Our most-talked-about stories in Art, Design & Architecture, Fashion & Style, and Performing Arts, July 23-27, 2012:
ART
— A little sports competition know as the Olympic Games got underway in London, and its many cultural components included Martin Creed's nation-wide bell-ringing performance — which culture secretary Jeremy Hunt bungled badly — a red double-decker bus rigged to do pushups, and an artist who tried to grow a soccer ball from living cells, as well as a host of Olympics-themed attractions and the city's famous galleries. Banksy even managed to paint two Olympics murals despite a police crackdown on graffiti.
— We ranked the visual art efforts of some of our favorite (and most despised) musical artists, from the great photos of Patti Smith to the not-so-great digital art of Ringo Starr.
— Judd Tully looked back on the life and collection of Herbert Vogel, the former mailman and beloved art collector who died this week.
— Julia Halperin remembered the Austrian sculptor Franz West, who died suddenly in Vienna at age 65.
— We looked at the first half of Modern Painters magazine's list of the 50 most influential art collectors under 50, from Jen Bekman to Fawaz Kanoo. (Look for Part II on Monday!)
ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
— Frank Gehry's research and development firm Gehry Technologies launched GTeam, a new cloud-based design software.
— A dispute erupted over the fate of an urban plaza in Trenton, New Jersey, designed by artist Athena Tacha, which the state government wants to demolish.
— Janelle Zara visited the Museum of Modern Art's playful new retrospective of toy design, "Century of the Child."
— The Royal Institute of British Architects released its shortlist for this year's Stirling Prize, including two buildings by Rem Koolhaas and none by past winner Zaha Hadid.
— Kelly Chan wondered whether the under-construction Simon Bolivar Mausoleum in Caracas isn't really a $140-million monument to Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez's ego.
FASHION & STYLE
— Beloved fashion house Yves Saint Laurent revealed its new logo, and the world was never the same.
— Ann Binlot bestowed medals on five countries — including Jamaica and San Marino — for their stylish Olympic uniforms.
— Tiffany & Co. tapped four artists — including Danielle Dimston and Ellis Gallagher — to make love-themed murals on its future SoHo store's construction fencing.
— Former French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld released the first (animated!) image from her hotly anticipated CR Fashion Book.
— Polymath James Franco shot his second ad campaign for high-end denim designer Seven For All Mankind, this one starring Victoria's Secret model Lily Donaldson and Dennis Hopper's son Henry, among others.
PERFORMING ARTS
— J. Hoberman reviewed Alison Klayman's documentary "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry," about the outspoken Chinese artist, activist, and social media addict.
— "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson tried to extend his two-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" into a trilogy.
— The first trailer for Zach Snyder's new Superman movie, "Man of Steel," brought plenty of Terrence Mallick-ian imagery to bear on the classic superhero story.
— J. Hoberman noted how weirdly fitting it was that California's Ronald Reagan Presidential Library should be hosting an exhibition of works from the Walt Disney archives.
— Bryan Hood looked into the sudden spike in spiritual music programed by the world's leading orchestras and classical music festivals, from the Salzburg Festival to Lincoln Center's White Light Festival.
VIDEO
— Tom Chen and Kyle Chayka spoke to social media artist Man Bartlett about his projects on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, and other platforms.