art & literature & education – Page 2

sofa chicago 2017. preview 1.

Oct 23, 2017

above> corona | oil on canvas | courtesy of george bilis gallery

2 > 5 november 2017 | navy pier chicago

the sculpture objects functional art and design (sofa) fair in chicago is the premier gallery-presented art fair dedicated to three-dimensional art and design. on par with art basel and tefaf maastricht, sofa is produced by urban expositions, a clarion events company.

critically acclaimed and continuously running since 1994, what distinguishes sofa from other top art events is its focus on three-dimensional artworks that cross the boundaries of fine art, decorative art and design. sofa is noted for its exceptional presentation, with an elite selection of international dealers presenting for sale one-of-a-kind masterworks in handsome, custom-designed gallery exhibits.

below> a sampling of sofa selects, the top pieces chosen as the “favorites” by curators, collectors and more. selects participants this year include: sarah arison, president, arison arts foundation; hannah b higgins, writer/academic; suzanne lovell, architect/designer, suzanne lovell inc; nicholas moriarty, principal/owner, nicholas moriarty interiors; michael del piero, founder, michael del piero good design; and linc thalen, architect/designer, linc thelen designschicago

a serendipitous moment via moholy-nagy chicago design archive and designer steve liska .

Oct 17, 2017

above> sculpture class in school of design / 610 fairbanks chicago / c 1940

serendipity: the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for…
this article intends to provoke an ongoing conversation re chicago’s design history. let’s begin with a philosophy of “one must look back to move forward” and with elements necessary to this narrative — in chronological order… bauhaus movement, lászló moholy-nagy, new bauhaus in chicago, the chicago design archive, and chicago designer steve liska. an aside, this year, iit institute of design is celebrating the 80th anniversary of its founding as the new bauhaus.

[ bauhaus movement /// weimar/dessau germany ] the historical bauhaus is the most influential educational establishment in the fields of architecture, art and design. founded 1919 in weimar germany by architect walter gropius as a school that combined crafts and the fine arts, it was famous for an approach to design which it publicized and taught. the school closed in 1933 when the nazis came to power in germany.

the bauhaus can still be felt today, essentially characterizing the image of german design abroad. architects, designers and artists associated with the bauhaus include: alvar aalto, josef albers, herbert bayer, charles and ray eames, eileen gray, johannes itten, walter jacobsen, wassily kandinsky, paul klee, le corbusier, laszlo moholy-nagy, george nelson, isamu noguchi, eero saarinen, frank lloyd wright and mies van der rohe.

above> in 1907 belgian architect henry van de velde founded the school of arts and crafts in weimar germany / 1919 he invites walter gropius to move in who starts the state bauhaus

[ lászló moholy-nagy, a new bauhaus school /// chicago usa ] also known as moholy – a hungarian experimental artist, modernist, and former faculty at the parent bauhaus in dessau comes to chicago. in 1937, at the invitation of walter paepcke, the chairman of the container corporation of america, moholy-nagy, moved to chicago to become the director of the new bauhaus. the philosophy of the school was basically unchanged from that of the original.

unfortunately, the school lost its financial backing and it closed in 1938. paepcke continued his own support and in 1939, moholy-nagy opened the school of design. in 1944, the school became the institute of design. earlier in 1939, the institute of design became a part of illinois institute of technology and became the first institution in the united states to offer a phd in design.

below> moholy-nagy on the balcony of the prellerhaus in dessau / 1927 / courtesy of the metropolitan museum of art

[ the chicago design archive and chicago designer steve liska ] liska shares his thoughts with DesignApplause upon discovering his new office was once the home of moholy’s school…

[designapplause] for the past 30 years you have managed to create wonderful office spaces for yourself. your current space may be your best. how did you arrive at this location?

[steve liska] our lease was up, was grumbling about it to a client that just developed the 600 north fairbanks helmut jahn building. he said he had a tenant (the pritzker military library) moving out of his building and i should take a look. it was slightly scary.

[DA] what is your vision of your office spaces? what is your office supposed to do?

[SL] as brand designers- communication is critical. so have always appreciated an open, flexible, collaborative office. our office supports us and gives us a neutral environment to share ideas. and has good coffee.

[DA] what was involved / how did you arrive at the finished presentation of your space?

[SL] the building is almost 100 years old, very solid and concrete loft-like. my friends at gary lee partners helped us plan for all the previous tenant demo- we removed walls, office and lots of strange old equipment. then they helped configure the space, basically made it happen.

[DA] tell us about some back stories to this building.

[SL] it was built almost a 100 years ago as a bakery (the horn and hardart automat company). it has been a us post office, housed hugh hefner’s first playboy office, the chez paree nightclub in the 50s, home to joe sedelmaier, shel silverstein, dingbat’s disco (mr. t!) and of course the school of design. lots of history, stories and a few cool ghosts.

[DA] what did you know and what did you learn about moholy?

[SL] it took a while to learn about the school and moholy-nagy from our new landlord, but once we did- we were fanatics. he actually taught in what is now our space. we have a great old photo of a sculpture class in our office from the late 40s. i have always been a fan of everyone from the bauhaus, but the more i researched moholy-nagy – the more obsessed i became. such a renaissance man.

[DA] tell us about the facade presentation.

[SL] many years ago the building’s owners hired an artist to decorate the front of the building with a huge mural of moses. not sure why moses, but it was quirky and interesting. the building was undergoing surface repair- so moses was going to be painted over. we talked to our landlord about replacing it with something related to moholy-nagy and the school of design. we eventually found a little 2 1/4 inch square photo at moma that we thought was a good evolution from moses. our landlord agreed- they ended up hiring the same artist to paint the mural based on that photo. a year later- the traveling moholy-nagy show was announced.

the best part is watching all the tourists who take photos from across the street. they don’t exactly know what the mural is all about- and that is good.

[DA] is this your final location in a perfect world?

[SL] no that would be costa rica or paris. but for now- this is pretty good.

[DA] as long as we have you, what kind of things are you working on?

[SL] a lot of real estate work, some educational institution branding, and ongoing work for a lot of existing clients. (liska.com)

[DA] i’ve been to your offices many times and we have run into each other pitching work. i don’t recall you wearing anything but a white shirt and tie. and now that you’ve aged a bit you remind me of the design community in the late 60s early 70s. very serious looking. thoughts?

[SL] i’m glad you think i am serious looking. like most things in fashion- it comes back over and over again. i count on that. i do own 2 blue shirts. seriously.

[DA] want to say something we haven’t talked about?

[SL] no, done for now. have to go pick out tomorrow’s tie.

above> liska’s office on 610 north fairbanks today / a mural of moholy over the entrance

the chicago design archive (2002-present), is a permanent and exclusive online record of chicago-related experiential, graphic and product design. the mission statement is simple – to share the best of chicago design. originally hosting only graphic design, experiential and product design work is now being collected. the cda founding board recently added a graphic design advisory and a curatorial board. it goes without saying that this dedicated team feels the burden of preserving and growing the cda, afterall, it’s only chicago’s design heritage. we asked advisor, steve liska, if we could meet at his office. entering his office building we all notice the plaque below. we didn’t know…

above> steve liska

{ bauhaus dessau ] [ bauhaus movement ] [ moholy-nagy chicago design archive ] [the charnel-house / moholy-nagy ] [ liska + associates ]

below> video trailer of ‘moholy-nagy: future present’ produced by and exhibited in chicago in 2016. other usa venues included the guggenheim, and most recently lacma

design galleries that showed up at expo chicago 2017.

Sep 17, 2017

not a plethora of design galleries at the sixth edition of expo chicago but those who showed up are gems.

above & below > r and company creates and delivers superdesign with a film: superdesign: when design wanted to change the world. in addition there are two series of talks, one of on radical italian design 1965-1975.

trailer of superdesign: italian radical design 1965-1975 from r & company

the film includes interview with the following – emilio ambasz, franco audrito, dario bartolini, lapo binazzi, andrea branzi, germano celant, gilberto coretti, pietro derossi, piero gilardi, ugo la pietra, roberta meloni, alessandro mendini, adolfo natalini, gaetano pesce, gianni pettena, franco raggi, charlie stendig, cristiano toraldo di francia, jim walrod. dedicated to jim walrod, a film by maria cristina didero and francesca molteni – directed by francesca molteni / 62 minutes

above> half dollar chair | johnny swing | 2003 | r & company | 231

r & company represents a distinguished group of historical and contemporary designers whose goal is promoting a closer study, appreciation and preservation of 20th and 21st century design. gallery owner zesty meyers is a founding member of design miami.

johnny swing artist’s statement: art making is a social responsibility. to honor the privilege of being an artist, there are expectations i have for my work. first, it needs to be entertaining; second, it needs to spark curiosity, so that it creates a dialogue with the viewer; and third, it should have a formal quality, so that when the work is or approximates furniture, it must be comfortable.

above > laguna (lagoon) glass collection | michela cattai | 2017 | casati gallery 615

the gallery focuses on furniture, lighting, objects and art from post-war italian to global contemporary. gallery owner ugo alfano casati is a founding member of design miami.

cattai’s interest in the glass, coupled with her appreciation for italian design, led her to experiment with and eventually reinterpret centuries old murano glass crafting traditions.

above > boardroom crockery from slave city 2005-2009 | joep van lieshout | carpenter’s workshop gallery 443

sculpture, visionary, and enfant terrible sculpter joep van lieshout produces work that breaks the boundries of art, design, and architecture.

carpenters workshop gallery proposal of functional sculptures stands just at the intersection of two universes: reaching precisely a symbiosis of art and design.

above > horse cabinet | gaetano pesce | 2006 | salon 94 435

pesce, a playful italian architect, product designer, film-maker, and artist. a founding member of group n and an important figure in the radical design group. pesce notice ! offsite at the peninsula hotel see pesce’s introspective installation what it is to be human. thru 8 october 2017

the gallery’s program is focused on monochrome, concrete, and reductive abstraction, with an emphasis on california minimalism and light and space.

design miami 2016 highlights.

Dec 1, 2016

above> objets nomades by louis vuitton

design miami/ 2016 will continue its dedication to offering an extensive program of special events, satellite projects, collaborations and commissions to complement the gallery exhibitions this year.

returning this year and continuing to explore the relationship between fashion and design are fendi and louis vuitton. fendi brings a decidedly conceptual, mobile interpretation of a vip room, the happy room, which references the italian brand’s heritage and workmanship. louis vuitton adds to its objets nomades collection with two striking new furniture pieces. airbnb will present sobremesa, a shared space inspired by the mexican tradition of lingering around a table after a meal, working with emerging mexico city-based design studio, pedro&juana. long-time collaborator audi presents the extra hour, by lego, inspired by the audi rs 7 piloted driving concept and focusing on the new kind of freedom and control over time and for the fifth year, maison perrier-jouët returns, this time working with andrew kudless and focusing on the notion of digital craftsmanship. compac, spain-based surface manufacturer collaborates with israeli designer arik levy on an installation inspired by frozen lakes, referencing features of quartz and marble.

above> photo courtesy of the architect’s newspaper

above> the 2016 design miami/ pavilion by new york-based shop architects is flotsam & jetsam, a lattice-like pavilion made from biodegradable bamboo filament. the concept ties together two qualities, one visually obvious beach, the other, miami seen as a center for creative thinking and technological. the installation is currently the world’s largest 3d object. a collaboration with fabrication firm branch technology and oak ridge national laboratory who, also using a biodegradable bamboo medium to create the 3d rendered seating.

collaborations/

design miami/ collaborates with institutions, partners and sponsors to present newly commissioned works of design at each fair. these collaborations take the shape of immersive installations, curated exhibitions and unique objects that celebrate design innovation and express keen enthusiasm for design patronage.

above> audi presents the extra hour by lego / inspired by the audi rs 7 piloted driving concept and focusing on the new kind of freedom and control over time that has come along with it. audi has commissioned installations by international designers and architects including bjarke ingels, reed kram, clemens weisshaar and konstantin grcic, thus underlining the brand’s commitment to fostering design culture. each of audi’s installations has highlighted key elements of audi’s technological advancements and married automotive design with the most current developments in different fields of design, urban planning and architecture.

above> dean & deluca, the legendary new york gourmet market and leading international purveyor of fine food, is partnering with one of the world’s most innovative architects, ole scheeren, to create a prototype of his design for a unique food retail concept titled stage. stage presents a glowing, pristine object in polished stainless steel with the undulating topography of a bespoke, high tech display system, created for the powerful celebration of the preparation and presentation of food.

stage will be located in the main exhibition tent of the design fair and will operate throughout the duration of the fair as its main and sole food partner.

above> airbnb presents sobremesa, a lively exploration of shared space, by pedro&juana, an emerging mexico city-based design studio founded by ana paula ruiz galindo and mecky reuss. sobremesa is the mexican tradition of sharing time and space lingering around the table after a meal in casual conversation; pedro&juana recreate the experience of sobremesa in a unique environment inspired by iconic mexican courtyard spaces. walking into the installation, visitors will feel transported to a space that is authentically connected to the designers’ home city through plants, interior design and local everyday objects. the sobremesa installation will change and evolve throughout the week to represent how shared spaces—like airbnb homes—become rich in experience, spirit, and memory as more and more people live and participate in them over time. the exhibition also features a program of meals, cocktails, music, and experiences at designated times throughout the week, activated by an array of diverse hosts selected by the designers.

above> courtesy of fendi / alberto zanetti

fendi presents the happy room, an inspired interpretation of a modular vip room. with a soft and rarefied tone, distinguished by simple volumes and rounded shapes, the happy room by cristina celestino suggests harmony and delicacy. numerous iconic elements, such as the distinctive arch of palazzo della civiltà italiana in rome, or the inlay of materials; drawing on the stylistic matrix of the fendi fur atelier, which is repeated within the collection through innovative techniques and the contrasting play of various types of marbles.

happy room will be located in the main exhibition tent.

curio/

this year part of curio, a design miami’s new exhibition platform, which invites designers, curators, innovators and gallerists to present cabinets of curiosity throughout the fair. each curio reveals a total environment of objects, textures, artifacts and ideas that challenges and contextualizes familiar design narratives.

above> patricia findlay presents atelier biagetti’s no sex

no sex in miami is the current episode of atelier biagetti’s exploration of contemporary life and goes deep into the human psyche to address the all-time greatest obsession: the idea of sex. first shown during milan design week 2016 curated by maria cristina didero, this time it is the ultimate environment for psychological confrontation, the therapist’s studio. the space itself contains all the expected elements, but the deceptively familiar surroundings are not innocently functional but rather tease the viewer, thus provoking new kinds of behavior around the perception of what sexy is, and around the idea of contemporary design.

galleries/

above> photo courtesy of friedman benda / adam reich

friedman benda returns to design miami with asymmetrical symmetry, two parallel room settings featuring the work of eleven contemporary designers. contrasts, opposites and asymmetries will illustrate the rich diversity and backgrounds of designers spanning four continents and four generations, while calling attention to the breadth and depth of each individual designer’s practice.

one room, a juxtaposition of non-traditional materials in a frenzy of vibrant colors and textures, marks friedman benda’s first collaboration with american artist chris schanck.this setting will feature a monumental contemporary dining table and mirror, and a new series of armchairs in schanck’s signature alufoil technique and will preview his first solo exhibition at friedman benda in september 2017. misha kahn, fresh from a working trip to south africa, will present the first in a new series of cabinets produced in swaziland made with woven grass, trash, car parts, and sea glass. the inclusion of the campana brothers’ bi-level marquetry table along with a pair of pink pirarucu armchairs, complete the room.

the second setting is an exploration of volumes, with furniture and objects in natural materials and earthy tones. british designer faye toogood’s volumetric roly-poly dining chairs in silver nitrate bronze will preview her first solo exhibition with friedman benda, assemblage 5, opening february 23, 2017. these chairs will be paired with korean designer byung hoon choi’s minimalist sculptural dining table in light oak and stone. american design legend, wendell castle, now 84, will show the first in his exciting new block series of carved chairs ‘born’ of wood, referencing classical sculpture of the renaissance period, marcel wanders’ low embroidered leather odjurss äte murmur chairs will be juxtaposed with los angeles based artist adam silverman’s organic ceramic vessels. the setting will include lighting – the unveiling of chilean design studio gt2p’s new remolten lava table lamps made from lava excavated from chile’s villarrica volcano; a voluminous rice paper and bamboo floor lamp by the influential italian architect and designer andrea branzi, as well as british designer paul cocksedge’scapture, a hand-spun aluminum dome chandelier, which holds the glow of a warm white light, but with no visible source.

brooklyn-based calico wallpaper will unify the rooms, a second collaboration with the company’s founders. inspired by the concept of optical illusion, calico wallpaper will present a site-specific print of their aurora wallpaper with a custom pattern designed to play with the viewer’s perception and challenge one’s visual system.

above> chicago based volume gallery focuses on american design, with a strong emphasis placed on emerging contemporary designers. featured designers in miami are: tanya aguiñiga, ania jaworska, christy matson, jonathan muecke, anders ruhwald, thaddeus wolfe.

above> at galerie kreo, clémence and didier krzentowski present exclusive limited-edition pieces by ronan & erwan bouroullec, pierre charpin, naoto fukasawa, konstantin grcic, hella jongerius, jasper morrison, marc newson, maarten van severen and martin szekely, as well as work by françois bauchet, humberto & fernando campana, alessandro mendini, jerszy seymour, studio wieki somers and others.

above> curved seat by jonathan nesci in waxed aluminum plate for giovanni beltran

giovanni beltran is a miami-based design agency founded in 2015 by the gallery noguchi breton [originally guccivuitton]. as noguchi breton, we have been engaged with the cultural and material vernaculars embedded within artistic practices of south florida since 2013. giovanni beltran maintains our interest in colloquial aesthetics to include the development and promotion of furniture, design and architecture.

designers> jonathan gonzalez, jonathan nesci, lex pott, deon rubi

off site/

the following are venues around the city:

above> courtesy of louis vuitton

objets nomades is a collection of furniture that reinvents louis vuitton’s art of travel. the installation will be composed of its most emblematic creations, some of which were especially made for design miami/: the stool by atelier oi, the cocoon by the campana brothers, the bell lamp by barber & osgerby, the concertina table , chair and light shade by raw edges, the swing chair by patricia urquiola and the lounge chair by marcel wanders. louis vuitton also unveils the blossom stool, designed by tokujin yoshioka, and the fur cocoon by the campana brothers. sharing a sense of intuitiveness, desire and pleasure, the objets nomades aims to continue louis vuitton’s tradition of offering inspiring and surprising designs to clients all over the world.

the blossom stool and fur cocoon will be displayed at design miami from 30 november until 4 december and are available for purchase during the design fair. the collection will then reside through january at the boutique store / 140 ne 39th street miami

above> evergreen brasil / luminaire lab / 3901 ne 2nd ave miami

luminaire’s commitment to promoting good design continues with evergreen brasil, an exhibition of brazilian designs debuting during art basel and design miami/ week thursday 1 december and on display until 31 december in collaboration with casa vogue brasil. the exhibition features a curated selection of multidisciplinary design covering furniture, accessories and jewelry from both emerging and established designers. characterized by their welcoming attitude, special connection to nature, celebratory lifestyle, inventiveness even when materials are scarce, and tendency to experiment and improvise — brazilian design is a celebration of diversity.

above> the speed of light courtesy of london designer philippe malouin. the speed of light sets lantern-esque led light globes in the design district on a path along the paseo ponti pedestrian mall / paseo ponti & ne 40th street miami

video courtesy philippe malouin

entering the second golden age of design.

Jul 15, 2016

few designers strive, succeed to be relevant for decades in the competitive, cut-throat commercial markets of design. even fewer elevate their craft to be accepted in permanent collections of important design museums – and then there is marcel wanders who managed to piss of his teachers and design critics yet wowed design store impresarios, developers and more recently museum curators.

after showing at the prestigious stedeljijk museum, amsterdam in 2014, his work is now at the centre pompidou, in paris.

also

looks like the borders that, oh so arrogantly, used to separate design from architecture and art are dissolving in front of our very eyes.

joris laarman presents: bits & crafts. designmiami/ basel 2016.

Jun 15, 2016

above/below> the bits & crafts basel installation

joris laarman: bits & crafts / friedman benda booth g31 / 14 > 19 june 2016

joris laarman is the focus of a solo gallery show entitle bits & crafts for friedman benda at design miami/ basel / 14 > 19 june 2016.

this is unparalleled expression of art, design and technology.

known for blending cutting-edge technology with traditional means of making, laarman will present a survey of research in digital fabrication which he spent six years creating. the new body of work includes pieces from microstructures, dragon bench, and the maker series.

established in 2004, joris laarman lab has now grown to tackle almost every aspect of production to support their thematic explorations. the basel show follows the opening of laarman’s mid-career survey exhibition at the groninger museum in his native netherlands. the retrospective will travel next to the musée des arts décoratifs in paris from 15 march > 3 july 2017 and then to multiple locations in the usa.

[ designmiami/ basel ]

saint clair cemin & bernar venet at paul kasmin gallery.

Jun 4, 2016

above/below> psyche, 2015. marble and bronze. marble: 39 3/8 x 196 7/8 x 39 3/8 inches, bronze base: 27 1/2 x 102 3/4 x 27 1/2 inches. courtesy of the artist and paul kasmin gallery.

saint clair cemin: psyche / paul kasmin gallery / 297 tenth avenue (corner of 10th avenue & 27th street) new york city / thru 19 august 2016

internationally renowned sculptor saint clair cemin will unveil the ethereal sculpture psyche, a large-scale marble boat that appears to float atop its bronze cradle. measuring over 16 feet in length and carved from a single piece of sichuan marble that began as 30,000 pounds, the work alludes to its namesake psyche, goddess of the soul, and her true love, eros. though the viewer is drawn into antiquity, the sculpture transcends its legendary inspiration as it becomes a fully functional boat, capable of floating on water.

inspired by the original tale in which psyche and eros are reunited and married by the gods, cemin gives rise to the mysticism of this classical story of love and desire. in this portrayal of the myth, psyche serves as the vessel (the soul) for eros, who is symbolized by a long snake that stretches along the length of the boat and embraces both the bow and the stern in a highly stylized fashion.

saint clair cemin was born and raised in the rural town of cruz alta, brazil, and went on to study at the école nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in paris. cemin’s extensive sculptural lexicon presents a bold array of work exhibited widely throughout the united states and abroad and is included in the collections of the whitney museum of american art, new york; fonds national d’art contemporain, paris, france; fisher landau center for art, long island city, ny; rooseum, stockholm, sweden; the broad art foundation, los angeles, ca; the museum of contemporary art, los angeles, ca; and inhotim, minas gerais, brazil, among many others. cemin currently lives in new york and has studios in beijing and red hook, new york. this will be the artist’s fourth exhibition at paul kasmin gallery.

AND STILL ON VIEW THRU 18 JUNE 2016…

bernar venet: angles / paul kasmin gallery / 515 west 27th Street (between 10th & 11 avenue) new york city / thru 18 june 2016

the conceptual artist’s inaugural solo show at the gallery unveils a brand new series of large-scale angles. the exhibition features four cor-ten steel sculptures, each an assemblage of acute angles of varying heights and differing angular degrees, some extending across the horizontal axis and others stretching vertically. intended for indoor or outdoor installation, the sculptures work to define the spaces in which they are positioned. the scope of the new series is further articulated with the inclusion of smaller sculptural maquettes, offering the viewer insight into the artist’s thought process as he expands the vocabulary and points to new directions in this body of work.

venet’s disorder: 9 uneven angles on view at union square plaza on east 17th street and broadway, manhattan thru 22 june 2016 in collaboration with union square partnership.

commissioned by new york city’s department of transportation art program, the program enables artists to transform city streets with unexpected interventions. venet transforms the highly trafficked north side of union square plaza with a 25-foot sculpture comprised of nine intersecting steel beams from his 2015 series entitled disorder.

seymour chwast protests 5000 years of war on kickstarter.

Apr 26, 2016

new york (bronx) graphic designer, illustrator and type designer, seymour chwast, 84, became a legend in the mid-60s, catapulted by push pin studios a studio he and edward sorel co-founded 10 years earlier. cooper union alums milton glaser and reynold ruffins came on board months later. but it was really chwast and glazer who for 20 years defined the aesthetics (iconic bold signature eye-candy) of book covers, posters and record jackets, most of which seemed to focus on forward and liberal ideals. the studio’s work was most often opinionated, markedly even in the commercial art marketplace.

but let’s talk about seymour and his new book: seymour chwast at war with war, a protest of 5,000 years of war.

there’s a great tradition of design and illustration for political ends. i did my most famous poster during the vietnam war. during the iraq war i felt less inspired but during the vietnam war in the 1960s there were a lot of graphic things going on – music posters promoting punk rock concerts and other anti-war stuff, some anti-drug posters and a lot of other poster activity. people back then had posters hanging up in their rooms but they don’t anymore. that was just a great time for visual material. ~seymour chwast / printed pages 2013.

please, join seymour in his fight against war on kickstarter.

50 manga chairs by nendo. milan design week 2016.

Apr 7, 2016

basilica minore di san simpliciano | piazza s. simpliciano 7

friedman benda and nendo present 50 manga chairs. the installation of polished aluminum chairs will make its european premier at basilica minore di san simpliciano, in conjunction with salone del mobile milano, 12 > 17 april 2016 and its american premier in a solo exhibition at the friedman benda gallery in new york, 8 september 8 > 15 october 2016.

above> manga chair, 2015 | polished aluminum | photography> adam reich /// all others below> polished aluminum | photography> nichi sonehara /// photos courtesy of friedman benda and oki sato, nendo,

with this exhibition, nendo abstracts archetypes of manga comics. the chairs are happy, distressed, embarrassed, surprised; they leap and bound, zoom past, or slowly slink away. each chair has its own personality, allowing it to stand on its own or, when placed next to the others, to become part of a collective narrative. a different configuration creates a different story; the chairs come alive in a symphonious display of nendo’s playful japanese design.

50 manga chairs is friedman benda’s third solo show with nendo and th japanese design group’s most ambitious body of work to date. the group’s 2009 new york debut ghost stories featured the acclaimed cabbage chair, which was initially shown in the groundbreaking exhibition xxist century man at 21_21 design site in tokyo. nendo’s 2011 exhibition scatter shelf toyed with optical illusions and repetitive forms, the idea of structure in space.

[ nendo ] founded in tokyo in 2002, with a second office established in milan in 2005, has received many distinctions, including the iconic design award ‘interior designer of the year’ in 2015, wallpaper* magazine’s ‘designer of the year’ in 2012, and the ‘red dot design award’ in germany in 2008. in 2011, nendo presented visible structures, a solo commission for the high museum of art, atlanta, visible structures was also included in modern by design, a collaborative exhibition between the high museum of art and the museum of modern art, new york.

the best of design miami 2015 #1.

Dec 3, 2015

as the market for collectible design continues to evolve and mature with each edition, design miami/ celebrates the full diversity of its field. with the 11th edition of design miami/ this december, the fair offers extraordinary works from galleries based on five continents that specialize in everything from classic early twentieth century design to the conceptual cutting edge. work ranging from full-sized architectural elements to the most delicate jewelry, by designers from as far afield as the philippines and japan, south africa and brazil, will be on show under one roof at the global forum for design.

above > unbuilt installation | click on image to engage lightbox | 4 images

[ unbuilt ] a key installation to the event now held in the design miami/ tent across the street from art basel is the annual commission of an entry installation. previous years include architects david adjaye and snarkitecture, and most recently designer in 2014, jonathan muecke.

for the 11th edition in 2015, design miami/ has awarded a harvard graduate school of design student team the entry-pavilion commission. the chosen design, titled unbuilt, was selected last may through a gsd-wide competition that drew 32 teams comprising 100 gsd students.

this collaboration marks the first time that the design miami/ pavilion will be designed by a student group. the completed pavilion will stand at the entrance of the fair for its duration from 2 > 6 december, serving as both a beacon for the show and a place to welcome its tens of thousands of visitors.

“it is a privilege to partner with harvard gsd, one of the most amazing sources of creative thinking in the world of design,” says craig robins, design miami’s founder. “we are excited to see the students’ vision realized at design miami—a platform that has always been committed to presenting the work of emerging talent alongside material by established and historic designers.”

the unbuilt team comprises joanne cheung, jenny shen, steven meyer, doug harsevoort, and yiliu shen-burke (all march ’18). the team is advised by luis callejas, lecturer in architecture and landscape architecture; hanif kara, professor in practice of architectural technology; and dan borelli (mdes ’12), director of exhibitions.

[ galleries ]

above> there are 36 galleries this year. here are several we follow | click on images to enlarge lightbox | 18 images
[ market ] the inaugural design miami/ market brings a new kind of product to the fair, with a fresh approach to retail offered by j.crew, lizworks, dean & deluca and artbook. this first edition is designed and produced by local designer emmett moore to remind visitors of an outdoor market with hints of south beach permeating the kiosks, made with whitewashed wood and blue vinyl strapping reminiscent of beach loungers.

[ satellite venues ]

[ untitled, miami beach ] the 4th edition of untitled international art fair continues its dedication to providing an innovative approach to the art fair mode. artists are at the center of unititled’s mission and the curators christophe boutin and melanie scarciglia have worked with the fair’s artistic director omar lópez-chahoud to identify a strong and diverse selection of galleries (119) and artists that reflect the fair’s commitment to presenting exceptional contemporary art | ocean drive and 12th street

[ belong.here.now by airbnb ] created by design with company, this 5,000 square foot open space will harness the power of place and time to deliver moments of belonging for all those willing to engage. acting as a piece of urban theater, the space will invite guests to become part of the evolving performance. for example, on saturday 5 december from 14:00 on, cultural curator kim hastreiter will invite members of pink martini and the public for a sing-along | meridian ave. & 19th street (across the street from the entrance to design miami/)

site-specific poolside painting by katherine bernhardt at [ nautilus hotel ] 1950s morris lapidus designed, south beach hot spot nautilus hotel just reopened. new owner sixty hotels, ceo jason pomeranc led an in-house design team in the restoration. this year artsy commissioned artist katherine bernhardt to create an original pool painting for the hotel, continuing a tradition set by david hockney, keith haring and pablo picasso | nautilus 1825 collins avenue

[ snarkitecture ] collaborated with netjets to customize a bombardier jets global 5000 with an ombre design for art basel. it will be staged at the landmark aviation private jet terminal in miami international airport.

ritsue mishima with installation ‘all’ombra della luce’ – ‘shadow of light’ / champagne house [ perrier-jouët ] traditional collaborations with designers or artists continue with a partnership with venice-based glass artist ritsue mishima. mishima creates a glass installation and a series of unique ice buckets for champagne bottles.

the installation is made of 1.400 handmade round glass plates. each of the five large blown ice bowls come with embedded round glasses for champagne, but also with traditionally-shaped, blown champagne glasses, all in mishima’s signature style of working with transparent glass and asymmetrical forms. the pieces represent bubbles of champagne in both the installation and the glasses.

[ moma design store ] the museum of modern art (moma) design store is excited to announce its first-ever installation and pop-up during the week of art basel miami beach with the skateroom at delano south beach, a morgans hotel celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. featured, a limited edition set of 32 decks each featuring a different flavor soup from andy warhol’s 32 campbell’s soup cans | delano south beach 1685 collins avenue

[ fendi ] opens its 5,400 square foot location in the design district. exposed brick walls and cement floors add a raw element to the store’s design in deliberate contrast with the opulence of textured design. the color-blocked façade and east exterior, a collaboration with designer and architect johanna grawunder, touts the brand’s commitment to the design world. the store will house the breadth of fendi’s products including men’s and women’s rtw, fur, handbags, shoes and accessories | 150 ne 40th street

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