Alain Elkann Interviews

WHO KNEW. Barry Diller is an American businessman and philanthropist who recently published his life story in his book Who Knew with Simon and Schuster. The chairman and senior executive of IAC and Expedia Group, he founded the Fox Broadcasting Company with Rupert Murdoch and USA Broadcasting. He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1994. Barry Diller is married to the fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg. "You fake it until you make it" "It became the number one network, and when there were only four networks that was some achievement." "Serendipity struck again"

SEAMLESSLY BLENDING ART DECO AND CONTEMPORARY DESIGN. Benoist F. Drut is managing partner of Maison Gerard, a leading source for French Art Deco furniture, lighting and objects, and — more recently — postwar and contemporary design. Founded in 1974 by Gerardus Widdershoven, Maison Gerard maintains two premises on East 10th Street in Manhattan and is an elegant presence at both The Winter Show and at Salon Art + Design. "I always have my eyes open. I have to stay curious, aware, and inquisitive, that's my job." "Being based in New York, your main competitors are in London and Paris, but we sell everywhere. Shipping is not difficult these days." "I am known to spend more time with people that may not be able to afford some of our goods but are passionate about our material than with people who have the means!" https://www.alainelkanninterviews.com/benoist-drut/

DEFENDER OF JUSTICE AND HUMAN RIGHTS. Bianca Jagger is the Founder, President, and Chief Executive of the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation (BJHRF), a UK-based human rights organisation that defends human rights and civil liberties, promotes international justice, campaigns to end violence against women and girls, addresses the threat of climate change, and advocates for the rights of Indigenous peoples and future generations. "Being born in Nicaragua shaped my understanding of repression, injustice and inequality." "I have dedicated my life to the defence of peace, justice and human rights." "At the end of the day, what matters is not fame or public perception. What matters is whether you stood on the side of justice when it was needed." https://www.alainelkanninterviews.com/bianca-jagger-2/

ART FOR PUBLIC PURPOSE. Dr Caroline Campbell was born and educated in Belfast, and became Director of the National Gallery of Ireland in 2022. She studied Modern History at University College Oxford, and has an MA and PhD from the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London. A former Fellow of the Center for Curatorial Leadership, New York, before joining the National Gallery of Ireland, Caroline was Director of Collections and Research at the National Gallery, London. Earlier in her career she held curatorial positions at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, the Courtauld Gallery, London, and the National Gallery. Caroline has published widely on European art from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century, particularly on the Italian Renaissance, most recently Mantegna & Bellini and 14th Century Siena. "The Taking of Christ is an absolutely astonishing painting because of the moment of drama in it, and that, as much as the name Caravaggio, is what really excites our visitors." "Irish art is really strong, but it is much less known outside of Ireland. I would love people to be able to appreciate it more, as part of the more widespread European and Western tradition." "I love the connection that people have with the gallery."

CLASSIC WITH A MODERN TWIST. Charles Zana is a highly sensitive architect who imagines each project through the lens of a French lifestyle. He is also a passionate collector like his father, and has done in-depth research on the great Italian design masters of the 20th century such as Ettore Sottsass and Carlo Scarpa. In 2019 Charles Zana was named Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by David Caméo, director of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. "I like to always start from a classic design, and then to treat it in a modern way." "People don't accept the simple beautiful project; they want to understand what is behind it." "I became a good architect and then I became fashionable."

REALISING WONDERFUL IDEAS. Colin Bailey is a British art historian and Director of the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City. He is a scholar of eighteenth and nineteenth century French art, with a specific interest in the artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir. For the first time ever in America, Caravaggio's Boy With A Basket Of Fruit is on show at The Morgan. "Renoir Drawings is a survey of Renoir working on paper, drawings, pastels; and then how some of those drawings relate to paintings and even sculpture. "We also are a teaching institution, so we want to put a light on Caravaggio in a slightly different way. "My first job is just keep telling everyone how interesting and lively and rewarding The Morgan is and making sure that it is." https://www.alainelkanninterviews.com/colin-bailey-2/

ECONOMIC GROWTH AND HUMAN PROGRESS. Dambisa Moyo is a Zambian-born economist and writer whose books, articles, and public lectures centre on the creation of wealth in a global economy.

IN LOVE WITH LITERATURE. Caroline Michel is since 2007 both the CEO of literary agency Peters Fraser and Dunlop (PFD) and has served as Chair and previously Trustee of Hay Literary Festival. She is a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE), a high-ranking official award that is the female equivalent of a knighthood and given by the British monarch to women for major national service. Among Dame Caroline's many appointments, she is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, a Vice President of the London Library and a Trustee of Historic Royal Palaces, as well as having been a member of the Booker Prize Advisory Committee. "People see truth and authenticity in a book and they love the object." "The cultural power of language and books from anywhere in the world is very exciting" "Now, as an agent, you work alongside the publisher the whole way to make sure that the process doesn't slip off everybody's attention." www.alainelkanninterviews.com/caroline-michel/

CHERRY BLOSSOMS IN PARIS. Damien Hirst discusses his career and the new paintings on beauty, life and death that he plans to exhibit at Fondation Cartier.

PICASSO THE MAGUS. Diana Widmaier-Picasso recently published a book with anthropologist Philippe Charlier (Gallimard) titled Picasso Sorcier and curated an exhibition about her mother Maya with Emilia Philippot that is on until December 31, 2022 at Musée Picasso-Paris. She has also had a presentation during Couture Week in Paris of her other activity, which is jewelry. In 2017 she co-founded with Roy Sebag a company called Menē which specialises in 24 karat gold and platinum jewelry.