New York Street Advertising Takeover

by CH Contributor

by Ariston Anderson

Finding it difficult to locate a strip of space free from any advertising, Jordan Seiler of Public Ad Campaign did some research and found many of the billboards around New York City are illegal. To propose an alternate use of these city spaces, Seiler organized the New York Street Advertising Takeover, a network of citizens set out to transform the spaces into their own works of art.

NYSAT went to work throughout the city last Saturday, 25 April 2009, whitewashing the unlicensed NPA billboards marked on a map created by Seiler. Over 80 artists joined in, converting 126 billboards in varying sizes into public art. Our favorite is Ji Lee's—the thinker behind the bubble project—giant "delete" button, an option we wish we could have for the ugly ads that bombard us daily.

Four people (two white-washers, one artist and one videographer) were arrested throughout the guerrilla transformation, but the group is planning on fighting the charges. Unfortunately while most of the pieces have already been appropriated by NPA—who profit enormously from their unlawful billboards—it was a huge accomplishment to complete such an ambitious project for one day across Lower Manhattan. And at this point, because the billboards aren't registered, they're still anyone's game.

View more images of the takeover on Flickr.

Filao Reading Glasses

by CH Contributor

by Julie Wolfson

On a recent visit to Tokyo's über-mall Omotesando Hills, we visited the gorgeous eyewear shop Lunette Du Jura and discovered these reading glasses by Caroline Abram of Filao. Inspired by her childhood in Senegal, Abram's designs incorporate wood, ceramic, cotton, glass, leather, resin, mother of pearl, onyx, turquoise, tiger eye and crystal in her work. The chains she has handmade in Senegal.

If we get to wear these when we "mature," then we will surely be the most fashion forward little old lady on the block. For now the Filao glasses are so chic we might order a sunglasses holder (pictured above right) or a pair of the reading glasses to wear as a necklace.

Contact the North American distributor French Melody for more info about wholesaling them.

More images after the jump.

FreeKibble

by Bailee Wolfson

Freekibble was started by Mimi Ausland, a 12-year-old girl passionate about animals, and with her efforts and supporters, the site has raised 50 tons of food for needy animals in shelters to date. By working with founding sponsor Castor and Pollux Pet Works and using an interactive trivia game, the project raises awareness and provides easy and fun ways to help out.

The online game educates players about pet health and, whether they answer correctly or incorrectly, every click provides animal shelters with 10 pieces of kibble. So far the site has served over one million hearty meals.

Another way to help feed the hungry animals is by purchasing Mac and Cheese flavored dog cookies ($5) produced by Castor and Pollux, along with FreeKibble tees ($18) and cat food ($12). Each box of doggie treats purchased donates one meal to FreeKibble.

Milan Design Week 2009 Recap: Skitsch

by Brian Fichtner

While the timing seems less than ideal to launch a high-end furniture company, the new Italian brand Skitsch certainly made a go of it during last week's Salone del Mobile. With a broad collection of seating, tables, storage, lighting and accessories from a who's who roster of today's youngest design talents, Skitsch is clearly trying to position itself amongst the design world vanguard.

While many of the objects were quite compelling—Joost van Bleiswjick's mirrored credenza, Front Design's trompe l'oeil cabinets (example right) or Ding3000's 2DLED lamps—I found the collection lacked a cohesive vision.

The showroom, which felt oddly dated with its chair walls, flying furniture window displays and profusion of flatscreen monitors, failed to convey Skitsch's rather conventional mantra, "The Skitsch project is based on the thought that being surrounded by well-designed, beautiful objects can improve one's quality of life." After wandering the new Skitsch showroom, I was convinced that simply being surrounded by well-designed objects isn't enough. There's a story this brand wants to tell, but clearly it needs time to develop it.

Check out the slideshow for some highlights from Skitsch.

Painter Dan Sibley

by Lost At E Minor

Painter Dan Sibley appropriates the Aboriginal technique of dot painting for his contemporary creations of idyllic luxury hotels and homes on fire, particularly resonant considering recent events in Victoria. The use of dots gives his work a computer-generated bent, while the bright colors are reminiscent of the pop culture art of the '60s and '70s and the absence of people in his fantasy images lends them an eerie, almost artificial feel.