Artist Ai Weiwei with his rug design, Tyger, for WWF Tomorrow’s Tigers.
Photo: Thierry Ball for Christopher Farr
The Artful Life: 5 Things Galerie Editors Love This Week
From Harry Winston’s extraordinary new sapphire necklace to artist-designed tiger rugs being sold for charity
The Gran Nichetto from Steinway & Sons. Photo: Steinway & Sons
1. Steinway & Sons Announces Limited-Edition Piano Designed by Luca Nichetto
World-renowned piano maker Steinway & Sons has released its latest limited-edition piano, the Gran Nichetto Model B, crafted in collaboration with Nichetto Studio’s Luca Nichetto, who is known for his artful mixing of Italian and Scandinavian aesthetics in furniture, industrial design, architecture, and interiors. Approaching the project like he would a piece of furniture, the Italian designer took inspiration from the shape of the ubiquitous gondolas in Venice, where he was raised. From start to finish, the design process took four years and will result in just 50 models, which the company will produce out of its New York City workshop. Notably, the beautiful instrument comes equipped with Steinway’s latest technological advancements that allow for live performance capture and playback, among other unique functions. The Gran Nichetto recently made its grand debut with an intimate performance by Grammy-nominated singer Rufus Wainwright at new development 111 West 57th Street, which occupies Steinway’s onetime showroom in Manhattan. —Geoffrey Montes
Jewelry Designer Nina Runsdorf and artist Nir Hod's flip ring collection. Photo: Steven DeVilbiss
2. Nina Runsdorf and Nir Hod Unveil Exclusive Collection at Bergdorf Goodman
This holiday season, an exciting collaboration between two top creatives is now available exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City. Famous for her signature Flip Rings, which she launched in 2005, jewelry designer Nina Runsdorf teamed up with longtime friend and artist Nir Hod to craft this one-of-a-kind collection. Unlike the typical design, this collection features an 18k-blackened white gold, hand-painted black and white eye that sits atop rock crystal. Surrounding the crystal, three different options of either bright pink, denim blue, or fiery orange sapphire melee gives the jewelry an extra pop. “Art, in all its forms, is a constant source of fascination and inspiration for me,” Runsdorf said in a statement. “Nir Hod’s work is filled with intellectual layers and his generosity of spirit and creativity is boundless. I’m beyond thrilled to team up with my dear friend once again to introduce these colorful, provocative, and playful pieces.” —Shelby Black
Artist Ai Weiwei with his rug design, Tyger, for WWF Tomorrow’s Tigers. Photo: Thierry Ball for Christopher Farr
Bernard Frize’s design, What the Tiger Says: Bengali: Gorgon, Finnish: Grr, Thai: Ai Houn Houn. For How Many Times. Photo: Courtesy of WWF and Christopher Farr
3. Ai Weiwei, Anish Kapoor, Rose Wylie, and Maya Kim Craft Unique Tiger Rugs to Benefit WWF
Launched in 2019, WWF Tomorrow’s Tigers draws on globally recognized artists who create extraordinary limited-edition rugs to help raise necessary funds to preserve the wild cats in 13 countries. This year, the program features remarkable designs crafted in collaboration with Christopher Farr, with Ai Weiwei, Peter Doig, Rose Wylie, Anish Kapoor, Bernard Frize, Francesco Clemente, Gary Hume, Maya Lin, Raquib Shaw, Reena Saini Kallat, Harland Miller, and Kiki Smith each reinterpreting a tiger motif into an artful pattern. Curated by Artwise Curators and displayed in a special selling exhibition at Sotheby’s in London November 22 through 29, the latest collection coincides with the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese zodiac. Ai Weiwei’s creation, Tyger, a one-of-a-kind work made by Turquoise Mountain, a global organization that supports and promotes artisans in Afghanistan, is available for £150,000, while the other artist-conceived styles are reserved to just ten examples each and start at £10,000, with proceeds going to support tiger conservation. —Jill Sieracki
The Garcia House featured in Beyond The Canyon: Inside Epic California Homes. Photo: Roger Davies
4. Roger Davies Launches Beyond the Canyon: Inside Epic California Homes with Monacelli
Los Angeles–based photographer Roger Davies is known for his refined documentation of the most magnificent residential architecture and interiors around the world. The top photographer’s luxurious new monograph, Beyond the Canyon: Inside Epic California Homes, highlights 19 California homes from Malibu to Marin Country. The tome brings together over 20 years’ worth of images, with each page filled with modern glamour—from homes of high-profile clients like Drew Barrymore and Sir Elton John to those crafted by renowned architects such as Tadao Ando and Frank Gehry. One of the noteworthy homes included was featured in Galerie‘s Spring 2022 cover story on design virtuoso Roger Thomas’s Northern California home. —Stefanie Li
Harry Winston Legacy Necklace Photo: Courtesy of Harry Winston
5. Harry Winston Presents the Winston Legacy Sapphire Necklace
In 2020, the famed New York jewelry house Harry Winston acquired an extraordinary 43.10-carat royal blue Kashmir Sapphire, dubbed the Winston Legacy Sapphire. Now, the rare gem has been unveiled as the centerpiece of a dazzling diamond necklace, after being cut and set by the house’s master craftsmen. During his lifetime, Harry Winston was highly regarded for transforming one-of-a-kind stones into extraordinary jewels—and this necklace is no exception, with its myriad of diamond cuts, including round brilliant, square-emerald, and marquise, meticulously placed to highlight the velvety blue of the remarkable jewel. —Lucy Rees
Cover: Artist Ai Weiwei with his rug design, Tyger, for WWF Tomorrow’s Tigers.
Photo: Thierry Ball for Christopher Farr
