“the eastside of south central los angeles hieroglyph prototype architecture (I)” (2022) by Lauren Halsey for the Met’s Rooftop Garden Commission. Photography by Hyla Skopitz, courtesy of the Met…
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Lauren Halsey’s Egyptian-Style Temple Presides Over the Met
The art world has collectively sat at the edge of its seat ever since the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced Lauren Halsey’s rooftop commission would be delayed by one year due to logistics. But after some time (and a little help fromHästens), the highly anticipated showcase finally opened this week. “It became more ambitious, more meaningful, and more important,” Max Hollein, the museum’s director, said at the show’s press preview.
It certainly checks those boxes—Halsey uses 750 glass-fiber-reinforced concrete tiles to create a 22-foot-tall structure that resembles an Egyptian-style temple, complete with four large-scale sphinx statues whose faces mimic members of her immediate family. Carved on the walls are graffiti tags, images pulled from Black-owned businesses, and other street signage from Halsey’s home in South Central Los Angeles. The installation plans to travel across the country there, specifically to herSummaeverythang community center, when it closes at the Met in October. –Ryan Waddoups
Image courtesy of Air New Zealand…
After 170,000 hours of designing, airplane bunk beds may debut as soon as next year.
“Called Skynest, the pod-like beds are part of a retrofit of the company’s existing wide-body planes and recently purchased Boeing 787 Dreamliners, according to The Washington Post. Though the airline announced plans for the Skynest in June 2022, it only recently completed testing and announced the date in which travelers can expect to find the pods on their flights.” [H/T AD]
The sale of David Rockefeller’s former St. Barts getaway shatters Caribbean real estate records.
“A waterfront property once owned by David Rockefeller on the island of St. Barthélemy has traded hands for around $136 million, according to people familiar with the deal. The off-market sale is a record for the Caribbean island, a popular vacation destination for the rich and famous.” [H/T The Wall Street Journal]
Contestants of MTV’s “The Exhibit.” Image courtesy of MTV…
Besides being panned by critics, MTV’s “The Exhibit” was also a ratings flop.
“Not even Misha Kahn’s inflatable banana sculpture was enough to maintain the audience’s interest as the second episode‘s viewership was down 50%, reaping only ~92,000 viewers … Yikes.” [H/T Hyperallergic]
Navine G. Dossos unveils a mural to memorialize the late journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
“Commissioned by the Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA) at Virginia Commonwealth University, the work, McLean (2023), by Navine G. Dossos, covers a large section of the ICA’s paneled façade. It is composed of vinyl that showcases bold patterns and symbols arranged in a grid, evoking a zany quilt or tiled flooring. The symbols, ranging from a video camera to a diamond ring, allude to aspects of Khashoggi’s life.” [H/T The Art Newspaper]
Zaha Hadid Architects reveals concept renderings of England’s erstwhile royal yacht.
“This proposal from Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), designed in collaboration with Philippe Briand and Veerle Battiau’s Vitruvius Yachts, was one of four entries into a design competition for a new national flagship. ZHA and Vitruvius collaborated with Jason Bruges Studio and French boat builder OCEA to form Team FestivAl.” [H/T Wallpaper]
Tekla’s new store in Copenhagen. Image courtesy of Tekla…
Danish textile brand Tekla opens its first-ever flagship in a quaint part of Copenhagen.
“Danish textile brand Tekla is heading into the physical world with the opening of its first retail store on Vognmagergade, a street close to Rosenborg Castle Gardens in Copenhagen, on Saturday.” [H/T WWD]
A new biennale showcases the threat climate change poses to Vincent Van Gogh landscapes.
“MVRDV founding partner Winy Maas has been selected as curator for the Van Gogh Homeland Biennale. Set to launch in 2025, the event will draw attention to the Brabant landscapes in the Netherlands which featured in many Vincent Van Gogh paintings more than a hundred years ago and are now under threat from climate change.” [H/T Archinect]
