Category Archives: Stuff We Like

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Haegue Yang: Venetian Blinds Art

Korean Contemporary art, Venetian Blind art installations, Haegue Yang, Heike Jung, Documenta13Korean Contemporary art, Venetian Blind art installations, Haegue Yang, Heike Jung, Documenta13Korean Contemporary art, Venetian Blind art installations, Haegue Yang, Heike Jung, Documenta13Click to enlarge

South Korean artist Haegue Yang (aka Heike Jung), living and working in in both Berlin and Seoul, believes that there is “a mysteriousness and spirituality in the most banal things.” Her use of window shades in many of her installations seems to be proof of this. Presently, Yang has an installation titled Approaching: Choreography Engineered in Never-Past Tense (top five photos) as part of documenta (13) in Kassel, Germany through September 16, 2012. These artfully hung and motorized clusters of Venetian blinds have appeared in some of her previous works, but this block-long installation and its choreography must certainly be fun to experience. Earlier aluminum blinds works include: Citadella; Manteuffelstrasse 112; Escaping Transparency; Three Kinds; Yearning Melancholy Red and others.

Haegue Yang’s fascination with domestic items doesn’t limit itself to blinds. She uses foldable laundry racks, cans, cups and cup cosies, just to name a few, in her other more sculptural works.

Photos courtesy of the artist; Carnegie International; and Camila y el Arte.

via wsj

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Sean Hart: Street Poetry

Typographic Street Art, French Street art, Sean Heart, existentialism, Shine, Yes FutureTypographic Street Art, French Street art, Sean Heart, existentialism, Shine, Yes FutureTypographic Street Art, French Street art, Sean Heart, existentialism, Shine, Yes FutureClick to enlarge

French street artist Sean Hart considers himself a poet (among many other things) and his poetry “is a weapon loaded with the future.” He paints large, existential-style statements in a condensed typeface on surfaces all over the world. His most recent series Shine (the blue and white photos at top) have an anamorphic quality, allowing his phrases to be read despite right angles and open doors in the center of the image. According to Hart all his works consist of paint, a camera, time and himself. No photoshop. No special effects. The works below Shine are from his series Yes Future from 2011, and the bottom image of a stabbed Tintin is from his series Parce Que!

UPDATE: One of Sean Hart’s recent interventions spotted on the streets of Madrid is over here on Escrito en la Pared.

via vandalog

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Shakespeare Machine: Ben Rubin

Multimedia sculpture, Chandelier of text from Shakespeare Plays, Public Theater, NYC, Ben RubinMultimedia sculpture, Chandelier of text from Shakespeare Plays, Public Theater, NYC, Ben RubinMultimedia sculpture, Chandelier of text from Shakespeare Plays, Public Theater, NYC, Ben RubinClick to enlarge

When I heard designer Paula Scher speak a couple of weeks ago at the Reasons to be Creative conference, she mentioned the current renovation at the Public Theater in NYC and the new graphics that she and her team at Pentagram are working on. She also mentioned a very interesting piece acting as a sort of centerpiece chandelier in the main lobby: a Shakespeare Machine designed by Ben Rubin (previously here and here.) The work is described in the Public Theater’s press release as follows:

A large-scale multimedia sculpture, “Shakespeare Machine,” has been commissioned from Ben Rubin for The Public’s lobby. Suspended from the ceiling and serving as the lobby’s chandelier, the work features 37 display screens on which fragments of Shakespeare’s plays appear and dance, creating an unfolding kaleidoscope of language in motion. The installation is part of New York City’s Percent for Art initiative, which ensures that a portion of construction project budgets are dedicated to site-specific artworks.

Upon further research I came across several Shakespeare Machines that Rubin has worked on in the past few years, as a way of working out concepts and algorithms for the Public Theater sculpture. The top three images are from the latest, and presumably final, renderings for the actual piece due to debut this coming fall. The fourth image is a previous rendering from 2009, while the fifth image is from A Shakespeare Accelerator: Experiments in Kinetic Language, a piece that is currently being exhibited at the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) at RPI in Troy, NY through the end of July. The final image is an iteration from 2009 included in the group show Textual Landscapes: Real and Imagined at Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery.

The final piece that will hang in the Public Theater’s lobby will cycle continuously through the text of Shakespeare’s plays organized as a repeating series of compositions, recombining the small linguistic molecules to form new poetic visual combinations. The nature of the algorithms ensures that no composition will repeat.

I’m looking forward to checking this out. In the meantime, you can take a peek at the animated rendering here.

Images courtesy of Ben Rubin, EMAC, Bryce Wolkowitz, and The Public Theater.
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Mirador del Palmeral: Joaquin Alvado Bañon

Lookout Tower in Alicante Spain, Sustainable structure, cool spiral promenade, Joaquin Alvado, Contemporary Spanish ArchitectureLookout Tower in Alicante Spain, Sustainable structure, cool spiral promenade, Joaquin Alvado, Contemporary Spanish ArchitectureMirador del Palmeral, Daya Vieja Spain, Joaquin Alvado Architect, sustainable structure,Click to enlarge

Triggered by the collapse of one of the palm trees in the center of town in Daya Vieja, Spain, architect Joaquin Alvado Bañon created El Mirador del Palmeral with the excuse of a structural support for the tree. A lookout tower with a spiraling promenade that culminates in a spectacular narrow overpass that jutts out and over a major town thoroughfare, El Mirador del Palmeral offers stunning views of the Vega Baja, Rojales and La Marina. In addition to the nice views and fun structure, the idea of making the trees a focal point and working with them is an example of the sustainable thinking that infiltrates much of today’s architecture.

Here’s a video to appreciate the structure from all angles:

Photos: David Frutos and Joaquin Alvado Bañon

via treintaycuatro

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Salon Urbain: Sid Lee and Ædifica

Montreal parking garage converted into post -concert gathering space, event space, cafe. Very cool ceiling and barMontreal parking garage converted into post -concert gathering space, event space, cafe. Very cool ceiling and barMontreal parking garage converted into post -concert gathering space, event space, cafe. Very cool ceiling and barSalon Urbain, Montreal lounge and event space with cool bar.Click to enlarge

The former parking lot at the Place des Arts in Montreal, has been transformed into a cool urban lounge and event space: Salon Urbain by Sid Lee Architecture and Ædifica. Adjacent to a new concert hall, the space is meant to be a meeting place pre- and post-concert or exhibit. The central focal point of the space, under the spectacular ceiling, is the bar shaped as a sound wave in physical form. The goal of the architects was to create a space that would continue the magical feeling that comes with attending a concert.

Pretty darn cool.

Photos by Stéphane Brugger
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John Grade: Inspired by & Interactive with Nature

Large scale sculptures inspired by and interactive with nature. Biodegradable, dissolve and wash away with waterLarge scale sculptures inspired by and interactive with nature. La Chasse - The HuntLarge scale sculptures inspired by and interactive with nature. La Chasse - The HuntLarge scale sculptures inspired by and interactive with nature. La Chasse - The Elephant Bed, seeps of winter Click to enlarge

Originally from Minneapolis and now living and working in Seattle after receiving his MFA from Pratt in Brooklyn, NY, artist John Grade creates giant sculptures that are inspired by, as well as interactive with, nature. After spending several years traveling the world and sketching nature, one can see the influence, even if only indirectly, in Grade’s work. Grade thrives on the landscapes and elements that surround him. His art, in many cases, is made with recycled materials and is always biodegradable and environmentally friendly. His sculptures are meant to safely devolve, disintegrate, or dissolve in nature and are usually transported to a specific location after being exhibited for this process to take place. For example, his Elephant Beds (first, fourth, and fifth rows of photos) are made of paper that has no binder which allows them to fall apart and disintegrate as soon as they touch, or are touched by, water. His Seeps of Winter (bottom photos) are reminiscent of a whale but are based on the bogs of Ireland. The gray paper pulp surface along with the rest of the enormous work is meant to devolve in desert, forest and alpine landscapes. Pretty incredible.

via art ltd.

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Ben Jackel: War & Emergency Tools

Warrior sculpture, War, Soldiers, Syntagma, Compliance Solutions, Ben Jackel, LA artistWarrior sculpture, War, Soldiers, Syntagma, Compliance Solutions, Ben Jackel, LA artistFire Hydrant sculpture, standpipe sculpture, emergency tools, Ben Jackel, LA artist, Zero Percent ContainedFire Hydrant sculpture, standpipe sculpture, emergency tools, Ben Jackel, LA artist, Zero Percent ContainedClick to enlarge

Los Angeles-based artist Ben Jackel uses primitive materials and old traditions to look at the contemporary world. He is interested in the history of warfare and its tools, from 15th Century halberds to present day spy planes, and has recreated versions of them in mahogany coated in graphite. As a counterpart to these, Jackel has made a series of emergency tools using stoneware and beeswax that include fire hydrants, standpipes, alarms, axes, and fire hoses. These tool sculptures both contrast and complement the war-themed ones; they, too, represent powerful forces at the ready.

Jackel’s latest solo exhibit Zero Percent Contained is on view through the end of June at LA Louver in Venice, California.

You can see Jackel’s process in the video below:

Photos courtesy of the artist; artslant; and la louver
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Sandy Carson: Paradise Has Relocated

Striking photographs documenting post-hurricane Ike destruction in Galveston, Texas. Sandy Carson PhotographyStriking photographs documenting post-hurricane Ike destruction in Galveston, Texas. Sandy Carson PhotographyStriking photographs documenting post-hurricane Ike destruction in Galveston, Texas. Sandy Carson PhotographyClick to enlarge

Scottish photographer Sandy Carson, now based in Austin, Texas, examines a specific segment of American life in a humorous and simultaneously poignant way. In his series titled Paradise Has Relocated, Carson captures the remains of post-Hurricane Ike (2008) Galveston. There’s a ghostliness in his shots of abandoned everyday objects and fractured structures. I love them all.

You can see the rest of this series on Carson’s website as well as his other projects; Obstructed Blandscapes being another series I especially liked.

via okay mountain

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Subodh Gupta: Utensil Sculptures

contemporary sculpture from India, Subodh Gupta, Gas Mask, Sculpture made with pots, pans and utensilscontemporary sculpture from India, Subodh Gupta, Gas Mask, Sculpture made with pots, pans and utensilscontemporary sculpture from India, Subodh Gupta, Gas Mask, Sculpture made with pots, pans and utensilsClick to enlarge

Internationally acclaimed artist Subodh Gupta, living and working in New Delhi, India, takes the ready-made and converts it into sculpture. Using signature Indian stainless steel tiffin-tins and other utensils, Gupta creates monumental installations ranging from soldier’s heads and water buckets that are spilling over to eggs in their carton and a giant mushroom cloud (Line of Control) that was first exhibited at the Tate Triennial a few years back.

Photos courtesy of Arario Gallery; Saatchi Gallery; and Hauser & Wirth
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Zach Lieberman: Interactive Artist

interactive art, computer graphics, human-computer interaction, very cool, art meets science and technologyinteractive art, computer graphics, human-computer interaction, very cool, art meets science and technologyinteractive art, computer graphics, human-computer interaction, very cool, art meets science and technologyinteractive art, computer graphics, human-computer interaction, very cool, art meets science and technologyClick to enlarge

Another of the amazing speakers at Reasons to be Creative last week was Brooklyn-based digital artist and programmer Zach Lieberman. He uses technology in a playful way breaking down the fragile boundary between the visible and invisible. His main goal is to surprise. Lieberman has collaborated on numerous impressive projects, many of which have rightfully won awards and been exhibited at, among other places, MoMA’s Talk to Me exhibit last year.

One of his impressive projects—in conjunction with the Graffiti Research Lab—is a project initially created to allow TEMPT1 — a pioneering artist in the 1980s and 90s California graffiti scene who has since been afflicted with ALS, a degenerative neuromuscular disorder leaving him completely paralyzed except for the use of his eyes and mind — to draw using an eyetracking system. Lieberman was able to keep the cost very low, and with incredible ingenuity created Eyewriter. See the video below to watch it in action and for more details. Truly incredible and so heartwarming.

Another interesting project Lieberman collaborated on with two typographers and a professional stunt driver is IQ font for Toyota. Tracking the car’s movements using custom software designed by Lieberman, they created a font which is unique and can be downloaded for free.

Other projects include voice activated graphics in Messa Di Voce, an audiovisual performance collaboration with Golan Levin, and a music video for BELL using FaceTracker code with fun effects happening on the singer’s face in real-time. (See second video below.)

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CupNoodles Museum

Cup Noodles Museum, fun, interactive museum in Yokohama, Japan, make your own cup noodles, factory, park, museum, history, momofuku andoCup Noodles Museum, fun, interactive museum in Yokohama, Japan, make your own cup noodles, factory, park, museum, history, momofuku andoCup Noodles Museum, fun, interactive museum in Yokohama, Japan, make your own cup noodles, factory, park, museum, history, momofuku andoCup Noodles Museum, fun, interactive museum in Yokohama, Japan, make your own cup noodles, factory, park, museum, history, momofuku andoClick to enlarge

Just back a few days from their amazing trip to Japan, Em and Dan had lots to report. High on their list in terms of cool fun was the CupNoodles Museum in Yokohama, about 30 minutes from Tokyo. Opened last fall, the interactive museum chronicles the history of the instant ramen noodle created by Momofuku Ando in 1958. Included in the museum is a Design-your-Own Cup Noodle from content to package design, a replica of the shed where the instant ramen was invented, A Noodles Bazaar Food Court, and a theme park. Oh, and of course, a gift shop selling all things ramen, including the lovely set of chopsticks that they brought back for me, which I might just have to frame instead of actually use. When I questioned the relevance of the fun graphic logo, Em and Dan immediately responded with “No, it’s perfect. That’s exactly the feeling you experience the minute you step through the door.” ’Nough said.

Update: I just noticed that the exclamation points refer to the decorative border on the CupNoodle cup, so there’s that too…

All photos by collabcubed except second from top and second from bottom by Yuriko Nakao/Reuters.
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Supermachine: Bangkok University Projects

Student Lounge, fun architecture and interior design, colorful design, furniture design, Bangkok University, ThailandStudent Lounge, fun architecture and interior design, colorful design, furniture design, Bangkok University, ThailandStudent Lounge, fun architecture and interior design, colorful design, furniture design, Bangkok University, ThailandSupermachine Studio, Thai contemporary architecture and interior design, Bangkok University, BUCCClick to enlarge

Thai multidisciplinary design studio Supermachine based in Bangkok has been working on a several projects for Bangkok University, including their BU Creative Center, BU Lounge, and, most recently completed, BU Brand Unit. They are all fun, colorful, and clever designs that complement each other, yet each with different challenges and budgets. The BU Brand Unit was the most low-budget of the projects, and Supermachine was able to convert the space into a fun creative office, mostly by adding paint; the splashes of colors and circles, while not expensive, made for a complete transformation. The other two projects, with larger budgets had every aspect of the projects designed by Supermachine, including a unique pool table, shelving system and chandelier in the Lounge project, to a pixel wall in the Creative Center.

Fun all the way around.

Photos: courtesy of Supermachine and Wison Tungthunya

via the coolhunter

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Jon Burgerman

Jon Burgerman, Street artist, illustrator, fun, humorous, goofy, bright-colored charactersJon Burgerman, Street artist, illustrator, fun, humorous, goofy, bright-colored charactersJon Burgerman, Street artist, illustrator, fun, humorous, goofy, bright-colored charactersJon Burgerman, Street artist, illustrator, fun, humorous, goofy, bright-colored charactersJon Burgerman, Street artist, illustrator, fun, humorous, goofy, bright-colored charactersJon Burgerman, tribute to Maurice Sendak and MCA, Beastie BoysJon Burgerman, Street artist, illustrator, fun, humorous, goofy, Bushwick Band, Anxieteam, Bushwick DreamClick to enlarge

I attended the Reasons to be Creative conference last week here in NYC and was blown away by every single speaker. Such talent! Creativity! Passion! Truly amazing.

One of the more entertaining speakers — due to his charm and wackiness — was Jon Burgerman, a British expat living and working in Brooklyn, in addition to eating a lot of salad and pizza. An illustrator and street artist, Burgerman draws and paints colorful characters that have been made into Kidrobot toys, appeared on Pepsi cans, hats, sneakers and even a car or two. He is (as described on his website) “a multidisciplinarian carefully constructing a world in which the narrative of being an artist is played out across a wide variety of media for the distraction, enlightenment and delight of those who choose to tune in.” Also, a total goofball, in the best sense of the word.

He recently had a show in a pizza shop in New Jersey; walls filled with pizza slice characters on paper plates (I am now the proud owner of ‘Cheesus Slice’). His tribute to the recently passed Maurice Sendak and Beastie Boys’ MCA is perfect. And if all these projects aren’t enough, he performs with fellow artist and good friend Jim Avignon as Anxieteam, which, to me, has a low-budget Flight of the Conchords feel and looks like it would be a lot of fun to witness live.

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The Secret Life of Toys

Photos of Star Wars figurines during Recession times, Marcos Minuchin, Argentinean Photographer, humorous photographyPhotos of Star Wars figurines during Recession times, Marcos Minuchin, Argentinean Photographer, humorous photographyPhotos of Star Wars figurines during Recession times, Marcos Minuchin, Argentinean Photographer, humorous photographyPhotos of Star Wars figurines during Recession times, Marcos Minuchin, Argentinean Photographer, humorous photographyHumorous photos of Star Wars toys out of work, Marcos MinuchinClick to enlarge

I spotted Argentinean photographer Marcos Minuchin’s photographs a couple of weeks back at the annual Washington Square Memorial Day Art Show, on my way to buy a bagel. The large prints hanging outside his booth made me smile.

Minuchin started his series The Secret Life of Toys in 2007 as a photography class project, but kept the project going after a lot of positive feedback. His Recession Army series seems especially relevant these days. According to Minuchin, one of the perks of working with toys is that they work long hours without complaining.

You can see more of Minuchin’s photographs on his website, and you can purchase them there too.

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Sabi van Hemert: Childlike Creatures

Sculptures with childlike characteristics yet animal-looking, made with leather, synthetic materials andtoothpicksSculptures with childlike characteristics yet animal-looking, made with leather, synthetic materials andtoothpicksSculptures with childlike characteristics yet animal-looking, made with leather, synthetic materials andtoothpicksClick to enlarge

Dutch artist Sabi van Hemert creates sculptures of figures that combine childlike poses with alien looks.

From the artist:
I create an image from synthetic material or clay, letting myself be led by thoughts, associations and emotions. What do I see in the shape, what sort of feeling do I get, what does it remind me of, what am I saying with this? And, is this what I want to make? Once the image is finished, I cover it either partially or entirely with a “skin” of a different material. The choice of skin depends on the image. In contrast to the spontaneity at the beginning of the work process, when I make the skin I work in a very structured manner. For weeks, with great patience and discipline, I cut, paste or prick, following self-imposed rules such as, “all forms in the same rhythm” or “all lines continue onward”.

You can see much more of van Hemert’s work on her website.

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Three Studio: Melted Manga Figurines & More

Melted Manga Anime Figurine sculptures, Three Studio, Contemporary Japanese Art, Cool SculpturesFish soy sauce container sculptures, Three Studio, Tokyo Baby, Contemporary Japanese Art, Cool SculpturesMelted Manga Anime Figurine sculptures, Three Studio, Contemporary Japanese Art, Cool Sculpturesthousands of Japanese fish-like soy sauce containers form cool sculptures, Three StudioClick to enlarge

Japanese art collective Three Studio, based in Tokyo, create contemporary colorful sculptures using Manga Anime figurines and fish-shaped soy sauce containers. The Melted Manga Anime Figure Sculptures are, well, just that. Three Studio melts thousands of the figurines together creating sculptural blocks, tableaus, and figures that include bodies. From a distance, the bunched up pieces become abstract, but up close the decapitated heads, loose torsos, eyeballs and feet become apparent for a humorous and, at the same time, slightly creepy effect.

Three Studio’s series of sculptures created with thousands of fish-shaped soy sauce containers filled with colored water, range in form from geometric shapes to a mobius strip and even a Tokyo Baby. Fun stuff!

via Slanted and Gradient

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Luzinterruptus: Plaza de la Cebada Pool

Protest and celebration of pool in Madrid, light installation, luzinterruptus, guerilla art collective, street artProtest and celebration of pool in Madrid, light installation, luzinterruptus, guerilla art collective, street artProtest and celebration of pool in Madrid, cool light installation, luzinterruptus, guerilla art collective, street artClick to enlarge

The Spanish guerilla art collective Luzinterruptus (previously here) is at it again. Their latest intervention took place on May 15th at Plaza de la Cebada in Madrid. Collecting over 2,000 used plastic cups and containers in the previous month, the artists filled them each with blue water, placed them in a 6 x 4 meter rectangle and lit them. This was to represent the community public swimming pool that had been demolished by the city in 2008 with the promise of building a new and improved pool. Four years later, still no sign of a pool, while plans are now evolving into a high-end entertainment center and gourmet food marketplace which will be too pricey for the people of the neighborhood.

The light installation in the shape of a swimming pool was a reminder of what the space once was and what it should rightfully be once again in the not-too-distant future.

via Luzinterruptus’ facebook