DESIGN DISPATCH

Gucci Fills Tate Modern’s Tanks With Trees, and Other News

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The Gucci Cruise 2025 show set at the Tate Modern. Photography by Greg White

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Gucci’s latest resort show fills Tate Modern’s Tanks with thousands of plant species.

Gucci creative director Sabato De Sarno took a radically lush approach for his first Cruise show, which transformed the underground “tanks” at London’s Tate Modern into a plant-filled terrarium that will be donated to urban greening projects post-event. The outing marked a departure from De Sarno’s typically minimalist runway shows, emphasizing a fusion of the outdoors with the museum’s raw, industrial setting. In a nod to the label’s botanical motifs and signature Flora print, De Sarno selected more than 10,000 different plants to underscore themes of freshness and renewal inherent in both the brand and the season.

A new nonprofit will digitally archive New York’s most influential gallery exhibitions.

The New York Gallery History Project, a joint venture between the Independent art fair and the Contemporary Art Library, plans to launch a comprehensive digital database of New York gallery exhibitions from the mid-1980s onward. This initiative, championed by Independent founder Elizabeth Dee and CAL’s Forrest Arakawa-Nash, aims to digitize and preserve extensive visual records of pivotal gallery spaces and exhibitions, safeguarding New York’s contemporary art heritage. The project seeks to provide an essential resource for artists, scholars, and the public, ensuring the longevity and accessibility of art historical records.

The Little Village Library, located in the Shepherd. Photography by Jason Keen, courtesy of Library Street Collective

The Shepherd, an art space led by Library Street Collective, will soon open in Detroit.

On May 18, Detroit’s East Village will launch the Little Village arts and community campus, which features a converted Romanesque church called The Shepherd that will host Asmaa Walton’s Black Art Library and McArthur Binion’s Modern Ancient Brown Foundation, along with an exhibition space. The project, led by JJ and Anthony Curis of Library Street Collective, includes a two-and-a-half-acre green space called The Nave and a sculpture park dedicated to Charles McGee, aiming to blend art with communal and natural environments. In partnership with local cultural leaders, the initiative not only preserves neighborhood values but also provides below-market housing and studio spaces for artists.

Wayfarers Chapel, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s son, will soon be disassembled.

Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verde, California, has announced plans to disassemble its 1951 structure designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s son, Lloyd, due to land movement threatening the site. Architectural Resources Group, with oversight from the National Park Service, will oversee the preservation efforts, including the deconstruction and potential relocation of the chapel. The project, which aims to raise $20 million, involves meticulous documentation and preservation of original materials like old growth redwood and unique blue roof tiles.

Squarespace has announced plans to go private in a $7 billion all-cash acquisition.

Squarespace has announced plans to go private in a $6.9 billion all-cash acquisition by Permira, at $44 per share—a 30 percent premium over its recent trading price, after a challenging stint in the public market where it failed to surpass its initial open price from 2021. The company, competing with Wix and Shopify, received transaction approvals from major stakeholders including founders and principal investors who will retain their investments post-deal. 

Image courtesy of KFC

Today’s attractive distractions:

KFC asked its fans to use AI for a new campaign—and then things got weird.

Three decades later, Magic: The Gathering still has gamers in a stranglehold.

The Dublin–New York portal is temporarily closed after inappropriate behavior.

A survey finds that being online can (shockingly) be good for one’s well-being.

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