. Artcles presenta una exposición virtual que reúne a artistas como Banksy, George Condo, Kaws y Jeff Kooms
A R T C E L S makes its highly anticipated Los Angeles launch presenting the world’s first asset-based tokenised contemporary art exhibition with works from Banksy, George Condo, Kaws and Jeff Koons. The 3D images will be available until May 18th at this link.
A R T C E L S is the brainchild of commodities trader, Gijs de Viet and London-based contemporary art gallerist, Elio D’Anna of the House of Fine Art (HOFA), who designed it to open the lucrative world of blue-chip art investments to a wider and younger international market. The pioneering contemporary art exhibition will offer investors equity in the form of digital tokens backed by shares in the artworks as registered assets of a London UK based Limited company.
Citing the Economist, Gijs de Viet explains that “Fine Art has been the single best performing asset class over the last 100 years, so it’s about time this opportunity be opened up to a much wider group of investors.” He adds, “A R T C E L S’ mission, is to provide a new alternative to traditional ways of investing in art whilst building a bold and diverse portfolio of Contemporary Art with a focus on rare editions and works on paper to attract younger, web-savvy investors with an offer on high-end assets and high value shares.
A R T C E L S parcels blue-chip contemporary art into shares worth a minimum of £390 ($500) determined through proven quantitative strategies for art asset acquisitions and made available exclusively to subscribers. Art connoisseurs and enthusiasts will get a chance to view A R T C E L S’ two week “XXI” exhibition, taking place at HOFA Los Angeles’ virtual gallery, where artworks by Banksy, KAWS, Damien Hirst, George Condo, Jeff Koons and other blue-chip artists will be on display. “Prospective investors will have the opportunity to choose between sole acquisitions or investments in wider, diversified art portfolios which offer fractional ownership and reduced risk. Whatever their choice, they can be assured they are investing in carefully sourced art, where their values are projected to appreciate based on expert analysis of market trends.” They conclude.
Banco Santander has launched “Overcome Together”, an open and accessible space for individuals and companies, which contains information and resources to help support the fight against coronavirus (COVID-19). This resource center, which can be accessed by any person or company, whether or not a Santander customer, is adapted to local needs with country-specific websites with information from official sources and digital resources focused and updated to address the most critical local needs. It is already available in Spain, Portugal and Mexico, and will very soon be available in other European and American countries.
This initiative is part of Banco Santander’s global aid programme, called Santander All. Together. Now, which includes a fund of at least EUR 25 million for medical equipment and supplies, open to donations for the general public; liquidity facilities for businesses, and payment holidays to lessen the economic impact of the coronavirus.
The new space is accessible at http://superamosjuntos.com and includes a section with official information from governments and assistance programmes for households (e.g. help with rent, official health information, leisure and sports alternatives), businesses and self-employed professionals.
In the ‘How can we help’ section, there is a directory with a range of volunteering opportunities, with links to official platforms where people can collaborate or make donations.
In the ‘Life at home’ section, there are ideas for learning something new each day, entertainment and resources for the family (activities with children, cooking), as well as tips and collaborative tools to support teleworking. ‘Health and wellbeing’ provides links to official online diagnostic tests, recommendations for exercising at home and links to meditation and relaxation apps and professional healthcare services.
“Overcome Together” also includes a map with the closest healthcare facilities, pharmacies, supermarkets and bank branches or ATMs from any bank.
From Miami, Montevideo, Mexico City, Oslo and Madrid, Funds Society and Futuro a Fondo’s teams have not let our guard down and we continued workiong, from home, to offer our readers the best information and analysis on the fund industry, yes, with great smile and with a lot of rhythm.
With this video we wanted to join the numerous social media campaigns in favor of staying home to resist and defeat COVID-19. In these hard days of confinement, uncertainty and grief, we want our spirit of struggle, resistance and joy to accompany you, alongside the information.
The management, marketing and writing teams opened the doors of our houses to be closer to our readers and convey the meaning of this song, which has become a hymn against the coronavirus.
Together we will overcome this pandemic and return to work, meet and live. But in the meantime, Funds Society will continue to stand by its readers, from all corners of the world… As we say in Spanish, “Resisitiendo,” or holding on!
Foto cedidaFoto de la Federación de Bancos de Alimentos de España.. BlackRock destina 50 millones de dólares para apoyar a ONG y paliar el impacto del COVID-19 entre los más desfavorecidos
BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, on Monday committed $50 million to relief efforts as the coronavirus pandemic leads to job losses and unexpected medical costs.
“We are committing $50 million to relief efforts, helping meet immediate needs of those most affected right now and by addressing the financial hardship and social dislocation that this pandemic will bring,” the company said in a statement.
Blackrock said a first tranche of $18 million in funding has been deployed to food banks and community organizations across America and Europe working directly with vulnerable populations.
BlackRock’s commitment includes plans to support various global charitable initiatives aimed at helping those impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, including $5 million to Feeding America, $2 million to the UK’s National Emergencies Trust, and $500,000 to the Global FoodBanking Network, “which will serve as our partner in meeting ongoing needs in Asia and the emerging crisis in Latin America.”
Furthermore, BlackRock is supporting its employees’ efforts and has said it will match employee contributions to local organisations addressing the crisis in their communities.
“COVID-19 is a stark test to companies everywhere. BlackRock Is working hard to support all of our people through this crisis,” the firm said. “There’s no doubt that there is much uncertainty ahead as we continue to address this fast-moving global challenge, an effort that we believe will require unparalleled global cooperation… We’ll keep all our stakeholders informed of what we learn as we tackle this crisis together.”
Photo: Peakpx CC0. De cara al COVID-19, adultos y niños pueden acceder a cursos gratuitos
Staying at home in the face of the challenge presented by the spread of the COVID-19 virus for the Health sector is the most prudent thing. Whether it was the individual or the government that decided upon this measure, changing one’s routine and spending time in isolation from the rest of the world but living with the whole family is something, let’s say “challenging”.
Thinking about this, various organizations have decided to offer free courses and activities to make spending time in quarantine more bearable.
For people who must work remotely, LinkedIn has published a series of videos with tools to make remote work more efficient, either individually or in groups, as well as some to help to better manage stress.
For those with children at home, Kids Activities Blog has a list of educational companies that due to the current situation, decided to offer free subscriptions.
Foto cedida, por Ross Corsair. The Glorious Death of Comrade What’s-His-Name returns to Feinstein’s/54 Below
After a sold out debut, get ready to grab another shot glass and toast the end of tyranny at one more concert of The Glorious Death of Comrade What’s-His-Name on Monday, March 2, 2020, at 7.00pm, at Feinstein’s/54 Below (254 West 54th Street). Doors open at 5.00pm.
Set in Stalin’s brutal Soviet Union, Semyon, an unemployed grumbler, becomes convinced that suicide is his ticket to fame and glory. Before long, friends and neighbors are plotting to exploit his impending death for fun and profit, and while they’re at it, topple an entire regime. The story is based on a farce, The Suicide, written by Nikolai Erdman in 1928. Stalin hated it, banned it, and sent its author to Siberia for twenty years. Critically acclaimed playwright Bridel creates a timely adaptation of this black comedy that crackles with wit and snowballing insanity. The score by Gray and Bokhour (both recipients of BMI’s Harrington Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement) is potent and exciting, filled with one killer song after another.
The Glorious Death of Comrade What’s-His-Name has a book by David Bridel (Dean of the USC School of Dramatic Arts), music by Simon Gray (BMI), and lyrics by Raymond Bokhour (Chicago), and is directed by Don Stephenson (The Producers, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder).
The concert will again feature Christine Bokhour (Chicago, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), Raymond Bokhour, Jim Borstelmann (Bullets Over Broadway, The Producers), Madeleine Doherty (The Producers, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Maia Guest (Granite Flats, The Dakota Project), Christopher Gurr (CATS, All The Way), John Jellison (Come From Away, Motown The Musical), Drew McVety (Spamalot, Billy Elliot), and Andy Taylor (Sunset Boulevard, Once).
Fred Lassen (Once, South Pacific) music directs, with Marcus Rojas (Metropolitan Opera, American Symphony Orchestra) on tuba, and Paul Woodiel (The Color Purple; Caroline, or Change) on violin. Jen Bender (The Lion King, Avenue Q) serves as executive producer, with Raymond Bokhour and Drew McVety also serving as creative producers. Fifth Estate Entertainment (A Christmas Carol, In Residence on Broadway) serves as general manager. Graphics by Zachary Bokhour.
. Funds Society celebra su VII aniversario en Miami
On February 6, Funds Society celebrated its seventh anniversary on the terrace of the EAST Hotel Miami.
In the seventh edition of the already traditional annual cocktail, representatives of the offshore asset management industry gathered to celebrate the news outlet and receive the 2020 version of the asset manager’s guide.
The event was attended by more than 100 professionals.
On December 5, Colombian plastic artist Sabrina Yanguas delighted 200 guests with thirteen pieces in a private Pre-Art Basel event, in Miami’s THE ROADS neighborhood.
During the event, Sabrina shared the story of each of the thirteen pieces on display. The event was supported by nine Asset Managers: Amundi Pioneer, Lord Abbett, Natixis, Capital Group, The AMCS Group / Merian, Axa IM, Schroders, Compass / Wellington and Robeco.
The artist told Funds Society: “It makes me proud to see so many representatives of the financial industry joining forces to support art. I am pleased to see that my pieces are a tool that inspires other industries, through my talents I have always wanted to help make a better world.”
Sabrina began her artistic career painting helmets from professional race car drivers from Indy Car in Indianapolis and Formula E, in Miami. In 2017, Ducati, reached out to her for an event during Art Basel that year and she was also asked to pain two motorcycles. That same year, Indy 500 race car driver, Sebastian Saavedra asked Sabrina to paint his helmet. Knowing how important it is to give back, Sabrina collaborated with Give To Colombia, a non-profit organization that helps the less fortunate in her native Colombia, her art piece was auctioned and sold for $35,000.
To close 2017, Sabrina was commissioned by VH1 to collaborate with JBalvin to paint a guitar for Save the Music a movement to help Children suffering from cancer. That same year another of painted guitars was selected to appear in one of Rihanna’s & Dj Khaled music videos.
In 2018, her strong belief in building and helping community drove her to donate another piece for Sashamama Foundation’s Green Gala. Sabrina is currently collaborating with Voices For Children on different projects and Nutrinfantil foundation in Colombia. Recently she was commissioned to paint a portrait for Colombia’s president, Mr. Ivan Duque. To close up she joins Buchanan’s for a collaboration with Jbalvin, Mijares, Flores & Bad Bunny for a period of a year.
You can also watch a video from the party by following this link.
Pixabay CC0 Public Domain. It’s the Age of Asia When it Comes to Passport Power
As we enter the new decade, Asian countries have firmly established their lead on the Henley Passport Index, the original ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. For the third consecutive year, Japan has secured the top spot on the index — which is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) — with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 191. Singapore holds onto its 2nd-place position with a score of 190, while South Korea drops down a rank to 3rd place alongside Germany, giving their passport holders visa-free/visa-on-arrival access to 189 destinations worldwide.
The US and the UK continue their downward trajectory on the index’s rankings. While both countries remain in the top 10, their shared 8th-place position is a significant decline from the number one spot they jointly held in 2015. Elsewhere in the top 10, Finland and Italy share 4th place, with a score of 188, while Denmark, Luxembourg, and Spain together hold 5th place, with a score of 187. The index’s historic success story remains the steady ascent of the UAE, which has climbed a remarkable 47 places over the past 10 years and now sits in 18th place, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 171. On the other end of the travel freedom spectrum, Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the index, with its nationals only able to visit a mere 26 destinations visa-free.
Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners and the inventor of the passport index concept, says the latest ranking provides a fascinating insight into a rapidly changing world. “Asian countries’ dominance of the top spots is a clear argument for the benefits of open-door policies and the introduction of mutually beneficial trade agreements. Over the past few years, we have seen the world adapt to mobility as a permanent condition of global life. The latest rankings show that the countries that embrace this reality are thriving, with their citizens enjoying ever-increasing passport power and the array of benefits that come with it.”
As ongoing research shows, these benefits are extensive. Using exclusive historical data from the Henley Passport Index, political science researchers Uğur Altundal and Ömer Zarpli, of Syracuse University and the University of Pittsburgh respectively, have found that there is a strongly positive correlation between travel freedom and other kinds of liberties – from the economic to the political, and even individual or human freedoms. Altundal and Zarpli observe that “there’s a distinct correlation between visa freedom and investment freedom, for instance. Similar to trade freedom, countries that rank highly in investment freedom generally have stronger passports. European states such as Austria, Malta, and Switzerland clearly show that countries with a business-friendly environment tend to score highly when it comes to passport power. Likewise, by using the Human Freedom Index, we found a strong correlation between personal freedom and travel freedom.”
Looking ahead: an increasingly pragmatic approach to migration
While the latest results from the Henley Passport Index show that globally, people are more mobile than ever before, they also indicate a growing divide when it comes to travel freedom, with Japanese passport holders able to access 165 more destinations around the world than Afghan nationals, for example. Analysis of historical data from the index reveals that this extraordinary global mobility gap is the starkest it has been since the index’s inception in 2006.
The impact of these and other key developments is analysed in depth in the 2020 edition of the Henley Passport Index and Global Mobility Report — a unique publication that offers cutting-edge analysis and commentary from leading scholars and professional experts on the latest trends shaping international and regional mobility patterns today.
Commenting in the report, Dr. Parag Khanna, bestselling author and the Founder and Managing Partner of FutureMap in Singapore, notes: “Migration, as with almost everything else, is a function of supply and demand — and, increasingly, it is accepted that more migration creates more demand, stimulating much needed economic growth. As the world economy heads into a synchronized slowdown, we must view migration as part of the solution, not the problem.”
Khanna points out that with the USChina trade war showing no signs of decelerating, Western investment has shifted out of China towards Southeast Asia, bringing a new wave of foreign talent into ASEAN countries that have encouraged greater migration through streamlined visa policies. Thailand’s strong upward movement in the Henley Passport Index’s rankings over the past year is a clear illustration of this emerging trend; benefitting from mutually reciprocal visa waivers, the country has climbed three spots in the past year and now sits in 65th place, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 78.
Middle Eastern countries have also made strong gains as part of overall efforts to boost trade and tourism. The UAE and Saudi Arabia each climbed four places, while Oman climbed three. Saudi Arabia is now in 66th place, with citizens able to access 77 destinations around the world without a prior visa, while Oman sits in 64th place, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 79. Despite these positive regional developments, Dr. Lorraine Charles, Research Associate at the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Business Research, warns that migration and mobility trends in the Middle East are largely driven by conflict, which looks set to continue in 2020. Citing deepening conflicts in Libya, Syria, and Yemen, and with renewed anti-government protests in Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon, Charles notes that “forced displacement will most likely continue to dominate migration and mobility patterns within the Middle East.”
Brexit, talent migration, and the gap between policy and rhetoric
Following the Conservative government’s landslide victory in the UK late last year, the future of mobility and travel freedom between Britain and the EU remains uncertain. Madeleine Sumption, Director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, says, “The Conservative government has promised an ‘Australian-style’ points-based system that would be more liberal than current policies towards non-EU citizens, though still much more restrictive than free movement. As with all big migration policy changes, what this will mean for actual levels of mobility, however, remains extremely difficult to predict.” Noting that the looming threat of Brexit has potentially made Britain a less attractive destination for EU citizens, Sumption points out that net EU migration to the UK fell by 59% between 2015 and 2018.
Prof. Simone Bertoli, Professor of Economics at Université Clermont Auvergne (CERDI) in France, says that while countries around the world insist that they are taking steps to attract “the best and the brightest”, a rather different picture is currently emerging: “When it comes to talent migration, a worrying gap between policy and rhetoric has been opening up over the past year. The sluggish improvement of labor market conditions after the 2008 crisis, and the concomitant rise of nativist political parties, is reinforcing the perception of immigration as a threat rather than as an opportunity.”
Citizenship-by-Investment countries retain strong positions
Going into the new year, countries with citizenship-by-investment programs continue to consolidate their positions on the index. Malta sits in 9th place, with access to 183 destinations around the world, while Montenegro holds on to 46th place, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 124. In the Caribbean, St. Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda secure 27th and 30th spot, respectively.
Discussing the increasing popularity of investment migration programs for both wealthy investors and the countries that offer them, Dr. Juerg Steffen, CEO of Henley & Partners, says: “Demand for these programs is accelerating, just as the supply has grown globally. The past year has shown that, increasingly, nations and wealthy individuals see investment migration as more than a competitive advantage. Today, it is viewed as an absolute requirement in a volatile world where competition for capital is fierce, and it’s very clear that we will see more of this in 2020.”
On Wednesday, December 11, more than 100 executives from the financial sector in Miami and Latin America belonging to more than 70 companies attended the first FlexFunds Seminar Series in Miami.
The series of global seminars on securitization of assets organized by FlexFunds and held, among other cities, in Mexico, Dubai, Madrid, Singapore and Sao Paulo, had in its Miami edition speakers such as Daniel Kodsi, CEO of Participant Capital and Royal Palm Companies; Mario Rivero, CEO of FlexFunds and Colin MacKay, Responsible for the Americas of Intertrust Group.
According to Emilio Veiga, CMO of FlexFlunds, having taken the Seminar series to Miami was a wise decision, given the success of the event.
FlexFunds seminars provide asset managers, hedge funds and family offices with the best practices and latest trends in securitization of assets, an increasingly popular practice that is expanding to a variety of industries.
