Trust-Based Funding Works. So Why Are Artists Still Living in Precarity?
The Arts Foundation director Mary Jane Edwards makes the case that trust-based, unrestricted funding for artists is no longer an idealistic notion but an evidence-backed policy imperative.
The Newport Heiress Who Never Woke Up
Claus von Bülow invested in a Broadway play about a man who murders his rich wife for her inheritance. At the time, nobody found this particularly alarming. In retrospect, it was the most honest thing he ever did.
Author Alexa Yasemin Brahme’s Best Books to Read When You Don’t Know What the Hell You’re Doing
The author of the newly released novel, Good News, shares the fiction and nonfiction titles that carried her through her own uncertainty—and just might do the same for you.
Business
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ServiceNow’s Customer Chief Warns ‘Tokenmaxxing’ Is an A.I. Hype Cycle
Companies are spending heavily on A.I. tokens, but ServiceNow’s Chris Bedi says true ROI comes from efficiency gains, not raw usage metrics.
Ryan Cohen’s ‘Sell on eBay to Buy eBay’ Stunt Puzzles Investors
GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen grabs attention with an unsolicited bid to acquire eBay and then selling personal collectibles on eBay to fund the deal. But serious investors question how the $56 billion deal will actually work out.
How the ‘Godmother of Silicon Valley’ Celebrates Mother’s Day at 85
Esther Wojcicki shares her Mother’s Day routine, family life and the parenting approach behind her daughters’ success.
Quantum Computing Is Testing Bitcoin’s Most Important Assumption
While post-quantum security standards and technical solutions are rapidly advancing, Quantus’ Chris Smith argues that Bitcoin’s network still lacks a clear path for coordinating a migration across millions of wallets, dormant coins and decentralized stakeholders before external technological timelines force the issue.
Ex-OnlyFans Exec RJ Phillips Taps Controversy With Zoop’s Enhanced Games Deal
Zoop, led by RJ Phillips, partners with the Enhanced Games as part of a broader push for higher creator payouts and engagement. Phillips uses a high-risk sports event to spotlight Zoop’s economics and expand its global reach.
Art
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At Jeffrey Deitch and Matthew Marks, Charles Ray Is Still Full of Surprises
Two concurrent shows in Los Angeles are presenting work spanning nearly four decades of the artist’s career.
The Philippines Pavilion Turns the Country’s Maritime History into an Archive of Universal Longing
Artist Jon Cuyson’s installation reimagines the ocean not as distance or danger but as a sentient entity that connects communities and sustains forms of belonging.
At the New Museum Spring Gala, the Art World Turned Out for Lisa Phillips
From John Waters’ toast to Deborah Harry’s closing set, the evening was as unconventional as the director it honored.
How Sweden Built One of Europe’s Most Stable Art Markets
“London remains complicated post-Brexit, and the Gulf states’ appeal is tempered by concerns over human rights. People are eager to discover new markets, and the Nordics offer something very interesting: strong artists, good institutions, a serious collector base and significant wealth. It’s a good area to be in.”
De Pont Director Maria Schnyder On Why Financial Independence Is a Museum’s Greatest Asset
The museum operates without structural government subsidy, offering a degree of freedom that Schnyder acknowledges is an increasingly rare asset in today’s cultural climate.
Lifestyle
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The Best Car-Free Spring Hikes Near New York City
Forget the rental and the Saturday 7 a.m. Avis line. Public transport covers every hike worth doing this spring—and the Hudson Valley is having a year.
An Hour Outside of Melbourne, Mornington Peninsula is a Dream Wine Destination
This vibrant agricultural region plays a big role in Melbourne’s world-class culinary scene, and has developed into a charming wine country within an hour’s drive of the city.
Escape to Comporta: Where to Stay on Portugal’s Serene Coast
From dune-wrapped villas to rice-field retreats, Comporta offers a quieter way to do Euro summer.
At Teal, Sally Abé Makes Fine Dining Feel Less Precious
In Hackney, the chef’s first solo restaurant pairs modern British cooking with the warmth of a dinner party.
An Insider’s Guide to Los Angeles When the 2026 FIFA World Cup Comes to Town
With matches at SoFi Stadium and traffic to match, this is how to eat, drink and stay smart across the city.
Interviews
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Gildo Zegna on Leading an NYSE-Listed Family Business With Patience and Innovation
Despite being a publicly traded company in the U.S., Zegna measures its success in decades, not quarters. Gildo Zegna, the family business’s third-generation leader, shares thoughts on building a legacy that honors roots while evolving.
LAS Art Foundation Pushes Quantum Art Forward in a New Venice Commission
The organization’s exhibitions are deliberately designed to help observers engage with complex topics like A.I. and quantum physics without prior knowledge.
Dabin Ahn’s “Nocturne” and the Slow Meditative Work of Grief
Coming from a still-life tradition, the artist’s earlier paintings depicted perfect, flawless objects. In his most recent work, that serene and unperturbed perfection is shown to be an illusion.
Daniel Patterson and Sarah Lewitinn’s Jacaranda Plays to Its Own Beat
In Hancock Park, the couple pairs tasting-menu precision with a six-seat communal table and a focus on connection.
Kwame Onwuachi Debuts Maroon, a Game-Changing Afro-Caribbean Steakhouse in Las Vegas
At the Sahara, rum-aged beef, a live-fire jerk pit and oxtail-laced dishes push the Strip’s steakhouse formula in a new direction.
Power Lists
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Observer New Media Power List: Call for Submissions
Nominations are open for Observer’s 2026 New Media Power List
The 50 Most Powerful PR Firms of 2026
This year’s honorees are emblematic of a notable shift in public relations from responsive publicity to proactive leadership in the moments that matter most.
Wall-to-Wall Cultural Capital: Inside Observer’s Art Power Index Party
Under the dim lights of the Lower East Side’s Maison Nur, art world luminaries gathered to celebrate Observer’s Art Power Index—and each other. From the impassioned speeches to the sharp tailoring and Damien Hirst over the bar, the evening embodied our legacy of chronicling power with style.
2025 Nightlife & Dining Power Index
Humanity is still the most vital ingredient in hospitality, and that isn’t changing anytime soon.
Observer’s 2025 Art Power Index: The Art Market’s Most Influential People
Their acquisitions, affinities and approbations move the needle on valuation and redefine how art is made, shown and sold.
Latest
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Early Nvidia Investor Mark Stevens Gives $200M to USC for A.I. Push
Early Nvidia investor Mark Stevens gives $200 million to USC to scale A.I. programs, hire experts and position the university as a tech leader.
7 Amtrak Trains That Make the Slow Way Worth It
The Acela gets the headlines, but these seven slow trains get the country.
Inside the Hottest Met Gala Afterparties
New York City came alive with the kind of spontaneous, anything-goes energy that has made the Met Gala afterparty tradition legendary.
Pinterest CEO Bill Ready’s Early Youth Safety Push Is Paying Off as Scrutiny Rises
Bill Ready prioritized youth protections at Pinterest before regulators did, helping drive user growth and investor confidence.
How Frieze New York Is Doubling Down On Engagement and Institutional Reach
Director Christine Messineo describes a strategy centered on performance, partnerships and emerging voices.
In the Polish Pavilion, “Liquid Tongues” Rewrites Our Hierarchy of the Senses
Conceived by deaf artist Daniel Kotowski alongside artist and playwright Bogna Burska around the notion of “Deaf Gain,” this Venice Biennale installation reframes deafness not as a deficit but as a distinct identity offering unique sensory perspectives.
Wolfgang Puck’s Generational Tasting Tour Is a Window Into His Past, Present and Future
From Chinois classics to A.I.-assisted operations, the father-son duo balances legacy with what comes next.
The Most Exciting Fashion on the 2026 Met Gala Red Carpet
From couture spectacle to precise tailoring, these were the looks that carried the night.
GameStop’s Activist Investor CEO Ryan Cohen Makes $56B Bid for eBay
Ryan Cohen is betting big on eBay with a $56 billion offer, but doubts about funding and strategy are already weighing on the deal.
Pinta Lima Offered Curated Content–and Context–for the Curious
An energetic VIP preview kicked off the 13th edition with good attendance and sales activity from the moment doors opened.
What to Watch in Sotheby’s Masterpieces From the Lewis Collection Sale
British billionaire Joe Lewis’s trove of museum-quality 20th-century works is expected to bring in between £150 million and £200 million, potentially making it the most valuable single-owner collection ever sold in the U.K.
Dominique Lévy, Brett Gorvy and Amalia Dayan Want to Bring Auction Urgency to Private Secondary Market Sales
The Lévy Gorvy Dayan collaborators are venturing together into “the dark side” of private transactions.