September 5, 2008 at 12:36 am · Filed under Design
Hard to topple as titans of design, the Italians and Dutch now have good reason to worry: this year, the Brits have pulled out all stops for some fantastic sights and events. Here are a few not to be missed:
The London Design Festival will soon take over dozens of locations throughout the city from September 13-23. This year’s events cover such topics as sustainable design, the influence of emerging materials and technologies, marketing and business tips for design professionals and, of course, plenty of fresh talent from the local scene. Come and (re)kindle your creative spark as you mingle amongst the UK’s own heavyweights.
The East End’s independent Kemistry Gallery currently features a retrospective of graphic design including typography, illustration and mixed media. Hurry in before the exhibition is gone:
Image from Kemistry Gallery
Troika’s ‘Cloud’ installation for British Airways at Heathrow Airport looks like an ultra-modern cross between the game Reversi (or more popularly known as Othello) and a standard disco ball. Shaped more like an amoeba than a cloud, the curved surface of the sculpture is covered by thousands of round discs that alternate between black and silver mirrored sides. The result is an audiovisual delight to behold, both in its wavelike transformation as well as the subtle clicking sound of moving discs:
Events like Mutek remind me of the rip-roaring delight of being young, traveling to exotic locations (like Canada!), and indulging in sights and sounds from the outer fringe. Some festival highlights:
Morgan Packard and Josh Ott opened the week with ambient techno shavings, helix-like visual permutations, accordian drifts and bird whistles:
Barem and Chic Miniature warmed up the crowd on Friday evening at SAT, while artists worked on a large mural:
Half Hawaii shook the packed midnight down at Metropolis:
And Onur Özer unleashed horns onto the crowd on Sunday’s Piknic set. It started to rain, but who could stop dancing?
I also enjoyed a side visit to the Canadian Center for Architecture, where I caught an exhibition on residential case studies by SANAA partner Ryue Nishizawa:
June 22, 2006 at 6:44 pm · Filed under Design, Music
Despite (or perhaps in spite of) an ongoing migraine, I caught the artist’s reception for Matthew Barney’s DRAWING RESTRAINT exhibition at the SFMOMA last night. We arrived early at 6 pm to preview the exhibition on the fourth floor, catch some tunes by friends and mingle amongst the art critics, press, socialites and trashily chic hipsters. Twas a much more casual affair than his earlier NYC opening at the Guggenheim; the crowd seemed decidedly more diverse, though the buzz around the opening still felt electric.
Barney’s new material was smaller in scope and more conservative than his Cremaster efforts. He continued the same motifs from the Cremaster cycle, including the animalistic references, photographs and large-scale thermo-plastic and self-lubricating plastic installations. While some of his sketches and photo work were beautiful, I left feeling rather unmoved by the collection; once I see the new film in full, I’ll report back with further thoughts. He also appeared virtually unchanged from the last time I saw him, nonplussed and ready for the adoring crowd. Bjork and her equally vivacious daughter, appropriately dressed in a little white tux, strolled around with a smaller coterie of fab friends. She looked adorable in a white floral chiffon gown and red platform boots. She offered me a wink too!
In the loo, I caught sight of a woman dressed in full kimono, dancing and singing to Bjork’s “Big Time Sensuality” on top of the sink bar while a friend videotaped her in the mirror. It reminded me of the other fan(atic)s who seemed to pull all stops for her arrival… and how Bjork always manages to create such a stir!
Wobbly whipped up a great DJ set with his 4 CDJs, mixing derelict opera with dreamier stuff. Matmos performed new material, with Martin playing a tuning fork over dry ice while Drew tweaked the knobs, playing a singing bowl and a small xylophone. J Lesser played bass with them and showed off his Dave Smith Evolver #9 to us. Also briefly chatted with Overlap artist bLevin bLectum, who’s still in vet school and looking great… and ran into other creative peeps, like Nate, Solar, Chris, Giamma, Violet, Matt, and Latrice.
Due to my ailing head, I went home after the opening, but David and other invited friends went onto the Stud where Bjork and Matthew carried on the party with laptop DJ sets. Apparently the intended small circle of friends mushroomed into a max-packed night as folks hurried to call and invite their friends to come over.
February 2, 2006 at 10:28 am · Filed under Design, Music
I’m elated to announce that the SFMOMA will soon welcome conceptual artist Matthew Barney’s DRAWING RESTRAINT series. Video, photographs, and sculpture from parts 1-8 of the DRAWING RESTRAINT series will be featured.
Highlights include Barney’s latest film, DRAWING RESTRAINT 9, in which the artist explores the tension between his provocative, pomo-infused vision and Japanese tradition. Set aboard a whaling ship in Nagasaki, his vaseline sculptures also return in massive form, morphing as they chart the nearly silent dialogue between Barney and his co-star, the quintessential Bjork. This will be only U.S. stop for the exhibition.
Matthew Barney
DRAWING RESTRAINT
SFMOMA
June 23 - September 17, 2006
Former Young British Artist Damien Hirst, renown for slicing up cows and sharks and presenting them in formaldehyde blocks, has snapped up a new home — and it’s as shocking as his art. Hirst’s macabre aesthetic sensibility suits Toddington Manor, his new Gloucestershire residence.
Built in the 19th-century gothic revival fashion, this 300-room mansion rests on a 124-acre estate and is believed to have inspired the Houses of Parliament in London. He plans to use his new digs as home base for his family — he’s married to Maia Norman, with whom he shares three sons — as well as an art museum for his own and other artists’ works.
At a mere $5.4 million, this purchase was practically a steal. But it’s no ordinary fixer-upper: vacant for 20 years, both the home and grounds have suffered from neglect and disrepair. According to the artist’s spokesman, Hirst sees this property as a lifelong restoration project. It will certainly keep him busy; experts estimate $18 million in initial repairs, which will be conducted with the English Heritage.
The London Design Festival will soon take over dozens of locations throughout the city from September 13-23. This year’s events cover such topics as sustainable design, the influence of emerging materials and technologies, marketing and business tips for design professionals and, of course, plenty of fresh talent from the local scene. Come and (re)kindle your creative spark as you mingle amongst the UK’s own heavyweights. 
Despite (or perhaps in spite of) an ongoing migraine, I caught the artist’s reception for 
