Image courtesy of Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre…
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The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre Sets a New Standard
Situated at the heart of the bustling Bandra Kurla Complex, the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) is on a fast track to becoming one of Mumbai’s most spectacular cultural hubs—thanks in small part to its star-studded opening gala and largely the ambitious fashion, design, and art programming slated for the lavish building’s state-of-the-art theaters and galleries. It starts on the outside: Three giant golden leaves sketched by founder Nita Ambani’s daughter, Isha, grace the exterior, nodding to the holy trinity of Hindu Gods. The interior, meanwhile, plays host to public artwork like Yayoi Kusama’s Clouds, a 90-piece stainless steel structure that mirrors the sky, and the largest-ever commissioned Pichwai paintings.
Inaugural programming forecasts a bright future. Taking over the Richard Gluckman–designed Art House is an exhibition by Jeffrey Deitch and Indian poet Ranjit Hoskote that highlights connections between homegrown artists and international names. It’s also hosting a landmark show about Indian fashion’s influence on global style coinciding with curator Hamish Bowles’ newly published Rizzoli tome about the same topic. Perhaps the building’s crown jewel is the Grand Theatre, whose private boxes are adorned with silhouettes of shining lotus flowers that overlook a giant chandelier emblazoned with Swarovski crystals casting a glamorous glow over the tableaux vivants underneath. Guests enjoyed a rendition of “Civilization to Nation: The Great Indian Musical” on opening night, a musical crash course in Indian history. —Ryan Waddoups
The former Domino Sugar Refinery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Photography by Wes Tarca…
Construction begins on a giant vertical garden in the former Domino Sugar Refinery.
Two Trees Management has shared images of a biophilic installation inside the 19th-century Domino Sugar Refinery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The installation comprises more than a dozen 30-foot trees, each weighing 10,000 pounds, which make up the project’s indoor vertical garden that will highlight 460,000 square feet of new office space being created inside the former factory. The trees were hoisted inside via a 12-foot-wide opening between the brick facade and envelope of the 27,000-square-foot all-glass office addition located further within, creating a unique microclimate that operates as a “living threshold” between old and new.
Christian Siriano debuts a line of 30 “fabulous” paint colors with Sherwin-Williams.
Christian Siriano, famous for his celebrity red-carpet looks and winning “Project Runway,” has collaborated with Sherwin Williams to launch The Christian Siriano x Sherwin-Williams Color Collection. The fashion designer says that color has long been a crucial part of his business, which expanded to interior design and furniture design in 2021, and so this collection of 30 “fabulous colors” could help clients select the perfect colors to forge a relaxing vibe at home.
Marseille’s Museum of Contemporary Art reopens with a playful show by Paola Pivi.
After a four-year renovation, Marseille’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC) has been revitalized with a new reception hall, rooftop terrace, and expanded exhibition space, giving it a modern and uncluttered feel. The MAC first opened in 1994 and now features a collection of 600 works across 20th-century movements. Despite the celebration of its reopening with a temporary exhibition by Italian artist Paola Pivi and a rehang of its impressive collection, social unrest over President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform overshadowed the event.
The Yichang Grand Theater in Yichang, China. Image courtesy of OPEN Architecture…
OPEN Architecture reveals visuals for a sinuous performing arts center in China.
OPEN Architecture has revealed visuals for the partially floating China’s Yichang Grand Theater, which will sit at the junction of the Yangtze and Huangbai Rivers and feature a fluid, organic form inspired by water, mountains, clouds, and mist. The performing arts center will include a grand theater, concert hall, black box, outdoor theaters, educational facilities, event and exhibition spaces, rehearsal rooms, coffee shops, restaurants, and observation decks. The project aims to achieve balance and inclusiveness by weaving in and out of various elements and adopting passive and active strategies to ensure environmental responsibility.
The Met announces new commissions by Nairy Baghramian and Jacolby Satterwhite.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced new commissions from contemporary artists Nairy Baghramian and Jacolby Satterwhite for its facade and Great Hall spaces. Baghramian will create four polychrome sculptures for the Fifth Avenue facade niches, while Satterwhite’s multimedia installation will incorporate 3D scans of objects from the Met’s collection. The museum’s director, Max Hollein, said the commissions reflect its efforts to place contemporary art “front and center” and make it “bold but also playful” in public spaces.
Dubai lands another record-breaking sale with a $15 million vanity license plate.
Dubai has set another record-breaking sale. During the “Most Noble Numbers” auction at the Four Seasons hotel in Jumeirah, a two-character car license plate, ‘P7’, sold for an astounding Dh55 million ($15 million), earning the title of the world’s most expensive license plate. The funds raised from the auction, which totaled close to Dh100 million ($27 million), will be going towards the 1 Billion Meals Endowment campaign, a global food initiative founded by ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid. This auction showcases the history of vanity plates and how they have become an iconic symbol of the United Arab Emirates.
Today’s attractive distractions:
This Indigenous engineer is upcycling tequila waste into sustainable housing.
