Thom Browne’s new store in San Francisco. Image courtesy of Thom Browne…
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Thom Browne opens a Mad Men–inspired store inside San Francisco’s Yeon Building.
“Thom Browne has opened its first retail location in San Francisco, designed by ASA Studio Albanese to feature dramatic marble against white slatted blinds. The flagship store is situated in the historic Yeon Building, which dates back to 1855, in the heart of the city’s luxury shopping district. Its interior is the latest collaboration between Thom Browne’s eponymous founder and architect Flavio Albanese, who has designed more than a dozen stores for the brand since 2017. Like its counterparts around the world, the 1,250-square-foot space is outfitted to look like a Mad Men-era workplace.” [H/T Dezeen]
Two climate activists are arrested after gluing their hands to Francisco Goya paintings.
“Two climate activists have glued their hands to the frames of two paintings by Spanish master Francisco Goya at a museum in Madrid. The protest at the Prado museum, in which both protesters each glued a hand to the frames, did not damage either painting but caused their frames slight blemishes, the museum said. Both activists were detained after the incident on Saturday, police said. They had scrawled “+1,5°C” on the wall between the two artworks in reference to the Paris Agreement target of capping warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.” [H/T The Guardian]
Abby Pucker and Zoe Lukov. Photography by Julieee Logan…
Zoe Lukov and Abby Pucker will debut their new nonprofit Art in Common in Miami.
“Given the creative synergy between curator Zoe Lukov and cultural producer Abby Pucker, you might assume they are old friends. The duo met merely a year ago, however, when Pucker visited Lukov’s group show “Skin in the Game” during Art Basel Miami Beach. It featured works by emerging and established artists—from Lynda Benglis, Derrick Adams, and Theaster Gates to Moise Salazar, Kennedy Yanko, and Erin M. Riley—at a South Beach storefront. The friends tested the waters of collaboration in April at EXPO Chicago, re-staging “Skin in the Game” across a multi-story industrial space in the Fulton Market district. And now, they are making their partnership official with the launch of a nonprofit: Art in Common. It is set to launch with “Boil, Toil + Trouble” (Nov. 29–Dec. 11), a group show they are staging in a disused Design District retail space during Art Basel Miami Beach.” [H/T Artnet News]
For an electric car, the Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II has few “pluggable” features.
“When carmakers are spending billions to produce and promote electric vehicles, it actually stuns a little when someone unveils something that’s unapologetically un-pluggable. That phrase describes the 2023 Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II. The longest-running nameplate of the 116-year-old brand, Rolls-Royce’s flagship sedan boasts a 563-horsepower V12 engine, 12mpg in the city and a price tag that, for most buyers, will approach $700,000 (gas guzzler tax included). Its opulent braggadocio will be booed in some social sets, and its infotainment systems fall a hair off the mark in general finesse, compared with those of industry leader Mercedes-Maybach, but Phantom II well maintains Rolls-Royce’s status at the pinnacle of luxury on four wheels. More than a car, it represents a lifestyle. You won’t just feel special when riding inside the Phantom’s vaultlike confines; you’ll feel superior.” [H/T Bloomberg]
A planned “crypto-native luxury community” is headed to the former Fyre Festival site.
“A consortium of tech guys and real-estate developers has announced Agia, a planned ‘crypto-native luxury community’ in the Bahamas. Filled with images of turquoise waters, white sand, people snorkeling, and minimalist beach-house interiors, the promotional materials promise a place ‘grounded in the simple soulful aesthetic of the Greek Mediterranean—but pulsing with the possibility of our decentralized future.’ Its ‘60 ultra-luxurious pavilions and villas’ are available for purchase only via NFT, supposedly ‘the first time an entire real estate development has been exclusively for sale on the blockchain.’ Although the first image on the Agia website comes up as a free Shutterstock photo of a different island in the Bahamas, scroll down to arrive at the true parcel of land where Agia will manifest: Roker Point on the island of Great Exuma, best known as the barren beach site of Fyre Festival.” [H/T Curbed]
The Climate Museum’s pop-up space in Manhattan. Photography by Sari Goodfriend…
A roaming climate museum pops up in New York and hopes to spur visitors to action.
“As parts of the art world continue efforts to reduce their ecological footprint, the Climate Museum is marshaling the power of art to educate the public and motivate change. The museum launched its first Manhattan pop-up space last month with an action incubator and mural by David Opdyke. On view until Dec. 22, the pop-up aims to generate interest in the museum’s mission and help fund a permanent home. It was founded in 2015 by former civil rights lawyer Miranda Massie. Since then, it has organized installations and exhibitions in and around New York, including pop-ups on Governors Island in 2018 and 2019. At a time of eroding trust in many traditional institutions, Massie created the museum to leverage support for cultural spaces in order to promote learning and climate action.” [H/T The Art Newspaper]
At Niagara Falls, a newly opened tunnel lets visitors see hydroelectric power in action.
“Niagara Falls has been a magnet drawing global travelers for at least two centuries. But until this year, a huge tunnel buried deep below the cascade has been off-limits to visitors. The rocks beneath the gigantic triple waterfall that straddles the border between the US and Canada are honeycombed with chambers carved out to harness the powerful forces of nature thundering overhead. And now, a 2,198-foot tunnel built more than a century ago has been opened up to reveal the awesome scale of these engineering marvels. Since July 2022, it’s been part of tours of the decommissioned Niagara Parks Power Station tour which began a year earlier. Exploring it offers a fascinating glimpse into pioneering work that helped bring this corner of North America into the modern age.” [H/T CNN]
Today’s attractive distractions:
Not everyone loves Manhattan’s new crop of 5G-friendly street towers.
Black gloves have taken over the hands of the food content creator class.
