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Louis Vuitton Enters the Restaurant Pop-Up Game
Perhaps spurred by the success of LVMH cohorts Dior and Fendi’s string of pop-up cafés, Louis Vuitton has decided to venture into the culinary world, too. Taking over the terrace and garden at Saint-Tropez’s White 1921 Hotel, a property designed by Jean-Michel Wiimotte situated on the historic Place des Lices, the restaurant is helmed by chef Mory Sacko of the Michelin-starred MoSuke in Paris. The plant-centric menu reflects the peripatetic ethos of the maison, with Japanese and African flavors layering haute French cuisine. For instance, a gussied-up version of ekiben, the Japanese meal tray that is a common staple on trains, and rich tagines served in ceramic dishes. Sacko also helped guide the decor scheme, highlighted by the brand’s monogram flowers and reimagined pieces from the travel-inspired Objets Nomades collection. —Nate Storey
“Michael in Black” by Nicole Miller…
Nicole Miller Explores the Darker Sides of Celebrity Culture
Nicole Miller’s body of work, which has been exhibited by the likes of SFMOMA, Ballroom Marfa, and Berlin’s Kunst Werke, consists primarily of films and installations that plumb celebrity culture and the dehumanizing effects of the mass gaze. Her 2018 sculpture Michael in Black, cast in bronze from a mold made from Michael Jackson’s body between 1986 and 1987, signals a major exception to her work’s otherwise straightforward categorization. Much like its subject, Michael in Black is one of Miller’s most complex works, and informs the artist’s first monograph, from title to subject matter.
Michael in Black is both an occasion to zero in on Miller’s thrilling body of work and to take a closer look at the ecosystem that informs and feeds it. The book, co-published by the Center for Art, Research and Alliances (CARA) and Public Fiction, also contains the 11th issue of the latter’s journal, which uses Miller’s work as a springboard for an anthology of cultural criticism. Contributions range from visual artworks to texts and interviews with the likes of Hannah Black, Ocean Vuong, Arthur Jafa, and Miller herself. Each work inside, contextualized by the titular sculpture, functions as a new lens through which to view the dark side of celebrity. —Jenna Adrian-Diaz
Acne Studios Paris by Arquitectura-G…
Acne Studios updates the Haussmanian look and feel for its new Parisian flagship.
“For some designers, it’s about building bridges. For Acne Studios founder and creative director Jonny Johansson, it’s about sitting under them. So Johansson brought the references from his favorite spot at Ralambshovsparken in Stockholm, mixed them with the metal arches and grommets on the underside of Paris’ own Pont Neuf, which crosses the Seine river, as elements for the brand’s new boutique on the Rue Saint Honoré. He also used Saint Maximin stone quarried from 30 miles outside of Paris that is used in the city’s classical Haussmannian buildings to give the space a modern take on an Old World aesthetic.” [H/T WWD]
The booming market for secondhand watches is showing signs of slowing down.
“An unprecedented price surge for the most sought-after second-hand luxury watches is showing signs of settling down after some owners put their Rolex and Patek Philippe timepieces back on the block to cash out, a new index by trading platform Subdial shows. The Subdial50 index, which tracks global market prices for the 50 most traded luxury watches by value, has declined about 6% in the past 30 days.” [H/T Bloomberg]
The Randselva Bridge in Norway. Image courtesy Oystein Ulvestad…
An unassuming bridge in Norway was designed and built without any drawings.
“Soaring above a forest outside of Oslo, Randselva Bridge is remarkably unremarkable. A straightforward viaduct for cars and trucks, the gently curving bridge straddles a river, a valley, a rail line, and foothills. The bridge stretches 634 meters, or 2,080 feet, and stands 180 feet above the ground at its highest point. Like many highway projects around the world, it has been engineered to span great distances and stand strong—feats that have become so normal they’re expected as the status quo. But unlike most large-scale building projects, this bridge has been designed and constructed without any drawings.” [H/T Fast Company]
New York’s landmark Stonewall Inn dive bar will soon receive its own visitor center.
“A storied Greenwich Village dive bar will soon have its own visitor center. As first announced yesterday by the social advocacy and community engagement nonprofit Pride Live, an informational and educational hub located directly adjacent to the storied watering hole the Stonewall Inn will break ground this Friday with a planned opening date next summer. The tavern, best known for its cheap drinks, upstairs drag shows, and status as arguably the most famous single landmark in American LGBTQ+ history, anchors the Stonewall National Monument, which is a unit of the National Park Service.” [H/T The Architect’s Newspaper]
Timothy Taylor joins the wave of New York galleries moving from Chelsea to Tribeca.
“Timothy Taylor, one of London’s premier galleries, will relocate its New York space from Chelsea to Tribeca next year, joining a wave of New York enterprises that have recently set up shop in the Lower Manhattan neighborhood. The gallery’s new location will take over a 6,000-square-foot space in Tribeca on the ground floor of 74 Leonard Street. Leading the renovation of the Tribeca location is the New York-based architectural firm studioMDA. David Zwirner, Mendes Wood DM, James Cohan, P.P.O.W, and Canada are just a few of the galleries that have opened in Tribeca in the past couple years. Pace Gallery also has plans to open a Tribeca space later this year.” [H/T ARTnews]
London Wall West proposal by Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Image courtesy Diller Scofidio + Renfro…
Diller Scofidio + Renfro will transform London Wall West into a net-zero neighborhood.
“The city of London is currently working with Diller Scofidio + Renfro on plans to transform the London Wall West. The site—home to the Museum of London and the Bastion House—is currently under review as the museum will soon relocate to a new home in the UK capital’s West Smithfield neighborhood and the 1970s-era Bastion House office building no longer meets modern standards. The new neighborhood—aiming toward Net Zero by 2040—will introduce to the area new offices, exhibition and cultural spaces, restaurants and cafés, and landscaped parks.” [H/T Designboom]
P448’s latest sneaker is made using leather sourced from invasive lionfish species.
“A sneaker made from lionfish leather may set off an animal rights activist, but it’s actually doing marine wildlife a favor. The ocean predator responsible for killing 79 percent of baby reef fish is now being used by Inversa Leathers as a leather alternative for its sneakers. The Florida-based startup founded by scuba divers has partnered with Italian sneaker brand P448 to bring the lionfish sneakers to market. The classic, fuss-less silhouette will release in five different colors: red, pink, blue, silver, and black. Its base is white, perforated with P448’s signature branding, and fitted with the dyed fish leather on the heel. Each pair is equivalent to one lionfish removed from the oceans, thus saving thousands of native species.” [H/T Input]
A microplastic-eating robo-fish devised by researchers at Sichuan University. Photography by Nano Letters 2022…
Today’s attractive distractions:
A Ukrainian deeptech startup has trained AI to create war-themed art.
Sherwin-Williams’s new voice-controlled tool can create custom colors.
Scientists create bionic robo-fish that remove microplastics from the sea.
Do you have what it takes to transform your favorite artwork into a cake?
