
Police suspect sabotage behind Cannes electricity blackout – DW – 05/25/2025
Thorkil Rothe
05/25/2025
May 25, 2025
Just hours before Cannes' closing awards ceremony, a massive blackout brought some off-screen drama to the French film festival. Police say they're investigating possible sabotage for causing the blackout.

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Yseult: Champion of body positivity – DW – 06/07/2025
French singer Yseult is among the country's top artists. She demands respect - no matter the body shape, gender, or color. With 9.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Yseult is one of France's most successful artists. At the 2024 Olympic Games closing ceremony in Paris, she performed "My Way" - a fitting choice for a Black, plus-size artist who has overcome countless challenges. Her music, including the self-produced track "Corps' ("Body'), draws directly from her personal experiences.


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Berlin pays tribute to Christo's iconic 'Wrapped Reichstag' – DW – 06/06/2025
Thirty years ago, Germany's parliament building "disappeared" under silver fabric for two weeks. The work of art by Christo and Jeanne-Claude is now celebrated with a light installation. Anyone who was in Berlin in the summer of 1995 will probably remember it for the rest of their lives: how the Reichstag — the seat of the German parliament — disappeared. Not blown up, not demolished, but completely wrapped in silver fabric and tied up with thick ropes, almost like a gift. A crazy idea? Perhaps. But also one that made history. Behind this spectacular action was a pair of artists who have repeatedly surprised the world with their ephemeral mega works of art: Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Their vision of a wrapped Reichstag was big, bold — and took 23 years to plan. 2025: A special anniversary year 2025 is a real anniversary year for fans of Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Not only is Berlin marking the 30th anniversary of the "Wrapped Reichstag" with a light installation projected onto the west façade of the Reichstag building from June 9 to 22, but other cities around the world are also paying tribute to the couple's works: Paris commemorates the wrapping of its Pont Neuf that happened 40 years ago, while New York marked the 20th anniversary of "The Gates," an installation in Central Park featuring thousands of gates on which fabric panels fluttered. And above all, both artists would have turned 90 this year: They were born on the same day, on June 13, 1935. Christo was born in Bulgaria and later fled from the communist East to Western Europe, first to Prague, then to Vienna, Geneva and finally Paris. There he met Jeanne-Claude in 1958 — she was French with roots in Morocco. The two became an unbeatable team. Christo was the artist, Jeanne-Claude the organizer — whereby both saw themselves as equal partners and later officially signed all projects together. After 23 years of planning, Christo and Jeanne-Claude's dream became a reality Image: 1995 Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation, Photo: Wolfgang Volz Their specialty was huge, spectacular art installations in public spaces. They wrapped bridges, buildings or entire coastal strips, stretched gigantic curtains through valleys or erected kilometer-long fabric installations. None of it permanent, all self-financed, without advertisers or sponsors; the money for the projects was only generated through the sale of drawings, collages and designs. 'Wrapped Reichstag': A long wait for approval The idea of wrapping the Reichstag in Berlin was born back in 1971 — in the middle of the Cold War. At the time, the Reichstag stood right next to the Berlin Wall. It was a symbolic building, but was not actually used. The seat of government of the then Federal Republic of Germany was still in Bonn, and the Bundestag (the German parliament) only moved into the Reichstag building with its characteristic glass dome, remodeled by architect Norman Foster, in 1999. In 1978, Christo presented the model of the wrapped Reichstag at an exhibition in Zurich Image: Niklaus Stauss/akg/picture-alliance Christo and Jeanne-Claude were nevertheless fascinated by the building's symbolism and historical role. Time and again, this place has been the scene of significant moments in Germany's history, during the German Empire, the Weimar Republic, the Nazis' "Third Reich" and the Second World War, the division of Germany after the war and its eventual reunification. Christo and Jeanne-Claude wanted to make this building visible again by concealing it for a brief period. But a work of art like this required permission — and that took a long time coming. It was not until 1994, after more than 20 years of discussion, that the Bundestag finally gave its approval, following vigorous debate. And this paved the way to one of the most impressive art projects of the century. The then President of the Bundestag, Rita Süssmuth, supported the project Image: Jockel Finck/AP Photo/picture alliance Summer 1995: A silver dream in the middle of Berlin Finally, in June 1995, the Reichstag was completely wrapped in over 100,000 square meters of silver fabric and 16 kilometers of rope. The wrapping lasted several days and was followed around the world. The wrapped Reichstag appeared soft, shimmering, mysterious, like a work of art amid clouds. From June 24 to July 7, 1995, over 5 million people came to Berlin to witness this spectacle with their own eyes. It was like a huge public festival: People were lying on the grass, having picnics, taking photos and discussing it. Many people who experienced the work later said that they had never viewed the Reichstag as intensely as during these two weeks. A tourist magnet in the summer of 1995 Image: 1995 Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation, Photo: Wolfgang Volz Why wrap it at all? Christo and Jeanne-Claude didn't set out to hide a building — quite the opposite. They wanted to give it a new experience. The wrapping removed everything superficial. You could no longer see the details, only the shape, the silhouette, the volume. And most importantly, this work of art was also ephemeral. After two weeks, the magic was over, the fabric was dismantled, and no trace remained. Only memories. For the artist couple, this ephemerality was a central part of their work. "The beauty lies in transience," they often said. You should enjoy the moment because you know it will soon be over. Although the Reichstag is a political symbol, the artwork itself was not intended to be political. Christo and Jeanne-Claude did not want to dictate an opinion. They wanted their art to be an open space for thoughts, feelings and interpretations. Nevertheless, many people saw the wrapping as a strong political symbol: for change, for reconciliation, for a new beginning. This had a special effect, especially in reunified Germany. From June 9 to 20, 2025 the artwork will be projected onto the west façade of the Reichstag in the evening Image: Jens Kalaene/dpa/picture alliance Jeanne-Claude died in 2009,Christo in 2020, but their art lives on — in photos, memories, exhibitions and now also in a special anniversary year. The wrapping of the Reichstag was not only a masterpiece of logistics and aesthetics, it was also a moment of collective fascination. It showed what art can achieve in public spaces. It can surprise, connect, challenge. And it can simply amaze people. Or, as Christo once said: "Our works belong to no one — and at the same time to everyone." This article was originally written in German.


Int'l Business Times
29-05-2025
- Int'l Business Times
Italian Designer Maria Grazia Chiuri Out At Dior
Dior announced Thursday that Italian designer Maria Grazia Chiuri was stepping down as artistic director of the French fashion house's women's collection after almost a decade on the job. Dior has boomed since Chiuri took over in 2016, becoming the second-biggest brand in the stable of luxury labels owned by French powerhouse LVMH. The 61-year-old designer's modernisation and feminist activism helped attract new customers. Chiuri, who was the first woman to be named Dior's creative director after a career at Italian brands Valentino and Fendi, had long been rumoured to be on her way out. "The House of Dior wishes today to express its deepest gratitude to Maria Grazia Chiuri after a wonderful collaboration as Artistic Director of the Women's collections since 2016," Dior said in a statement. "After nine years, I am leaving the House of Dior, delighted by the extraordinary opportunity I have been given," Chiuri said in the statement. Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson, who was named creative director of Dior Men last month, has been tipped as a possible successor, which would make him the first person to head both the men's and women's collections. If that came to be, it would give "greater consistency" between the men's and women's offerings and would be "impactful for the public and for consumers", said Serge Carreira, an academic specialising in the luxury industry. Already anticipation is building around Anderson's first Dior menswear show in June. Chiuri on Tuesday presented Dior Women's 2026 Cruise collection in Rome, the city of her birth, in an 18th century villa. The show concluded with a standing ovation for the designer. Guests including Silvia Venturini Fendi, granddaughter of Fendi's founders and the menswear artistic director of the brand, and Valentino founder Valentino Garavani. After training at Italy's Istituto Europeo di Design, Chiuri worked for Fendi in the 1990s before joining Valentino in 1999, where she and artistic partner Pier Paolo Piccioli became creative co-directors. In 2016, she was tapped to succeed Raf Simons at Dior, and "she really wrote a whole chapter in Dior's history", said Carreira, who teaches at Paris's Sciences Po university. Even if some critics argued that she lacked creativity, he disagreed, saying: "She managed to boost and create a very consistent identity at Dior Women... that she constantly refreshed and fed with new ideas." Speculation already swirled around Chiuri's future at her last Paris Fashion Week in March. Her face was inscrutable at the end of a 25-minute Fall/Winter 2025 show in the Tuileries Gardens, as she briefly acknowledged applause from a crowd that was relatively low on A-list celebrities. Some observers had suggested the classic French house was growing stale. Its growth is of crucial financial and dynastic importance to LVMH owner Bernard Arnault, who placed his daughter Delphine in charge of Dior in February 2023. In the Dior statement, Delphine Arnault praised Chiuri's "immense work with an inspiring feminist viewpoint and exceptional creativity". Speaking to Grazia magazine in February, Chiuri said she had seen the fashion business change greatly over her 40-year career. "Fashion used to be about family companies and there were small audiences -- clients and buyers," she said. "Now fashion is like a channel. It's something more popular, it's like pop. It's a form of media." LVMH's global first-quarter results were weaker than expected, with sales over the period dropping two percent against the backdrop of trade uncertainty unleashed by US President Donald Trump's tariffs. French group Hermes overtook LVMH as the world's most valuable luxury company in April after shares in the Louis Vuitton maker tumbled following weaker-than-expected quarterly sales. LVMH shares have been sliding since the end of February. Maria Grazia Chiuri's last show for Dior -- the 26 cruise collection, shown in Rome -- received a standing ovation AFP Dior is a crucial brand in the LVMH luxury group -- so much so that LVMH boss Bernard Arnault has put his daughter Delphine in charge of it AFP