Journal

A chronicle of people, places, happenings, and creations we admire.

Stockholm Furniture Fair 2018 Recap

Last week’s Stockholm Furniture and Lighting Fair at the Stockholmsmässan convention center was an incredible mix of new and old.  Scandinavian makers and manufacturers both large and small brought a wide range of products from up-to-the-second design as well as the ever sought after classics from the modernist to mid-century periods. Although there were exhibitors from some 60 countries, the 'Local' brands did their best to stand out on the cutting edge.

Carl Hansen & Sons 

The venerable furniture firm created a warm, intimate environment where their classic pieces such as the 'Y' (or Wishbone) Chair by Hans Wegner could shine.  Timeless details combined with new material and color way options keep these lines desirable and fresh.

Bruno Mathsson 

The 'Mia' (Mi407) steel and leather chair in vapor blue was the hit of the Bruno Mathsson stand with supple leather and chromed steel frame that carry this classic well into the 21st century.

The Royal System | Poul Cadovius

The Royal System® by Poul Cadovius represented by Danish firm dk3 is utterly timeless with brass struts that use no fasteners supporting oak or walnut shelves that seem to defy gravity.

Claesson Koivisto Rune for Offecct

Our friends over at Claesson Koivisto Rune have created a clever new chair called 'Jacket' for Offecct.  The seat-back emulates the shape of the human shoulder and complements any article of clothing one rests upon it.

 

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Floating Piers (Project for Lake Iseo) by Christo

Installation art icon and interventionist Christo has touched down in northern Italy to create the "Floating Piers" project on Lake Iseo.  Over 200,000 fabricated floating polyethylene cubes wrapped in his now signature golden ochre fabric allow visitors to walk across the lake to various shorefronts and a remote island called Monte Isola.  This project has been a long-time vision devised by Christo and his late wife and collaborator, Jeanne-Claude, who passed away in 2009.  This latest installation rivals his Central Park based "Gates" project from 2005 in size and scale, but is not without controversy; an Italian consumer group has accused the Bulgarian artist and his supporters of wasting public money to execute the project.

The Floating Piers project is on now until July 3rd.

OMA's Fondaco dei Tedeschi Opens in Venice

©OMA

Dutch architecture firm OMA have recently completed the renovation of the ancient and iconic Fondaco dei Tedeschi, which sits at the foot of the solid stone Ponte di Rialto in the heart of Venice.  A truly beautiful and evocative collision of architecture preserved in situ and slick, refined opportunities, piercing elements and opulent yet contemporary materials create a healthy amount of tension between old and new.  

This unique series of interventions in the form of circulation, place-making and enclosure may prove controversial to purists who feel that the nearly 820 year-old structure should have been rehabilitated without such audacious elements disturbing the scheme.  It is presumably the opinion Koolhaas and Co., that such a significant structure should emerge more than a museum or relic, but a modern machine of multi-purpose spaces, retail and culture which (one could give a nod to sustainability) and a new relevance in the modern world which it resides.

Aynhoe Park

whimsy |ˈ(h)wimzē | (also whimsey) noun (pl. whimsies or whimseys) playfully quaint or fanciful behavior or humor: the film is an awkward blend of whimsy and moralizing.• a whim.• a thing that is fanciful or odd: the stone carvings and whimsies.

Whimsy is the theme to this Grade I-listed, 17th century Sir John Soane-designed stately home in Oxfordshire near the Cotswolds in the countryside of England.  Purchased by entrepreneur and collector James Perkins in 2008, Aynhoe Park is now a venerable destination for parties, weddings and receptions for those who require "something completely different". Celebs such as Jade Jagger (daughter of Bianca and Mick) have had celebrated nuptials there.  While Perkins' eclectic collection of taxidermy, natural history artifacts and contemporary art are found throughout the estate; it seems to be almost too much at first blush, but he somehow pulls it off.

Photos: ©Corbis / Aynhoe Park / Architexture

Studio Bouroullec at Tel Aviv Museum of Art: 17 Screens

Studio Bouroullec is presenting 17 Screens at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, the result of a research on materials and production (until end of March 2016).

The show incorporates interweaving sequences of modular elements made of ceramics, aluminium, glass, wooden branches and textile, held together by custom made connections and hanging systems.

Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec: 17 Screens

October 3, 2015- March 26, 2016

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Monocle Quality of Life Conference 2016

©Monocle

©Monocle

Friday 15 April to Sunday 17 April 2016, Vienna, Austria

After the success of their 2015 Lisbon symposium, Monocle has announced their 2016 conference, more details will be forthcoming.  Here is the rundown on what to expect in April. 

"Our intimate gathering returns in 2016 and this time it will take place in the Austrian capital, a city that provides the perfect backdrop with its humming ateliers, fresh new hotels and mixture of modernity and tradition.

Monocle invites you to a weekend of great debates, good conversations, peerless hospitality and some fun nights too. It’s a weekend where contacts can be made, ideas nurtured and horizons expanded. Join our editors, correspondents and key thinkers in discussing topics ranging from architecture to independent retail, transport to healthy living." - Monocle

  1. You’ll be hosted by the Monocle team (and there will be no lanyards).
  2. We’ll bring powerful voices shaping our cities, from Australia to Brazil.
  3. Our editor in chief Tyler Brûlé will help reveal the future direction for hotels, retail, travel, design and more.
  4. There will be a series of receptions and dinners where you’ll get to meet with people who could change your career, your business or your outlook forever.
  5. We’ll organise access to the studios and ateliers of architects, designers and makers who are delivering a contemporary take on luxury.
  6. There will be morning runs for those who want to stretch limbs as well as minds.
  7. Enjoy live music interludes with a pop vibe.
  8. See special Monocle films that set the tone and dive into the key themes.
  9. Be part of the Monocle 24 radio experience.
  10. Take to the dance floor at least once.

 

Tickets: €1,850. 
Subscribers and founders receive a 10% discount.

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Garage Gorky Park by OMA / Rem Koolhaas

Garage Gorky Park, set to open Friday, June 12, is a result of a renovation of the abandoned 60's restaurant Vremena Goda (Seasons of the Year).  The concrete pavilion had laid dormant for over 20 years. Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and his team at OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture) repurposed the 5,400m2 (55,000 sf) structure, creating exhibition galleries on two levels, a children's art center, shop, café, auditorium and staff offices. The design preserves original Soviet-era artifacts and elements (certainly a nod to adaptive reuse and sustainability) - including a large mosaic, original tiles and brick.  

The clever double-layer polycarbonate outer skin acts as a light filter with the 'party piece' being a pair of enormous vertically movable panels on either side of the building.

About the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art

Founded in 2008 by Dasha Zhukova, the institution is a place for people, art, and ideas to create history.

Through an extensive program of exhibitions, events, education, research, and publishing, the institution reflects on current developments in Russian and international culture, creating opportunities for public dialogue, as well as the production of new work and ideas in Moscow. At the center of all these activities is the Museum’s collection, which is the first archive in the country related to the development of Russian contemporary art from the 1950s through the present.

Garage Exhibitions spark engagement with art and culture while exploring issues of local and global relevance; Garage Education draws audiences of all ages through pioneering programs for both families and professionals; Garage Publishing makes major cultural texts available in Russian for the first time and innovates new publications related to Garage Archive, Exhibitions, and other activities; Garage Field Research invites practitioners to develop fresh perspectives on Russian art and culture; Garage Grants program supports young Russian artists and spearheads a range of activities that incorporate Russian artists into the global art community — all of which contribute to the Museum’s role as a multifaceted hub for arts and culture.

Garage is a non-profit project of The IRIS Foundation.-- ©2015 GMoCA

Photo Credits: 1-3, Vladimir Filonov / 4-6, OMA / 7-8, Nikolay Zverkov