Heart of the District: ZA Architects

Heart of the District by German ZA Architects, cool hotel design, Cut 'n' Paste exhibit MoMA, futuristic architectureHeart of the District by German ZA Architects, cool hotel design, Cut 'n' Paste exhibit MoMA, futuristic architectureHeart of the District by German ZA Architects, cool hotel design, Cut 'n' Paste exhibit MoMA, futuristic architectureClick to enlarge

A few weeks ago while taking in several exhibits at MoMA, we came upon a very interesting image as part of a digital slideshow in the architecture Cut ‘n’ Paste exhibit. After running through all the captions on the wall, we finally found what was unmistakably the corresponding one, clued in by the vital organ referenced: Heart of the District by ZA Architects. The Germany-based architecture firm came in second place in an international competition with their futuristic heart-shaped pod-like structure. Their proposal, for a hotel in NYC, integrates the street, the city dwellers, as well as the hotel guests, giving the tourist a more inside experience on their visit. The hotel rooms would reside in the existing adjacent buildings with the heart shape construction acting as a hub to draw people in and mix, acquaint them inside its tight spaces, while they partake in varied activities. The “heart’ itself would contain a playground, shop, exhibition space, café, bar, hotel reception, lounge zone, small cinema, library, conference hall. And, it goes without saying, whether you like it or not, the structure would likely become a NY icon.

All images courtesy of the architects.

From the CollabCubed Archives

We’re taking a little summer blogging break this month. To keep you entertained, we’ve put together easy access links to some of our more popular posts in the past months but, of course, feel free to peruse instead by category using the drop-down menu in the right sidebar, or click on the ‘random post’ icon also in the sidebar. There’s always our facebook page, as well, with links to all of our posts. And for those of you in NYC, please check out our recently launched site Culture on the Cheap offering daily suggestions of free and cheap events in New York City.

Enjoy and we’ll be back in a few weeks!

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Gemis Luciani: Phone Book Sculptures & More

Phonebook sculptures, Gemis Luciani, Piece of SpacePhonebook sculptures, Gemis Luciani, Piece of SpaceClick to enlarge

Berlin-based Italian artist Gemis Luciani upcycles phone books, magazines, brochures, and other similar objects into sculpture. By manipulating, de-composing and re-assembling the books and pages he reconfigures them into newly built systems of shapes and surfaces. His collages and spatial, large scale installations are meticulously created, and rely on a strong minimalist aesthetic. You can see more of Luciani’s work on his website here.

Photos: courtesy of the artist; premioterna; and artribune.

Rosh: Splashes of Colors on Streets of Madrid

Rosh, Spanish Street Art, Street art in Madrid, Escrito en la Pared, color splashesRosh, Spanish Street Art, Street art in Madrid, Escrito en la Pared, color splashesRosh, Spanish Street Art, Street art in Madrid, Escrito en la Pared, color splashesClick to enlarge

After spotting a photo on instagram of Spanish street artist Rosh‘s multi-colored sprayed corners, Guillermo de la Madrid took to the streets of Madrid to find more, and more he did find. These pastel-y splashes of colors adorn the street corners of the city, as well as other urban objects such as electrical switch boxes, pipes, and street signs. Surprising and subtle enough to almost be confused as unintentional, these colorful splotches especially appeal to those in the know.

Photos: Guillermo de la Madrid

via escrito en la pared

Paprika: Memory Gaps

Cool Interactive installation Trous des Memoires/Memory Gaps by Paprika in Montreal for Aires Libres, Aire Banque NationaleCool Interactive installation Trous des Memoires/Memory Gaps by Paprika in Montreal for Aires Libres, Aire Banque NationaleCool Interactive installation Trous des Memoires/Memory Gaps by Paprika in Montreal for Aires Libres, Aire Banque NationaleClick to enlarge

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.

3PTPOP: Victor-John Villanueva

3PTPOP, Victor Pump, Victor-John Villanueva, Perler Bead pop art accessories3PTPOP, Victor Pump, Victor-John Villanueva, Perler Bead pop art accessories3PTPOP, Victor Pump, Victor-John Villanueva, Perler Bead pop art accessoriesClick to enlarge

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.

Food Typography: Danielle Evans

Food Typography, Type made with food, Danielle Evans project for Target's Food for thought campaignFood Typography, Type made with food, Danielle Evans project for Target's Food for thought campaignFood Typography, Type made with food, Danielle Evans project for Target's Food for thought campaignClick to enlarge

Midwestern designer Danielle Evans of Marmalade Bleue combines savoir-faire with natural materials such as tea, spices, flour or coffee, to create an amazing typographic series titled Food Typography. In collaboration with Target for their Food for Thought social media campaign announcing the opening of their Canadian stores, Evans created designs of phrases in both French and English using a myriad of food groups. Evans enjoys the organic quality to the process and quickly sees the bezier curves in the powder-y substances as well as the ephemeral and imperfect aspects of the medium. You can hear and see more about the project in the video below.

via swissmiss

Mark Jenkins: People on the Streets

Mark Jenkins, street art, stuffed people, Mark Jenkins, street art, stuffed people, Mark Jenkins, street art, stuffed people, Click to enlarge

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

Llyn Foulkes: One-Man Band

Llyn Foulkes, Collage, multimedia portraits, anti-corporate, political art, New Museum exhibitLlyn Foulkes, Collage, multimedia portraits, anti-corporate, political art, New Museum exhibitLlyn Foulkes, Collage, multimedia portraits, anti-corporate, political art, New Museum exhibitClick to enlarge

Not only did we enjoy Hollie Chastain‘s collages on Saturday, but right before that we went to the New Museum and saw Llyn Foulke’s collage-like work. I was not familiar with Foulke’s art and was surprised to find out that the Los Angeles based artist is a contemporary of John Baldessari, Robert Irwin and Ed Ruscha. Though his work is quite varied in style, there’s a consistency in his portraits (our favorites) that makes it hard to differentiate between the ones created in the 1970s and those completed just a couple of years ago. Foulkes’ portraits are fabulous. Some are a little gruesome à la Francis Bacon, but feel more like anti-corporate commentary (it’s funny that Foulkes is LA-based and much of his work gives it to Disney hard) than tortured souls. Many of these works have a wonderful 3D quality, with arms or ties protruding from the frames. Foulkes has always been a bit eclectic ranging in style from Pop to Dadaist as well as being a performance artist with his own one-man band playing “The Machine” which he created himself.

You can see Llyn Foulkes’ work at the New Museum through September 1, 2013.

Photos courtesy of the artist and the New Museum.

Ian Strange: Suburban

Suburban Interventions by Ian Strange (Kid Zoom), Street art on suburban homes, cool art interventions in suburbiaSuburban Interventions by Ian Strange (Kid Zoom), Street art on suburban homes, cool art interventions in suburbiaSuburban Interventions by Ian Strange (Kid Zoom), Street art on suburban homes, cool art interventions in suburbiaClick to enlarge

New York based Australian artist Ian Strange (aka Kid Zoom) has created a multifaceted photography, installation, and film project titled Suburban.

“… Since 2011 Strange worked with a film crew and volunteers in Ohio, Detroit, Alabama, New Jersey, New York and New Hampshire to create, photograph and film seven site specific interventions incorporating suburban homes. The recording of these interventions through film and photographic documentation forms the basis of this new body of work.”

SUBURBAN will premier in a solo exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia on July 26, 2013.

Photos & video courtesy of the artist.

via junkculture & designboom

Image 3D: Custom View-Master Reels

Image 3D, Personal View-Master Reel builder, Personalized view-master reels, fun gift, promo ideaImage 3D, Personal View-Master Reel builder, Personalized view-master reels, fun gift, promo ideaImage 3D, Personal View-Master Reel builder, Personalized view-master reels, fun gift, promo ideaThis 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

Every Subway Station in Manhattan

Every Subway Station in Manhattan, photo project by james doernberg and girlfriend kai jordan, took selfie at every subway stop in manhattan in one dayEvery Subway Station in Manhattan, photo project by james doernberg and girlfriend kai jordan, took selfie at every subway stop in manhattan in one dayEvery Subway Station in Manhattan, photo project by james doernberg and girlfriend kai jordan, took selfie at every subway stop in manhattan in one dayClick to enlarge

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

40 Days of Dating: Walsh & Goodman

Jessica Walsh and Timothy Goodman, 40 Days of Dating, Typography, Experiment, Fun, Cute, Dating, FriendshipJessica Walsh and Timothy Goodman, 40 Days of Dating, Typography, Experiment, Fun, Cute, Dating, FriendshipJessica Walsh and Timothy Goodman, 40 Days of Dating, Typography, Experiment, Fun, Cute, Dating, FriendshipClick to enlarge

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

Brad Downey: Hacking the City

Brad Downey, Street Art, Hacking the city, Urban InterventionsBrad Downey, Street Art, Hacking the city, Urban InterventionsBrad Downey, Street Art, Hacking the city, Urban InterventionsClick to enlarge

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

Robert Barta: Crossing Half a Million Stars

robert Barta, installation art, crossing half a million stars, half a million metal balls on floor of gallery to walk over carefullyrobert Barta, installation art, crossing half a million stars, half a million metal balls on floor of gallery to walk over carefullyrobert Barta, installation art, crossing half a million stars, half a million metal balls on floor of gallery to walk over carefullyClick to enlarge

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

Twinkind: 3D-Printed Photo Figurines

Twinkind, Hamburg-based company that can 3D print photo portrait figurines quickly. 3D-printed portraits. Twinkind, Hamburg-based company that can 3D print photo portrait figurines quickly. 3D-printed portraits. Twinkind, Hamburg-based company that can 3D print photo portrait figurines quickly. 3D-printed portraits. Click to enlarge

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

Front 404: Happy Birthday George Orwell

Surveillance Cameras with party hats in Utrecht, Netherlands, in honor of George Orwell's Birthday, Front404, street artSurveillance Cameras with party hats in Utrecht, Netherlands, in honor of George Orwell's Birthday, Front404, street artSurveillance Cameras with party hats in Utrecht, Netherlands, in honor of George Orwell's Birthday, Front404, street artClick to enlarge

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