The Sicily collection by Ivo Bisignano and Yotam Ottolenghi for Serax…
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These Vibrant Vases Bring Sicily to Your Tabletop
“Sicily is a magical place full of contradictions. It’s where Europe and North Africa meet, with Middle Eastern influences thrown in,” says Sicilian-born artist and designer Ivo Bisignano. Following the runaway success of their first tableware collection, Feast, for interiors brand Serax, Bisignano and British-Israeli chef Yotam Ottolenghi have teamed up again to create a series of vibrant vases inspired by the Italian island’s culture and cuisine.
The Sicily collection is also evocative of the atmosphere in the James Beard Award–winning Ottolenghi’s restaurants and delis, where the colorful food is complemented by large floral arrangements—traits expressed by tomato red and basil green hues. Ranging from the crowned Testa di Moro heads that are ubiquitous fixtures on balconies in the hilltop town of Taormina to fish designs reflecting the Mediterranean, the four pieces are sure to translate the spirit of a Sicilian al fresco feast into any home. —Nate Storey
Expansion of the Art Gallery of Ontario. Image courtesy of Art Gallery of Ontario, Diamond Schmitt, Selldorf Architects, Two Row Architect, and Play-Time…
The Art Gallery of Ontario taps a trio of architecture firms for its seventh expansion.
The Art Gallery of Ontario has announced its seventh expansion project. Diamond Schmitt, Selldorf Architects, and Two Row Architect are designing a new addition named The Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery. The five-story, 40,000-square-foot expansion will add at least 13 new gallery spaces, allowing the museum to display its growing contemporary and modern art collection. The design is targeting a zero-operational carbon certificate and will incorporate three key Indigenous values: adaptability, biophilia, and kinship.
Following the Turkey-Syria earthquake, L.A. County votes to require building retrofits.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has voted to prepare new regulations requiring “non-ductile” concrete buildings to be retrofitted. These are the types of buildings that collapsed in major earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, causing the deaths of more than 50,000 people. Building owners will have 10 years to complete the retrofitting, while the Board will take inventory of “soft-story” residential buildings that are vulnerable to collapse in the next big earthquake. Non-ductile concrete buildings are known to have a significant flaw that causes catastrophic collapse in earthquakes, and the collapse of a single large concrete building can cause many deaths and devastate an entire city’s economic core for a generation or more.
Entrance to TEFAF Maastricht. Photography by Jitske Nap…
After a rocky few years, TEFAF Maastricht is returning with an expanded program.
After facing numerous challenges including a global pandemic, attempted armed robbery, and leadership changes, The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF) is reinstating its Maastricht event from March 11–19. Nearly 300 galleries will showcase more than 7,000 years of art history, spanning various genres and geography. The fair will feature a Showcase section for younger galleries, and TEFAF’s Museum Restoration Fund will support the restoration of artworks held by the Neue Galerie in New York and the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.
New York museums may not be obeying a law that requires labeling Nazi-looted art.
A New York State law requiring museums to display prominent labels on artwork looted during the Nazi era has yet to significantly impact major museums in New York City. The legislation mandates institutions place signs beside artwork forcibly taken or sold due to any involuntary means between 1933 and 1945 in Europe. However, the law is hampered by the lack of clarity surrounding its regulation, and there are no penalties for ignoring it, although it is hoped the museums will do the right thing and display the labels.
Nicolas Ruinart Pavilion in Reims, France. Image courtesy of Sou Fujimoto Architects…
Sou Fujimoto completes a gradient-clad visitor center for Ruinart in Reims, France.
The new visitor center for Ruinart, designed by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto, has been unveiled in Reims, France. The 15,000-square-foot structure is made of natural stone and wood and is covered by a gradient glass façade that sits beneath a curved roof. The building is located on a site steeped in history and is designed to combine tradition and modernity, creating a link between the underground world of the chalk pits and the luminous white stone walls. The pavilion offers a bright, open space with a variety of champagne-related experiences, including an artist’s garden that serves as a sanctuary for biodiversity and creativity.
England’s coronation chair is undergoing preservation ahead of the King’s crowning.
The 700-year-old medieval coronation chair is undergoing meticulous preservation work to prepare for the crowning of King Charles III in Westminster Abbey on May 6. The fragile oak chair has faced various challenges throughout its history, including graffiti, bomb damage, and flaking gilding, which requires the conservator to back down the layers. Despite its delicate state, the chair exemplifies medieval craftsmanship and remains a mystical relic, having acquired a sacred status over the centuries.
Visitors at “Water Lilies” (1890–1918) by Claude Monet. Photography via Flickr…
Today’s attractive distractions:
Can brain science explain why we gravitate toward certain artworks?
AI-powered drum machines are embracing human-like imperfections.
ChatGPT went down a curious rabbit hole when asked about art history.
