What’s Happening: UNESCO and Interpol are developing an immersive virtual museum tracking hundreds of stolen cultural artifacts worldwide—its ultimate goal is to empty the collection as people learn about illicit trafficking and objects are recovered.

The Download: Lately, conversations around stolen cultural artifacts have centered on the Benin Bronzes—the 10,000 figurines, plaques, and ceremonial objects pillaged by British soldiers near what’s now known as Benin City, Nigeria, in the 16th century—and staggering data that around 95 percent of Africa’s cultural heritage is held outside the continent. Repatriation efforts are plodding along, but much work remains in recovering the overwhelming amount of missing objects worldwide. According to Interpol, which tracks property taken from archaeological sites and museums, more than 52,000 artifacts are missing. “These are objects that exist physically,” Ernesto Ottone, UNESCO’s assistant director-general for culture, told The Guardian, “but we don’t know where.”

UNESCO and Interpol are teaming up to create the first museum dedicated to stolen cultural artifacts. Given that its collection’s whereabouts are unknown, the museum will exist as a succession of virtual spaces containing detailed images of the objects, as well as testimonies from locals and descriptions detailing their cultural significance. The virtual museum has been in development for a year, but UNESCO recently shared that Burkinabé-German architect Diébédo Francis Kéré is spearheading its design. The Pritzker Prize winner’s scheme takes the form of a towering baobab tree, an Indigenous African plant long viewed as a symbol of resilience, and will emulate the rotunda of the Guggenheim Museum. The virtual ramp, Kéré says, is meant to be contained within a globe connecting far-flung regions and cultures.

The museum aims to raise awareness about illicit trafficking, especially among younger generations, and ultimately empty its collection as items are recovered. When it launches, in 2025, the museum will display 600 artworks—no small feat considering some objects have scant physical records beyond small black-and-white photos. No specific pieces are being revealed yet, but notable objects on Interpol’s list include a third-century alabaster stone inscription stolen from Awwam Temple in Yemen, an ivory relief looted from the Baghdad Museum, and a fifth-century figurine stolen from a temple in Rajasthan.

In Their Own Words: “While this exhibition won’t make up for the physical lack of these artworks, it will at least restore fundamental access to them and help strengthen advocacy for their return,” says Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO’s director-general. “It’s about imagining a museum in a way that’s never been done, where the presentation of each artwork is a deep dive into its universe, into the cultural and social movements from which it was born.”

Surface Says: Finally, a virtual viewing room we can look forward to.

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“A Mexican restaurant should be high-energy. When you think of Mexico, you think about partying,” says Enrique Olvera, founder of Cosme. A household name for the culinary crowd, Olvera is best known for redefining Mexican cuisine at Pujol, a longtime resident of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. His first foray into the New York dining scene, Cosme melds the city’s penchant for a particular brand of understated chic and the liveliness of a Mexican cantina.

At Cosme, contemporary Mexican fare takes on new influences. Fluke aquachile is topped with thinly sliced radishes and cucumber and dusted with grated wasabi; sweet potato tamal is flavored with guajillo chilis and Japanese togarashi. Rohan ducks are cured for three days, seared to golden brown, and braised with Mexican Coke and ancho chili pepper to create its signature carnitas.

The space, designed by Mexico City architect Alonso de Garay, embodies the same philosophy as the food: simple, elegant, and clean. Despite the carefully crafted experience, this meticulous culinary temple isn’t afraid to let its hair down. “We keep the energy up at the restaurant,” Olvera says. “On the weekends, the music level is high, the noise level is high.” The public agrees, flocking to Flatiron en masse to vie for coveted tables under the discreetly placed disco ball and sip on Cosmepolitans, a chili-infused homage to an iconic New York cocktail.

A renewed creative energy is flowing through Paris. It’s not the result of an extended Paris Design Week or Maison et Objet, but rather a newly emergent art and design festival circuit heralded by the second annual Paris+ par Art Basel, the inaugural edition of its sister fair Design Miami/ Paris, and Contributions, an upstart collectible design showcase popping up at key architectural sites around town. Unlike Design Miami’s longtime home on the hedonistic shores of South Beach or the cavernous MCH Messe Basel, the design forum’s next evolution is taking over L’hôtel de Maisons, a landmark hôtel particulier in Saint-German-des-Prés.

It’s an ideal location for a fair renowned for bringing together the world’s most distinguished galleries and designer presentations every year. The 18th-century mansion neighbors a multitude of collectible design galleries and was previously home to Karl Lagerfeld. But don’t expect anything too buttoned-up. Jen Roberts, the fair’s CEO, wants to push the envelope while nodding to the city’s status as a collectible design capital. “[Paris] is home to many of the celebrated galleries, partners, and brands who have been so integral to the scholarship and evolution of this market,” she said. Sixteen local galleries will show at the fair, which runs through Sunday and features 27 exhibitors packed into 22,550 square feet. The unofficial theme? “French, but with a touch of American entrepreneurialism.”

Chili’s is scrutinizing how their cooks prepare shrimp, Wendy’s is designing efficient kitchens by analyzing its workers’ footsteps, and now fast-casual chains Chipotle and Sweetgreen are automating bowl assembly. In May, the latter opened its first location staffed by a proprietary robot. Once customers punch in their order online or through a screen at the restaurant, the robot swiftly shoots ingredients like kale, chopped vegetables, and cooked meats through cylindrical dispensers onto bowls that glide along a conveyor belt. Staffers then add toppings and garnishes before placing the bowls on a shelf for pickup. Jonathan Neman, CEO of Sweetgreen, claims the system can reduce labor requirements and bowl-making time by more than half, and envisions the robots becoming standard fixtures in future locations.

The shift towards automation comes as restaurant chains grapple with rising food and labor costs. While manufacturing and retail has found success with automation, it hasn’t quite taken off in the restaurant industry, which often requires working with small portions and squishy ingredients. Sweetgreen’s approach, however, is bolder and more far-reaching than other chains. Wall Street analysts are listening, but remain skeptical about scalability and making sure the apparatus runs without hiccups. “A lot of other companies are trying to figure out how to add automation to their experience and are not willing to start over,” Neman told the Wall Street Journal. “I’m willing to blow the whole thing up.”

Last week, the British fashion house gathered its nearest and dearest in the realms of art, fashion, and culture for a decadent dinner out at St. John, a bona fide culinary institution in London’s Farringdon neighborhood. Creative director Daniel Lee co-hosted the evening with artist Sarah Lucas, whose sculpture, installation and photography is currently on view in “Happy Gas,” an exhibition at Tate Britain. Since his arrival to the helm of Burberry, Lee has keenly supported the heavy hitters of British culture—in spectacular style, no less.

When was it? Oct. 12

Where was it? St. John, London

Who was there? Liz Johnson Artur, Alex Farquharson, Adwoa Aboah, Tyson McVey, Sue Webster, and Giles Deacon.

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