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The artist
Ai-Da, the first humanoid artist
Human-looking, feminine in appearance, with brown hair framing an attractive face and large eyes, complete with cameras and articulated arms ... Ai-Da is a hyper-realistic humanoid robot, endowed with the artificial intelligence of an artist. She draws what she sees, but will never create the same work twice. Ai-Da exhibited her first works in Oxford, in a gallery owned by her creator, Aidan Meller, and she sold them all! 28 pieces were sold for a grand total of 1 million pounds. Enough to continue this research and allow Ai-Da to carry on painting and sculpting. For the moment, human aid is still necessary for her to add colour and volume.
Sport
Useful running
The new green sport from Sweden, plogging is an amalgamation of plocka upp (“pick up” in Swedish) and jogging. It consists of running — equipped with gloves and a rubbish bag — while collecting litter along your route. The activity has become popular in France thanks to Nicolas Lemonnier, an osteopath from Nantes.
His charity Run Eco Team has enjoyed great success, with citizen relays taking place across the world... and also thanks to an unexpected boost from Mark Zuckerberg, who spotted the charity on Facebook. This new activity has also won over water sports enthusiasts, who now organise competitions to remove all manner of rubbish from the water using magnets and ropes.
Event
The new Samaritaine
After being closed for more than fifteen years, the new Samaritaine will finally reopen its doors in 2021! Five years of work will have been necessary to complete this extraordinary project, under the leadership of the Japanese agency Sanaa and its architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryūe Nishizawa. This 70,000 m2 space in the heart of Paris is arranged in four hubs and the refurbished facilities include a shop, restaurants, social housing, offices and a nursery.
The biggest challenge was to preserve its classic feel while creating something more contemporary. On the Seine-facing side of the site, the art deco building has been completely renovated and will house a prestigious hotel. On the side facing rue de Rivoli, the contemporary facade of undulating glass is a rediscovery of the signature of Louvre-Lens designers: purity, simplicity, luminosity.
Word
Eco-anxiety
Someone who suffers “eco-anxiety” is someone whose ecological awareness has been affected by such psychic and existential distress that they have decided to change their lifestyle.
The “eco-anxious” succeed in overcoming their anxiety by taking action, and by optimistically committing to a better world. They place the ecological transition at the heart of their existence and align their way of life to their eco-convictions.
Virtual culture
Will it soon be a part of everyday life?
The containment measures imposed by the COVID-19 health crisis have shone a spotlight on new ways of experiencing culture, in particular the possibility of exploring exhibitions virtually. Google Arts & Culture has been one of the most important players in this new trend, proposing several events such as “Faces of Frida”, a retrospective of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, thanks to the contributions of 33 museums and art centers from all around the world.
Technology
Increased recruitment
Launched by HireVue, a company in the United States, the use of artificial intelligence for screening interviews is becoming widespread in Europe. Applicants are invited to answer questions facing the camera. The videos are screened by an algorithm, which analyses candidates’ vocabulary, the tone and rhythm of their voice, response times and facial expressions.
The aim is to save time and increase objectivity, finding the best candidates for a specific position in a given company. The recruiter can thus focus on the most rewarding part of recruitment: the relationship with the finalists.
The coalition
Multinationals Commit to Biodiversity
“Cause systemic change.” This is the mission statement of One Planet Business for Biodiversity (OP2B), a unique alliance of 19 companies aiming to promote biodiversity. This is an alliance of giants (including Nestlé, Kellogg’s, Google and L’Oréal), with a combined annual turnover of nearly 500 billion dollars. Beyond a simple declaration of intent, OP2B is committed to proposing solutions with measurable objectives and benchmarks. Actions are focused around three pillars: deploying sustainable and regenerative farming practices, improving cultivated biodiversity, eradicating deforestation and preserving natural ecosystems.
The object
The regriferator reinvented
Two small taps on the glass door of this refrigerator and it reveals its interior, removing the need to open the door. This seemingly small innovation has a big impact, reducing cold air losses by more than 40%. And that’s not all! LG’s InstaView Door-in-Door connected refrigerator also makes slow-melting ice cubes. Prolong the pleasure of sipping a cool drink on a hot day, without it becoming too diluted.
A subtle blend of cultures
Interview with Alexis Maggiar, Vice-Chairman of Christie’s France and International Head of African and Oceanic Art.
Interview with Mathieu Ruffat, , Specialist, EMEA & Americas, Watches Department at Christie's.
A quick look back
A new take on travel