Premier Selection Of Galleries To Participate In Art Basel’s 2016 Edition In Hong Kong

Preview (by Invitation Only)

Tuesday, March 22, 2016, 3pm to 8pm

Wednesday, March 23, 2016, 1pm to 5pm

Vernissage (by Invitation Only)

Wednesday, March 23, 2016, 5pm to 9pm

Public Days

Thursday, March 24, 2016, 1pm to 9pm

Friday, March 25, 2016, 1pm to 8pm

Saturday, March 26, 2016, 11am to 6pm

Art Basel in Hong Kong 2015 – General Impression © Art Basel
Photo by Jessica Hromas/Art Basel 2015

Art Basel has announced the details of its fourth edition in Hong Kong, taking place for the second time in March. The Hong Kong show of Art Basel, whose Lead Partner is UBS, will feature 239 premier galleries from 35 countries and territories, presenting works of the highest quality that range from the Modern period of the early 20th century to the most contemporary artists of today. Once again, Art Basel will be a showcase for art from the region of Asia and Asia-Pacific, where half of its galleries have exhibition spaces. Art Basel Hong Kong will open to the public from Thursday, March 24 to Saturday, March 26, 2016, and will take place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC).

Art Basel in Hong Kong 2015 – General Impression © Art Basel
Photo by Jessica Hromas/Art Basel 2015

Art Basel in Hong Kong 2015 – General Impression © Art Basel
Photo by Jessica Hromas/Art Basel 2015

Art Basel stages the world’s premier art shows for Modern and contemporary works, sited in Basel, Miami Beach, and Hong Kong. Defined by its host city and region, each show is unique, which is reflected in its participating galleries, artworks presented, and the content of parallel programming produced in collaboration with local institutions for each edition. In addition to ambitious stands featuring leading galleries from around the globe, each show’s singular exhibition sectors spotlight the latest developments in the visual arts, offering visitors new ideas and new inspiration.

Art Basel in Hong Kong 2015 – General Impression © Art Basel
Photo by Jessica Hromas/Art Basel 2015

Art Basel in Hong Kong 2015 – General Impression © Art Basel
Photo by Jessica Hromas/Art Basel 2015

Art Basel in Hong Kong 2015 – General Impression © Art Basel
Photo by Jessica Hromas/Art Basel 2015

Alongside a strong presence of returning galleries from across the globe, this year’s edition features 28 galleries that will participate in the Hong Kong show of Art Basel for the first time. Nine new galleries join from Asia including Antenna Space (Shanghai), galerie nichido (Tokyo, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Karuizawa, Kasama, Paris), Gallery 100 (Taipei), Ink Studio (Beijing), Lawrie Shabibi (Dubai), Longmen Art Projects (Shanghai), MEM (Tokyo), Vanguard Gallery (Shanghai) and Yeo Workshop (Singapore). Art Basel Hong Kong will also see the addition of 18 leading Western galleries showing for the first time including Cardi Gallery (Milan, London), Carlos/Ishikawa (London), David Kordansky Gallery (Los Angeles), Galerie 1900 – 2000 (Paris), Galerie Isabella Bortolozzi (Berlin), Galerie Jocelyn Wolff (Paris), Galerie Nagel Draxler (Berlin, Cologne), gb agency (Paris), Greene Naftali (New York), In Situ – fabienne leclerc (Paris), Kewenig (Berlin, Palma), Metro Pictures (New York), P.P.O.W (New York), Sabrina Amrani (Madrid), Société (Berlin), team (gallery, inc.) (New York, Los Angeles), Xavier Hufkens (Brussels) and Zeno X Gallery (Antwerp). Selma Feriani Gallery (Sidi Bou Said, London) joins Art Basel as the first African gallery outside of South Africa to ever participate in an Art Basel show.

Galleries 2016: Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Ushio Shinohara, Samurai Sword, 1967. Courtesy the artist and the gallery

Galleries 2016: Project Fulfill Art Space, Sung-chih Chen《Untitled-Room 1》mixed media installation, 300x300x240cm，2008 (Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei) Courtesy the artist and the gallery

The upcoming edition features a particularly strong representation of galleries with exhibition spaces in Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan, in addition to those with spaces in Hong Kong and Mainland China. The participating galleries have exhibition spaces in: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mainland China, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Galleries 2016: de Sarthe Gallery, Zao Wou-Ki, Untitled, 1963. Courtesy the artist and de Sarthe Gallery

Galleries 2016: Gallery Exit, LUI Chun Kwong. Courtesy of the artist and the gallery

Galleries, the main sector of the show, will feature 187 Modern and contemporary art galleries, presenting the highest quality of painting, sculpture, drawing, installation, photography, video and editioned works. Exhibitors returning after a brief hiatus include Marianne Boesky Gallery (New York) and Applicat-Prazan (Paris), while many Asian galleries have moved from other sectors of the show into Galleries, where they will present a wider range of their gallery programs. These galleries are: Athr (Jeddah), Blindspot Gallery (Hong Kong), Chambers Fine Art (Beijing, New York), Galerie Ora-Ora (Hong Kong), Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde (Dubai, Brussels), Nanzuka (Tokyo), Nature Morte (New Delhi), Project Fulfill Art Space (Taipei), Taro Nasu (Tokyo), TKG+ (Taipei, Beijing), Yavuz Gallery (Singapore) and Yumiko Chiba Associates (Tokyo). Francesca Minini (Milan) and Galeria Plan B (Cluj, Berlin) are also showing for the first time in the Galleries sector.

Insights 2016: 1335Mabini, Kiri Dalena, Erased Slogans. Courtesy the artist and the gallery

Lawrie Shabibi, Farhad Ahrarnia, Intuitive Notion of a Rotation, 2015. Courtesy The artist and Lawrie Shabibi

The Insights sector will be dedicated to curatorial projects by 28 galleries with spaces in Asia and the Asia-Pacific region and will feature solo shows, exceptional historical material, and strong thematic group exhibitions. This year’s edition features a particularly strong presentation of Modern work, with around half of the galleries presenting material from this period. This year’s Insights will provide a particularly diverse and in-depth overview of art from across the region with featured artists from Australia, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Japan, Mainland China, South Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Turkey. Highlights include eight large photographic works by Michael Cook (b. 1968, Australia), forming a panoramic narrative reflecting on colonial histories and drawing on the artist’s Bidjara heritage, presented by This Is No Fantasy + dianne tanzer gallery (Melbourne); Antenna Space (Shanghai) presents sculpture by artists Guan Xiao (b. 1983, Mainland China) and Yu Honglei (b. 1984, Mainland China) each responding to themes of ‘postproduction’ and ‘reproduction’; a new body of work by Stella Zhang (b. 1965, Mainland China), a continuation of her existing series ‘0-Viewpoint’ and comprising sculptural paintings and an installation, brought to Art Basel by Galerie du Monde (Hong Kong); experimental ink work by Li Huasheng (b. 1944, Mainland China), presented by Ink Studio (Beijing); ceramic sculptures by Kimiyo Mishimo (b. 1932, Japan), many of which will not have previously been seen outside of Japan, brought by MEM (Tokyo); performative video work by Tadasu Takamine (b. 1968, Japan), an artist whose work draws attention to the societal effects of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, presented by Arataniurano (Tokyo); and, brought by Pi Artworks (Istanbul, London), new sculptures by Tayeba Begum Lipi (b. 1969, Bangladesh) reflecting on her childhood, accompanied by video and audio work.

The Whitney Museum OF American Art To Debut Frank Stella: A Retrospective, Opening October 30

The most comprehensive career retrospective in the U.S. to date of the work of Frank Stella, co-organized by The Whitney Museum of American Art and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, will debut at the Whitney this fall. Frank Stella: A Retrospective brings together the artist’s best-known works installed alongside lesser known examples to reveal the extraordinary scope and diversity of his nearly sixty-year career. Approximately 100 works, including icons of major museum and private collections, will be shown. Along with paintings, reliefs, sculptures, and prints, a selection of drawings and maquettes have been included to shed light on Stella’s conceptual and material process. Frank Stella: A Retrospective is organized by Michael Auping, Chief Curator, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, in association with Adam D. Weinberg, Alice Pratt Brown Director, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, with the involvement of Carrie Springer, Assistant Curator, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York.

The exhibition will be on view at the Whitney from October 30, 2015 through February 7, 2016, and at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth from April 17 through September 4, 2016; it will subsequently travel to the DeYoung Museum, San Francisco. This will be the inaugural special exhibition and the first career retrospective devoted to a living artist in the Whitney’s new downtown home on Gansevoort Street. It will fill the entire 18,000-square-foot fifth floor—the Museum’s largest gallery for temporary exhibitions. Annabelle Selldorf, Selldorf Architects, is doing the exhibition design for the Whitney installation.

“A Stella retrospective presents many challenges,” remarks Auping, “given Frank’s need from the beginning of his career to immediately and continually make new work in response to previous series. And he has never been timid about making large, even monumental, works. The result has been an enormous body of work represented by many different series. Our goal has been to summarize without losing the raw texture of his many innovations.”

“It’s not merely the length of his career, it is the intensity of his work and his ability to reinvent himself as an artist over and over again over six decades that make his contribution so important,” said Weinberg. “Frank is a radical innovator who has, from the beginning, absorbed the lessons of art history and then remade the world on his own artistic terms. He is a singular American master and we are thrilled to be celebrating his astonishing accomplishment.”

Frank Stella. Die Fahne hoch!, 1959. Enamel on canvas, 121 5/8 x 72 13/16 in.
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene M. Schwartz and purchase,
With funds from the John I.H. Baur Purchase Fund; the Charles and Anita Blatt Fund; Peter M. Brant;
B.H. Friedman ; the Gilman Foundation, Inc.; Susan Morse Hilles; The Lauder Foundation;
Frances and Sydney Lewis; the Albert A. List Fund; Philip Morris Incorporated; Sandra Payson;
Mr. and Mrs. Albrecht Saalfied; Mrs. Percy Uris; Warner Communications, Inc. and the National
Endowment for the Arts 75.22 © 2014 Frank Stella / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Born in Malden, Massachusetts, in 1936, Frank Stella attended Phillips Academy, Andover, and then Princeton University, where he studied art history and painting. In college, he produced a number of sophisticated paintings that demonstrated his understanding of the various vocabularies that had brought abstract painting into international prominence. After graduating in 1958, Stella moved to New York and achieved almost immediate fame with his Black Paintings (1958–60), which were included in The Museum of Modern Art’s seminal exhibition Sixteen Americans in 1959–60.

The Leo Castelli Gallery in New York held Stella’s first one-person show in 1962. The Museum of Modern Art, under William Rubin’s stewardship, presented his first retrospective only a few years later, in 1970, when Stella was only thirty-four years old. A second retrospective was held at MoMA in 1987. Since then, Stella has been the subject of countless exhibitions throughout the world, including a major retrospective in Wolfsburg in 2012. Frank Stella: A Retrospective is the first survey of the artist’s career in the U.S. since 1987. He was appointed the Charles Eliot Norton Professor of Poetry at Harvard University in 1983. “Working Space,” his provocative lecture series (later published as a book), addresses the issue of pictorial space in postmodern art. Stella has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the 2009 National Medal of Arts and the 2011 Lifetime Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award from the International Sculpture Center, as well as the Isabella and Theodor Dalenson Lifetime Achievement Award from Americans for the Arts (2011) and the National Artist Award at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Aspen (2015).

Frank Stella, Gobba, zoppa e collotorto, 1985. Oil, urethane enamel, fluorescent alkyd, acrylic, and printing ink on etched magnesium and aluminum. 137 x 120 1/8 x 34 3/8 in. (348 x 305 x 87.5 cm). The Art Institute of Chicago; Mr. and Mrs. Frank G. Logan Purchase Prize Fund; Ada Turnbull Hertle Endowment 1986.93. © 2015 Frank Stella/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Throughout his career, Stella has challenged the boundaries of painting and accepted notions of style. Though his early work allied him with the emerging minimalist approach, Stella’s style has evolved to become more complex and dynamic over the years as he has continued his investigation into the nature of abstract painting.

Adam Weinberg and Marla Price, Director of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, note in the directors’ foreword to the catalogue, “Abstract art constitutes the major, and in many ways, defining artistic statement of the twentieth century and it remains a strong presence in this century. Many artists have played a role in its development, but there are a few who stand out in terms of both their innovations and perseverance. Frank Stella is one of those. As institutions devoted to the history and continued development of contemporary art, we are honored to present this tribute to one of the greatest abstract painters of our time.”

The exhibition begins with rarely seen early works, such as East Broadway(1958), from the collection of Addison Gallery of American Art, which show Stella’s absorption of Abstract Expressionism and predilections for colors and composition that would appear throughout the artist’s career.

Stella’s highly acclaimed Black Paintings follow. Their black stripes executed with enamel house paint were a critical step in the transition from Abstract Expressionism to Minimalism. The exhibition includes such major works as Die Fahne hoch! (1959), a masterpiece from the Whitney’s own collection, and The Marriage of Reason and Squalor II (1959) from The Museum of Modern Art’s collection. A selection of the artist’s Aluminum and Copper Paintings of 1960–61, featuring metallic paint and shaped canvases, further establish Stella’s key role in the development of American Minimalism.

Even with his early success, Stella continued to experiment in order to advance the language of abstraction. The chronological presentation of Stella’s work tracks the artist’s exploration of the relationship between color, structure, and abstract illusionism, beginning with his Benjamin Moore series and Concentric Square Paintings of the early 1960s and 70s—including the masterpiece Jasper’s Dilemma (1962). In his Dartmouth, Notched V, and Running V paintings, Stella combines often shocking color with complex shaped canvases that mirror the increasingly dynamic movement of his painted bands. These were followed by the even more radically shaped Irregular Polygon Paintings, such as Chocorua IV (1966) from the Hood Museum, with internally contrasting geometric forms painted in vibrant fluorescent hues; and the monumental Protractor Paintings, such as Harran II (1967) from the Guggenheim‘s collection, composed of curvilinear forms with complex chromatic variations.

H&M To Open Monumental Store In New York City’s Herald Square

On May 20th, H&M, will open its Herald Center flagship, which will become its largest H&M store in the world at noon with a special performance by music icon John Legend. One of the most dynamic shopping destinations in the world, Herald Center is located at the southwest corner of 34th Street where Broadway and Avenue of the Americas converge. The store will be the 13th location in Manhattan, and will become a fashion destination for the millions of New Yorkers and international visitors who pass through Herald Square.

Rendering of H&M Herald Center (PRNewsFoto/H&M)

Rendering of H&M Herald Center (PRNewsFoto/H&M)

The store located at 1 Herald Center in Manhattan, New York 10001. New York City has the largest concentration of H&M stores in the country, employing over 1,900 people. The store can be reached by phone at 212-564-3836. Store hours will be Monday through Thursday 9am-10pm, Friday through Saturday 9am-11pm, and Sunday10am to 9pm.

The new store has a custom illuminated store front that wraps around 33rd Street, 34th Street and 6th Avenue. Measuring approximately 63,000 square feet, the store will showcase all of the H&M including H&M’s Home Collection and a special shoe department for ladies and men. It will include four floors of H&M fashion for the entire family including ladies and men’s collections, H&M Sport, H&M Mama, cosmetics and H&M’s children’s collection. Unique store details will include a custom-designed 35 ft. modern glass facade with LCD screen, mirror and terrazzo tile details, as well as an approximately 30 ft. high atrium on the second level. The store will also feature two main street entrances.

The U.S. continues to be one of H&M’s most important expansion markets since its first store opened on New York’s Fifth Avenue thirteen years ago. The Herald Center Flagship is the third flagship to be opened in New York City in the past two years, resulting in the creation of almost 900 new jobs. Now offering U.S. consumers access to quality fashions at the best prices through 361 locations across the country and through Shop Online, H&M is delighted to continue its expansion in its first U.S. city.

To celebrate opening day, Grammy- and Academy-Award winning singer and songwriter John Legend will perform and cut the ribbon and twenty lucky winners will be chosen at random for a meet and greet. In addition, H&M Herald Center will have several exciting giveaways, including Access to Fashion Passes to the first 1,000 shoppers, valued from $10 to $1,000.

H&M customers can help close the sustainability loop in fashion by donating old pieces of clothing. Any customer who donates on opening morning will receive a voucher for 20% off their next purchase for each bag of donated clothing. To kick off the recycling program opening day, customers who bring garments to be recycled before the store opens at 12:00 pm will also have the chance to win H&M gift cards valued between $50 and $100 in addition to receiving the voucher.

Absolut Unveils Latest Iteration of Absolut Nights Campaign with Inspiring Short Film Featuring Empire of the Sun and Launch of New Limited Edition Bottle

Absolut celebrates the latest iteration of Absolut Nights – the next step of the brand’s Transform Today^™campaign – dedicated to inspiring consumers to push nightlife conventions beyond their limits. A short film featuring a never-before-heard track from electronic music duo, Empire of the Sun, leads the campaign by showcasing real experiences of Absolut nightlife. Inspiring consumers to reinvent their own night out, Absolut has launched Absolut Spark, a new limited edition illuminated bottle.

“At Absolut, we believe in a world where there’s no such thing as a ‘standard’ night out, ” said Joao Rozario, VP of Marketing, Absolut. “By infusing the unexpected into the ordinary, Absolut Nights aims to inspire nightlife lovers to use the night as their canvas to explore what the future of nightlife looks like. ”

Absolut Nights was launched with a global series of one-of-a-kind events (in New York, Sao Paolo, Berlin and Johannesburg) that use the night as a creative canvas, inviting audiences to play inside unique artistic experiences. Over the course of four weeks, Absolut collaborated with artists (Vita Motus, Charles Gadeken, Studio XO and Marianna Krawczyk) that are pushing the boundaries of their field and worked with them to transform one element of the night at each event – Light, Dance Floor, Style and Persona. Each event featured a different artist who reimagined a traditional nightlife convention – from over-sized, inside-out disco ball to pyrotechnic-triggering dance floors – to create a collective rush of adrenaline for event attendees. The result was four unique events, which pushed the boundaries for what partiers should expect from a night out.

The experiences were filmed by Grammy-winning director Melina Matsoukas, who honed an expertise of capturing live events by working with the world’s top musicians. The film content invites viewers inside the incredible world of Absolut Nights, showcasing how the individual artists transformed the night in ways no one has ever have imagined before.

Absolut Nights – Johannesburg

Absolut Nights – Johannesburg

Absolut Nights – Johannesburg

Absolut Nights – Johannesburg

Absolut Nights – Johannesburg

Absolut Nights – Johannesburg

Absolut Nights – Johannesburg

In Johannesburg, Absolut collaborated with Charlie Gadeken, the fire artist responsible for many of Burning Man’s most awe-inspiring kinetic sculptures, allowing 200 Johannesburg partiers to play inside this unique artistic experience. In a once-in-a-life-time opportunity, Gadeken’s custom art installation captured the energy of the night and the crowd by transforming it into a pyrotechnical frenzy, triggered by the audience movement.

In a remote desert location, a mirrored cube was flanked with row after row of pyrotechnics. When the guests start dancing inside the cube, the fireworks reflected and heightened the energy of the experience. As the night reached a fever pitch, explosions created a shimmering shape and the unique landscape was engulfed in smoke, sparks and color. From inside the cube, the audience experienced the beauty of pandemonium that they helped to create.

Absolut Nights: Sao Paulo

Absolut Nights: Sao Paulo

Absolut Nights: Sao Paulo

Absolut Nights: Sao Paulo

Absolut Nights: Sao Paulo

Absolut Nights: Sao Paulo

Absolut Nights: Sao Paulo

Absolut Nights – Johannesburg

Absolut Nights: Sao Paulo

Absolut Nights: Sao Paulo

Absolut Nights: Sao Paulo

Absolut Nights: Sao Paulo

Absolut Nights: Sao Paulo

Absolut Nights: Sao Paulo

Absolut Nights: Sao Paulo

Absolut Nights: Sao Paulo

Absolut Nights: Sao Paulo

In Sao Paulo, Absolut invited seventy-five partiers to become someone else for just one night. Upon entering the Victor Hugo mansion, attendees of this one-night-only artistic experience were given a new identity, complete with a persona, a story, and a handmade costume customized for each character. Created in collaboration with acclaimed videogame writer Marianne Krawczyk, the experience transformed her skill of creating interactive environments by bringing one to life as an immersive environment in which the greatest partiers in history converge at a party for the ages.

Partygoers wore bespoke outfits made with fabrics embedded with lasers and mirrors which were wirelessly controlled from a central server, so they could choreograph and synchronize the lasers. Wearable technology allowed guests to be integral part of the artistic experience, breaking free of their expectations of a night out.

 

Absolut Nights: Berlin

Absolut Nights: Berlin

Absolut Nights: Berlin

Absolut Nights: Berlin

Absolut Nights: Berlin

Absolut Nights: Berlin

In Berlin, Absolut combined high fashion and high tech in the jungle with laser couture (created by Studio XO) and joined forces with the fashion/technology designers to offer a transformational and interactive nightlife experience at Kraftwerk, the iconic representation of Berlin’s industrial history, giving the city a never before seen collaborative celebration. As the third event in the global Absolut Nights series, Absolut invited 200 Berliners to play inside a unique artistic experience created at the intersection of nightlife and nature. 

SiriusXM to Air Live Concerts from Across America to Ring In New Year

Performances by Elton John, Willie Nelson, Widespread Panic, Phil Lesh and more. DJ Sets from Skrillex, Diplo, Martin Garrix and Armin van Buuren

Special encore broadcasts of feature concerts broadcast exclusively on SiriusXM in 2014 including Coldplay, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Allman Brothers, Young Jeezy, Black Keys, Cole Swindell and more

SiriusXM announced today that it will broadcast a diverse and extensive line-up of live concerts, DJ sets and special performances on New Year’s Eve. SiriusXM listeners will hear exclusive live broadcasts of concerts from across America with a wide-ranging lineup including Willie Nelson at ACL Live, in  Austin Texas (Willie’s Roadhouse, channel 59); Phil Lesh from Capital Theatre in Port Chester, New York (Grateful Dead, channel 23); Erasure from Terminal 5, New York (First Wave, channel 33), Southside Johnny from the State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey (E Street, Channel 20) and Jam_ON, channel 29 will air a Widespread Panic performance from the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina.

SiriusXM’s New Year’s Eve lineup will also include live DJ sets by internationally-renowned DJs. SiriusXM listeners will hear Skrillex and Diplo from Madison Square Garden in New York City (BPM, channel 51), as well as Martin Garrix from Pier 36 in New York City (Electric Area, channel 52) and Armin van Buuren from White Wonderland in Anaheim, California (Electric Area, channel 52.)

Additionally, The Pulse, channel 15, will broadcast performances from the “Live in the Vineyard Concert” featuring performances by Meghan Trainor, Train, Matt Nathanson and others; and, on New Year’s Day, The Bridge, channel 32, will broadcast an Elton John concert from Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York on New Year’s Day.

Special encore presentations of an expansive lineup of exclusive concerts that were broadcast live on SiriusXM earlier in the year, including the Allman Brothers‘ final concert from the Beacon Theater in New York City (Classic Vinyl, channel 26); a Coldplay concert recorded at the Beacon Theater in New York City (The Spectrum, channel 28); the Black Keys from a private concert for SiriusXM listeners from the Mercy Lounge in Nashville (The Spectrum, channel 28); Alt Nation, channel 36 will broadcast Foo Fighters recent concert from Irving Plaza in New York City and a Foster The People concert from Music Hall in Brooklyn.  Listeners will hear a 1992 New Year’s Eve Pearl Jam performance at The Academy Theater in New York City (Pearl Jam Radio, channel 22), Young Jeezy from Echostage in Washington, DC (Hip Hop Nation, channel 44); Cole Swindell from the Exit In in Nashville (The Highway, channel 56);  Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators at Santos Party House in New York City, August Alsina from The Fillmore in Silver Springs, MD (The Heat, channel 47); The Bar-Kays with Confunkshun and The Dazz Band from the Cannon Center  in Memphis (The Groove, channel 50), and In This Moment from Webster Hall in New York City (Octane, channel 37.)

Richard Linklater’s Boyhood Lead the List of New York Film Critics Circle 2014 Award Winners

The awards season started in earnest today when New York Film Critics Circle announced its 2014 recipients. Richard Linklater’s Boyhood was the big winner, coming away with the Best Picture, Best Director (Richard Linklater) and Best Supporting Actress (Patricia Arquette) awards. In a field that is proving to be wide open on several fronts, the NYFCC spread the wealth across the board, naming films and actors that– given the crush of worthy actors and actresses– could definitely use the push to the head of the line, especially small films that have garnered praise from the critics and audiences alike but has not been major hits at the box office and not widely screened at the moment.

Richard Linklater’s Boyhood

Founded in 1935, the Circle’s membership includes critics from daily newspapers, weekly newspapers, magazines, and qualifying on-line general-interest publications. Every year in December the organization meets in New York to vote on awards for the previous calendar year’s films. John Huston once called the award “the greatest honor that anyone in my profession can receive,” and John Ford even admitted, “it means more to me than any other honor.” The New York Film Critics Circle have consistently recognized, championed and defended films that may otherwise have been slighted by audiences and the entertainment industry. Founded in part as a response to the Academy Awards’ sometimes dubious selections for the annual best in cinema, the NYFCC has from the start prided itself on striving to recognize a higher standard of film.

Among the categoriesare best picture, director, screenplay, actor, actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, cinematography, animated movie and best first film. Special stand-alone awards are also given to individuals and organizations that have made substantial contributions to the art of cinema, including producers, directors, actors, writers, critics, historians, film restorers and service organizations.

Below is the complete list for 2014:

Best Picture

Boyhood

Best Director

Richard Linklater

BOYHOOD

Best Screenplay

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Actress

Marion Cotillard

THE IMMIGRANT, TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT

Best Actor

Timothy Spall

MR. TURNER

Best Supporting Actress

Patricia Arquette

BOYHOOD

Best Supporting Actor

J.K. Simmons

WHIPLASH

Best Cinematographer

Darius Khondji

THE IMMIGRANT

Best Animated Film

The LEGO Movie

Best Non-Fiction Film (Documentary)

Citizenfour

Best Foreign Film

Ida

Best First Film

Jennifer Kent

THE BABADOOK

Special Award

Adrienne Mancia

The Circle’s awards are often viewed as harbingers of the Oscar nominations, which are announced each February. The Circle’s awards are also viewed — perhaps more accurately — as a principled alternative to the Oscars, honoring esthetic merit in a forum that is immune to commercial and political pressures. A complete list of previous winners is available on this site, along with a list of current members with links to their publications.

New-York Historical Society Mounts First Annual Holiday Express Exhibition Featuring Antique Trains and Toys from the Museum’s Jerni Collection

The New-York Historical Society will be transformed this holiday season with a vibrant and sweeping display of spectacular antique toy trains, toys and scenic elements. On view now through February 22, 2015 (Presidents’ Day), Holiday Express: Trains and Toys from the Jerni Collection is a dynamic exhibition that appeals to all ages, showcasing the beauty and allure of toys from a bygone era. The Holiday Express exhibition is sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Stated Dr. Louise Mirrer, President and CEO of the New-York Historical Society: “This collection will provide a wonderful new way for young visitors to understand how railroads supplanted canals as the favored mode of transport; how dozens of lines competed to funnel the raw produce of the American heartland to New York’s factories, shipyards, and piers; how the United States rail system experienced phenomenal growth not only upon the completion of the first transcontinental railroad, but also with the development of elevated railways in American cities; why, in 1865, New York Tribune editor Horace Greeley famously took up the longstanding appeal for the poor and unemployed of New York City to ‘go west and grow up with the country.’”

Lutz Toy Company Floor toy train set, 1884. New-York
Historical Society, The Jerni Collection.

The New-York Historical Society, one of America’s pre-eminent cultural institutions, is dedicated to fostering research, presenting history and art exhibitions, and public programs that reveal the dynamism of history and its influence on the world of today. Founded in 1804, New-York Historical is the oldest museum in New York City and has a mission to explore the richly layered political, cultural and social history of New York City and State and the nation, and to serve as a national forum for the discussion of issues surrounding the making and meaning of history.

Detail of Lutz Toy Company Floor toy train set, 1884. NewYork
Historical Society, The Jerni Collection.

Brianne Train Station, ca. 1900. New-York Historical
Society, The Jerni Collection

A highlight of New-York Historical Society’s holdings, the Jerni Collection was assembled over fifty years by U.S. collectors Jerry and Nina Greene and is considered one of the world’s leading collections of antique trains and toys. It includes unique, hand-crafted and hand-painted pieces dating from approximately 1850 to 1940, featuring prime examples by the leading manufacturers that set the standard for the Golden Age of European toys, including the German firms of Märklin, Bing, Ernst Plank and Carette, as well as the American firm Lionel.

Märklin 5-gauge locomotive, 1905. New-York Historical
Society, The Jerni Collection.

Detail of Ferris Wheels. New-York Historical Society, The
Jerni Collection.

Holiday Express unfolds over a broad swath of New-York Historical’s first floor and the DiMenna Children’s History Museum on the lower level, featuring more than 300 pieces from the museum’s Jerni Collection that transform the space into a magical wonderland. Holiday Express displays designed by Lee H. Skolnick Architecture + Design Partnership, Batwin + Robin Productions and Big Show Construction Management, Inc. feature theatrical lighting, an ambient audio “soundscape” and other effects to engage visitors in an immersive experience. Antique trains move along more than 400 linear feet of railroad tracks that twist and turn overhead, winding throughout the first floor.

Doll & Co. Ferris Wheel, 1904. New-York Historical Society, The Jerni Collection

Märklin Post Office, 1895, with other toys. New-York Historical Society, The Jerni Collection.

Märklin Post Office, 1895. New-York Historical Society, The Jerni Collection.

The exhibition begins at New-York Historical’s West 77th Street entrance, where movement and sound from four large-scale multimedia screens will make it seem as though trains are roaring through the rotunda. This space also features a circular display case with the Boucher “Blue Comet,” a rare toy train from the 1920s-30s that mimics the real Blue Comet, which ran from the New York metropolitan area to Atlantic City during the Great Depression. Other highlights in this case are a one-of-a-kind Märklin Post Office (1895), a large Doll & Co. Ferris wheel (1904), a Gebrüder Bing carousel (1880-1890), and aircraft flying overhead.

A 360-degree mountainous landscape on view in the Judith and Howard Berkowitz Sculpture Court features artifacts grouped into ten scenes, including a tunnel, train station arrival structure, fairground, harbor with a lighthouse, and an airplane fly-by.

Toy Airship, 1920-1930. New-York Historical Society, The Jerni Collection.

Gebruder Bing 4-gauge dining car, 1900-1906. New-York Historical Society, The Jerni Collection.

Detail of Gebruder Bing Carousel, 1880-1890. New-York Historical Society, The Jerni Collection.

Märklin 5-gauge locomotive, 1905. New-York Historical Society, The Jerni Collection.

Detail of Kinder & Briel Café kiosk, 1905-1910. New-York Historical Society, The Jerni Collection.

Gebruder Bing Leviathan ocean liner, 1920. New-York Historical Society, The Jerni Collection.

An expansive display in the Robert H. and Clarice Smith New York Gallery of American History features a variety of trains, stations and other buildings, aircraft, and ships and boats of all shapes and sizes, including the largest example of Gebrüder Bing’s Leviathan toy ocean liner (1920). The display in the Leah and Michael Weisberg Monumental Treasures Wall Case is highlighted by a subtle palette of lighting effects to evoke a time-lapse transformation from dawn to dusk.

Several illuminated cases in New-York Historical’s hallways feature thematic displays from the collection. A dramatically lit display along the Central Park West corridor showcases large-scale American pieces, including moving trains within an abstract landscape, as well as interactive elements like a crawl-through space and a pop-up semi-sphere, so kids can get an up-close view of the display.

The exhibition was curated by Mike Thornton, Assistant Curator for Material Culture at the New-York Historical Society. Consultants on Holiday Express: Trains and Toys from the Jerni Collection include:
• Lee H. Skolnick Architecture + Design Partnership (LHSA+DP), an integrated architecture and exhibit design firm located in New York City responsible for the overall Concept and Design for Holiday Express; LHSA+DP is the designer of the New-York Historical Society’s highly popular, DiMenna Children’s History Museum.
• Batwin + Robin, renowned “media storytellers” with over twenty years of experience in the theater, museums and other venues, were the media producers for the exhibition.
• Big Show Construction Management, Inc., a company that bridges the entertainment and construction industries, provided the comprehensive project management services.

Mandarin Oriental, New York Celebrates the Holiday Season with an Array of Festive Packages

Mandarin Oriental, New York invites guests to make it a cheerful holiday season at one of Manhattan’s favorite celebration destinations. Guests of all ages will enjoy the Five-Star property’s festive assortment of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve offerings. A stunning fusion of modern design with stylish Oriental flair, Mandarin Oriental, New York features 244 elegant guestrooms and suites — all with breathtaking views of Manhattan and Five-Star hospitality. Luxurious amenities include Asiate, the hotel’s elegant restaurant; MObar created by noted interior designer, Tony Chi; the Lobby Lounge with dramatic views of Central Park; a 14,500-square-foot, Five-Star Mandarin Oriental Spa; and a state-of-the-art fitness center with a 75-foot lap pool.  In addition, there is premium meeting and event space, including a 6,000-square-foot pillar-less ballroom with three walls of windows overlooking Central Park. Located in Columbus Circle’s Time Warner Center, Mandarin Oriental, New York is in an idyllic location just steps away from world-class dining, shopping and entertainment, including the Broadway Theater District, Lincoln Center, Central Park, Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Time Warner Center’s collection of upscale retail shops and restaurants.

I Love a Parade Package

Experience a bird’s eye view of the famous Thanksgiving Day Parade from Mandarin Oriental, New York’s ballroom with the I Love a Parade package. Rates begin at USD 1,125 per night and include exclusive access to the Mandarin Ballroom’s Thanksgiving Party to watch the parade, a two-night stay and a festive welcome amenity. The I Love a Parade package is valid from November 25 to 28, 2014 and is based on availability plus taxes and gratuities.

Bergdorf Goodman Holiday Windows Package 

Enjoy exclusive behind-the-scenes access to experience a favorite New York City holiday tradition with Mandarin Oriental, New York’s Bergdorf Goodman Holiday Windows package. Guests will enjoy a personal tour of the iconic Bergdorf Goodman holiday windows along Fifth Avenue with one of the store’s visionary designers and learn about the inspiration behind this year’s theme. Following the tour, guests are invited for a personal shopping experience at Bergdorf Goodman’s “Trim the Tree” holiday installation on the Seventh Floor and an intimate dinner for two guests at BG Restaurant. A perfect way to round out the festivities, guests will enjoy two nights at Mandarin Oriental, New York in a Premier Central Park View Suite and the special Nutcracker Tea in the Lobby Lounge. The Bergdorf Goodman Holiday Windows package is valid from November 17 to December 24, 2014 with rates beginning at USD 4,800 for a two-night stay. Additional nights may be booked at Best Available Rates. The package is based on double occupancy, limited in availability and subject to applicable taxes and gratuities.

Capture the Spirit of the Season Package 

Families are invited to create a lasting snapshot of their holiday visit to New York City with Mandarin Oriental, New York’s Capture the Spirit of the Season package. Experience a private two-hour tour of The Metropolitan Museum of Art photography exhibitions led by guides from Art Smart, designers of engaging, personalized museum tours. Following a lesson on perspective from the Art Smart guide, families will then tour the city’s holiday sights in the comfort of a luxury SUV. The Capture the Spirit of the Season package is available from December 1 to December 31, 2014 with rates beginning at USD 3,100 for a two-night stay for two adults and two children under 12. Additional nights may be booked at Best Available Rates. The package is subject to availability and applicable taxes and gratuities.

New Year’s Eve Gala Package 

Mandarin Oriental, New York’s New Year’s Eve Celebration package is the ultimate grand finale to 2014. The evening begins upon arrival to a luxurious guestroom or suite featuring breathtaking views of Manhattan. New Year’s festivities commence on Wednesday, December 31, 2014 with the annual New Year’s Eve Gala in the Mandarin Ballroom on the hotel’s 36th floor. The elegant black-tie evening features an open bar cocktail hour, a multi-course dinner with gourmet delicacies and live musical performances that will have guests dancing their way into the New Year. Rates for the New Year’s Eve Celebration package begin at USD 6,200 and include accommodations for two nights in a guestroom or suite for check-in on December 30 or 31, 2014, two tickets to the New Year’s Eve Gala and daily American breakfast for two guests. Additional nights may be booked at Best Available Rates. The package is based on double occupancy and is subject to applicable taxes and gratuities. For information on purchasing individual tickets to the New Year’s Eve Gala, please call +1 (212) 805 8915.

Gift Cards

Delight loved ones with the gift of legendary experiences this holiday season with a Mandarin Oriental Gift Card. Gift Cards may be purchased at Mandarin Oriental, New York or by visiting http://www.mandarinoriental.com/gift-cards.

For reservations, please call +1 (212) 805 8800 or visit www.mandarinoriental.com.

Coming Soon: Making Music Modern: Design for Eye and Ear at The Museum of Modern Art, New York

November 15, 2014–November 15, 2015

Philip Johnson Architecture and Design Galleries, third floor

Jonathan Ive, Apple Industrial Design Group. iPod. 2001. Polycarbonate plastic and stainless steel, 4 x 2 1/2 x 7/8″ (10.2 x 6.4 x 2.2 cm). Mfr.: Apple, Inc. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of the manufacturer

Music and design­—art forms that share aesthetics of rhythm, tonality, harmony, interaction, and improvisation—have long had a close affinity, perhaps never more so than during the 20th century. Radical design and technological innovations, from the LP to the iPod and from the transistor radio to the Stratocaster, have profoundly altered our sense of how music can be performed, heard, distributed, and visualized. Avant-garde designers—among them Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Lilly Reich, Saul Bass, Jørn Utzon, and Daniel Libeskind—have endeavored to push the boundaries of their design work in tandem with the music of their time. Drawn entirely from the Museum’s collection, Making Music Modern gathers designs for auditoriums, instruments, and equipment for listening to music, along with posters, record sleeves, sheet music, and animation.

Panasonic. Toot-A-Loop Radio (model R-72). c. 1972. ABS plastic, h. 2 3/4″ (7 cm), diam. 6″ (15.2 cm). Mfr.: Panasonic Company, Secaucus, NJ. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of Anne Dixon

 

The exhibition examines alternative music cultures of the early 20th century, the rise of radio during the interwar period, how design shaped the “cool” aesthetic of midcentury jazz and hi-fidelity culture, and its role in countercultural music scenes from pop to punk, and later 20th-century design explorations at the intersection of art, technology, and perception.

Barneys New York Announces Holiday 2014: BAZ DAZZLED Holiday in Collaboration With Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin in Support of Room to Read

Barneys New York, the luxury specialty retailer, announced today the 2014 Holiday campaign: BAZ DAZZLED Holiday; a collaboration with world renowned writer/director/producer Baz Luhrmann and designer Catherine Martin. A multi-platform initiative, BAZ DAZZLED Holiday will merge the iconic visual language of Luhrmann’s award winning film work with the wit and surprise of the legendary Barneys New York annual holiday initiatives.  Luhrmann and Martin, along with the Barneys New York team under the direction of creative director Dennis Freedman, have conceived a modern holiday world filled with decadent textures and fantastical characters set against the backdrop of iconic holiday concepts.

Barneys New York BAZ DAZZLED Holiday shopping bags (PRNewsFoto/Barneys New York)

Original and exclusive BAZ DAZZLED Holiday artwork by Luhrmann and Martin take you into a magical world filled with fantastical characters, woodland creatures, ice skaters, snow owls, and candy canes, along with their motto “A Life Lived in Fear is a Life Half Lived.”  The artwork melds together imagery ranging from classic to the absurd, and will be brought to life in the Madison Avenue Flagship windows, as well as throughout the store.  The artwork will be featured on special Barneys New York shopping bags, gift cards and in-store displays during the 6-week initiative.

Barneys New York has worked to create a range of exclusive (XO), limited-edition holiday gift items, which will be available at Chelsea Passage on the 9th floor of the Barneys New York Madison Avenue flagship location, select Barneys New York locations nationwide, and Barneys.com. Using inspiration from the project, the product assortment will focus on luxury holiday decor and gifts such as ornaments, stockings, children’s costumes and toys, table-top accessories, throws, and other giftable items.

In the spirit of the holiday season and in honor of this special collaboration, Barneys New York will donate 25% of sales from all BAZ DAZZLED Holiday products to Room to Read, a global organization that seeks to transform the lives of millions of children in developing countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education.

Multi-award winning director, writer, producer, music producer and visualist, Baz Luhrmann along with Oscar-winning production and costume designer and producer

Barneys New York BAZ DAZZLED Holiday shopping bags (PRNewsFoto/Barneys New York)

Catherine Martin, are partners in their company, Bazmark Inq. Bazmark Inq has produced projects that have captured popular and critical imagination with a diverse range of projects ranging from film, opera, theatre, music, multimedia and events.

“From the earliest days of our love affair with the city of New York, we have always marveled at the way Barneys blends retail, theatre, art and narrative with irreverence and wit while nevertheless remaining accessible to its audience,” said Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin.  “We embrace the opportunity of reveling in the holiday spirit by collaborating with Barneys, taking traditional holiday iconography and turning it on its head.  This collaboration is, for us, ultimately a celebratory opportunity to deepen our relationship with our adopted city of New York.”

“Barneys New York has a long history of unexpected and imaginative holiday programs, and working with Baz and Catherine continues this tradition,” said Mark Lee, Barneys New York CEO. “It is thrilling to see their incredible creative vision blend with the Barneys New York spirit for this unique collaboration.”

Room to Read is a global organization seeking to transform the lives of millions of children in Asia and Africa by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Founded on the belief that World Change Starts with Educated Children, Room to Read works in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations and governments to develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children and to ensure girls have the skills and support needed to complete their secondary education.  Since 2000, Room to Read has impacted the lives of nearly nine million children and aims to reach 10 million children by 2015. Learn more at www.roomtoread.org.

BARNEYS NEW YORK (Barneys) is a luxury specialty retailer renowned for having the most discerning edit from the world’s top designers, including women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, accessories, shoes, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and gifts for the home. Barneys’ signature sense of wit and style is manifested in its creative advertising campaigns, original holiday themes, and celebrated window displays. Founded as a men’s retailer in 1923 in downtown Manhattan, it became an international arbiter of high style for both women and men in the 1970s, renowned for discovering and developing new and innovative design talent. Today, Barneys New York operates flagship stores in New York City, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Seattle, Boston, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Scottsdale along with a preeminent luxury online store, Barneys.com, as well as 21 other stores and outlets across the United States. For more information about Barneys New York, please visit www.Barneys.com and explore its luxury content site, The Window, for an insider’s look into the Barneys world: a behind-the-scenes visit with exciting designers, fashion, events, and the Barneys team.

Equinox Unveils 2014 Ad Campaign, “Equinox Made Me Do It”

Equinox, the leaders in fitness and lifestyle, unveiled today its 2014 ad campaign: Equinox Made Me Do It. The campaign, created by Wieden+Kennedy New York, highlights the results of living a more provoked life. The ads connect the cause and effect of an Equinox workout, asserting that a good workout can be a bad influence.

Equinox operates 64 upscale, full-service clubs in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco,Miami, Boston, Dallas and Washington, DC, as well as new international locations in London and Toronto.  Providing a holistic approach to fitness, the company offers an integrated selection of Equinox-branded programs, services and products, including strength and cardio training, group fitness classes, personal training, spa services and products, apparel and food/juice bars. Since its inception in 1991, Equinox has developed a lifestyle brand that represents service, value, quality, expertise, innovation, attention to detail, market leadership and results.

“We looked to our members as the core inspiration for this campaign,” said Carlos Becil, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Equinox. “Grounded in the idea of high performance living, we aim to provide our members with a holistic approach to health, and push them to seek higher goals, disrupt preconceived notions and break boundaries. This campaign embodies that disruptive spirit and speaks to our core audience.”

To illustrate the idea that Equinox gives its members the confidence to stray outside of their comfort zone, Equinox pushed creative boundaries with the campaign. Photographed by Robert Wyatt, the imagery is bold and provocative. One shot features a close-up of a young man with a black eye. Another image captures a nearly naked couple running away in the night. The moments captured exude a sense of rebellion. Lowered inhibitions and playful naughtiness are the side effects of living a more provoked life.

Beginning on January 1, Equinox will promote the campaign across digital, social, print and out-of-home. Using the hashtag #equinoxmademedoit across social media, the ads will also be displayed in Equinox locations throughout New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Miami, Boston, Dallas,Washington, DC, London and Toronto.

“For this campaign we wanted a photographic approach that had a strong sense of narrative and realism,” said Stuart Jennings, Creative Director, Wieden+Kennedy New York. “We chose Robert Wyatt as the photographer because he’s a storyteller who injects a fashion sensibility into all his work. His ability to capture real, candid moments rather than overly posed situations made him a perfect fit for this campaign.”

Equinox has implemented an aggressive expansion strategy, both domestically and globally, to grow its family of brands around the world. With more than 60 clubs across the U.S. and recently opened international locations in London and Toronto, Equinox plans to expand its footprint into new cities in the U.S. and abroad.

In addition to the Equinox clubs, the company introduced in 2008 the first American outpost of Pure Yoga,Asia’s premiere yoga studio and in 2011 Blink Fitness, a new brand of innovative, value oriented gyms. In May of that same year, Equinox acquired SoulCycle, the country’s leading boutique cycling operator.

For more information, visit www.equinox.com.

Barneys New York Returns to Downtown Manhattan with Flagship Store at Historic Chelsea Location

From its original opening in 1923, Barneys New York was a consistent and powerful presence, iconic to the downtown New York landscape 

Barneys New York, the luxury specialty retailer, announced today that it will return to its downtown roots on 7th Avenue between 17th Street and 16th Street with a significant flagship slated to open within 2017. An original presence in the Chelsea neighborhood spanning 90 years, the new Barneys New York flagship will occupy a major portion of its former historic store, providing a unique shopping experience currently absent in the downtown market.

Barneys New York Former Chelsea Location, 1989. (PRNewsFoto/Barneys New York)

Barney Pressman opened his men’s store, “Barney’s,” on Seventh Avenue in Chelsea in 1923. Launched as a discount retailer, by the 1970s the store evolved into a New York City luxury menswear destination, becoming an early champion of European brands. It later became an international arbiter of high style for both women and men in the 1970s, renowned for discovering and developing new and innovative design talent. Barneys New York expanded into its existing flagship location on Madison Avenue in 1993, and closed the Seventh Avenue location in 1997. 

Today, Barneys New York operates flagship stores in New York City, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Seattle, Boston, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Scottsdale along with a preeminent luxury online store, http://www.Barneys.com, as well as 25 other stores and outlets across the United States. 

The downtown flagship will consist of five floors totaling close to 57,000 square feet. The store will have 200 feet of frontage running along the majority of the Seventh Avenue block and wrapping the corner of 16th Street, providing ample space for its world-renowned window displays. The interior will maintain an aesthetic consistent with the recent renovations of the Madison Avenue store, which emphasize a modern, open, gallery-like feel. The Barneys New York downtown store will carry men’s and women’s designer clothing, shoes, and accessories, and will feature a Foundation level for cosmetics, skincare, and fragrances. Preliminary plans also include a Freds restaurant on the uppermost retail floor.

“Today’s announcement represents the realization of our long-standing goal of returning to downtown with a substantial location,” said Barneys New York Chief Executive Officer Mark Lee. “The opportunity to revitalize our presence with a state-of-the-art store on the same street where the company served customers for 75 years only enhances that plan. We believe the robust and growing downtown market is under penetrated in terms of a larger specialty retailer, and we look forward to serving these customers again with what we anticipate will be one of our most important stores.”

The thriving Madison Avenue flagship will continue to operate as the largest store for the company, which along with the Upper West Side, Soho and Brooklyn locations, provides Barneys New York with an exceptionally strong presence across New York City.

Celebrate New Year’s Eve at the Mandarin Oriental, New York

Raise a glass to 2014 at Manhattan’s ultimate celebration, the annual New Year’s Eve Gala at the luxurious Mandarin Oriental, New York. Following a night of revelry, guests are invited to retreat to stylish guestroom accommodations with the New Year’s Eve Celebration hotel package.

A stunning fusion of modern design with stylish Oriental flair, Mandarin Oriental, New York features 244 elegant guestrooms and suites — all with breathtaking views of Manhattan and Five-Star hospitality. Luxurious amenities include Asiate, the hotel’s elegant restaurant; MObar created by noted interior designer, Tony Chi; the Lobby Lounge with dramatic views of Central Park; a 14,500-square-foot, Five-Star Mandarin Oriental Spa; and a state-of-the-art fitness center with a 75-foot lap pool.  In addition, there is premium meeting and event space, including a 6,000-square-foot pillar-less ballroom with three walls of windows overlooking Central Park. Located in Columbus Circle’s Time Warner Center, Mandarin Oriental, New York is in an idyllic location just steps away from world-class dining, shopping and entertainment, including the Broadway Theater District, Lincoln Center, Central Park, Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Time Warner Center’s collection of upscale retail shops and restaurants.

The New Year’s Eve Gala on Tuesday, December 31, 2013 (with packages beginning at $5,700) is the perfect way to ring in 2014. The event will be held in the hotel’s stunning 36th floor ballroom. In addition to spectacular views of Central Park and the city’s skyline, the elegant black-tie evening features an open bar cocktail hour, and an array of butler-passed hors d’oeuvres. A multi-course dinner with gourmet delicacies will be complemented by a dessert buffet. The festivities continue with surprise entertainment and dinner show acts. Following dinner, live musical performances will have guests dancing their way into the New Year.

The New Year’s Eve Celebration Hotel Package include:

— Accommodation for two nights in a guestroom or suite for check-in on December 30 or 31, 2013

— Two tickets to the hotel’s annual black-tie New Year’s Eve Gala  held in the Mandarin Ballroom

— Daily American breakfast for two guests to be enjoyed in-room or at signature restaurant Asiate

Tickets to attend Mandarin Oriental, New York’s annual New Year’s Eve Gala evening are available from USD 1,250 to USD 1,500 per person, plus tax and service charge, based on table preference and party size. For tickets or more information, please contact the hotel directly at +1 (212) 805 8858 or email NewYearsEveNYC@mohg.com.

Reservations for the New Year’s Eve Celebration package can be made by contacting the hotel directly at +1 (212) 805 8800 or via the Group’s direct on-line reservations service at www.mandarinoriental.com. The package is based on availability and on double occupancy. A two-night stay is required and additional nights may be booked at best available rates. The package must be canceled 7 days prior to arrival to avoid a one night cancellation charge.

 

103 Participants Selected for 2014 Whitney Biennial, To Take Place March 7–May 25, 2014

The 2014 edition of the Whitney Biennial—the country’s best known survey of the latest developments in American art—will take place March 7–May 25, 2014 and will be the last Biennial in the Whitney Museum of American Art’s building at 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street before the Museum moves downtown to its new building in the spring of 2015. This is the 77th in the Museum’s ongoing series of Annuals and Biennials begun in 1932 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney.

2014 Whitney Biennial curators Anthony Elms, Stuart Comer, and Michelle Grabner. Photograph by Filip Wolak

The 2014 Biennial will take a bold new form with three curators from outside the Museum offering their unique perspectives on the state of contemporary art in the United States. The curators have selected 103 participants. While past Biennials have been organized collectively by multiple curators, for this edition each curator will oversee one floor of the exhibition. To curate the Biennial, the Museum selected Stuart Comer, Anthony Elms, and Michelle Grabner to represent a range of geographic vantages and curatorial methodologies. Whitney curators Elisabeth Sussman and Jay Sanders, who were responsible for the widely praised 2012 Biennial, are serving as advisors on the project.

Donna De Salvo, Chief Curator and Deputy Director for Programs at the Whitney, noted: “The 2014 Biennial brings together the findings of three curators with very distinct points of view. There is little overlap in the artists they have selected and yet there is common ground. This can be seen in their choice of artists working in interdisciplinary ways, artists working collectively, and artists from a variety of generations. Together, the 103 participants offer one of the broadest and most diverse takes on art in the United States that the Whitney has offered in many years.”

Stuart Comer (formerly Curator: Film at Tate Modern, London, now Chief Curator of Media and Performance Art at MoMA) commented that his section of the Biennial “acknowledges the complexity of contemporary art practice by including many types of cultural producers: editorial collectives, artist curators, activists, musicians, poets, dancers, filmmakers, painters, sculptors and photographers. These artists often work at the intersection of political movements and personal statements, addressing global shifts in vibrant and variable ways. A keen sense of history pervades their work, even as they are involved in forging new ways to consider identity, nationality, technology, community and genre. Many of them produce artworks that deviate and morph between forms and categories—they champion an art of multiplicity and flux.”

Anthony Elms (Associate Curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia) began his curatorial process by trying to answer the question architect Marcel Breuer posed in his notes for the plans for the Whitney Museum on Madison Avenue: “What should a museum look like, a museum in Manhattan?” Elms’s answer for the 2014 Biennial is that “a museum in Manhattan should be filled with a multiplicity of voices and a sense of poetry. It should exhibit works of art from all creative disciplines and challenge the relationship between the past, the present, and histories yet to be written. Ultimately, each singular artistic statement should contain a palpable sense of the plural.”

Michelle Grabner (Professor in the Painting and Drawing Department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, who also teaches at Yale, is an artist herself, and oversees two alternative art spaces in the Midwest) noted that her section of the 2014 Whitney Biennial “features artists who have come to the fore as figures of influence, both inside and outside the geographic and commercial centers of the art world. Some are independent-minded creators who feel their work is best served by maintaining a distance from these centers; some are teachers; others are ‘artist’s artists;’ some challenge art institutions. Many of these artists are object makers, embracing the traditional disciplines of craft, painting, and sculpture.”