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OMA creates a pop-up shop in Paris that explores Tiffany & Co’s 185-year history.
“OMA has created a pop-up shop for Tiffany & Co in Paris that showcases an assortment of pieces from the jeweler’s 185-year history. The pop-up functions as a cross between a boutique and an exhibition, spotlighting Tiffany pieces from both past and present. Upon entering the store, visitors walk into a deep-blue rotunda where Tiffany & Co is showcasing some of its archival jewelry designs. The pieces are presented within wall niches or inside pyramidal glass cases that sit on chunky plinths. Tall screens display blown-up imagery of the designs so visitors can take a look at their finer details.” [H/T Dezeen]
Tom Ford reportedly hires Goldman Sachs to mull a potential sale of his luxury brand.
“Tom Ford, the luxury brand founded by the former longtime creative director for Gucci, is exploring a potential sale, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Tom Ford is working with investment bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc. on the effort, said the people, who asked to not be identified because the matter isn’t public. A deal could value the company at several billion dollars and may include an option that would give any new owner of Tom Ford the right to work with its founder after the sale, one of the people said. No final decision has been made and Tom Ford could still opt to remain independent.” [H/T Bloomberg]
Indigenous artists call on the government to crack down on fakes and knock-offs.
“First Nations art, from hand-carved masks to totem poles, draws on generations of tradition and skill and can take months to craft. But a flood of fakes and commercial knock-offs produced in Asia and eastern Europe is exploiting Indigenous culture and robbing them of revenue, the artists say. The federal government is facing calls to take action—including from a senator who wants a reform to copyright law, a unit to help Indigenous artists track down fakes and stronger border checks for art in Indigenous styles.” [H/T CBC]
A Tunisian startup develops a robot-like device that converts air into drinking water.
“About three years ago, Iheb Triki went on a four-day camping trip in the Tunisian desert. [He] saw the sheer volume of bottles laid out in front of him; he noticed the piles of empty plastic trash left over from previous campers; and the next morning, he spotted tiny droplets of dew on the surface of his tent. So Triki, an engineer by training, had an idea. [He] is now the CEO of a Tunisian startup called Kumulus. The company has developed a device that mimics the condensation process to convert humidity in the air into drinking water.” [H/T Fast Company]
Frieze co-founder Matthew Slotover is reviving a hotel in the coastal town of Margate.
“A beloved hotel in the seaside town of Margate opens its doors next month—with a helping hand from Matthew Slotover, the co-founder of Frieze magazine and fairs. Slotover is one of three partners behind the relaunch of the highly anticipated Fort Road Hotel, a local landmark in the gentrified coastal spot. Slotover teamed up with the developer Gabriel Chipperfield and the artist Tom Gidley to rebuild and reimagine the property, which was purchased at auction four years ago in an advanced state of decay.” [H/T The Art Newspaper]
A 3-D printing robot is helping faithfully recreate the long-disputed Elgin Marbles.
“Roger Michel, executive director of the Institute of Digital Archaeology, believes the long-running dust-up can be resolved with the help of 3-D machining. His University of Oxford-based research consortium has developed a robot with the ability to create faithful copies of large historical objects. In 2016, in Trafalgar Square in London, the organization unveiled a two-thirds scale model, made of Egyptian marble, of a Syrian monument called the Monumental Arch of Palmyra, also known as the Arch of Triumph. The original was built by the Romans and was thought to be two millenniums old, but it was wantonly destroyed by Islamic State fighters in 2015.” [H/T The New York Times]
Today’s attractive distractions:
The polarizing Georgia Guidestones were recently destroyed in a bombing.
These kinky TikTok creators are bringing a taste of BDSM to Gen X women.
A redevelopment plan may end the reign of New York’s original Papaya King.
A new documentary captures the star-studded Chelsea Hotel’s glory days.
