June 13, 2013 by collabcubed - 1 Comment

Recycled Paper Theater: Studio Andrew Todd

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Imagine a theater made almost exclusively made of recycled paper and other recycled materials. That’s what Paris-based architecture and scenography practice Studio Andrew Todd did. Their design has been selected for exhibition at the 2013 World Stage Design event in Cardiff, opening in early September. The exterior scaffolding structure is used to erect and brace a massive wall of paper bales. The center oculus gets pulled up via cables and bamboo purlins are fixed at the top. A double layer of recycled circus tent roofing is then placed on top of the bamboo and the interior is finished with bamboo and cardboard with natural light streaming through the roof’s center. Should be very cool, not to mention sustainable.

All images ©Studio Andrew Todd.

June 12, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Sylvie Fleury: Scratch

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Last month at the Frieze Art Fair, I came across Swiss artist Sylvie Fleury’s piece Scratch, a small sculpture made with rollers and hairpins (or curlers and bobby pins) and the simplicity, as well as the fun choice of objects, made me smile. Fleury, based in Geneva, typically uses fashion and luxury products in her work. Her art, at first glance, may seem like an affirmation of our consumerist society but, if you look closer, it’s quite the opposite. Her series of Scratch sculptures is no exception, playfully using objects, in this case hair rollers, that focus on superficial beauty.

Photos courtesy of the artist and Frieze.

June 12, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Sonos Playground Deconstructed

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Sonos Playground Deconstructed, an immersive and interactive installation by Red Paper Heart (previously here) — currently at the Museum of Moving Image here in NYC in conjunction with Spectacle: The Music Video exhibition — brings minimalist art to life using five detached walls suspended above a reflective floor. Each of the walls has been painted with 27 1-inch wide white lines and 26 2-inch wide black lines. By mapping the white lines set between black lines the studio was able to create a more immersive and surreal environment. Visitors are able to select any song from an iPad and watch a visualization of the music projected onto the surrounding walls. Through motion-capture technology, they can interact with and manipulate the animation through movement.

Take a look at it in motion in the video below:

Sonos Playground Deconstructed (deconstructed because it was originally installed in a 250 sq. ft shed at the Sonos Studio at the 2013 SXSW festival) is on view at the Museum of Moving Image until June 16, 2013.

Photos courtesy of Red Paper Heart and MoMI

June 11, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Ctrl-Alt-Del: Yossi Wallner

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What if the keyboards that we use incessantly all day would work in reality? If you could escape something by a push of a button? Delete anything by a flick of a finger? Or format your surroundings to your liking? These are the questions that Israeli designer Yossi Wallner is posing with his recent street art project around Tel Aviv. He has placed these function keys in random locations surely piquing the curiosity of those who come across them. I’ve never seen a ‘Sleep’ or ‘Wake’ key (must be a pc thing) but those make for interesting messages too. You can see more images of the project on his flickr page.

June 11, 2013 by collabcubed - 3 Comments

Chema Madoz: Virtual Reality

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Photographer Chema Madoz finds the surreal in the everyday. Not suprisingly Madoz is from Spain, where surrealism seems to run thick in the veins with predecessors like Dali and Buñuel setting a similar tone and sensibility years back. Madoz’s photographs make you do double-takes, with seemingly unrelated objects he fuses together in the most surprising ways that somehow make sense and often make you smile. All in black and white, with each one more clever than the next.

You can see many more of his photographs on his website.

via lost at e minor

June 10, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Iconoclashes: Berglin & Valla

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I went to galleries on the Lower East Side this weekend here in NYC, and had it not been for my friend Eric, I would have definitely walked on by the Mulherin + Pollard gallery having glanced through the window quickly and seen a room full of oversized photographs of classic sculpture. Once inside, there was something a little off about these photos. Fortunately, one of the gallery owners came over explained the process behind the images, which I ended up really liking. Iconoclashes, as this series of works is called, was created by artists Erik Berglin and Clement Valla at Art Hack day (an event that had intrigued me at the time) a few months back. Berglin and Valla used images from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s public web archive that were tagged with the keywords ‘God’ or ‘Religion’. Using an algorithm in Photoshop, the works were randomly grouped and digitally merged, resulting in surprisingly odd, and in some cases surreal, statues. Because the Met shoots all of its art with the same background and lighting, the melding of the objects is more believable. The clashing of these objects from various time periods and cultures make for some very interesting and unlikely artworks. Even the white space on the right of the images is a result of a clash between vertical and horizontal images, confusing photoshop into leaving an irregular edge.

I found the whole concept fun, as well as technically curious, and, at least that top image, makes a nice sculpture in its crazy combination.

Iconoclashes showed at Mulherin + Pollard through June 9th, but you can see many more of these visual mash-ups here and here.

June 7, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

NYC Culture on the Cheap

If you’re here looking for our regular NYC Culture on the Cheap post, we have exciting news for you. Starting today, Culture on the Cheap will be its own separate site offering links to free and cheap things to do in NYC in art, music, design, film, theater, dance, food, architecture, talks, tours, and general fun. It won’t focus specifically on weekends anymore, though most activities may still be weekend-centric. So go take a look! You can sort by Event Date, Price, Genre, or even a specific date on the calendar.

If you like what you see, please share it with you friends and lovers! Sisters and brothers! Like our page on facebook or follow us on twitter.

It’s just up today, so please bear with us if any glitches should arise.

June 6, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Liu Bolin: Hiding in New York

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In preparation for his 5th solo exhibit at New York’s Eli Klein Gallery titled Mask, Liu Bolin (previously here and here) had a live performance where visitors could witness the creation of a new photograph in his Hiding in New York series. Emma and Daniela went over to check it out with some friends and took a few photos of the process. The performance started with Bolin wearing a pre-painted suit with matching images of the rifles and peg holes on the wall behind him. With assistants all around him busy at work for the whole two-hour period, Bolin’s suit was touched up and perfectly positioned to blend in with his backdrop before they moved on to his vaseline-covered (or so it appeared) face where they painted each detail for the final disappearance.

The show Mask opens today at the Eli Klein Gallery in Soho and runs through July 21, 2013. We assume the in-progress rifle photo will be included in the show along with many more of his Hiding in the City series and the JR collaboration that took place last year.

Photos of Liu Bolin by Ana Slade. All other photos courtesy of the artist and Eli Klein Fine Art.

June 5, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Paulius Nosokas: SPAMspace

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Currently Berlin-based, Lithuanian-born artist Paulius Nosokas has a touching and inspiring childhood story, braving it independently from an early age and coming to the US at the age of 18 where he worked in, and learned on the job, graphic design and screen design. He combines these skills in his art being a firm believer that behind every good work of fine art is good design.

In his series of works titled SPAMspace, Nosokas collected 3-year’s worth of actual spam subject heads that appeared in his 5 email inboxes. He took a small fraction of them and designed them into stripes of color, dividing them into 7 sets — one for each day of the week — placing each line on its side, taking on a graph-like appearance. Together, they tell a story of the power of the written word to seduce, and become a clear representation of the internet and its invasion of privacy. Nosokas chose sexual spam, but could have just as easily chosen non-sexual lines. SPAMspace is designed to fit in the space at hand, traveling up and across walls. I’d like to see this as a wallpaper selection. Maybe in the pastel tones of pink and blue. Maybe even in a baby’s room! Just kidding…

You might want to check out the rest of Paulius Nosokas’s work that ranges from light drawing to beautifully animated geometric shapes.

All photos courtesy of the artist.

June 5, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Penn Station: Diller Scofidio + Renfro

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Since visiting the ICA in Boston; the redesign of Lincoln Center in NYC; and all parts of the High Line both past and future, it’s hard for me not to be excited about any project that Diller Scofidio + Renfro are involved with. So, it’s no surprise that when four architecture firms – Diller Scofidio & Renfro, SHoP Architects, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture — were asked by the Municipal Arts Society to reimagine an ideal Penn Station and Madison Square Garden, though appreciating all four proposals, the one that really won me over was theirs.

The design envisions the new Penn Station as a city within a city, a porous and light-filled civic structure filled with things to do. Apart from being downright spectacular in that multi-layered way that incorporates dramatic angles and lots of glass, the design transforms waiting into a fun event with spas, restaurants and other venues, making it more of a destination than simply a gateway to New York. In this plan, MSG will be located to the west end of the Farley building on Ninth Avenue, with access to Eighth Avenue.

Really, all four proposals are quite interesting and beautiful and definitely worth a look here, but Diller Scofidio & Renfro have my vote.

Images courtesy Diller Scofidio + Renfro

via NYTimes

June 4, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Outside-in: Lobaton Corona + Heckmann

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From secret garden to forest. That’s what architects Meir Lobaton Corona and Ulli Heckman have done with their installation Outside-in at the 22nd International Garden Festival in Chaumont Sur Loire, France. A white box that seems to float in mid air with circular peep holes on each of its 5 x 8 cubic meter volume, sits in the center of a garden. Upon looking in, visitors are greeted by an inaccessible garden which, with the use of mirrors, looks more like an unending forest. The architects refer to the installation as “a meditation about space, light and the possibility of infinity.” What you see, is not what you always get.

Photos Fabio Ferrario

via domus

June 3, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Even in Fear: Zhou Xiaohu

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As part of their current exhibit Smash Palace—a group show surveying the reactions of some of China’s best contemporary artists to the shock of the new century—White Rabbit Gallery in Sydney, Australia, included Zhou Xiaohu’s ominous Even in Fear. Consisting of a weather balloon that swells like the pressure of modern life, then collapses only to swell again, slowly increasing in size over weeks until it is wedged between floor and ceiling until the point of bursting, creating a building sense of anxiety that goes hand-in-hand with a possible thrill. According to the gallery, the balloon did finally burst yesterday, much to the relief of some of the gallery attendants.

This is not the first time Xiaohu’s Even in Fear has been exhibited—I believe the first time was in Shanghai in 2008—but definitely the latest. If you’re in Sydney and were apprehensive about visiting the show due to the imminent explosion, it’s safe to go back in. Smash Palace, runs through August 4th.

Photos courtesy of White Rabbit Gallery; Blouin ArtInfo; and SpaceStation.

June 3, 2013 by collabcubed - 2 Comments

Miranda July: We Think Alone

I’m not a twitter person. I usually dash in and out to tweet about the latest post on this blog and while there I’ll peruse the 20 or so latest tweets streaming in that minute. I find it a little overwhelming. But every once in a while I hit something in that very moment that I’m happy to have found out about and Miranda July’s latest project, We Think Alone, is a prime example. The quirky, funny, incredibly appealing writer/performance artist/filmmaker/actress has created the email-inbox-only project as part of a Swedish exhibit titled “On the Tip of My Tongue”. A collection of private emails from celebrities and public figures (some friends of July) that include Lena Dunham, Kirsten Dunst, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will be sent out every Monday between July 1st and November 1st to anyone who signs up to receive them. The previously written emails from the sent folders of these people will deal with the subject-of-the-week selected by the artist. July’s first subject is “Money” and those emails will arrive on July 1st. It sounds a bit conceptual, definitely odd and, of course, voyeuristic but, based on Miranda July’s past projects, I have faith that it will be interesting and subscribed last Friday.

If you’d like to read more about the project and/or sign up to receive the emails yourself, you can do that here. If you’re not familiar with Miranda July’s work, you might enjoy this website, or just look through the many projects on her main site.

via @Miranda_July

May 31, 2013 by collabcubed - 1 Comment

NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 5/31

Cheap things to do this weekend in NYC (5/31/13 to 6/2/13)
Free & Cheap things to do this weekend in NYC (5/31/13 to 6/2/13). It’s going to be hot hot hot this weekend, but there are plenty of outdoor or indoor (if you prefer) activities in art, music, food, architecture, theater, film, design, comedy and general fun. Check out some of our picks for this weekend in NYC…

1. MUSIC/TALK: Fri 5/31 – Meet the Musicians: The Lonely Island, “The Wack Album” 7:00 p.m. FREE

2. THEATER: Fri 5/31 & Sat 6/1 – The Hotel Colors Six travelers spend one night in a rundown hostel in the outskirts of Rome. Speaking in direct translation from Italian into English the eccentric voyagers form a temporary community and unexpected friendships as they fail–and flail–in their attempts to communicate. 8pm $18.

3. MUSIC: Fri 5/31 – The Dandy Warhols: Featuring 13 Tales From Urban Bohemia In Its Entirety! $30 8pm

4. TOUR/BEACH/FUN: Sat 6/1 – Rockspot Bike Tour: Interactive tour that explores sites of environmental and historical significance along the Rockaway Peninsula. 11am to 2pm. FREE with registration

5. ART/MUSIC/DANCE/THEATER: All weekend – Howl! Festival – Presenting poetry, music, dance, theater, fine art, and intersections of popular culture, new technologies and artistic expression that defy easy categorization. Fri 4:30pm to 7pm. Sat & Sun 11am to 7pm. FREE

6. ART: All weekend: – Bushwick Open Studios – 3 days of arts and culture festival that celebrates the community’s vibrant art scene. 615 shows/studios! FREE

7. ARCHITECTURE/GARDENS: Sat 6/1 – Garden Day at the Cloisters. 10am to 4pm. Pay what you wish, suggested $25.

8. FUN: Sat 6/1 – Nametag Day! Imagine everyone in New York City wearing a nametag. On June 1st, we’ll be giving them out at sites all over the city. FREE

9. THEATER/MUSIC: Sat 6/1 – Times Square the musical at Joe’s Pub by Jill Sobule and Robin Eaton 9:30pm $20

10. ART/MUSIC/FOOD: Sat 6/1 & Sun 6/2 – EAT LABA Arts Festival: an exploration of the power of food in ancient Jewish texts. Art, music, performances, teachings and tastings. Sat 8:30pm Sun 3pm at 14th St Y. $25 to $35.

11. ART/TECH: Sat 6/1 & Sun 6/2 through 7/31 – New York Electronic Art Festival. A summer series of concerts, workshops, and exhibits centered on the cutting-edge work at the intersection of art and technology. FREE

12. DESIGN: All weekend & through 8/16 – Toy Chest: a design exhibit of furniture and objects inspired by toys. A Lincoln Logs chair, a Banana Split Bench… Jellio Design Lab. Noon to 5pm. FREE

13. MUSIC: All weekend – NYC POP Fest: Music festival various bands and venues. $10 to $20

14. COMEDY/MUSIC: All weekend – NYC Funny Songs Fest. Professional entertainers whose acts consist of jokes, songs and/or satirical sketches intended to make an audience laugh, which also incorporate the use of a musical instrument. FREE to $12. See schedule.

15. FOOD/FASHION: Sun 6/2 – DayLife – 3-block special event that covers Orchard Street in astroturf and pushcarts, and includes the best in LES food and fashion vendors. FREE

16. ART/MUSIC: All weekend & through 6/16: 88 Sing for Hope Pianos as public art pieces all over town. Play one or listen to others play. Sat & Sun only you can request a tune via twitter to Stanley the player piano at Chobani in Soho.

17. FILM: Fri 5/31 & Sat 6/1 – Rooftop Films. “Trapped” (Short Films) on Fri and “The Dirties” on Sat. 8pm. $13.

18. DESIGN/TECH/CLASS: Sun 6/2 – Make Your Own MakerBot 3D object. They’ll have a selection of Dad-themed objects for you to make on a MakerBot® Replicator 2® Desktop 3D Printers, all made with MakerBot PLA Filament. Participation is $10, pre-paid upon registration.

MORE…
ART/PERFORMANCE: Sun 6/2 – Attend a live performance by Liu Bolin and witness the creation of a new photograph in his Hiding in New York series. 4pm to 6pm at Eli Klein Gallery, 462 West Broadway. FREE.

May 30, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

SpY: Humorous Street Art Interventions

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Spanish street artist SpY from Madrid creates interventions with a humorous surprise twist many of which include a cutting social and/or political edge. In his series For Security Reasons, SpY installed security cameras in the most unlikely places: pointing at a pile of bricks or garbage or even straight up at the sky. Other, less subversive, interventions include replacing the handset on a payphone with a banana, adding a multitude of diagonal lines to a tennis court, and painting a skate ramp to look like a soccer field. I would imagine he enjoys himself as much as anyone that comes across his work.

via katowice street art fest

May 30, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Zimoun: Sound Installation in a Toluene Tank

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This must be pretty incredible to see in person. And noisy. And possibly smelly if they haven’t gotten all the paint thinner smell out of the tank. Swiss artist Zimoun has been creating “architecturally-minded platforms of sound” for several years. I saw one of his cardboard box installations over a year ago at the Bring to Light Festival here in NYC. His latest work is a permanent installation utilizing 329 prepared dc-motors, wires, cotton balls, lights and a circular bench all inside of a former toluene tank in Dottikon, Switzerland. The contrast between the loud sounds of the interior and the quiet of the snowy exterior are emphasized in the video below. There’s a chaotic order to the installation. It’s exciting to see this next dimension to Zimoun’s work and the interesting repurposing of an abandoned tank. (Here’s another repurposed tank in Spain.)

You can see many more of Zimoun’s installations on his website and this one in action in the video below:

via colossal

May 29, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Lichtenstein/Barneys Collaboration

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Attention Roy Lichtenstein fans! The Pop Artist’s estate has collaborated with Barneys New York and the Art Production Fund creating a limited edition collection of home goods with some of the artist’s iconic images from the 60s and 70s. From beach balls to trays and tableware, paper cups and bags, it’s sure to please even the Lichtenstein-ignorant. What caught my eye, however, were the store’s windows when passing by a few nights ago. Oversized reproductions of the items hang colorfully behind the glass, as if Lichtenstein’s painting have come to life. Watch the video below if you’d like to see the installation process; an art in itself.

Definitely on the pricey side, but 25% of all the sales of the collection benefit the Art Production Fund which supports public art projects, so there’s that.

Photos courtesy of The Art Production Fund.

May 29, 2013 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Clemens Behr: Sculptural Street Art

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German street artist Clemens Behr “scours cities and sites for spots to build installations” much in the way other street artists look for walls to spray on. Behr’s origami-like structures are made with simple recycled materials, converted into geometric forms. Though some of his work is in the form of murals, most of Behr’s interventions are 3D sculptural objects, in many cases mural-like, emanating from walls or corners. It’s always fun to see artists push a genre in a different direction.

You can see more of Clemens Behr’s installations on his site and his blog.

via idn