October 24, 2012 by collabcubed - 1 Comment

Cracking Art Group: REgeneration in Milan

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Cracking Art Group is a collective made up of 6 international artists that was formed in 1993. The group considers “cracking” the process which transforms the natural into artificial; organic into synthetic. Their interventions involve huge colored plastic animals invading spaces, usually as a cry for awareness. By selecting recycled plastic and adapting it to their own purpose, Cracking Art Group is attempting to hold back control of the process and turn it towards fulfilling the movement’s social and environmental commitment to reinstating humanity as part of nature, not apart from it.

Their most recent intervention titled REgeneration took place earlier this month (October 5th through 13th) in Milan at the Duomo. In collaboration with the cathedral and Opera d’Arte, Cracking Art Group created and placed 50 blue snail sculptures on the Duomo’s roof to call attention to the much-needed repairs and restoration. 100 smaller limited edition snails were also created and sold at the Glauco Cavaciuti Gallery with net proceeds going towards to the restoration of the cathedral.

via tribeart

October 23, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Leo Villareal: Hive, Cosmos, & Buckyball

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Well, artist Leo Villareal (previously here) has certainly been busy these past few months with two of his public art installations debuting in NYC and another one in upstate NY at Cornell University. Last month his Hive installation — a series of LED tubes that playfully reference games, in particular John Conway’s Game of Life, the best known cellular automata program — was unveiled at the Bleecker Street transfer station. Hanging from the ceiling, the illuminated hexagonal honeycomb has bright colored lights moving across the sculpture, exploring the brain’s compulsion to recognize patterns and make sense of them.

Up at Cornell University, Villareal’s installation titled Cosmos was just debuted last night at the I.M.Pei-designed Johnson Museum. The constantly changing work is composed of nearly 12,000 energy-efficient LEDs on a grid hanging from the ceiling of the museum’s Mallin Sculpture Court. Software designed by the artist and his team will generate new patterns throughout the life of the installation. The work was named Cosmos in honor of Carl Sagan whom Villareal admired and who spent a lot of time at Cornell.

Last, but certainly not least, the Buckyball, a Buckminster Fuller-inspired installation of a geodesic sphere within another geodesic sphere will light up Madison Square Park in NYC starting this Thursday, October 25th through February 1st, though some have already caught glimpses as the artist set up the work this past week. Part art, part science & technology, part structural engineering, all three installations are sure to appeal to most everyone.

Here’s a preview of the Buckyball in action as well as the Hive below that:

Photos: MTA; Lindsay France/Cornell; Madison Square Park Conservancy; artinfo; and inspir3d

October 23, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Blps Project! Richard Artschwager

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Here’s another fun art-around-town event happening in NYC starting this week. In conjunction with the Whitney Museum and their retrospective Richard Artschwager! which opens this Thursday, High Line Art is installing a series of blps in various locations on and around the High Line. The blps were introduced by Artschwager (who is now 88) in the late 60s; the name was coined by the artist and is pronounced “blip”. This is not the first time that blps will be adorning NYC, or any other urban landscape for that matter. Artschwager’s black and white caspule-shaped blps — ranging in size from 1 to 5 feet high — have been part of many public interventions over the decades with the purpose of highlighting and drawing people’s attention to architecture and surfaces that usually go unnoticed.

So far, High Line Art has installed a large blp on a smokestack (see top 5 photos), one of their glass elevators (6th photo from top), and one of the glass windows that overlook the street from the High Line (bottom), in addition to others at the Standard Hotel and at least one other uptown by the Whitney. Many more are planned to go up, so keep an eye out. Should be fun to find them all.

And if you’d like to own your own blp, you can purchase one here.

Photos courtesy of High Line Art; Whitney Museum; Steven Holl Architects; artnet; db-art; and baeditions.

via @HighLineArtnyc

October 22, 2012 by collabcubed - 7 Comments

Freya Jobbins: Dollfaces

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I’m not going to deny that these are a little disturbing, but they’re also pretty incredible. Australian artist Freya Jobbins takes her inspiration from artists such as Guiseppe Archimboldo’s and his fruit & veggie paintings, Ron Mueck’s oversized humans, and Gunther Von Hagen’s plastinated corpses. Add to that her interest in the relationship between consumerist fetishism and the emerging recycling culture within the visual arts and the result are her humanoid faces and busts made of pre-used dolls and toys.

This puts a whole new spin on the term dollface.

via junkculture and THEmag

October 22, 2012 by collabcubed - 4 Comments

Tania Mouraud: Typography Murals

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I wasn’t familiar with Parisian artist Tania Mouraud and her work, but she has been painting since the 1960s. It’s not surprising that Mouraud studied languages before her foray into the art world. Though her work ranges from painting to sculpture and, more recently, video, much of Mouraud’s art reflects her concern with the elusive nature of language. I especially like her typographic wall murals. I’ll confess to not being able to decipher them all on my own — or at least not without my eyes starting to criss-cross in all directions — but I like the fact that they appear to be abstract geometric paintings that upon closer look actually spell out phrases.

So, in case (like me) you need a little help, here are the names of the works from top to bottom, except for the 5th one down, which I couldn’t find or figure out:

WYSIWYG; HowCanYouSee?; I Haven’t Seen a Butterfly Here; Dieu Compte les Larmes des Femmes (God Counts the Tears of Women); ????; I Have a Dream; WYSIWYG; I Have a Dream; and I Had.

Photos courtesy of the artist; HuffingtonPost; and PerezArts

October 19, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 10/19

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Free and cheap things to do this weekend (10/19 to 10/21) in NYC. Cultural events in art, architecture, music, film, dance, theater, design, food and fun.

1. Design/Technology/Workshop – Making Things Possible: hands-on workshops and demos in 3D Printing (Makerbot plus more), metal lathes, and scrap-metal constructions at Story in Chelsea in conjunction with GEGarages. All weekend, check schedule for workshops and times. FREE

2. Architecture – Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park exhibition opening (see post), Fri 10/19 at AIA Center from 6 to 8pm. FREE

3. Walking Tours/Design – WalkaboutNYC’s Tour of Creative Agencies, Fri 10/19, 12 to 6pm. FREE with RSVP. Check schedule. Some are sold out others still available.

4. Art – Alina Szapocznikow: Sculpture Undone at MoMA through 1/28, nbd that we’re related to, and big fans of, one of the people who worked on the exhibit. Free Fridays 4 to 8pm.

5. Music – John Wesley Harding’s Cabinet of Wonders, Stephin Merritt, Aaron Neville, Nick Hornby, just to name a few. Fri 10/19 at 8pm. $25 to $35. Just a few seats left, last I checked, so hurry.

6. Architecture/Design/Film – The Architecture & Design Film Festival at Tribeca Cinemas. All weekend. Check schedule for films and times. Tkts $14/$11 for AIA members.

7. Music – Ponderosa and Neighbors Live, Fri 10/19, 6pm & 8pm, respectively at the Apple Soho Store. FREE

8. Art/Improv/Comedy – ARTPROV is a unique hilarious and entertaining show that brings together different artistic mediums to inspire each other and create new works of art together. Fri 10/19 at 9:30pm at The Tank. $7 to $20.

9. Art/Fun – BYOB (see post) at The Autumn Bowl, Fri 10/19. Artists bring their own laptops or slide projector of work. $5 before 10pm. $10 after. Free with beamer.

10. Theater – Doubt at Gloria Maddox Theater W. 26th St., Fri 10/19 & Sat 10/20, through 11/18. Check for times: $20

11. Music – CMJ Party Day at Pianos, Sat 10/20, 12pm. Bands include The Orwells, Born Ruffians, Ava Luna and more. $3 Bloody Marys. FREE entry. 21+

12. Food/Fun – Social Soup Experiment at the High Line. Communal style meal on the High Line. Last year was lots of fun! Gave tickets away this year for a visit to my daughters, which beats soup any day. Sold out online, but last year there were tickets available at the event. Sat 10/20, 12pm at the 14th St. $7.

13. Theater/Reading – R.A.W. Reading Series and the presentation of Lindsay Joy-Murphy’s Rise, Fall by LabRats Theater Co. Sat 10/20, 8pm in Ft. Greene. $5.

14. Dance – Monica Bill Barnes & Company at Skirball Center with Ira Glass. Sat 10/20 at 8pm & Sun 10/21 at 3pm. $26

15. Comedy – Comedy Outliers: Stand-up Comedy Show, Sat 10/20 at 7pm. Lilly O’Briens. Murray St. FREE (Get there early for seats!)

16. Art/Lecture/Food/Music/Performance – Fall Open House and Sunday Sessions, Sun 10/21, 12 to 6pm at PS1 in LIC. $10.

17. Graphic Design/Lecture – The Public Side of Paula Scher the Pentagram partner talks about her 18 yr collaboration with the Public Theater‬ Sun 10/21, 2:30pm at the Public. Call 212-967-7555 for tkts. FREE

18. Food – 3rd Annual Havemeyer Sugar Sweets Festival, Sun 10/21, 10am to 4pm in Williamsburg to benefit the City Requilary. FREE

Check back for updates and take a look at our previous Culture on the Cheap posts for ongoing suggestions. Have fun!

UPDATES:

Art – High Line Open Studios Chelsea, All weekend, 12pm to 6pm. FREE

Food – The Brooklyn Curry Experiment: Sample around 20 of the best curry dishes Brooklyn has to offer plus every ticket entitles you to one free Brooklyn Brewery beer. Sun 10/21, 1 to 4pm at Public Assembly in Williamsburg. $15.

Readings – Drinking Diaries: Women Serve Their Stories. Sun 10/21 at 7pm. FREE

Music – The Sea and Cake / Matthew Friedberger. Sun 10/21 at doors at 7:30, show 8:30. $15 to $18. 21+

October 18, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

The Journey of Sebastien Errazuriz

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Chilean born, New York based, Sebastien Errazuriz (previously here) is both artist and designer, often blurring the lines between the two. His work is always smart, innovative and humorous, as well as often political. It ranges from public urban art installations to sculpture and furniture/product design. He even has a few outrageous fashion items. His obsession with the dichotomies of life and death is expressed through his various series on death and religion, and his criticism of Wall Street comes into play in his street installations, amazing Drowning in Debt salt & pepper shakers as well as his Occupy Chairs.

There’s plenty more to see on his website and you can watch the interview below for even more. A book on his work was published last month by Gestalten and available here.

October 17, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Isabelle Wenzel: Figures & More

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German photographer Isabelle Wenzel splits her time between Amsterdam and her hometown of Wuppertal, Germany. In the process of creating her playful and surprising images she tries to explore bigger meanings and clichés such as the relationships between photographers and their models as well as femininity vs masculinity.

via unseen photo fair

October 17, 2012 by collabcubed - 1 Comment

Song Board: Central Saint Martins

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These 2940 yellow and black plastic spheres across a 35m-long wall made up the fun and engaging interactive pop-up installation at London’s King’s Cross station called Song Board. Designed by the students at Central Saint Martins University of the Arts in London, Song Board invited passers-by to rotate the matrix of spheres and create unique patterns, images, and messages. Some came prepared with pre-arranged displays to print on the board and others just rotated them relentlessly, listening to the sound the balls made when rotated.

Song Board was one of the many projects (see also Bus-Tops) put into place by the Mayor’s office throughout the city during the recent Olympic and Paralympic Games.

via eye magazine

October 16, 2012 by collabcubed - 3 Comments

Carsten Nicolai: Unidisplay

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German artist Carsten Nicolai has inaugurated his audiovisual installation titled Unidisplay at HangarBicocca in Milan. The 40-meter long piece has the ability to make sound perceptible on an optical level with minimal aesthetics translated into variations of black and white along with acoustics. There’s a propensity towards abstraction and the infinite in this installation, as well as play with the concepts of time and space. Brings to mind Ryoji Ikeda’s The Transfinite.

I find these kinds of exhibit incredibly soothing in person, in addition to enjoying the immersive quality.

You can see some of the audiovisuals in the video below:

Photos: Agostino Osio

via mousse

October 16, 2012 by collabcubed - 1 Comment

Studio Bertjan Pot: Masks

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With Halloween just around the corner, these seemed appropriate. Dutch designer Bertjan Pot has a fascination for textiles and materials in general. While working and playing with materials and ideas he designed a collection of furniture and lighting with fellow friend and designer Daniel White. In similar fashion, these masks were initially the result of a materials experiment.

From Pot’s website:
I wanted to find out if by stitching a rope together I could make a large flat carpet. Instead of flat, the samples got curvy. When I was about to give up on the carpet, Vladi came up with the idea of shaping the rope into masks. The possibilities are endless, I’m meeting new faces every day.

The masks, which started in 2010, have become an ongoing project and are available for purchase.

via intramuros

October 15, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Breathing House/La Maison Respire

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With the premise of functional habitation wherein houses are set up by way of a pre-determined relationship between space and occupant, artist Jean-Pascal Flavien has created several houses—the viewer in Rio; no drama house in Berlin; and two persons house in Sao Paulo—and now his breathing house, la maison respire, in the Parc Saint Léger in France. On the one hand an exhibition, the project is experienced in three stages: before, during, and after. Before: the artist lives in the house defining the relationship to the exhibit space. During: the artist invites people close to him to live in the house for a few days, leaving behind a testimonial of their experience in the form of a document. After: all the contributions are collected as a publication and considered a constitutive part of his work practice.

I find the whole conceptual aspect interesting, but I have to admit that what drew me to the project was the house itself, with its sliding panels and coordinating furniture.

You can read more about Jean-Pascal Flavien’s work here.

Photos courtesy of the artist and Galerie Catherine Bastide.

via galleristny

October 12, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 10/12

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Our picks for free and cheap things to do this weekend (10/12 to 10/14) in NYC. Cultural events in art, architecture, music, dance, theater, design, food and fun.

1. Music – It’s a little soon to think about the holidays but if you want to get tickets for Sufjan Stevens concert SurfJohn Stevens Christmas Sing-a-Long on 12/21 and 12/22 tickets were scheduled to go on sale Fri 10/12 at 12pm for $20 here. (Not sure this is still the case, but worth checking.)

2. Art/Photography – Faking It: Manipulated Photography before Photoshop at the Metropolitan Museum. All weekend and through 1/27. Pay-what-you-wish.

3. Art – Alexandra Spaulding’s percOlating sculptures downstairs and Jenna Mazza’s wonderful paintings of books upstairs at Stephan Stoyanov Gallery on Orchard St. All weekend. Noon to 6pm. FREE

Also in Art – Brian Tolle’s (previously here) timely exhibit Commander in Chief at CRB Gallery in Chelsea. Fri 10/12 and Sat 10/13 through 11/10. FREE

4. Film – Debut screening of “Sheer,” directed by Ruben Mazzoleni at reBar in Dumbo. Fri 10/12, 6:45 or 9:30. $9. Tkts here.

5. Talk/Film – Meet the filmmaker of “Hyde Park on Hudson” Fri 10/12 at the Apple Store Soho. 6pm FREE

Also at the Apple Store: Coheed and Cambria. Sat 10/14 at 7pm. FREE

6. Talk/Science/Performance –Splendors and Miseries of (Un)conscious thoughts: A story of psychology, neuroscience and live performance. French neuroscientist Lionel Naccache at New York Live Arts. Fri 10/12 at 7:30pm. FREE with RSVP.

7. Music – Doveman at Le Poisson Rouge. Fri 10/12 at 7pm. $15.

8. Theater/Performance – Brooklyn Bred: Performance Art with Jennifer Miller at BAM. Fri 10/12 at 7:30pm. $20.

9. Music/Fun –Losers Lounge tribute to Dusty Springfield at Joe’s Pub. Fri 10/12 and Sat 10/13. $25

10. Art – Gowanus Open Studios at Brooklyn Art Space. Sat 10/13 and Sun 10/14. 12 to 6pm. FREE

Also in Gowanus: Warehouse of Horrors Gowanus explores the seedy underbelly of 1970’s Brooklyn at the Brooklyn Lyceum, Fri 10/12 and Sat 10/13, $20 tickets include three curated cocktails per person.

11. Art/Music/Light – Whispers at The Autumn Bowl: artists working in experimental, dance, pop, new music, and sound art with visual artists illuminating new connections and presenting vibrant explorations of sound in an intimate setting. Fri 10/12 and Sat 10/13 at 8pm. Greenpoint. $10 tickets.

12. Theater/Music/Fun/Food – Public Theater Block Party, Sat 10/13, noon to 5pm. FREE

13. Food/Talk – Chefs Mario Batali, Tom Colicchio, and Magnus Nilsson talk about the Future of Restaurants at the Bumble & Bumble Theater. Sat 10/12, 11am to 12pm. $20.

14. Art/Interactive – Stillspotting/Improv Everywhere event Audiogram. An Mp3 Audio Adventure in the Bronx. Sat 10/13 and Sun 10/14. Multiple times. Check-in at Bronx Museum of the Arts $12.

15. Fun – Fluff’s Annual NYC Big Wheel Race in Central park. Sat 10/13 from 3-5pm, FREE

16. Music/Art/Fashion – BowieBall pays homage to the definitive rock icon: David Bowie, in an anything-goes charity extravaganza bringing together the best in music, art, fashion, and entertainment. Sat 10/13 at 10:30pm. $20 in advance. $25 at door with RSVP or costume.

17. Walking Tour/Architecture – Downtown Brooklyn’s New Livability Tour. Sun 10/14 at 11am. $20

18. Music – Sunday Night Live Music Series in the lobby of the Ace Hotel. Sun 10/14 at 10pm. FREE

Also, in Architecture: Landscape Architecture Design Speed Dating (aka Portfolio Reviews) & Open House Brunch at the Van Alen Institute. Sat 10/13, 12 to 2pm. FREE with RSVP.

UPDATES:
Music – 50th Birthday Celebration of the American Symphony Orchestra. Tickets on sale now for Friday 10/26 concert at 1962 prices of $1.50 to $7.00.

Film/Music/Food – Minor/Major: A TV on the Radio Tour Documentary, Sat 10/13 at 7pm at 3rdWard’s Moviehouse. Empanadas included. $5 suggestion. RSVP.

Film – Red Hook International Film & Video Festival, Sat 10/13 & Sun 10/14, 1 to 6pm. Schedule here. FREE

Art/Street Art – Inaugural street art auction preview/exhibit at Doyle New York (175 E. 87th St.) Sun 10/14, noon to 5pm, (even if you don’t go, check out the work online.) FREE

Food/Culture – Japan Block Fair on the UWS. Food vendors, Japanese merchants and a Ramen contest. Sun 10/14, 11am to 6pm. FREE

Check back for updates and take a look at our previous Culture on the Cheap posts for ongoing suggestions. Enjoy the weekend.

October 11, 2012 by collabcubed - 2 Comments

The Public Theater & Shakespeare Machine

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I signed up to see Ben Rubin present his Shakespeare Machine (previously here) at the newly renovated Public Theater last night and was surprised by a number of things: the beautiful lobby; the impressive and perfectly displayed multimedia sculpture in the center; the spectacular collage of Paula Scher-designed Public Theater posters on the wall behind the ticket booths (I’ve been wanting to do something like this at home forever); all this with an amazing party including a open bar and tasty food, to boot!

The Public has created what they describe as a “welcoming piazza” with extended steps out front that lure you in to the new lobby. The bar at the entrance is very striking with the chandelier-like Shakespeare Machine above it. And, in Pentragram partner Paula Scher’s signature style, it’s a typography lover’s delight. The bar, the information booth, the archways, the staff t-shirts all play with the Public’s chunky variants on the Akzidenz Grotesk typeface. Talking with someone at the party, I learned that the sunken type on the arches was particularly challenging. The asymmetric positioning of the signage type adds to the uplifting quality of it all.

Oh, and we can’t forget the Shakespeare Machine, which was the main reason for my visit. A couple of technical glitches in the beginning were quickly ironed out and the sculpture played with the Shakespeare text as humorously and cleverly as the space that surrounds it. Close to a million words are shuffled by statistician Mark Hansen’s algorithms that choreograph the text into situations such as a series of “To be or’s” that are followed by unexpected, alternative, and smile-inducing, Shakespearean text rather than the expected “not to be” which also makes an appearance later. The cycle runs roughly 5 to 10 minutes with variations in visual effects, from inverted type to such high-speed text that it becomes abstract. The Shakespeare Machine will be on full-time during the theater’s hours of operation.

Kudos to all involved in the revitalization: Ennead Architects, Paula Scher and her team at Pentagram, Ben Rubin and Mark Hansen, as well as many, many more, I’m sure.

You can see a snippet of the sculpture in action below. The voices are not part of the sculpture, but, rather, actors for the event:

October 10, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Amir Zainorin: Postcard Series

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Malaysian artist Amir Zainorin, who now splits his time between his country of origin and Denmark, likes to urge the viewers of his art to challenge the traditional notions of religion and identity in relation to globalization.

In his Postcard Series, Zainorin copied the images of Mao, Queen Elizabeth, and George Washington from the Chinese Yuan, the British Pound, and the U.S. Dollar, respectively. Using postcards collected from restaurants and galleries, Amir pinned these cards creating the currency portraits.

From the artist:
The postcards are pinned on to the wall while the rest are laid down on the floor. This gives the work a mortality or temporary status in which it occupies the space for only a period of time, just like a system, an empire or a person, [Mao, the Queen, and Washington]. After some time they are remembered in history books, on paper currencies, posters, stamps or on a postcard.

via saatchi

October 9, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

John Wood & Paul Harrison

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I just spent a ridiculous amount of time on Bristol-based artists John Wood and Paul Harrison’s website and found myself smiling throughout.

Working together for almost 20 years, these two straight-faced Brits explore the physical and psychological parameters of the world around them through a series of drawings that lead to their constructed video works. Initially their videos were more single-shot studies, but they have since evolved into longer pieces with a sequence of actions taking place within a confined space.

If you like what you see here, and you’ve got some time, work your way through the alphabet on their site; you’ll be in for guaranteed amusement. Or, take a look at the video interview below that includes several of their works in motion.

Photos courtesy of the artists as well as the Carroll/Fletcher Gallery.

via martine aboucaya gallery

October 9, 2012 by collabcubed - 0 comments

In Transit: The Acre Collective

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The Acre Collective, a Canadian art and design group led by architects Stephen Kopp and Monica Adair, won a National Public Art Competition for their installation In Transit adding pizazz to a bus terminal in St. John, New Brunswick.

By cropping the recognizable symbols of transit signs and creating 85 unique aluminum panels, Acre added much-needed color to the long and bland concrete wall in front of the station. These panels were anchored to the concrete wall, resulting in a new landscape of semi-abstract color. 10 of the panels were sculpted into seats reminiscent of those found on buses in the simplicity of their form. Nice.

October 8, 2012 by collabcubed - 1 Comment

Geraldo Zamproni: Pillow Talk

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Contemporary Brazilian artist Geraldo Zamproni graduated with a degree in Architecture/Urbanism and seems to be playing with both in his art. His large red inflatable pillows are perfect examples. These fun cushions have been squeezed under museum ramps and concrete slabs just to name a couple of examples. This week at least one of the pillows can be found “at large” on 14th Street in NYC as part of the Art in Odd Places event. I looked for the pillow on Saturday while roaming 14th St. trying to find the not-very-clearly-mapped-out works in the festival, but it seems to have been sitting all the way east between Avenues B and C as per the top photograph that I found.

Zamproni’s pillow installations (which have a similar fun surprise quality —as well as color — to the Red Ball Project) have appeared in museums throughout Brazil, from Brasilia to Curitiba, in Peru, Argentina, and Spain. I’m going to keep my eyes peeled (I’ve always found that expression a little disturbing) this week to see if the AiOP catalogue’s “at large” location description will include points on 14th Street closer to Union Square.

You can see Zamproni inflating one of his pillows in the video below. Interesting to see how he even enters it to smooth out the seams: