The Design Dispatch offers expertly written and essential news from the design world crafted by our dedicated team. Think of it as your cheat sheet for the day in design delivered to your inbox before you’ve had your coffee. Subscribe now.
After months of delays, the long-awaited Humboldt Forum is preparing for a phased reopening starting in December. Construction has nearly wrapped up on the vast museum and events space, which will enliven a reconstructed royal palace in the heart of Berlin. Initial programming includes an exhibition about ivory and elephants, as well as a “critical approach” to colonial legacies.
The artist Charles Gaines has created a fellowship program to support Black MFA students at the California Institute of the Arts, where he’s been a longtime faculty member. The fellowship, which bears his name and will cover two-thirds of a student’s tuition, aims to address the lack of diversity in art institutions across the United States.
Nancy Spector, artistic director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, has stepped down after a 34-year career to “pursue other curatorial endeavors” and finish her doctoral dissertation. Her departure follows a three-month investigation into the museum’s treatment of guest curator Chaedria LaBouvier during the 2019 Jean-Michel Basquiat show “Defacement: The Untold Story,” which LaBouvier brought to the institution.
Virgin Hyperloop is one step closer to making hyperloop transportation a reality in the United States. The company revealed it will commence certification testing at a new facility in West Virginia, a crucial leap forward in the creation of a national safety certification framework. Before now, Virgin Hyperloop was developing and testing its technology at a proving ground in North Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Belgian designer Glenn Martens, who serves as the creative director of Parisian label Y/Project, will join legacy denim brand Diesel in the same capacity. Martens will continue his work at Y/Project and previously designed a capsule for Diesel’s Red sub-line.
The Proud Boys, a group of self-described “western chauvinists,” recently made news when Trump refused to condemn them at the presidential debate. The far-right group is often seen wearing clothes by preppy streetwear brand Fred Perry, but not for much longer—the label recently announced that it would stop selling a particular black polo shirt with yellow stripes, which had become the group’s de facto uniform.
New York City mayor Bill de Blasio is trying to reverse the effects of gentrification. The city will soon embark on a rezoning plan that will bring about 3,200 units of affordable housing to NoHo and SoHo, two wealthy and historic neighborhoods in lower Manhattan. It marks a departure from previous city-backed rezoning efforts, which often focused on lower-income areas.
Today’s Attractive Distractions
Meet Susan B. Anthony Barbie, Mattel’s tribute to female voters.
DNA Barcelona unveils a “cocoon” hotel” in Tulum.
Gubi reissues Pierre Paulin’s cloud-like Pacha collection.
Pour one out for abandoned office plants, a casualty of work-from-home culture.
