Cultureshock Connects

At Cultureshock, we are honoured to work with many of the most influential and innovative arts organisations in the world – and it’s a daily pleasure to partner with them to create print and digital content that connects them to the audiences they most want to reach. Featured in this issue of Cultureshock Connects: V&A East Museum, Farah Nayeri, Art for Tomorrow, Fabio & Grooverider, Sotheby’s International Realty, Qatar Pavilion, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Serpentine Galleries, Art Basel and World Monuments Fund.

The Music is Black at V&A East Museum

Fabio & Grooverider are the cover stars of the new V&A Magazine, which features The Music is Black: A British Story, the inaugural exhibition at the extraordinary V&A East Museum. Inside the issue, the drum and bass legends reflect on their careers as trailblazers of Black British music, alongside Dame Shirley Bassey and Skunk Anansie’s Skin. Samira Ahmed interviews V&A East director Gus Casely-Hayford about the new museum, while Michael Clark, Margaret Howell, Michelle Ogundehin and others admire the treasures within. Plus: Asif Khan talks architecture and art, Natalie Haynes discovers ancient objects at V&A East Storehouse, Iain R Webb takes a wild ride through catwalks past, Miranda Sawyer reviews Sathnam Sanghera’s book about George Michael, and the founders of the restaurant Jikoni talk about their new cafe at V&A East Museum.

Ten years of Art for Tomorrow

Since its launch in 2015, the annual Art for Tomorrow conference has brought together some of the world’s most renowned creative minds. Ai Weiwei, Marina Abramović, Jeff Koons and Rem Koolhaas are just a few of the figures who have taken part in conversations led by New York Times journalists in host cities ranging from Doha and Berlin to Athens and Milan. In Art for Tomorrow: The First Decade, published by Cultureshock for The Democracy & Culture Foundation, renowned journalist Farah Nayeri charts the conference’s highlights and impact. Ultimately Nayeri finds Art for Tomorrow has become an essential platform for debating the critical question: “How do art and contemporary culture reflect the times we live in?” Buy your copy online at Blackwell’s, Amazon or your local fine-art bookshop. Cultureshock is thrilled to be part of Art for Tomorrow’s second decade as a featured partner of the 2026 conference in Doha on 5-7 November.

Taking the pulse of the luxury property market

Sotheby’s International Realty, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, is one of the world’s leading authorities on the global luxury property. In its 2026 Mid-Year Luxury Outlook® report, produced in partnership with Cultureshock, the company shares its expertise through data-driven narratives that provide invaluable insights into this ever-shifting, always fascinating sector. The new issue charts the surprising resilience of luxury real estate, as rapid wealth creation counters the challenges of our uncertain political and economic times. The complimentary report, available online now, also identifies the four most resilient cities for real estate investment and shines a spotlight on the growing trend for home enhancements that cater to ageing millionaire buyers. And, as always, you’ll enjoy sumptuous photographs of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful properties on Earth.

Qatar comes to Venice

Over the past two decades, Qatar has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing and most vibrant centres for international art, but the country’s ambitions don’t end at its borders. At this year’s Venice Biennale, the Qatar temporary structure is one of the highlights. The spectacular tent-like space, created by Rirkrit Tiravanija on the site of what will be the country’s permanent pavilion (designed by celebrated Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh), is a site of multidisciplinary collaboration between artists, musicians and chefs from across the world, titled untitled 2026 (a gathering of remarkable people). In case you missed it, Cultureshock was on hand during the opening week to document the happenings through photography and video, which you’ll find in the online issue of Q+A magazine.

Summer celebrations

A major bonus of working with leading arts and culture organisations is that we get invited to the best parties. Cultureshock was delighted to attend top-tier events on both sides of the Atlantic recently. On 5 June, the art world gathered at The Chancery Rosewood (London’s newest luxury destination hotel) as Her Excellency Sheikha al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani hosted a special event celebrating the partnership between Qatar Museums and the Serpentine Galleries. The evening highlighted the cultural exchange between the two institutions and offered a preview of the upcoming arts and culture season in Qatar. In New York, World Monuments Fund held its Summer Soirée on 9 June at the fabulous Rainbow Room, a fitting venue for the evening’s theme, “Celebrating the Legacy of Modernist Architecture”. The evening kicked off with a screening of the short film produced by Cultureshock that encapsulates 60 years of WMF’s critical work in preserving the irreplaceable monuments that are part of our shared cultural heritage.

Surprise and delight at Art Basel

More than a half century after its founding in 1970, Art Basel has grown to be the world’s leading international art fair. And even though it recently expanded to Qatar (subject of the inaugural issue of Q+A, the magazine we recently launched in partnership with Qatar Museums), Art Basel continues to innovate in its home town. When the art world descended on Basel in June, the collectors, critics and art professionals were in for a surprise: almost 200 participating galleries exhibited works that had not been revealed in the online catalogue. The fair also delighted visitors with Zero 10, a new section devoted to digital art. In case you missed this year’s fair, you’ll find Cultureshock’s highlights here.