culture

At the Frick, Vermeer Whispers Love Through His Servants

An exhibition featuring just three paintings? That’s the bold choice made by New York’s Frick Collection, which has gathered a trio of 17th-century Dutch master Johannes Vermeer’s works—all linked by themes of hidden romance and emotional exchange. The museum’s founder, industrialist Henry Frick, purchased Mistress and Maid in 1919, a ...

Art Basel 2025: Utopia, Democracy, Dancers and Despair

This year's Art Basel, the world's top contemporary art fair, paints a portrait of a troubled planet, with works embodying the relentless pursuit of happiness and the fragility of democracies. The four-day event in the northern Swiss border city of Basel, which closes on Sunday, features more than 280 galleries presenting works by around 4,000 ...

Joseph El Hourany Carves Arab Identity in Wood, Sara Shamma Paints Perception in Ever-Shifting Green

Lebanese architect and sculptor Joseph El Hourany, President of the Association of Arab Architects, draws from music, architecture, and 46 calligraphic styles to create wooden sculptures that redefine Arab identity. At Mark Hachem Gallery, Sara Shamma’s solo show “Interference Green” transforms a shifting pigment into a powerful metaphor ...

Giorgio Armani to Miss Milan Fashion Week Shows

Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who is "currently recovering at home", will miss two of his shows at the Milan Fashion Week, his company said Friday. The 90-year-old designer will not attend Saturday's and Monday's shows, set to present Armani's menswear collections for Spring-Summer 2026, a statement said. "Armani has worked with his ...

Nine Weeks of Music and Emotion Light Up Paris

A massive free concert will celebrate World Music Day in Paris this Saturday, with a major highlight: the return of the Olympic cauldron. It will rise into the night sky to the sound of a new version of a classic Daniel Balavoine song, all under sweltering summer temperatures. Forty years after its release, Sauver l’amour—a beloved French ...

Before the Olympic Cauldron, a Balloon in the Tuileries: A Flight Through History

Before the Olympic cauldron—suspended from a helium balloon 60 meters above the ground—returns this Saturday to the Tuileries Gardens in Paris for the entire summer, the iconic location had already played host to one of the very first hydrogen balloon flights, dating back to 1783. On December 1 of that year, over 200 years ago, scientist ...

Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu: A French Icon of Poise and Grace

Born on April 25, 1963, in Boulogne-Billancourt, Leroy-Beaulieu was raised in a creative environment. The daughter of actor-director Philippe Leroy-Beaulieu and model Françoise Laurent, it felt natural for her to turn toward acting. Trained in Italy, she began her career on stage before stepping into French cinema. Her breakout role came in 1985 ...

'Animaj' Raises €75 Million to Expand Ai-Driven Animation for Kids

French startup Animaj, which acquired the popular Spanish children’s animation brand Pocoyo in 2023 and uses artificial intelligence (AI) to produce kids’ content, announced on Wednesday that it has raised €75 million to accelerate its growth. The fundraising round was led by Bpifrance, France’s public investment bank, and HarbourView ...

Paul Marshall’s Rise as Britain’s New Anti-Woke Media Tycoon

Unlike Rupert Murdoch, he is barely known, but the UK has a new right-wing media mogul: Paul Marshall, who has quietly built a powerful empire that reaches millions of Britons. The 65-year-old added to his impressive stable last autumn when he purchased The Spectator magazine, viewed as the bible of Britain's Conservative Party, for £100 million ...

Hellfest 2025 Opens Thursday with Korn, Muse and Linkin Park Headlining

Rock giants Muse, Scorpions and Linkin Park, the nu metal of Korn, punk legends the Sex Pistols... The 18th edition of Hellfest, one of Europe’s biggest extreme music festivals, kicks off Thursday in Clisson, western France. The headliner on opening day will be the iconic California-based band Korn, considered one of the pioneers of nu metal ...

'Spectacular' Viking Burial Site Found in Denmark, Filled With Rare Treasures

In an accidental find, a 10th -century burial site believed to have belonged to a Viking noble family has been discovered in northern Denmark, packed with a "spectacular" trove of ancient objects, a museum announced Tuesday. The discovery came when pearls, coins, ceramics, and a box containing a gold thread were unearthed during ...

Matthew Perry’s Doctor to Plead Guilty in Overdose Case

The main doctor charged in connection with the drug overdose of Friends star Matthew Perry is expected to enter a guilty plea in the coming weeks, the US Justice Department said Monday. Salvador Plasencia "has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in federal ...