Up now: Reykjavik's annual Arts Festival, featuring a variety of visual, performance and multimedia artworks. (Yes, suddenly ubiquitous artist Ólafur Elíasson curated an exhibit.) Among the works featured is Atlantis (pictured) by Tea Mäkipää and Halldór Úlfarsson, a house installed in the city's pond that has working lights and broadcasts sounds from its interior—everything from singing to arguing. Too avant-garde? Take in some natural history in Húsavík, a small town to the capital's north, at the Icelandic Phallological Museum, which hosts a collection of male reproductive organs (among them a 154-pound specimen from a sperm whale). Hey, it's got to be more interesting than listening to Sigur Rós.

Beacon will get a shot of color this weekend when 24 street artists converge on the upstate New York town for Electric Windows, an installation of their work on the outside of a 19th-century electric blanket factory. (Beacon, apparently, is lousy with old factories begging for reuse.) Artists contributing, including Lady Pink and Michael De Feo, will all be painting live, and the installation will be followed by an after-party. Sounds very Chelsea, but Beacon prevails in the end: The bash will be held at a local BBQ joint.
510 Main St., Beacon, NY, electricwindowsbeacon.com

In New York this weekend? You could do a lot worse than hitting the parties around Design Week: Once you know where to go, it's (relatively) easy to get past the clipboard-wielding door dictators. With the International Contemporary Furniture Fair opening tomorrow in Manhattan, there's no shortage of related events. We've broken down the best in our night-by-night itinerary:

The Terence Conran Shop turns red with an installation of Spanish works. Designs by Jaime Hayon, Martí Guixé, and others mix with stuffed piquillo pepper hors d'oeuvres (407 E. 59th St., 6-9 p.m.). Another option? Smallpond, Matter, and I.D. magazine's Housewarming, with installations by Established & Sons, Tom Dixon, and Thorsten van Elten (101 W. 24th St., 6:30-9 p.m.).

Spend the night in Soho: The Moss-Moroso-Maharam complex (150-152 Greene St.) features Studio Job's Robber Baron (pictured, the side table from a suite of five objects) alongside Tomas Gabzdil Libertiny's vases made by bees. Stop by the live auction at Cappellini (151 Wooster St., 7-10 p.m.), and check the scenes at Design Within Reach (110 Greene St., 7-10 p.m.), Kiosk (95 Spring St., 7-10 p.m.), and Bond (133 Greene St., 6-9:30 p.m.). Best bet? Core77's black light Ping-Pong party, which is exactly what it sounds like. (For secret location, e-mail rsvp77@core77.com.)

Alife kicks off a series of exhibitions at its L.A. store tomorrow with a collaboration between author Dumar Brown and iconic graffiti writer Haze, who got his start in the early seventies bombing subway trains on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Nov York City is based on Brown's latest novel, The World Screaming Nov, about a scrappy, graf-obsessed kid from Brooklyn, and features eight new silkscreens on canvas. If you're not in L.A. this weekend, Haze's limited-edition Nov T-shirt (pictured) is also on sale at Alife stores in New York, Vancouver, and Tokyo.
Through June 17 at Alife L.A., 451 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA, (323) 655-2093, alifenyc.com

There's no end to the gossip about Hedi Slimane (and no, for the record, he's not going to Diesel), but this news, at least, is confirmed: The designer's photography show, Hedi Slimane_MUSAC, opens tomorrow in León, Spain. The pictures were taken at last year's Festival International de Benicàssim, Spain's version of Coachella, which draws thousands annually to the southeastern coast. Slimane capturing teenage rock fans on film isn't exactly revelatory, but the quality of his work speaks loud and clear. (It has to, after all, to make itself heard over all that gossip.)
May 17–September 7, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León, 24 Avenida de los Reyes Leoneses, León, Spain, 011 (34) 987 09 00 00, musac.es

Reopening next week: Museion, an Italian museum of modern and contemporary art whose inaugural exhibit, Peripheral Vision and Collective Body, is a massive group show that includes works by Vito Acconci, Hans Haacke and Jean-Luc Godard, among others. Berlin architects KSV Krüger Schuberth Vandreike designed the new building as a five-story glass and steel cube that comes with the requisites: exhibition areas, events space, and a library. Added bonus? The museum's facades double as screens; curators will be able to project specially commissioned artworks onto them at night. That'll be handy come fall when Sonic Youth etc.: Sensational Fix, a retrospective of the alternative band's multimedia career, goes on display. This is going to be the year punk broke in Italy, apparently.
Opening May 24, Via Dante 6, Bolanzo, Italy, (39) 0471-22-34-11, museion.it

[Dezeen]

Half Gallery opens its second exhibit tonight: a show of oils including The Circus Tent at Night From a Helicopter (pictured), by artist Robert Hawkins. Renowned in the art community (Hawkins' 1985 painting of a glacier was hanging over Jean-Michel Basquiat's death bed), the American-born, London-based artist is a favorite of GQ style guy Glenn O'Brien, among others. That he's showing at Half Gallery makes perfect sense—the space was founded by designer Andy Spade, writer/editor Bill Powers, and sometime memoirist James Frey. Also? Hawkins used to live a couple of doors down.
Through June 14 at 208 Forsyth St., New York, NY, no phone, halfgallery.com

Artist Bill Shannon is amazing to watch—and given that he suffers from a degenerative hip condition, his efforts are nothing short of astounding. WORK, Shannon's new solo exhibit, opens tomorrow and features his drawings, sculptures, and dance videos (see below). Using his crutches and skateboard, the artist creates an inspiring and lyrical form of movement (and demonstrates that he knows how to dress, too). "A search for balance is universal," he says. "To have video, sculpture and dance altogether? Well, I'm just trying to find that sweet spot."

Through June 18 at Douz and Mille, 138 Mulberry St., 6th fl., New York, NY, (212) 505-2075, douzandmille.com

Opening today: a striking new exhibit of photographs taken by GQ design director Fred Woodward. Printed in high-contrast black-and-white, the pictures were originally snapped in 1986 to accompany an article written by Nicholas Lemann for The Atlantic Monthly. The concept was to document how the flight of middle-class African-Americans to Chicago from small towns in the South had created, as The Atlantic put it, a "disastrously isolated underclass." In reporting the story, Lemann was intrigued to discover that many of the subjects he'd interviewed had come from Canton, Mississippi. Woodward took his camera there, too.

The magazine only printed a small selection—at the time, The Atlantic didn't publish photos, but made an exception here—and the photographer shelved his negatives in the interim. Now, as they're presented at Manhattan's 401 Projects, the results are arresting. "Whether he was actually packing heat or not, I don't know," Woodward says, referring to the hard case in Revolver (pictured). "I think he was pulling my leg. It's just a pose. I looked at the frames on either side, and there was some laughter leading up to that moment." Other memorable pictures include those taken at a barber shop in Canton and the series Woodward took at the Greater Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago. It was the latter batch, in fact, that gave the photographer his impetus for the show: "I'd heard discussion on the radio—it was probably NPR—about Barack Obama and the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Someone commented that maybe the problem was that many Americans had never been inside an African-American church, and it brought me back to that day in Chicago." Check out a selection of Woodward's photos in our slideshow.
"Going Over Home," May 14 to July 13, 401 Projects, 401 West St., New York, NY, (212) 633-6202, 401projects.com

Opening tomorrow: the inaugural edition of the New York Photo Festival, a large-scale exhibition that celebrates the still image, curated by industry vets like Martin Parr and Lesley Martin. Works on display include everything from prints by recent MFA grads to a slew from more established photographers, like Roger Ballen's Fragments and Jan Kempenaers' Spomenik (pictured), taken of a Communist monument in the former Yugoslavia. (At around 75,000 square feet, the space promises a comprehensive look at the current state of the medium, with an eye directed to its future.) The event also includes panel discussions with featured artists, Ballen and Kempenaers among them, not to mention workshops and reviews. In other words, it's time to get your portfolio together.
Through May 18, nyphotofestival.com

Opening soon: The long-awaited club from Andrew W.K. and artist Spencer Sweeney, alternately called 100 Lafayette, Santos's, or Santa's Party House, depending on the owners' whim (pictured, one of Sweeney's visions for the logo). The bi-level space, located in Manhattan's Chinatown, held a preview last weekend; designer Benjamin Cho and actor Leo Fitzpatrick deejayed, while, unsurprisingly, club regulars (think Chloë Sevigny) came out to dance. Although it won't officially open until June, news has broken that James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem plans to throw a party there called Special Disco Version. Coachella of the East it ain't, but the venue should still ensure plenty of traffic in the city's after-hours dead zone.

The British reality TV star (and occasional chef) has called for restaurants to be fined for serving out-of-season fruit and veggies, but now it's been revealed that he has more than 15 nonseasonal ingredients on the menu at his own restaurants. Hypocritical? Sure, but it got people talking. Perhaps (as The Independent puts it) Britain has put the wrong Gordon in charge, after all.

Opening today: Girls, a group of paintings of, er, girls by 20th-century pop-art master Roy Lichtenstein. Taking his cues from newsprint and comics (of course), the artist's work in the early sixties featured beautiful women in heaps of trouble, like Oh, Jeff... I Love You, Too... But (pictured), which turned the traditional gender paradigm on its ear. (Jeff, whoever he is, must have felt pretty bad about himself.) Hey, the guy deserves credit for presaging feminism—and for influencing generations of later artists, including Raymond Pettibon, John Currin, and Elizabeth Peyton.
Through June 28 at Gagosian Gallery, 980 Madison Ave., New York, NY, (212)744-2313, gagosian.com

In honor of Mother's Day this Sunday (no, we didn't forget), Scott Campbell will be setting up shop inside Earnest Sewn's Meatpacking District store in New York to ink customers with traditional "Mom" tattoos for $100. Those interested in less indelible declarations of devotion can purchase limited-edition Billykirk wallets and card cases laser-engraved with the design (pictured). Either way, we're not entirely sure mom would approve. (Check back next week for our video of the event.)
Earnest Sewn, 821 Washington St., New York, NY, (212) 242-3414, earnestsewn.com

The art collective known as assume vivid astro focus isn't really a collective—rather, it's the hypercolored work of one man, Eli Sudbrack, and a rotating cast of disparate contributors (think Kenny Scharf and Bec Stupak, among others). His new installation opens this weekend: Called ABSOLUTELY VENOMOUS ACCURATELY FALLACIOUS (NATURALLY DELICIOUS), it incorporates sculpture, murals, and a transsexual performance artist, all in an effort to symbolize the gentrification of Williamsburg (and here we were, thinking the neighborhood was doing just fine with that on its own). Subtlety isn't exactly Sudbrack's strong suit—expect his take on the waterfront condo developments to be more new rave than new money.
Through Aug. 16 at Deitch Projects, 4-40 44th Dr., Queens, NY, (212) 343-7300, deitchprojects.com

Between their face paint, battle axes, and spiked armbands, Norwegian metalheads have developed a distinctive look. But what sets Norway's black metal bands apart from, say, Kiss, is that the Scandinavians are deadly serious about their offstage mayhem. "Ask any little old lady in Norway about metal, and she'll start yelling at you about burned churches," explains photographer Peter Beste, who has spent the better part of the last eight years shooting members of the country's reclusive headbanger scene. Judge for yourself: Beste's book, True Norwegian Black Metal, goes on sale next week, and tonight a show of photos from the book opens at the Steven Kasher Gallery in New York City. Leave the earplugs at home: Beste assures us that the volume at the gallery will be set somewhere below 11.
True Norwegian Black Metal, through June 7 at Steven Kasher Gallery, 521 W. 21st St., 2nd Fl., New York, NY (212) 966-3978, stevenkasher.com

BKLYN DESIGNS kicks off in, uh, Brooklyn tonight, marking the unofficial start of the five boroughs' monthlong furnishings bonanza, which will culminate in two weeks with the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in Manhattan. This weekend in DUMBO, 70 exhibitors will present their work, like Re-Surface Design's "SOLO pendant lamp" (pictured), a repurposed microphone made into a light, replete with a "soft disco-like glow." (Sounds like Brooklyn to us.) Those who prefer less kitsch in their fixtures, take heart—the festival's Web site features both high- and low-minded examples.
May 9-11, $15, brooklyndesigns.net

Zhang Huan took a break from performance art when he moved back to Shanghai from New York, but, judging from Blessings, which bows tonight, he's still interested in spectacle. (The artist garnered acclaim when he strapped on a Hulk suit hewn from steaks at the Whitney Biennial in 2002.) Giant No. 3 (pictured) is at PaceWildenstein's 25th Street location, a 15-foot Fome-Cor and cowhide sculpture Huan calls "irregular and chaotic." Meanwhile, over at the 22nd Street gallery, Huan takes on Mao's Great Leap Forward with Canal Building, an ash painting that sits atop a six-foot-tall slab of compressed temple incense flanked by a viewing bridge. Banned by the Shanghai Art Museum in February, the work depicts canal workers from a sixties-era propaganda photo. "I don't treat the burnt incense as a medium," says Huan. "It's a collection of souls, wishes, hopes, and dreams. For me it's very important to present something that combines the audience with minimalism, maximalism, sculpture, and performance." It's not a steak suit, but it's certainly a lot to digest.
Through July 25 at PaceWildenstein, 534 W. 25th St. and 545 W. 22nd St., New York, NY, (212) 929-7000 or (212) 989-4258, pacewildenstein.com

Received wisdom: Every time a journal is founded, a liberal arts student gets his wings. But among the prolific store of new magazines, we're actually looking forward to the debut of Dossier, founded by Katherine Krause and photographer Skye Parrott (who has shot for Details, GQ Style and Tokion). The debut issue features the usual roundup of art, culture and music—from heavy hitters like Francesco Clemente, Zac Posen, and Mark Ronson—but we're most excited about the journal's dedication to the world of food. Alice Waters, godmother of all things organic, is interviewed here, and Mario Batali contributes several haikus and a recipe. For the lower-minded, don't worry: It looks like there are plenty of arty nudes, too.
Dossier launches this month; for more information, go to dossierjournal.com

We wish all invitations were this informative.

Our favorite aspect of last night's opening party for Rogan Gregory's new NYC store? Location-appropriate forties of Olde English emblazoned with the company's irrefutable slogan. And yes, they were cold.
Rogan, 330 Bowery, New York, NY, (646) 827-7567, rogannyc.com

Tom Sachs continually provokes controversy, as one might expect from an artist given to transforming Prada boxes into miniature death camps. He further cements his antagonist reputation today with a dozen outsize bronzes on view at Manhattan's Lever House. Weighing 18,000 pounds, his 21-foot-tall Hello Kitty replica (pictured) dominates the courtyard, while the lobby will host a pair of bronzed skateboard ramps, a bronzed dumpster, and three Donald Judd-esque battery sculptures (Duralast, Die Hard, and Trojan). "I always try to avoid the themes of art," says Sachs, who is also unveiling Animals, an exhibit of smaller-scale works, tomorrow at Sperone Westwater. "I imagine if you came into this world and you didn't know what a skateboard ramp was but you knew what a Donald Judd was it'd all make sense." Somehow it all does.
Tom Sachs: Bronze Collection, through Sept. 6 at Lever House, 390 Park Ave., New York NY, (212) 888-2700, leverhouse.com; Animals, through June 21 at Sperone Westwater Gallery, 415 W. 13th St., New York, NY, (212) 999-7337, speronewestwater.com

Walton Ford's hyper-articulated animal paintings are at once macabre and esoteric. Thurneysser's Demon (pictured), featured in the artist's new show opening tomorrow, references the apocryphal tale of a Swiss naturalist who presents a beast to his native city of Basel, only to have it poisoned by the superstitious villagers. (For the full story, see E.P. Evan's not-so-classic text The Criminal Prosecution and Capital Punishment of Animals.) Is Demon a veiled jab at Basel, an epicenter of the international contemporary art scene, or just a cautionary fable about moose? Either way, we're interested—and staying the hell out of Switzerland.
Walton Ford at Paul Kasmin Gallery, 293 Tenth Ave., New York, NY, (212) 563-4474, paulkasmingallery.com

The Deschutes Brewery & Public House opened last weekend, a new restaurant and home for the Portland, OR, maker of craft beers like Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Black Butte Porter. The space features a stone fireplace, tables made from remilled timber, and gilt-framed photos on the walls—clearly, an establishment that adheres to the don't-fix-what-isn't-broke aesthetic. Augmenting the old-timey vibe are the urinals (pictured), manufactured for P.J.Clarke's in Manhattan but never used. Hey, if your customers will be spending that much time in the bathroom, it only makes sense for them to anticipate breaking the seal.
Deschutes Brewery & Public House, 210 NW 11th Ave., (503) 296-4906, deschutesbrewery.com

As you should know, black tie exists for one reason and one reason alone: to help focus attention on the fairer sex. Nowhere is that more true than at the Met's annual Costume Institute ball: Women are encouraged to push boundaries; men, less so. That didn't stop several guys from flouting the dictates of formalwear last night, and a few of them even managed to look halfway decent doing it.

Click for slideshow >

PLUS: Head over to Style.com for full coverage of the event.

"Go into a hotel. Make what you will of it. And get high until you feel like a hamster." That, according to Jade Berreau, is the simple formula behind Dan Colen and Dash Snow's notorious "hamster nests," which the duo (pictured) turned from a pastime to a gallery show last year at Deitch Projects. Berrau has edited a book (out now, and also called Nest) that documents the exhibition, including its destruction of more than 2,000 telephone books, and the raucous closing party. (See YouTube footage from the latter here.) We doubt Ma Bell would approve.
$50, available at Deitch Projects, 76 Grand St., New York, NY, (212) 343-7300, deitchprojects.com

Forget Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, and Helmut Newton—Andy Warhol thought proto-paparazzo Ron Galella had 'em all beat. Though many famous folk dodged Galella's lens—Jackie O once took out a restraining order against him—Warhol was always happy to pose for a picture. Hundreds have now been collected in a knockout volume, Warhol by Galella: That's Great!, complete with a preface by our very own Style Guy, Glenn O'Brien. And speaking of style, we love the level of sartorial detail visible in this book. You could use it as a primer on how to conquer the art world in nothing but a bunch of rumpled Brooks Brothers button-downs.

Plataforma Arquitectura has published pictures of Alberto Mozó's new offices for BIP Computers in Santiago—an impressive three-story building constructed of laminated wood, featuring exposed rafters and a winding interior staircase. It's more treehouse than cubicle complex (which, we imagine, can't hurt staff morale). The structure's already earned some high-profile admirers: How many office buildings are endorsed by noted architecture critic Kanye West?

In Notes on Fantomas, a new show named after the fictional French criminal, renowned artist and fashion photographer Yelena Yemchuk explores everything from the climax of E.L. Doctorow's The Waterworks to fables she heard during her childhood in Kiev. Her vibrant, Sendak-style watercolors are filled with lithe people in various states of dress—some could have been styled by Marc Jacobs himself—who frolick and fight with foxes, frogs, bears, fish, and fowl. "In most Ukrainian folktales not everyone lives happily ever after," she says. "They're all pretty crazy." Like a fox, we guess.
Notes on Fantomas, May 3-June 1, Dactyl Foundation, 64 Grand St., New York, NY, (212) 219-2344, dactyl.org

To launch its new art project Global: Local, Chronicle Books made an unusual choice: sponsoring Untitled, an exhibit of blank books. Some explanation: The show is a collaboration with the hipsters at Citizen: Citizen and concerns, as Chronicle puts it, "book-like objects" created from the mock-ups publishers use to preview their products before they go to press. The results are curiously beautiful, totally unique, and (naturally) available for purchase.
Untitled, tonight through May 10, Chronicle Books, 680 Second St., San Francisco, (415) 537-4283, chroniclebooks.com

Tomorrow is LACMA's inaugural (and aptly named) Art Book Swap. There, you can exchange your old tomes for new ones, all donated by hip galleries, retailers, and publishers, including Beautiful Decay, Mary Goldman Gallery, Peres Projects, and D.A.P. Think of it as an arty twist on recycling.
Art Book Swap at Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd. on the North Piazza, Los Angeles, (323) 857-6000, lacma.org; newartdealers.org

New York photographer Michael Cogliantry's exhibit The Furry Kama Sutra opens today at Portland's Nemo Gallery, and the work is, er, exactly what it sounds like. Still, you don't have to be a fetishist to get a kick out of Cogliantry's amorous animals—and it's not like you haven't seen these positions before. (Frankly, the background decor is more offensive than the fluffy love.) We're just grateful that two bunnies didn't attempt anything with one cup.
The Furry Kama Sutra at Nemo Design Gallery, 1875 SE Belmont St., Portland, OR, (503) 872-9631, nemodesign.com

If you notice London looking a little artier this weekend, here's why: The inaugural Cans Festival kicks off tomorrow. In essence, a bunch of the world's best-known graffiti artists (including some guy named Banksy) are coming to paint the town red—and, we suspect, a number of other colors—during a three-day street-art battle. Admission is free, but be warned: One of their "rules of engagement" is "We have a lot of security."

Opening today in Los Angeles: Crown Bar, the latest from the gentlemen behind Winston's and The Dime. The menu features American bistro fare, and the design is subdued Hollywood glam—think dark woods, amber lighting, and, uh, Samantha Ronson already booked to DJ. It won't be long before you'll need a SAG card to get a seat.
Crown Bar, 7321 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA

[Eater L.A.]

Virtually, at least. True to form, the obsessive-compulsive food bloggers at Ed Levine Eats have compiled "The Real-Life Restaurants in New York City from Grand Theft Auto IV"—including "Bean Machine," a dead ringer for the Rock Center Dean & DeLuca.

Keith Haring's Bowery Mural was up for only a few months in 1982, but now you have a second chance to see it in person: The artist's foundation is re-creating the work in time for what would have been his 50th birthday. It doesn't officially open until the 4th, but we spotted it last night—suddenly that corner is very orange. The piece is one of the only Haring murals in the city: To view another, go to Harlem River Park, where the artist adorned the wall of a handball court during the peak of the city's eighties drug crisis. It's called, of course, Crack Is Wack.

The Whitney just unveiled sketches for its first satellite museum, which has been in the works for more than 20 years. Designed by Renzo Piano, the new Gansevoort Street space will actually have far more square-footage than the Madison Avenue location—50,000 to the older building's 32,000. The plans are still preliminary (expect more natural light, for instance), but here's hoping it doesn't take another two decades to get the thing built.

[NYT]

Italian designer and Memphis Group cofounder Ettore Sottsass died in Milan last year on New Year's Eve, but the 90-year-old was working right up until the end—a 2007 London Design Museum retrospective was even called A Work in Progress. Today some of his best stuff goes on display in NYC. Sadly the show doesn't include Sottsass' most famous piece—1969's portable plastic Valentine typewriter—but it does have a sizable sample of his playful, po-mo creations. Witness his laminated wood Nefertiti desk (which bears some resemblance to Rem Koolhaas' CCTV headquarters) or his early seventies line of rarely seen Flying Carpet furniture. The latter falls on the right side of shagadelic, so you might need some really good stuff before achieving liftoff.
Friedman Benda, 515 West 26th St., NYC, (212) 239-8700, friedmanbenda.com

Marfa's best known as the home of large-scale installation art, but lately the West Texas town's staked a claim to Hollywood glory. (That's what happens, we guess, when the Coen brothers use the town as a backdrop and win an Oscar for their pains.) The inaugural Marfa Film Festival starts tomorrow, and while the lineup doesn't include No Country for Old Men, the fare on offer is diverse enough to keep any cinephile's interest, from the requisite shorts to Dennis Hopper's rarely seen 1971 film The Last Movie. Your best bet? Outdoor screenings, south of the town, of There Will Be Blood—on the set of There Will Be Blood. Beer and barbecue will be available, but milkshakes are strictly bring-your-own.

Political strife doesn't always produce great art—Lions for Lambs, anyone?—but in the case of Paris' May 1968 demonstrations, the message made for a stunning medium. The Atelier Populaire's anti-Gaulliste posters, displaying the furious energy of the disenfranchised masses, go on view tomorrow at London's Hayward Gallery. In conjunction with the show, Paul Smith will be dedicating the windows of his boutiques in New York, L.A., London, and Paris to the work, and offering a limited-edition book of the prints in-store. Not to undercut the revolutionary spirit, but pricing, we're guessing, will be more '08 than '68.

Tomorrow's auction at Phillips de Pury includes items from established artists on the order of John Baldessari, Francesco Clemente, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, some of whose work is selling almost suspiciously cheap. (Signed Larry Clark bookplates for 800 bucks? Not bad.) But the items by those luminaries aren't quite as pose-able as the ones by Kaws, the nom-de-street of artist Brian Donnelly. Companion (Five Years Later), pictured, is from a limited edition of 500 that he made for Medicom Toy. Mickey Mouse's evil doppelganger is estimated to go for between $500 and $700. Be prepared to blow your toy budget.
Philips de Pury, 450 W. 15 St., NYC, (212) 940-1210, phillipsdepury.com

At the MoMA's George Lois: The Esquire Covers, opening today, you'll find 31 of the designer's groundbreaking designs for the magazine from 1962 to 1972. Many are now justly revered icons: Sonny Liston as a glowering Santa Claus; Muhammad Ali as St. Sebastian, persecuted by the draft board; and Andy Warhol drowning in his totemic can of soup. But we're partial to one of his lesser-known works: Lois's fold-out send-up of Hubert Humphrey (pictured), reviled in progressive circles for his silence on LBJ's escalation of the Vietnam War. The full version is below, a punch most definitively not pulled.
George Lois: The Esquire Covers at the Museum of Modern Art, 11 W. 53 St. NYC, (212) 708-9400, moma.org

Any world's-best list is sure to incite controversy, but when it comes to restaurants, tempers tend to flare (insert joke about chefs, knives here). Released on Monday, S.Pellegrino's 2008 list of the planet's top 50 dining establishments has inspired the usual sore feelings, especially for Asia, since not one restaurant from the continent managed to climb onto the list. The States fared better, with eight entries, including perennial California favorite The French Laundry at number five. The top three? El Bulli (Spain), The Fat Duck (U.K.) and Pierre Gagnaire (France). Tasty options all, assuming you don't mind restaurants chosen by fizzy water.

Jeff Koons' ten-foot-and-change sculpture, Balloon Dog (Yellow), has finally found a yard big enough to call home: The rooftop at NYC's Metropolitan Museum of Art. The never-before-exhibited work is among three of the artist's pieces that were installed yesterday at the museum. Long overdue, if you ask us: Not only does it feel strangely at home among the famous facades of New York's skyline—it also has us giving the much-maligned party favor a reconsideration.
Jeff Koons on the Roof at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, now through October, 1000 Fifth Ave., NYC, (212) 535-7710, metmuseum.org

The designer might have given CBGB (home to his new shop) a spiffy new floor, clean bathrooms, and a chandelier, but some of the original's punk-rock spirit came through last night. The store hosted its first gig, a benefit for VH-1's Save the Music foundation. The concert also inspired a handful of protesters, who aren't happy about the legendary space becoming a luxury menswear store. (Read Style Guy Glenn O'Brien's insightful thoughts on the matter here.)

But the show went on, and the impressive lineup included Joan Jett, the Hold Steady, Slash, and Tom Morello, who actually made playing your guitar with your teeth seem cool again. Sen Dog of Cypress Hill got the crowd—a mix of model types and dudes in leather jackets and JV suits—to, ahem, jump around, and inspired at least one guy to spark a joint. But the night belonged to Ronnie Spector, whose voice still sounds great at age 64. She kicked off her set with what could've been the evening's theme song: "You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory."

Click here for a slideshow from the event >