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Wine and Art Merge in Napa Valley
A new space in downtown Napa Valley takes the region’s signature export and layers it on top of contemporary art. Located on First Street Napa, Serge Sorokko Gallery and Martin Ray Vineyards & Winery Tasting Room marries art and juice in a one-of-a-kind setting. Showcasing a rotating selection of American and European works alongside exceptional wines from the brand’s vineyard, the gallery is a haven for taste in more ways than one.
Internationally recognized talents include Donald Sultan, Ross Bleckner, and Hunt Slonem, as well as the Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave, known for her intricate painted paper sculptures. The 4,500-square-foot gallery and tasting room, designed by architect Craig Steely, features floor-to-ceiling retractable glass walls, glossy white epoxy floors, and striking circular “power” shapes. The centerpiece is the beautifully arched steel wine bar, offering a selection of exquisite varietals on pour. —Nate Storey
The newly restored Saint-Michel de Brasparts Chapel in Brittany, France. Photography by Claire Lavabre, courtesy of Studio Bouroullec…
Ronan Bouroullec finishes interiors for France’s Chapelle Saint-Michel de Brasparts.
The Chapelle Saint-Michel de Brasparts, a 17th-century chapel, is reopening this month after a year-long closure due to nearby fires. The restoration, supported by Kering founder and billionaire François Pinault, includes new interiors designed by Ronan Bouroullec. The chapel features locally sourced granite furniture, such as an artisan-crafted altar and console table; Bouroullec incorporated a round mirror with a rippled surface, placed in conversation with the chapel’s stained-glass windows. The restoration aimed to create a sense of lightness and establish a relationship with the sacred by carefully balancing materials and proportions.
An arson attack destroys a giant Michelangelo Pistoletto installation in central Naples.
A massive installation of Michelangelo Pistoletto’s Venus of the Rags sculpture in Naples has allegedly been destroyed in an arson attack. The artwork, which juxtaposes the Roman goddess Venus with a pile of rags to comment on consumerism and societal degradation, had been recently inaugurated in the city center. Despite the destruction, both the artist and the mayor of Naples have expressed their determination to recreate the artwork, emphasizing that acts of violence will not hinder the city’s commitment to art, regeneration, and culture. Crowdfunding efforts to fund the new work have already kicked off.
“Morpheus (Ndeye Fatou Mbaye)” (2022) by Kehinde Wiley. Photography by Ugo Carmeni, via Kehinde Wiley and Galerie Templon…
Kehinde Wiley’s blockbuster show in San Francisco will embark on a nationwide tour.
More than 300,000 visitors have reportedly seen Kehinde Wiley’s exhibition of new works at the de Young Museum in San Francisco within the first three months. The show, which challenges the overwhelmingly white imagery of Old Master artworks by incorporating people of color, specifically Black victims of systemic violence, will now embark on a two-year tour across the United States. The exhibition, titled “Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence” and curated by Claudia Schmuckli, will travel to the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, the Pérez Art Museum Miami, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art, offering viewers an opportunity to engage with the importance of Black life and confront issues of systemic violence.
Tesla is investigating if Elon Musk used company funds to help build a glass house.
Reports from The Wall Street Journal suggest that Tesla’s board initiated an investigation into CEO Elon Musk regarding potential improprieties. Concerns were raised that company funds might have been used to build a personal house near the Austin-area Gigafactory, known as Project 42, which allegedly involved the purchase of expensive glass. The investigation aimed to determine Musk’s involvement and whether employee time was dedicated to the project, but the current status and results of the inquiry remain unknown. Musk has yet to comment on the report, and Tesla’s strict expense policies require a board committee audit for any significant expense involving individuals with material interests.
The six firms shortlisted to renovate the Dallas Museum of Art unveil their proposals.
Six finalist teams competing for the renovation of the Dallas Art Museum have unveiled their design concepts. The selected firm will be responsible for expanding and modernizing the outdated gallery spaces, improving circulation and entrances. The community is encouraged to provide feedback on the concepts, and in July, the Architect Selection Committee will interview the finalists and recommend one to the museum’s Board of Trustees. The winner will need to prove a connection to the community and respect for Edward Larrabee Barnes’ original design. Each shortlisted firm will receive $50,000 for participating.
Image courtesy of Porsche…
Today’s attractive distractions:
Antarctica may have an otherworldly draw, but is suffering from overtourism.
The new Threads logo draws comparisons to spaghetti and a cartoon ear.
The International Salsa Museum dances its way to a new home in the Bronx.
