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Jun 22 2020
Surface
Design Dispatch
Trump Plaza to come down, Shirin Neshat film festival, and Knotel’s grim future.
FIRST THIS
“We need to expose black kids to art studios and get them in the shop when they’re young.”
HERE’S THE LATEST

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Atlantic City’s Shuttered Trump Plaza Slated for Demolition

Once a fixture along Atlantic City’s famed Boardwalk, the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino closed its doors for good in 2014. Its two hotel towers, designed by influential Las Vegas mega-resort architect Martin Stern Jr., have since fallen into a state of disrepair. City officials declared the building a public safety hazard in March after it was reported that chunks of its concrete and stucco facade were raining down onto nearby streets.

Now, Atlantic City mayor Marty Small, who once called the shuttered complex “the biggest eyesore in town,” has ordered it to be demolished as soon as possible—it’s expected to happen by February 2021. What will replace the troubled property remains to be seen, but Small announced his intent to work side-by-side with Icahn Enterprises, which owns the complex, to figure out the next chapter for “this center city oceanfront massive property.”

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What Else Is Happening?

Check-Circle_2x A statue of Theodore Roosevelt will be removed from the Museum of Natural History.
Check-Circle_2x Shortly after reopening, Apple closes stores in four states as Covid-19 cases increase.
Check-Circle_2x With the coronavirus still afoot, architecture schools are rethinking remote learning.
Check-Circle_2x New York City recovers the wreckage of a lost navy patrol boat commanded by JFK.
Check-Circle_2x Glossier will be giving more than $500,000 in grants to black-owned beauty businesses.
Check-Circle_2xLeaked financials from WeWork rival Knotel paint a grim picture of the company’s future.


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QUARANTINE CULTURE

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Goodman Gallery: Shirin Neshat

The Iranian artist and filmmaker Shirin Neshat has lived in the U.S. since 1974, when she came to study art in Los Angeles, and it has been more than 20 years since she last visited her home country. She has largely trained her attention on political and societal dynamics in Iran and the Muslim world through moving films and indelible black-and-white photographs that she adorns with Farsi and Arabic text.

In conjunction with Art Basel, Goodman Gallery is presenting a selection of Neshat’s most crucial films in a five-day online program that runs until June 24. “I’ve rarely had the opportunity to show these distinct bodies of work together in one film series,” says Neshat. “This program, ranging from full-color narrative feature films such as Women Without Men (2009) to short enigmatic videos such as Roja (2016), offers a glimpse into my practice and diverse interests.”

BY THE NUMBERS

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Black-Owned Galleries at Art Basel Online

Despite the rising profiles of many black artists, not one gallery out of the 281 in Art Basel’s online viewing rooms (June 19–26) is black-owned. Gallery owners attribute this low representation to market-wide forces that hold black owners back: less access to capital and exclusion from networks of collectors, dealers, curators, and auction houses. With the national conversation focused on systemic racism, black dealers are saying that the art market, which skews overwhelmingly white, is overdue for a transformation. “Until we have a seat at the table, this is going to continue to be an exclusive club,” Karen Jenkins-Johnson, owner of Jenkins Johnson Gallery, tells the New York Times. “We are not playing on a level playing field.”

THE LIST

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Member Spotlight: L’Objet

L’Objet is a sensory-driven lifestyle brand founded by Elad Yifrach specializing in handcrafted artisanal tableware, home décor, apothecary, and home fragrance. Yifrach’s commitment to quality has seen him travel the globe in search of the highly skilled artisans who bring his designs to life.

Surface Says: From Mexican-inspired lighting to gilded tableware, L’Objet’s wide range of products elevate any environment. What Elad Yifrach has achieved with his brand is truly special.

AND FINALLY

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Today’s Attractive Distractions

Tom Holland tours St. Petersburg using Crime and Punishment as a guide.

The photographer Mofeed Abu Shalwa seems to be owning his fear of bugs.

This diamond-encrusted gold ring features a mini replica of Stonehenge.

Nendo sheathes a Shanghai commercial building in aluminum curtains.

               


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