New renderings of James Turrell’s Wadi AlFann Skyspaces have been released.
The newly opened Doris Duke Theater at Jacob’s Pillow marks a powerful rebirth for the historic dance center in the Berkshires. Designed by Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo, in partnership with New York-based architecture and landscape practice Marvel, the building replaces the original structure destroyed by fire in 2020 and introduces a flexible, state-of-the-art venue that expands creative possibilities for artists. With a mass-timber facade, wraparound veranda, and nature-integrated design, the theater honors its surroundings while offering additional amenities, increased accessibility, and a technologically advanced performance space. A new entry sequence and garden, shaped in collaboration with Indigenous artist Jeffrey Gibson, grounds the building in place and signals a more inclusive future for the campus.
The Pearlman Foundation is bestowing a trove of blue-chip works to MoMA, LACMA, and the Brooklyn Museum.
EssilorLuxottica has acquired Automation & Robotics, a Belgian firm that builds automated systems for inspecting optical lenses. The deal supports the company’s push to modernize lens production and bolster its supply chain. It follows a series of recent acquisitions aimed at expanding EssilorLuxottica’s capabilities in med-tech and wearable technologies. The eyewear giant reported strong earnings in the first half of 2025, driven in part by smartglasses and direct-to-consumer sales.
The Pearlman Foundation is bestowing a trove of blue-chip works to MoMA, LACMA, and the Brooklyn Museum.
The Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation will donate 63 major works to MoMA, LACMA, and the Brooklyn Museum, including pieces by van Gogh, Cézanne, Modigliani, and Degas. The Brooklyn Museum will receive the largest share, while MoMA and LACMA will each acquire key works that strengthen their modern art holdings. The gift follows decades of public access to the collection through a long-term loan to Princeton. A traveling exhibition of the works will debut at LACMA in 2026.
Controversy has erupted around a mermaid statue installed in Copenhagen.
A 14-ton mermaid statue installed at Dragør Fort has sparked public outcry in Denmark, with critics calling it vulgar and out of step with the site’s cultural significance. The Danish agency for palaces and culture has requested its removal, citing misalignment with the 1910 landmark’s heritage. Others see the backlash—especially over the statue’s depiction of a female body—as an expression of broader discomfort with women’s bodies in public spaces. The sculptor, Peter Bech, defends the work and hopes to keep it in Dragør Fort, though the local government has declined his offer to donate it.
The Met has rebuked Mick Taylor’s claim that the museum currently holds his stolen guitar.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has rejected Mick Taylor’s claim that it currently holds his stolen Les Paul guitar. Taylor’s team says he bought the instrument before joining the Rolling Stones and that it vanished in the early 1970s. The museum disputes his ownership, citing decades of public appearances, sales records, and a detailed provenance that includes exhibitions and attempted auctions. While Taylor’s camp says it has asked to inspect the guitar, the Met says it hasn’t received any formal claim.
Today’s attractive distractions:
A Zaha Hadid-designed sports complex in Hong Kong evokes floating lily pads.
Lego’s latest luxury collab is a 291-piece set modeled off of Bugatti’s Centodieci hypercar.
Are we headed into a new golden age of premium beauty packaging?
Kendrick Lamar has hard-launched his Project 3 creative agency.
