Slow → articles in Creative Culture

The Vulkan Beehive

We love this project by prestigious Oslo-based multidisciplinary studio Snøhetta named The Vulkan Beehive. Set atop the roof of the Mathallen food hall in central Oslo, the honey-colored wooden cabins became home to 160.000 bees this past July, which shows that the little ingenious insects continue to inspire in the creation of great projects. The shape and natural geometry of the honeycomb were key-elements in this project, as the highly inspirational studio created these sculpturesque urban hives in real bee style with a multi-faceted form and hexagonal-patterned façade. Constructed entirely out of a light-colored wood finished with an intentionally honey-reminiscent hue, the hives were designed with an appearance that reflects their purpose of bringing back bees to the city environment of Oslo in an utmost elegant manner. [ Continue reading ]

Koya No Sumika by mA-style architects

The Makinohara, Japan-based architecture firm mA-style finished the design of this extension for a young couple's house next to the main family home in Yaizu last year, but we still find this one of the more elegant designs we have seen in a long time. The house that was extended is an one-storey Japanese-style house with an area of approximately 200 m², a very common house seen in rural areas. The house is large and has many spacious rooms where the whole family can gather and socialize, but the young couple wanted a new quiet space that would ensure them a private area. A simple extension would enable them to seclude, but the connection with the main house might get lost which they wanted to prevent. Therefore, by utilizing the functions for living in the main house, the extension is designed as a minimum living space pursuing distance without losing contact, very in line with the complexity of delicate Japanese social interaction and inherent serenity. Above all it's a space of stunning beauty one sees rarely. [ Continue reading ]

Ashkan Honarvar

Since his graduation in 2007 artist Ashkan Honarvar has been making a name for himself with his utmost fascinating collages in which he focuses on the dark side of humanity. Themes like colonialism, war, mass destruction, megalomania and other grotesque behavior are all observable in his progressively growing body of work. We particularly love his series of this year; 'Conquest 5' and 'Identity Lost' which was released in 2013. The series examine different visual languages, out of which the new images are created, but the results are equally haunting and show beauty in the most macabre images, exemplifying the enormous talent of Honarvar. [ Continue reading ]

Apparatus’ Horsehair Lamps

Founded by Gabriel Hendifar and Jeremy Anderson in 2012, the New York-based design studio Apparatus has a specialty in creating elegantly robust lighting fixtures. At the time of the foundation Hendifar, a former fashion designer, and Anderson, who worked in PR, had just moved in together in Los Angeles and were unsatisfied with what was available on the market. After relocating the company to New York, Apparatus took off. Design-wise the created aesthetic by Apparatus is the product of playful experimentation with vintage components as well as taking inspiration from the time honored method of American industrial design, aiming to mary both form and function. We particularly love the Pendant and Sconce lamps out of their horsehair series. In the beautiful designs which were presented at last International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in May wefts of horsehair are combined with brass and etched glass to create these amazing and extraordinary lamps. [ Continue reading ]

Haydenshapes x Alexander Wang

We love this amazing collaboration between Alexander Wang and Australian Haydenshapes to outfit the latest Soho flagship store's Cage installation. The project features five marble print surfboards, exclusively created by the leading Australian surfboard brand Haydenshapes for this installation. The insanely beautiful marble boards, being also a typical element within Wang’s aesthetic, are suspended from the cage wall, while a monolithic, large black wave sculpted from black sand looms occupies the other area of the space. We just can't keep our eyes of the tremendous boards and their graphic patterns, photographs of unique marble slabs developed by Haydenshapes founder Hayden Cox and Wang himself, which were digitally printed onto silk, then onto the award winning 'Hypto Krypto' boards; to create one of a kind visual art pieces of exquisite beauty. [ Continue reading ]

Water — Colour

The 'Water – Colour' project by artist Katherine May was an impressive and beautiful textile installation that aimed to raise awareness of water consumption in the production and use of textiles. A sensory environment was designed around the dye process to reconnect the spectator physically to water through a direct experience of handling water in a dye vat. Every year the textile industry uses in excess of 370 billion litres of water. Fibre crops like cotton require significant artificial irrigation after which the water isn't fit for consumption or agricultural use anymore. Furthermore, the coloring of textile diverts water into mills, expelling toxic waste into local water supplies. These are the macro issues of a global industry, however the micro habits of laundering textiles is now known to use more water than growing fibre, processing yarn, and all other phases of a textile’s life-cycle, which was beautifully condensed by May into this aesthetic project making one actively reflect on society's harmful habits. [ Continue reading ]

Maruwakaya by Fumihiko Sano

We really like this project by the Tokyo-based architect Fumihiko Sano, located in the Taito-Kut district of the Japanese capital, which was named En yu-An. The eye pleasing light space functions as the salon and showroom for Maruwakaya, a company which produces monozukuri, meaning craftsmanship or art of design and manufacturing, that links traditional crafts to Contemporary art. The central piece in the space is an eye-catching long narrow counter made from tremendous Japanese cedar, which is augmented through the appliance of lintels, sills, and pillars. The diverse arrangement of the lintels and the pillars in the room aims to make visitors unconsciously sense the variation of the space. Yet the structure does not affect the existing surfaces of the space, it is simply placed inside the room, without being fixated to the walls, floor and ceiling, giving the space a very unique and organic aesthetic and feel. [ Continue reading ]

Cold by Parra

We really like the most recent collaboration by the ever-inspiring publisher and producer of artworks CASE STUDYO, this time with regular collaborator Dutch artist Parra. With the sculpture named ‘Cold’, the Amsterdam-based artist once again translates his unique signature curved post-pop imagery into a beautiful porcelain sculpture. A surreal and hybrid character of a female birdlike creature with hands around the legs looking for warmth. The eye-catching sculpture comes in a screen printed wood box with a signed and numbered certificate of authenticity by the artist, making it another signature high quality addition to the already great catalogue of CASE STUDYO. [ Continue reading ]

Nucleo Retrospective: Manifesto

From March 26th to May 6th 2014 the first retrospective on the art and design collective led by Piergiorgio Robino, Nucleo, named 'Manifesto' took place in Parisian Hôtel de Galliffet. The exhibition was conceived and realised by the Nilufar Gallery of Milan, and curated by Elena Giulia Abbiatici and Melania Rossi. It was set up under the 'Promises of Art' program, which aims to promote young talents from the ultra-contemporary Italian art scene. Manifesto tells the story of the highly creative collective and its assertions. A thought which translates into action, a meeting at the peak of artisanal and artistic research. Nucleo's work is simultaneously material and conceptual: molded by many hands, it has the ambition to combine three forms of knowledge: theory, practice and production (theoria, pràxis e poiesis). [ Continue reading ]

Archives by Studio Job for NLXL

This inspiring collaboration between Dutch quality wallpaper producer NLXL and designers Studio Job was unveiled last April, during Salone del Mobile. In the collaboration existing patterns from Studio Job's library of icons and images were adapted and extended to compositions of nine meters. Unique and without repeat, the collection reflects a retrospect of the history of Studio Job, which on a material basis was also the case in the design for Land Rover. Studio Job used archetypical drawings, combined as iconographic elements for patterns and compositions, ultimately creating 7 designs: Industry, Labyrinth, Perished, Alt Deutsch, l’Afrique and Withered Flowers, the latter in black and white and in color. These patterns, icons and compositions were originally created amongst others for their own work and projects in design, art and fashion and now applied beautifully as wallpapers. [ Continue reading ]

Metrico

With a new generation of (indie) game developers rising, slowly more and more elegant games are being created. Metrico, which is exclusive to the PS Vita is another one of those games. It is being developed in our hometown Utrecht by Digital Dream and has some traditional platform game elements which are uniquely based around infographics. It’s an atmospheric puzzle action game that strives to create a unique mindset of its own. The idea was born a few years ago out of the observation how beautiful infographics can look as an art form, which was reinforced by the fact that infographics have become increasingly important in contemporary pop-culture. While they haven’t made their way to videogames yet, Digital Dreams feels there’s a place where they can work exceptionally well. This not just because of their beautiful aesthetic, but also its actively changing data and how that can be visualized. [ Continue reading ]

The Travel Almanac Editions

This week The Travel Almanac presented a great new project named TTA Editions. In each Edition a selected artist, designer or other creative entity is asked by The Travel Almanac to design a product in a specific category which has a more or less direct relation to travel, after which every product will be released in a very limited edition available in select fashion boutiques and through The Travel Almanac website. For the debut Edition, fashion designer Bernhard Willhelm has created a very unique and beautiful Imabari cotton beach towel, which were produced on the island of Shikoku in Japan, each containing 34 individually hand-stitched embroideries. The towel has just been released in an Edition of 20 pieces. [ Continue reading ]

TSATSAS x Ramon Haindl

We love this beautiful collaboration between German fine leather house TSATSAS and photographer Ramon Haindl, initiated by Aesthetics Habitat. The project is the latest endeavor from Aesthetics Habitat's motivation to stimulate independent creation of genuine content in cooperation with brands and creative visionaries. And this particular collaboration is even coming from a like-minded neighbourhood as both, photographer Ramon Haindl and fine leather craftsmen TSATSAS, live and work in Frankfurt am Main. Subtle structures and a high level of attention to the characteristics of surface invite you to observe the fundamental significance of skin without the disturbance of color. A sensitive ensemble of details and protagonists embracing a simply perfect product. Creative Direction on the project was done by our friends of Deutsche & Japaner, completing the line-up of creatives perfectly. [ Continue reading ]

Toshio Saeki

On the 8th of May the Toronto-based gallery Narwhal opened an extensive solo exhition of The Godfather of Japanese Eroticism, Toshio Saeki. His beautiful but at the same time sometimes repulsive artwork draws from the basement of a collective subconscious, depicting universal taboos through surreal narratives and dark humor. Filtering imagery from his photographic memory and childhood experiences through imagination and dreams, Saeki splits open a universally erotic world where iconic characters subject themselves to grotesque behaviors staged within traditional Japanese environments. [ Continue reading ]

L’Écurie Time

Stockholm and Paris-based Romain Lenancker  is one of those individuals who continues to inspire us with his work in art direction and set design. Since his paper sculptures back in 2009 when we discovered his work, his portfolio has expanded progressively with everything he produces looking extremely impressive. His commercial work blends aesthetically perfectly with personal projects, and his latest project is once again both conceptually and aesthetically very impressive. For Paris-based agency L'Écurie, the art director created this amazing identity of their new division which will dominantly produce work for the watch industry. Instead of finding a specific angle within that context, Romain switched positions and decided to portray the agency as a watch horologium (or brand) in his signature elegant manner, making absolutely clear to future clients what kind of state of the art work they can expect of the new L'Écurie branch. [ Continue reading ]

Meet Me Later by Andy Rementer

On the 1st of May graphic artist Andy Rementer returned to New York City-based gallery Mondo Cane, with his third solo show of new and previously un-shown paintings and drawings. The 'Meet Me Later' series transports the spectator to seemingly familiar street corners, domestic situations and subway platforms populated by characters caught in frozen moments of furtive activity. The work has a timeless quality which seems to draw from influences as diverse as Léger, The Italian Renaissance and even the narrative economy of Raymond Carver. Ambiguous narratives connect the work, while the spirit of Rementer’s work, with his familiar high key colors in the paintings, bold decorative patterns and the familiar but odd characters which interact in unexpected and often humorous ways with the surroundings in which Rementer has placed them.  [ Continue reading ]

Monument Valley

We aren't major game fans, but since the elegant Monument Valley was released for iPhone and iPad at the beginning of this month, we have really been appreciating it. The newest adventurous game from ustwo, who created Whale Trail and Blip Blup earlier, is a surreal exploration through fantastical architecture and impossible geometry. Guide the silent Princess Ida through mysterious monuments, uncovering hidden paths, taking advantage of optical illusions and outsmarting the enigmatic Crow People. Inspired by the art of M.C. Escher, Japanese prints and minimalist 3D design, each level is a unique, hand-crafted combination of puzzle, graphic design and architecture. Like listening to an album or walking through a museum for the first time, Monument Valley is about discovery, perception and meaningful beauty. [ Continue reading ]

Landed

We are still amazed by the latest work of New York-based Australian artist Ian Strange for the 2014 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art at the Art Gallery of South Australia, within the "Dark Heart" theme. The pitch-black site specific public installation is the structural recreation of the artist’s own 1920’s suburban-style home in Australia. Positioned on the forecourt of the gallery, the amazing ‘Landed’ has seemingly fallen from the sky breaking the surface of the ground it sits on, heavily juxtaposing the neo-classical composition of the museum. At the same time the iconoclastic work materializes the familiar post-modern theme of isolation, heavily experienced in suburban picket-fence-dominated landscapes, which for one is a theme one finds in the work of people like David Lynch to which this work seems to refer to, next to the inspiration Strange found in The Wizard of Oz. We love both execution and concept of this beautiful work by Strange and applaud the gallery for its boldness in accepting a project of this kind. [ Continue reading ]

Acido Dorado

In 2010 the Los Angeles-based architect Robert Stone finished his creation of something spectacular and totally unexpected on the fringes of the Joshua Tree National Park, boasting with every ingredient to amaze its spectator. Down a lonely stretch of dirt road Stone constructed this crazy amazing property, next to the sister project in all-black Rosa Muerta or 'dead rose', which both clearly show the architect's unique courage and vision and possibly even megalomania, as some have argued. With a very surreal aesthetic the project that was named Acido Dorado, which translates to 'golden acid', is a glamorous larger-than-life golden palace that shimmers like a mirage and transforms inside and out throughout the day, with the changing light exemplifying the intrinsic quality of every noble metal: to shine brightly. [ Continue reading ]

Hut on the Corridor

The latest work by Japanese architect Tsubasa Iwahashi is truly extraordinary. For the project named 'Hut on the Corridor' Iwahashi, who previously created the beautiful Folm Arts beauty salon in the Osaka prefecture, was asked to renovate the corridor of eleven office units on one floor of a building in Osaka's Nishi-ku district. This resulted in a garden-inspired project, in which the architect and his team created a common area where employees can take a time out from their work. The centerpiece of the concept is a wooden hut in the middle of the space, which can be used as a meeting area or a quiet relaxation zone. The hut has only three walls with people stepping inside by walking around to its rear, it has no windows, but a large skylight which ensures enough enlightenment in the area without opening up the space for by-passers. There is a small peephole in one corner of the hut, revealing the feet of anyone walking by, giving the people in the hut total peace and privacy without being totally cut off. [ Continue reading ]

byBorre x Piet Hein Eek

Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek, who became famous for his use or rather reuse of unorthodox materials in his designs, has collaborated with textile designer Borre Akkersdijk on a beautiful new project which will be presented at Salone del Mobile from today until the 13th of April. The project started at one point at Spazio Rosanna Orlandi, a former ties factory in Milan, in which Eek found large quantities of unused silk necktie fabrics. After reaching out to Akkersdijk, the designers created a new product out of the tie garments. After careful selection through color and designs, a new larger garment was created out of the smaller pieces. First these small pieces were sewn together, subsequently filled with padding and finally it was totally stitched together, creating beautiful quilts illustrated by the designs which originally were to be found on the ties. The quilts are presented the coming days at Rosanna Orlandi which is the regular location of exhibition during Salone, creating a full circle, bringing the garments back to the place this journey originally started. [ Continue reading ]

No Blue Skies

His latest exhibition closed days ago at the Brooklyn-based Kunsthalle Galapagos, but we still love the ninth and former solo-exhibition 'No Blue Skies' by New York City-based artist Eric LoPresti, which took place at the same gallery little over a year ago. The artist’s abstract landscapes are fascinating investigations into the 'apocalyptic sublime'. Whether rendering nuclear test sites, aerial views of the scarred desert of eastern Washington State where he grew up, or ominous undisclosed explosions across a region’s expanse, LoPresti’s environments are ones of man-made disruption. In the paintings, LoPresti continues his use of the color field gradient to represent another landscape in transition. With as the main eye-catcher a 15-foot canvas of an ominous dust cloud, 'No Blue Skies' presents the terrifying, exhilarating moment when the shock of circumstance blinds us to both past and future. [ Continue reading ]

Kolmio+LIM

Yet another amazing project by Yusuke Seki. This time situated in Japan's second largest city Osaka, the inspirational designer created a immaculate store for nail salon Kolmio+LIM. Completed in September 2013 as an expansion of the popular Less Is More (LIM) hair salon, Seki incorporates elements inspired by the services and name: 'kolmio' means triangle in Finnish. The first element in this approach is the color palette: based directly on the tones of human skin and nails. Other design features are inspired by the layering process of painting nails: an opening in the impressive wooden zigzag wall; a pattern used regularly on nails, lets natural light into the main space, while groups of three stools, three mirrors and three beauty chairs are all direct references to the salon’s name. The beautiful space evokes a sentiment of relaxation through its overall serene, minimal aesthetic which fits a salon perfectly. [ Continue reading ]

Nik Christensen

On the 8th of March Galerie Gabriel Rolt opened a new exhibition named 'Don't Sleep On Your Moon'. The exhibition is the fourth solo exhibition of Amsterdam-based artist Nik Christensen, who creates sumi ink works on paper. These rambling, often larger-than-life pieces contain haunting imagery that straddles the line between the natural and the artificial, the organic and the mechanized, by interspersing intuitive strokes with pixel-like building blocks. It’s a tightrope-balancing act, which Christensen has made even more explicit for the forthcoming exhibition, juxtaposing man and nature, society and isolation both in his methods and in his imagery. Frantic, kaleidoscopic, enigmatic, disruptive Christensen works leave the viewer dazzled and dazed, yet at pains to pinpoint what exactly makes these works so eerily unsettling. [ Continue reading ]