Time for some highlights of what’s been published on Seen.Today during 2025 and the final numbers. A grand total of 2,507 photos were posted spread across 40 stories. That’s a lower total photo count than 2024 but an increase in the number of stories.
Seen.Today broadened into some new coverage areas this past year. Attending the media opening of Calder Gardens in Philadelphia offered the opportunity to share an exclusive photo tour. I had a front row seat on the runway for a fashion show hosted by a group of Estonian designers. And the year wrapped up with a tour of a supposed haunted villa in Miami, the site of The Future Perfect’s newest showroom.
Looking ahead to 2026, I’ve already got a few big items on the list. First is a site update for sometime in the spring. I’m planning on including an easy to navigate archive and site search. The goal is to have this running before NYCxDesign 2026 in May.
The inaugural Retromobile NYC is slated for mid-November at Javits. The long running Paris-based vintage and collector car show is a bucket list event for auto enthusiasts. I’m planning to be there and share full coverage here.
Talking of new coverage areas, in 2026 you’ll begin to see the addition of Site Visit stories, these will be photo tours of visually interesting places old and new.
Here’s a selection of ten on my favorite images from the past year and some behind the scenes commentary about when they were taken.
Photos and Text: Dave Pinter
Gears on the Pier XVII Winter Toys | CCC
While the photo of the yellow Porsche above getting grazed by seemingly warm sunlight, it was frigid. This was taken inside Classic Car Club Manhattan’s garage for a winter gathering of collectible and exotic vehicles. It took place on the coldest morning of the ’24-’25 season. There’s always a 20-30 minute window of nice light from the seasonally low sun that streams in. It doesn’t last long but is worth waiting for.
Estonian Design In Motion
An early spring fashion show provided the opportunity to see the work of 16 Estonian designers. Held in the Oculus in lower Manhattan, the show mixed pieces together from work wear to sustainable apparel. It was a cool opportunity to share photos from a front row seat.
Michael Kagan | Downforce
Artist Michael Kagan seemed to perfectly time his Downforce show to coincide with a big growth year for Formula One in the US. His collage-based work created memorable racing moments from Fernando Alonso, Kimi Räikkönen and Lewis Hamilton. A lot of racing art can be quite cheesy, but Kagan’s work borders on graphic abstraction in a unique way.
Syd Mead | Future Pastime
This was such an amazing show to be able to see repeatedly. It was a great opportunity to remember Syd and get a close up look at his work. On my last visit, I spoke with the organizers of the show who said nearly all of Syd’s paintings are together and at some point in the future, a broader retrospective will be held.
Vitra Showroom New York
Bucking the trend for a large ground floor space in NOMAD, now NYC’s largest design district, Vitra opened a new showroom on the upper floor of a renovated building in Chinatown. I miss the old raw and gritty Meatpacking district space across from The Whitney. But with the double height windows, the new location has quite a nice view of the Manhattan Bridge.
2025 ICFF + Wanteddesign
There’s a running critique that it’s hard to hide the dark, cavernous vibe of the lower floor of the Javits Center. Quebec-based Larose Guyon took up the challenge with there dreamy stand created from layer upon layer of translucent fabric. It was a simple and elegant design that was like walking thru a cloud with there ethereal light fixtures slowly revealed.
Pratt Architecture | NYCxDesign 2025
Pratt Shows is the annual spring end of the year student exhibition and a must see for model enthusiasts. The architecture program always presents a stellar selection of undergrad and graduate projects. It’s an opportunity to see an analog part of the design process still alive and get a pulse of new and interesting shapes and materials.
2025 Gridlock on Governors Island
I had a lot of fun at Gridlock 2024 so I made it a point to spend more time at the event this past year. That started with arriving for roll in and hitchhiking a ride to the island. The weather was perfect and I was able to come back with shots like this colorful Thing waiting for a spot on the ferry.
Calder Gardens
I had Calder Gardens on my to-do list from the beginning of the year. So it was nice to be included to attend the preview day for media. Because the outside is a garden-from-scratch, it’ll take a few years for it to fully develop. Exploring the subterranean galleries was fun and felt like a journey to a meditative environment.
Bagus Pandega | Daya Benda
Most of this year’s selected photos include saturated color. So there’s no better end than Bagus Pandega’s wild electric race bike exhibited at the Swiss Institute. It’s simultaneously garish and cool. 2025 was a heavy year, color remains a dependable mood enhancer.
