Madrid’s ARCO contemporary art fair is well underway and one of the most talked about works on view is a sculptural corpse of Pablo Picasso. Created by Spanish artist Eugenio Merino in collaboration with Los Interventores and ADN Gallery, ‘Aquí Murió Picasso’ (Picasso Died Here), 2017, features the larger-than-life artist laying on a plinth in his signature Breton shirt and linen trousers.
The sculpture is exaggerated on multiple levels. Firstly, the work measures 6 feet long, while Picasso was actually 5 feet and 4 inches tall. Additionally, Merino and the curators involved looked to critique the spectacle that has become of modern day art fairs — where selfies and tourism have arguably taken over the experience of viewing and buying art.
In an interview with ARTnews, Merino explains how the sculpture was inspired by Dean MacCannell’s 1976 book, ‘The Tourist’. “Institutions and companies wash their image in culture”, said Merino, adding, “that’s why it’s important that this work presents itself, openly, as an object to be sold but also from which to extract symbolic value. A place where a ‘tourist art consumer’ can have its selfie…a souvenir that reminds us they were here, where Picasso died. Obviously, it’s as fake as any tourist attraction”.
For those looking to purchase, ‘Aquí Murió Picasso’ (Picasso Died Here), 2017 is an edition of three and sells for €45,000 EUR / $47,448 USD. ARCO is on view in Madrid until February 26.
ARCO Av. del Partenón, 5, 28042 Madrid, Spain
For more information, come into the beautiful world of ARCO.
The past isn’t just the present, but it is also very much the future at the Brooklyn Museum’s new exhibition ‘Thierry Mugler: Couturissime’.
That message rang loud and clear, during a walk-through Monday morning with the museum’s senior curator of fashion and material culture Matthew Yokobosky, Mugler creative director Casey Cadwallader, and the head of the Mugler archives, Marion Bourdée.Enthralling and forward-thinking as the show is, it also will sound a knell, as Manfred Thierry Mugler died unexpectedly in January at the age of 73. The Brooklyn exhibition will be the final stop in a five-city tour.
First shown at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, then in Germany, the Netherlands and France, the traveling ‘Thierry Mugler: Couturissime’ exhibition has officially landed at its final destination: New York City’s Brooklyn Museum. There, exhibition curator Thierry-Maxime Loriot and the museum’s senior curator of fashion Matthew Yokobosky have adapted the limitless, historical showcase for New York’s fashion crowd, now on view from November 18, 2022, to May 7, 2023.
Spanning Haute Couture designs and unpublished archives, the exhibition houses more than 100 looks (most of which are on view for the first time) along with accessories, videos, photographs, sketches and fragrances that define Thierry Mugler’s unequivocal stamp on fashion. It’s the first retrospective to explore the French designer’s imaginative, no-holds-barred universe — a daring world that he first began curating in the 1970s.
Originally a dancer for the Ballet de l’Ópera national du Rhin, Mugler had an intimate understanding of the human form, one that proved pivotal in the creation of his legacy-defining silhouettes. In the ’70s, the designer coined his clientele ‘glamazon’ (a conflation of ‘glamour’ and ‘Amazon’), a fashionable, modern woman whose style had elevated since the hippie codes of the ’60s. Throughout his career,
Mugler’s penchant for risk-taking, be it through boundary-pushing silhouettes or unlikely fabrics (think glass, PVC, vinyl, latex and chrome), set a new tone in fashion via stylized provocation, fembot couture and rewritten codes. In the ’80s and ’90s, he spearheaded the renaissance of haute couture with thought-provoking collections and theatrical presentations, which, to this day, continue to impact fashion’s landscape.
The exhibition champions Mugler’s industry-altering portfolio by theme, separating the designer’s interests into rooms dedicated to fantasy, glamour, science fiction, eroticism and the natural world. In the Brooklyn Museum’s Morris A. and Meyer Schapiro Wing and Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Gallery, the showcase begins with a life-size hologram of Mugler’s designs for a theatrical production of ‘La Tragédie de Macbeth’, presented by the Comédie-Française at the 1985 Festival d’Avignon. To the left, there’s a wall filled with sketches for the play; and on the right, enlarged text chronicles Mugler’s journey over five decades.
In the following corridors, the visionary’s designs claim the spotlight, lined against the wall in sartorial coordination. Upon entrance, Mugler’s FW95 Venus dress, which Cardi B wore to the 61st Grammy Awards in 2019, attracts the eye at first glance. Next to it, Mugler’s Haute Couture FW97 embroidered velvet pagoda jacket and baroque basques Muslin-crested skirt become acquainted with a FW95 fitted, velvet evening coat with crystal and feather embellishments.
A fashion visionary, Mugler established himself as one of the most daring and innovative designers of the late twentieth century. His bold silhouettes and unorthodox techniques and materials—including glass, Plexiglas, vinyl, latex, and chrome—made their mark on fashion history.
In galleries designed by Berlin artist Philipp Fürhofer, Mugler’s futuristic silhouettes, inspired by science fiction and comic-book superheroines, medieval armor and uniforms, appear in battle-ready legions. He collaborated with Jean-Pierre Delcros and Jean-Jacques Urcun to create robotic humans, which wear FW95 metal and Plexiglas full-body catsuits and FW89 bustiers with ‘radiator grille’ and ‘headlight’ adornments at the showcase. A standout, the designer’s prized creation, ‘Maschinenmensch’, which debuted in 1995 during his 20th-anniversary show, reflects a full armor suit that took six months to produce.
In the foreground of natural scenes, the ‘Metamorphosis’ gallery highlights adventurous silhouettes from Mugler’s ‘Les Insectes’ and ‘La Chimère’ collections from 1997-98. Front and center, the exhibition spotlights a black velvet sheath and train adorned with feathered butterfly wings and a dress donning iridescent scales with crystal embroidery. In the left corner, the designer’s Haute Couture FW99 ‘Méduse de bal’ gown stands confidently, with coated and pleated organza bodice and double crinoline; and on the opposite side, there’s an Haute Couture SS97 catsuit and velvet satin cape, worn by Kylie Jenner during the exhibition’s opening.
In the 1970s, Mugler defined trends with his acclaimed ‘glamazon’, a chic, modern woman whose style evolved from the hippie fashions of the 1960s. In the 1980s and ’90s, Mugler galvanized the renaissance of haute couture through his provocative collections and theatrical fashion shows, which involved grandiose locations and the era’s most iconic models.
Elsewhere, there’s a gallery dedicated to Mugler’s iconic fragrances, with a new section honoring the 30th anniversary of the Maison’s Angel scent. (Notably, the fragrance’s inclusion of ethyl maltol, a sweetening food compound, single-handedly launched a new perfume category: gourmand.) ‘Couturissime’ also traverses Mugler’s iconic fashion photography, showcasing works by artists and collaborators including Lillian Bassman, Guy Bourdin, David LaChapelle, Karl Lagerfeld, Sarah Moon, Pierreet Gilles, Herb Ritts and Ellen von Unwerth. Naturally, the exhibition dedicates a sizable portion to Mugler’s lifelong collaborations with photographer Helmut Newton, specifically with 23 works on view.
“The constant innovations, inventions, and avant-garde architectural silhouettes in the work of Mugler have marked an era”, said Loriot. “His singular style found a place in the history of fashion that still has a powerful influence on today’s generation of couturiers, not only because of its designs but also because of the strong message of inclusivity, diversity, and empowerment in his body of work”.
Casey Cadwallader, creative director of Mugler, added, “I’m so excited to bring ‘Couturissime’ to Brooklyn. The exhibition is a vibrant journey through Manfred Thierry Mugler’s vision and legacy. A true creative running in his own lane, everything he touched, from silhouettes and craft to casting and fragrance, was different. He was always true to himself because it was the only way he knew how to be”.
The exhibition features over one hundred outfits ranging from haute couture pieces to stage costumes, alongside custom accessories, sketches, videos, images by leading fashion photographers, and spectacular installations that mirror Mugler’s futuristic approach. The Brooklyn Museum’s presentation also introduces an expanded section dedicated to fragrance, centered on Mugler’s trailblazing scent Angel. ‘Thierry Mugler: Couturissime’ is an opportunity to discover and rediscover the fantastical work of this multidisciplinary artist, who revolutionized the world of fashion.
Thierry Mugler: Couturissime November 18, 2022 – May 7, 2023 Morris A. and Meyer Schapiro Wing and Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Gallery, 5th Floor
Come into the beautiful world of Thierry Mugler. Tickets for The Brooklyn Museum’s ‘Thierry Mugler: Couturissime exhibition’ can be reserved on the museum’s website.
Daniel Ridgway Knight’s Coming Through the Rye (framed) – Courtesy: Rehs Galleries, Inc., New York
Rehs Galleries Inc., the New York gallery specializing in 19th and 20th-century works of art, recently discovered ‘Coming Through the Rye’, a previously unknown painting by the American Ex-patriate artist Daniel Ridgway Knight (1839-1924).
Born in Chambersburg, PA, Ridgway Knight received his formal training at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, where he was a classmate of Thomas Eakins and Mary Cassatt. In the early 1860s, he traveled to Paris and studied with Alexandre Cabanel and Charles Gabriel Gleyre. In 1863, he returned to the United States to serve in the Civil War; during this time, he met Rebecca Morris Webster. The two were married in 1871, and the following year the couple traveled back to France, where they would remain for the rest of their lives.
Once settled in France, they became friendly several artists including Renoir, Sisley, and Meissonier (the latter of which he developed a close relationship). Ridgway Knight’s 1875 Paris Salon painting ‘Les laveuses’ (Wash Day) received critical acclaim and was inspired by a Meissonier sketch.
‘Coming Through the Rye’ (circa 1899) is a unique image, capturing one of his favorite models, Madeleine, walking down a path in the town of Rolleboise (about 40 miles west of Paris). Little is known about its very early history, but it ended up in the collection of Patrick Cudahy (1849-1919). Cudahy was born in Ireland and emigrated to the US with his family when he was a baby. Later, he worked at the Plankinton and Armour meat packing plant and became the superintendent in 1874, taking over the company with his brother John in 1888 and changing its name to Cudahy Brothers.
Daniel Ridgway Knight’s Coming Through the Rye – Courtesy: Rehs Galleries, Inc., New York
In 2022, the current owners, descendants of Patrick Cudahy, decided to sell the painting, and their representative contacted Rehs Galleries (the gallery, along with Professor Janet Whitmore, are currently researching the life of Daniel Ridgway Knight for the forthcoming virtual catalogue raisonné). Howard Rehs, the gallery’s owner, stated, “When I received the initial images, I was amazed by the scene. Knight typically captured his models in one of the private gardens of Rolleboise; this one was different. The model (Madeleine) is carrying a pitchfork while walking down a path. In the distance, you can see the roofs of a few homes and a piece of the Seine River; in the upper right is Saint Michel. On top of all that, the painting appeared to be in original condition”.
The gallery arranged to have the painting shipped in for their inspection. Upon arrival, they confirmed its authenticity and that it was in outstanding condition. Sadly though, it no longer had its original frame; the work arrived in an insert behind a dirty piece of glass. Thankfully, the gallery had an original Ridgway Knight frame in its storage area, and the painting was a perfect fit.
‘Coming Through the Rye’ is currently available on the gallery’s website and will be featured in several upcoming fairs.
For more information, come into the beautiful world Rehs Gallery, or call Howard Rehs at (212) 355-5710.
Research confirms Da Vinci painted earlier version of his masterpiece. Preeminent scientist and art historian Salvatore Lorussoproves new data changing perception of how Louvre portrait is viewed,
Leonardo da Vinci’s portrait of Lisa del Giocondo ‘Mona Lisa’ is the most famous painting in the world. In his new book; ‘Is the Louvre Mona Lisa Leonardo’s second version?’ (L’Erma di Bretschneider – Roma), an in-depth analysis of the original documents, the historical sources and analytical data, Scientist and Art Historian Professor Salvatore Lorusso provides the evidence which settles a long-standing controversial issue: that the artist painted two versions of his immortal masterpiece – the first in c.1503-06 of a young Lisa and the second, the Louvre Mona Lisa, from c.1513 on.
Given the execution of the documented original portrait of Lisa can now be reliably dated, any question of whether it is the Louvre portrait must be considered in the context of the chronology and evolution of Leonardo’s work. Unquestionable evidence shows Leonardo painted two distinct Mona Lisa paintings with different characteristics at different times: the first, an unfinished version and the second, a more finished version, stylistically and structurally different from the first.
Salvatore Lorusso, Professor at University of Bologna
Lorusso’s research takes a critical analysis of numerous publications by Leonardo experts, a small number of whom, despite the evidence, still maintain that the Louvre Mona Lisa was started c.1503 and worked on until near the end of Leonardo’s life in 1519, which is now proven to be an impossibility.
The historical documents analyzed by Lorusso – many of which have only been discovered recently – show the Louvre Mona Lisa could not have been the original portrait of Lisa del Giocondo started in Florence c. 1503, but instead was likely executed by Leonardo in Rome c.1513-16. Lorusso support this information through an in-depth analysis of the scientific data collected by the Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France (C2RMF). Lorusso’s findings prove that the original portrait of Lisa is another version by the great Master, confirming Leonardo painted two Mona Lisas.
About Salvatore Lorusso
Salvatore Lorusso was formerly a full professor at the University of Bologna, the world’s oldest university, which boasts eminent alumni such as Albrecht Durer, Erasmus, Copernicus, Petrarch, Thomas Becket, Umberto Eco and no less than five popes. With a deep interest in both art and science, Lorusso was among the founders of the first Faculty of Conservation of Cultural Heritage in Italy and is editor-in-chief of the historical-technical Journal ‘Conservation Science in Cultural Heritage’ where the human sciences and experimental sciences meet the arts.
His deep experience and scholarship in both science and art is demonstrated in over 440 publications in national and international journals and 24 independent volumes. His expertise constitutes an ideal blend of both science and art with respect to the complex determination of authenticity and attribution in the field of old masters having recently authored a major publication on exactly that topic. In the last few years, he has become a notable expert on Leonardo’s paintings with specific attention to Mona Lisa and is the author of several works on the subject. His biography appears in the 2016 Marquis Edition of Who’s Who in the World.
For the tenth anniversary of Objets Nomades, French Maison Louis Vuitton brings the new lifestyle collections to the stage of this year’s Salone del Mobile at Garage Traversi.
This year, Louis Vuitton Objets Nomades collection turns 10. Born in 2012, the line dedicated to lifestyle and home offers a limited edition in collaboration with world-famous designers like Atelier Biagetti, Barber & Osgerby, Campana Brothers, India Mahdavi, Patricia Urquiola, and Raw Edges, to name a few.
The new objects will be the protagonists in the Garage Traversi space for the fifth edition of the exhibition to celebrate 10 years of the Louis Vuitton Objets Nomades collection in Milan during this year’s Salone del Mobile a.k.a. Milan Design Week
Showcased at Garage Traversi, the furniture and objects exhibition features pieces by 14 designers over a decade. Including over 60 pieces, the collection blends the respective designer’s creativity with Louis Vuitton’s ‘Art of Travel’ philosophy. From a parakeet green sculptural couch to outdoor tables and more, the collection is complete with every item thinkable to elevate one’s home.
Additionally, the Milan exhibition unveils five new pieces. Atelier Oï reveals the Belt Lounge Chair, Belt Bar Stool and Belt Side Stool. The Campana Brothers introduce a new four-seater version of their Bomboca modular sofa. Completing the new pieces is the Cosmic Table by Raw Edges.
Furthermore, the French luxury brand is showcasing the Nova House by architects Michel Hudrisier and M. Roma for Studio Rochel. A testament to nomadic architecture, the ‘living pod’ was designed in 1972 and boasts an aluminum-alloy strip-covered steel frame with two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom.
The Louis Vuitton Objets Nomades collection and Nova House are on display now until Sunday, June 12, at the Garage Traversi in Via Bagutta 2 in Milan. Come into the beautiful world of Louis Vuitton.
French Maison Cartier is pleased to share that the Musée des Arts Décoratifs de Paris will host a new exhibition ‘Cartier and Islamic Art In Search of Modernity’, from 21 October 2021 to 20th February 2022.
This exceptional new exhibition aims to highlight the influence of Islamic Art on the Maison’s design, from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. More than 500 pieces – including jewellery, masterpieces of Islamic art, and archival documents – trace the origins of the Maison’s interest in eastern motifs.
In the turquoise blue… of Venice, Johan Creten’s ‘La Laguna’ illustrates the passage of time. Submerged in translucent wax, a bronze Venus reveals herself as the candle burns… as the hours pass. Aesthetes and explorers of all stripes can purchase ‘La Laguna’, a limited-edition work of art created for Diptyque’s Le Grand Tour to mark the Maison’s 60th birthday.
Curious, open, sensitive to the beauty and cultures of the whole world: such were Desmond Knox-Leet, Yves Coueslant and Christiane Montadre, the three amateur aesthetes at the origin of diptych. Perpetuating the philosophy of the founding trio, diptych’s view of the world has continued to be enriched by multiple collaborations. In 2021, for its sixty years, the House demonstrates this by inviting five internationally renowned artists to imagine an original creation as part of the Grand Tour, the penultimate part of this extraordinary year. A journey in 5 stopovers, 5 artists and 5 exclusive editions to discover from September 2021 in an exhibition in Paris and pop-ups around the world. Art and diptych are definitely linked.
From different cultures, disciplines and sensibilities, the artists on the Grand Tour map share a common interest in the other and what surrounds them. Their techniques and practices are plural, just like the destinations they have been invited to sublimate. How do they perceive them? And according to what contours? The answer in five artistic proposals to perfumes from elsewhere.
One of the artist is one of the greatest contemporary sculptors, a pioneer in his innovative use of ceramics and the first artist of Belgian origin to have had the honors of the Louvre Museum, in 2005: Johan Creten. The choice to entrust him with Venice, a city appreciated and often visited by the founders of diptych, was obvious. Also famous for his large allegorical bronzes, the artist based in Paris is a lover of nature, the art of perfume and Venetian bronzes, which he collects with passion. “Venice is the city of all fantasies, a mirage, a ghost, a mermaid, a city of brutal and vivid beauty, decadent and delusional. It is a territory of crossroads, multiple artistic influences but also the reality of a dense and complex economic world, of dynamism and decline”.
For diptych, he imagined a bronze sculpture, La Laguna, immersed in a candle 4 wicks of 1.5 kg in blue tinted glass, whose wax of a translucent green blue, reminiscent of the menacing Venetian waters of the acqua alta recently become clear, reveals the female icon. By burning, the candle with the perfume worked by Cécile Matton evoking the freshness of a vegetable garden with accentuated marine notes, releases the sculpture.
To the initial idea of the Venice vegetable garden, the artist wanted to add “the smell of the sea, the note of iodine, a light, indefinable, fresh smell like the wind that floats above the water when you pass ‘Torcello’ in ‘vaporetto’ and smell the kitchen and gardens. Seeming gradually to emerge from the waters, La Laguna symbolizes for the artist ‘the passage of time, the fragility of this ecosystem, the mystery’. A candle ‘memento mori par excellence’ that leaves, once used, the vivid trace of its passage via a limited edition printed in 24 copies to keep for a long time, a small object with an independent ‘life’, which makes you dream and calls out”.
Diptique’s La Laguna is available in 24 numbered editions at their website. Come into the beautiful world of Diptyque.
At French Maison Christian Dior, art meets fashion for the finest causes. Take an immersive tour through the ‘Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams’ exhibition running at the Brooklyn Museum in New York, until February 20, 2022. This marks the fifth international stop for the landmark retrospective, with its original record-breaking iteration in Paris.
Curated by Florance Müller in collaboration with Matthew Yokobosky, the museum’s Senior Curator of Fashion and Material Culture, the exhibition explores the whole history of the House, and the story of the founding couturier himself, from the revolutionary New Look collection of 1947 through the work of each of his successors up to Maria Grazia Chiuri today.
Divided into thematic sections such as gardens, Versailles, color and the ateliers, it also focuses on the influence exerted by the United States and especially New York, to which Monsieur Dior sailed several months after his debut, and where he would establish a subsidiary the following year.
Come and discover this unique place if you’re around. Come into the beautiful world of Christian Dior.
In Tokyo, the exclusive ‘As Seen By’ exhibition recently opened its doors to feature artwork and creations inspired from French Maison Christian Dior’s iconic Miss Dior fragrance.
Visitors can also discover a unique Miss Dior pop-up store, for a complete immersion in the floral universe of the new Miss Dior Eau de Parfum. Alongside a limited make-up line, the haute-couture ‘Millefiori’ dress, created by Maria Grazia Chiuri, and worn by Natalie Portman in the new Miss Dior film campaign, is also displayed in the store.
Come and discover this unique place if you’re around. Come into the beautiful world of Christian Dior.
London’s Saatchi Gallery is currently showcasing a photographic exhibition on French Maison Cartier’s world-renowned creations across watches and jewelry. Entitled, ‘Studio 7 by Cartier’, the maison’s story is told through seven of its most iconic pieces, such as the Santos, Tank, Panthère, Trinity, Love, Juste Un Clou, and Ballon Bleu. For the very first time, an incredible show of Cartier stories are told through a photographic journey, from the past to the present. Located on the ground floor of the Saatchi Gallery, the exhibition runs across four galleries.
The Santos watch. The Love bracelet. The Trinity ring. You don’t need to be a watch or jewellery aficionado to recognise these monikers as distinctly Cartier.
A new photographic exhibition at Saatchi Gallery celebrates seven of the Maison’s most recognisable icons, including the Santos, Ballon Bleu and Panthère de Cartier watches, as well as the seminal Love bracelet, designed by Aldo Cipullo in 1969, now available in white, yellow or rose gold with or without diamonds. In 2016, it was the most Googled piece of jewellery in the world and remains a mainstay of modern bracelet stacks. In 1971 Cipullo also designed the Juste Un Clou bracelet in – a nail that wraps elegantly around the wrist, to capture the era’s rebellious spirit and unabashed glamour.
The show, coined ‘Studio 7’, spread across four rooms, is meant to highlight the enduring appeal of these creations by showcasing them on celebrities, friends of the brand and clients over the years. The first gallery is called ‘Legends’ and aptly showcases a portrait of figures, such as Andy Warhol, who is seen wearing his Tank watch. Further on and you can find Tina Turner and her Love bracelet, Jean Cocteau with his Trinity ring, along with Jacqueline Bisset, Catherine Deneuve, Alan Delon and Grace Kelly – to name just a few.
In the next space, entitled ‘Inspiration’, Cartier shows a new dimension to portraiture by highlighting modern photographers, such as Mary McCartney, who has captured the likes of actress Vanessa Kirby, who is seen wearing her Juste Un Clou bracelet, along with Stephen Jones, Emma Corrin and boxer Ramla Ali, to name a few. Photos are projected on a floor-to-ceiling screen for a dramatically immersive experience.
For the ‘Studio’ portion, users are invited into a custom photography space where they can be photographed sharing their own Cartier story. Lastly, ‘Encounters’ select portraits from the ‘Studio’ space which are displayed in a mosaic of digital screens. These photographs are also available for visitors to print for a truly memorable experience.
The exhibition delves into the Cartier archives, showcasing early sketches and models, including a 1916 Santos wristwatch. The square-cased style was originally designed in 1904 for aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont, before later launching in 1978 as an instant bestseller. Most famously, it was worn by power dressing financier Gordon Gekko in the 1987 film ‘Wall Street’.
Cartier has always been ahead of the curve in creating luxurious, modern pieces that can be worn every day. While designs have been subtly tinkered with over the years – the Juste Un Clou was redesigned in 2012, while the Panthère de Cartier was relaunched for women in 2017 – each one remains a lasting talisman, restyled by a new generation. This new exhibition is the perfect way to experience that first hand.
‘Studio 7 by Cartier’ is a free exhibition which runs from Friday 23rd July to Sunday 8th August 2021 at Saatchi Gallery in London. To reserve tickets, follow the link here. Come into the beautiful world of Saatchi Gallery.
Saatchi Gallery Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Rd, London SW3 4RY, United Kingdom
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