Two of a Kind
Iconoclastic fashion designer Rick Owens discusses his upcoming furniture exhibition, which he created in partnership with his wife, Michèle Lamy. “It was never a commercial idea,” he said of the show. “We just did it because we could. It’s the way we play.”
[WWD]
Firm of the Year
Design firm Leddy Maytum Stacy has won this year’s American Institute of Architects Firm Award. The San Francisco studio is known for emphasizing environmental considerations and accessibility in its work. Unlike the Pritzker Prize or the AIA’s Gold Medal, which go to individual designers, the Firm Award recognizes an entire practice.
[American Institute of Architects]
Parting Gift
Bard College’s Center for Curatorial Studies has given Nicholas Serota, director of the Tate museums, a prize for curatorial excellence. The $25,000 award comes as Serota prepares to leave the Tate for a new post at the Arts Council England.
[The New York Times]
Skipping a Beat
The Pulse Art Fair has announced the cancellation of its New York edition, saying it will focus on its Miami Beach show and a new, year-round program called Pulse 360. “With any change there will be disappointment, but it’s also going to be met with excitement and promise,” said fair director Helen Toomer.
[Artnet News]
End of an Era
The director of Venice, Italy’s Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Philip Rylands, is leaving after a decades-long tenure at the institution. With his help, the museum has become the most-visited modern art museum in Italy.
[Artforum]
Culture Workers
The construction of a Guggenheim branch in Abu Dhabi has become a flashpoint for worker’s rights in the United Arab Emirates. Advocates for better labor conditions have put pressure on the museum to reform its practices by staging a series of public protests. “We saw an opportunity to make this a great museum—a model institution in every sense,” remarked one activist.
[The New Yorker]