Those who have tried to plough through the works of Ferdinand de Saussure or Jacques Derrida are likely to flee from anything with "semiotics" in the title—and with good reason. Without a significant amount of time and dedication, the field is nearly impenetrable. "This Means This, This Means That",...

A new line of games from Funnybone Toys looks to the design world as inspiration. The three innovative card games, Array, Cubu and Spectrix, build off of the color spectrum, sequencing and counting to create engaging children's activities. While the rules for each game are somewhat similar to traditional...

Currently at the Paul Kasmin Gallery, "Anyone and No One" is an exhibition that tests the limits of scale and complexity. The three pieces that compose the show are situated in both of Paul Kasmin's two Chelsea locations—a first for the gallery—and thoroughly invade the spaces from floor to...

A collection of new works opens today at the David Zwirner Gallery in New York City, showcasing the creative talents of Adel Abdessemed. The Algerian-born artist tackles a range of materials and mediums in a collection focusing on themes of violence, war and spectatorship. The namesake piece "Who's Afraid...

Surveying more than two decades of work by contemporary artist Mark Grotjahn, the new exhibition at the Aspen Art Museum provides a comprehensive overview of his paintings, drawings, installations and sculptures. Known for his rigidly geometric Op Art-like compositions, which earned him the honor of exhibiting at the 2006...

Debuting a series of self portraits at NYC's Clamp Gallery today, Frank Yamrus returns from a photographic hiatus after several years of soul searching from out behind the camera. "I Feel Lucky" marks the photographer's response to his mid-life crisis, reproducing significant moments from his life in an exploration...

No matter what the weather, chai remains a perennial favorite for its mix of sharp spices and pleasant sweetness, balanced out by a milky base. Coming away from the 2012 Fancy Food Show, we found four small businesses who are channeling the classic blend in various forms of food and...

For his first monograph, Matthieu Lehanneur has opted to express his design standpoint through the medium of his past works. Since his 2001 graduation from the ENSCI-Les Ateliers, he has stunned the community with a decade of innovative production in industrial and interior design. The bound collection from Gestalten...

The comprehensive language of architecture has been mastered by only a select few. While many of us may have a basic grasp from that freshman survey course, most would be hard-pressed to identify the difference between Roman and Greek doric columns, let alone identify the "squinch" on modern high-rise...

Best known for massive, vibrant wood canopies installed in metropolitan locations, Arne Quinze presents "My Home, My House, My Stilthouse", a collection of smaller works that helps to explain his larger undertakings. On view now through 31 March 2012 at the Vicky David Gallery in NYC, the new pieces...

We know plenty, perhaps even too much about how we ought to eat, but the fact remains we put a lot of faith in restauranteurs and grocery stockists to have our best interests in mind. Lately, we have noticed a few apps that aim to put power in the hands...

A lot of ingenuity is required to rework a classic. Swiss company Kuhn Rikon recently had in-house designer Philipp Beyeler take on the iconic pepper grinder to create a fun design object informed by contemporary materials and ergonomics. The ratchet mechanism is more intelligent than a traditional twist grinder,...

Sensitive to the cash-strapped culture lovers of the world, Recession Art began with the simple premise of uniting aspiring collectors with emerging artists. After three years of shows at Brooklyn's Invisible Dog, they have now opened RAC on New York's Lower East Side. Seated atop Culturefix, an artsy watering...

The network of transit apps now available has grown nearly as complicated as the oft daunting subway systems they were created to navigate. Certain New York-focused programs we've used have their strong points—New York Subway features an augmented reality function for above-ground navigation; NYC Exit Strategy maps out which...

There are a few essentials you never leave home without: your keys, your phone, your wallet. These represent the survivalist accessories of modern life, and they should be carefully considered—after all, they remain the stronghold of minimalism and functionality in a world of excess. The following leather goods are handsomely...

Revealed this week in Milan, the Fall/Winter 2012 collection for Woolrich Woolen Mills marks the continued evolution of the brand, whose soaring reputation is owed—at least in part—to Mark McNairy's stellar direction over the past year. This collection draws inspiration from Civil War relics and Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Western...

A charming interactive story app from Moonbot takes a pre-linguistic dystopia as the setting for a adventure tale about the invention of the alphabet. Following Moonbot's first story "The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore," Numberlys also takes a literary angle of a more cinematic quality. In part an...

Rounding up a smattering of 37 artists, a new exhibition at the Jeff Bailey Gallery entitled "Grey Full" takes a close look at art's most enigmatic color. The show educates viewers on the subtleties of shade and how small variations can communicate the emotional spectrum. A personal theme for...

Everything we know of Carlo Mollino hints to a man of insatiable tastes. The Italian architect and designer indulged in a life of downhill skiing, stunt flying and race-car driving, augmenting his artistic pursuits with fiction and photography. The extent of his most personal obsession was discovered after his...

Fans of the work of Marcel Wanders range from the casual to the obsessed. Called "the Lady Gaga of the design world" by The New York Times, the Dutch designer has shown transatlantic appeal, his pieces landing in museums from the V&A to the MoMA. While he's probably best...

While today's youth are more likely to face a touch screen than a vast expanse of wilderness, the principles established in The American Boy's Handy Book remain as valuable as ever. A comprehensive reference for the practical skills all boys (and girls) should still know, the guide has remained...

Last month's opening of the new Brooklyn design store Module R marked a welcome addition to the world of affordable design for small urban spaces. Every item bears some kind of modular quality, appealing to people who favor customizable furnishings with DIY personality. The following five items are our top...

A new history by Jean-Louis Cohen reveals the progression of building through the lens of architects looking toward the future. Tracking the social changes that caused architects to anticipate the demands of urban living that were to come, Cohen retrospectively examines the greatest advances in building from the dawn...

While off-the-radar boutique goods tend to make for more unique gifts, they may be hard to come by at the last minute. For the shopper still seeking something special, we've culled a range of eight items from our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide that can be found in stores throughout the...

In so many ways, Joe Beef seems to fit with current restaurant trends. The team grows their own produce, sources their meat locally and buys from family vineyards, but Joe Beef is not new to the scene. If anything, it's old hat—a study in history and a return to...

Many on our staff apply the journalist's deadline-minded plan of action to Christmas shopping, so we can sympathize with the procrastinators out there. That said, we've gone through our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide to collect a varied selection of items that all have one thing in common: expedited delivery. Order...

For the tireless explorers in your life, the best gift is something that turns the art of travel into something of seamless style. The Cool Hunting Holiday Gift Guide is loaded with options, but find below a few of our favorite items that are sure to outfit the most rugged...

Since this is the season for giving, we have selected various items from our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide that benefit communities and charitable organizations around the world. Particularly pleasing for the folks that have everything and want to share the wealth, or anyone with a sharing spirit, the following items...

Following the success of his first 3D breast book, Henry Hargreaves is back with 3DD Deluxe, another collection building on his deceptively simple theme: real breasts, in "even better" 3D. The compendium of un-augmented pairs comes complete with retro viewing specs to enjoy page after page of topless women....

The latest crop from our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide selects inspired audio delights for the music lovers on your list. From album-art coffee tables to subscription music services, we provide the perfect option for every occasion. Linda McCartney: Life in Photographs Capturing the most renowned musicians of the past century,...

The Repurposed LibraryGive old tomes new life with The Repurposed Library, a guide to DIY book projects that helps you convert worn hardbacks into functional works of art. The tinkerer in your life will love the selection of projects, which range from wall art to kitchen utensil storage. ScanwichesScanwiches...

Taking the principles learned from NYC-based start-ups, retail consultant Rachel Shechtman quietly unrolled A Startup Store last night in the shadow of the High Line. "A Startup Store has the point of view of a magazine, but it changes like a gallery and it sells things like a store,"...

Many adults—including a majority of CH staffers—classify their favorite toys in the tech sector. We've culled a batch of coveted electronic items from the Cool Hunting Gift Guide for all the gadget lovers on your list. Ultimate Ears Developed in 1995 by Van Halen's touring monitor engineer and drummer, this...

In Digital Apollo, MIT professor of the history of engineering David Mindell plumbs the archives at the university in order to explore the tenuous relationship between man and machine during the Apollo landings. While machines had long defined human undertakings, it was the rise of software and intelligent machines...

The recently opened sweets boutique ChocoVivo in Venice, CA exemplifies owner Patricia Tsai's guiding mantra, "simple is better." By grinding chocolate from direct-trade growers with lava stones, Tsai is committed to staying transparent in its production after growing concerned over the source and nature of our food. ChocoVivo's products...

Following the success of his crumpled city maps, which solved the problem of paper by replacing it with durable Tyvek, industrial designer Emanuele Pizzolorusso has now come out with a set of blocks made from Carrara marble, the same material used for Michelangelo's David. Alpha Beta Gamma is a...

Biscottea was founded in 2007 by Laurance Milner to cater to "real" tea enthusiasts who prefer traditional shortbread biscuits over Italian biscotti. The Seattle-based company's tasty organic cookies are made with real tea, in a range of flavors like Earl Gray, chai, mint, blueberry and African honeybush. They also...

Daniel Escobar will ring in 2012 with "Fictitious Topographies," his first solo exhibition in the United States. Inspired by the ubiquitous influence of the urban landscape, the Brazilian artist has decided to remake aspects of real cities into creative works of art born from maps and printed promotional materials....

The landscape has changed when it comes to the exclusivity of luxury brands, and with a label like Rémy Martin, it's easy to become distracted by the hype that rap moguls and film directors shower on the venerable cognac. While the brand caters to an impressive range of clientele,...

As pro-am DSLRs and post production software make photography increasingly accessible, photographer Richard Mosse seems set on making his life more difficult. Armed with dead-stock Kodak infrared film—originally developed to detect camouflage for military aerial surveillance—Mosse ventured into the heart of the Congo to take some pictures. The forty-year-old...

Favored by element-exposed bike messengers, Freitag's sustainable products stand up to the rigors of rugged travel and look sleek in the process. The Swiss brand recently caught our eye when they turned their standard recycled-tarpaulin wares into fake snakeskin handbags, and they continue to reinvent themselves with the release...

For a child, the ritual of bedtime reading is as important as the story. They enjoy the togetherness, the feel of the pages and the imagination that the illustrations inspire. It's refreshing to hold something that looks and feels like a family treasure, which is exactly what Micah Middaugh...

Hastening to bridge the gap between traditional media's tendency to over-curate and the Internet's overflow of content, Melissa Jones has relaunched Dream the End, an online space for art, music, poetry and film. With a homepage curated by guest editors, the site will update regularly as new virtual "editions"...

Dependent on regional agriculture for sustenance and economic security, rural communities are often the hardest hit by droughts. Following a twelve-year spell in southeastern Australia's Murray Darling basin, Edward Linnacre saw the need for a lo-tech solution to maintain agriculture in particularly arid climates. The Swinburne University of Technology...

An artist obsessed with clay, Charles Simonds has been molding biological sculptures from the desiccate medium since early childhood. His prolific career received accolades early on for his miniature dwellings, which the artist began installing in various nooks around NYC and other international capitals before shifting to the gallery...

For the last decade, the chefs at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) have been publishing The Professional Chef, an industry-standard textbook for aspiring cooks. Now available on the iPad, the significant volume has been given a much more accessible interface for professionals and home cooks alike. With 415MB...

Jetsetter and Partners & Spade have teamed-up to launch Bon Voyage, a large and luxurious "kit" that includes a book of photography from the travel site's best trips of the last year, a certificate for a Jetsetter concierge consultation and a travel journal to record it all. As difficult...

A long time buyer, retailer and blogger of artisanal products, Olivier Dupon has turned to print, documenting some of the most talented individuals and mesmerizing products of the handcraft movement. His book "The New Artisans" takes readers into the studios of influential craftsmen as they shape one-of-a-kind items that...

For Turkish companies RVS and the Iznik Foundation, heritage is everything. Vidal Erkohen of RVS eyewear made his name by collecting vintage glasses, starting with his father's. "I remember one trip that [my father] came back from Italy wearing a folding pair of Persols, and I fell in love...

You can always count on Matthew Herbert. The counter-cultural electronic music icon has done a lot with his talent, uncompromising ear, and dedication to using found sounds in his music. Composed entirely of sounds sourced from the life and death of a British pig, One Pig is the artist's...