Once a “boat person” who fled Vietnam by sea to Hong Kong, Yen Han is today a prima ballerina and one of the most popular dancers of Ballet Zurich. During the years that she has been a member, the company has become one of the best in Europe. Yen has danced the principal characters in all the great classics of the repertoire, including “Swan Lake”, “The Nutcracker” and “Cinderella”. Of Chinese-American origin, Yen Han has been living in Switzerland for more than two decades and has opened the Yen Han Dance Center in Zurich to teach children and adults the art of ballet.
The Swiss Pavilion at the architecture Biennale in Venice won the Golden Lion for the best national participation. It’s the first time this prestigious prize was awarded to the Swiss. The installation — titled „Svizzera 240: House Tour“ — is about looking at empty flats. It was conceived and designed by a young team of ETH architects. Tanya König met Alessandro Bosshard and Li Tavor—two of the four-person team—to find out the inspiration behind it.
Paléo Festival Nyon : from farmland to festival site
How do you transform farmland into one of the biggest summer music festivals in Switzerland with space for 230,000 visitors? Paléo Festival Nyon promoter Dany Hassenstein says it has been a constant logistical challenge for each of the festival’s 43 years: „We build a city from scratch. There is nothing. It’s farmland. … It’s a one-shot every year.“ CNNMoney Switzerland’s Martina Fuchs started by asking him about the lineup this year, which includes Depeche Mode, Lenny Kravitz and Gorillaz.
„Not a love story“: an exhibition by Iouri Podladtchikov
He is known as a snowboarder, but Iouri Podladtchikov has other talents too. At „Au Premiere“ in Zurich’s main station, he is currently exhibiting his mostly black-and-white photography. Gallerist Christophe Guye tells us here what makes his work special.
From point A to point B: The storage and transportation of fine art is an art onto itself
Art Basel, the premier event of its kind in the world, attracts artists, gallery owners, dealers, and collectors looking to buy, sell, or simply enjoy the work. The logistics behind storing and transporting works of such high value is an art in and of itself. In this week’s Spotlight, Simon Hornby, the president of the art logistics company Crozier, tells Ana Maria Montero what it takes to be an industry leader in the storage and transport services of fine art.
How to spot good art
The world’s premiere contemporary art fair, Art Basel, kicked off this week. CNNMoney Switzerland’s Tanya König asked galleries such as Galerie Urs Meile, Galerie EIGEN + ART, Rodeo, Catriona Jeffries, on their views on what constitutes a good piece of art.