The Artful Life: 6 Things Galerie Editors Love This Week

1. Anselm Kiefer Pays Tribute to Female Alchemists in Monumental Milanese Exhibition

Standing as one of the most prolific contemporary artists today, Anselm Kiefer presents a one-of-a-kind exhibition specifically made for a historic Milan landmark. Running through September 27, “Kiefer. The Women Alchemists” presents 42 sweeping canvases taking over Milan’s Palazzo Reale as a tribute to the female alchemists throughout history who made a significant impact on the progress of modern-day sciences. Among the alchemists spotlighted including Caterina Sforza, Isabella Cortese, Kleopatra, Cristina di Svezia, Margaret Cavendish, Mary Anne Atwood, Perenelle Flamel, Marie Meurdrac, Anne Marie Ziegler, and Sophie Brahe, Kiefer has crafted a series of standing canvases boasting color palettes of blues and blacks adorned with nods to the science of alchemy such as ash, lead, sulfur, gold, flowers, and more. The towering pieces also speak in direct dialogue to the historic palazzo, where, following its almost erasure due to the Allied bombing in 1943, the exhibition and institution pay tribute to history and memory.—Shelby Black

2. This New Fitzrovia Hotel Celebrates London’s Bohemian Spirit

London’s Fitzrovia neighborhood revels in the city’s creative spirit—it’s the home to the famed West End theaters, with a history that celebrates literature, art, and bohemian flair. Now, the area’s newest hotel, The Newman, pays homage to one of Fitzrovia’s most beloved denizens—the heiress turned raconteur Nancy Cunard—layered with subtle notes of Art Deco and Victorian aesthetics. “The hotel needed to feel deeply grounded in its Fitzrovian surroundings while still offering a fresh, contemporary experience,” says Richy Almond of London design studio Lind + Almond, which cultivated the interiors. “We couldn’t simply place a flashy hotel in the heart of this cherished part of London, which doesn’t have the glitz of Mayfair or the bright lights of Soho. When you do walk around Fitzrovia, it’s neither of those things—it’s eccentric but hidden behind a façade somehow.”

The hotel’s 81 guest rooms and suites are wrapped in a cozy blanket of neutral hues, while the property’s brasseries and bars turns up the glamour with more adventurous shapes, richer tones, and gilded accents. Warm oak, bronze, and leather offer a cocooning-like atmosphere on the wellness floor, while punctuating moments come from the carefully curated artworks installed throughout. “Fitzrovia and London’s artists will continue to provide inspiration and decorate the walls through their artwork. We’re collaborating with a curator renowned for selecting art that truly reflects the hotel’s concept,” says Pernille Lind of Lind + Almond. “The Newman must have heart and soul, seamlessly blending into London as if it’s always been there. The art will play a crucial role in telling this story.”—Jill Sieracki

3. Kelly Wearstler Explores Indian Craftsmanship in New Collections for æquo

When something piques Kelly Wearstler’s interest, she commits fully. After gaining renown for her stewardship of independent makers within residences and hotels that feel like transportive worlds, the designer and tastemaker launched a collectible design platform in her very own pool house. That all-or-nothing instinct also guides her own material inquiry, the latest being with Mumbai collectible design gallery æquō after founder Tarinin Jindal Handa and creative director Florence Louisy introduced her to Indian workshops specializing in traditional techniques like glass enameling, bronze casting, and burnt teak carpentry. Those encounters yielded two new bodies of work that place material experimentation at the center of her process. 

The first collection, Lahar, explores glass enamel and cast bronze across a suite of furnishings, lighting, and vessels. Wearstler translated her signature 3D vector motif into solid bronze grids, then layered color through an exacting enameling process that delivers depth and chromatic variation rarely possible in other media. The Tarang collection turns to burnt teak hand-carved into seating with charred surfaces that register the force of fire. Artisans welcomed irregularities created through burning, while bronze details add visual weight and durability. “The æquō team introduced me to traditional craft techniques, processes for which the region has been known for centuries, with knowledge passed down through generations,” Wearstler says. “Understanding that lineage, that depth of expertise carried forward over time, transforms the way you approach the work.” The works will be on view at æquō until February 28. —Ryan Waddoups

4. Dries Van Noten Collaborates with Artist Bouke de Vries for a Limited-Edition Fragrance Bottle

Dries Van Noten fragrances perfectly encapsulate the brand’s distinct fashion point of view—eclectic, unexpected, and exceptional. Coveted for both their unique olfactory beauty and their signature bottles, which mix pattern and color as fluidly as each runway collection, the scents have become collector’s items for fashion insiders. Now, Dries Van Noten has collaborated with London-based Dutch artist Bouke de Vries, known for his work with fragmented ceramics, on a limited-edition bottle for Soie Malaquais, the most emblematic creation in the olfactory assortment. Limited to only 100 pieces worldwide, the exclusive edition features a blue-and-white, bird-patterned porcelain lower half accented by hand-applied gilding, which reverberates against a purple-hued glass upper portion. Produced by Atelier Thiery in Paris, the special bottle celebrates the marriage of craft and beauty. –Jacqueline Terrebonne

5. A. Lange & Söhne Opens a Boutique Inside a Historic Landmark on Chicago’s “Magnificent Mile”

A. Lange & Söhne has opened the doors to its newest boutique located on Chicago’s prestigious “Magnificent Mile.” Set inside the historic Tribune Tower, the latest opening marks the watchmaker’s ninth boutique in the U.S. and features bespoke installations and brand experiences. The interior, with three distinct client seating areas including two lounges, is tailored to fostering intimate exploration of the brand’s timepieces and the intricate mechanical workings of the iconic ZEITWERK. “Each timepiece in our collection reflects a familial bond between our watchmakers and collectors, one that is best experienced by putting a Lange watch in one’s hands and on one’s wrist,” says Wilhelm Schmid, CEO of A. Lange & Söhne. “Our boutiques are designed to share our watches and unique brand story with each customer, and to capture the skill, determination, and imagination used by our watchmakers in Glashütte as they work by hand to perfect every detail of the watch for its owner.”—Alexandria Sillo

6. A Fanciful Tome Celebrates Tequila’s Enduring Cultural Ties

Tequila stands as one of Mexico’s most enduring cultural expressions—a legacy that finds vivid expression in The Art of Tequila: Spirit of Mexico (Assouline). Written by cultural critic Suleman Anaya, the richly illustrated tome traces how the spirit has long served as a site of collaboration between producers and artists, with bottles treated as sites of visual authorship. Within the book, rare archival material is paired with newly commissioned photography to document how creative partnerships have expanded tequila’s visual language over decades. 1800 Tequila, for example, is known for artist-led editions that have translated imagery by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Leonora Carrington into sculptural vessels. Elsewhere, hand-painted bottles from Maestro Dobel show how artisanal craftsmanship turns each release into a singular object, while Reserva de la Familia by Jose Cuervo receives the spotlight for its conversations with contemporary Mexican artists, including Ana Segovia and Dr. Lakra. —R.W.