The Woolmark Prize Finalists Carry On Joan Jonas’s Legacy, and Other News

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The Woolmark Prize Finalists Carry On Joan Jonas’s Legacy

The International Woolmark Prize, one of fashion’s most storied accolades, has released a short film called Dialogue to announce this year’s eight finalists. Directed by Partel Oliver and choreographed by Josh Johnson, the film showcases how having conversations is key to the creative process. It pays tribute to American artist Joan Jonas, particularly her Delay, Delay performance, and follows a cast starring actress Taylor Paige and hip-hop artist Loyle Carner as they explore the rocky seafront near Marseille, adorned in looks by the finalists.

According to John Roberts, managing director of the Woolmark Company, the finalists have “a passion for pushing the boundaries with merino wool, while [also being] focused on improving their brand’s environmental and social impact.” The grand prize winner, which will be announced on May 15, will take home $200,000 AUD ($132,000 USD) while the Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation winner will receive $100,000 AUD ($66,000 USD). Finalists include Rhuigi Villaseñor, Jaehyung Lee, Anthony Alvarez, Amalie Roege Hove, Robyn Lynch, Marco Rambaldi, design duo Lucile Guilmard and Paolina Russo, and Adeju Thompson, founder of Lagos Space Programme. —Ryan Waddoups

Tom Ford has dropped a mysterious “final collection” in the form of three short videos.

Tom Ford has dropped a surprise “final collection” in the form of three short videos showcasing supermodels wearing archive designs from the past 13 years. Rumors suggest this may indicate his farewell to fashion, clearing the way for a new designer, with Peter Hawkings, Tom Ford’s longtime men’s wear designer, potentially getting the job. The videos came unaccompanied by any statement, and Mr. Ford declined requests for comment.

Despite fundraising efforts, the San Francisco Art Institute has filed for bankruptcy.

The San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, putting more than $65 million worth of assets, including artworks by famous alumni like Ansel Adams and Dorothea Lange, at risk. Despite fundraising efforts, re-opening enrollment, and selling debt to avoid foreclosure, the school’s financial troubles persisted, leading to the bankruptcy filing. The fate of the school’s Diego Rivera mural, The Making of a Fresco Showing the Building of a City, is also uncertain, but the newly created SFAI Legacy Foundation is working to safeguard the artwork and other treasures in the school’s collection.

Austin’s Wilson Tower, initially proposed as an 80-story supertall, drastically shrinks.

The Wilson Tower in Austin, initially proposed as an 80-story supertall building, has been scaled back to 45 stories in response to feedback from the City of Austin Design Commission and current market conditions. The glass building, designed by HKS and developed by Wilson Capital, will house 450 units with amenities like a movie theater, gym, and a special floor for pets. The revised proposal features an engaging and inviting streetscape with additional seating options, plantings, and bike parking to create an activated ground floor.

The closely watched Turner Prize announces four nominees for this year’s shortlist.

The Turner Prize has announced this year’s four nominees, who will display their works at Towner Eastbourne in East Sussex in September. The nominees include Jesse Darling, who creates sculptures exploring the fragility of the human body; Ghislaine Leung, who produces highly conceptual pieces focusing on labor; the painter Rory Pilgrim, who was nominated for a sound and film work on mental health during the pandemic; and Barbara Walker, whose work features grand images of Black British people, was nominated for her Sharjah Biennial exhibit.

JR’s giant photograph of children playing soccer will light up the Parrish Art Museum.

A giant photographic installation will be unveiled at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, New York, by Paris-based artist JR. The piece, called Les Enfants d’Ouranos, is a 200-foot image of 40 children running towards a soccer ball, printed as a black-and-white negative with inverted tones onto reinforced fabric affixed to the museum’s concrete exterior. The composite is a montage of photographs of children playing soccer taken at refugee camps in Ukraine, Mauritania, Greece, Rwanda, and Colombia. The installation, which captures childhood innocence, was designed to show the humanity of communities that are often overlooked.

Ellsworth Kelly’s widower is donating dozens of his artworks to honor his centenary.

Jack Shear, the widower of the late artist Ellsworth Kelly, is donating 146 works of art by the artist to 19 museums for his centenary. Kelly’s pared-down, hard-edge paintings were highly influential in the 20th century, making him one of the most important artists of his time. Shear, who inherited Kelly’s art when he died, is also giving money to art-related and non-art-related causes through the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation, of which he is the president. Other museums are also holding shows of Kelly’s work to honor the artist.

Today’s attractive distractions:

Superiority Burger, founded by former punk drummer Brooks Headley, stays busy.

Meme artists memorialized internet mayhem at this “anti-woke” film festival.

Is “genderless” becoming yet another commodified beauty-industry buzzword?

There are millions of empty houses across Japan—and they’re selling for cheap.