DESIGN DISPATCH

Jefrë Reveals a Monument for Pulse Nightclub Victims, and Other News

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Jefrë’s memorial to Pulse nightclub shooting victims in Osceola County’s Brown Weiss Park. Image courtesy of Osceola County Government

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Jefrë reveals visuals for a monument dedicated to Pulse nightclub victims in Florida.

Jefrë, a Filipino-American artist, has revealed his design for a memorial dedicated to the 49 victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. Titled Wings of the Rainbow, the 49-foot-tall polychromatic sculpture will stand in Osceola County’s Brown Weiss Park on Lake Toho, featuring angel wings representing each victim within a vibrant landscape shaped like a heart. The memorial, a collaboration with the Osceola County Government, incorporates interactive elements like QR codes for leaving digital messages, aiming to provide a place of remembrance, healing, and unity for visitors.

The U.S. government sues Adobe for “deceiving” subscriptions that are hard to cancel.

The U.S. government has filed a lawsuit against Adobe, accusing the company of misleading consumers with hidden fees and obstructive cancellation processes. According to the Department of Justice, Adobe allegedly enrolls customers in its most expensive subscription plan without clearly disclosing terms, including substantial early termination fees buried in fine print. The complaint also alleges Adobe makes canceling subscriptions excessively complex through web, phone, and chat interactions, potentially violating consumer protection laws.

Rendering of a Netflix House. Image courtesy of Netflix

Netflix plans to launch “experiential venues” in former department stores next year.

Netflix has unveiled plans to launch its first permanent experiential venues, called Netflix Houses, in King of Prussia, PA, and Dallas in 2025. These locations, housed in former department stores spanning more than 100,000 square feet each, will feature themed shopping, dining, and interactive activities inspired by popular Netflix franchises like Bridgerton, Stranger Things, and Squid Game. Designed as immersive spaces rather than traditional theme parks, the Netflix Houses aim to enhance fan engagement through year-round experiences beyond the screen, combining retail offerings with themed food and drink options.

Carrie Mae Weems transforms one of her photo series into a Bottega Veneta campaign.

Carrie Mae Weems has transformed her renowned “The Kitchen Table Series” into a Bottega Veneta campaign featuring rapper A$AP Rocky, titled “Portraits of Fatherhood,” unveiled for Father’s Day. Alongside still images, the campaign includes a video showing A$AP Rocky with his children and a self-referential image echoing Weems’s iconic 1990 photograph. Weems’s original series explores fluid self-identity and the multifaceted roles of Black women, themes echoed in this collaboration, which coincides with a forthcoming exhibition at Bard College highlighting lesser-known aspects of her work.

S&P Global Ratings downgrades Sotheby’s from a B to B- due to declining revenues. 

S&P Global Ratings has downgraded Sotheby’s credit rating from B to B- following a significant decline in revenues and increased costs during the first quarter of 2024, according to the Wall Street Journal. The auction house’s restructuring of its fee system, which aimed to simplify and standardize charges, led to a 22 percent drop in revenue. Bond prices for Sotheby’s have also fallen, raising concerns among investors about its ability to refinance loans due in 2026, while its debt-to-EBITDA ratio has worsened, indicating greater debt relative to earnings.

Sabine Marcelis’s resin plinths for the Euros 2024. Photography by Tessa Ruger

Today’s attractive distractions:

TikTok will soon allow brands to create video ads using AI-generated avatars

Sabine Marcelis makes flashy football plinths for the Euro 2024 stage games.

France’s first cheese museum is an all-encompassing homage to fromage.

Dior names Rihanna the face of J’Adore as it reinvents its flagship fragrance.

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