HERE pop-up restaurant

The pop-up concept is new to Kazakhstan. Appearing for a limited time and disappearing without a trace is a novel way to organise an event in the organisers’ home country. Artem Lebedev and Alexander Proshenkov recently held their second pop-up dining event buoyed by the experience of the previous year’s success.

The pop-up restaurant is called HERE – an uncomplicated name that captures the immediacy and transience of the event and its shifting location. The aim of HERE is to bring people closer to nature while enjoying good company, exceptional food and, of course, perfectly paired wine. Last year the event was held in a mountainous location. This year the three-day event found itself on the scenic shores of the Kapchagai reservoir, an hour's drive from the city of Almaty.

When the setting was as important to the organisers as the food and wine pairing, naturally, selecting furniture to set the right impression was a considered decision. With nature, aesthetics, location and quality present in every aspect of the experience, incorporating iconic furniture made of natural materials, simple shapes, and lines served to complement the beautiful setting and heighten the dining event. “We chose Fritz Hansen because the brand has a strong history and could carry and sustain its individuality through the years. The philosophy of [Fritz Hansen] is that one piece of furniture is enough to decorate an entire room. This approach to the product is very close to us.”

The HERE pop-up event selected a mix of Arne Jacobsen's iconic chairs - Series 7™, Drop™ and Ant™ – ensuring comfort and style through the simple, organic curves that blended seamlessly with the nature-setting and exquisite fare at this unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime dining experience.

The wonderful event was held in collaboration with ELEMENTS furniture and lifestyle concept store in Kazakhstan – an ever-evolving independent design space offering a unique blend of icons of design and tomorrow’s classics. ELEMENTS has two locations in Kazakhstan: Astana and Almaty.