This April, Carmen returns to South Florida—not with the sultry flourish of a familiar femme fatale, but as a fierce freedom fighter in the heart of the Spanish Civil War. In a bold new interpretation by French-born director Maria Todaro, Florida Grand Opera’s production reframes Bizet’s iconic opera as a searing reflection on resilience, rebellion,...
Art & Style
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Continues to Completely Miss the Point With AI Art
Last month, OpenAI launched a new AI image generator, powered by its GPT-4o model, by showing off its ability to turn any image into one inspired by iconic Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli. The new functionality quickly kicked off a viral trend that had everyone from the White House to Israel Defense Forces Ghibli-fying images. It also kicked off a major public backlash,...
France to Return Human Remains to Madagascar in Historic Repatriation
France will repatriate the skulls of King Toera and two Sakalava warriors to Madagascar, marking the first return of human remains under a new French law passed in 2023. The remains, which were taken during France’s colonization of the island in 1897, have been held for more than a century in Paris’s Natural History Museum. The decision was...
Painter Amy Sherald asks: What is American?
A decade ago, Amy Sherald was still struggling to make her mark. But even before she was commissioned to paint former First Lady Michelle Obama’s portrait, she knew she’d have a major museum retrospective some day, and she came up with its title: American Sublime. That dream has now come true. This week, the Whitney Museum of...
Carmen Takes Miami: A Duel of Opera and Ballet
This spring, Miami will experience a cultural confluence unlike any other: two of the city’s premier arts institutions, the Florida Grand Opera and the Miami City Ballet, will simultaneously present Carmen — Georges Bizet’s fiery opera about love, jealousy, and fate. The unexpected, yet undeniably exciting, pairing of these two productions raises intriguing questions about...
A Night of Fire, Femininity, and Freedom: Inside the VIP Carmen Experience with FGO
Last Friday evening, Miami’s cultural enthusiasts gathered at Lafayette Steakhouse for a rare and intimate prelude to one of the season’s most anticipated operatic revivals—Florida Grand Opera’s (FGO) powerful new production of Carmen. Hosted in partnership with Haute Living and Mr. Hospitality, this exclusive VIP cocktail celebration offered more than just elegance—it provided a personal...
Cao Fei Reflects on 25 Years of Art in a Rapidly Changing World
Ahead of her appearance at the Verbier Art Summit, the pioneering Chinese artist discusses technological transformation, museum-audience dynamics, and her exploration into the future of farming Cao Fei’s practice is defined by its engagement with the rapidly shifting landscapes of technology, society, and identity. Working fluidly across film, digital platforms, virtual reality, and installation, Fei...
Spring’s 25 Unmissable Solo Shows in Europe? Your Must-See List
From painting surveys that unflinchingly examine the human body to participatory projects by children, the continent is teeming with stimulating exhibitions As spring breathes new life into Europe, museums are preparing for a season of must-see solo exhibitions. From blockbuster shows at major institutions like Tate Modern and Guggenheim Bilbao to hidden gems at smaller...
How Laure Prouvost Reimagined the Myth of Icarus in Marseille
In an exhibition at Mucem, the French artist immerses herself in the Mediterranean and examines the connections between humans, living beings, and objects Men in black clothing busy themselves around a purple crane preparing to hoist a metal sculpture. Rain is falling over Marseille. The ochre color of Fort Saint-Jean, constructed during the Middle Ages...
The Problem with Trump’s Takeover of the Kennedy Center Isn’t the Possibility of ‘Cats’
When President Donald Trump announced that he was assuming control of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, he described the move as a triumph over “wokey” programming. He subsequently fired the 17 board members appointed by President Joe Biden and installed himself as chairman. Some critics have reacted to the move by suggesting Trump...