Design and the Elastic Mind

by Ami Kealoha

To document MoMA's wonderful, monumental exhibit spanning design, science and technology, "Design and the Elastic Mind," we enlisted the help of the show's esteemed curator, Paola Antonelli. Paola speaks in detail about several of the exhibits, including "The Afterlife," a system for turning corpses into batteries, robots that act as personal climatizers and DNA origami. She also weighs in on her curatorial approach, addressing the role of the designer, her mission to shift public perception of design and how design revolutionizes our lives.

As always, but especially in this case, we hope CH inspires you to experience this show firsthand. It's up through May 2008, see details below.

If you absolutely can't make it in person, the website, designed by the renowned Yugo Nakamura, is full of information organized into an extremely pleasing UI and the book (available online from the MoMA store) is a must-have resource for designers, educators and the curious.

Design and the Elastic Mind
Through 12 May 2008
MoMA
11 West 53 Street
New York, NY 10019 map
tel. +1 212 708 9400

Burton 2009

by Josh Rubin

In between watching 1080s galore at the U.S. Open a couple weeks backs, I had the chance to demo some of Burton's gear due out for the 2009 season. Most noteworthy is their Infinite Channel System (ICS) and Extra Sensory Technology (EST)—an integrated board and binding system. Reducing the binding mount to two screws, thus eliminating the plate from under your boot. Debuted for this past 2008 season, the system allows for even and consistent contact to the board resulting in superiority sensitivity for a more intimate ride. It also allows for a more customized fit by increasing the range of stance options and making it much easier to move between them.

For 2009 the Infinite Channel System is available on a few more decks, including the Un Inc. Playful and responsive enough for the park but stiff enough for the whole mountain, it was a zippy ride that I had a great time on. Coupled with the new CO2 bindings, which are now EST ready, the set-up was light, tight and comfortable; I think I might have found my ride for next year.

No word on price just yet, but keep a lookout for these next season.

~Elt Buckle-less Belt

by Ami Kealoha

From the fertile mind of Sruli Recht (whom we last saw crafting utterly amazing handmade shoes in exotic skins), the ~Elt strips the accessory down to a strip of leather with interlocking teeth designed to hold it together. While working on ideas to make a belt without a buckle, "an exploration in removing the function from the function," Sruli was inspired by his fingers interwoven in thought.

Cut using a jet of water and entirely Iceland-made (from the handmade packaging to the leather itself), the conceptual accessory—taking "a step backward away from the modern decorative whilst utilising the modern rococo in a robo-coco application. The future is the machined"—could almost be a design manifesto. It's also aiport security-friendly.

In four colors, flesh, bone, ash and rust, and in three widths (three, four and five centimeters), the ~Elt is available at Bblessing in NYC and BelleVille in Reykjavic. (See more images after the jump.)

Heath Picnic Set

by Ami Kealoha

From the ceramicists responsible for fusing Modern aesthetics with Northern California earthiness, the Heath Picnic Set is a chic addition to warm weather outings. A collaboration with S.Stein bags, the suede and canvas tote holds two three-piece place settings securely in a removable caddy. (See an image after the jump.) There's also a slot for wine, a pocket for linens and cutlery, as well as a loop for keys.

Like Heath ceramics, the bag is designed to last a lifetime and does double duty as a tote for just about anything, so you'll be sure to use it year-round. Heirloom quality pieces don't come cheap of course; buy the set in Persimmon or Olive ($548) or just the bag ($348) online from Heath.

Askinosie Chocolate

by Brian Fichtner

You mightn't think the backstory of a chocolate bar too fascinating. That is until you come across Askinosie Chocolate. The fledgling, Missouri-based company was founded by Shawn Askinosie, a criminal defense lawyer for nearly twenty years, who started making chocolate in his law office kitchen less than three years ago. After studying cocoa post harvest techniques in the Amazon and apprenticing under a master chocolate maker in Ecuador, Askinosie became committed to working directly with farmers in order to ensure the highest quality chocolate possible. All of Askinosie Chocolate bars are made in small batches, pressed from their own cocoa butter, using traceable single origin beans.

Besides the direct relationship with cocoa farmers (which includes paying above fair trade prices and profit sharing), Askinosie has taken numerous steps towards building a socially responsible, ecologically sound business. While the Springfield chocolate factory was renovated following green guidelines, the packaging is comprised of natural, home compost safe materials and even features an image of each bean varietal's lead farmer.

As for the quality of the chocolate? I've been sampling the Soconusco and San Jose Del Tambo (each $7.50 through the Askinosie site) and find that both, while noticeably different, are wonderfully balanced, smooth and buttery and free of the overpowering sweetness found in many gourmet bars on the market.It's a versatile chocolate—the kind you could enjoy with an afternoon espresso just as well as an evening I.P.A.

We think the Chalk-late Box ($39.50) is a clever little packaging solution as well, making for a great gift with a built-in card.

Arty Dandy at Bon Marché

by Doug Black

Arty Dandy is a small, French gallery/store specializing in rare and exclusive art books, magazines, fashion accessories, gadgets and decorative design objects. They feature many limited product runs and every quarter the store presents a new theme for their collection. Launching this past Saturday and runnin through 24 May 2008, Arty Dandy will take up shop in the legendary French department store, Le Bon Marché. We took a look at some of the items that made their debut there.

Joe the Polar Bear is a free-standing bookcase created by family-owned French design studio, iBride. Joe is just one in iBride's collection of animal-themed furniture. It's made of white laminated wood standing 1.6 meters tall and is limited to a production of 50 pieces. There's also a website that tracks the location of each bear (note: not recommended for wanted fugitives).

The set of Néos Vases (above left) is limited to a run of only 20. These tubular flower vases come from Parisian architect and designer Frédéric Ruyant and will only be available at Arty Dandy. Arik Levy designed the same object, but takes a vastly different approach. His Twister Squares (above right) also sustain plants, but they use an infinitely transformable stack of transparent squares. They layers are joined on a vertical axis and will easily rotate to create an ever-changing vertical surface. The crystal body also refracts light to produce optical illusions. They come in three heights.