above > ‘steps’ is a new concrete seating design, aimed to redefine how people use public space
[ raw edges ], a london design studio, recently designed steps as a cluster of concrete seats which will live outside now gallery on peninsula square for the foreseeable future to create a place for two to nest, invite people to dwell, play, lean and relax in this new swathe of london and enjoy the developing surroundings. fabricated by mass concrete, the simplicity of the seating will both stand out from the contrasting concrete metropolis and blend into the surrounding verdant peninsula gardens.
revoliutsiia! demonstratisiia! soviet art put to the test | the art institute of chicago | 29 october 2017 > 15 january 2018
the october revolution of 1917 changed the course of world history; it also turned russia into a showcase filled with models. every object and sphere of activity had to demonstrate how society could be remade according to revolutionary principles. it would take intensive experimentation and discussion to determine the shape of this unprecedented society. to be realized in any concrete way, communism had to be modeled and put on display.
revoliutsiia! demonstratisiia! soviet art put to the test accordingly fills regenstein hall with ten model displays from the early soviet era. each of these sections holds rare works of art and features expert, life-size reconstructions of early soviet display objects or spaces, commissioned especially for this exhibition.
it’s well documented that the russian art scene, beginning c 1895 and leading up to a 1917 communist revolution, was an avante garde, graphically primed, and prolific force. movements included neo-primitivism, rayonism, cubofuturism, italian futurism, and the first abstract constructivist and suprematist paintings. artists included mikhail larionov, natalia goncharova, aristarkh lentulov, lyubov popova, olga rozanova, el lissitzky, vladmir tatlin, kazimir malevich, alexander rodchenko, wassily kandinsky. kandinsky would later join the bauhaus design faculty, as well as hungarian artist lászló moholy-nagy who was inspired by the constructivists.
artists were asked to remake society according to revolutionary principles – to find new answers to old questions.
the revolution not only incited a political / social movement, but also inspired two monumental design genres – russian contructivism and in 1919, weimar, germany, the founding of the bauhaus. constructivism would dominate the graphic messaging for the revolution. constructivism would also evolve into an iconic bauhaus style.
the art institute of chicago presents ten displays containing nearly 550 works, the largest exhibition of soviet art to take place in the united states in 25 years. visitors have the opportunity to explore the trajectory of early soviet art in all its forms and consider what it tells us about socially minded art now.
alphabet of light is a new font that translates into light, a luminous language used to write an express one’s thoughts.
it can be used to design light in a space with words as well as graphic signs using simple base modules with specific geometric proportions that can be combined to create countless linear or curved structures of light.
the linear and round modules can be combined to form a system of letters, numbers and symbols as well as free or closed compositions.
alphabet of light linear or circular can be arranged in countless basic or more complex structures to produce suspension appliances that can match with architecture or space functions.
alphabet of light uses innovative technological and manufacturing principals to produce a continuous and comfortable light.
alphabet of light wall version is available now. alphabet of light suspension is coming in winter 2017.
materials
-illuminated tubes in opaque injection molded pmma.
-support pins in brushed aluminum.
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
one of main venues in recent years during milan’s annual design week in april, ventura lambrate, has shut down. the crowds and content that came to the area has come with a price. gentrification. “the success of ventura lambrate also meant that the area came into development,” said margriet vollenberg, founder and curator of ventura projects.
when art and design activity goes up in an area the rents go up and the art galleries and showrooms relocate. a few big brands come and stay but the economics hit the emerging talent most. in addition to rent increases, the development brought in happenings that didn’t align with vollenberg’s vision making it very difficult to curate and maintain the quality the visitors have grown accustom to.
in 2018 a new venue will emerge, ventura future. the site, the milanese liberty house, futurdome. once the meeting place of world renowned artists such as carlo belloli, filippo tommaso marinetti and fortunato depero who together with giacomo balla and umberto boccioni, were a part of the futurist movement. the historical building has been restored along the lines of the futuristic ideals and has over 1400 square meters to exhibit the best of the best in contemporary design. “of course a new location means a new way of presenting and exhibiting. however ventura future will be all about offering a platform for emerging talents and independent labels.
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…
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
last weekend at hotel jeremy in west hollywood two cars catch our eye in our parking lot. one is a 2018 matte metallic grey aston martin db11, the other a 2018 porsche 918 spyder. what stands out with each car…the db11, omg what a sound it generates. the 918, omg what a paint job though may not be not paint but a film that reduces the weight of the car. it looks red in the photo but it’s a sick rose colored aluminum.
we find out that the porsche owner is staying at our hotel for a few months and his car cost $1.3m usd. the db11, no photos as i was always too slow to take the shot.
[ 2018 porsche 918 spyder – west hollywood ]
with we think a weissach package
[ 2018 porsche 918 spyder – south beach ]
small world web search finds the following photos shot in south beach.
this year’s design week is 7 days worth of programming and events dedicating to the topic at hand—a deep examination of the various intersections impacting the design world and our broader communities.
chicago design week
108 north state street, 3rd floor, chicago
design and the role it plays—like the world around us—is in a constant state of motion. chicago design week is focused on an examination of the evolving definitions, responsibilities, and societal expectations shaping the designer today.
iit institute of design
565 west adams 7th floor, IL
this year, iit institute of design is celebrating the 80th anniversary of its founding as the new bauhaus. this panel brings together design scholars, practicing designers, artists and technologists in order to reflect on the significance of chicago's design history as well as its relationship to future directions of the design field.
the power of art and running collide for a night of charity and celebration hosted by on at chidm. limited space available. tickets: $10 with all proceeds benefiting chidm. #artrunchicago
above> the rila collection is ideal for contemporary cocktails. available in 3 sizes, usd retail $80 – $90 per set of 2.
with an international namesake brand, the concensus on chicago designer felicia ferrone, is a singular almost signature look with regard to her glassware. a very rare feat in this typology. she brings european influences including experience as an architect in milan, and timelessness to her carefully crafted objects. ~ rk
this season felicia introduces several new collections that capture the spirit of entertaining. each of these pieces are unique in their silhouette and function and recall a time when entertaining with friends and family was an art form.
also for the first time, introducing a selection of beautiful gift sets, intended to be given and cherished.
above >with the elegance of a forgotten time, the sofia collection is available in 3 sizes, usd retail $80 – $90 per set of 2.
above>just as the small town is known for the healing properties of its hot springs, so are the evenings we spend with good friends. the bessho collection, now available in a collins glass, medium and large bowl. from usd retail $70.
above >available in medium and large, from a single stem to a beautiful bouquet, the stella vases highlight any flower arrangement they contain. from usd retail $140.above> bessho & rila gift set – this gift set includes 1 bessho carafe and 6 rila large glasses. usd retail $342.
above >bessho & rila gift set – this gift set includes 1 bessho carafe and 6 rila large glasses. usd retail $342.
above >this gift set from our revolution collection is comprised of an elegant cocktail pitcher, a stainless steel strainer, a stainless steel stir, and 4 rocks / martini glasses. usd retail $322.
cocktail strainer and stir designed by christopher gentner, 2014.
glassware designed by felicia ferrone, 2001.
above >perfect for everyday or formal dining settings, this gift set of 8 dearborn mini glasses and a margot decanter will enrich any occasion. usd retail $342
above >this gift set includes 1 talise fluted decanted with 6 mixed small glasses. usd retail $387.
you can find several additional sets available on our website as well. [ fferrone design ]
united in their guiding principles, luminaire and cassina share a belief that good design has the power to affect people’s lives. the pioneering design forces are joining again as luminaire welcomes cassina back into the family by offering their innovative range of products in the luminaire showrooms and online store. luminaire is pleased to reunite with cassina and looks forward to a future sharing and shaping the concept of good design.
with a collection that includes iconic pieces from the likes of le corbusier and charlotte perriand to new, progressive designs by visionaries including patricia urquiola, konstantin grcic, and ronan & erwan bouroullec, cassina demonstrates a thoughtful appreciation for its history while looking to the future. the prestigious brand was founded in 1927 in meda, italy by brothers cesare and umberto cassina who translated the rich tradition of furniture production and woodworking of the region into an industrialized system for manufacturing that redefined the notion of contemporary italian design. for over 90 years, cassina has remained on the forefront of design thanks to its unwavering commitment to research, experimentation, and design expression.
cassina has distinguished itself by collaborating with a range of outside designers. since the mid ’50s, the company has engaged the talents of architects such as gio ponti, afra and tobia scarpa, mario bellini and vico magistretti for design collaborations. these designers redefined the notion of what it meant to be contemporary with furniture by reinterpreting traditional form, function, and production. cassina has continued this modern union of designer and producer, melding a diverse range of products together with cohesion by imbuing each project with their design philosophy.
with an eye on the future, cassina has introduced new designers into its collection including zaha hadid, philippe starck, and its newly appointed art director, patricia urquiola. urquiola has established refreshing new designs with cassina like the floe insel, a versatile modular sofa inspired by icebergs with pieces working as “floating islands” that can be used together or separately for a combination of options situated in any living space.
luminaire and cassina have shared a long history in the pursuit of propagating good design. this reunion marks a welcome addition to the luminaire catalog that will see the two brands working together to create new ways of living for the future. for clients of luminaire, the addition of cassina provides another facet in creating dynamic environments made for living.
“cassina represents an important legacy of italian design. from their rich history, they continue to look to the future. we are excited for what lies ahead for cassina and their visionary impact on modern design.” said by luminaire ceo nasir kassamali
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