Ascertaining the Value of David Hockney’s $90 Million Painting

When Christie’s set the $80 million estimate for David Hockney’s masterpiece “Portrait of an Artist (Pool With Two Figures),” which would ultimately pale in comparison to the actual record-setting (for a work by a living artist) hammer cost of $90 million, they took many factors into account. More than arguing that it’s one of the iconic artist’s best compositions, the team at Christie’s made note of …

Inside Japan’s KitKat Factory

From the carpark to the chocolate tank room, baking line, moulding queue and beyond, this series of videos takes viewers on a tour of the KitKat factory in Japan’s Ibaraki Prefecture. Beginning with intense hygiene and cleaning rituals, the videos are “weird and wonderful” and entirely enthralling. See them all at Core77.

Tavares Strachan and SpaceX Send Art to Space

On Monday, 19 November, SpaceX will send its Falcon 9 rocket into space. But, this time the launch will be adorned with a Tavares Strachan sculpture of Robert Henry Lawrence Jr, the first African-American NASA-trained astronaut. Sadly, Lawrence Jr never made it to space (he died in a jet crash in 1967) but, thanks to this collaboration, a 24-karat gold bust of his likeness will …