The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in Mumbai.
Photo: Courtesy of Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre

The Artful Life: 5 Things Galerie Editors Love This Week

From the star-studded opening of a major cultural center in India to the glamorous new Bulgari Hotel in Tokyo

Sarah Sze: Paintings. with essays by Mark Godfrey and Tina Pang and an interview by Madeleine Grynsztejn. Phaidon. Photo: Courtesy of Phaidon

Installa1on view, "Sarah Sze: Timelapse, Last Impression", 2023, March 31—September 10, 2023, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. Photo: David Heald; Courtesy Solomon R. Guggenheim Founda1on, New York

1. Sarah Sze’s Hypnotic Works Debut at the Guggenheim

Over the course of 30 years, Sarah Sze’s paintings, sculptures, and site-specific installations have earned her a reputation for mesmerizing visitors. Now, coinciding with her solo show “Sarah Sze: Timelapse” at the Guggenheim in New York, Phaidon is releasing the first monograph dedicated to the Boston-born artist’s expansive career. (She was also named one of Galerie’s 2021 Creative Minds.) Titled Sarah Sze: Paintings, the book features over 100 works made by Sze since 2018 alongside a selection of essays from art historian Mark Godfrey and curator Tina Pang, as well as interview by Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago Director Madeleine Grynsztejn. The monograph is available April 12, and the show is on view now through September 10. —Shelby Black

Montblanc Masters of Art Homage to Vincent van Gogh Limited Edition 8. Photo: Courtesy of Montblanc

Montblanc Masters of Art Homage to Vincent van Gogh Limited Edition 90. Photo: Courtesy of Montblanc

2. Montblanc Pays Homage to Vincent van Gogh with the Masters of Art Collection Debut

After three decades and myriad intricately detailed writing instruments honoring creative luminaries such as Peggy Guggenheim, Henry E. Steinway, and Sir Henry Tate, Montblanc has concluded its celebrated Patron of Art series. In its place, the maison is introducing the Masters of Art collection, which debuts with a curated group of exquisite pens featuring the work of Vincent van Gogh. A veteran of venerable fashion houses Prada, Chloé, and Givenchy, Montblanc creative director Marco Tomasetta composed five limited-edition rollerball and fountain pens in collaboration with Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Each of the pieces feature details culled from one of the artist’s most famous works, including Sunflowers, The Harvest, and Wheatfield with Crows, the latter rendered on an edition limited to just eight examples, made with sapphires, paraiba tourmalines, and brilliant-cut diamond set in a gold and blue-lacquer collectible. —Jill Sieracki

Pirouette console table by Abner Henry. Photo: Zach Pontz

The Dance Class (1874) by Edgar Degas Photo: Courtesy of the Met

3. The Met Launches First Furniture Collaboration with Abner Henry

The traditional craft of the Ohio countryside is making its way to the big apple! The newly launched The Met x Abner Henry furniture collection by the over century-old furniture company features seven unique pieces drawing from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s extensive collection of 17th- through 19th-century paintings. Blending old-world techniques with contemporary design, the masterfully crafted furniture is made to be passed on for generations, with 70 reproductions of each design being made. Inspired by the works of iconic artists Edgar Degas, Gustav Klimt, Edouard Manet, Auguste Renoir, Georges Seurat, Vincent van Gogh, and Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez, the designs feature motifs from the famous works such as Degas’s The Dance Class (1874). The waves of the Pirouette table mimic the movement of a ballerina’s tutu, with waving layers of wood finished with gossamer marble and braced with hand-forged brass. —Stefanie Li

The Bulgari Bar in the new Bulgari Hotel Toyko. Photo: Courtesy of Bulgari

4. Bulgari Hotels Unveils Latest Property in Tokyo

A hefty dose of Italian glamour has arrived to Japan courtesy of Bulgari Hotels, which just debuted its latest property on six high floors within the sleek new Tokyo Midtown Yaesu skyscraper, just steps from the legendary Ginza shopping district. With elegant interiors by Milan firm Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel, the brand’s eighth location is equipped with 98 rooms and suites that all boast chic furnishings by Italian brands as well as unrivaled city views, some of which stretch all the way to the famed Mount Fuji. Guests can find respite from the bustling streets below at the accommodation’s lavish spa, the rooftop Bvlgari Bar, and a chocolate and pastry boutique called Bvlgari Dolci. Best of all, a pair of Michelin-starred chefs, Kenji Gyoten and Niko Romito, also have each unveiled their eagerly awaited restaurants onsite. —Geoffrey Montes

"India in Fashion" installation view. Photo: Courtesy of Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre

5. A Sprawling New Cultural Center in Mumbai Is Set to Change the Face of India’s Art Scene 

All eyes were on Mumbai this weekend as Bollywood and Hollywood joined forces for the dazzling, star-studded grand opening of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC). A first-of-its-kind cultural landmark in India, NMACC is the brainchild of philanthropist and patron of the arts, Nita Ambani, the wife of Indian billionaire businessman Mukesh Ambani, who is on the board of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. She has described it as “a tribute to our glorious nation and a reflection of the aspirations of New India.” Celebrities and artists from across the globe including Zendaya, Penélope Cruz, and Mickalene Thomas arrived in eye-catching ensembles for a gala to kick off of the museum’s opening. The first day of a three-day opening extravaganza included the premiere of Civilization to Nation, the new musical by Feroz Abbas Khan celebrating India’s rich culture. Day Two was the opening of “India in Fashion,” a costume exhibition featuring over 140 iconic pieces from India and the world’s most famous brands, curated by Hamish Bowles. The final day saw the opening of the Art House, NMACC’s four storey art space, inaugurated with an exhibition curated by Jeffrey Deitch and Ranjit Hoskote, “Sangam/Confluence,” featuring works by contemporary Indian and international artists. —Lucy Rees

Cover: The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in Mumbai.
Photo: Courtesy of Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre

Newsletter

Sign up to receive the best in art, design, and culture from Galerie

Thank You
Your first newsletter will arrive shortly.