MoMA’s latest expansion, set to wrap-up in 2019, will add galleries, more public space, and extend what’s arguably the museum’s sole architectural icon—the Bauhaus staircase. Coinciding with this renovation, MoMA is aiming to diversify its collection and programming. [The New York Times]
Janelle Shane tasked an AI neural network to name colors based on data sets from paint companies. The results are hilarious. The AI’s first attempt included colors such as “clardic fug”, “sink”, “caring tan” (actually a grayish periwinkle), and “bank butt”. Round two was an improvement, with gems such as “gallerine white”, “luck in the spice”, and “shy bather”. Artificial intelligence is so much more entertaining than the movies predicted. [Curbed]
Art Basel is suing shoemaker adidas over trademark infringement. The sportswear brand apparently gave away free limited edition “Art Basel” shoes during the fair’s Miami Beach iteration last year. Like any headline involving limited-edition sneakers, this is ridiculous. [Miami Herald]
Manhattan is getting another 1000+ foot residential skyscraper. This one will be a skyline-changer, as it’s planned for a spot just north of Madison Square where there aren’t that many super-tall buildings yet. It will likely block views of the Empire State Building from many Downtown vantage points, but I guess the silver lining is that it’s not super ugly? [Dezeen]
Meanwhile in London, neighbors have launched a campaign to “Stop Anish Kapoor stealing our light and colour!” They’re upset that the artist is adding a 1-story addition to his two-story studio, which will supposedly create a “claustrophobic, prison-like feel, with a real effect on our light and view”.This controversy sounds pretty quaint compared to the situation this side of the pond. [Dezeen]
It sounds like we have to see The Square, which recently won the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The Swedish film is about a pretentious curator and violent performance artist. Pedro Almodovar praised it as a commentary on “the dictatorship of being politically correct”. [Reuters]
Snapchat has once again ripped-off an artist for a filter. This time they blatantly plagiarized Sara M. Lyons’ “Whatever Forever” illustration. Her response: “how gross and sad that @Snapchat couldn’t just commission ME for this filter lol u know they can afford it”. [The Verge]
Invader, the French street artist known for their pixelated mosaics inspired by video game characters, has drawn the ire of a Spanish bishop. Invader put up a mosaic of a flamenco dancer on an episcopal palace in Málaga. The church wants it removed, but the local government is questioning whether it has cultural value and the best way to move forward. [The Guardian]
Blake Gopnik’s “Daily Pic” is a still from a Cameron Jamie video on view at Gladstone. The piece is a compilation of people humping furniture, which follows another piece by the artist that follows Austrian villagers who dress as trolls to scare their neighbors. We have to see this. [artnet News]
