JO-HS Gallery in Mexico City.
Photo: SERGIO LOPEZ
The Artful Life: 6 Things Galerie Editors Love This Week
From a chic villa at Palm Beach’s famed Colony Hotel to a buzzy new art and design gallery in Mexico City
The living room of the Villa Aralia, decorated by Mark D. Sikes, at the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach.
The bedroom of the Villa Aralia, decorated by Mark D. Sikes, at the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach. Photo: Courtesy of the Colony Hotel Palm Beach
1. The Villa Aralia at the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach
For those heading to Palm Beach for the season, there’s a new place to stay that perfectly captures the getaway’s timeless style and appeal. The iconic Colony Hotel tapped super designer and taste influencer Mark D. Sikes to decorate the Villa Aralia, one of seven individually designed lodgings in the original home of the Colony founders, located just across the street. Measuring 1,100 square feet, the apartment-style suite is a true testament to the designer’s inimitable look and features a private entrance, two bedrooms, two baths, and an open living room and kitchen. Inspired by the hotel’s café awnings, Sikes mixed furniture from his new collection with Chaddock along with pieces from his collaboration with Hudson Valley Lighting. “Mark’s vision reflects the same optimistic spirit we try to encapsulate at the hotel,” says Colony owner and president Sarah Wetenhall. “His style is fresh but timeless—exactly like the Colony.” —Jacqueline Terrebonne
JO-HS, Mexico City. Photo: Sergio Lopez
2. The Opening of JO-HS Gallery in Mexico City
Set in a modern building designed by architect Carlos Herrera, the new gallery and artist residency JO-HS opened its second exhibition last week. Curated by gallerist Elisabeth Johs, “Girasol” features 16 emerging artists, among them artists-in-residence Katarina Janeckova, Demit Omphroy and Rafael Jaén. The 7,000-square-foot space offers a serene spot for art and design lovers to enjoy contemporary pieces amid a lush indoor-outdoor landscape designed by Cadana and modern furnishings by ATRA.—Stefanie Li
Louis Comfort Tiffany Gold Opal and Demantoid Garnet Medusa Pendant Necklace. Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby's
3. A Rare and Historic Louis Comfort Tiffany Pendant Fetches Millions at Sotheby’s
In 1904, famed designer Louis Comfort Tiffany, heir to the founder of Tiffany & Company, debuted 27 pieces of jewelry at the St. Louis World’s Fair. One of the highlights, dubbed the Medusa pendant, had been considered missing for several decades, last seen at a New York auction in 1948. On December 7, it hit the block at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels sale in New York, fetching a whopping $3.7 million after three bidders drove the price up for ten minutes, smashing its pre-estimate sale of $100,000 to $200,000. The piece features a cluster of opals at its center from which a group of stylized snake motifs emerge, their coiled tendrils set with opals and garnets accented by rubies and amethysts. One of only four in existence, the pendant marks a new auction record for Louis Comfort Tiffany and is one of the most spectacular early examples of his craftsmanship.—Lucy Rees
Nancy Lorenz screens in Peter Marino's design for the second-floor ready-to-wear and VIP salon at the Chanel boutique in Hong Kong. Photo: Manolo Yllera
4. Peter Marino: The Architecture of Chanel (Phaidon)
Whereas most luxury connoisseurs flock to Chanel boutiques around the globe for the remarkable couture clothing, fans of inspiring design often find themselves drawn to the locations for the fanciful architecture of avant garde talent Peter Marino. Now, a new tome from Phaidon offers a passport into his wonderland-like buildings, conjured over the architect’s 25-year collaboration with Chanel. Each of the 16 featured locations—from New York to Seoul—was born out of the sophisticated austerity of the black-and-white Chanel fragrance bottle, yet each offers a strikingly different interpretation that’s as dazzling as the sartorial styles first created by Mademoiselle Chanel herself.—Jill Sieracki
David Adjaye's Winter Park Library & Events Center opens its doors in Florida. Photo: dror baldinger
5. David Adjaye’s Latest Building Opens in Florida
One of today’s leading architects, Sir David Adjaye christened his firm’s latest project this week just outside of Orlando. Dubbed the Winter Park Library & Events Center, the $42 million complex overlooks a nearby lake and is comprised of a two-story library, an events space crowned by a rooftop terrace, and a central portico—all clad in rose-tinted concrete. The multi-purpose building’s extended windows and protruding walls recall Adjaye’s award-winning design for D.C.’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.—Geoffrey Montes
Jason Burgess’s live painting at Dries Van Noten’s L.A. store. Photo: Trent Kendrick
6. Jason Burgess Live Painting Performance at Dries Van Noten’s Los Angeles Store
From December 9 through 12, Dries Van Noten’s Los Angeles store hosted artist Jason Burgess for a series of live painting performances in which the Alabama-born artist created new works directly on the walls of the boutique. The installation follows the collaboration that debuted last October, when the store—known as The Big House—opened on La Cienega Boulevard and exhibited Burgess’s works. “Keeping the architecture and site specificity in mind, I gathered visual material from in and around my studio in the fashion district of DTLA,” recalls Burgess. “The yellow, with my experience of the store, the brand, and the element of chance, an object randomly found, a yellow polypropylene shipping strap, beautiful and loaded with its own history.”—G.M.
Cover: JO-HS Gallery in Mexico City.
Photo: SERGIO LOPEZ
