A documentary on famed auctioneer Simon de Pury will head to Cannes.
A new documentary titled “The Hammer” about Simon de Pury, often called the “Mick Jagger of the art world,” is heading to the 2026 Cannes Film Market (the business counterpart to the festival), offering an inside look at the famed auctioneer’s influential, theatrical career. Directed by Simon Wallon, the film traces his rise through major auction houses like Sotheby’s and Phillips, highlighting his role in shaping the global art market while embracing his larger-than-life persona. Featuring figures such as Marina Abramović and Jeff Koons, it uses de Pury’s story to explore the intersection of art, commerce, and spectacle.
London’s Whitechapel Gallery has hired an economist-in-residence.
London’s Whitechapel Gallery has appointed influential economist Mariana Mazzucato as its first-ever Economist-in-Residence, marking a three-year initiative to rethink how cultural institutions are valued and funded. The move reflects a broader push within the art world to address funding pressures and redefine the economic role of culture, especially as public institutions seek more sustainable and socially grounded frameworks.
A rare 1980s home by Frank Gehry has changed hands.
A rare Frank Gehry-designed residence, the Sirmai-Peterson House in Thousand Oaks, California, has been sold to a local architecture enthusiast, marking its first transfer from the original owner who commissioned it in 1983. Completed in 1988, the 4,512-square-foot, two-bedroom home represents a pivotal moment in Gehry’s early residential work, characterized by a fragmented design approach in which individual rooms are expressed as distinct geometric volumes rather than a single unified structure. Arranged loosely around a central courtyard on an oak-covered hillside—with circulation requiring movement outdoors between spaces—the house emphasizes formal autonomy, material variation, and a deep integration with the surrounding landscape.
Detroit’s art scene is thriving, led by the reopening of MOCAD.
Detroit’s art scene is flourishing thanks to collaboration, community roots, and long-standing creative networks, with institutions like the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) reopening under new leadership focused on accessibility, education, and civic engagement. The city’s continued cultural resurgence is marked by major initiatives such as the Detroit Salon, adaptive reuse projects like Little Village, and renewed attention to artists like Olayami Dabls, reflecting both local history and global ambition. While the scene is expanding across museums, galleries, and grassroots spaces, its momentum is rooted in decades of innovation—particularly within Detroit’s Black artistic community—positioning the city as an increasingly influential and evolving art destination.
L’Oréal and Estée Lauder are driving gains in China’s beauty market.
L’Oréal and Estée Lauder showed mixed but stabilizing performance in China in March 2026, reflecting a broader, uneven recovery in the country’s beauty market after recent slowdowns. While L’Oréal continued to post solid global growth—driven by innovation and diversified categories—its North Asia region (including China) still faced pressure, even as underlying demand showed signs of improvement. Estée Lauder, by contrast, is increasingly leaning on China as a “core growth engine,” with recent sales gains and infrastructure investments in Shanghai signaling a strategic push to regain momentum in the market. Overall, the March data underscores a gradual rebound in China’s beauty sector, with renewed consumer activity benefiting global luxury players, though volatility and shifting spending patterns continue to shape performance across the region.
Today’s attractive distractions:
Mutina’s Homage to the Square ceramic surface collection translates the work of Josef and Anni Albers.
Dior’s new pop-up is shaped like a giant slice of cake.
Cyberdecks are in the midst of a revival.
The traveling Pokémon Fossil Museum will make its North American debut in Chicago this May.
