ARTE Distribution

"Chic ! meets" : Christian Escribà - "A potted history" of the Mini - "Rising trends" : Bicycles in Berlin -
"What to do with" Button mushrooms ? - "Chic ! meets" : Architectural freedom

"Chic ! meets" : Christian Escribà
We meet an extraordinary pasty chef in Barcelona - Christian Escribà. For him, pastry cooking is certainly not limited to the kitchen. Whether he's planning a party for the Rolling Stones, performing for a contemporary art museum like the Mac/Val or inventing sugar-sweet shows, he favours celebration, strong emotions and surprises. For a few years now, he has been increasingly working with plastic artists, architects and couturiers making ever-sweeter, crazier cakes.

"A potted history" of the Mini
Its story began in 1956, during the height of the Suez crisis. In response to the increase in petrol costs, the managers of the British Motor Corporation gave a young engineer, Alec Issigonis, the mission of designing a small, economical car. In 1957, Issigonis set to work and came up with a car measuring three metres long, and able to hold four adults. As for the design, Issignosis repeatedly claimed that style was made to go out of fashion. So, with no need to bother about it, he sketched out the Mini on the corner of a table. It's difficult to say whether the mini is beautiful or ugly, elegant or beast-like. It's just plain cute.

"Rising trends" : Bicycles in Berlin
Cycling in the city is no longer something new, it's rapidly becoming the urban activity. But what is original, however, is cycling around on a souped-up bike that has been transformed according to its owner's taste and whim. In Berlin, the style of the cycle defines its owner, and the city streets sport the strangest of contraptions. Lying down, perched up high, skimming the tarmac, flowery, with extensive framework, cheeky, or brightly coloured - bicycles come in a thousand and one varieties, from the most old-fashioned to the craziest.

"What to do with" Button mushrooms ?
To grow the mushrooms the Greeks and Romans were so partial to, they covered stumps of fig trees with manure and ashes. It was Louis XIVth's gardener who developed the technique for growing them in the open air. But it wasn't until 1810 that a horticulturalist had the idea of growing mushrooms in underground quarries near Paris. In France, they are referred to as "Champignons de Paris".

"Chic ! meets" : Architectural freedom
Space, according to Danish architect Dorte Mandrup, must be open. Her numerous creations play on transparency. Chic ! visited her Copenhagen agency and while we were there, we visited her playgrounds and construction sites.