The Artful Life: 7 Things Galerie Editors Love This Week

1. Dylan Rose Rheingold and In Common With Come Together for a Cause

“I wanted to create a narrative based on little detailed symbols, objects, and characters that repetitively appear throughout my paintings,” muses Rheingold, who rendered swans, Japanese florals, rabbits, backyard gardens, and eclipses with painterly finesse. The partnership builds on a creative rapport that formed between In Common With and Ray Harlem, the Frida Escobedo–designed development atop the National Black Theatre that features one of Rheingold’s paintings, as well as the Ali Forney Center. In 2024, the brand donated fixtures for every room in the Center’s residence in Harlem. Rheingold’s limited collection of seven works will be on view at Quarters and available for purchase online. —Ryan Waddoups

2. Ben Pentreath Studio Crafts a Glorious Stair at Famed London Food Store, Fortnum & Mason

Introduced in 1707, the London food store Fortnum & Mason has become a British institution, offering a decadent assortment of delicious pantry staples, tea, chocolate, and more, as well as sweet and savory picnic baskets so treasured that they were celebrated in the works of Charles Dickens. The Piccadilly flagship, too, is a cherished landmark; recently, the space debuted “the most ambitious architectural project in its 300-year history”—a sweeping double-helix stair crafted by Ben Pentreath Studio. Constructed over two years by West Sussex artisans, the decorative ribbon wraps around the building atrium, connecting the lower ground floor all the way up to the second level, with more than 3,000 hand-forged details, gracefully illuminated timber treads, and plasterwork embellishments. “It is the first time in over two decades that Fortnum’s has unveiled a project of this scale and ambition at Piccadilly, and we are immensely proud of the result,” says Tom Athron, CEO of Fortnum & Mason, who welcomed King Charles for the November debut. “The staircase, designed by Ben Pentreath, is more than a feat of engineering; it is a work of art, and a restoration of architectural integrity.”—Jill Sieracki

3. Armani Breaks Ground on First Residential Development in Latin America

Construction is underway at the $100 million Armani Residences Masaryk, marking Giorgio Armani’s first residential development in Latin America. The project, led by MiRA in partnership with Armani/Casa, is designed to honor the neighborhood’s heritage while focusing on urban regeneration in a strategic corner of Polanco. The four-level complex will comprise 57 residences, including 14 penthouses with private rooftops. All residences will have exclusive access to the private Residents Club, which includes the Sky Pool and Lounge, fitness center, 24/7 concierge, and other amenities, while a selection of the homes will also be offered under the Armani/Casa turnkey model with bespoke details curated by the brand. “Since the conception of Armani Residences Masaryk, our goal has been clear: not only to build three exceptional blocks in a unique location, but to deliver the ultimate luxury residential experience, while making a strong statement to the city’s urban regeneration,” says Roberto Pulido, CEO of MiRA.—Alexandria Sillo

4. RxART Presents Artist-Designed Limited Edition Napkins to Support Children’s Hospitals

Elevate your holiday tablescape into a philanthropic statement with the debut of RxART‘s new, limited-edition napkin sets. The pioneering nonprofit organization, which works at the intersection of visual art and healthcare, has created a collectible gifting essential featuring original work by eight celebrated contemporary masters, including Mickalene Thomas, Nina Chanel Abney, Urs Fischer, Derrick Adams, Dan Colen, Julia Chiang, Hilary Pecis, and Alexis Rockman. There are two sets of four whimsical designs available. Founded in 2000 by former gallerist Diane Brown, RxART creates museum-quality art installations that humanize health care spaces and improve the experience of the smallest of patients, bringing a moment of joy to their day. The launch coincides with RxART’s recent celebration of its 25th anniversary, marked by the release of a beautiful Monacelli coffee table book. Proceeds from the sales of both the napkins and book directly support RxART’s endeavors.—Lucy Rees

5. Athens Designer Aristotelis Barakos Introduces New Lighting Collection, Pétale

Based in Athens, Greece, Studio Aristotelis Barakos crafts furniture, lighting, and objects for both indoor and outdoor spaces that have earned him a legion of exhibitions and awards throughout the Mediterranean. Recently, the designer introduced a new assortment of satin-brushed brass pendants, Pétale, that draw influence from the form and motion of flower petals that delicately dance in the wind. The understated shape elegantly catches the light in various angles and quietly layers into any environment; however, grouped into a stunning cloud of multiple pieces, Pétale creates a romantic ambience of warm glow. The assortment, which made its debut in Athens earlier this month, joins Barakos’ other sculptural collections of illumination, including the chic Théros table lamp and refined Taco de Luz pendant.—J.S.

6. The Portrait Milano Transforms Its Historic Piazza Into a Winter Wonderland

Beginning November 26, Portrait Milano will transform its central Piazza into a winter wonderland, complete with a stunning ice-skating rink and Christmas tree created in collaboration with Ferragamo, Perfect Moment, and Lindt. Titled “The Gift: Portrait of a Winter Tale,” the initiative invites locals, visitors, and hotel guests to embrace the spirit of joy inside the historic location, with proceeds from skating sales befitting the Fondazione Mente, a foundation that supports children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders. “The Gift was born from the desire to offer something beautiful to the city and, at the same time, to transform the joy of Christmas into an act of shared generosity,” says Valeriano Antonioli, CEO of Lungarno Collection. “It is a gift to Milan, but also a way to give back, with gratitude, what we receive every day from this extraordinary city.”—A.S.

7. Saint Laurent Debuts a Monumental Flagship on Paris’s Avenue Montaigne

Saint Laurent is entering a new chapter on Paris’s Avenue Montaigne with a dazzling three-level boutique that transforms the former Canadian Embassy into a succession of refined salons envisioned by artistic director Anthony Vaccarello over two years of careful planning. A short walk from the founder’s storied Avenue Marceau atelier, now home to the Fondation Pierre Bergé–Yves Saint Laurent, the address sits at the heart of the maison’s lineage. Exquisitely appointed interiors honor that history with hallmarks of French decorative art and design, among them a pair of Süe and Mare armchairs, a François-Xavier Lalanne table, a sofa that Charlotte Perriand envisioned for the Japanese ambassador’s Paris residence, and a Paul Poiret daybed that once belonged to Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé. They appear alongside blue-chip artworks from the Pinault collection, including a large collaged painting by Mark Bradford rising beside the main staircase and a concrete sculpture by Jean-Luc Moulène. The boutique unfolds like a grand Parisian residence, its salons dedicated to leather goods, ready-to-wear, jewelry, accessories, and men’s collections, all linked by twin spiral staircases that lead to a private upper-level suite and a landscaped terrace overlooking the avenue. —R.W.