Palatre et Leclere Architectes nous propose de découvrir l’école Maternelle Pajol située à Paris sous un nouveau visage frais et coloré. Ce projet visuellement réussi et a été pensé par la même occasion pour les enfants de l’école afin de rajouter de la lumière et de la bonne humeur. Plus d’images dans la suite.
Illustrations, music videos, Berlin Wall murals and more from London’s quirky Frenchman
French illustrator, film director and creative polymath Mathieu Bessudo, or McBess as he is more widely known, is a London-based artist with an eye for incredible detail and a mind for a surreal rearrangement of the most simplistic of subject matters.
McBess’ illustrations are inspired by the drama of everyday life, by relationships, food and musical instruments that are re-modeled and contorted to create a microcosm in monochrome while simultaneously appearing to be something ripped right out of a nightmarish 1930s Fleischer Cartoon. The latest of these irreverent incarnations can be seen in his new collection for Berlin’s Dudes Factory shop, which includes a T-bone shaped chopping block, a gramophone, a beerstein (hand-thrown and fired in Bavaria), prints, plates and more.
In 2011 McBess was asked by Dudes Factory to venture beyond his everyday subject matter and to apply himself to a project more serious than steaks and electric guitars. Based at Berlin’s Freedom Park, he worked on a segment of the infamous Berlin wall in commemoration of the 50th year since its construction.
McBess approached the project with a degree of subtlety, claiming that he wanted his design to be “as low key possible”. The result of his efforts is stunning—his faint references to the Berlin bear, check-points and the separation of East and West Berliners is made clear without being too obvious, and it boasts copious details but isn’t weighed down by traditional motifs and symbolism.
In addition to his illustration work, McBess is a director at the Soho-based film company The Mill, an ultra-creative arm of the VFX Company. McBess’ show-reel displays the same rigorous attention to detail and fluidity that is so evident in his illustrations, and it is when brought to life by film that Bessudo’s work is perhaps at its most commanding. Various film projects include music videos for his rock band The Dead Pirates and “Dark Arts“, his title sequence work for the 2012 Ciclope International Advertising Crafts Festival.
Unsurprisingly, the Frenchman markets himself as “expensive” and fairly states, “You either deal with how I work, or I just don’t do a good project.” Download The Dead Pirates new EP FAT online for £3 and pick up McBess prints and merchandise from his shop.
Jean Prouvé’s 1949 design steals the show at Design Miami/Basel
As Design Miami/Basel continues to establish itself as the dominant satellite fair of Switzerland’s Art Basel, Galerie Patrick Seguin upped the ante this year by installing a 1,000 square-foot aluminum structure designed by Jean Prouvé. The Metropole Aluminum House was originally created as a school for rural communities that could be pre-fabricated and erected on-site. While the structure was never implemented on a mass scale, Prouvé’s aluminum school won the 1949 competition hosted by the Ministry of Education, which called for a “mass-producible rural school with classroom and teacher accommodation.”
The open floor-plan is made possible by a duo of load bearing portal frames, which drop like giant tuning forks into the main space. Beyond the living quarters and classroom, the structure can also accommodate a winter garden protected by glass. On the interior, the combination of wood and aluminum does the double duty of offering advanced heat control and a forward-thinking aesthetic. Prouvé designed the easily erected house with the post-war community of Lorraine in mind, who would require temporary structures during the reconstruction effort.
At the fair, the nostalgic appearance seemed to strike a chord with design lovers who continue to think about readily assembled structures for remote and disaster areas, Prouvé’s house representing a premonition for this increasingly important architectural niche.
See more images of the Metropole Aluminum House in our slideshow.
All images by Josh Rubin
L’équipe de Planktoon revient avec une nouvelle vidéo d’animation incroyable. Appelée « Réflexion » et basée sur l’histoire d’une femme en conflit face à son reflet, cette vidéo drôle et d’une qualité époustouflante se dévoile dans la suite de l’article.
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Malleable OLED technology in a lighting exhibition
Blackbody is an OLED home lighting brand launched in 2010 by the Italian-French company Astron Fiamm. Located in Toulon, France, the company develops and produces OLED-based lighting solutions with the help of established and emerging designers, and for Milan Design Week is presenting a selection of new products as part of the “Wonderoled” exhibition at La Triennale, conceived by Aldo Cibic and Tommaso Corà.
We were struck by the flexibility and incredible range of possibilities that OLED can open to the future of design: the technology lasts 20,000 hours, is 100% recyclable, doesn’t contain any polluting components, is heat-free, glare-free, 2 mm thick and can produce any color of the visible light spectrum. In a way, OLED is both concrete and malleable light, to be shaped and used as a real material that can lead to totally new innovation.
Wonderoled by Blackbody starts with “I.Rain” by Thierry Gaugain, a long-time collaborator of Philippe Stark, who opened his studio in 2011. I.Rain is a modular lighting system wherein each component hangs from the wall shaping clouds from which light falls down like rain.
“Teka” by Aldo Cibic reinterprets the classic cabinet, turning the piece of furniture into a lamp thanks to the addition of a series of light circles. The traditional look of the container is in gentle contrast with its content, creating an object that looks like a new classic.
Nature serves as the inspiration for other two projects by Cibic, “The Wish Tree” and “Blossoms”. “The Wish Tree”, designed in collaboration with Tommaso Corà, is a hanging chandelier, but at the same time a sculptural and minimalistic object. The Cibic design is “Blossoms”, a metallic tree whose branches terminate in imaginary OLED buds.
Wonderoled
17-22 April 2012
Triennale di Milano
Viale Emilio Alemagna 6
20121 Milano, Italy
Nike présente en collaboration avec le collectif Pigalle Paris et Amateur Basketball un spot magnifique mettant en avant l’état d’esprit et la qualité de l’équipe de la Goutte d’Or. Paul Geusebroek signe ici une réalisation soignée, autour d’images de la capitale. Plus dans la suite.
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New works from Adel Abdessemed feature scorched fur and razorwire crucifixions
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 of the Big Bad Wolf” is built to the dimensions of Picasso’s “Guernica,” and is made from a mass of taxidermic animals. Abdessemed has scorched the fur to achieve a blackened effect, a process that actually fills gallery space with a distinct sulfuric smell.
The stunning series “Décor” is inspired by the crucified figure from Matthias Grünewald’s 16th-century Isenheim Altarpiece. The violent expression is achieved through the manipulation and welding of razor wire, which also yields a rainbow discoloration from the heating process. Floating alone without the support of a cross, the three figures are built to anatomical scale.
“Hope” takes a marooned boat from the Gulf Coast and transplants it into the gallery space. The cavity has been filled with sculptural objects that resemble garbage bags, representing both the people and the possessions that have been transported across the waters. Abdessemed’s experience immigrating to France informs his focus on the immigrant experience and the risks that migrant peoples undertake.
The resin sculpture “Coup de tête” channels a historic moment of broadcast violence as French footballer Zinedine Zidane headbutts Italy’s Marco Materazzi. “L’avenir c’est aux fantômes” (“The Future Belongs to Ghosts”) is a reference to Derrida’s concept of phenomena, the title pulled from the philosopher’s own writing. The gorgeous hand-blown sculptures are raised well above eye-level, heightening their spectral appearance as they are framed against the gallery’s skylights.
Also on display is a collection of crude sketches of animals bearing dynamite, which intentionally resemble cave drawings. A looped video shows a baboon spelling out in magnetic letters the words “Hutu” and “Tutsi.” This is a reference to the two conflicting factions of the Rwandan genocide, and continues Abdessemed’s recurring theme of violence. “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf” marks the build-up to Abdessemed’s major upcoming exhibition at the Centre Pompidou, which opens October 2012.
See more images of “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf” in our slideshow of the exhibitition.
Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf
17 February through 17 March 2012
David Zwirner Gallery
525 West 19th Street
New York, NY 10011
The designer’s first monograph explores his commitment to scientifically informed creations
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 looks at Lehanneur’s design language with accompanying essays by the MoMA’s Paola Antonelli and Ross Lovegrove, in addition to a conversation between Lehanneur and curator Hans Ulrich Obrist.
Over the course of his ever-evolving career, Lehanneur has honored his commitment to marry science with design through inventions like the “Andrea” air purifier, which uses plants to naturally filter toxins from the air. The book highlights such favorites as it traces the development of his concept to create practical solutions for everyday living by working alongside members of the scientific community.
Other featured items include his design for a recuperative sleeping station, ceramic pottery based on U.N. population data, a weather forecaster for use in terminally ill hospital wards and S.M.O.K.E., an ethereal lamp made to imitate the appearance of compound bubbles that plays on the problem of air pollution. All of Lehanneur’s designs share the common thread of cross-discipline innovation, beautifully outlined in this monograph.
A survey of trends from the French furniture designer at this years Maison et Objet
We got to preview the rich new collection from Ligne Roset at Maison et Objet, which reflected a range of larger trends seen throughout the show. Here, we highlight Ligne Roset’s take on some of the most intriguing concepts coming up in design.
Designers seem poised to explore the potential of felt and wool this year, using the material to cover chairs, make pots and more. In its most effective iteration, felt warms up furniture that may otherwise not be so comfortable.
Offering a sense of fragility and flexibility, the idea of stripes was prevalent, whether from stretched cords on a chair or bands shaped to form a pot. The Fifty armchair was modeled on the metal-and-cord recliner chair designed by Hans Wenger in Denmark in the 1950s. The modern Fifty features a straight back with woven “ears” protruding from either side of the head rest. Made from polypropylene plastic threads, the piece can survive inside or out. A gracious series of decorative pots called Bidum is made with stiff metallic strands covered in a satiny black finish.
Thanks to a special fabric called Tempête (tempest) interwoven with strong, metallic thread, and quality, downy filling, the refreshing Serpentine armchair by the young French designer, Eleonor Nalet is both comfortable and durable enough for the outdoors.
The Grillage series by the famed French designer, François Azambourg comprises ultra-light, lace-like chairs, armchairs and a table made from sheets of metal. The origami-style fold of the armchair makes it a particularly elegant piece.
The Dino serves as a sophisticated storage system with interior shelves and cabinets when closed, and a folding writing table when opened. The functional secretary is modeled after James Bond’s cabinet, reconfiguring to form side drawers, a document tray and a set-up at the back to plug in a laptop or lamp.
The innovative, double-function table, Black Bird, can be positioned low to meet a sofa end or raised to a standard height for chairs. The tri-color shelves can stand vertically or laid horizontal, overlaid or articulated to one another.
The Ukomi Kimono Chair very successfully blends Scandinavian purity and geometric structure with a traditional Japanese covering. Styled to look like a kimono has been thrown over the seat, the chair features Japanese patterns between the creases, which are actually stitched in the traditional way of the kimono.
The highly original Peye table lamp and floor lamp reminded us of a hair dresser’s drying helmet, but are actually inspired by Popeye the Sailor Man—the table lamp is named Olive. Instead of a traditional bulb, the light relies on invisible LED stripes beneath its oversized shade.
Improve your technique with this comprehensive culinary tablet
Scaling back the general capabilities of all-purpose tablets, the French-made QOOQ (pronounced “cook”) delivers a highly specialized kitchen assistant. The recently upgraded model is about to hit the U.S., and, while it doesn’t set out to revolutionize the tablet market, QOOQ offers an easy-to-use interface with seemingly limitless options for foodies.
Content-wise, there simply aren’t any cooking apps that can match the QOOQ. The tablet contains 3,600 recipes—including 1,200 videos with expert chefs—available 50 at a time with a monthly subscription. Besides offering recipes by acclaimed chefs, QOOQ encourages users to upload their own family recipes. One of QOOQ’s most impressive features is the recipe calculator, which enables users to adjust recipe measurements according to the number of people being served and, once you know what you’re cooking, the tablet generates a shopping list. Schedule a week’s worth of meals, and QOOQ will send you off with all the ingredients you need, streamlining your family meal-planning.
The hardware is set up to withstand culinary beatings with a splash-proof 10-inch screen and rubber feet to ensure a secure grip. The attractive red casing is robust enough to take some punishment without negating the tablet’s mobility. The software is built off of a customized Linux OS, with web browsing, media streaming and social media enabled.
In the new version of the device, the artisanal French recipes have been slightly modified to fit the American palate. QOOQ also offers access to online content if you’re not interested in the full tablet experience, or simply want to check out the goods before you splurge. While $399 might seem a bit high for a single-purpose device, the French-made construction and abundance of regular content justify the investment.
The English version of QOOQ will launch in the U.S.A. this Fall, while the French version is available now through the QOOQ shop.
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