DESIGN DISPATCH

The Malin Arrives in the West Village, and Other News

Our daily look at the world through the lens of design.

The Malin West Village

The Design Dispatch offers expertly written and essential news from the design world crafted by our dedicated team. Think of it as your cheat sheet for the day in design delivered to your inbox before you’ve had your coffee. Subscribe now

Have a news story our readers need to see? Submit it here

The Malin Arrives in the West Village 

It’s been a banner year for the Malin; the design-oriented coworking club has expanded its footprint, opening first in Williamsburg and more recently in the West Village’s historic American Railway Supply building. The location has an unexpected legacy as a haven for creatives—it once housed the legendary art collection of auto heir Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. The late contemporary artist Jennifer Bartlett spent two decades creating her large-scale works from the two floors that now host the Malin’s enterprising community of aesthetes. 

Members can look forward to working in style, surrounded by Calico Wallpaper, Pierre Frey fabrics, and a collection of Bartlett’s paintings. Lighting from the likes of Flos, Murano, and Roll & Hill illuminate both levels. Special touches, like a furnished courtyard on the garden level and poured Irish crystal tabletops—we’d expect no less from the shared Orior founder—live up to the Malin’s motto to work beautifully. —Jenna Adrian-Diaz

“Flag of Nowhere” (2017) by Dominique White. Image courtesy of the artist

Installation artist Dominique White receives the coveted Max Mara art prize for women. 

Sculptor and installation artist Dominique White has received the prestigious Max Mara art prize for women 2022–24. Her ocean-inspired works incorporate Black subjectivity, Afro-pessimism, and hydrarchy, and feature old sails, masts, whaling spears, and maps. Her new work, Deadweight, which explores Mediterranean slavery and maritime history, involves building and sinking a boat-like structure in the Tyrrhenian Sea. White, who previously won the 2022 Foundwork artist prize, will receive a six-month residency in Italy to develop her proposal before launching a solo exhibition at London’s Whitechapel Gallery.

Ann Wilson, the last surviving member of the influential Coenties Slip group, dies at 91.

Ann Wilson, the last surviving member of the influential Coenties Slip group, has died at 91. The group, which included Ellsworth Kelly, Agnes Martin, and Robert Indiana, flourished in a bruised, brawny area near the East River in Lower Manhattan in the days of decline after its industrial heyday a century before. Ann Wilson helped establish the folk art of quilting as a fine-art medium, becoming a beacon for women artists who explored alternative mediums and avenues of the arts in New York during the 1950s to ‘70s.

Etsy names Martha Stewart as the e-commerce platform’s first “collections curator.”

Martha Stewart has been appointed as Etsy’s first Collections Curator, with more than 100 of her favorite handmade and artisanal items from around the world being handpicked by her and available for all to see on the platform. Known for her discerning taste, the lifestyle queen has given her “Good Thing” stamp of approval to products that meet her standards of quality, functionality, innovation, and beauty. According to Stewart, the move was important because of her passion for the maker community and small businesses, which she has long supported.

Digital Basel’s website

Art Basel sends a cease and desist letter to NFT site Digital Basel for falsely claiming to be associated with the fair.

Art Basel has issued a cease-and-desist letter to Digital Basel, an online platform that has falsely claimed affiliation with the global fair. Digital Basel allegedly offers digital reproductions or NFTs of original artworks and features many of the fair’s exhibitors. The galleries listed on Digital Basel, including Blum & Poe and David Zwirner Gallery, have also stated that they have not given permission to the platform to use their name or their artwork.

Adidas reverses its objection to Black Lives Matter’s request for a striped trademark.

Adidas has reversed its decision to object to the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation’s trademark application after filing a request with the U.S. Trademark Office on Monday. Adidas cited concerns that its opposition would be misinterpreted as criticism of the group’s mission, given that its own three-stripe trademark could be confused with the Foundation’s yellow-stripe design. Adidas has filed more than 90 lawsuits and signed over 200 settlement agreements related to its three-stripe trademark since 2008.

Disney reportedly eliminates its metaverse division in a first round of sweeping layoffs.

In its first round of layoffs, Disney reportedly eliminated its next-generation storytelling and consumer experiences division that was exploring ways for the company to enter the metaverse. The team, comprising about 50 employees, was evaluating ways for Disney to use its intellectual property in the “next great storytelling frontier.” The move is part of a plan to lay off 7,000 employees over three rounds, aiming to cut $5.5 billion in costs.

Image courtesy of The Paddington Bear Experience/PA

Today’s attractive distractions:

“Dead nails” unearthed in Roman burial sites illuminate an occult practice.

A heartwarming Paddington Bear immersive experience heads to London.

John Glenn’s simple $40 camera forced NASA to rethink space missions.

Heinz and Absolut are dropping a new Gigi Hadid–inspired vodka sauce.

All Stories