August 1, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Paprika: Memory Gaps

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Montreal-based graphic design and strategic marketing firm Paprika (previously here) never disappoints. Checking in to their site for a boost of inspiration I came across their currently exhibited art installation for Aires Libres—an artistic event on St. Catherine Street in Montreal. Trous de mémoire (Memory Gaps) invites visitors to take a walk down memory lane, but there are tricks and humorous discoveries to be made, indicating that what is forgotten is not always lost. By day or by night, pedestrians can slip between the panels and uncover their secrets from up close or from a distance, deciphering them from all angles and even climb through them.

For those of us not near Montreal, the experience is nicely captured in the videos below, the second one being a timelapse version of the installation process (with a lovely song by Black Water.)

Memory Gaps (Trous de mémoire) is on view through September 2, 2013.

July 30, 2013 by collabcubed - 1 Comment

3PTPOP: Victor-John Villanueva

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I’ve mentioned our personal appreciation/fascination for perler bead fashion accessories before and 3PTPop‘s range of portrait neckware is no exception. New York City based graphic designer Victor-John Villanueva (aka Victor Pump) is inspired by pop culture and the figures that shape it. With his label Three Point Pop he merges art and fashion. The collection features pop culture icons and immortalizes their images in fusible beads and resin. From Andy Warhol & Anna Wintour to Pharell Williams and even Bill Cunningham, Villanueva is able to render their faces in an unmistakeable way. Even the business cards are made using the fused beads. You can purchase these works as necklaces or as framed works here and you can follow the latest designs on his blog here.

July 29, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Voice Tunnel by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer

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As part of this year’s Summer Streets in NYC — an annual celebration of the city’s most valuable public space: its streets! — for three consecutive Saturdays in August, nearly seven miles from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park are closed to traffic and opened for people to play, walk, bike, and enjoy. This year, as part of this event the Park Avenue Tunnel which runs from 33rd to 40th Streets, will be transformed into an interactive sound and light installation, Voice Tunnel, by Mexican artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer (previously here and here.) This rare opportunity to stroll the tunnel will invite participants to walk to a midpoint in the tunnel and deliver short messages into an intercom. The words/sounds will then reverberate out in waves of sound and arching light until they disappear. The intensity of the light will be determined by the pitch and volume of the person’s voice.

Voice Tunnel will be taken down after each of the three Saturdays before car traffic resumes, and will be set up again the following week. Other, smaller, interactive installations include Chat Travieso‘s CoolStop at Foley Square, a water mister that connects to fire hydrants made with recycled PVC piping. The 10′ installation resembles a large splash that participants will be able to stand under for a small reprieve from the heat. Also, The Course of Emotions: a mini-golf experience by Risa Puno, that translates everyday feelings into 9 holes of playable fun. Players putt through a range of emotional obstacles, like the seesaw platform of Insecurity and the par-40 Frustration maze.

Summer Streets will take place on the first three Saturdays of August (3rd, 10th & 17th) from 7am to 1pm.

Photos: Chang W. Lee/New York Times; & SummerStreets

July 25, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Mark Jenkins: People on the Streets

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I was familiar with Mark Jenkins‘ work seeing the occasional “person” leaning, against a wall at Frieze or hugged by a bear at Volta, as well as his molded tape sculptures of babies, people and animals, but what I didn’t know was that these hyperealistic human sculptures—stuffed and dressed versions of the tape figures—also appear on city streets, making them that much more amazing. The Embed Series as these are called, have resulted in some people calling the police. You can see some humorous (yet understandable) reactions, in the video below.

via i-ref

July 16, 2013 by collabcubed - 2 Comments

Image 3D: Custom View-Master Reels

This is such a fun gift idea! Make-your-own view-master reels. Want to share your vacation photos in a more unique way? Or maybe a bunch of shots of you and your significant other in one reel complete with view-master would make a nice birthday or Valentine’s gift. Or, for all you designers/artists/architects out there… what a fun way to promote your work to potential clients. The first set (one reel, one viewer, all in a glossy white box) is $30 and it goes down from there per piece if you order more. Founded by Rich Dubnow, lead photographer at View-Master for twenty years, Image3D clearly should be the masters of view-masters.

via bblinks

July 15, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Every Subway Station in Manhattan

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Everything about this one-day project by college students James Doernberg and Kai Jordan is super cute and fun. A few months back Doernberg was thinking of ways to make commuting fun/useful and it occurred to him that taking photos (“selfies”) of himself and girlfriend Jordan at every subway station in Manhattan would be one solution. So, on July 10th, after mapping out their route, the two set about the task. Mostly jumping out at each stop, snapping a photo with the subway station sign, and hopping back on the train before the doors closed, Doernberg and Jordan were able to photograph themselves at all 118 stations on the island in a total of nine hours. Certain subway lines as well as rush hour proved to be a little trickier with crowded platforms, so in those cases they sometimes ended up having to wait for the next train. It’s impressive how they were able to vary the shots quite a bit, considering the time restraints. You can see all 133 photos here, and read an interview with them here.

via gothamist

July 12, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

40 Days of Dating: Walsh & Goodman

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Part graphic-designer-online-reality-show, part experiment, part sociological/psychological art project, part super-clever-promo-piece, or whatever else you’d like to call it, Jessica Walsh (of Sagmeister & Walsh) and Timothy Goodman’s (previously here) 40 Days of Dating has Daniela and me completely hooked. Launched a few days ago (today is Day 5, so there’s not much catching up involved) the two good friends have opposite relationship problems—one an incurable romantic, the other has commitment issues—and are growing tired of the NYC dating life. Both single, they decided to embark on an adventure/experiment wherein they date each other exclusively (complying to a list of rules) for 40 days, answering a daily questionnaire that is revealed on the website, day by day. In addition, they enlisted an impressive slew of designers from their professional and personal circles to contribute daily typographic designs, beautifully illustrating the themes of the day.

It doesn’t hurt that both Walsh and Goodman are incredibly cute, talented, and appealing (plus we’re longtime fans) making the project that much more compelling, but there’s no doubt that under all it’s designy-ness and fun, 40 Days of Dating is a voyeuristic fest, complete with some cringe-inducing moments. Nonetheless, we’ve been totally drawn in, finding ourselves in daily discussions and speculating on what direction things will take. We’ve even piqued Em’s curiosity, so I’m sure she’ll be following soon.

They’ve also made a series of related videos that you can see here, and the behind-the-scenes one is below.

via coolhunting

July 11, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Brad Downey: Hacking the City

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These are a lot of fun. As part of the Public Art Horsens event in Denmark at the end of last month, American artist Brad Downey created several clever and witty urban interventions. Downey specializes in the element of surprise, making the viewer do a double-take by disrupting their visual perception. You can see the other four works here. The Horsens event was co-curated by Henrik Haven and Simon Caspersen and included other public works by the likes of Escif (Spain), Sam3 (Spain), Pøbel (Norway), Thomas Dambo (Denmark), and more.

Photos by Henrik Haven

via junk culture via fecal face

July 10, 2013 by collabcubed - 5 Comments

Robert Barta: Crossing Half a Million Stars

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German artist Robert Barta uses everyday objects in his work. His installation Crossing Half A Million Stars — currently on view at Galerie Sherin Najjar in Berlin — consists of roughly half a million 8mm metal balls or ball bearings that cover the gallery floor. Visitors are invited to enter the space and attempt to walk/cross the ball-covered surface with extreme care to avoid slipping or falling. The installation could be seen as a performance art piece with the viewer/participant as the performer. Makes for an entertaining gallery visit, with everyone slipping and rolling into one another. Wonder if guests have to sign a waiver before entering, or maybe lawsuits are more of an American passtime.

Crossing Half A Million Stars will be on view through September 7, 2013.

via galerie sherin najjar

July 9, 2013 by collabcubed - 1 Comment

The Pool: Jen Lewin

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Colorado-based artist/architect Jenn Lewin creates large, immersive, interactive art pieces for the public. From interactive sound and light sculptures that inspire people into play, to woven fiber video curtains that reflect movement, or giant, robotic, ethereal moths that dance based on human touch. In her interactive light installation titled The Pool, Lewin put together 106 interactive circular platforms in giant concentric circles that communicate wirelessly. Each pad is independent and simultaneously interacts and listens to its environment based on user feedback. Together, the 106 pads create complex, surprising, and unpredictable color arrays with their user participants. Each pad in The Pool senses a person’s movements. User inputs such as foot location, foot pressure, and speed are sensed by the pad surface. As a person moves, light ripples out to the surrounding pads. For example, by leaning left, a ripple of varying intensity starts in that direction. A stronger more deliberate lean could cause a ripple to jump rings and fill the entire Pool. Each person’s ripple is unique. The more people that participate the more of a cacophony is created.

The Pool can be as small as 35ft x 35ft or, if spread out, as large as 70ft x 70ft. It’s powered via a normal household outlet and can be placed indoors or out.

Here it is in action:

via bbc

July 8, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Twinkind: 3D-Printed Photo Figurines

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Well, this is both fun and a little creepy. Hamburg-based company Twinkind creates 3D-printed photo figurines of you, your family, friends… or even your pet. These little photorealistic sculptures can range from 6 to 14 inches tall, are made of polymer plaster powder, and have optional bases in either oval or rectangular shape. What sets Twinkind apart from other 3D printing companies offering similar services is that they do the scanning in a fraction of the time. In fact, within seconds, allowing for re-dos or for the most impatient and fidgety people to stand still long enough for their own figurine. Starting at 225 euros for the smallest figurine, it’s not cheap, but if you’re ready layout the big bucks, just stop by Twinkind’s pop-up shop and they’ll guide you through the process. Looks like photo frames will soon be a thing of the past.

via the cool hunter

July 3, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Near Unison: Dan Dodds

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UK-based architectural designer and artist, Dan Dodds, has proposed an installation for Burning Man 2013 titled Near Unison that visualizes the harmonic relationship between two people using a pair of pendulum swings. A prototype of Near Unison, sans the elegant and striking exterior structure, was exhibited at this year’s Kinetic Art Fair. The installation specifically explores the harmonograph — a machine that became popular as a 19th century capable of producing beautiful drawings by mapping the relationship between two swinging pendulums. The oscillation frequency of the pendulums can be changed by modifying their lengths. Near Unison acts as a large-scale interactive harmonograph, allowing people to take the place of the pendulum weights, swinging back and forth, creating patterns in the sand that are ‘near unison’ a 1:1 ratio when the people occupying the swings are of similar weight. You can see the prototype in action below and keep your eyes peeled for the even larger version at the next Burning Man Festival in Black Rock Desert this August. Should be fun.

July 2, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Sebastien Wierinck WorkShop: J1

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It’s been a while since I’ve checked in to see what French designer Sebastien Wierinck (previously here) has been up to, and not only has he been busy at work with his tubular installations and benches, but the Sebastien Wierinck WorkShop also has a nice new website. One of the newer projects is a white tube installation in the recently renovated J1 Hangar, a 6,000 sq. meter seafront space in Marseille, France, made available to the European Capital of Culture as an exhibition space. Wierinck’s long and winding recycled polyethylene plastic tubes occupy the large space beautifully, creating seating space and lighting in addition to just looking cool.

Here’s a timelapse video of the installation process:

The J1 Hangar and tubular installation will reopen in October and be open to the public through January 2014.

July 2, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Key Frames by Groupe LAPS at GLOW

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French art studio Groupe LAPS (previously here) have taken their Key Frames to a higher level, literally. Last November, as part of the GLOW 2012 Festival in Eindhoven in the Netherlands, the flashing/dancing/climbing LED light tube stick figures took over a building and all its balconies, giving the illusion of people creeping around from rooftop to individual rooms when the sun went down and the light show began. Take a look at what I’m talking about in the short video below:

Photos courtesy of Groupe LAPS.

June 27, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Front 404: Happy Birthday George Orwell

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Dutch duo Front404 create interactive installations with humor that aim to surprise and offer a different perspective on the world. On June 25th, in honor of George Orwell’s 110th birthday, the two, Thomas voor ‘t Hekke and Bas van Oerle, placed party hats on surveillance cameras throughout the city of Utrecht. Not just a celebratory gesture, but a great way of drawing attention to the inconspicuous cameras that observe our every move and we so readily ignore. Every day, just that much closer to an Orwellian surveillance state.

via junkculture

June 27, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Stairway Cinema: Oh.No.Sumo

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The experimental design collective Oh.No.Sumo started as a creative outlet for four friends graduating from the architecture school at the University of Auckland and soon transformed into a design collective exploring many avenues of design, pushing the boundaries and allowing for uninhibited design freedoms through creative thinking and active participation. Their third and most recent major installation is Stairway Cinema at a corner in Auckland where there’s not much community interaction. By creating a mini movie theater in the stairway of a building, Oh.No.Sumo have in effect countered this issue, creating a communal and social environment that engages passers-by.

The structure was created with a timber truss covered in fabric with a waterproof exterior. Matching red cushions were added to the steps for softer seating while video content is projected onto the cantilevered end of the canopy. Very fun.

via designtaxi

June 25, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Adam Parker Smith: Fun with Art

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I have run across Adam Parker Smith’s work repeatedly over the past couple of years, though due to its varied nature, it was only recently that I realized all these works were his. Whether at a No Longer Empty installation up in the Bronx, or at art fairs such as Pulse here in Manhattan, Adam Parker Smith’s work is very much in the public eye. And it should be. It’s full of humor mixed with cultural critique, verging on the conceptual while employing techniques that include painting, sculpture, collage, video and more. Parker Smith’s work is the equivalent to that person who’s the life of the party. Fun and engaging, with sharp wit, sometimes ironic, sometimes a little crass, but always clever and surprising. Who wouldn’t want that in their show?

Photos courtesy of the artist and (top two) collabcubed.

June 20, 2013 by collabcubed - 1 Comment

Street Stone: Léo Caillard & Alexi Persani

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I’ve seen modern-day people dress up as classical statues both on Las Ramblas in Barcelona and, occasionally, here in NYC, but I’ve never seen classical statues dress up as modern-day people. French photographer Léo Caillard came up with the humorous concept. He didn’t actually dress these stone sculptures but instead had retoucher Alexis Persani masterly ‘enrobe’ them using photoshop, converting them into the most unassuming hipsters…well, maybe a little stiffer. How no one has come up with this concept before (talk about perfect models!) for a clothing company catalog (I can just see Victoria’s Secret’s Fall catalog now…) is a mystery to me. Very clever, Léo.

You can see the “making of” in the video below. Those are some mad skills (cue daughters’ eyerolls and cringing here.)