Category Archives: Stuff We Like

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Ice Castles: 20,000,000 lbs of Ice

Ice Castles in Midwest America. Manmade ice mazes, amazing ice scultpures.Ice Castles in Midwest America. Manmade ice mazes, amazing ice scultpures.Ice Castles in Midwest America. Manmade ice mazes, amazing ice scultpures.Ice Castles in Midwest America. Manmade ice mazes, amazing ice scultpures. Ice Castles in Midwest America. Manmade ice mazes, amazing ice sculptures.I’ve been through a corn maze and even visited an ice bar, but I had never heard of these incredible Ice Castles created in Colorado, Utah, and New Hampshire. As an homage to the Polar Vortex we’re presently experiencing here on the east coast, I thought I’d post some photos of these castles/mazes that are built by hand from more the 20,000,000 pounds of ice. These glacial formations include caverns, archways, paths and tunnels inviting visitors to wander through in awe. If the ice itself isn’t amazing enough, at night these structures are illuminated by colored lights for additional dramatic effect. The castles begin by ‘growing’ more than 5,000 icicles per day which are then sculpted together. By dipping the icicles in freezing water they then stick to each other and with the combination of wind, temperature fluctuation, and water volume a variety of effects can be achieved. The process takes a few weeks of growth and artistry, repeating the process twice daily, until the final ice masterpiece is completed. If temperatures don’t change much around here, we may be able to build one of these in Central Park any day now…

Take a virtual walk through with this video:

Photos courtesy of icecastles

via atlasobscura

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Piston Head: Cars into Sculpture

Piston Head: Artists engage the automobile, Miami Basel, Basel Miami 2014, Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, Damien Hirst, Bruce High Quality, Contemporary art, carsPiston Head: Artists engage the automobile, Miami Basel, Basel Miami 2014, Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, Damien Hirst, Bruce High Quality, Contemporary art, carsPiston Head: Artists engage the automobile, Miami Basel, Basel Miami 2014, Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, Damien Hirst, Bruce High Quality, Contemporary art, carsLast month at Art Basel Miami, Venus Over Manhattan Gallery curated an exhibition titled Piston Head: Artists Engage the Automobile. Fourteen cars converted into sculptures by well-known contemporary artists since 1970 were on view at the spectacular open-air parking garage, 1111 Lincoln Road, designed by Herzog & deMeuron. The exhibit included works by Keith Haring (top), Damien Hirst (dotted Mini Cooper), Kenny Scharf (3rd from top), Ron Arad (pressed car), Bruce High Quality Foundation (VW Beetles), Franz West’s 1970 Rolls Royce, as well as eight more artists.

And here in an unrelated yet related (in that he’s drawing on a car) video is Jon Burgerman doing his thing on a zipcar:

Photos: HuffingtonPost and The Hundreds

via Venus Over Manhattan

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teamLab: Homogenizing & Transforming World

teamLAB, Interactive Installation, Large balls that change color and sound with touch. Contemporary Art at Hong Kong Arts Centre. A Journey through art and technologyteamLAB, Interactive Installation, Large balls that change color and sound with touch. Contemporary Art at Hong Kong Arts Centre. A Journey through art and technologyteamLAB, Interactive Installation, Large balls that change color and sound with touch. Contemporary Art at Hong Kong Arts Centre. A Journey through art and technologyClick to enlarge

Tokyo-based teamLab is a group of ultra-technologists including programmers, user-interface engineers, mathematicians, CG animators, as well as architects, designers, artists and editors, who blur the boundaries of their respective fields to create and discover new ideas and push limitations. Presently, their interactive installation Homogenizing and Transforming World is part of the exhibition Distilling Senses: A Journey through Art and Technology in Asian Contemporary Art, at the Hong Kong Arts Centre. Individual balls floating within an enclosed space communicate to each other via wireless connection. They change color and emit different sounds when touched by visitors or bump into each other or other objects. The balls send color information to other balls which in turn spread the information to other balls, changing all the balls to the same color. The piece is a metaphor for the internet and globalization in general. People act as intermediaries for information which so quickly travels via the internet globally, transforming the world in an instant and unifying at the same time.

You can see the installation live through January 12, 2014 or in the video below anytime:

via gestalten

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Audra Hubbell: Letters at Large

Letters at Large by Audra Hubbell, Large projections of letters with cool effects against architecture. Photographs. TypographyLetters at Large by Audra Hubbell, Large projections of letters with cool effects against architecture. Photographs. TypographyLetters at Large by Audra Hubbell, Large projections of letters with cool effects against architecture. Photographs. TypographyClick to enlarge

I love everything about Chicago-based designer Audra Hubbell‘s project Letters at Large. For starters, it’s type. Large type at that. Then the combination with architecture and the effect of each on the other is pretty fabulous. Somewhat reminiscent of Jenny Holzer’s Projections, but here it’s all about the one letter as opposed to text. Hubbell unleashes full-scale typography in public spaces as a visual research project exploring the interaction between projected large scale letterforms and the urban Chicago surroundings. Wouldn’t it be great if the poster set were available for purchase.

via behance

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Duke Riley: Homing Pigeon Performance Art

Duke Riley, Magnan Metz, Homing Pigeons fly to Cuba and bring back cigars; See You At The Finish Line Duke Riley, Magnan Metz, Homing Pigeons fly to Cuba and bring back cigars; See You At The Finish LineDuke Riley, Magnan Metz, Homing Pigeons fly to Cuba and bring back cigars; See You At The Finish LineClick to enlarge

Brooklyn-based artist Duke Riley describes his work this way in his artist statement:

My work addresses the prospect of residual but forgotten unclaimed frontiers on the edge and inside overdeveloped urban areas, and their unsuspected autonomy. I am interested in the struggle of marginal peoples to sustain independent spaces within all-encompassing societies, the tension between individual and collective behavior, the conflict with institutional power. I pursue an alternative view of hidden borderlands and their inhabitants through drawing, printmaking, mosaic, sculpture, performative interventions, and video structured as complex multimedia installations.

His piece Trading with the Enemy seems to fit the bill perfectly. Riley trained 50 homing pigeons to travel from Havana to Key West, Fla. Half the flock were smugglers of Cuban cigars while the rest documented their travels on film. The cigar-laden pigeons were given names of notorious smugglers such as Pierre Lafitte, while the filmers were given names of famous film directors who have had run-ins with the law: i.e. Roman Polanski and Mel Gibson. I imagine there’s a certain thrill to subverting hi-tech drones with good old fashion homing pigeons. Riley’s connection to the birds goes back to his childhood, after rescuing one, letting it go free, and finding that it returned to him. Trading With the Enemy is part of an exhibit titled See You at the Finish Line currently at Magnan Metz in Chelsea. Two of the pigeons are for sale at the gallery along with the art. The show will run through January 11, 2014. For those who can’t make it in person, you can watch the video of the pigeons’ adventure, below.

Photos courtesy of MagnanMetz & The New York Times

via nytimes

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Janice Lee Kelly: Balloon Sculptures

Janice Lee Kelly, Balloon Sculptures, Float, RISD alum, balloon installations and sculpturesJanice Lee Kelly, Balloon Sculptures, Float, RISD alum, balloon installations and sculpturesJanice Lee Kelly, Balloon Sculptures, Float, RISD alum, balloon installations and sculpturesClick to enlarge

Initially inspired by working with balloons in her retail business, architect/photographer/entrepreneur Janice Lee Kelly (originally from Kentucky) began developing the medium into her own personal art form, eventually creating her studio FLOAT. Creating gravity-defying, kinetic and ethereal sculptures, Kelly captures and records their interaction with the environment through photography and video. In addition, Kelly creates balloon pieces and installations for exhibits and event spaces that range from smaller private ones to Lincoln Center for the Big Apple Circus.

via risdxyz

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Pammy Pea by Pamella Lessero

Pammy Pea Children's Book on eating healthy, nutrition, by Pamella LesseroPammy Pea Children's Book on eating healthy, nutrition, by Pamella LesseroPammy Pea Children's Book on eating healthy, nutrition, by Pamella LesseroClick to enlarge

Our friend—as well as local NYC artist and lifelong vegetable lover—Pam Lessero just published a fun and friendly educational illustrated book for kids which focuses on the importance of eating healthy. The book’s protagonist (and Pamella’s alter ego?) Pammy Pea, “…wants to inspire and teach children everywhere to be healthy and eat all of their vegetables. When she is not dreaming of landing on your plate, you can find her happealy rolling around the garden with all her pea family and friends.”  Pammy Pea is targeted at the 3 to 6-year-old set and can be purchased over here. Stickers are available too, and a plush toy of Pammy Pea herself will follow shortly. You can follow Pammy Pea on facebook for updates too.

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Hello Wood: 365-Sled Christmas Tree

Christmas Tree made with 365 Sleds (sleighs) by Hello Wood in Budapest, HungaryChristmas Tree made with 365 Sleds (sleighs) by Hello Wood in Budapest, HungaryChristmas Tree made with 365 Sleds (sleighs) by Hello Wood in Budapest, HungaryClick to enlarge

Imagine 365 wooden sleds stacked in the form of a Christmas tree. Now imagine each of those sleds going to a child in need once the structure is dismantled. Nice, right? Well, that’s just what architecture/design studio Hello Wood (previously here) is doing at the Palace of Arts in Budapest. In the span of one week, they built an 11-meter tall tree that can be viewed from inside as well, giving the impression of being in the middle of a giant snowflake. The base is made of steel to keep things safe in case of strong winter winds. A tall wooden frame was built with the help of a crane and some welding, in which the sleds were fixed upon. Once the temporary installation comes down, Hello Wood will donate the sleds to the children at SOS Children’s Villages, keeping things reusable and charitable as the holidays should be.

Here’s a video of the installation process:

Photos: Daniel Dömölky

via architect

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The Snails are Coming! The Snails are Coming!

ReGeneration PRoject, The Cracking Art Group, Giant Red Snails, Sculpture at the Rumsey Playfield in Central Park, Columbus Circle, and Eataly. Galleria Ca dOro andbVilla Firenze Foundation as presenting "Eight Giant Red Snails" as part of the REgeneration Art Project. Red snails will inhabit Central Park from November 9 through December 3, 2013, before moving to Columbus Circle from December 5 to January 6, 2014. ReGeneration PRoject, The Cracking Art Group, Giant Red Snails, Sculpture at the Rumsey Playfield in Central Park, Columbus Circle, and Eataly. Galleria Ca dOro andbVilla Firenze Foundation as presenting "Eight Giant Red Snails" as part of the REgeneration Art Project. Red snails will inhabit Central Park from November 9 through December 3, 2013, before moving to Columbus Circle from December 5 to January 6, 2014. ReGeneration PRoject, The Cracking Art Group, Giant Red Snails, Sculpture at the Rumsey Playfield in Central Park, Columbus Circle, and Eataly. Galleria Ca dOro andbVilla Firenze Foundation as presenting "Eight Giant Red Snails" as part of the REgeneration Art Project. Red snails will inhabit Central Park from November 9 through December 3, 2013, before moving to Columbus Circle from December 5 to January 6, 2014. Click to enlarge

Well, actually, they’re already here. These eight foot snails are part of the REgeneration Art Project and are made of recyclable plastic obtained from landfills. The snails are a creation of the Cracking Art Group (previously here) consisting of six international artists whose intention is to change art history through both a strong social and environmental commitment, and a revolutionary and innovative use of different recyclable plastic materials. The snails were “living” at Rumsey Field in Central Park up until last week before moving (okay, they were more moved/transported than moving themselves) to Columbus Circle last week. You’re gonna have to trust me, they’re there. That’s where I spotted them earlier today, but no time for photo-taking. Apparently there’s at least one at Eataly on 23rd Street as well. These snails seem to keep with the scavenger hunt street art theme that has descended upon our city since the fall, first with Banksy, then Invader, and now, in a smaller, yet at the same time larger, scale, the invasion of the red snails.

The snails will be up at Columbus Circle through January 6th, 2014, so if you happen to be in the neighborhood, do keep an eye out for them.

Photos: Timothy Clary/AFP; Captain Kidder; Silverscreen Productions; gigi_nyc;
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George Ferrandi: It Felt Like I Knew You…

George Ferrandi, It Felt Like I Knew You..., performance art, photography, street art intervention, Subway performance artGeorge Ferrandi, It Felt Like I Knew You..., performance art, photography, street art intervention, Subway performance artGeorge Ferrandi, It Felt Like I Knew You..., performance art, photography, street art intervention, Subway performance artClick to enlarge

For some, regularly dozing in moving vehicles and inadvertently leaning against random strangers while doing so, is a common occurrence (ahem…Em), but in the case of Brooklyn-based artist George Ferrandi, it’s completely intentional. For her ongoing project It Felt Like I Knew You… Ferrandi rides the subway (her choice for these interventions because of its packed quality and the loneliness one can feel despite the physical intimacy) during rush hour and tests the limits of this shared confined area by reshaping the space between her body and a stranger’s sitting next to her.

I focus on the shape of the space between the person sitting next to me and myself. I attempt to mentally and emotionally re-sculpt that space. In my mind, I reshape it- from the stiff and guarded space between strangers to the soft and yielding space between friends. I direct all my energy to this space between us. When the space palpably changes, and I completely feel like the stranger sitting next to me is my friend, I rest my head on that person’s shoulder…

Ferrandi started the continuing project in 2012. The endearingly humorous results are documented by co-conspirator Angela Gilland on her phone. So, the next time you feel a woman’s head rest on your shoulder in the subway, it’s likely to be George Ferrandi…or, Em.

It Felt Like I Knew You can be seen at the Abrons Arts Center as part of the exhibit GUTS through the end of December.

via abrons arts center

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12 Shoes for 12 Lovers: Errazuiz

12 Shoes for 12 Lovers by Sebastian Errazuriz, fun shoe designs for Basel Miami 2013, cool shoes, splash shoes, crybaby12 Shoes for 12 Lovers by Sebastian Errazuriz, fun shoe designs for Basel Miami 2013, cool shoes, jetsetter12 Shoes for 12 Lovers by Sebastian Errazuriz, fun shoe designs for Basel Miami 2013, cool shoesClick to enlarge

NYC-based Chilean designer Sebastian Errazuriz (previously here and here) enjoys playing with the offbeat and wacky in his designs while pushing boundaries. His latest project, currently on exhibit at Miami Basel, is titled 12 Shoes for 12 Lovers. Consisting of twelve shoe sculptures, each representing the memory of twelve previous relationships, the project is an attempt to go through the reminiscence of former lovers who are the inspiration for each Shoe Sculpture. The shoes are accompanied by photos and stories in which Errazuriz reveals a glimpse of each relationship and in the process exposes himself to scrutiny and judgment.  Some sculpture titles include: Cry Baby, Jetsetter, Gold Digger, The Virgin, GI Jane, and the Rock. You can see the rest of the set over here.

via core77

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Zvi Hecker: Ramot Housing

Ramot Housing, Jerusalem, Zvi Hecker, 1970s archictecture, dodecahedronsRamot Housing, Jerusalem, Zvi Hecker, 1970s archictecture, dodecahedronsRamot Housing, Jerusalem, Zvi Hecker, 1970s archictecture, dodecahedronsClick to enlarge

This is one crazy-looking housing complex, and yet the logic behind the hivelike building is, well, just that: logical. Completed in the 1970s, Ramot Polin housing project in Jerusalem was designed by Zvi Hecker. The Polish-born Israeli architect spent much of his career exploring cubes and dodecahedrons in his work. Hecker used the unique structure’s form to adapt to—as well as fit in with—the surrounding irregular terrain. By using the dodecahedrons and pentagon-shaped walls, he was able to enclose a large volume with less surface area; there’s a compactness to these units that makes them pack tightly and nicely together. Apparently, at this point (almost 40 years later) all of the 700+ original structures have been transformed to some degree, without a single one left in its originally designed state. Understandable, yet it would have been interesting to see.

Top photo from domus. All others by the architect.

via dwell

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Coloso: DOMA Collective

Coloso, giant robot-shaped electrical tower in Buenos Aires by Doma Collective for TecnopolisColoso, giant robot-shaped electrical tower in Buenos Aires by Doma Collective for TecnopolisColoso, giant robot-shaped electrical tower in Buenos Aires by Doma Collective for TecnopolisClick to enlarge

I’ve seen electrical towers disguised as unconvincing trees, but a colossal robot might be the more fun way to go. That’s just what Buenos Aires art collective Doma did for the Tecnopolis, a science and technology art fair in Villa Martelli, Argentina. The converted power tower was aptly named Coloso and its glowing neon hands, heart, and animated face add to the fun of the almost 148 ft tall artistic intervention. The luminous robot puts on quite a show at night highlighting its winking eyes and growing heart. Watch it in action below:

via graffitimundo

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Mana Morimoto: Fiber Art

Threaded prints by Mana Morimoto, Fiber Art, Thread through black and white photographs, collage-like, contemporary artThreaded prints by Mana Morimoto, Fiber Art, Thread through black and white photographs, collage-like, contemporary artThreaded prints by Mana Morimoto, Fiber Art, Thread through black and white photographs, collage-like, contemporary artClick to enlarge

Tokyo-based textile artists Mana Morimoto hand-stitches black and white photographs with colorful thread to create a unique, somewhat surreal effect. Her love of geometric shapes, embroidery, and weaving all come together in a self-described “creepy and funny” contemporary style. Morimoto enjoys the idea of combining digital and analog in her work. She converts all her images to black and white, prints them out, pokes holes through the image with a needle and proceeds to add the colorful threads, often emanating from the subjects’ eyes. There are many more pieces on her MNMRMT tumblr.

via étapes

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Mégaphone: Moment Factory

interactive led type facade, Montreal, Megaphone by Moment Factory, typographyinteractive led type facade, Montreal, Megaphone by Moment Factory, typographyinteractive led type facade, Montreal, Megaphone by Moment Factory, typographyClick to enlarge

This past fall, up until last month, Mégaphone, an interactive installation, occupied the Promenade des Artistes, in the heart of Quartier des Spectacles in Montreal with the intention of reappropriating public space. The installation, designed by Moment Factory, invited visitors to gather and explore the fun side to public speaking. Using a megaphone participants could speak out, their words transformed in real time into images projected onto the façade of the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM), leaving their visual “footprint” on the urban landscape. Inspired by the city’s early 20th-century history of popular assemblies as well as the 19th-century British tradition of the Speaker’s Corner, the installation gives everyone a chance to speak out and air their concerns. Visual effects of waves, scribbles, and distortions were generated by voice recognition software designed by the Computer Research Institute of Montreal. Certainly a crowd pleaser for all ages as seen in the video below:

via eg

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Gingerbread & Candy Art Museums

Gingerbread and Candy Art Museums, Louvre, Henry Hargreaves and Caitlin LevinGingerbread and Candy Art Museums, Guggenheim, Henry Hargreaves and Caitlin LevinGingerbread and Candy Art Museums, Guggenheim, Henry Hargreaves and Caitlin LevinClick to enlarge

Sure, it’s that time of year when visions of sugar plums dance in your head, and gingerbread houses abound. But New Zealand-born artist/photographer Henry Hargreaves based in Brooklyn and stylist/chef Caitlin Levin took their holiday creations to new heights. The two have collaborated on several projects in the past (Deep Fried Gadgets being a largely recognizable one,) but their latest collaboration took the form of Gingerbread and Candy Art Museums & Galleries for ArtBasel/Miami. These amazing models of the iconic institutions were made using gingerbread, hard candy, chocolate, licorice, and many other tasty sweets. Hargreaves and Levin made tabletop-size replicas of the Louvre, Guggenheim, Maxxi, Tate Modern, Karuizawa Gallery, MAS, and Soumaya and then cleverly lit and photographed each one.

You can see more of the process here.

via grit and neatorama

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Moving Icon: Kalhöfer-Korschildgen

Moving Icon Pop-Up Pavilion in Westphalia, Germany by Kalhöfer-Korschildgen. Pavilion communicates HistoryMoving Icon Pop-Up Pavilion in Westphalia, Germany by Kalhöfer-Korschildgen. Pavilion communicates HistoryMoving Icon Pop-Up Pavilion in Westphalia, Germany by Kalhöfer-Korschildgen. Pavilion communicates HistoryClick to enlarge

Moving Icon is a mobile pop-up pavilion designed by Cologne-based Kalhöfer-Korschildgen that travels around the Westphalian region of Germany providing its visitors with information on local architectural history. The compact house-like mini-museum attaches to the back of a car and, with the click of a remote control, literally ‘pops’ open transforming into a lovely illuminated pavilion. The exhibit includes both analogue and digital displays and incorporates typography into its structure and signage in a clever and designy manner. The display is interactive and can be customized for any location.

Photos by Jörg Hempel
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Benjamin Løzninger: C/Loud Project

Cloud Project by Benjamin Løzninger, street art, head in the clouds, photography, France, BrooklynCloud Project by Benjamin Løzninger, street art, head in the clouds, photography, France, BrooklynCloud Project by Benjamin Løzninger, street art, head in the clouds, photography, France, BrooklynClick to enlarge

French-born, and now Brooklyn-based, artist/designer/musician Benjamin Løzninger likes to merge digital storytelling with experimental branding. This past summer Løzninger’s C/Loud Project took to the streets of Paris and Brooklyn. With the idea of seeking refuge from some of life’s daily worries or the “dull bluntness of ocular reiteration,” the artist covered the sides of buildings, garage doors, billboards and more, with large digital prints of cloud-filled blue skies, subliminally suggesting a head-in-the-clouds effect. The hope is to provoke a smile, breath, or at a minimum a moment’s pause in the viewer’s day.

via musée