Travel

Hungry for art? Your next inspired getaway should be in Vienna

Zee Lifestyle editor-at-large Melo Esguerra celebrates art–both modern and classic–in a recent visit to Vienna, Austria.

For hundreds of years, Vienna was a center of intellectual and artistic life. Now, the city that reinvented modernity is the vanguard again, further reinventing itself as a 21st century hub of contemporary design and earning the title of the art set’s newest capital. Upon the invitation of my dear friend, artist and curator Bogomir Doringer, I came to Vienna for the second time this year. This time, I was lucky to have stayed inside the Museums Quarter Wien, more commonly known as MQ.

Being one of the largest culture and art complexes in the world, MQ is a destination for culture seekers. You could spend an entire day diving into the vibrant sprawl of renowned museums, exhibitions halls and art spaces–which is exactly what I did.

The Imperial City Stables were constructed in the beginning of the 18th century, and later was adapted into trade fair and exhibition grounds. With its grand opening in 2001, the Museums Quarter is nearly 300 years in the making.

Today, there are baroque buildings and contemporary architecture. Cultural facilities in every shape and size represent a variety of art sectors that merge and coalesce to form a scintillatingly contrasting whole.

Melo admiring the Egon Schiele exhibit at the Leopold Museum

THE LEOPOLD MUSEUM

The Leopold Museum is home to one of the largest collections of modern Austrian art. It is an impressive treasure trove of Viennese art nouveau, the Vienna Workshop, Classical Modernism and the Expressionist period. Here you can find art by Gustav Klimt, Oskar Kokoschka, Richard Gerstl and the world’s largest collection of masterpieces by Egon Schiele.

It was the first time I found myself immersed in the work of Schiele, who is the protege of Gustav Klimt. I was bedazzled, bewitched and hypnotized by Schiele’s art, where sex is beautiful and the body poetic.

THE MUMOK

On the opposite corner building from The Leopold Museum is the MUMOK, which stands for the Museum of Modern Art Foundation Ludwig. The MUMOK houses a collection of around 9,000 modern and contemporary pieces. These span through classic Modernism, Pop Art Fluxus and Viennese Actionism to present-day film and media art. Major pieces include works by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Pablo Picasso, Claes Oldenburg, Franz West, Nam June Paik, Wolf Vostell and Gerhard Richter.

I had come to MUMOK at the right time. Europe’s biggest dance festival, the IMPULSRANZ (the Vienna International Dance Festival) had a performance by Peaches and Keith Henessy at the museum. Together with their 25 performers, all participants of their workshop, Peaches and Keith performed “Critical Joy.” Afterwards, they spread their weirdness, queerness and divisiveness to the rest of the world from the MQ main court!

Melo admires the AJNHAJTCLUB exhibit, which celebrated migrant workers in Vienna

THE AJNHAJTCLUB

At the Frei Raun Q21 exhibition space at MQ was an exhibition tackling an important contemporary issue: immigration. Bogomir curated the AJNHAJTCLUB, a celebration of migrant workers. These are the men and women who came from Yugoslavia (now Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Kosovo and Bosnia, and Herzegovina) to work in Austria, half a century ago.

The collection of paintings at the Kunsthistorisches Museum

KUNSTHISTORISCHES MUSEUM

A few steps from the MQ is the Kunsthistorisches Museum or the Museum of Art History. Walking up the stairs of this impressive palace is like walking in a dream. This museum, which opened in 1891, is considered one of the five most significant fine art museums in the world. Here, there are collections of Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities, alongside sculptural works and pieces of decorative art.

THE SECESSION BUILDING

Not far from the Museum of Art History is The Secession Building. It was erected in 1897 by Joseph Maria Olbrich as an architectural manifesto of the Vienna Scession group. It was designed to underline their break with conservative exhibition space Künstlerhaus.

Created in 1902, the Art Nouveau building is one of Vienna’s most compelling constructions. It is home to Klimt’s 32 meter-long Beethoven Frieze, which depicts Beethoven’s 9th symphony and can be viewed on the basement floor. The final section of the painting–the embracing lovers surrounded by angels–is also known as This Kiss to the Whole World. I couldn’t help but dream that one day I will host a dinner in that basement, surrounded by Klimt’s greatness.

The crowds congregating around Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss in the Leopold Museum

THE BELVEDERE MUSEUM

It was at the Belvedere Museum where my eyes were treated to a feast of Klimt’s portraits and landscapes. It is here where you can find what’s probably his most recognized piece: The Kiss. Some art historians have theorized that the lovers seen lip-locked in The Kiss are none other than the painter himself and his long-time partner, fashion designer Emilie Flöge, who he had previously depicted in a portrait.

Visitors to the Belvedere Palace during this time were in for another treat. We have been confronted with 1,005 refugees’ life jackets drifting in the the baroque pond at the palace gardens, courtesy of Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei. The installation, entitled F. Lotus, consists of 201 rings each holding five life jackets retrieved from the Greek island of Lesbos. They are arranged in the letter F and float like lotus flowers. He said the work was his way of addressing the tragedy of Europe’s migrant crisis. The Ai Weiwei exhibition is entitled Translocation-Transformation. It extended from the Belvedere Museum to the 21erhaus, Museum of Contemporary Art.

My Austrian friend Alex once thanked me for promoting Vienna as a destination for free thinkers and free-spirited travelers. I never thought that I was promoting Vienna at all. All I did was chronicle the adventures that inspired my soul. And always, after every visit to Vienna, my heart and soul is always full.

Originally published in Zee Lifestyle, Dec-Jan 2017

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Leisure

Club Serena: A ‘Serene Luxury’ Experience in the Heart of Cebu’s Diving Mecca

photography by GPA Art and Photography

A three-hour drive, or more, depending on traffic, the fishing town of Moalboal in the southwest of Cebu Island is an extremely popular destination for divers and weekenders who love the white sand and pink sunsets. It is also a favorite place to stay for expats looking for a laid-back life of endless coffees or cocktails.

Thankfully, the big chain resorts haven’t discovered it and places to stay are mostly small family-run resorts. But if pampering is what you are looking for, there is only one hotel to book in Moalboal. Club Serena Resort is a 1.7-hectare beachfront property perched above coral rocks, presenting a unique union of luxurious accommodations and a host of activities to be enjoyed. This hidden gem is reached through a dirt road away from the main highway. Fronting a wide swath of white sand beach, it is an easy walk past several smaller resorts to reach the main town.

Recently renovated by noted architect James Jao, the new Club Serena has 17 rooms, three swimming pools, a restaurant, and a beachfront event space, all designed with modern Filipino aesthetic. On the drawing board are more rooms to be added, an expansion of their modern dive shop, and their popular Kids’ Club program. Their food outlet, Mira, offers all-day dining, favorite among visitors and locals, as well as the growing expat community that has settled in Moalboal.

Club Serena offers diving courses for adults and kids by their resident operator, Seven Seas Aquanauts Phil. Corp, a PADI 5 accredited diving facility operating since 1988. For a complete list of the courses and their rates, please call (+63) 917.872.6367 or (+63) 905.459.5307.

The resort encourages above-water activities as well, and they have several paddle boards and kayaks available for guests to use.

For rates and more information, visit www.clubserenaresort.com or email sayhello@clubserenaresort.com or (+63) 917.872.6367 or (+63) 905.459.5307. You can also visit their Facebook page for updates.

Travel

This is How the M.I.C.E. Alliance Initiative will Lift Boracay to New Heights

Leveling up Boracay in more ways than one

by Ryan Daniel R. Dablo

Saying the name “Boracay” instantly casts a spell, taking the listener to a daydream of immaculate, pale beaches, swaying palm trees, the music of breaking waves, and the vacation of a lifetime. The tropical island Eden is storied and renowned – a difficult enchantment to lift from any wayward tourist’s mind. But what if we were to tell you that Boracay is so much more? Can you build upon perfection? Yes, and this, ladies and gentlemen, is how.

One is never too far away from the beach! BNCC is only a stone’s throw away from the Boracay Newcoast Beach front.

Boracay Newcoast Convention Center (BNCC), located at the heart of Boracay Newcoast will soon host the biggest conventions, exhibitions and other large-scale events in the island starting second quarter of 2022.

After the difficulties of the past few years, the stage is finally set for a massive Boracay reboot. The creative gears turn once more, and this time they will catapult our favorite beach capital to new heights. The cornerstone of this renaissance is the M.I.C.E. Alliance initiative, short for meetings, incentives, conferences and conventions, and events and exhibitions. The establishment of the Boracay M.I.C.E. Alliance will allow focused efforts in creating sustainable and eco-sensitive tourism development projects while synergizing with stakeholders to create long-term solutions and opportunities for all partners. The alliance is set to drive awareness, readiness, and expansion of product offerings that will be crucial in making the island competitive with other M.I.C.E. destinations. Working closely with the Department of Tourism Region VI and the Tourism Promotions Board, the alliance is primed to provide support to the areas that are involved in this major undertaking.

Cleofe Albiso, Boracay M.I.C.E Alliance Chairperson

BNCC enjoys state-of-the-art facilities and can accommodate about a thousand guests depending on set-up and conduct multiple events at a time.

No one is more emphatic than M.I.C.E. Alliance chairperson Cleofe Albiso in describing how the different sectors of Boracay are pivoting from tourism to tourism plus. In brief, Boracay is challenging its own boundaries to become not just the pre-eminent tourist destination but also a corporate and business mecca. Turns out, if a venue is grand enough to host a wedding, wouldn’t it be just as grand to host a white-collar conference? Sky’s the limit for possibilities like this. At this moment, the island is abuzz with networking and making connections, training and empowering the hospitality services, polishing the infrastructure, revving up the transportation facilities, and all-around gearing up to go toe-to-toe with other M.I.C.E. hubs and be worthy of the tagline, “the best place for M.I.C.E. in a tropical paradise.” All hands are on deck and – after the extended global hiatus thanks to the pandemic – everyone is ready, nay, eager to meet and greet the guests. And, of course, we would be remiss not to point out that Boracay is more than halfway through completing such a tall order. The island is as well-oiled a machine as it could be, boasting 294 DOT-accredited hotels and resort, a staggering 4,500 seating capacity for meetings and conventions, and 12,400 room keys available in the island. Talk about volume! Plus, Boracay is already postcard-perfect, the very stuff that vacation dreams are made of. Why not turn the dial up to eleven and let it become a compass point for more than a summer getaway? This is the logical next step in realizing its vision of being not just a place to be, but the place to be.

Savoy Hotel Boracay like Belmont Hotel, and the soon to open Chancellor Hotel is also walking distance away from BNCC making it an ideal spot for both business and leisure trips.

So, yes, by all means think of the idyllic strolls on the beach, the luxurious caress of the ocean as you free-dive, the sheer delight of sand and surf while island-hopping, the adrenaline rush of aquasports, parasailing, cycling, or driving an ATV up Boracay’s foothills, the psychedelic glow of fire-dancing and party lights at night, the breathtaking sunsets, the larger-than-life adventures, or the hundred other ways it can lavish or reinvigorate your soul. Think of all of that, and then some. Because Boracay has its eyes on something greater: it is poised to become the premier starting point and last stop for tourism, entertainment, corporate gatherings, exhibits, and any other event the imagination can dream of.

Paradise Garden’s Mabuhay Convention Center can fit 850 guests at a time.

For corporate set-ups, a 60 person function room is also available at the Isla Function Room of Paradise Garden.

Think of your company meeting. Now, think of your company meeting and the fun that’ll ensue right after. Picture that in the most scenic of vacation spots. Tempted already? Who wouldn’t be? You’re already in paradise. With business here and leisure literally just a stone’s throw away – heaven on earth, wouldn’t you say?

Travel

For Our Next Travel Destination, We Dream About Koh Samui in Thailand

Impressive views of the Gulf of Thailand welcome you at the Arrival Sala

Silent Sanctuaries

Mayenne Carmona discovers the Four Seasons Resort in Koh Samui is a quiet oasis to recharge and rejuvenate…

What does one expect from a Four Seasons Resort? Everything! Firstly, it will definitely be ranked no less than a five-star hotel or resort. Most importantly, it would not fall short of all your expectations: excellent cuisine, topnotch comfort at your fingertips in a well-appointed villa, courteous staff who offer impeccable service, and every other detail you could possibly need—down to the last cotton bud. After all, a Four Seasons Resort is always designed by a top-rated architectural team and interior designers.

The moment I stepped into the Four Seasons Resort at Koh Samui, I felt all my cares washed away by the soft waves of the bluest sea. The fresh air cleared my sinuses in no time, and the gentle breeze was a much needed caress to a tired mind and body. It was truly paradise regained for me and my friends. We were a motley group of career-oriented people who needed a much-awaited break from work, and this was the perfect choice for us.

Each Villa has a butler to cater to the guests’ every whim. The afternoon we arrived, we requested a sunset dinner by the beach, and much like a genie, our butler whipped up a romantically set candlelit dinner for six. A five-course delicious Thai dinner was prepared by their well-trained chef.

Our days were spent languishing by the beach, having daily massages, attending yoga classes, doing water sports and enjoying every bite of Thai cuisine. Golf carts transported us wherever we wanted to go within the resort. This vacation brought all my senses to another realm, and restored a weary soul to perfection.

Four Seasons Koh Samui, I look forward to seeing you again!

Koh Samui is the third largest island of Thailand in the scenic Gulf of Siam. It is a 45 minute flight from Bangkok. Sandy beaches, coral reefs, coconut trees and abundant tourist resources make it a popular holiday destination.

For more information on Four Seasons Resort, visit their website at https://www.fourseasons.com/kohsamui/

(This article has already been published in Zee Lifestyle’s March 2016 Travel Issue, “Silent Sanctuaries” written by our columnist Mayenne Carmona for La Vie En Rose on pages 32-33.)