24 Things That Made Us Smile in 2024

Francis Mallmann

“This year, reigned by beauty, hope and abided silence, stands for amended change.”

Pia Riverola

“Upon arriving in Kyoto, we hopped into a cab with a driver who couldn’t speak English, yet he warmly connected with us by folding delicate origami for me and my siblings as he drove. It was a simple, unspoken act of kindness that stayed with us throughout the trip.”

Harry Nuriev

“On one of my hiking trips at the top of the mountain, somewhere in Switzerland, I stopped for some soup with the best view you can ask for.”

vanessa german

“I smiled this summer when I saw my nieces for the first time in 8 years.”

Hans Ulrich Obrist

“Twenty twenty-four was the year of A.I., but for me it was also the year of Gustav Metzger. The visionary artist who passed away some years ago in his '90s has had three major retrospectives of surveys, including the exhibition from my archives that I co-curated at LUMA Arles. This show is really about my 20-year old friendship and dialogue with Metzger. He always wanted to bring art into society and society into art. I took this photo of him in one of our last meetings. I just want to celebrate him.”

Julia Cumming

“Even though life is increasingly complex, I still get to enjoy the simple pleasures of recording music with my friends.”

Rōze Traore

“What truly made me smile this past year was witnessing so many artists discovering Africa for the first time, particularly the Côte d’Ivoire, through my artist residency program, La Fourchette de Roze. This moment is especially meaningful because it offers artists a fresh backdrop, allowing them to tap into new elements and create from an entirely different perspective. And at the end of it all, hearing them express how transformative the experience was and that they want to return—there’s no greater joy.”

Anohni

“My favorite moments this year were laughing diabolically with Nomi Ruiz.”

David Zilber

“Life is compost. New beginnings can grow from endings. Good can grow from bad.”

Sophie Lou Jacobsen

“Moving to Manhattan for the first time. I was always in Brooklyn previously, and living in the city has made me rekindle my love and excitement for living here in a totally new way. I always get a smile on my face when I see the skyline behind Chinatown on my way to get coffee.”

Alex Tieghi-Walker

“I loved floating around in the giant ponds on the Cape, staring at the sky and forgetting for a moment about work and wars and money and New York City and silly ex boyfriends and who was going to look after my dog. I loved just looking at the sky in my own open-air flotation tank and feeling like a 6 year old or a 96 year old.”

Sarah Gavlak

“One of my favorite memories from this past year is a remarkable morning meditation led by Lita Albuquerque. She grounded us, connected us to the earth, and reminded us of our place in the universe, linking us to the minerals and elements beneath our feet. This transformative experience was part of our 6th annual New Wave Art Wknd, set against the backdrop of 'Cosmic Currents,' a two-person exhibition featuring Lita and Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A.).”

Laila Gohar

“Something that made me smile this year is the increase in bike lanes in NYC! I bike and love it and get so excited about new bike lanes.”

Daniel Humm

“One of the moments I’ll never forget this year was the opening of Clemente Bar. This project has been a true labor of love, friendship, and trust, and it’s been deeply meaningful to create a space with the team that brings joy where all my friends could gather together. For over 20 years, Eleven Madison Park has been my life’s work, and now it finally feels complete.”

Amanda Wall

“My phone wallpaper of young Tom Hardy smiling back at me.”

Chris Wallace

“This is a ferry boat on the Nile from the cocktail terrace at the Old Cataract in Aswan this spring. I was just wrapping up a three month trip from Cape Town to Cairo—a life highlight within a giant series of highlights—and in total disbelief that I’d gotten to do it. Maybe like all perfect travel moments, it made me just want to think even farther afield, and imagine all the millions of trips that I want to do now.”

Kim Russell

“Something that made me smile was actually feeling all of the anxiety and tension leave me once I did my first show in Paris this year. It was such a life changing experience for me.”

Amalia Ulman

“Curating 'MiCasa' with Nick Irvin.”

Camille Becerra

“I finally mastered the art of brioche this year, a forever smile.”

Olivia Erlanger

“Last Christmas, Marko, gave me a 2024 sloth calendar. I didn’t think much of it, I love kitsch, but it's become a nightly ritual. Each evening, I stare at their ridiculous faces—unbothered, slow-moving—and feel an absurd kind of relief as I draw an 'X' through the day. Sloths are content to let time pass without resistance. I've started to wonder if I could be like that too.”

Jesse Gouveia

“Clam digging with my family in Seattle.”

Emilia Petrarca

“I picked olives off a tree in Sicily this fall, checking of a bucket list item I’ve had on my list for years. I wanted to learn more about them and the process of turning a harvest into liquid gold.”

Tahirah Hairston

“I’ve really enjoyed talking to people for my newsletter, Ridiculous Little Things. It’s so fun because it’s a deep dive interview where people talk about what informs their taste and their relationship with desire, so it brings up so much from their childhoods and inner psyche  that they might not have thought of in this context. It feels like therapy and like I know the person so intimately after! Also, I love Recess Therapy so much. It’s amazing how much light and insight children can bring to us in such dark times. I’m a Miles fan girl!”

Bobbi Salvör Menuez

“Running down the aisle!”

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