The Art Market’s Dynamic Year: Insights from 2024 and Strategies for 2025
With transaction volumes rising and selectivity increasing, 2024 set the stage for informed, strategic collecting in 2025.
Pamela Anderson Stuns in ‘The Last Showgirl’, but Jamie Lee Curtis Steals the Spotlight
A bittersweet, neon-lit farewell to the Vegas of yesteryear that lets Anderson remind us she’s more than just a red swimsuit.
5 A.I. Trends to Watch in 2025: Agentic A.I., 3D Models, Synthetic Data and More
What Big Tech and leading A.I. companies are spending billions building in 2025.
Arts
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Observer’s Guide to This Year’s Must-Visit January Art Fairs
Our guide to this month’s best art fairs will help you put together the perfect art itinerary.
How Formafantasma Is Designing New Tools for Sustainable Coexistence
“It is important to recognize that there is a distinction between the ethical possibilities of design and the economic interests at play.”
Move Over, Fernand Léger: In Paris, Nadia Khodossievitch-Léger Gets Her Due
She valorized her own vision and the experiences of women at large when few artists were doing so.
Marguerite Humeau Blends Science and Clairvoyance at ICA Miami
Visionarily blending myths and science, Marguerite Humeau’s art feels as if it exists in another spatial and temporal dimension—one where
These Are the Best Art Galleries and Museums in Prague
Prague’s art scene is currently one of the most eclectic in Europe.
Lifestyle
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Embrace Dry January with These Delicious and Delightful Alcohol-Free Alternatives
In recent years, zero-proof apéritifs and spirits have become more creative than ever, ensuring that you can make non-alcoholic beverages that offer a more mindful sip.
All or Nothing: How Culinary Dedication Paid Off for Chef Thomas Danigo
“I don’t know why I put all my energy in my job,” the Paris-based chef tells Observer. “But it’s my way to express myself.”
The Best Santa Barbara Restaurant and Bar Openings 2024
From an innovative omakase restaurant in the Funk Zone to a modern oyster bar on the historic Stearns Wharf, this year saw unexpected openings that have already managed to win over the most loyal locals.
London’s Best New Restaurants of 2024
From Bottarga, a buzzy new Greek spot deep in Chelsea, to the re-opening of architectural standout The Hero in Maida Vale, London acquired some strong new additions to its dining scene.
The Best New L.A. Bar Openings of 2024
Though craft cocktails and innovative mixology programs are certainly having their moment, moody wine bars have also turned up all over the city, including a Brooklyn transplant that has already won the hearts of oenophiles in Downtown L.A.
Business
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4 SpaceX Milestones to Watch in 2025: Starship, a Company Town and Trump Policies
SpaceX eyes more Starship tests, Starlink satellites and a company town.
5 Space Missions to Watch in January 2025: NASA and Firefly Shoot for the Moon
Not one, but two lunar landars will be launched to the moon this January via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Canada, an Early A.I. Hub, Fights to Stay Relevant
Decades of funding brought scores of pioneering A.I. researchers to Canada, where a series of breakthroughs laid the foundations for the A.I. products dominating today’s tech industry.
How a Failing Software Company Became a Bitcoin Darling and Gained 450% in a Year
MicroStrategy’s core software business has been falling for years, but its enormous Bitcoin holding has surged in value in recent months.
Weathering the Market: Why Climate Data Is the Future of Commodity Trading
The global commodity market is more volatile than ever, with weather-driven price swings rivaling those of cryptocurrencies.
Entertainment
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11 Short Books to Help You Jumpstart Your 2025 Reading Resolutions
These quick reads will make it easy to meet your Goodreads goals.
‘Squid Game’ Season 2 Review: Thrills, Kills And Fan Service
Netflix’s megahit Korean drama returns for a middle season that feels more like the set-up for a grand finale than its own contained story. Don’t worry, though, there are still shocks (and kills) galore.
Ailey’s Angels: A Look at the Company’s New York City Center 2024 Season
In classics and world premieres, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater brings us as close as we can get to the ultimate unknown.
Power Lists
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The Most Important People in Nightlife & Dining
These are the architects of modern indulgence, wielding influence with every lease signed and every menu unveiled. Theirs is the kind of power that turns concepts into cultural institutions.
The Most Influential People in Art
Observer’s Business of Art Power List spotlights the bold innovators steering today’s art world through shifting markets, new collector dynamics and cultural reinvention. From market disruptors to institution builders, these visionaries are redefining influence, expanding access and setting the course for art’s global future.
Masters of the Machine: The A.I. Leaders With Power, Influence, Capital and Vision
The future of artificial intelligence isn’t just being built in research labs—it’s being shaped by a small circle of power players who control the capital, strategy and vision of the industry’s biggest breakthroughs. From tech executives to investors and policy architects, these leaders are determining what A.I. becomes, what it prioritizes and how it impacts society. Meet the movers who are deciding the direction of the world’s most transformative technology.
Marketplace
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10 Best CBD Oils of 2024: A Guide for the Discerning Consumer
Tired of CBD oils that overpromise and underdeliver? We’ve done the legwork to find the best of 2024—pure, potent, and worth every drop. Discover the oils that live up to the hype and make a real difference.
10 Best CBD Companies to Buy From in 2024: Honest Reviews & Guide
Despite strong competition from nine impressive challengers, Colorado Botanicals tops our list of the best CBD companies to buy from in 2024.
5 Strongest CBD Gummies: Best CBD Gummies of 2024
We’ve compiled a list of the top 5 strongest CBD gummies for pain, sleep, anxiety and stress to save you time and money.
10 Best CBD Gummies for Anxiety and Stress
Although Colorado Botanicals and its line of CBD gummies ranked first, and we found them to be the best CBD gummies for anxiety, they’re not the only CBD brand with a lot to brag about. The nine other competitors on our list have many qualities that help them stand out in a highly saturated market.
10 Best CBD Oil for Dogs: Best for Anxiety, Pain & Arthritis
A guide to our carefully selected picks for the top CBD oils for dogs in 2024 to soothe anxiety, pain and arthritis.
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The Artist as Philanthropist: Why Giving Back Matters
Philanthropy isn’t just about money—it’s about having a cultural impact on different terms.
At the Muzeum Susch, Ilona Keserü’s Groundbreaking Abstraction Shines
To stand before one of her canvases is to marvel at her application of color: vivid hues that capture your imagination with their unbridled energy and dynamism.
The Year in Museums: Political Unrest on One Side and Major Gifts on the Other
It was pretty bad but it wasn’t all bad.
The Attention Economy: Power, Profit and Privacy in the Digital Era
Human attention is the foundation of the digital economy, powering everything from A.I. to international trade.
From City Streets to Snowy Peaks: 21 Puffer Jackets That Actually Work
Whether you’re climbing mountains or commuting to meetings, here’s your expert breakdown of the best puffers across every price point and purpose.
Telegram Closes 2024 With $1B in Revenue and Its First Profit, Says CEO Pavel Durov
Telegram has more than 950 million monthly active users.
Observer’s Guide to Helsinki’s Best Art Galleries and Museums
The city, spread across a series of islands, has many exceptional galleries and museums (though sadly, no Guggenheim).
The Future of Work: Preparing the Workforce for the A.I. Revolution
A.I. won’t replace humans—it will redefine their roles, create new opportunities and unlock innovations once thought unimaginable.
Mika Lands in Coral Gables, and Michael White Isn’t Leaving the Hits Behind
Michael White knows a thing or two about encores.
Observer’s Guide to Washington, D.C.’s Best Winter Exhibitions
We recommend starting your art tour of the nation’s capital at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery.
The Year’s Best Films: Changes in Perspective—And Heroes
This year’s greatest cinematic achievements offered dramatic changes in perspective, both ascetically and in terms of who gets to be the hero of the story.
Former Google Researchers are Dominating the A.I. Startup Scene
The top A.I. startups led by ex-Google workers have raised a cumulative $14.7 billion.
Out of Chaos, Painter Jaouad Bentama Finds Joy
When he finally felt like he was making it, tragedy struck.
Carbone Vino Lands in Coconut Grove, Draped in Velvet and Nostalgia
Major Food Group’s newest hotspot combines New York nostalgia with Miami swagger, complete with spicy rigatoni and Super Tuscans by the glass.
Artist Hew Locke Confronts Colonialism at the British Museum
In “Hew Locke, what have we here?”, visitors are asked to consider the legacy of empire and plunder in shaping museum collections.
The Guggenheim Considers the Harmonies and Dissonances of Orphism
Whether or not Orphism was a bonafide movement within Modernism, the exhibition reminds us of the fertile artistic debates that generated the countless “-isms” of the period.
Mare Winningham On The Dysfunctional Holiday Drama of ‘Cult of Love’
Mare Winningham plays the matriarch of a family gathered around the Christmas tree to air some serious issues. “I thought, ‘Well, it’s called Cult of Love, so there has to be a leader,” she says, “and it seems to be me.’”
California’s Most Noteworthy Luxury Hotel Openings of 2024
Whether you’re in the mood for a cozy getaway in Laguna Beach or want to reconnect with nature in the middle of West Marin, these are the best California hotel openings of 2024.