The Sol LeWitt installation at 425 Park Avenue in Manhattan. Image courtesy of L&L…
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A Massive Sol LeWitt Triptych Enlivens an Austere Manhattan Lobby
Office tower lobbies stow some of Manhattan’s most under-appreciated artistic gems—and a dazzling new Sol LeWitt triptych is joining the ranks. Bars of Color Within Squares now adds a welcome splash of color to the shimmering triple-height lobby of 425 Park Avenue, a new skyscraper designed by Foster + Partners at 56th Street. L&L, the building’s developers, procured the piece from Paula Cooper Gallery, which carefully followed meticulous installation instructions the artist left right before he died, in 2007. The artwork is in good company: Yayoi Kusama’s immersive Narcissus Garden, first shown at the Italian Pavilion at the 33rd Venice Biennale in 1966, also resides in the building. —Ryan Waddoups
Fondation Beyeler. Photography by Robert Hradil/Getty Images…
Fondation Beyeler sues a cashier for allegedly skimming $1.3 million in ticket sales.
A Fondation Beyeler employee is on trial in Basel for allegedly skimming cash from ticket sales over an 11-year period. Two former colleagues described how they believe she conducted the thefts, voiding sale tickets given to customers and selling tickets twice. The woman is said to owe the museum $1.3 million. While she denies most of the allegations, prosecutors point to large deposits and extravagant expenses as evidence against her. She has requested a plea deal of three and a half years in prison and a fine of roughly $5,500.
Seven artists win the Loewe Foundation/Studio Voltaire Award and free studio space.
The UK Loewe Foundation/Studio Voltaire Award has revealed its latest winners, seven recipients who will receive a £5,000 ($6,385) bursary and rent-free studio space in South London for two years. The winners, including artists like Babajide Brian, Maz Murray, and Emily Pope, will join the Studio Voltaire community starting in September. The award is meant to help artists—particularly those from working-class backgrounds—gain access to studio space, which is often prohibitively expensive. Studio Voltaire received more than 600 applications, showing the growing need among artists during the cost-of-living crisis.
The Ellinikon Metropolitan Park site. Rendering courtesy of Sasaki Associates…
Lamda Development is bringing the Ellinikon Metropolitan Park to Athens, slated to become Europe’s largest coastal park. Covering 600 acres and designed by Sasaki Associates, the park will reuse remnants from the 2004 Summer Olympics and the city’s former International Airport, with the aim of ecological restoration and minimal carbon footprint. The project’s first phase is scheduled for completion by 2026, with the full park expected to be ready by 2030.
Myron Goldfinger, a renowned architect known for designing modernist homes for affluent New Yorkers, has died at 90 in Westchester County. Goldfinger often used basic geometric shapes with elements of Mediterranean architecture, earning him favor among the rich and powerful. Characterized by expansive interiors and dramatic exteriors, his homes became symbols of luxury and elegance, with some gaining fame through their use in films.
Human rights organization Equidem has accused factories in Bangladesh producing official merchandise for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup of exploiting female workers. The report reveals workers being overworked, underpaid, and facing verbal abuse. These women allegedly earn only 12 percent of the national living wage, are denied maternity leave and childcare, and face threats of job loss if they become pregnant within the first two years of employment. Equidem is urging FIFA to address these issues and extend their commitment to improving working conditions for women workers in their apparel supply chains.
