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Georg Jensen opens a gallery dedicated entirely to silverware in London’s Mayfair.
“Georg Jensen has unveiled a standalone silver gallery on London’s Grafton Street, representing the Danish brand’s first European outpost dedicated entirely to silverware and hollowware. Though modest in scale, the site—around the corner from New Bond Street and a stone’s throw from Mayfair’s leading art galleries—immediately conveys prestige, as befitting a heritage label that built its reputation on high-end silversmithing and boasts an illustrious list of creative collaborators, from Johan Rohde to Kengo Kuma. Open by appointment only, the gallery offers an exclusive environment for customers to view and order their desired Georg Jensen pieces, and make requests for customization.” [H/T Wallpaper]
Design projects involving renovations and preservation are gaining on new builds.
“Design projects involving the renovation, rehabilitation, extension, or preservation of existing buildings account for 48 percent of billings at U.S. architecture firms according to an AIA survey. The findings, which form part of the 2022 AIA Firm Survey: The Business of Architecture, continues a trend that last year saw architects earn more from renovations than from new builds for the first time. Also in October, new data from the AIA’s Architecture Billings Index indicated an increase in the demand for design services for the 20th consecutive month.” [H/T Archinect]
“Shchedryk: Carol of The Bells” by PHOTINUS Studios at theMART in Chicago. Image courtesy of Art on theMART…
A monumental projection by Ukrainian artists is taking over The Mart in Chicago.
“The story of Shchedryk, a folkloric, hypnotically melodic early-20th century arrangement by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych that became known as Carol of the Bells, is being shown as a projection at Chicago’s Art on theMART public art site twice nightly until Nov. 17. The production was created by PHOTINUS, a studio of Kyiv light and sound installation artists and musicians who have been working in extreme wartime conditions and fighting on the front. Shchedryk – Carol of The Bells: Unwrap the Holiday Magic was already in the works before the Russian invasion. It was initially planned as a celebration of Ukrainian identity and cultural diplomacy, projected last year’s holiday season onto the facade of the Diplomatic Academy in Kyiv, with the idea to present adaptations elsewhere. At first the war put the project on hold, but then made it even more important.” [H/T The Art Newspaper]
A new French law requires most large parking lots to be blanketed with solar panels.
“Separate from the developments—predictable, infuriating, and downright messy—coming out of United Nations Climate Conference (COP27) underway in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, the French government is generating its own headlines in the fight against climate change. As reported by multiple outlets, new legislation approved by the Senate of the French Republic on Nov. 4 requires the owners of large parking lots, existing and new, to cover their respective expanses of asphalt with solar panels. Per the new law, which takes effect in July 2023, “large” applies to parking lots with at least 80 spaces.” [H/T The Architect’s Newspaper]
Nearly 100 museum leaders release a statement condemning recent climate protests.
“Following weeks of increasingly frequent actions by climate activists targeting works of art in museums around the world, the National Committee in Germany of ICOM, the International Council of Museums, has issued a statement to address the vandalism. The letter has been co-signed by 92 representatives from cultural institutions. Rather than tackling the question of whether the actions—throwing foodstuffs at paintings or gluing body parts to frames—are effective at pressing government officials to enact real climate policy, the statement mainly addresses the potential damage to artworks. The activists, the letter reads, ‘severely underestimate the fragility of these irreplaceable objects, which must be preserved as part of our world cultural heritage.’” [H/T Artnet News]
“Models, Ensemble (Small Version)” by Georges Seurat. Image courtesy of Christie’s Images Limited 2022…
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s art trove fetches more than $1.5 billion at auction.
“Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s estate made auction history on Wednesday when a group of 60 artworks from his estate sold for $1.5 billion, smashing the record for priciest collection ever sold at auction. Lush landscapes and rare examples by artists like Paul Cézanne, Georges Seurat, Sandro Botticelli, and Jasper Johns anchored a sale at Christie’s in New York that reaffirmed the depth of the trophy-hunting art market at a time of broader economic uncertainty.” [H/T Wall Street Journal]
Travelers complained to the FAA en masse over uncomfortably small airplane seats.
“Travelers came out en masse to voice disapproval over “too small” airplane seats after the Federal Aviation Administration opened its site to public comments on seat dimensions. The FAA invited passengers to share their thoughts on the matter to help the agency decide whether to implement a rule on minimum seat dimensions. The FAA is currently reviewing thousands of comments, which were posted on the organization’s website during a 90-day period from Aug. 3 to Nov. 1, before making a decision. Although the three-month period for public comments is intended to help improve safety for air passengers—particularly in emergency evacuations—more than 21,000 commenters spoke of their discomfort in seats on a variety of airlines.” [H/T Business Insider]
“Untitled Collage, International Anthem 2: Domestic Violence” (1979) by Gee Vaucher…
Today’s attractive distractions:
Purple jacarandas are blooming in Australia after record-breaking rains.
A vivid pink pear-shaped diamond sells for nearly $29 million at Christie’s.
The French may finally be warming to the oft-scorned frozen croissant.
Influential sleeve designer Gee Vaucher gets her due in a new book.
