Kent Monkman Addresses Land Theft at Art Toronto, and Other News

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Kent Monkman Addresses Land Theft at Art Toronto

Self-represented Cree artist Kent Monkman makes the complexities of past and present Indigenous culture a cornerstone of his work across painting, film, and performance. In “iskonikan,” his latest exhibition at Art Toronto, Canada’s preeminent art fair, he addresses the consequences of land theft that arose through the exploitation of Indigenous sovereignty through the reservation system. “Iskonikan” means “Indian reserve” in the Cree language and can be directly translated to “left-over land.” It’s through this lens that Monkman’s works, including mêmêkwêsiwak Trading Post, Giants Walked the Earth, and Constellation of Knowledge, explore the scale and depth of loss wrought by ancestral land dispossession. —Jenna Adrian-Diaz

Zaha Hadid Architects’ new Chengdu Science Fiction Museum has opened in China.

Zaha Hadid Architects has unveiled photos and a video to coincide with the inauguration of the Chengdu Science Fiction Museum in China, marking the culmination of their 15-year involvement in the country. The museum, spanning more than 635,000 square feet, is situated in Chengdu’s Science & Innovation New City Pidu district and designed to resemble a nebula constellation with a central star. Inside, a skylit central atrium is the focal point, surrounded by exhibition galleries, a conference center, and a main events hall, all topped with photovoltaic roof canopy arrays, earning it a three-star rating under the Chinese Green Building Program.

Attorneys are fighting over the value of art accumulated by former advisor Lisa Schiff.

Attorneys are in a heated dispute over whether to sell two valuable paintings by artist Ann Craven as part of resolving the substantial debts accumulated by Lisa Schiff before her art advisory business collapsed. Schiff’s attorney, John Cahill, opposes the sale, asserting that one of the paintings is Schiff’s personal property. However, Douglas Pick, overseeing creditor claims, is arguing that Schiff has been accused of mishandling client proceeds with an investigation underway. Pick suggested working with the Assignee to maximize creditor distribution and called Cahill’s objections frivolous. The legal battle involves complex asset transparency, creditor claims, and ongoing investigations, making it a challenging case.

Sabine Marcelis, Camille Walala, and Job Smeets give their own spin on the lava lamp.

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the iconic lava lamp, designers Sabine Marcelis, Job Smeets, and Camille Walala, in collaboration with pop band Duran Duran and photographer Rankin, have crafted a collection of limited-edition lava lamps for Mathmos. Walala’s design features bold patterns with a black top and bottom etched with white lines, housing red-toned “lava.” Marcelis took a more minimalist approach, creating a lamp with a matte-white base and top that conceals yellow lava when off, and Studio Job incorporates gold elements and skeletal etchings, giving it a gothic and classical feel. Duran Duran and Rankin also contributed lamps to the collection, each with its own one-of-a-kind design and color palette.

Tyler Perry is helping build a home for a 93-year-old woman in a developer dispute.

Tyler Perry is stepping in to assist Josephine Wright, a 93-year-old woman from Hilton Head Island, SC, who is embroiled in a legal battle with a property development company over land that has been in her family since the Civil War. The media mogul is funding a five-bedroom home with a pool for Wright, who has been facing relentless harassment from the developers. Perry pledged his support to Wright in June and is now helping her build a modular home on her property. Other celebrities, including Meek Mill, Snoop Dogg, and Kyrie Irving, have also contributed to aid in Wright’s fight. Perry previously donated $2.75 million to help seniors in Atlanta at risk of losing their homes by covering back property taxes for 300 residents.

Thanks to the Barbie movie, Mattel reports a surge in third-quarter sales of the doll.

Mattel reported a 16 percent surge in Barbie sales during the third quarter, attributing this growth to the success of the Barbie movie that became the year’s highest-grossing film, raking in more than $1.4 billion. Despite the positive results, Mattel’s profit for the period ending Sept. 30 was $146.3 million, down from $289.9 million the previous year. However, adjusted earnings per share exceeded expectations at $1.08, while revenue reached $1.92 billion, a 9 percent increase. Additionally, Hot Wheels sales saw a 22 percent boost, aligning with Mattel’s broader strategy to use its intellectual property for potential blockbuster movies. Despite the positive earnings, Mattel’s shares dipped by about 6% in after-hours trading.

Today’s attractive distractions:

Artists are learning how to sabotage AI image generators to fight art theft.

The creator economy is chaotic, but this TikTok talent manager has it down.

Here’s how the ever-intriguing Zamboni revolutionized having fun on the ice.

McDonald’s is phasing out McFlurry spoons in order to consume less plastic.