NeueHouse Venice Beach. Photography by Yoshihiro Makino…
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NeueHouse Brings a Relaxed Creative Spirit to Venice Beach
NeueHouse has an eye for historic spaces. When the creative-minded coworking venture and private members’ club first landed in Los Angeles, it transformed the landmarked former broadcasting studio designed by William Lescaze where Orson Welles broadcast radio programs and Lucille Ball filmed the I Love Lucy pilot. Right before the pandemic, it rejuvenated the famed Bradbury Building in Downtown Los Angeles—the city’s first commercial structure whose ornate ironwork, bird-cage elevators, and skylit atrium set the gloomy scene in Ridley Scott’s sci-fi classic Blade Runner.
Its latest outpost, located along Venice Beach’s vibrant Market Street, is also steeped in entertainment lore. The Academy Award–winning director Tony Bill created a community hub for writers and filmmakers there in the 1970s; Larry Gagosian opened his first L.A. gallery nearby shortly after. Working with executive architects Loescher Meacham Architects, longtime NeueHouse collaborator DesignAgency channeled an “endless summer” through organic materials, warm tones, and seating areas shrouded in natural light. Its art collection, which includes a David Hockney canvas, comes courtesy of Silent Volume and Eleven+, a collective that champions female curatorial talent. When it opens in 2023, members can look forward to dining at Reunion, a restaurant and rooftop bar informed by Italian seasonal ingredients. —Ryan Waddoups
The Woodbridge N. Ferris Building in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which houses the Urban Institute of Contemporary Arts. Photography by Katie Ychowski/Wikimedia Commons…
The Urban Institute of Contemporary Arts in Grand Rapids will permanently close.
“The funding challenges facing regional museums in the US, which were extenuated by the Covid-19 pandemic, have claimed another art institution. The Urban Institute of Contemporary Arts (UICA) in Grand Rapids—which billed itself as the largest contemporary art center in western Michigan—will shut down early next year, closing its current exhibitions on Feb. 11 and ceasing operations for good on Mach 3. A statement announcing its closure noted the support of Kendall College of Art and Design and its parent institution, Ferris State University, which merged with the museum in 2013, as well as community donors. “However, the organization has not been able to overcome the obstacles it faced during the pandemic,” Kendall College president Tara McCrackin said.” [H/T The Art Newspaper]
The American Institute of Architects names Emily Grandstaff-Rice as its president.
“The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has inaugurated Emily Grandstaff-Rice, FAIA, as its 99th president. She recently joined Perkins&Will’s Boston studio as a senior project manager and associate. Grandstaff-Rice comes with a breadth of leadership experience under her belt with AIA National. In 2017, she was elected to serve as a 2018-2020 at-large director. She also chaired the Equity and Future of Architecture Committee from 2017 to 2020 and the Equity in Architecture Commission from 2015 to 2016. Additionally, Grandstaff-Rice was the President of the Boston Society of Architects.” [H/T Archinect]
Celine by Hedi Slimane, Winter 2023. Image courtesy of Celine…
Hedi Slimane’s latest runway show for Celine pays homage to the age of “indieness.”
“Last week, in a high-octane spectacle befitting its location—Los Angeles’ Wiltern Theatre, one of the great movie palaces of Hollywood’s golden era—Hedi Slimane presented his Winter 2023 collection for Celine, an 87-look co-ed outing the French designer titled “The Age of Indieness.” It marked a homecoming of sorts for the designer, who resided in Los Angeles for several years and has long drawn inspiration from the city’s nightlife and music scenes. Backdropped by an enormous lit-up version of the house’s double-C “Triomphe” monogram—its shimmering design reminiscent of the opulent art deco surrounds of the theater, which was built in 1931—the show was defined by the insouciant, undone glamour that has become synonymous with Slimane’s tenure at the house.” [H/T Wallpaper]
Scientists achieve a nuclear fusion breakthrough by reproducing the power of the sun.
“Scientists studying fusion energy at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California announced on Tuesday that they had crossed a major milestone in reproducing the power of the sun in a laboratory. Scientists for decades have said that fusion, the nuclear reaction that makes stars shine, could provide a future source of bountiful energy. The result announced on Tuesday is the first fusion reaction in a laboratory setting that actually produced more energy than it took to start the reaction.” [H/T The New York Times]
Prada Group hires Christian Dior’s Gianfranco D’Attis to lead its flagship Prada brand.
“Prada Group has hired Gianfranco D’Attis, most recently Americas president at LVMH’s Christian Dior, to lead its flagship Prada brand. As chief executive of Prada, D’Attis will report to new group CEO Andrea Guerra, whose appointment is expected to be confirmed at a board meeting in January. Prior to joining Dior, D’Attis held roles at Richemont’s Chloé, IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre brands. The appointments come as Prada’s co-CEOs and controlling shareholders, Miuccia Prada and her husband Patrizio Bertelli, step back and prepare to transition control of the company to the next generation.” [H/T Business of Fashion]
A new building by Kengo Kuma and Associates at Musée Albert Kahn. Photography courtesy of Kengo Kuma and Associates…
Kengo Kuma adds a Japanese-influenced wing to the Musée Albert Kahn in Paris.
“Kengo Kuma and Associates has completed a major extension to the Paris museum of late philanthropist Albert Kahn, which holds a historic collection of 72,000 photographs from around the world. The project creates modern facilities for the Musée Albert Kahn, home to the Archives of the Planet, a photography collection that captures over 50 countries between 1909 and 1931. Kengo Kuma’s firm, which is based in Japan but has an office in Paris, has renovated the old museum building and added a new exhibition wing that more closely links the museum’s collection with the elaborate gardens opened by Kahn in 1937, which showcase landscape elements from five different continents.” [H/T Dezeen]
Penske Media folds Bookforum shortly after acquiring its sister publication Artforum.
“The New York-based literary magazine Bookforum will cease publication, according to an official announcement today, December 12. The news that Bookforum’s current December–February issue will be its last comes just days after the surprise reveal that Penske Media Corporation has acquired its sister magazine and parent company, Artforum. Bookforum was launched in 1994 as a literary supplement to Artforum and became known for running book reviews, essays, and interviews as well as for its “Paper Trail” column, featuring news and updates from the publishing industry. As responses to the magazine’s dissolution poured in online, some interpreted it as a larger symbol of decline in the world of literary criticism, where platforms are increasingly scarce.” [H/T Hyperallergic]
Image courtesy of the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care…
Today’s attractive distractions:
TikTok seems to believe the secret to youthful skin lies in a roll of $8 tape.
Megan Fox complains that all of her AI-generated portraits are too naked.
Here’s how Budweiser pivoted when Qatar banned beer at the World Cup.
Animal control lets a girl keep a unicorn in her backyard—if she can find one.
