captioned by the national captioning g institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> "euromaxx highlights" -- coming up on the show -- franck bouroullec paints live and against the clock. innovative artists, the world of sculptor tony cragg is celebrated in a new retrospective. winter getaway, the german island is a great place to unwind. ♪ "euromaxx highlights" -- here is

your host. >> hello and welcome from our studios in berlin. we are starting off on a mountain on the outskirts of the norwegian capital of oslo. it is called the holmenkollen. people are usually referring to the oldest ski jump in the world that made it famous. it first opened in the late 19th century. it just had a recent and impressive facelift in time for the nordic world ski championships. ♪ >> all aluminum and glass, the holmenkollen ski jump in oslo was built to the tune of almost 200 million euros. it is the most visited tourist attraction in norway. it was designed to be a showstopper in daylight and at night. ♪

back in 2007, the contract went to the belgian-danish architect julien de smedt. his office was still new. designing a ski jump is not just any old commission. >> the aim of the project was to find out how we could take all the elements that are part of the architecture and program. you have requirements for the ski jumpers and the judges. you have the royal family there. thousands of people will gather for the championship. there are a lot of set programs present. we wanted to find a way to combine all the elements into one. that was the biggest challenge design lies. >> the first ski jumping hill on the holmenkollen opened in 1892.

the ski jump has been rebuilt 18 times. this is what it used to look like. ♪ the headquarters of julien de smedt are in copenhagen. there are also offices in oslo and brussels. this is where the new ski jump was designed. it was a considerable challenge for the young team. it was a foray into traditional and high-tech territory. >> you needed a certain width. you also needed to have protection from the wind all along the course. the same goes for appear. you need a strong protection from the wind. you have a separation occurs

along the facades. the separation of requires a type of filtering so you do not create extra turbulence in the space. you fell to the wind -- you filter the wind and slow it down. >> he is not the only one to design and ski jumps recently. someone is planning to design an artificial slope in copenhagen. in oslo, visitors can travel to the very tip in a diagonal lift. ♪ from there, they have a view over the whole city and the sea. it is peaceful affair compared to the activity of the bottom. preparations for the nordic ski

championships are in full swing. ♪ >> this facility is not only for world championships. we're happy to be able to open and use the facilities for the championships. >> the new holmenkollen is a symbol of pride that norway takes in its skiing activities. it is a symbol that burns all through the night. >> he is not just a painter but also a performer. he says he does not work but has a good time. he specializes in portraits that he renders live and in a matter of minutes. the portraits he paints are upside-down. his show is a mixture of artistry and athleticism. >> there is no time to lose when franck bouroullec creates a

new portrait before the eyes of his audience. he has been termed the speed painter for obvious reasons. >> the speed means i do not dwell long on details that would block me. they distract me from up painting -- from the painting. >> this is his depiction of the statue of liberty. his primary works are portraits of famous subjects. ♪ >> franck bouroullec has executed high-speed portraits of all of these famous people. >> the most important thing is to create a process. for me, it is the most important thing. the most important thing for the audience is the results. >> that takes time. the 43-year-old carries out meticulous preparations ahead of

the performance. he travels to the location specified by the client and then turns it into a studio. >> and like being a chameleon. you come to a place and adapt to its structure and logistics. i am always reactive. i have to adapt. >> that has helped to build up an expensive and the verse clientele, like here at the upscale paris night spot. a performance cost at least 5000 euros. tonight is a special event for a company party. he used to work on a cartoon. as a comic strip creator, he worked under intense stress. he is a man of many talents and tempos. he painted two housing blocks in switzerland last year with charlie chaplin motifs. the film star died here in 1967 and is also buried here. the use of his name has raised

the profile of the monday an apartment block. >> when we finished the first building, people were impressed. residents would say that they used to be treated like scum living off of society. now that the towers have been given a makeover, buses come by interests take photos. -- buses come by and the tourists take photos. >> the biggest fresco in switzerland measures 1800 square meters. speed was crucial. franck bouroullec needed just six weeks for the colossal work. ♪ >> i sell performance and offer the paintings. there is nothing like it. >> before the guests arrive, there is still time before a

quick check. -- there's still time for a quick check. >> what is important is the blue light. it will give the illusion that the painting is florescent. in reality, it is white. the effect comes entirely from the light. >> he likes to keep things as secret until the last minute. >> i am often surprised. at the beginning, a paint everything upside down except for the eyes. expression reflects the personality of the model. only when i turn the picture around dubai fine-tune it. -- only when i turn the picture around do i fine-tune it. >> before he steps into the limelight, he has to loosen up. ♪ then he gets to work applying rapid strokes to the canvas.

nobody knows what he is creating. ♪ that is until the moment of truth. the subject of a portrait is now clear. bob st. claire, a french dj star and the main act of the evening. it is finished in 10 minutes. >> i did it. >> is that a new speed record? >> not quite, but it is close. >> he has also been known to complete a picture in courtroom minutes. then again, franck bouroullec is france's fastest portrait painter. >> tony cragg is a british

sculptor that can make something out of anything. in the tracks great attention. he has a list of accolades. he is currently the director of the kunstakademie in germany. there is a new comprehensive exhibit of his work to date. >> right up until the big opening, tony cragg is still searching for the best spots for his artwork. >> it is an experience. it is sort of like climbing a mountain. you do not know what is in front of you. >> he is constantly examining and re-examining every last decision. >> it is the result of thinking. >> he works with every type of material from wood, glass, bronze to plastic and metal.

>> an existence without art is just existence. >> his seemingly endless curiosity leads him to create a wide variety of forms and structures. >> there are very few artists who are as aware, precise, and critical in the way they look at their surroundings. ♪ >> tony cragg's latest exhibition shows 40 different works spanning his career. the works reflect his love of experimentation from the outset of his career. ♪ his visions take physical form, becoming enigmatic sculptures that have meaning of their own.

even the artist himself is searching for artists. >> everything. the shapes, the surface the i touches, there is a cause behind everything. what are the structures behind the surface? that is what interests me. ♪ >> tony cragg started his career in the 1970's. back then, he used any material he happened upon to create simple forms. he turned even plastic waste >> i have the great advantage of being a student at a time when there were very few galleries and museums. everybody that went to art school in the late 1960's knew

that they were doing it for themselves on some level. no one was stupid enough to think there would be set a successful artist and exhibitions. >> he soon gained international fame for his ability to create and use cultural language. he combines the abstract and figurative, the traditional and modern, all in a poetic way. his work was featured major exhibitions. he won one of the highest honors in the art world. ♪ >> tony cragg is a dynamic force in sculpture. he examines every material, object, theme. he does not just with the surface. he examines the energy holding the phenomena together and how the energy is reflected back to us on the outside. ♪

>> born in liverpool, tony cragg has lived in germany for more than 30 years. his studio is one of the most successful sculpture workshops in europe. he works with a team of about a dozen people, constantly coming up with new ideas and experimenting with everything from classic bronze to modern industrial materials. ♪ >> i like to make things. there are many decisions about what goes on. there is a rhythm that can change my idea about what it is or my feeling about what the thing is. it is the thinking of the material. that is essential to my practice. a lot of the work starts as drawings, a simple pencil drawing. >> some of the drawings are on

display. as soon as he finishes one piece, he is already thinking about the next. ♪ >> i do lots of things. people seem to love it. i do not care. that is my life. >> it is that attitude that has made it tony cragg a leading figure in the art of its -- world of sculpture. >> we now have to one of germany's favorite holiday destinations, the island in the wadden sea . it has plenty of unspoiled nature to enjoy with landscapes and the famous wadden sea . the island is a favorite with germany's jet set. those who visit in the winter can unwind away from the usual

tourism. >> the deserted beaches and windswept nature give it a fairy tale quality. at this time of year, it has something magical about it. there are spectacular views across the west side of the island. at 52 meters, the dune is the highest so-called mountain. from the top, the visitors can look out onto a landscape all the way to the white house. the captain was born on sylt and sailed the seas for 48 years. he knows the island like no other. >> sylt is becoming an island for all seasons. if we're lucky enough to have snow in the winter, when you look out over the dunes, everything is white and beautiful. >> the mud flats cover 10,000

square meters around the island. they're the largest tidal wetlands in the world. they have been a unesco world heritage site since 2009. the wadden sea god has worked here for eight years. >> more than 1 million microorganisms' live beneath one square meter of mud flats. the provide a source of food for the birds in the area, the oysters, and the animals visible to the naked eye. ♪ >> when it gets too cold outside, the island boasts more than 200 restaurants in which to seek restaurant -- refuge. one restaurant serves a first- rate fish dishes. the court here is simple. the food is a closet.

-- the decor is simple. the fusfood is explicit. he now has more than 20 restaurants across germany but remains true to sylt. >> it is unique. we have a winter landscape. we have a summer landscape. we have the fall. if something all year. there is movement on the island. it is never boring on this beautiful island. >> typical for sylt and the thatched cottages that can be rented by holidaymakers. those who prefer an modern touch can stay at the grand spa. the new five-star accommodation is beside -- beach side luxury at its best. it is fertile ground for the rich and stylish who have ample opportunity for boutique

shopping. for those who want to listen to the roar of the ocean, the beach is the place to be. it stretches almost 40 kilometers along the west coach and bewitches tourists with its rough charm. >> it is not so often that you see the sea like this with the winter landscape. >> the snow creates an and the stealing of solitude. -- and endless feeling of solitude. >> it looks like the north pole. >> right of landscapes, romantic views, and the endless sea make it interesting to visit sylt in the winter. >> since the advent of google earth, anyone can have a bird's- eye view of just about anywhere. imagine having a view of your own living room or bedroom. a photographer has developed a clever technique to do that. the resulting photographs are

more than just portraits of rooms. they're actually intimate themes of life lived. >> an intimate take on a supermarket. a classroom. a bedroom. what looks like doll houses are actually the real thing as seen through the lens of the folk artist from berlin. -- of the photography artist from berlin. he was originally inspired by satellite images. in 2005, he began photographing spaces from above. he has completed 30 of these room of portraits. he aims to convey something very specific. >> on the one hand, these are portraits of friends -- rooms. on the other, their portraits of the individuals who live in them. the viewer can play detective and figure out what kind of person is.

>> he has exhibited his work all over the world. a picture costs of to 4000 euros. a selection of his portraits is on show in the gallery in berlin. >> unlike the elevated almost celestial perspective. it is almost a voyeuristic way of entering into someone else's world and exploring other personality. he carries less often to his world. he promised in europe to free associate. that is a makes the work so special. >> he uses a photography techniques to develop himself. he attaches the camera to a monopod on the ceiling and photographs the room from different angles. he takes about 150 shots for a complete image.

♪ today he is taking pictures in a berlin and shoes store. >> along with the actual physical effort, the challenge is to keep in mind the overall image but i am after. i scan the space in a way that will allow me to piece together the separate images relatively well later on. >> that involves keeping distortion to a minimum. the artist dispenses with wide angles. in the shoe store, he is using a 35 millimeter lens. that means he can recreate what the human eye sees. >> the size of the lens usually depends on how high the ceiling

is. the wider the ankle, the war of the room i can include. the higher the ceiling, the more i can include of the room as well. i want lots of small individual shots that i can piece together like a puzzle. i make decisions while i work. ♪ >> when he has taken all the pictures he needs, he sits down at the computer for the next stage of the process. only a few of the shots lend themselves to the final image. ♪ he pieces together each image one by one. it is an arduous process, but a creative one. sometimes the artist himself is amazed by the results.

>> it is like a giant puzzle. it never fails to surprise me. i always think ahead about what it will look like seen from above. somehow it always turns out to be completely different. it is not necessarily completely different but not what i was expecting. >> a usually takes him a week to put together the whole image. he is planning to exhibit his room portraits in a solo show. another exhibition in the u.s. is also in his sights. >> do not forget even noise catch up on our highlights -- do not forget that you can always catch up on our highlights show online as video on demand. thank you for watching. ♪

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