Hasta La Ideas

So many art fairs, so little time. Between Armory week and the highly anticipated New York debut of Frieze comes the fourth annual Dallas Art Fair, which opens to the public on Friday the 13th, tornadoes be damned. Triskaidekaphobics will want to make a beeline (avoiding black cats and ladders!) for the VIP lounge, where superstition-dulling champagne from lead sponsor Ruinart will be flowing freely, chilled in “Miroir” ice buckets freshly commissioned from designer Hervé Van der Straeten. Manufactured by Christofle, the fetching vessels are silver-plated and angular, a bubbly contrast to the signature smooth lines and golden hue of Ruinart bottles. “I wanted to create a conversation between the bottle and the object,” said Van der Straeten in a statement announcing the collaboration, “like a dialogue between the light, the mirror, and the reflections.” The ice buckets were created in a limited edition of 50, but Van der Straeten also whipped up a matching coaster—look for it in “fine wine retailers” worldwide in a special gift pack, as if you need another reason to visit a fine wine retailer.

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Paper engineering set off with abstract painting in a collaboration from Ghostly International

From the record label-meets-art house Ghostly International comes a collaboration between abstract artists Michael Cina and Matt Shlian. The limited edition series contains works on paper that bring together the divergent styles of the two artists, marrying Cina’s colorful abstractions and Shlian’s signature paper engineering to demonstrate the common theme of experimentation in their respective processes. Shlian’s paper pyramids borrows from geometric and biological forms to create a 3D canvas, his typical monochrome look overhauled by Cina’s vibrant pigments, which have roots in his background creating album art for Ghostly.

The name for the Aleatoric Series refers to the element of chance to create an unexpected outcome in the artists’ joint work. “These pieces feel spatial or nebulous…a micro and macro all at once,” says Shlian. “When I read, I never understand the important parts first. I pull out the details and focus on them first, and then I have to work at understanding the bigger picture.” In this way, the two artists shared the back and forth that comes with collaborative, ongoing work.

The pieces are assembled by hand using acid-free glue and paper, and the surface is colored with vegetable-based ink. As arrangement of the color changes from piece to piece, none of the 25 iterations of each composition are exactly the same. All told, the collection demonstrates the benefits of artistic experimentation and the effect that occurs when two talented artists riff off of one another.

Pieces from The Aleatoric Series is available from the Ghostly Store for $250.

The sight of crumbling modern architecture—buildings often conceived and built in a flurry of systematic optimism, zippy colors (or pure, grime-magnet white), and, less than enduring materials—can be soul-crushing, as can the laborious and costly process of restoring a modern marvel to its former glory. The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) in Los Angeles has committed to aid in this cause through the Conserving Modern Architecture Initiative, an international program announced this week. “This research-based initiative will increase knowledge for the field and develop new tools to assist practitioners to conserve the architecture of the modern era,” said GCI director Tim Whalen in a statement issue by the The J. Paul Getty Trust. They didn’t have to look far for the first project: the Eames House in Pacific Palisades. A GCI team will undertake investigative work and analysis to understand the current condition of the house, built in 1949 by Charles and Ray, along with its contents and setting. They’ll also assist the Eames Foundation in developing a plan for the house’s long-term conservation and care. Architect Kyle Normandin, formerly of NYC-based Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, has joined the GCI to manage the new initiative, which is overseen by Susan Macdonald.

And speaking of valiant efforts to thwart the growing threats to modern architecture, our sharp-eyed friends at the World Monuments Fund are now accepting nominations for the 2012 World Monuments Fund/Knoll Modernism Prize. The $10,000 prize will be awarded this fall to a design professional or firm in recognition of “innovative design solutions that preserved or saved a modern landmark at risk.” The deadline for nominations is July 31. Click here for full details.

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Having primed retailers with Simon Doonan‘s wintry whimsybombs of posable manikins and blue tulle, Paypal has debuted a mobile payments system for small businesses that operate in the real world, not just the e-commerce ether. PayPal Here is an app and thumb-sized credit card reader for use on any iPhone (Android version coming soon), and the company tapped Yves Behar‘s fuseproject to mastermind the roll-out, from strategy and identity to user interface and packaging. “Most payment transactions are disconnected and confusing, with Paypal Here we sought to create an ecosystem where all elements are clear, simple, consistent, and a pleasure to use,” says Behar, whose team developed the arrowish Here logo as a symbol for easy payment that straddles the physical and virtual worlds. It carries through to the swiper. “The offset surface layer on the card reader easily identifies the credit card swiping track for the user,” explains Behar of the two-tone blue device, which fits on a smartphone and ships in a corrugated triangular box. “The front triangle is also an innovative drop-down lock that prevents swivel or pivot when one swipes a card.”

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A collaborative ensemble of musicians brings the symphony to NYC parks

The String Orchestra of Brooklyn (SOB) is committed to an inclusive approach to music-making, opening up their expert ensemble to a range of site-specific musical experiments and collaborations with musicians from around the greater New York area. Due to the orchestra’s smaller size and rotating cast of volunteer musicians, they are able to explore a more obscure repertoire and adapt to different venues. “What sets us apart from other orchestras is our versatility and willingness to try anything that’s out there,” explains executive director and founder Eli Spindel. “We have the flexibility to take risks and follow our musical curiosity wherever it might lead.”

In late 2011, the SOB collaborated with American Opera Projects, presenting Philip Glass’ Kafka-based opera “In the Penal Colony”. Many music lovers are familiar with Glass’ magnificent “Satyagraha”, but the SOB opted to bring the more obscure “Penal Colony” story to life instead, gaining the orchestra a spot on The New York Times’ Best of 2011 list.

The SOB will again team up with The Fort Greene Park Conservancy for the annual Parks Concert Series where city-dwellers may escape to enjoy a free evening of music in Fort Greene Park. The 2012 lineup will feature works by Fela Sowande, Noel Pointer, and Beethoven, taking place on 21 July 2012 at 6 p.m. in Fort Greene Park.

The SOB will also be collaborating with ISSUE Project Room on String Theories 2012. String Theories has commissioned four composers—Anthony Coleman, Eric Wubbels, Spencer Yeh, and MV Carbon—to create performances on a scale larger than what is typically possible. The composers push the boundaries of the string repertoire through extended techniques, innovations in notation and improvisation, and new approaches to writing for large ensembles. Specifically, each of the performances focuses on a playful awareness of the orchestra’s physicality. “It will definitely get a bit rowdy,” Spindel says. “The resulting musical textures will be new to much of our audience.” String Theories 2012 will happen this Saturday, 17 March 2012 at 8pm in St. Ann’s Church in Brooklyn.

Keep up with the orchestra’s ever-changing repertoire and performance schedule on their blog.