A Sense of Airiness Defines PatBO’s New York Showroom, and Other News

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A Sense of Airiness Defines PatBO’s New York Showroom

Dividing space inside a cavernous Manhattan loft while retaining a sense of airiness isn’t the easiest task, but local firm BoND was immediately up for the challenge when Brazilian fashion brand PatBO enlisted them to devise subtle yet calming interiors for its Fifth Avenue headquarters. Noam Dvir and Daniel Rauchberger, the firm’s co-founders, opted for pale pink scaffolding that doubles as partitions and displays for the label’s colorful womenswear. 

“They’re so readily available, so New York in their character, and easy to adapt to different conditions,” Rauchwerger says. “Moreover, they’re inexpensive and have a younger, fresher feel that works so well with the spirit of a PatBo studio.” Soft touches appear throughout, particularly via curved sofas, pink pleated pendants, and sinuous rugs based on drawings by Brazilian modernist Roberto Burle Marx and designed with Punto e Filo. The crown jewel, however, is the showroom bar, a curved statement piece sporting a pink stone counter. –Ryan Waddoups

Dario Gambarin creates an enormous portrait of Picasso in the fields of northern Italy.

Dario Gambarin, known for producing enormous portraits of high-profile individuals on fields, has used his tractor to create the world’s largest portrait of Pablo Picasso on a wasteland in Castagnaro, Verona. The Italian land artist drew inspiration from Picasso’s 1907 self-portrait. In the past, he has created portraits of former U.S. President John F Kennedy, Pope Francis, and U.S. election rivals Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

Hermès’s newly unveiled leather goods factory will produce the popular Kelly handbag.

Hermès has officially cut the ribbon on its newest leather goods factory in Normandy. The factory will produce the French luxury brand’s popular Kelly handbag as well as being the only workshop outside Paris to make saddles. The 66,700-square-foot facility, which has been designed to be energy-positive and carbon-neutral, was constructed with 500,000 locally made bricks, uses geothermal energy, and is topped with 25,000 square feet of solar panels.

Hong Kong’s M+ museum offers students 10,000 free tickets to its Yayoi Kusama show.

Hong Kong’s M+ museum has launched the Shall We Talk at M+ program to combat the residual sense of unease and isolation following the lifting of social distancing regulations post-pandemic. The program offers 10,000 admission tickets to “Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now” to local students, and hosts art workshops encouraging creativity. The museum hopes visitors will connect with their emotional expressions by making art or walking through the exhibition. This program is expected to reduce stigma and promote public education on mental health.

A new documentary alleges that Roy Lichtenstein’s paintings were based on copies.

A new documentary titled WHAAM! BLAM! Roy Lichtenstein and the Art of Appropriation alleges that Lichtenstein’s paintings were based on copies of comic strips and traced to other artists’ works. Comic strip artist Hy Eisman, 96, recently discovered Lichtenstein reproduced one of his images in the 1960s. The documentary also features comic book expert David Barsalou, who traced about 300 Lichtenstein works to other artists. While Lichtenstein’s paintings sold for tens of millions of dollars, their originals earned a fraction of that amount, and the documentary shows how the comic artists lived austere and even destitute lives.

Arthur Jafa is creating a “special” permanent installation for the Glenstone Museum. 

Arthur Jafa, the American artist known for his compelling moving image works, is creating a permanent installation at the Glenstone Museum in Potomac, Maryland. Emily Wei Rales, the museum’s co-founder and director, revealed that Jafa is thinking through the installation in its early stages. Glenstone, which houses the collection of the foundation established by Mitchell Rales and his wife Emily, recently received a $1.9 billion donation from Mitchell Rales.

Dubai’s soaring real estate market sets a new record with a marquee Baccarat sale.

Dubai’s real estate market is attracting the world’s wealthy—and branded residences like Four Seasons, Bulgari, and Cavalli are the popular choice for stashing their wealth. The sales of ultra-luxury homes are soaring, making Dubai the world’s new capital of branded residences. Recently, a buyer purchased a Baccarat-branded apartment for $55.3 million, even though the project hasn’t started yet, setting a new record at 14,000 dirhams per square foot for a pre-construction apartment.

Today’s attractive distractions:

Scientists discover a dense layer of ocean floor material around Earth’s core.

The dairy industry is going to great lengths to warm Gen Z up to drinking milk.

Changes in the retina may be a window into early detection of Alzheimer’s. 

The Chainsmokers seem to be dancing through their shaky VC side hustle.