Following its eight-year renovation, the Waldorf Astoria has reopened all of its public spaces.
The Waldorf Astoria has completed its eight-year renovation, reopening all 62,000 square feet of its landmarked public spaces. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill led the restoration, returning the hotel’s famed interiors—including the Grand Ballroom, the Silver Corridor, and the Jade, Astor, and Basildon Rooms—to their 1931 design while integrating modern upgrades. The project also saw the building transformed into a mixed-use property with a five-star hotel and 372 luxury residences.
The National Gallery’s addition of 20th-century art could ruffle feathers at Tate.
The National Gallery has ended its long-standing agreement with Tate that barred it from collecting work made after 1900, a move tied to its $507 million Project Domani expansion. Director Gabriele Finaldi says the change allows the institution to tell a fuller story of modern art, while Tate director Maria Balshaw has publicly welcomed the plan and pledged cooperation. Behind the scenes, however, some insiders warn the policy shift could reignite old rivalries between the two museums, fueling competition for acquisitions and donor relationships. Others argue the move is overdue and could ultimately strengthen the national collection.
The National Gallery’s addition of 20th-century art could ruffle feathers at Tate.
The National Gallery has ended its long-standing agreement with Tate that barred it from collecting work made after 1900, a move tied to its $507 million Project Domani expansion. Director Gabriele Finaldi says the change allows the institution to tell a fuller story of modern art, while Tate director Maria Balshaw has publicly welcomed the plan and pledged cooperation. Behind the scenes, however, some insiders warn the policy shift could reignite old rivalries between the two museums, fueling competition for acquisitions and donor relationships. Others argue the move is overdue and could ultimately strengthen the national collection.
Christie’s has, stealthily, folded its department dedicated to digital art.
Christie’s has closed its digital art department, ending a brief experiment that once brought NFTs and A.I. art into the spotlight. The auction house will now fold digital works into its 20th- and 21st-century sales, while cutting staff tied to the division. The move follows a steep downturn in both the broader art market and NFT trading, which has fallen sharply since its 2021 high. While some see the downsizing as a retreat, others view it as a sign that digital art is moving closer to the mainstream of contemporary practice.
The Royal Ballet and Opera House’s newest premiere will be a technology festival.
The Royal Ballet and Opera House will launch “RBO/Shift,” a new technology festival debuting next June that examines how artificial intelligence is reshaping opera. The four-day program will feature a symposium, performances, and demonstrations that probe the artistic and practical uses of AI in stagecraft and production. Organizers frame the event as part of opera’s long history of experimenting with technology, from Baroque-era stage machinery to Wagner’s lighting innovations. While some artists warn that A.I. threatens creative jobs, festival leaders argue it should be treated as a tool to expand, rather than replace, human artistry.
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