We’re a day late this week after recovering from a jam-packed week supporting our clients, but we’re back with what we’re reading this first week of October. From the return of Ta-Nehisi Coates to museums rethinking their futures, AI in the arts, and major shifts in the global economy, these stories dive deep into some of today’s most pressing cultural and economic issues.
1. The Return of Ta-Nehisi Coates (New York Magazine)
Ta-Nehisi Coates returns with The Message, a bold new nonfiction work exploring race, Israel-Palestine, and moral complicity, risking his standing in the establishment.
2. Why It’s Time for Museums to Take Risks—or Risk Obsolescence (The Art Newspaper)
Museums must innovate their traditional models and redefine public access to remain relevant and impactful in a rapidly changing cultural landscape.
3. Refik Anadol Studio Plans World’s First Museum of AI Arts (The Art Newspaper)
Refik Anadol announces Dataland, the world’s first museum dedicated to AI arts, set to open in Los Angeles in 2025, blending cutting-edge technology with art.
4. The Art Market Is Tanking, and Sotheby’s Has Bigger Problems (WSJ)
Sotheby’s faces financial strain amid a downturn in the art market, China’s economic slowdown, and pressure from its owner’s debt-laden telecom empire.
5. US Economy Faces ‘Paralysis’ Before Election as Dockworkers Strike (Financial Times)
A strike by dockworkers along the US East and Gulf coasts threatens to paralyze trade and disrupt global supply chains just weeks before the presidential election.