Cool Hunting
| 02 December 2005view entries from: this week | this month | view previous day | view next day |
hoLAnda 2005
by Ami Kealoha
It might seem like the current focus of everyone's attention is on Art Basel, but across the Atlantic, the second bi-annual exhibition of Latin American design, hoLAnda, runs through 4 December in Amsterdam. Held in the restored Posthoorn church and organized by the Amsterdam-based Latin American Design Foundation the main event includes premiere designers like Mexico-based Bala Studio's Jetson-esque funerary urn (pictured, above right) and Brazilian Carla Tannenbaum whose kinetic spirals (pictured, above center) took home prizes in hoLAnda 2003 and in UNESCO's design competition. An emphasis on social projects brings in Pintando Pasos, Converse hand-decorated by craftsmen in Oaxaca, Mexico and the Brazilian collective Escama's bags made out of recycled aluminum pull tabs.
design.05 Miami
by Evan Orensten
design.05 Miami made its debut last night as part of the art and design frenzy in Miami that is frothing to unknown proportions with Art Basel and its six concurrent shows (Aqua Art Miami, Frisbee Art Fair, NADA Art Fair, Pulse and SCOPE Miami, not to mention every museum and gallery in town and their concurrent shows). There is so much great art and design, such great people watching, such amazing conversations overheard (more on both of those in other posts we're working on) that your brain just can't process it any longer. And that's when the parties come in handy. A LOT of parties. Like the opening of design.05 last night (photo above left).
Guests entered through a bamboo garden adjacent to the beautiful Moore Buildling, whose four stories were filled with exhibitions from fifteen of the most well known furniture dealers in the world, assembled together for the first time, and some with their first show ever outside of their gallery. Each provided a specially-curated group of furniture and design highlighting masters old and new. All of this incredible work was surrounded by a breathtaking, four story high site-specific installation by Zaha Hadid, who was awarded with the design.05 Miami Designer of the Year award (photo above right).
design.05 Miami is attempting to make more than a furniture show—they are trying to create a new way for designers, collectors, scholars and sellers to celebrate the medium. From the looks of it they are off to a very impressive start. A few highlights from the show after the jump.
Jeppe Hein: Distance
by Josh Rubin
Last night we went over to Miami's thriving design district for the design.05 Miami show (more on that to follow) and on our way in got side tracked by this installation from 31 year old Danishman Jeppe Hein. Distance is an exploration of art as a game. When a viewer enters the gallery a white ball is released on to a 330 feet roller coaster track that twists and turns through multiple rooms of the gallery. The viewer is encouraged to follow his ball and thus becomes part of Hein's vision for the piece, which tries to create an incongruous dialog between the art and the viewer and to use humor to broaden the limits of conceptual art.
Distance is on display at The Moore Space until 10 March 2006.
This Week at Refinery29
by Josh Rubin
This week at Refinery29, the editors present their first of three Give It Up holiday gift guides. The premiere installment focuses on some of the standout boutiques in New York's newest style center, Williamsburg. In true Refinery29 fashion they have thought of everything, balancing the guide between men's and women's items, expensive stores and hidden deals, and they've even included four excellent eateries where you can have a healthy repast during your marathon shopping sessions. And just to ease some of the pressure off your already ballooning holiday budgets, you'll find a 20% off coupon for many of the stores. Back to the regular scheduled programming, Refinery29 brings you a feature on Opening Ceremony's in-house collection and Barbara Feinman's whimsical and retro hat shop.
Tokyo Art Beat T-shirts
by Evan Orensten
Tokyo Art Beat is an essential guide to the Tokyo art and design scene. The site is published in both Japanese and English and is free, making it a must for anyone living in or traveling to Tokyo. They have recently released a series of T-shirts by famed designers Jonathan Barnbrook, Paul Cox, Power Graphixx, Noboru Tsubaki and Buro Destruct. The shirts cost ¥3000 (about $25) and 100% of the proceeds benefit the not-for-profit organization that publishes TAB.
