Category Archives: Stuff We Like

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Grand Central’s Next 100: SOM

Grand Central Station area re-envisioned for Centennial, SOM, MAS, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Futuristic architecture, cool architecture, public spaceGrand Central Station area re-envisioned for Centennial, SOM, MAS, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Futuristic architecture, cool architecture, public spaceGrand Central Station area re-envisioned for Centennial, SOM, MAS, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Futuristic architecture, cool architecture, public space

Click on top photo to see animation. Click rest to enlarge

Nope, it’s not the set design for a Jetsons revival film; not even for the upcoming Blade Runner 2. These renderings are SOM’s (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill) response to the Municipal Arts Society’s (MAS) invitation to re-envision Grand Central and its environs on the occasion of the terminal’s centennial anniversary next year: Grand Central…The Next 100 project. The three firms asked to participate were SOM, Foster+Partners, and WXY. All three came up with interesting proposals offering relief from overcrowding and traffic, as well as being committed to the pedestrian and public space, focusing on converting Privately Owned Public Spaces (POPS) to Privately Funded Public Spaces (PFPS). SOM went futuristic and monumental, a plan that is hard to ignore with its dramatic panoramic ring rising and lowering above Grand Central—like a halo elevator—between two new towers.

It’s definitely out there, but you never know…

Photos courtesy of SOM, Architect’s Paper, and bdonline.

via observer via Breger

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Pablo Lehmann: The Scribe’s House

Studio Apartment installation made with book pages by Pablo Lehmann, Anthropologie, Miami, Argentinean ArtistStudio Apartment installation made with book pages by Pablo Lehmann, Anthropologie, Miami, Argentinean ArtistStudio Apartment installation made with book pages by Pablo Lehmann, Anthropologie, Miami, Argentinean Artist

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Argentinean artist Pablo Lehmann (previously here) has been developing his installation The Scribe’s House (La casa del escriban) for two years, and it is scheduled to debut at Art Basel in Miami this December. In the meantime, the NYC Rockefeller Center Anthropologie store has a variation of The Scribe’s House on exhibit. Composed of browned and torn book pages, the studio-like apartment installation has a collapsed bed, bookcase, and picture frame all made with thousands of book pages cut into strips and hanging from the ceiling, walls and covering the floors as well as in the shapes of the collapsed furniture. By cutting and layering, Lehmann creates texture and dimension.

Anthropologie is also selling a limited edition beautifully bound boxed set of photographs of the Scribe’s House installation, complete with white gloves for handling.

You can see photos of the more limited Anthropologie installation here and you can buy the boxed photos here.

Photos courtesy of the artist and Black Square Gallery.
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Audiomurale: Adriana Ronżewska Kotyńska

Street art, graffiti, Mural in Elblag Poland based on the soundwaves created by townspeople's comments, Sound art mural, interactive street artStreet art, graffiti, Mural in Elblag Poland based on the soundwaves created by townspeople's comments, Sound art mural, interactive street artStreet art, graffiti, Mural in Elblag Poland based on the soundwaves created by townspeople's comments, Sound art mural, interactive street art

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This is an interesting project. Adriana Ronżewska Kotyńska, a Polish architect and painter interested in public art projects, originated the concept behind the Audiomurale and then executed it, with a team, on the wall of a townhouse in the Old Town district of Elblag, Poland, a town extensively damaged at the end of World War II that waited until the 1980s for major reconstruction. The mural is in part a revitalization effort. Kotyńska and her team conducted interviews with passers-by recording their remarks about their town. Selected opinions – including some unprintable remarks – were transferred onto a blank wall of a townhouse in the form of spectrograms (i.e. sound wave patterns); the ‘voice’ of Elblag. The project is intended as a temporary – though not short-term – intervention. The final mural requires a key which will be provided in the form of a display board with a QR code that will enable access to recorded interviews via a mobile phone.

You can hear the mural’s audio track here.

Thanks, Łukasz Kot!

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Fernando Orellana: Assembly Line Art

Robots, Playdoh, humorous sculpture make in assemby line style by Fernando OrellanaRobots, Playdoh, humorous sculpture make in assemby line style by Fernando OrellanaRobots, Playdoh, humorous sculpture make in assemby line style by Fernando OrellanaRobots, Playdoh, humorous sculpture make in assemby line style by Fernando Orellana

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Visual artist Fernando Orellana based in Schenectady, NY, is fascinated by assembly lines. He loves the precision and efficiency, as well as the program-like quality. His robotic sculptures are created in a one-man assembly line fashion, repeating each step in multiple figures before moving on to the next.

Working in a variety of mediums, Orellana seems to keep with this assembly line theme transmitting concepts that range from generative art to social-political commentary. Whether it be in his robotic toy-like sculptures (Me and You or No Cuts, No Buts, No Coconuts) or his wall hung Play-doh and epoxy compositions (Extruder and Population), with machine-generated car-shaped (or people, or animals) Play-doh pieces in large quantities, ultimately reaching 429,674 automobiles as that is the number estimated to have been produced in 1947 (the year Henry Ford died) by the Ford Motor Company. Each panel of figures is then encased in epoxy for preservation as well as a cool effect.

You can see his extruding machine in action here.

Photos courtesy of the artist and artslant.

via Milavec Hakimi and Bomb

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Matthew Mazzotta: Social Space Architecture

participatory public interventions, ecology, public involvement, community building, humorous art installations, street art, Matthew Mazzottaparticipatory public interventions, ecology, public involvement, community building, humorous art installations, street art, Matthew Mazzottaparticipatory public interventions, ecology, public involvement, community building, humorous art installations, street art, Matthew Mazzotta

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Boston-based artist Matthew Mazzotta creates participatory public interventions that aim to criticize, raise awareness, and bring a sense of openness to the places we live. I imagine bringing a smile to most people’s faces might be a goal as well. Mazzotta’s work focuses on drawing people in by curiosity and finding themselves as part of something unrehearsed. Reacting and interacting are key to his work as are community building, ecology and public involvement.

The top installation, titled Steeped in Exploration, was created in The Netherlands as a teahouse without tea.

From the artist:
The physical structure of Steeped in Exploration, made from all local materials, becomes a site of communal tea drinking. The tea served at the teahouse is not from the grocery store or peoples’ gardens, it is foraged by the people enjoying the tea on public outing that take us throughout the area based on knowledge and experiences of the people at the outing. Even the heat to boil the water for the tea comes from a local source, by transforming cow manure from local farms into energy (methane) through a methane digester.

In the following piece titled Looking for a Landscape, Mazzotta converted a standard city utility box into a portable viewing station. The structure is on retractable wheels, and the doors were hinged at the bottom opening downwards creating a cantilevered platform on each side of the box, complete with velvet cushions and mounted binoculars to take in the everyday urban landscapes.

Lastly, the video below goes through the function of Mazzotta’s Insertion Module, designed specifically as part of the negative space in architecture, camouflaged within the façade of a building, but when taken out opens up into a Tea House.

You might want to check out his Open House Project and Park Spark Project too.

via artsake

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CMYPlay: A\V Studio

interactive facade competition entry for 41 Cooper Square by Adam Hostetler and Virgina Melnyk. CMYPlay, tubular jungle-gym facade, cool installationinteractive facade competition entry for 41 Cooper Square by Adam Hostetler and Virgina Melnyk. CMYPlay, tubular jungle-gym facade, cool installationinteractive facade competition entry for 41 Cooper Square by Adam Hostetler and Virgina Melnyk. CMYPlay, tubular jungle-gym facade, cool installation

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I came across this fun competition entry by A\V Studio (Adam Hostetler and Virginia Melnyk) in response to a 3Dimensional Front challenge for the space located outside the Milavec Hakimi Gallery at the base of 41 Cooper Square, the relatively new Cooper Union Building and one of my personal favorites in NYC. The competition brief was as follows:

anonymous.d is looking for original responses… We are looking for something simple but powerful enough to intrigue the passer by. We want people who see the work to question the visual but to be even more surprised the unique architectural/human experience this work will offer. We are also looking for the technical intelligence of mounting a relatively small structure by the use of simple materials assembled together in a sophisticated way leading to a unique aesthetic expression. Parametric design methods are encouraged.

Hostetler and Melnyk’s proposal, very cleverly titled CMYPlay, offers an interactive playground type solution for children and adults alike, composed of three intertwining networks of colorful tubes neatly packed into the sheltered space of the façade, hugging the base columns and converting the functional space into an activity-filled one, while still allowing easy entry to the gallery. The idea is to encourage play in the busy urban environment. Once the exhibit/installation ends, the tubes would be distributed to local schools and parks eliminating waste and continuing the fun.

You might want to also take a look at Melnyk’s Ice Womb and Sukkah Shift hut made entirely of cardboard packing tubes. Nice work!

via bustler

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NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 11/23

Free and Cheap things to do in NYC Thanksgiving Weekend 2012, 11/23 to 11/25, Art, Film, Theater, Performance, Food, Dance, Walking Tours, Music, Food, and Fun, NYC Free and Cheap Cultural events weekend of 11/23/12
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Free and Cheap things to do in New York City this post-Thanksgiving weekend. Quieter than usual, with so many people out of town, but here are some possibilities to squeeze in, in lieu of, or in between, the shopping madness:

1. Walking Tour – Cross Park Promenade Tour. Discover many surprises in and about our beloved Central Park in this slightly over-an-hour tour. Fri 11/23, 12:30pm to 1:45pm. FREE

2. Art – Ira Eduadovna: That. There. Then. Based on an iconic Soviet Television show, this six-channel installation recreates the architecture and staging of the original TV studio through four viewpoints. All weekend. 12-6pm at Momenta Art. FREE

3. Art/Music/Food/Crafts – Brooklyn Night Bazaar. Fri 11/23 & Sat 11/24 and all Fri & Sats thru 12/22. 6pm to midnight. FREE

4. Art — Picasso Black and White at the Guggenheim. Sat 11/24 (and all Saturdays) 5:45 to 7:45pm is Pay-what-you-wish. All other times through 1/23 $22 adults.

Also in Art – Sebastian Black at Karma.

5. Theater – Ingenious Nature a play written and performed by Baba Brinkman about online dating and the personality clashes that ensue. All weekend at 7:30pm. Use code SOHO for $25 tickets.

6. Photography/Art – Joel Meyerowitz Photographs Part I at Howard GReenberg Gallery. Fri 11/23 & Sat 11/24. FREE

7. Comedy/Music/Performance – GASHOLE: Hole-O-Matic 2012 …the “you pick ’em” very random pop show! Sat 11/24 at 8pm. $20

8. Film – Laurel and Hardy at Anthology Film Archives: 4 films 20 to 30 minutes each, Sun 11/25 at 4:15pm $10

9. Music/Performance – This is actually post-weekend – Sirens in Surround Sound: an acoustic evening. Mon 11/26 at 7pm $15.

Also in Music: Joe’s Pub is having a 24-hour Black Friday Discount sale on select events. Check it out here.

UPDATES:

Performance Art: Situation Zero – Sound and performance artists from all over the country come together for a night you won’t forget! Sat 11/24, 9 to 11pm. $10 suggested donation.

Performance/Music/Fundraiser – Gowanus Ballroom Fundraiser and FlutuArteNY, a night of live music to help raise funds for the Gowanus Ballroom and Serett after Hurricane Sandy. Sat 11/24 at 6pm. $15 donation.

Music – Signature Riff’s Festival of the Unknown:  Think of it as a “secret” or “blind” lineup of bands. Sun 11/25 at 7pm. $10 advance; $15 door.

Enjoy!

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David Meyer: Imposed Order

Imposed Order by David Meyer, installation with concentric circles of letters and words made from piles of flour spelling out Chance or Design, typography installationImposed Order by David Meyer, installation with concentric circles of letters and words made from piles of flour spelling out Chance or Design, typography installationImposed Order by David Meyer, installation with concentric circles of letters and words made from piles of flour spelling out Chance or Design

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Delaware-based sculptor David Meyer’s work ranges from installations to simple objects that compel the viewer to take a second look. His installation Imposed Order is composed of three words “Chance Or Design” repeated continuously in concentric circles. The type is created on site, sifting flour into piles to form each letter. The scale and physicality of the piles of text are designed to create an illusion of permanence.

You can see much more of Meyer’s work on his website.

via ISC

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Enzo e Nio: Armed Women & Girls

Enzo and Nio, New York Street Artists, saintly school Girls with guns and ammunition, wheat pastings.Enzo and Nio, New York Street Artists, saintly school Girls with guns and ammunition, wheat pastingsEnzo and Nio, New York Street Artists, saintly school Girls with guns and ammunition, wheat pastings.Enzo and Nio, New York Street Artists, Olek and Jilly Ballistic collaboration, saintly Girls with guns and ammunition, wheat pastings.

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Enzo and Nio are New York based street artists whose work has been appearing throughout the city, as well as in Europe, and as far as New Zealand (see second photo from top.) They have several series and recurring themes in their work. The one above of saint-like women and girls armed with weapons (often accompanied by a Latin phrase) is one, but they also have fake “Pull in Case of Emergency” boxes as well as a series of monogrammed bombs with their own initials. In some cases there’s overlap, as in the top photo. They’ve collaborated with Olek and Jilly Ballistic as (see fourth photo from top) and their Cocksharks rarely go unnoticed.

Apparently, they don’t like discussing their work, leaving it to each person’s own interpretation…so interpret away.

Photos from Enzo and Nio’s facebook and tumblr pages; Toirock’s flickr; Dave Krugman; Modica-Way; Cinde Meade.

via buzz patrol

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Emanuele Magini: Playful Furniture

Humorous contemporary furniture design, Italian design, campeggi, Emanuele Magini, Soccer-influenced furniture, fun objectsHumorous contemporary furniture design, Italian design, campeggi, Emanuele Magini, Soccer-influenced furniture, fun objectsHumorous contemporary furniture design, Italian design, campeggi, Emanuele Magini, Soccer-influenced furniture, fun objects

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Italian designer Emanuele Magini, based in Milan, creates furniture and objects that are both useful and playful. From soccer-inspired Lazy-Football chairs, Siesta Bench and stadium-like Multilamp to his Latin Lover bed with a score-keeping headboard, Magini certainly seems to have fun designing. Even his sinister ashtrays possess humor, albeit of a much darker kind.

You can see more of Magini’s designs on his website.

Photos courtesy of the designer. Lamp photo by Studio Badini Createam.
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The Silent History

The Silent History, ebook iphone app, digital storytelling experience, future of publishing, Eli Horowitz, Russell Quinn, Matt Derby, Kevin MoffettThe Silent History, ebook iphone app, digital storytelling experience, future of publishing, Eli Horowitz, Russell Quinn, Matt Derby, Kevin MoffettThe Silent History, ebook iphone app, digital storytelling experience, future of publishing, Eli Horowitz, Russell Quinn, Matt Derby, Kevin MoffettThe Silent History, ebook iphone app, digital storytelling experience, future of publishing, Eli Horowitz, Russell Quinn, Matt Derby, Kevin Moffett, Mission Chinese Food

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The future of publishing is here and it is good. This from a book designer who feels sadness, and a tinge of resentment, at the displacement of the printed page for the electronic one. This past Saturday I attended The Silent History Walking Tour on the Lower East Side led by the e-book/app’s immensely appealing publisher and editor Eli Horowitz, who took us to three locations where ‘field reports’—short location-based storylines written by readers and fans of the serialized novel—were read live by their authors. But taking a step back, here’s the description of The Silent History from the website:

The Silent History is a groundbreaking novel, written and designed specially for iPad and iPhone, that uses serialization, exploration, and collaboration to tell the story of a generation of unusual children — born without the ability to create or comprehend language, but perhaps with other surprising skills of their own.

The multimedia aspect of the downloadable futuristic novel is very intriguing (I’ve yet to get the app due to my own iphone issues but did view it on another attendee’s phone) allowing the reader deeper levels of engagement. With the purchase of the $1.99 app, daily downloads are delivered automatically to your iPhone in segments short enough to read in roughly 15 minutes. The interactive quality of the field reports not only allows people to write their own, it also teaches the readers to observe their surroundings in a different way; noticing details that usually go unnoticed by making them relevant to the text. A flagpole and the security camera next to it, both hanging from a storefront, are integrated into the story and place you right there as you take note of them in person. A gold-painted brick in the wall at the Allen Street Mall bathrooms is written into the report, and a reference to a yogurt and vodka party point you to the empty containers found in the planters. It all makes for good fun; a literary treasure hunt of sorts and completely immersive.

Published by Ying Horowitz & Quinn, (all three having worked at McSweeney’s; Horowitz as the former publisher) with a list of credits that truly impresses, The Silent History revolutionizes the novel as we know it. Matt Derby and Kevin Moffett, writers and collaborators on the project, were on the walking tour as well, reading their latest field notes on location. If all this wasn’t enough of a treat, the 20-or-so of us on the tour were treated to a mini private tasting at the very popular and hard to get into Mission Chinese Food on Orchard Street where we experienced the deliciously spicy and unique plates in the company of interesting people, some already hooked on The Silent History.

These three guys, and I imagine all their collaborators as well, are truly inspiring with their creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. There’s an instant happiness that kicks in, as if contagious, listening to them describe the project. Check out the trailer below and download the app here.

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NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 11/16

Free and Cheap things to do in NYC weekend of 11/16/12 in Music, Art, Design, Film, Theater, Dance, Food, Festivals, Fun, Free and Cheap NYC events. Cool Fun

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Free and cheap things to do this weekend (11/16 to 11/18) in NYC. Cultural events in art, architecture, music, film, dance, theater, design, food and fun.

1. Art – Sinister Pop at the Whitney Museum focuses on the darker side of the 60s and 70s Pop art scene. All weekend, but pay-what-you-wish on Fri 11/16: 6 to 9pm.

2. Graphic Design – ADC Young Guns Exhibit at the Art Director’s Club Gallery. 106 W. 29th St. Fri 11/16 10am to 6pm. FREE

Also in Design & Illustration – Creative Carnival: 100 illustrators and photographers will be creating new original work throughout the night, accompanied by a live DJ, with carnival-style food and a bar. Fri 11/16, 5:30 to 10:30pm. FREE RSVP

3. Talk/Discussion – Free to Be Blasphemous? A Conversation on the Legal Principles of the Freedom of Expression. Fri 11/16 FREE.

4. Talk/Book/Cartoonist — Legendary Underground Cartoonist Aline Crumb Discusses Her New Book, Drawn Together. Fri 11/16: 7-8pm: $10 Strand Gift Card or Purchase of Book.

5. Readings/Photography – Lines of Sight: Readings of photography in fiction. a public reading of passages from fiction that describe photography explicitly, as a subject, or adopt photographic strategies of framing, staging, or manipulation. Fri 11/16. 7pm $5

6. Film/Talk – Meet the Filmmaker: Edward Burns talks about his new film The Fitzgerald Family Christmas. Fri 11/16. 6pm FREE

7. Dance –The Barnard Project at New York Live Arts. Fri 11/16 $20

8. Reading – Moby-Dick Marathon: first-ever marathon-style reading in New York City of Herman Melville’s American classic, Moby-Dick, Or, the Whale. All weekend. Check listing for locations and times. FREE.

9. Theater – Critically acclaimed Skin Tight: encompasses dance, an original score and extreme physicality. All weekend and through 12/1. $25.

10. Arts/Crafts/Food – Renegade Crafts Fair Holiday Market in Williamsburg. Sat 11/17 & Sun 11/18; 11am to 6pm. FREE

11. Peformance/Party/Theater/Music/Cool Fun – Lucent Encounter: Experiential nightlife experience. An immersive nightlife party featuring roaming performance artists dressed in costume who interact with guests, a fortune teller, as well as DJ duo EC Twins and much more. The entire Liberty Theater is a Transformation Station, to renew the soul and the spirit. Sat 11/17 (and every Saturday through 1/26) $30

12. Art/Installation – The Glass Sea  a Rikers Island Jail Cell installed in Soho. Open every day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.  in Petrosino Square. By artist Jessica Feldman with designer Steven Gertner. All weekend. Through 11/25. FREE

13. Dance/Performance/Circus – Donka: A letter to Chekhov Renowned circus artist Daniele Finzi Pasca presents this imagistic love letter to Chekhov. All weekend. Tkts start at $25

14. Walking Tour/Experiment – The Silent History. short walking tour of Lower East Side field reports, presented live by Kevin Moffett, Matt Derby, and Eli Horowitz. Refreshments to follow. Sat 11/17 at 3:15pm. Details here. FREE.

15. Theater –The Exonerated at Culture Project tickets $25 All weekend with code SANDY.

16. Music – Fall Open House and Sunday Sessions, filmmaker-turned-guitar shredder Jim Jarmusch and Dutch lutist Jozef Van Wissem are releasing their second album, The Mystery of Heaven. Sun 11/18, 5 to 6pm. $10.

17. Food –10th Anniversary Chili Takedown. Sun 11/18 at 2pm. $15

18. Music –Sunday Night Live Music Series at the Ace Hotel. Sun 11/18 at 10pm. FREE

UPDATES!

Dance/Performance – Pivotal Works: The Vilcek Foundation Project, Sat 11/17 & Sun 11/18 Joyce Soho. $15

Dance Party/Fun – Soul Clap and Dance-off with Jonathan Toubin. Sat 11/17 at 11pm. $7

Art/Donation/Interaction – Load OUT!: A Reuse and Repurposing RIOT Sat 11/17, 11am to 3pm. $5 to participate.

Readings/Performances/Fundraiser – Sandy Hates Books Hurricane Relief Fundraiser with Jennifer Egan, Jonathan Franzen, Paul Auster and many more… Sat 11/17. 12 to 9pm. $10 suggested donation. RSVP.

Art/Music/Performance/Food/Fundraiser – Queens Museum of Art Rockaway Fundraiser, with artists, performances and food with proceeds going to the Rockaway Waterfront Alliance. Sun 11/18, 12 to 4pm. No donation is too small or large.

Music/Benefit – From Brooklyn with Love Hurricane Sandy Relief Concert at Union Pool. Sun 11/18, doors at 4:30pm. $20 min donation.

Film – Short & Sweet: Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective. Sun 11/18 at 7:30pm. $9.

Check back for more updates!

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Timothy Goodman: Writing on the Walls

Illustration, Graphic Design, Writing on the walls at the Ace Hotel, FlexFit, Fun Decor, typographyIllustration, Graphic Design, Writing on the walls at the Ace Hotel, FlexFit, Fun Decor, typographyIllustration, Graphic Design, Writing on the walls at the Ace Hotel, FlexFit, Fun Decor, typography

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New York based Timothy Goodman is a designer, illustrator, art director and teacher. For the Ace Hotel in NYC, Goodman hand drew 99 picture frames creating a dense wall of ‘discovery’ about NYC for the common tourist staying in the room. Each frame contains a different fact/love/thing/tidbit/or place that the artist likes in the city. At roughly 120 feet, the art was drawn imprecisly to capture the spontaneity of the city, using markers and opaque black paint.

Just this past August, Goodman, in a similar style, created a wall mural for FlexFit Headwear at the Magic S.L.A.T.E. trade show in Las Vegas which he drew in real-time during the first day of the show. He came up with the idea of hand-lettering Tupac Shakur lyrics to Keep Ya Head Up on 500 sq. ft. of wall space, going round and round for about 9 hours. Apart from the great illustrated type, I’m amazed at how perfectly aligned he keeps it all. You can see a video of the FlexFit installation below:

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Luckey Climber at Columbus Commons

Climbing structure, Indoor Children's Playground, Columbus, Ohio, Tom Luckey, Luckey Climber, Fun Playground DesignClimbing structure, Indoor Children's Playground, Columbus, Ohio, Tom Luckey, Luckey Climber, Fun Playground DesignClimbing structure, Indoor Children's Playground, Columbus, Ohio, Tom Luckey, Luckey Climber, Fun Playground Design

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Here’s a fun-, if a bit precarious-looking structure for kids. Designed by the recently deceased Thomas Walker Luckey, an artist, sculptor and architect renowned for his one-of-a-kind climbing sculptures, this particular 35-foot “Luckey Climber” is found in Columbus, Indiana at the Columbus Commons. The indoor playground was completed in 2011 and judging from the reviews on Trip Advisor is (not surprisingly) a big hit with kids. The floating C’s alone had me sold instantly.

Photos: Susan Fleck Photography and Columbus Indiana Visitors Bureau.
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Maison Martin Margiela at H&M

Avant Garde Fashion, Trompe l'oeil design, Martin Margiela candy wrapper clutch, fishnet leggings, keyring necklace, belt jacket, H&MAvant Garde Fashion, Trompe l'oeil design, Martin Margiela candy wrapper clutch, fishnet leggings, keyring necklace, belt jacket, H&MAvant Garde Fashion, Trompe l'oeil design, Martin Margiela candy wrapper clutch, fishnet leggings, keyring necklace, belt jacket, H&M

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We don’t usually post about fashion, but Maison Martin Margiela is more than just fashion; it’s avant garde fashion that blurs lines between fashion, art, and design. Plus, Em has been a big fan for years and is the one who alerted me to the collaboration with H&M — which goes on sale tomorrow, November 15th — as well as introducing me to Margiela’s existence and work.

From H&M’s site:
Maison Martin Margiela is a French fashion house which has always followed its own path, often outside the conventional fashion framework.
Constantly questioning the norms of fashion and presenting its pieces through the technique of deconstruction and transformation, the collections reinvent volumes, modify shapes, change the original use and movement of garments and derail classic notions of fashion.

In addition, Margiela himself has maintained a very low profile throughout his career. He’s a bit of an enigma, never having had his picture taken publicly and remaining backstage after his runway shows. It has also been stated that Martin Margiela left the company in 2009 with no replacement appointed, but the company has continued and is now doing a Re-edition of previous seasons’ products for H&M.

Most of the designs are full of wit along with edginess. Many of them use trompe l’oeil effects; the strapless bra body suit and the fishnet leggings are prime examples of these, as are the plexiglass heeled shoes and boots that seem to float in mid air.

The Candy Wrapper Clutch is definitely goofy fun, as are the jacket made of belts and the Keyring Necklace. All the pieces in the collection are not your everyday clothes and accessories, and especially not typical of H&M’s, even in their prices, but it should be interesting to see what happens. All I know is that Em will be there at 8am on Thursday, with or without her sister.

Photos: H&M; Refinery 29; and Sandra’s Closet
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Johanna Unzueta: Felt Industrial Sculptures

Soft sculptures made with felt of industrial objects such as pipes, faucets, hinges, and tools by Johanna Unzueta, Chilean artistSoft sculptures made with felt of industrial objects such as pipes, faucets, hinges, and tools by Johanna Unzueta, Chilean artistSoft sculptures made with felt of industrial objects such as pipes, faucets, hinges, and tools by Johanna Unzueta, Chilean artistSoft sculptures made with felt of industrial objects such as pipes, faucets, hinges, and tools by Johanna Unzueta, Chilean artist

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Chilean artist Johanna Unzueta, now living and working in New York, uses felt as a sculptural material to build structures and objects that bring attention to the history of labor. Increasingly interested in site-specific installations that engage with the space,Unzueta has been  constructing pipes that go in and out of corners, or ladders that lead to an imaginary attic. It would be fun to have that oversized felt hinge as an area rug.

Unzueta will be having a show at NYC’s Vogt Gallery this January 2013.

Photos artdaily; vogt gallery; virtualia; and la nube loca.
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NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 11/9

Free & Cheap things to do in New York City 11/9 to 11/11, art, film, theater, architecture, dance, comedy, food plus ways to support Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts this weekend.

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This weekend we suggest freely supporting, in a not-so-cheap way, any of the numerous Hurricane Sandy relief efforts throughout the city. You can donate your time, money, or supplies, but we challenge you to be proactive and for every fun thing you do this weekend, do at least another charitable or supportive one for all those struggling in the aftermath of the storm. In some cases you can be supportive WHILE having fun. I’ve included links to some of these events along with regular entertainment ones. Come on NYC!

1. Food – EAT OUT!! Yes, it doesn’t have to be expensive, but support the many restaurants south of 39th Street and those in Brooklyn that lost almost a week’s business plus all their perishables. Take your pick, but do it! All weekend.

2. Volunteer/Donate – There are an impressive amount of places to drop off donations, or volunteer your time sorting supplies. Check out WNYC’s list; SandySucks; OccupySandy; Caaav in Chinatown and Rockaway Relief. If volunteering, from personal experience, I recommend calling first (if a number is provided) to find out which shifts are low on volunteers. If making donations, stick to what is requested: right now blankets, batteries, flash lights, and groceries are high on most lists. All weekend.

3. Volunteer – Nighttime shift volunteers are needed at the Park Slope Armory Shelter. Food Prep and social support for a mostly senior population from 2 nursing homes in Rockaway. All weekend.

4. Art/Benefit – Ed Osborn (previously here) Albedo Prospect. Closing Reception & Fundraiser at Bitforms. Fri 11/9 at 6pm. FREE

5. Theater – Wild With Happy at the Public Theater. All weekend and through 11/18. Tkts $25 with code STORM.

6. Art –Clintel Steed Aerial Views Sandy Relief Project Fri 11/9 from 6 to 9pm at 379 Broome and Sat 11/10 11am to 7pm.

7. Film – DOC NYC New York Documentary Festival at IFC and SVA. All weekend and through 11/15. $9 to $16.50.

8. Sweep/Beach – Rockaway Project Operation Sand Sweep: Sat 11/10 from 10am to 1pm. If you’ve enjoyed the beach now it’s time to give back! Some ride shares here.

Alternatively: Sign up to help Coney Island.

9. Art/Graphic Design – Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival. Sat 11/10.  12 to 7pm. FREE

10. Donate – Two Boots in Park Slope is taking donations. See list of supplies needed and who to make checks out to. All weekend.

11. Music – Jazz & Colors in Central Park. 30 Bands. 30 Locations. Sat 11/10. 12 to 4pm. FREE

Also in Music: Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival. Fri 11/9 & Sat 11/10. $35 for an all day pass.

12. Food – Help Chinatown recover by eating at your favorite Chinatown restaurant. If they haven’t been washed away, I recommend the delicious Green Sandwiches (mustard greens on sesame roll) at a stand under the Manhattan Bridge: 75 East Broadway. $1.50! Also at Waloy Bakery. All weekend.

Alternatively in Food – East Village Meat Market will be sampling cooked/smoked meats on Sat 11/10 as part of Meat Week NYC. FREE.

13. Performance/Comedy – Rob Delaney at Skirball Center part of New York Comedy Festival. Sat 11/10 at 7:30. $35

14. Art/Drinks/Performance – Recess at MoMA PopRally.Eleven emerging artists “intervene” in MoMA’s Painting and Sculpture Galleries with objects and performances created specifically for this night. Sat 11/10 8pm to 11pm $13 in advance $16 at door 21+

15. Interactive Performance/Fun – Halloween TOO. “Killers” Haunted event — come in costume to the 107 Suffolk St. location and stay for a Halloween party. Fri 11/9 and Sat 11/10. 10pm $20.

16. Music/Drink/Food/Benefit –Fuck. Off. Sandy. Benefit for NY Cares with Heliotropes and three more bands. Sun 11/11. 3 to 7pm. 21+ $10.

17. Food –Peck Slip Pickle Festival at the New Amsterdam Market with a fundraiser for NYC residents and small businesses affected by the storm. Sun 11/11.  11am to 5pm. FREE.

18. Host/B&B – Offer any extra space/room/bed to a Sandy victim. Over 100,000 people are still stranded by Hurricane Sandy. Airbnb has partnered with the City of New York to connect those in need with people who are able to provide free housing.

Check back for possible updates throughout the weekend!