AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) – Arts in the Sunset will exhibit reproduced works of Michelangelo’s renowned ceiling paintings from the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel reproduced in a format that allows visitors to see the masterpieces in person.

The exhibition has traveled all over the world and includes 34 printed life-size frescos. A fresco is a way of painting a mural by painting it onto wet plaster so it becomes a part of the wall.

“People are able to get face to face with them and really get to enjoy the artwork that normally most people aren’t going to be able to travel and actually see themselves possibly in their lifetime,” said Rachel Flores, executive director of Amarillo Art Institute. “It’s definitely an experience that I think bringing to our city is going to be invaluable.”

The exhibit has been to Shanghai, Chicago, Phoenix, Berlin, Vienna, and more. This summer is the first time it will come to Amarillo.

“Amarillo contains folks from all walks of life. Great diversity, a religious people, a very thoughtful people, and an art-loving people. That’s why this exhibit is just perfect for our neighbors here,” said Mark White, executive vice president at Amarillo College.

Flores stated the exhibit coming to Amarillo is a gift to the region.

“Arts are already very, very important in Amarillo but I think bringing in something that is so historically significant, something that a lot of people will never get to see in their lifetime, I think is incredibly important for Amarillo,” said Flores.

Flores said this will bring people from around the Panhandle and beyond to Amarillo to see the exhibit.

“We’re a place here that cares about the arts and really brings really neat things in that you want to come visit,” said Flores.

Hope Stokes, director of marketing for the Amarillo Convention and Visitors Bureau, adds how this can expand the art community in Amarillo.

“Bringing something like this to Amarillo really opens up the door for more art exhibits and art things like this and really kind of props up our art community,” she said. “Exhibits like this will only expand those dollars that are coming into the community. They will give something for locals to do and also bring more visitors to Amarillo which in turn will help our economy.”

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel will be the inaugural exhibit at the newly renovated Sunset Center, now called Arts in the Sunset.

“We have a building that is very historic to our community its been around since 1960 and all the renovations and everything we’ve been doing to it are really to better serve the community,” said Flores.

The exhibit will be open from June 9 to July 23. Touring the exhibit takes around 60 to 90 minutes.

To buy tickets for the exhibit, click here.

The exhibit will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. On Sundays, the exhibit will be open from 1:00 p.m. until 5:30 p.m.

The exhibit is wheelchair accessible. Proceeds from the exhibit will benefit the Downtown Women’s Center (DWC), Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle (CCTXP), the Amarillo Art Institute and the Amarillo Cultural District of the Texas Commission on the Arts.

The ceiling paintings from the Sistine Chapel have been reproduced using licensed high-definition photos. A printing technique emulates the look and feel of the original paintings, and visitors are given a chance to engage with the artwork in ways that were never before possible.

This innovative presentation brings the audience just a few feet away from world-renowned pieces like The Creation of Adam and The Last Judgment.

Copyright 2023 KFDA. All rights reserved.

After the ribbon cutting for their beautiful new outdoor stage this week, the ArtsXchange and Warehouse Arts District Association (WADA) are putting the new performing arts venue to work. Three exceptional events will headline the inaugural lineup, showcasing live jazz, transformative films, and moving talks from directors, producers, actors, activists, and worldwide leaders in the arts.

The AX Theater @ WADA is located on the ArtsXchange campus at 515 22^nd Street South (home to the monthly Second Saturday Art Walk), and provides a beautiful outdoor gathering place in the heart of St. Pete’s arts community. When activated, the venue showcases art, food trucks, bars, local businesses and more, alongside performances and screenings on the newly-constructed stage. The new facility is a boon for the arts community in St. Pete and makes the ArtsXchange even more of a must-try experience.

LIFT brings a story of dance and perseverance to St. Pete

First up for the new theater is a joint production with the Sunscreen Film Festival – a screening of LIFT, the moving and powerful documentary centered on Steven Melendez and his journey from a homeless child to a star in the world of ballet, now the Artistic Director of the NY Theatre Ballet. The screening takes place on Friday, April 28, a perfect pairing with St. Pete’s Academy of Ballet Arts, located on the ArtsXchange campus.

Melendez will be on site for a meet and greet beginning at 7 pm, followed by the screening at 8 pm and a Q&A session following the documentary. Tickets for the screening are available through the Sunscreen Film Festival, and be sure to scroll ALL the way down and select the nighttime showing at ArtsXchange (not the morning screening at The Sundial).

WADA will be St. Pete’s home for International Jazz Day

Two days later the ArtsXchange Stage will host a two-part celebration of International Jazz Day on Sunday, April 30. The headliner is the U.S. premier of Sincopa, a music-centered Mexican independent film that breaks away from Hollywood stereotypes of the country while telling a story about friendship. Much of the cast and production team are actually flying in from Mexico for the premier and will be on hand for a meet and greet at 6 pm and then a screening of Sincopa at 8 pm.

In between the meet and greet and the film, the incredible O Som Do Jazz septet will perform at 7 pm, recapturing the spirit of Brazilian Bossa Nova, Samba-jazz, and Ballao. Tickets for the Jazz Day celebration are $15 (or $12 for WADA members).

A conversation on gun violence takes center stage on Mother’s Day

Finally, Mother’s Day will bring one of the year’s most emotional, moving, and absolutely important experiences to St. Pete. “The Instrument of Hope” will be a deep and sweeping conversation about gun violence in our community and our world, an intentional effort to keep the topic on the main stage. Hosted on Sunday, May 14, from 4-7 pm, the experience will feature a panel discussion among local and international leaders, followed by a performance from world-renowned Canadian musician Bria Skonberg.

Skonberg, who waived her usual fee to be a part of this special event, will be performing with the event’s namesake instrument, a trumpet titled The Instrument of Hope. The trumpet was created with spent bullet casings from the Parkland tragedy to serve as a reminder to never forget how important the conversation must be. The instrument will make its St. Pete debut for one night only. Tickets for the event are $15 (or $12 for WADA members).

WADA, ArtsXchange bring vibrancy and life to St. Pete’s art community

If you haven’t been to an event at ArtsXchange, add it to your list soon. This bustling artistic hub is a melting pot of creativity, where local artists, performers, and art enthusiasts come together to celebrate the magic of the arts. Nestled in the heart of the city, ArtsXchange is a dynamic space that houses a myriad of studios, galleries, and performance spaces, showcasing the diverse talents of the community. From captivating visual art exhibitions to incredible live performances, ArtsXchange is a thriving cultural hub that ignites the senses and fosters a sense of community through the power of art.

The Warehouse Arts District Association is a non- profit arts organization dedicated to creating a vibrant arts community within and around the Warehouse Arts District in St. Pete. Their mission is to build and sustain a vibrant arts community that supports the success of all artists and the community at large through a broad spectrum of tools, including community revitalization, marketing, advocacy and educational programming.

They are a cultural arts destination in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg dedicated to flourishing our community through artistic endeavors, support, and highly curated art.

Margot Shaw doesn’t buy flower arrangements anymore.

Once a self-confessed “call and order flowers girl,” a watershed moment came when planning her daughter’s wedding. Working alongside the floral and event designer, she became inspired and did an apprenticeship with that creator of beautiful blooms.

Shaw will present her artistry at “On Dec” (Dec is short for decorative arts) on April 27 in the music hall at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Oakland.

It’s hosted by the Women’s Committee, which operates exclusively and promotes the cultural and educational value of the Carnegie Museum of Art. Since its inception in 1957, the committee has funded acquisitions, exhibitions, gallery design, and renovations with cash gifts and contributions of almost $10 million. There is a collection of decorative arts in the museum’s Ailsa Mellon Bruce Galleries, which the committee has provided financial support to for renovation of those galleries.

Courtesy of Beth Hontzas

Margot Shaw, founder of Flower Magazine, will give a presentation at “On Dec” April 27 at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Oakland.

Shaw will share her love of entertaining through a slide show titled “The Magic of Outdoor Living,” at 10 a.m. She will also highlight excerpts from her book, “Living Floral: Entertaining and Decorating with Flowers,” published by Rizzoli New York. A book signing will take place in the music hall rotunda as will a pop up shop from the museum’s gift shop with floral or garden-themed items.

A luncheon will follow in the music hall foyer.

“I have heard her speak before, and she has a lot of enthusiasm,” said Mary Margaret Stamy, of Fox Chapel, luncheon chair. “Margot is passionate about floral design so this should be fun. Even if people aren’t into creating arrangements they will still be able to enjoy her beautiful floral designs.”

A native of Birmingham, Ala., Shaw studied art history at Hollins College in Virginia and interior design at the University of Texas. She founded Flower Magazine, which publishes six times a year.

The event fits with the vision of “On Dec,” a re-imagined and branded lecture-luncheon benefit event, a key fundraiser for the committee. Proceeds benefit the women’s committee’s initiatives as well as the Milton and Sheila Fine Collection Foundation, which will host an exhibition opening Nov. 18.

Margot Curran of Sewickley is chair of the patron party, happening April 26 at the Duquesne Club in Downtown Pittsburgh. Women’s Committee president Jennifer Muse is marketing chair and Barbara Thai is speaker chair.

Courtesy of Julia Lynn Photography

One of a floral designed outdoor space by Margot Shaw, founder of Flower Magazine

Curran said this is the time of year people think about fresh flowers and gardens. Shaw will demonstrate how her floral arrangements flow into interior designs and the placement of flowers to complement what people are doing to decorate their homes, especially when they plan to entertain.

“Attending an event like this one can be rejuvenating,” said Curran. “You can see what Margot designs and then you can tell yourself ‘I can do that too.’ It’s like when you go shopping and you see a stylish outfit, and you think that you can coordinate an outfit like that as well. The talk will definitely be inspiring.”

Tickets are $175 for the patron party, $125 for the luncheon and are available online at wccmoa.org.

JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact JoAnne by email at jharrop@triblive.com or via Twitter .

Categories:
Fox Chapel Herald | Lifestyles | Art & Museums | Oakland | Pittsburgh | Sewickley Herald

What makes a purchase “worth it”? The answer is different for everybody, so we’re asking some of the coolest, most shopping-savvy people we know—from small-business owners to designers, artists, and actors—to tell us the story behind one of their most prized possessions.

Who?

It’s impossible to deny that Shanika Hillocks knows how to curate a vibe. Her Instagram page, a place of intentional energy and intimate connection, feels like a joyful celebration of authenticity. With a background in food and wine, the marketing and brand consultant takes her home decor seriously, as any veritable vibe curator would. Building her home base in what she describes as a “thoughtfully renovated brownstone in Harlem,” Shanika has even blessed the space with its own hashtag: #SugarHillocks (a clever combination of her name and the historic district of Sugar Hill, bordering Jackie Robinson Park, which she calls home). 

What?

Inspired by what she identifies as “a personal calling to pay attention,” Shanika began to explore her personal relationship to art during the early months of the pandemic. Like the rest of her space, she knew it would have to be intentional, curated, and deeply personal. It was at the opening of Nicole Vassell’s Gallery, a Black-woman-owned gallery in Chelsea, where Shanika met a longtime Instagram connection, Cierra Britton, that would lead to her initial investment in art. 

“A few months later, I was scrolling Instagram and was captivated by a series of posts Cierra had just posted: warm golden yellow, piercing eyes, rich black, and the artist Amy Amalia, tagged,” Shanika shares. As she explored the artist, the connections seemed particularly kismet. Like Shanika, Amy is Guyanese-American and New York–based. “The work in her Black Sun series centers on this idea of self-reflection and soul alchemy, two things that resonate deeply with me,” Shanika explains. Working with oil on cradled wood panel, Amy Amalia’s work feels lifelike and animated. The gravity of the piece was a natural fit with the historic details of her home. 

Like many, I have been suffering from superhero fatigue.

Not just from Marvel, but across the board.

As much as I have enjoyed some outings, I currently stand with the likes of Denis Villeneuve, Bong Joon-ho and David Fincher, who have all publicly criticized superhero movies and their lather-rinse-repeat templates. The best summation of the current state of affairs came from Fincher. During a recent French interview with Canal Plus, the filmmaker behind Se7en, Fight Club and Zodiac described the ubiquitous genre as “not a sandbox that has a lot of room left for exploring.”

However, something happened that I’m still grappling with. 

I actually got excited about a superhero film again.

It happened when I finally sat down to watch the new trailer for the MCU’s 33rd feature film, The Marvels.

It’s a sequel to 2018’s broadly disappointing Captain Marvel, which introduced Brie Larson as the titular superhero. Other characters in this sequel directed by Nia DaCosta (Little Woods, Candyman) include Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan, from last year’s Disney+ series Ms. Marvel, and Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau from the show Wandavision.

This film wasn’t on my radar – hence me putting off watching the trailer. That and it taps into what my current Marvel malaise: the fact you need to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the previous instalments (including the TV shows) just to figure out what’s going on in an individual storyline. Gone are self-contained stories, replaced by endless call-backs and the need for a brain-melting revision session before each screening. Who has the time or the energy at this point? Just look at this year’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and you’ll see what I mean.

However, The Marvels trailer made me take stock. And while I thought I was back drinking the corporate Kool-Aid, it dawned on me. The reason I got excited wasn’t the promise of finding out how the ever-expanding multiverse narrative the MCU are currently locked into will evolve, but that the sap I am had been duped. 

Well and truly musically duped. Because the choice of song in the trailer sparked excitement.

It’s ‘Intergalactic’ by the Beastie Boys. 

Upon hearing this underrated classic from the equally underrated 1998 album ‘Hello Nasty’, gone was my resistance and my attempts to figure out what was going on with the plot about these three characters teaming up and trying to untangle their powers in space… or something. I just found myself singing along and getting unironically pumped up by the idea of watching a new Marvel adventure. Because of the Beastie Boys.

This got me thinking: Are the Beastie Boys the cheat code to making any marketing push flawless?

It certainly worked for The Marvels, as aside from the objectively promising kitten army scene (which looks delightful – skip to 1.38 in the trailer), the choice of such a tune worked its deceitful magic.

Beyond the fact that the catchy ‘Intergalactic’ is an appropriately titled song for a space adventure, it gives The Marvels some light-hearted and comedic vibes, akin to Guardians of the Galaxy – one of the superior Marvel instalments that had a cracking soundtrack. But it also works on another level, with the usage of the song functioning as a sly call-out to Brie Larson’s detractors.

You see, Larson has incurred the wrath of many a rabid Marvel fan over the years, who have commented that the actor comes off badly in interviews, plays a character that is too powerful to be interesting, and who needs to smile more on screen. Ah yes, that derogatory and perennially sexist mainstay.

Well, when Larson appears in the trailer, the song kicks off with the opening lyrics: “Well, now, don’t you tell me to smile / You stick around I’ll make it worth your while / My number’s beyond what you can dial / Maybe it’s because we’re so versatile”.

Surely that can’t be accidental.

Outstanding work to whoever picked the song, someone who clearly understands and appreciates the art of a good needle drop. The right music played at the right time in a trailer or in a film can elevate the images to iconic status. And as I’ve waxed lyrical previously, keeping your marketing funny means that a potential audience member is more likely to shell out for a ticket knowing that the marketing team have a sense of humour.

I can therefore conclude the following:

A) I’m not as immune to this tactic as I previously thought I was.

B) Much like the sirens singing their songs to sailors to crash them onto the rocks, the inclusion of a Beastie Boys track manages to bypass the critical lobe of those like myself who are fed up with the usual crash-bang-wallop of Marvel films. Not only does any track by the pioneering New York City hip-hop outfit immediately make every movie trailer better, it makes it advertising gold.

Here’s further proof.

Take their 1994 hit ‘Sabotage’.

Beyond being a banger and a timeless rebellion anthem, ‘Sabotage’ been used in countless trailers – from Star Trek Beyond to Minions: The Rise of Gru, and every time, it elevates the promo to greatness.

Not convinced?

Then here’s the incontestable piece of evidence.

Take Solo, the utterly superfluous and dull as dishwater 2018 Star Wars prequel / Han Solo origin story.

Here’s the original trailer:

Hardly inspiring, is it?

Now consider this remix: 

Proof that ‘Sabotage’ is possibly the greatest trailer song of all time.

But why is this track so damn effective?

Well, it manages to spice up otherwise bland trailers with its fail-proof instrumental build up that climaxes with riotous breakdown, driving the pace and visual choreography so that the action seems coordinated with its auditory bombast. The end result is a song that manages to promise less an action-filled flick and more of a blockbuster event.

Other bands can have the same effect – see: the ubiquity of Run The Jewels in trailers from 2017 to 2019, when countless movies from Suburbicon to Booksmart via Good Boys saw marketing teams go gaga for the track ‘Nobody Speak’ by DJ Shadow and Run The Jewels.

However, no band or artist has yet to equal or surpass the galvanizing and seemingly timeless cheat code effect of a Beastie Boys track.

The Marvels hits theatres on 10 November. That trio of superheroes will be hoping their success will be equally Intergalactic. But from the trailer alone, anything’s possible now the Beastie Boys have orchestrated their soundtrack magic once again. 

You stick around I’ll make it worth your while, indeed.

D2iQ MSP Program opens vast new revenue opportunities for MSPs to deliver the most advanced, secure, and feature-rich cloud-native Kubernetes solutions to their customers

SAN FRANCISCO, April 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — D2iQ, the leading Kubernetes management platform provider, today announced its new Managed Service Provider (MSP) Program. To meet growing demand across the MSP community, the program enables MSPs to harness the power of the D2iQ Kubernetes Platform (DKP) and D2iQ Kubernetes expertise to deliver the benefits of cloud-native computing to their customers.

MSPs are viewed as strategic technology partners by their clients. As organizations in every industry sector look to realize the agility, scale, and cost benefits of cloud-native computing and containerized applications, MSPs are tasked with providing the infrastructure and services to enable customers to achieve their modernization goals.

However, Kubernetes talent is scarce, and building a production-ready, scalable, secure, and easily manageable Kubernetes management platform is a challenge. The D2iQ Managed Service Provider (MSP) Program fills this gap, giving MSPs the most advanced, feature-complete, and production-ready platform through which they can deliver the highest-level Kubernetes services to their customers.

Well-Balanced MSP Program

The D2iQ Managed Service Provider Program is designed to meet the technology and business needs of MSPs through the following features:

• Flexible billing packages: With both short and long-term options, MSPs can offer their customers customized billing packages, including the option to pay-per-use or to lock in significant discounts by committing annually. This flexibility ensures that enterprises have access to the infrastructure they need while managing their costs across the entire tech stack.
• Enhanced customer support experience: D2iQ Support Engineers, all of whom are certified Kubernetes administrators (CKA), are available to MSP partners for training and support to provide the best experience to their customers.
• Convenient contracting terms: Ideal for MSPs with a continually growing customer base, D2iQ’s contracting terms allow the alignment of licensing around customer contract time frames or batch annual licensing. This flexible framework lets MSPs choose the model that works best for their business.
• Co-marketing opportunities: D2iQ’s MSP program features a new co-marketing agreement, allowing MSPs to advertise DKP as part of its offerings. This ultimately gives customers more choice and flexibility when running Kubernetes workloads at scale.

“At D2iQ, we are committed to providing enterprises with an intelligent infrastructure that unleashes innovation to stay competitive in this evolving market, and Managed Service Providers play a huge role in helping us achieve this vision,” said Tobi Knaup, co-founder and CEO of D2iQ. “Enterprises use MSPs so they can focus on true innovation in their core business and reach success in a production environment. With the MSP Partner Program, enterprises can leverage our best-in-class Kubernetes management platform while getting the support and services they need from an MSP partner.”

The D2iQ Difference

MSPs and their customers will benefit from D2iQ’s unique ability to simplify Kubernetes deployment and management through state-of-the-art automation, pure upstream CNCF-conformant Kubernetes, real-time cost management, and military-grade security. Designed around Cluster API and integrated FluxCD, DKP simplifies infrastructure management using GitOps workflows and provides centralized multi-cluster fleet management across any environment, including cloud, hybrid, on-premise, air-gapped, and at the edge.

D2iQ’s Managed Service Provider Program is generally available now. For more information on how to become a member of D2iQ’s new program, visit www.D2iQ.com.

About D2iQ
D2iQ is the leading provider of state-of-the-art cloud platforms that enable organizations to embrace open-source and cloud-native innovations while achieving production-ready Day 2 operations with greater ease. With unmatched experience informing some of the world’s largest cloud deployments, D2iQ empowers organizations to better navigate and accelerate cloud-native journeys with enterprise-grade technologies, training, professional services, and support. Whether you are deploying your first Kubernetes workload, centralizing multi-cloud fleet management, optimizing your analytics with Spark or Jupyter, deploying at the edge, or looking to upskill your developers to master cloud-native container management, D2iQ has the expertise, services, and technology to enable you to succeed. D2iQ is headquartered in San Francisco, with additional offices in London and Hamburg, Germany. D2iQ investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Khosla Ventures, Koch Disruptive Technologies, Microsoft, and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. Find us at D2iQ.com.

SOURCE D2iQ

“You won’t be needing your studios any more in a year or two,” said the agent to me. “All my clients are going to be reading in their home studios.” That was three years ago, and lockdown had just started. But I needn’t have worried. Three years down the line, the Strathmore Studios are as busy as ever.

But now, apparently, I should be worrying about computers that can read using text-to-speech or TTS. It won’t be long, I’m told, before most audiobooks are generated by computer.

The lockdown did have an effect, but it wasn’t to remove the need for studios. It was to change the mix of work that we do. Over the last ten years or so it has become standard in the audiobook industry to recruit for lead titles readers who have made a name in film or television. Mid- or back-list books, which require a competent and effective reader but don’t demand the marketing clout of a “name” are indeed increasingly recorded in home studios, but our studios are occupied by authors and high-profile readers, both of whom need the convenience and support of a professional environment.

In the same way, I’m confident that studios like Strathmore will also survive the “threat” from TTS. High-profile stars are not going to be substituted by a computer, and are unlikely to allow their voice samples to be used to empower synthetic sound-alike readings, even as these become astonishingly accurate. If you want to hear how far things have come, go to the websites of, for example, Speechelo, Speechki, Murf, DeepZen, or (especially) ElevenLabs.

On the Apple Books Audiobook store you’ll find audiobooks “Narrated by Apple Books.” I find these perfectly intelligible, but tiring to listen to for more than a few minutes. One is constantly having to identify, adjust for, and re-interpret the imperfections of pronunciation and pacing. The examples up there are in my opinion more of a public beta than a release. But you’ll find also TTS titles on Spotify, Kobo, and Google Play–though not yet Audible.

Will a computer ever be able to synthesise speech that cannot be distinguished from a (good) human reader? Yes, I am sure it will–and soon–get very, very close, but I doubt it will ever quite get fully there. There is a fundamental problem. TTS is matching units of spoken sound to graphic symbols, and it then amends its selections to emulate the cadences of natural human speech according to the position in the sentence, adjacent words, and punctuation; it is getting steadily better at that as computing power and speed increase. However, it is making no judgements reflecting semantic content, only calculating probabilities from rules it has derived from samples. It gives the illusion of semantic understanding, but cannot independently actually encode emotions.

I once asked the consummate audiobook reader, the late Andrew Sachs, how he approached reading. “I want the writer to be noticed, not me. It’s like the background music in a film. You shouldn’t notice it, but it should have an effect on you…. I use the pauses to indicate reaction. Audio is a sound medium, not a speech medium.”

Likewise, classical pianist Artur Schnabel was once asked what he thought was his particular skill. “I handle the notes no better than many pianists,” he replied. “But the pauses between the notes–ah, that is where the art resides.” And we all know the phrase “comic timing.”

TTS is almost universal now on devices that readers use for e-books, so given that enlightened publishers routinely unlock the TTS facility, there is far less problem of accessibility than a few years ago. There nevertheless remains a demand for academic audiobooks, and TTS may become the norm for these. But for storytelling and entertainment, I believe, our audiences will always want the added subtleties of human inflection.

Nicholas Jones founded the Strathmore Studios in Clerkenwell in central London in 2005; it has recorded more than 1,500 audiobooks and numerous podcasts.

In 1993, Japanese fashion designer Kenzō Takada built the Kenzo House in Paris, a serene enclave amid the typical Haussmann-style buildings of the bustling Bastille neighborhood. The four-story abode, almost completely hidden from view, is centered around a Japanese garden of bamboo, cherry, and maple trees enclosing a babbling stone-studded brook and koi pond—making for a calming atmosphere.

The nearly 14,000-square-foot home has now entered the market for only the third time since its construction, listed by Christie’s International Real Estate in conjunction with Belles Demeures de France. When Takada first listed the house in 2007, in an effort to downsize, the asking price was €12 million ($17.7 million). A later listing in 2015 showed an asking price of €13.2 million ($14 million). Its current asking price, following an extensive revamp, is available upon request.

Takada, who died in 2020, was a fashion maverick, known for his colorful and free-spirited collections that energized the ready-to-wear runways of the French capital starting in the 1970s. His first fashion statement occurred in 1973 when he increased the volume of the popular peasant style to create what was dubbed the Big Look.

The Kenzo House in Paris, with a peek at the surrounding Bastille neighborhood. Photo: Jimmy Cohrssen. Courtesy of Belles Demeures de France.

His brand Kenzo—bought by LVMH in 1993 and designed by Nigo (creator of the Japanese urban clothing line A Bathing Ape) since 2021—continues to be lauded for its global aesthetic and whimsical spirit that fuses cross-cultural influences.

After retiring in 1999, Takada continued to produce a variety of luxury goods, including a signature scent in 2000. He also pursued art and, in 2010, his paintings were the subject of the solo exhibition “Un Certain Style de Vie.” In 2021, Christie’s, together with Artcurial, organized a sale of nearly 400 lots of Takada’s furniture, as well as 100 original fashion items from his personal collection.

Interior of the Kenzo House. Photo: Jimmy Cohrssen. Courtesy of Belles Demeures de France.

In addition to his multifarious projects, Takada took a keen interest in his Paris hideaway, which took seven years to complete as the materials had to be imported from Japan. He told the New York Times in 2007 that he had been inspired by the Bangkok home of the silk entrepreneur Jim Thompson, “where authentic Thai architecture is mixed with Western elements like a crystal chandelier. That is what I was doing… I mixed everything, antiques and contemporary designs, Oriental and Western furniture and art.”

In 2016, the Kenzo House was purchased by the third and current owners Olivier and Isabelle Chouvet, co-founders of The Independents, a collection of marketing agencies that count luxury brands and museums among their clients, including MoMA, LACMA, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Chouvets commissioned renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma—designer of the National Stadium for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and the Hans Christian Andersen museum in Denmark—to renovate the Kenzo House in 2018. Kuma’s upgrade preserved Takada’s vision of an eclectic mix of cultures by employing traditional Japanese building materials, most notably bamboo, ceramic, stone, and wood.

“Transparency is a characteristic of Japanese architecture,” explained Kuma. “I try to use light and natural materials to get a new kind of transparency…[to] experience nature more deeply and more intimately.”

Interior of the Kenzo House in Paris. Photo: Jimmy Cohrssen. Courtesy of Belles Demeures de France.

Partnering with architect Loïk Corre of Atelier Kiol, who worked on Takada’s original vision, Kuma left the garden untouched, but did reposition the property’s four ensuite bedrooms in order to face it—characteristic of a Japanese home. Kuma also replaced an indoor lap pool with an engawa, a traditional Japanese exterior corridor crafted from wooden lattices, imparting a sense of warmth and a tactile quality to the home.

He also made slight modifications to the interior, which features French oak louvers, or slanted beams, that resemble the triangular form of the Louvre museum. He outfitted a Japanese pavilion, housing a tea ceremony room, with paper-lined shoji sliding doors and tatami mats. Other amenities of the Kenzo House include a music room, study, and three studio apartments for staff, as well as two reception rooms, two dining rooms, and two kitchens.

Eventually, the architect heard the verdict from the original owner. “I was so happy to hear that Kenzō loved the renovated house,” he said.

See more views of Kenzō Takada’s former Paris home below.

The Kenzo House in Paris. Photo: Jimmy Cohrssen. Courtesy of Belles Demeures de France.

Interior of the Kenzo House. Photo: Jimmy Cohrssen. Courtesy of Belles Demeures de France.

A view of the Japanese garden at the center of the Kenzo House. Photo: Jimmy Cohrssen. Courtesy of Belles Demeures de France.

Interior of the Kenzo House, featuring French oak louvers. Photo: Jimmy Cohrssen. Courtesy of Belles Demeures de France.

The jacuzzi inside the renovated Kenzo House. Photo: Jimmy Cohrssen. Courtesy of Belles Demeures de France.

More Trending Stories: 

A Roman-Era Vase, Once Considered a Cremation Vessel, Turns Out to Be an Early Form of Sports Memorabilia for a Gladiator Fan 

A Court Has Ruled That a Controversial Miriam Cahn Painting, Targeted by Far-Right Censors, Can Remain Hanging at the Palais de Tokyo 

Asia Society Walks Back Its Decision to Blur Depictions of the Prophet Muhammad in an Online Exhibition Following Accusations of Censorship 

Sotheby’s Glitch Art Sale, Which Was Paused Due to Online Backlash, Has Relaunched With a Newly Diverse Lineup of Artists 

Workers at a Brussels Museum Describe a ‘Toxic’ Work Environment Under Its Director’s Rule of ‘Terror’ 

An Australian Man Using a Budget Metal Detector Discovered a 10-Pound Chunk of Gold Worth $160,000 

A Rolls-Royce Driver Plowed Over a $3 Million Damien Hirst Sculpture on the Palm Beach Lawn of a Prominent Collector Couple 

The First Stained-Glass Depiction of Jesus as a Black Man Has Been Discovered in the Window of a Small Rhode Island Church

Follow Artnet News on Facebook:
Want to stay ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to get the breaking news, eye-opening interviews, and incisive critical takes that drive the conversation forward.

A new book from London-based artist and curator Tom Buchanan revolves around what he terms “box art.” Encompassing what has “evolved, been created within, or even escaped from a box,” the 336-page compendium draws together more than 500 assemblages, collections, dioramas, miniatures, and other works that play with and reenvision the limits of the humble container.

Titled Out of the Box, the volume features a wide array of mediums and styles from enchanting paper dioramas by Hari & Deepti to Ben Young’s sleek glass sculptures mimicking pools and seas to Wolfgang Stiller’s charred matchstick figures. The book is organized by the four elements—earth, water, air, and fire—and highlights the narratives that emerge from physically collecting and displaying objects, especially as life becomes increasingly digital. “We live, arrange, watch, and rest in death in boxes, and this collection is a testament to the absurdity and wonder that is life,” Buchanan says.

Out of the Box is published by Eight Books and is currently available in the U.K. Find more from Buchanan on his site.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article A New Book Celebrates the Playful and Imaginative Interpretations of Working ‘Out of the Box’ appeared first on Colossal.