year, through all of the seasons. It’s been under rain. It’s been under snow. It’s lived. Then they pick the pieces that feel right to them and then they start building. It takes a very long time.

It’s all bent and carved by hand. These artisans are incredible. Before I would go to the factory and they would set up maybe five or six instruments for me to try that were available to go on the road and I would pick the one that felt the most kindred to what I was doing. Now, because they know me so well, they know which ones I have played, I don’t have to always go in person. We have two cases that we own. This one is a Steinway D, which is a nine-foot piano… the case is bigger than my first New York City apartment! These pianos are huge! It’s really a privilege to play such a good instrument.

Some of your lyrics on this album refer to god and prayers. Were you feeling especially spiritual while you were writing the album? And are you finding any surprisingly spiritual moments on the tour this year as audiences are gathering with you again?

I do feel connected to the spiritual and to religious things in my life. I really do. In a way, being a parent connects you to your culture even more, because you want to share the beautiful things. I want to share the beautiful things of Judaism with my family, and this experience, a type of growing up where I’ve lost my dad. I think that this kind of grief and getting into that realm where you deal with loss, it pushes you toward the spiritual because you really start to feel how much is beyond your understanding and how much is beyond what is here to see physically in this world.

During the last year and your tour, you’ve been to museums, you’ve seen plays like Alex Edelman’s opening night of his Broadway show. You surround yourself with such an incredible circle of artists. How does this community of artist friends keep you inspired?

I think COVID has really awakened me to realize, more than ever, how much I need my friends and especially the art that my friends make. Getting to go to those earliest shows and concerts, it was an awakening of the soul and I am really lucky that I have these super-inspiring artist friends. I get to hang out with all these amazing people… Eugen Hutz, Alex Edelman, Mike Birbiglia and Jenji Kohan. They are my friends. I can’t believe it most of the time because they’re such beautiful people. It’s really cool when you’re in the world of art that you get brought together with people whose art you love, but it’s the human friendship that is a very important part of my inspiration. We look for support from each other because the world gets very daunting and so it’s really wonderful to get these other perspectives. But to have that kind of common language where the person knows exactly what you’re thinking. Because most artists are really shy, quiet people and then all of a sudden, they have to overcome these things and be in front of people. And then they feel a tremendous sense of pressure. They want everybody to have fun and enjoy it. 

Spektor and her Steinway head back to Los Angeles to play The Greek Theatre on 10 August.

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Scenic Cliffside Adventures at The Sea Ranch Lodge

We visit the newly redesigned rooms to discover why this sliver of coastline continues to seduce

Julie Wolfson

26 July 2023

With dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean, rugged cliffs and idyllic coves, California’s span of Highway 1 north of Bodega Bay is one of the most beautiful in a state with many beautiful drives. Just past Steward’s Point begins the ten miles of coastline known as The Sea Ranch. Along this stretch, an unpainted wooden structure comes into view with a large image of horns that evokes the movement of waves crashing. This is one of the iconic supergraphics that Barbara Stauffacher Solomon created for The Sea Ranch, when the unincorporated community was first built in the ’60s. Turn left into The Sea Ranch Lodge parking lot and step out into the fresh air and let the adventure begin. 

The low-slung wooden structure melds into the landscape. Mailboxes for locals flank the front of the building. Once inside the doors, a bold Solomon red arrow supergraphic is painted on a wall near the gift shop, which is teeming with design books, comfortable sweatshirts and a refrigerator filled with California wines. Rotating art installations, curated by local gallerists Maynard and Lu Lyndon, are on display by the coffee bar. Venture further to find the lounge, restaurant, cocktail bar—and the view. It’s majestic, and reveals one of the many reasons why travelers venture to this rural area of the Golden State.

After years of revitalization and renovation, The Sea Ranch Lodge has begun welcoming guests once again. The main section of the lodge was restored by architecture firm Mithun and reopened in 2021, accompanied by landscape design from Terremoto and interior design by Charles de Lisle. The overall renovation carefully removed additions from previous remodels to highlight the original open layout of the lodge, with its simplicity of forms and a focus on how they exist in the landscape. 

With custom furnishings built by Santa Cruz Woodworks Shop, mid-century Hans Wegner elbow chairs and armadillo loungers by Mut Design, each item adds to a look of comfortable ease beneath the high ceilings. Tiles by Fireclay, lighting by Banks Landl, woven works by Jess Feury and ceramics by Sasinun Kladpetch complement the overall look, as well. Thoughtful touches include Occer binoculars to observe the view and coastal wildlife, Brazos walking sticks for outdoor expeditions and cozy blankets to cuddle up after a hike. Each room even has a coffee bar with a Chemex, Sea Ranch Coffee beans roasted by Plank coffee and a Fellow kettle. 

On the north side of the property seventeen rooms occupy the same footprint of the original 1964 structure. For these newly refurbished guestrooms, design collective Nicole Hollis artfully achieves a look that honors the original interiors and their harmony with the natural landscape. With cues from the topography and the iconic architecture, the interior design focuses on sandy and coppery tones with pops of indigo. Upholstered window seats, a common architectural feature in many of the area homes, offer a comfortable place to be able to look out over the ocean and watch a variety of shore birds and squadrons of pelicans fly by. 

The lodge dining room is helmed by chef Eric Piacentine, who finds inspiration in locally sourced ingredients. Here bucatini is served with oyster mushrooms picked at The Sea Ranch’s own farm, and locally caught Petrale sole is served with a variety of fresh peas and fava beans. An agricultural initiative, currently in the planning phase, aims to transform a plot of land south of the lodge into a farm to grow produce and raise animals to promote sustainable practices for the food and beverage at the lodge. 

The coffee bar at The Sea Ranch Lodge has quickly become a community gathering space. Locals and visitors relax on the front deck with mugs of coffee, many with their dogs. The Lodge welcomes canine guests in their first level guestrooms, too. In addition to the aforementioned lodging, The Sea Ranch Lodge also includes seven architecturally significant homes available for vacation rentals. This includes The Tarp House designed by Obie Bowman, the Hines House designed by MLTW (one of only two homes in The Sea Ranch that are in the National Register of Historic Places) and White Tail designed by Charles Moore. 

The basic notion is that we would respect the land. We would put people on the land in a way that they were inconspicuous. We would build architecture that was not architectonic, that seemed natural in the place.

Al Boeke, founder, The Sea Ranch

In each home, the hotel’s history is displayed in a covered linen box on the coffee table, featuring a quotation from The Sea Ranch founder Al Boeke that reads, “The basic notion is that we would respect the land. We would put people on the land in a way that they were inconspicuous. We would build architecture that was not architectonic, that seemed natural in the place.” Boeke, a visionary who collaborated with architects, landscape designers, planners, artists and environmentalists, developed the area in the ’60s as a collaborative utopia. This ambitious dream is currently the subject of an exhibition at the SFMOMA, entitled The Sea Ranch: Architecture, Environment, and Idealism.

Many examples of The Sea Ranch architecture built through the decades can be seen from coastal and hillside trails surrounding the lodge. From its dining area and deck, walk past the historic barn toward the ocean. From here, the view of the rugged coastline cliffs and landforms are breathtaking. Turn east and look back toward the lodge glowing in the morning light or the glow of sunset. Just to the south is the original condo building that established many of the design ideas for the area. From there visitors can walk the bluffs of the entire span of The Sea Ranch and explore the area’s splendor. It’s a great place to unwind, appreciate the copacetic balance of nature and the built environment, and to have the space and energy to integrate your thoughts.

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A Visit and Immersive Gin Tasting Experience with Bombay Sapphire

From their distillery to some of London’s best cocktail bars, we’ve furthered our appreciation for the brand

Julie Wolfson

14 July 2023

It’s an early summer day in the Hampshire Countryside a few hours (about 65 miles) southeast of London. The car turns onto a one lane road flanked with tall bushes and soon the red brick buildings of the Bombay Sapphire Distillery in Laverstoke emerge from the foliage. This historic property—formerly a water-powered paper mill—has been home to the premium gin company since 2010. Touring the distillery reveals commitment to craft and sustainability throughout. 

The transformation from the original Laverstoke Mill into their campus was led by Heatherwick Studios, founded by renowned architect and designer Thomas Heatherwick. Nestled along the River Test, one of England’s 200 chalk streams, 23 historic buildings were restored by Heatherwick and his team and some newer ones were removed to allow the clear water from the chalk aquifers to flow more freely across the flinty gravel beds. 

In the center of the property they designed two intertwining sculptural glass houses to grow and display the botanicals used to make Bombay Sapphire. Each glass house, powered by excess heat from the gin distillation process, warms to the temperature and humidity simulating climates from the regions of the world from where the botanicals are sourced.

Bombay Sapphire has the distinction of being the first distillery in the world to receive the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) sustainability certification. This distinction is a source of pride for Bombay Sapphire’s Master Distiller, Dr Anne Brock, who leverages her PhD in organic chemistry from Oxford to perfect the art and craft of making gin.

Dr Brock personally supervises small batch production with Bombay’s signature vapor infusion technique to capture the nuanced flavors of the ten hand-selected botanicals, making London dry gin with a recipe originally created in 1761. Their recently retired master of botanicals, Ivano Tonutti, implemented a system to collect 100% sustainably sourced ingredients from around the globe—lemon peel and almonds from Spain, juniper and orris root from Italy, angelica from Germany, liquorice and cassia from China, grains of paradise from West Africa, and cubeb berries from Java. 

During a day of tours and workshops, Dr Brock reflects on her journey and what it has taken to get to this point in her career in distilling. “It’s a big commitment,” she says. “I always say to people who tell me they want to get into distilling, pick a spirit you love because it’s going to become everything you think about. If you’re ambivalent about it, you’re going to start to loathe it. I have always loved the flavor of gin, and the versatility of it in terms of drinks. I can drink anything from one of those bright and fresh Tom Collins, all the way through to a Martini or a Negroni. It’s the versatility of drinks that you can enjoy with gin that has always been something that’s drawn me to it.”

Earlier this year Bombay Sapphire debuted their Premier Cru Gin infused with sustainably sourced Fino lemons from Murcia, Spain. These lemons, complemented by the addition of mandarin and navel oranges, come from a single late harvest and are hand-picked by growers that they have worked with for more than 20 years. These citrus are grown in a basin near the sea surrounded by mountains, providing an ideal microclimate for slowly ripening throughout the winter before being picked for optimal flavor. 

When these lemons arrive in Laverstoke, Dr Brock and her team of distillers get to work. “If you want a fresh, bright, natural citrus flavor, you can’t steep and boil,” she explains. “You have to do it by vapor infusion. So we can really play with that and have a unique process that allows the citrus to shine, but still make that London dry gin style that we’re so fond of in Bombay Sapphire.” 

As the Premier Cru landed on shelves and behind bars in England and around the world, gin lovers and bartenders began to find inspired ways to work with this expression. Tasked with fashioning cocktails with the Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru, Alex Kratena of the award winning bar Tayēr + Elementary in London journeyed up to the distillery to share his thoughts about creativity and how the process of making gin parallels innovations and inventions across many disciplines. To share an example of the versatility of Premier Cru, Kratena serves a transportive combination featuring Premier Cru, tequila, neroli, jasmine, lemon, ylang ylang and fino sherry. 

Keeping the conversation going and drinks flowing in London with Kratena’s partner Monica Berg the Tayēr + Elementary bar team present a dizzying array of custom cocktails created to highlight Premier Cru. Inside the minimalist space, Kratena and Berg have set up their bar station in the middle of the three-sided counter as a stage for viewing the art and craft of making cocktails. The modular set up gives them an ideal space, flexible and ergonomic, to create their cocktails each night. 

They started with a light and effervescent welcome offering with timur, petit grains, vetiver, soda and a perfectly clear ice spear and continued with a celebration of Murcian lemon with the Premier Cru, jasmine, chinotto and oak moss glowing in a coupe glass. Then a Nick & Nora glass arrives with the Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru spiced with Noilly Prat Original Dry Vermouth and green Sichuan peppercorns that bring a slight numbing and tingle. Cocktail number four veers towards Negroni territory with Campari, two kinds of vermouth and yuzu. Finally, there’s an elegant take on a Bloody Mary with empirical perilla sauce, Tabasco and Clamato juice poured over an ice sphere. Each drink brings out layers of flavors and details in the gin. This was a tasting so we drank in moderation.

An essential stop on any cocktail tour of London, the Connaught Bar’s historic room transports guests with warm hospitality and expertly crafted cocktails. The tableside black lacquer martini trolly is a highlight. For Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru martinis, the bartender begins by offering an explanation of their choice of six varieties of aromatic bitters ranging from Dr Ago’s (head bartender Augostino Perroni’s own), bergamot and ginseng to tonka bean or cardamom. The bartenders always stir the martinis, then pour with balletic movements from a height to allow the flavors to develop. Presented in hand-etched glasses, these marvels are served with precisely cut spirals of citrus.

A visit to Bombay Sapphire in Laverstoke offers a first-hand experience with the sustainably sourced botanicals and carefully orchestrated operations that Dr Brock and the whole Bombay Sapphire team have made a commitment to uphold. The tastings at the distillery and options for cocktail adventures show how their spirits have delighted gin lovers and influenced classic and creative cocktails in bars throughout London and around the world.