Your weekly art news fix – served fresh, punchy, and with just the right amount of spice. Expect the unexpected, because the art world never sits still. From controversy to pure inspiration, we’ve got it all covered.
TOP 3 ART STORIES THIS WEEK
1. The World Says Farewell to ROBERT WILSON, Master of Slow Theater 🎭
“There are only two lines in the world, and you have to decide whether it’s a straight line or a curved line. I always try to stick to that.”
Bob Wilson, the American director who turned theater into minimalist architecture, died on July 31. He was 83, and he passed away peacefully after a short, intense illness, “working and creating until the end”. 🕊️
Who was Bob Wilson?
Born 1941, Waco, Texas. Started in his garage, ended up changing theater worldwide. Studied architecture at Pratt, then founded the Byrd Hoffman School of Byrds, a legendary experimental group, in NYC.
Couldn’t stand boring, busy theaters, so he made his own rules: slow, silent, geometrical, ultra-lit.
Early works featured everything but traditional dialogue: half were silent (he often collaborated with deaf and neurodivergent performers), some ran for 7+ hours, others for days.
Why He Mattered
Put minimalism center-stage: works like “Einstein on the Beach” (with Philip Glass) redefined opera with repetition, slow movement, and light-as-architecture.
“Deafman Glance” stunned audiences by doing almost nothing – for 7 hours.
He directed Wagner at the Metropolitan Opera; Tom Waits musicals in Germany; and worked with Marina Abramović, Brad Pitt, and Lady Gaga. His stage designs often incorporated video, drawing, custom lighting systems, and furniture.
Showed his visual art at major museums. Won the Golden Lion in Venice for sculpture. Designed his own sets, lights, installations – a 360º art storm.
Former French Culture Minister Jack Lang called seeing his work “aesthetic shock, a revelation”. ⭐
“Every opposite needs its opposite… It’s not just about taking any opposite and putting them together, but about choosing the right opposite. And heaven and hell are one world, not two.”
“The same happens with drawings: you have to decide what to do next. It’s a bit like playing chess. If you listen to the work, it will tell you. Sometimes, when I’m working on something—even now, and I’m 82—I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”
— Bob Wilson
2. From Shoe Warehouse to Design Mecca 🪑
The coolest design couple you’ve never heard of is getting a massive new museum.
Ray and Charles Eames basically invented modern furniture. You know that iconic molded chair in your doctor’s office – yeah, they designed that in the 1940s. Now their legacy is getting a serious upgrade.
The Ultimate Makeover
The Eames Institute just bought an 88-acre campus in California that used to be… a Birkenstock distribution center.
Now they’re hiring Herzog and de Meuron (the Swiss architects who turned a power plant into London’s Tate Modern) to transform it into a design wonderland.
Why the Eameses Were Legendary
This husband-and-wife duo also:
🎬 Made experimental films
🏠 Built their own glass house (it’s a landmark now)
🎨 Created museum exhibitions
🪑 Revolutionized how furniture is made
Their philosophy was “Design is a method of action.” Everything they touched got better, from toys to corporate logos to NASA training videos (yep).
What’s Coming
The new museum will have 40,000+ objects from their archive, plus workshops where you can learn their design process.
Fun fact: Their granddaughter Llisa Demetrios is running the show, so this is literally a family affair keeping the legacy alive. Link for more.
3. Just Announced: Manifesta 2028 = Portugal
Imagine if the Olympics, but for contemporary art, moved to a different European city every two years. That’s basically Manifesta.
And now they announced that in 2028, this nomadic art festival is landing in Coimbra, Portugal — a medieval university town that’s about to become the coolest place in Europe.
What Makes Manifesta Special?
Unlike regular art shows that happen in the same place forever, Manifesta is designed to be homeless. Every edition completely reinvents itself based on where it lands.
The concept: Drop world-class contemporary art into a new city, work with locals, and see what happens. Previous stops include Kosovo (right after the war), Palermo (tackling Mediterranean migration), and Pristina (exploring post-conflict identity).
What’s Next?
Before Portugal, Manifesta 16 hits Germany’s Ruhr Valley in summer 2026 — a former industrial wasteland turned cultural destination. Their project is turning abandoned churches into art spaces.
And, no, it’s not too early to put it into your calendar! 🙂 🏙️
Instagram post by @manifestabiennial
🔥Hot Take
Copenhagen’s Giant Mermaid Drama 😄
Denmark is ditching a 14-ton mermaid statue because people think it’s “ugly and pornographic.”
Here’s the tea: In 2006, sculptor Peter Bech made a supersized version of Copenhagen’s famous Little Mermaid statue. But instead of sitting demurely on a rock, this one stands 4×6 meters with… prominent assets.
The controversy: Danish papers are calling it a “man’s feverish dream of what a woman should look like.” Others say criticizing the statue’s proportions is just body shaming.
Plot twist: The statue has been homeless for years. First kicked out of the harbor in 2018 for being “fake and vulgar,” then relocated to a fort where locals still complained.
“The mermaid has completely normal proportions in relation to her size. Of course the breasts are big on a big woman,” the sculptor said. “We shouldn’t be so afraid of a pair of breasts.”
Maybe the real issue isn’t the statue’s anatomy, but that we’re still having this debate in 2025. If Hans Christian Andersen’s original mermaid gave up her voice for love, this one’s getting silenced for having curves. 🧜♀️
Take a look at the sculpture here.
What do you think about the controversy? 🙃
ART DOC RECOMMENDATION 🍿
“The Candy Factory”
Here’s a new moving New Yorker documentary about the coolest landlady in Brooklyn. ❤️
Ann Ballentine bought an old candy factory in 1979 and turned it into an artist commune that’s been running for 45+ years. She’s part landlady, part fairy godmother, part legend.
Why watch: In a world where artists get priced out of everywhere, this doc shows what’s possible when someone actually gives a damn about creativity over cash.
The moral: “Nothing lasts forever… Enjoy what is precious while you have it.”
Runtime: Short enough to watch on your lunch break, meaningful enough to stick with you forever. 🏭✨
And last but not least…
A scene from the interview
JUST ONE THOUGHT
… from one artist to others – because there are moments we just need to hear this. 🙂 🙏
“I guess if I had one thing to say to artists, it is to be patient. And to be ignorant of what you think you know. If you don’t get the answer that you were expecting, maybe that’s a good thing. Knowing what you’re doing is overrated.”
— artist Pope.L. (who has crawled through Times Square in a suit, eaten the Wall Street Journal and painted onions in the colours of the American flag.)
(p.s. enjoy the full interview here.)
Well, that was that for this time. Hope you liked it or that found something to take away. ❤️💮
Please, let me know below, and – see you again next week! 😊 Or: “Näeme varsti!” as we say in Estonian 😉
