Junya Ishigami is named the first laureate of the Barragán Prize, launched with Bottega Veneta.
Japanese architect Junya Ishigami has been named the first winner of the Barragán Prize, a new annual international architecture award launched by La Cuadra San Cristóbal in collaboration with Bottega Veneta. The ceremony took place October 9 at La Cuadra, the Luis Barragán–designed home and stable outside Mexico City that architect Fernando Romero bought in 2017 and has since been transformed into a public cultural venue. The prize honors architects who challenge convention and rethink the relationship between architecture, nature, and human experience. Each laureate receives a $100,000 commitment, split between a $50,000 award and a year-long mentorship program, along with a medal and a seat on future juries. Ishigami was recognized for his experimental exploration of structure, scale, and landscape. Known for the 2019 Serpentine Pavilion, he has also completed the KAIT Workshop, the Zaishui Art Museum, and MIZUNIWA.
Prague to launch its first international contemporary art fair in 2027.
Prague will host its first international contemporary art fair next spring with the launch of Prague Contemporary. The fair is led by founder and director Alexandra Karpuchina, owner of the city’s Karpuchina Gallery (formerly Black Pearl Gallery), with Bulgarian dealer Stephan Stoyanov serving as curatorial director. Titled “This Feeling Has No Name,” the inaugural edition will bring together 40 Czech and international galleries at Prague’s Industrial Palace. The fair aims to connect Central and Eastern European galleries with international collectors. While the full exhibitor list has yet to be released, expected participants include Czech galleries Kodl Contemporary and DSC Gallery, Vienna’s Emanuel Layr, Pedro Cera, and Tbilisi’s The Window Project.
TAEX opens its first permanent gallery in Monaco.
TAEX, the contemporary art gallery and curated digital art platform founded in London in 2020, has opened its first permanent gallery in Monaco. The space sits in Le Renzo, a landmark building by Pritzker Prize winner Renzo Piano, in Mareterra. The gallery is inaugurating the space with “Testing Ground,” a solo exhibition by Paris-based conceptual artist Kevin Abosch, on view through November 30. The show centers on Abosch’s synthetic photography, a genre he pioneered in which computational processes produce images that look like photographs but depict places that don’t exist. It features new works made for the Monaco space, pieces from his “Ethical Work” series, and the rare 2010 work Potato #345.
Vacheron Constantin names 34 finalists for its first Concours d’Élégance Horlogère.
Vacheron Constantin has revealed the 34 finalists of its inaugural Concours d’Élégance Horlogère, organized with Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo. Billed as the first concours of its kind in haute horlogerie, the competition drew more than 550 owner-submitted pocket watches and wristwatches made by the Maison between 1755 and 1999. Entries were first vetted by the brand’s master watchmakers and heritage specialists for authenticity and documentation. A jury co-chaired by Aurel Bacs and Christian Selmoni, Vacheron Constantin’s director of style and heritage, then assessed 95 pieces on history, rarity, and horological impact. Highlights include an 1822/1823 quarter-hour repeater, the oldest in the running; a one-off 1940 tonneau minute repeater nicknamed “Don Pancho;” a 1930 pocket watch sold to King Alexander I of Yugoslavia; and a likely unique 1957 world timer. The finalists will be shown to the public at Geneva’s Hôtel Président Wilson from November 4–8, during Phillips’ auction week. Winners across seven categories, plus a possible Best in Show, will be announced November 10.
Artists face Hydrocal shortage as USG shuts down production.
Artists across the United States are racing to find alternatives to Hydrocal, a specialty gypsum plaster central to sculpture and mold-making, after the USG Corporation announced it will close its Blaine County, Oklahoma mine and plant by the end of November. The facility produces most of the country’s supply, and the closure will cost nearly 250 jobs, which USG attributed to the rising cost and complexity of making specialized products. Prized for being strong enough for metal casting yet soft enough for direct carving, Hydrocal is also used in architectural restoration, dental and orthopedic molds, and prosthetics.
Attractive Distractions:
Jaeger-LeCoultre debuts the Calibre 101 Chain in pink gold, diamonds, and black ceramic.
Painter Andreas Schulze opens up his collection of 500 spritzdekor ceramics.
Smythson unveils an F1-inspired collection in Aston Martin’s “podium green.”
Graphic design studio Andrej & Andrej rebrands Slovakia’s Pohoda Festival, starting with a futuristic typeface.
