Flos Wall Piercing Light

Flos always makes lighting fixtures that engage you with their fine design and attention to detail. It could not be any different with their latest effort, Soft Architecture Wall Piercing Light. It has a great number of possible set ups on any wall and can make one a discussion piece or an art installation - the limit is in your imagination!

via DesignMilk

24th World Congress of the International Union of Architects, Tokyo 2011

The next world congress of the International Union of Architects will be held inTokyo, Japan, from 25 to 29 September 2011. The academic programme covers research papers and design works, realised or planned, on the overall congress theme: DESIGN 2050. This theme is the opportunity for designers to express and present their visions of architecture and ideal cities and to imagine the tendancies of urban architecture prefiguring the world in 2050.

UIA TOKYO 2011 invites architects, engineers, researchers and students all over the world to express their opinions on the main theme DESIGN 2050 according to the three sub-themes: Environment, Cultural Exchange, Life. The authors of contributions that have been accepted by the selection committee will have the opportunity of presenting them during the congress between the 26 and 28 September 2011. They will also be published on the congress web site and on a DVD.

The deadline for the submission of abstracts is 31October 2010. Full details concerning contributions may be downloaded on the congress web site:

http://www.uia2011tokyo.com/en/callfor/

Contributions will be submitted exclusively on-line via the congress web site and will be in English .

Read more about the congress
www.uia2011tokyo.com/en
24th UIA CONGRESS

Summer mobile for the veranda

Since Summer is well under way, with hot weather and holidays around the corner, here is an idea for decorating a big space - especially for the veranda of your summer home or your balcony. Take a nice piece of driftwood, hang from it small bottles of ouzo (or tsipouro) or whatever coloured pieces of rounded glass you can find and you have a lovely mobile. And yes, if you drink them all, you got yourself a nasty hangover coming up!

Photo taken by me in Alonissos in 2008

6th Biennale for Young Greek Architects - September 2010

The committee for choosing the works of young Greek Architects to participate in the 6th Biennale for Young Greek Architects, organised by the Hellenic Institute of Architecture and held this September at Benaki Museum in Athens has picked unanimously 75 works out of 368 submissions, the most works ever picked for the show. The criteria were their high design and construction quality but also their originality. The selections also cover a wide variety of categories.

Half of the projects chosen are already constructed, while the rest are still only at the design phase. The fact that many of the submitted projects have already received other architectural awards, some of them international, is very encouraging for the future of Greek Architecture.

The selection of the proposals on display was carried out by architects Nikos Kalogirou, Lois Papadopoulos, Dimitris Papalexopoulos and Elias Konstantopoulos.

The exhibition of the 75 projects will be held at the Benaki Museum at Pireus St., from the 16th of September to the 17th of October.

Dressed with success

These days the fashion calendar is showing Milan. The menswear collections for 2010 are under full sway and the usual protagonists jostle for their place in the sun. The image that caught my eye among hundreds of photos covering the event in various websites and blogs is the one above, from the master of the fashion photo, Mr. Sartorialist himself, Scott Schuman. The restrained elegance and minimalism of Prada is paired with small details that make this look fresh and coveted. This is the way to go, no gimmicks, no frills. And you can duplicate it at home without paying an arm and a leg.

Photo courtesy of The Sartorialist. All rights reserved.

The mysteriously beautiful lamps of Roger Borg

Roger Borg is an American designer, who specializes mainly in designing lamps but also extends his work to include sculpture and paintings. His lamp designs are of course very sculptural and unique, mainly influenced by the source of light used and transofrming that into shapes. A very characteristic example of this is his Split Stack series.

Here he uses neon light as the lamps sole material, transforming it into a minimal chandelier shape. In his words:

"this lamp focuses on the conflicting nature of the three dimensional cylinder and its transition into a two dimensional plane. the further its arms extend outward from the center, the more accentuated this dichotomy becomes. As to the name, it is a twofold reference to its split personality vacillating between flatness and three dimensionality, as well as relating to its form, which traces the separation of a single line into two, and then the subsequent cleaving of those branches."

Find more about Roger and his work in his website (thanks to designspotter).

The Design Shop wins Gold European Design Award!

What better way to return to posting in my design blog after a long hiatus (sorry to all readers for this) than to celebrate the Gold European Design Award - Single Poster Design category that The Design Shop won in Rotterdam this year for the poster they designed for Design Walk 2009! Kudos to all involved and I am so happy to see Dionysis Livanis smiling as he receives the award! They also got a silver award for brand logo design (for Arca)! Congratulations and let's hope that more awards will be coming for Greek designers everywhere!

 

Container - art, activities, space, now opening in Thessaloniki

Container is a new art space at Nikiforou Foka Str. 8 in downtown Thessaloniki. The opening will take place on the 23rd of March with a group exhibition in which contemporary artists will participate with paintings, sculpture, instalaltions, performances etc. This show will last until the 10th of May.

Apart from an exhibition space, Container's ambition is to develop as an active nucleus in the art world and as a point of reference for art events, establishing a more direct contact and communication between artists and the public, with special thematic evenings and hommages organized in collaboration with other entities. Their interest is also focused into other art forms like video, theatre, music, dance, photography, publications etc. They intend to present them in every given opportunity because "art in every form serves the same agony". They are open to suggestions and ideas and wish that Container becomes a space for anyone interested to communicate with the public through art.

The participating artists are: Christos Venetis, Nikos Evangelopoulos, Katerina Iordanidou, Nikos Kokkalis, Vassiliki Koskiniotou, Valentino Marengo, Evangelia Bantiaka, Vassilis Botoulas, Dimitris Notaras, Theofanis Nouskas, Iordanis Roumeliotis, Eri Skyrgianni, Anneta Spanoudaki, Iordanis Stylidis, Pavlos Hampidis.

Music finds a new place: The Music Chronicles

Since music always takes some space over design here ( and it should not), I decided to give it a new home: from now on, everything that has something to do with music and me will be posted in The Music Chronicles. I have already transferred all the posts regarding my Poplie radio shows there (and the download links too) and will keep it informed with album reviews I will be writing for a free press monthly and presenting music that I like from time to time, concert reviews etc. So join me there if you like music and want to see what I like about it!

Mirό of Majorca

The exhibition Mirό of Majorca was hosted from the 9th of June 2009 till the 7th of February 2010 at the Teloglion Foundation of Art in Thessaloniki, Greece. It is now moving to Athens, where it will be exhibited at the Hellenic Cosmos "Theatron", Ismini Hall, from today, February 22nd, till the 30th of May 2010.

I went to see this show while it was still here in Thessaloniki. I was surprised by the bad design of the exhibition itself. I did not expect to see, in 2010, in a renowned Art Foundation of our country, such a significant artist exhibited in such an elementary way.His works were simply put on display grouped in periods, without text to accompany them showing what each period meant to the artist and connecting it to contemporary art and history.

The signs with the information for each work of art were placed on the ground, making every visitor taller than 1,50m (i.e. most of us) struggle to read it. The fact that they were made of transparent plexiglass did not help of course.

The lighting was bad, non descript. The sculptures suffered particularly of this, arranged in the middle of the biggest room and simply spot lighted without any thought of how the shadows would play both on the sculpture and around it.

A series of works were about sketches and drawings the artist made about various large scale works, either paintings or sculpture, prominently displayed in various parts of the world, most of them orders by municipalities, countries, rich individuals, companies. What struck me is that not a single photograph of the finished art was displayed, for any of the above.

There was a room dedicated to the work Miro did inspired by the theatre play Roi Yby. They had a single opportunity to make a very theatrical room to inspire and guide people to why he was so connected to this piece of theatre. They missed. The show also missed how his art influenced and came to represent the national identity of Spain.

A very positive aspect of the show was the exhibition of special copies of some of the paintings made for blind people - I had never seen that in a major show in Greece and was pleasantly surprised. And another interesting set up was the exhibition of some artefacts, small furniture and stuff from his studio, on a stage with a panoramic photo of the actual place as a background - but then again, it remained a plain and simple display of objects, not engaging the visitor in any way.

The graphic design of the exhibition's brochure and posters were excellent: they were done by Rooster Design, a great and much lauded graphic design studio from Thessaloniki. The exhibition is organized by Teloglion Art Foundation in cooperation with the Pilar i Joan Miro Foundation of Majorka - all of the artwork comes from there. 

Tribute to Alexander McQueen

My all-time favourite McQueen gown, Oyster Dress, Spring Summer 2003

It is in the Metropolitan Museum of New York

Alexander McQueen with his mother

Gorgeous gown, Autumn/Winter 2006

I cannot believe I am writing this post. My favourite designer is dead. Alexander McQueen, 40 years old, was found dead at his home in London today, 9 days after the death of his beloved mother. McQueen always seemed so in control and defiant of everyone, it makes it even harder to believe he is simply gone.

Shalom Harlow being sprayed by two car painting robots

Alexander with Isabella Blow

Escher inspired print at his recycled runway, Autumn/Winter 2009-2010 show

Spring/Summer 2007 show - one of my very favourite dresses

An incredible talent, he made his way through the turbulent waters of the fashion world, always on the rise; seemingly nothing could stop him. He was born in 1969, the youngest of six in Hackney, London, in 1969; dad was a taxi driver, mom a teacher. He became interested in fashion as a child and very soon he was a young apprentice at the Saville Row tailors Anderson & Sheppard, then Gieves & Hawkes. There he made suits for the Prince of Wales amongst others (legend has it he wrote "I am a cunt" with a ballpoint pen in the lining of one of the Prince's suits). He did a small stint at Koji Tatsuno at Paris before going to Milan to work at Romeo Gigli.

Back in England in 1994, he applied for work at Central St. Martins but was encouraged to enroll as a student. His graduation collection was bought by fashion legend Isabella Blow, who was to become his friend, mentor and muse.

A selection from his work throughout the years

His infamous "Highland rape" collection in 1995 drew the fashion world's attention. The result of his theatrical but exquisitely tailord concoctions was a much coveted position at the helm of the Givenchy fashion house, right after John Galliano left for Dior. The tenure was not without problems: he called Hybert De Givenchy, one of the most revered and gentle men in Haute Couture "irrelevant", his first collection there was a failure. But he build his reputation slowly, managing to outsmart his critics.

German Vogue photo shoot

Nick Knight photo shoot for British Vogue

One of his quirky handbags

Givenchy Spring/Summer 2000 Haute Couture - in Vogue

Bjork "Homogenic" album cover, photo by Nick Knight

From his men's collection

Tilda Swinton in his dress for Narnia

Futuristic editorial

Comparing editorial to runway

Never happy with the management, he left for the Gucci group and his own label in 2001, where he enjoyed critical and financial success, opening boutiques across the world, releasing his perfume and accessories line. His oeuvre, dark and romantic yet thoroughly steeped in the modern, grimy world, enchanted people and made him popular to all. Even Puma and MAC cosmetics approached him for designing collections for them.

Men's collection

The Los Angeles boutique, designed by Pentagram

Stage for one of his shows

His first perfume, Kingdom

Nick Knight photograph

His chess-board fashion show, Spring/Summer 2005

Luggage designed for Samsonite

December 2008 Vogue US editorial with Roberto Bolle as Romeo and Coco Rocha as Juliet,

shot by Annie Leibovitz

Bjork, photographed by Nick Knight

Designed for Puma

Givenchy Autumn/Winter 1999/2000 Haute Couture leather corset

Daria Werbovy in Vogue US editorial, May 2009

I love his clothes: his collections were the ones I anticipated the most during fashion week. The outfits, dark and looking like stepping a fine line between fairy tales and science fiction, yet somehow, one could always find very wearable tailored pieces in his collections. His evening dresses were fantastic mash-ups of a variety of influences, with most prominent his love for victorianna and a morbid fascination with death - taxidermied animals, bones, whole skeletons, sculls etc, were always present in his collections.

You can read about my favourite collection of his in another post I made. His loss is a great one, not only for his family and friends, but for fashion lovers and people who appreciated his talents. He had lots more to give and I believe we had not seen the best of him yet. He will be sorely missed.

Bye bye Lee