Opera’s Murderin’ Medea slays Berlin Twice!
As commemorations of Maria Callas’ centenary continue, Medea operas dominate the 2023-24 season.
Bradley Cooper’s ‘Maestro’ Is a Masterpiece
When the elements combine, you get a film as welcome and rare as a perfect Christmas morning.
The Best Under-the-Radar Cocktail Bars for a Relaxed Night Out in New York
Amid New York’s bustling nightlife scene, sometimes all you want is a quiet spot to catch up with friends over
Arts
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“Wake up, Wolfram!”: Extinction Rebellion Takes on Tannhäuser at the Met
After the third interruption, Peter Gelb appeared in front of the golden curtain to offer his apologies and assert that the opera house would not let this stop the show.
Phillips to Bring Lisa Schiff’s Artwork to Auction
The works slated for the block include pieces by Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and Richard Prince.
Activism Through Art: Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova On the Legacy of Judy Chicago
The ‘Godmother of feminist art’ still has a lot to teach us.
One Fine Show: Color Field Paintings at the NSU Art Museum
A new show of Color Field paintings in Fort Lauderdale has no Rothkos in sight.
The Definitive Collection of Soccer-Themed Artwork Is Heading to Auction
With depictions of scenic grassy playing fields to action-packed tackles, a Bonhams auction next month will highlight artwork featuring the sport of soccer.
Lifestyle
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The Best Holiday Gifts for Movie Lovers
From smartly made movie merch to must-haves for your movie marathons, these are the best gifts to get the cinephile in your life.
The Best Holiday Gifts for the Art Lovers and Artists On Your List
Shop all the best presents for the art lover in your life.
Bausch + Lomb CEO Brent Saunders Buys Cher’s Former Miami Beach Home for $35.4 Million
The waterfront property was initially listed for $42.5 million.
Kylie Jenner’s Style Evolution
See all of her most memorable fashion moments.
Ski, Savor and Sojourn: How to Plan the Most Unapologetically Aspen Experience
Here, the fusion of luxury and heart-pounding ski action sets the stage for an unparalleled winter experience.
Business
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Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav Reflects on Hollywood Strikes
Zaslav said both the actors and writers unions were “right about almost everything.” But he blamed the industry, rather than media leaders like himself, for their situation.
Elon Musk Reveals Cybertruck Prices and Sells a $55 Shattered Window Decal
The strength of the Cybertruck’s “armored glass” window remains a mystery.
Shein’s US IPO Will Shed Rare Light On Mysterious CEO Sky Xu and His Team
Little is known about Shein’s leadership team and business practices. An imminent U.S. IPO might change that.
Hedge Fund Billionaire Ray Dalio Discusses A.I. and Its Role in Global Economy
The Bridgewater founder said A.I. is just as much “part of the whole evolutionary process” as any new technological invention.
Elon Musk Escalates War With X Advertisers in Explosive Interview
Musk characterized advertisers who quit X as blackmailing him with money.
Power Lists
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The Digital Innovators Reshaping the Art World
What constitutes mainstream art is changing before our eyes, thanks to art world pioneers creating, collecting, sharing and selling a growing body of works that exist on the Blockchain. There are thousands of talented women and men creating amazing art in this space working alongside dedicated collectors and platform givers to increase the visibility of and demand for generative pieces, NFTs and other digital works. Our Digital Innovators Power List celebrates ten influential operators whose high-profile contributions in this space are changing the narrative—and the flow of capital—around digital art.
The Authorities Transforming Art as an Asset Class
By some estimates, the world’s private art collections are worth between $2 and $3 trillion, but the role of art in investment portfolios has tended to be ambiguous. As more collectors focus on financial gains, prominent innovators in and outside of finance are creating clarity and transforming art’s place in the modern portfolio.
The Most Influential People in the Art World Today
The women and men on Observer’s 2023 Business of Art Power List have their fingers on the pulse of the art market, and they’re unflinchingly optimistic. In the face of market contraction, ongoing uncertainty about the role of major cultural institutions and everything else that’s happening in the art world, these power players find inspiration in everything from art’s philanthropic potential and growing reach to the rapidly changing narratives around what art is and who it’s for. In short, they’re the people wielding outsized influence on art’s present and its future.
Entertainment
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What’s Leaving Streaming This Month: December 2023
From a Christmas classic to a historical epic, these are the movies you should be sure to catch before the end of the month.
‘The Sweet East’ Review: A Road Trip Indie Worth Seeking Out
It’s a small movie with some big ideas, but the performances are the real reason to watch.
From TikTok to the Stand-up Stage: Connor Wood at the New York Comedy Festival
Conor Wood—known as Fibula to 777.4K followers on TikTok—talks about his path from digital fame to the stand-up stage. “There’s more on the line with stand-up because there’s no editing,” he says.
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What to Watch on Streaming This Week: December 1-7
Holiday cheer, sci-fi adventures and video game fun await the eager streamer this week.
Who to Watch: Charles Melton, Star of ‘May December’
The actor shows his talents amongst the likes of Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore in Todd Haynes’ new melodrama.
Royal Velázquez Portrait Expected to Shatter Auction Records
A portrait of the Spanish Queen Isabel de Borbón could more than double Velázquez’s current auction record.
Experiencing the Intimate Distance of Ofelia Rodríguez
The show of more than seventy works by the artist is on view at the Bristol gallery through January 14.
ChatGPT’s One-Year Anniversary: How the Chatbot Changed OpenAI and the Internet
It has been a fruitful yet chaotic year for OpenAI and its leadership team.
Sukanya Rajaratnam On Curating for Younger Collectors and More
Observer recently caught up with White Cube’s new global director of strategic market initiatives.
Josh Jackson’s Paste Magazine Buys Jezebel From G/O Media in All-Cash Deal
Jezebel’s new owner said he won’t change the publication’s feminist identity.
In Philanthropy: The Mellon Foundation’s $500M Pledge to Reimagine Monuments and More
The New York-based nonprofit is doubling down on its 2020 Monuments Project initiative with another $250 million.
Maria Prymachenko’s Show at The Ukrainian Museum Rekindles the Potency of Folk Art
Painted with vivid gouaches and watercolors, Maria Prymachenko’s natural world comes to life in roaring, generous colors.
Jamie Dimon Still Believes In the Value of Physical Banks: ‘People Like to Visit Their Money’
The nature of banking branches has changed over the past decade, but there’s still a place for them in an increasingly online society, Jamie Dimon said.
Jet Set: The Best Travel Gifts
From a wanderlust-worthy coffee table book and the coziest travel pants to high-tech gadgets and packing essentials, these are the best travel gifts to buy your loved ones this year.
Charlie Munger’s Top 10 Quotes On Life, Business and Morality
“Always take the high road, it’s far less crowded,” said the late Berkshire Hathaway vice chairman in 2020.
Scythian Gold Returns to Ukraine Over Russian Objections
Nine years after the Russian Federation’s invasion of Crimea, the Allard Pierson Museum of Antiquities has returned more than 500 culturally significant Crimean artifacts to Ukraine.
Bloomberg Media CEO Tapped By Steve Cohen to Run the New York Mets
Bloomberg Media CEO M. Scott Havens will join the Mets to lead business operations starting 2024.
Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz Are Bringing Their Art Collection to the Brooklyn Museum
Titled ‘Giants,’ the show will display works by Gordon Parks, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kehinde Wiley and others.
Apple CEO Tim Cook Shares ‘Detailed’ Succession Plan In Rare Interview
The chief executive of the world’s most valuable company has no plan to retire just yet but he does have a succession plan in the works.
Unconventional Depictions of Fashion and Beauty Define Deborah Turbeville’s Archive
“If you look at Turbeville, I don’t think people would want to live in her world,” Nathalie Herschdorfer, curator of the exhibit, told Observer.
Irish Rep Is Having A Friel Day
‘Translations’ is the first of three Brian Friel plays that Irish Rep is staging this season. “It has a kind of politics, but it’s so embracing of human life,” director Doug Hughes says.
What to Watch on Streaming
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What to Watch on Streaming This Week: November 24-30
From a holiday family comedy about accidental body-swapping to an Australian period piece (or two!), these are the best titles to stream in the coming week.
What to Watch on Streaming This Week: November 17-23
Likely award nominees and some fare with genre flair are sure to catch your eye on streaming this week.
What to Watch on Streaming This Week: November 10-16
From the final season of ‘The Crown’ to an intriguing new murder mystery, there’s plenty in this week’s What to Watch.
Reviews
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‘The Inventor’ Review: A Lovingly Animated Leonardo da Vinci Without Much of a Story
If you appreciate stop-motion as an art, ‘The Inventor’ is a must. If you want a good story, maybe not.
You Can’t Take Your Eyes Off Gael García Bernal in ‘Cassandro’
The tenderness of his performance stretches Bernal’s talents to the point of heartbreak.
Joaquin Phoenix Borders on Catatonic in ‘Napoleon’
Through it all, the acting remains muted and forgettable.