On the Greek Island of Leros, an Exhibition Reflects Upon the Aegean Sea

VISIT
On the Greek Island of Leros, an Exhibition Reflects Upon the Aegean Sea

With the exhibition “Folding The Sea Into Dresses That Dissolve Like Salt,” running now through Aug. 24, the Leros Project has opened for a third year. This interdisciplinary initiative, led by community focused contemporary art platform Perasma—founded by Burcu Fikretoglu and Gizem Naz Kudunoglu—invites dialogue between the picturesque Greek island, its landscapes, seasonal visitors, and the work of 28 participating international artists. 

As the show’s title implies, this year’s exhibition centers the island’s expansive, ever-shifting relationship with the Aegean Sea. The roster of artists includes Dora Maar and William Kentridge, Korakrit Arunanondchai, TM Davy, Lucio Fontana, and more. In addition to commissions, historic pieces and artist materials weave through the exhibition’s narrative across two venues. From Lola Montes Schnabel’s ceramic sculptures to Brian Eno’s lightboxes, “Soft Sharp” and “Untitled,” as well as his “Turntable II” record player, the curation at the Kandioglou Mansion location is awash with vibrant ideas.—David Graver

OBSESS
Workstead Debuts an Opulent Silk Lighting Collection

For Lantern, Workstead’s beguiling new trio of light fixtures, the Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary design studio partnered with a family-run workshop in the American Southeast for hand-tailoring as well as collaborators in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia for finishing. The result is a series of opulent luminous orbs composed of custom metal fittings (in four finish options) that have been dressed in 100% Dupioni raw silk. The meticulously finished lights emit an even, meditative glow, with silk tassels lending a conclusive flourish.

Workstead’s approach—and commitment to American craftsmanship—was to declare lighting as an heirloom. The Lantern collection includes two pendant sizes and one half-dome sconce. The radiant Lantern Pendant Large spans 36 inches, a home decor fixture of cosmic proportion and careful details. Its 18-inch sibling yields the same warm luminosity. With the Lantern Sconce, Workstead establishes a new take on the classic up-light—with the same atmospheric finesse as the two pendants. Though all three are architecturally sophisticated, it’s the third generation shademaker’s hand-tailoring that places them all within the heirloom realm.—D.G.

SEE
Susumu Shingu’s Elemental Sculptures Arrive in New York

The first solo institutional exhibition in the U.S. for Osaka-born artist Susumu Shingu, “Elated!” encompasses a diverse repertoire of kinetic sculptures. Shingu’s recently developed water-powered piece, aptly entitled Silent Water, greets guests upon arrival to the Japan Society. Beyond, his “superlight” suspended sculptures—all weighing less than 22 pounds—manipulate wire, cloth, and carbon fiber into artistic visualizations of air’s movement. All pieces—including a trio of large-scale spinning sculptures in the museum’s atrium—evoke biomimicry. Born in 1937, Shingu’s sculpting career commenced in the 1960s. Since, his site-specific pieces have found homes around the world, as well as in the Susumu Shingu Wind Museum, an open-air sculpture garden he developed for the community in Sanda, Hyogo prefecture—where he lives and works.—D.G.

STAY
With ‘European Summer’ Officially Upon Us, Belmond Unveils the Stately Britannic Explorer

With the Britannic Explorer, Belmond has introduced its first luxury sleeper train in England and Wales. Interiors by Albion Nord were realized together with a roster of standout British designers. Luke Edward Hall’s hand-drawn botanic motifs appear on wallpaper and upholstery; Olly Fathers’ bold geometric panels and Marcus James’ Lake District landscapes anchor the Grand Suites; and Rose Uniacke, Sarah Woods, and Mel Campion lend quiet textural nuance through lighting, painting, and sculptural mirrors. The 18 cabins—three Grand Suites and 15 Suites—pair natural materials and period accents with contemporary warmth.

Elsewhere aboard, Belmond tapped chef Simon Rogan of three-Michelin-starred L’Enclume to imagine seasonal menus executed by executive head chef Sven-Hanson Britt,which ground the onboard experience in regional provenance. Off-board experiences on each itinerary offer a deeper connection to landscape and culture, from wild swimming in the Lake District to lavender farm visits and sailing in Cornwall.—Jenna Adrian-Diaz

SHOP
In Sophie Lou Jacobsen’s Latest Collection, Murano Traditions and a Spirit of Play

It’s been just under a year since French-American designer Sophie Lou Jacobsen released a new collection. Until recently, Tulipa—a collaboration with heritage wallcovering brand de Gournay that featured floral flourishes atop vases, sconces—and Le Verre—borosilicate drinking glasses with an homage to floral forms—were her latest launches. That all changed on a recent summer night in Brooklyn, when Jacobsen toasted Le Verre Bonbon: a candy-striped set of glassware that begs to be reached for when “easy summer drinking” is the directive. Imperfect candy stripes in hues of terracotta, cornflower, and topaz run down subtly wildflower-inspired silhouettes, signaling the designer’s welcome return to color.

On the heels of the launch, Surface spoke with Jacobsen about color, playfulness, and her studio’s evolving perspective through tableware, lighting, and collectibles.—J.A.D.

WATCH
David Lynch’s Twin Peaks Reboot Hits the Big Screen

For those who sweat it out in New York City this past holiday weekend, Lower East Side art house theater Metrograph presented a distinctly Lynchian way to beat the heat. On July 5 and 6, Metrograph and Mubi honored  David Lynch and Mark Frost’s Twin Peaks: The Return, the director’s final chapter to the cult-favorite television series. A follow-up to the ‘90s surrealist series that launched Kyle MacLachlan into the celebrity stratosphere as Special Agent Dale Cooper, Twin Peaks: The Return is a Las Vegas-tinged fever dream—ideally enjoyed on a big screen with popcorn and ample air-conditioning. Throughout the weekend, the entire limited Showtime series will be screened to commemorate the original cult series’ 35th anniversary, with composer Dan Hurley in attendance at select screenings to speak to his collaboration with the late Lynch.—J.A.D.

OBSESS
A Bold Introduction to Olujo Añejo

Designed by sculptor Ivan Venkov and crafted by Anfora, a historic ceramic house in Hidalgo, Mexico, the curvaceous vessel for OLUJO añejo acts as a bold introductory statement to the liquid within. The sculptural piece holds añejo tequila—double-distilled from slow-cooked blue Weber agave—that’s been aged for 18 months in American oak barrels. The ultra-premium tequila delivers notes of almond and oak with a subtle smokiness that telegraphs the high-craft process behind its production.—D.G.