DESIGN DISPATCH

Onna House Greets Summer With “Pearls, Pills, and Protests,” and Other News

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“Pearls, Pills, and Protests” at Onna House. Photography by Bastienne Schmidt

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Onna House Greets Summer With “Pearls, Pills, and Protests”

This past spring, Lisa Perry debuted the private East Hampton sanctuary for women artists, showing works by a standout slate of talents including Mitsuko Asakura, Anna Karlin, Mary Little, Nina Cho, and Natalie Munk. On May 27, Onna House will open for its sophomore season with “Pearls, Pills, and Protests,” a group show featuring artists Jerelyn Hanrahan, Kelly Tapìa-Chuning, Lulu Varona, and Michele Pred. 

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade and its implications for women’s health and safety, each artist finds a distinct way to reclaim archetypes of womanhood, from Hanrahan’s colossal pearl necklace sculpture to Varona’s embroidery, Pred’s Mifepristone and Misoprostol sculpture, and Tapìa-Chuning’s hand-felted “truisms,” which reverberate with irony and absurdity. —Jenna Adrian-Diaz

The Neue Nationalgalerie. Photography by Simon Menges

Saint Laurent’s next runway show is rumored to take place at the Neue Nationalgalerie.

According to sources, Saint Laurent’s upcoming men’s fashion show will take place at the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin. While the French label has sent out a save-the-date for June 12, further details remain undisclosed. The modernist building, known for its glass-walled entrance hall and soaring ceilings, reopened in 2021 after a five-year renovation. It previously hosted fashion events for brands like Giorgio Armani, Hugo Boss, Joop, and Perret Schaad.

Adobe plans to integrate generative AI using text prompts into Photoshop this year.

Adobe has announced it will integrate generative AI into Photoshop, assuring it won’t lead to job losses or an influx of fake content. The integration involves the use of Adobe Firefly, a generative AI product, which will serve as a “co-pilot” to design rather than a replacement for humans. The new “generative fill” feature will allow Photoshop users to add, expand, or remove elements from images using text prompts. A release is planned for later this year.

New York is moving toward establishing plans for permanent outdoor dining sheds.

New York City is progressing towards establishing permanent standards for sidewalk and roadway dining, along with enhancing its open spaces. Proposed legislation aims to replace the temporary measures introduced during the pandemic with a permanent setup for sidewalk and roadway dining. Restaurants will be able to serve customers from 10 AM to midnight. The city has allocated $30 million to fund a Public Space Equity Program focusing on underfunded sites across the city, while Open Streets will receive continued support in all five boroughs.

The Trevi Fountain dyed black by climate activists. Image courtesy Ultima Generazione

Climate activists temporarily dye Rome’s Trevi Fountain black using diluted charcoal.

On Sunday, eight activists from the Italian eco-activism group Ultima Generazione temporarily turned Rome’s Trevi Fountain water black using diluted charcoal. The protest lasted 15 minutes, and although the activists were arrested, the fountain suffered no lasting damage. The protest was a response to recent flooding in the Emilia-Romagna region and aimed to draw attention to the need to address climate change to protect Italy’s cultural heritage.

The bankrupt Virgin Orbit is auctioning $36 million in assets as the company folds.

Virgin Orbit, Richard Branson’s satellite launch company, announced its permanent closure following a $36.4 million asset sale. Rocket Lab USA Inc. emerged as the winning bidder for Virgin Orbit’s primary manufacturing site, securing machinery and equipment used for manufacturing LauncherOne rockets. The closure of Virgin Orbit, which had previously faced financial challenges, will result in layoffs for most of its remaining employees, while its aircraft assets will be sold to Stratolaunch for $17 million. Its launch site will be sold to Launcher Inc.

Peloton is relaunching its workout app in an attempt to move away from bike sales.

Peloton is revamping its workout app by introducing three tiers, including a free option and an upgraded tier priced at $24 per month. The company aims to rebrand itself as a fitness company for all rather than solely an in-home bike company. The new tiers offer varying levels of access to classes across different fitness categories, and the app now features a “Gym” function for users to bring the app to their workout sessions at the gym. The move indicates Peloton’s focus on expanding its services and reducing its reliance on hardware sales.

Image courtesy of Presentedby

Today’s attractive distractions:

Presentedby, Mexico City’s latest sneaker store, is putting architecture first.

Scientists discover a possible antidote to the world’s deadliest mushroom.

Yayoi Kusama may be extremely popular, but did she “turn art into a selfie?”

Astute viewers may have spotted a Nike sneaker in a 17th-century painting.

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