SCAD’s booth at Design Miami. Image courtesy of SCAD…
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SCAD Jewelry Alumni Stun at Design Miami/
As the design fair’s university partner for five years running, the Savannah College of Art and Design always makes a point of having a notable presence on South Beach. This year was no exception: university president Paula Wallace led a design talk with Kelly Wearstler, while six jewelry alumni displayed their work at the university’s booth designed by fibers alumnus Paola Maldonado. Within the softly lit environs, a respite from the bustle of the fair’s foot traffic, alumni Andrea Ortiz, Xinia Guan, Miao He, Xun Liu, Seth Carlson, and Shuoyuan Bai explored material innovation, as well as inspirations rooted in both the natural and manmade worlds. —Jenna Adrian-Diaz
“Have You Seen a Horizon Lately?” (2020) by Daniel Otero Torres at MACAAL, Morocco. Photography by Omar Tajmouati…
Daniel Otero Torres, a Colombian artist who resides and works in Paris, clinched this year’s CPGA-Etant donnés Prize, presented by the French Professional Committee of Art Galleries and Villa Albertine to promote France’s art scene on the global stage, including Art Basel in Miami Beach. His winning work, Los abrazos del viento (2023), comprises two expansive canvases portraying the branches and roots of a mangrove forest, adorned with small clay parrots and steel crab sculptures. His depiction of budding mangrove leaves underscores nature’s resilience despite the threats posed by agriculture and development. The prize, established in 2019, previously honored French Caribbean artist Julien Creuzet, who later became France’s representative at the 2024 Venice Biennale.
Tesla has reinstated a contract clause that permits them to potentially sue Cybertruck buyers for more than $50,000 if they attempt to resell the vehicle within the first year of ownership. This clause, which had initially been added to Tesla’s public order agreement but later removed, has now reappeared in the order agreements received by buyers of the limited “Foundation Series” Cybertruck. It requires buyers to offer the vehicle back to Tesla at a reduced price and allows resale only with Tesla’s written consent. The clause’s applicability to all Cybertrucks or just the Foundation Series remains unclear.
Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses in Jeans from Meta and EssilorLuxottica…
Meta is expanding the capabilities of its latest Ray-Ban smart glasses, which already have limited Meta AI features like voice-activated photo snapping. The new “multi-modal” AI feature, which is currently in testing, can recognize objects seen through the glasses’ camera, hear and respond to user queries, and provide relevant answers, such as identifying foods or offering style advice. While the glasses lack powerful processors, the AI processes requests and images on Meta’s servers, resulting in a brief delay. The company plans to introduce product-related capabilities next year, potentially integrating them with its social commerce efforts, and users can provide feedback on the new feature.
Javier Milei, Argentina’s newly elected president known for his hard-right libertarian views, has fulfilled one of his campaign promises by closing down the Ministry of Culture. He announced the reduction of Argentina’s ministries from 19 to nine just one day after taking office on December 10. The Ministry of Culture will now be part of the newly established Ministry of Health and Human Capital, which will also absorb several other former ministries. In his inaugural speech, Milei outlined plans to address Argentina’s economic challenges, including budget cuts and a potential shift from the Argentine peso to the U.S. dollar, although this latter measure may have been temporarily reconsidered.
Archaeologists, environmentalists, historians, transport experts, and druids is uniting in central London to oppose the construction of a two-mile road tunnel near Stonehenge. They argue the government’s plan will permanently damage the landscape around one of the country’s most important prehistoric sites and jeopardize its UNESCO World Heritage status. Proponents claim the tunnel will relieve congestion on the A303 and enhance the visitor experience.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Racine Collection by Steelcase…
