Global Art Market Faces Challenges in 2024 but Shows Signs of Resilience: Key Insights from The Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2025 Amid a challenging economic landscape, the global art market recorded an estimated $57.5 billion in sales in 2024, a 12% decline from the previous year. This marks the second consecutive...
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The Trade Deficit Isn’t an Emergency – It’s a Sign of America’s Strength
When U.S. President Donald Trump imposed sweeping new tariffs on imported goods on April 2, 2025 – upending global trade and sending markets into a tailspin – he presented the move as a response to a crisis. In an executive order released the same day, the White House said the move was necessary to address...
Amadou Bagayoko: The Blind Malian Musician Whose Joyful Songs Changed West African Music
Amadou Bagayoko (1954-2025), Malian guitarist, singer and composer of the famed duo Amadou & Mariam – known as “the blind couple of Mali” – passed away on 4 April in Bamako. He was 70. The married singers, who met when she was 18 and he 21, took traditional Mali music and blended it with western...
AI Isn’t What We Should Be Worried About – It’s the Humans Controlling It
In 2014, Stephen Hawking voiced grave warnings about the threats of artificial intelligence. His concerns were not based on any anticipated evil intent, though. Instead, it was from the idea of AI achieving “singularity.” This refers to the point when AI surpasses human intelligence and achieves the capacity to evolve beyond its original programming, making...
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...