Image courtesy of The Marina Abramović Longevity Method…
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You Can Now Buy Into Marina Abramović’s “Longevity Method”
Art-world multihyphenate Marina Abramović is no stranger to the world of merch. After all, the Royal Academy of Arts Shop has a standalone section of goods designed with the artist and performer. You’d be forgiven for thinking her latest launch, a beauty line created with holistic wellness practitioner Dr. Nona Brenner, straddles performance art and earnest drop. The four-piece collection is dubbed the Marina Abramović Longevity Method in a nod to her eponymous series of mindfulness techniques. The assortment of Immune, Anti-Allergy, and Energy Drops is accompanied by a face lotion, all inspired by formulations created for Abramović by Brenner. It launches with a limited run of 8,000 of each product, in packaging designed by Abramović to include both her and Brenner’s fingerprints. —Jenna Adrian-Diaz
Swarovski Optik is celebrating its 75th anniversary with the AX Visio, a revolutionary AI-powered binocular. Developed over the course of five years alongside renowned designer Marc Newson, the high-tech device instantly identifies more than 9,000 birds and creatures, captures photos and videos, and can even guide fellow explorers to your discoveries. The highly ergonomic binoculars integrate 390 hardware parts, including Swarovski’s precision 10×32 optic systems. It’s the second device Newson has created for Swarovski, following 2021’s CL Curio.
Elon Musk’s X has quietly phased out NFT profile pictures for paid subscribers, despite announcing ambitious plans for the platform this week. Launched under Twitter’s previous leadership, the feature never gained much traction, mirroring similar struggles across social media with integrating NFTs. While existing NFT avatars remain, their future on X is uncertain, marking another potential stumble for the burgeoning technology’s social media adoption.
The Inglewood Transit Connector (ITC) in California has received a hefty $1 billion boost from the Biden administration, pushing the people mover project over halfway to its $2 billion budget. This elevated link between downtown Inglewood and sports/entertainment hubs like SoFi Stadium will ease traffic and offer residents more seamless transit options. It’s scheduled to open in early 2030, shortly before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
LVMH is collaborating with TikTok on a plan to tackle counterfeit goods on the platform’s marketplace. This move aims to create a premium shopping experience as TikTok expands globally, tackling a major concern for brands and shoppers. With ambitious growth targets for its U.S. e-commerce business, TikTok has embraced LVMH’s help in setting anti-counterfeiting measures to attract more brands and ensure customer trust. While challenges remain, such as third-party sellers and misspellings offering questionable products, the partnership signals a promising step towards a more legitimate and secure marketplace on TikTok Shop.
The British Museum is seeking a director to navigate a public relations snafu after a theft scandal, handle restitution claims, and raise $1.27 billion for renovations. With a modest $275,000 salary and pressure to manage contested artifacts and leaky roofs, this “very, very complicated job” has attracted speculation about potential outsider candidates like Ian Blatchford, director of the Science Museum in London; Nicholas Cullinan, who leads Britain’s National Portrait Gallery; and Taco Dibbits, director-generation of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Applications for the job are closing soon, on January 26.
Photography by Sara Rivers Cofield via the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration…
