Hasta La Ideas

German artist Hendrik Beikirch has painted a 70-metre-high mural of a fisherman a few blocks away from Daniel Libeskind’s Haeundae I’Park skyscrapers in Busan, South Korea (+ slideshow).

Beikirch’s elderly fisherman represents the large number of South Koreans still working in traditional industries who have not felt the benefits of the country’s rapid economic development, signified by the glass and steel skyscrapers in the background.

Beikirch painted the mural on the side of Busan’s fishing union building located between Haeundae and Gwangalli beaches. Underneath is a statement in Korean which translates as: “Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.”

The project was led by Public Delivery, a Seoul-based organisation that promotes contemporary art across Asia and Europe, who explain that Beikirch ”deliberately distances himself from the polished and artificial aesthetic of advertising” usually found in public spaces.

For more outdoor art, have a look at Dezeen’s map of Hackney locating stencil work by street artist Banksy.

See all our stories about art »
See all our stories about Daniel Libeskind »

Here’s some more information from Public Delivery:

During the last week of August 2012, German painter Hendrik Beikirch created not only a stunning work but an iconic piece that stretches over 70 metres (230 ft.) high and is yet to be considered as Asia’s tallest mural. Located in South Korea‘s second largest city, Busan, this piece showcases a monochromatic mural of a fisherman, set in contrast with the Haeundae I’Park building at the background, constructed by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind.

The Haeundae I’Park is a residential building and is also a symbol for the rapid development and accumulated wealth in Korea, a poor country not too long ago. The mural that depicts an image of a fisherman represents a significant portion of Korea‘s population that has not been affected by the economic growth and until now, lives under very different circumstances compared to their affluent neighbors.

Responsible for this project is Public Delivery, a organisation who has made waves across Asia and Europe through the promotion of contemporary art. The artwork will be on display for an indefinite period of time.

The painting

The mural presents a local fisherman in his 60s, staring into an intangible space with his face marked with wrinkles, still wearing long plastic gloves – a sign that there are still men and women like him at this age working for a living. This dying profession entails six to seven days of work in a week, under difficult circumstances, while just receiving a minimum amount of financial support, just enough to buy certain needs.

However, despite the story behind the portrait, the painting conveys a positive message seen in the emotion shown by the fisherman. In addition, underneath it, Beikirch added a statement in Korean letters which roughly translate to “Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.”

Beikirch is known for his artworks set in monochromatic and detailed painting and this is no difference. Unlike other artists, he painted this mural without using a projector or a sketch on the wall. This, in its true form, is a masterful performance and a task that requires enormous routine and outstanding precision.

The location

The painting is applied on the building of Busan‘s fishing union. It is located between Korea’s two most famous beaches, Haeundae (해운대해수욕장) and Gwangalli (광안리해수욕장), clearly visible from the latter. Over the past years, both beaches turned into excessive commercial areas and became heavy motors for the city‘s tourism, attracting mostly Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Russian travelers.

The building is also home to a fish market that provides the prosperous inhabitants of Busan, like those living in the Hyundai I’Park building, with Korean style raw fish (hoe, 회), a pricey delicacy that is similar to Japanese sashimi.

The artist

Hendrik Beikirch (b. 1974) is a German painter well known for his series of large monochromatic wall paintings that often show portraits of older people, visibly marked by life. In order to create these works, Beikirch secretly takes sketches of strangers whom he encounters on his travels, noticing them for their aura and expression between hope and struggle. This inspired the title of his on-going series “Faces of Hope and Struggle” and runs seamlessly on the canvases of Beikirch, which mostly displays the same frontal view of unfamiliar people. He deliberately distances himself from the polished and artificial aesthetic of advertising, which has now occupied major parts in public space.

Beikirch always works with a reduced color palette, and therefore the high recognition factor ensures that viewers now can easily find walls by him all over Europe, Canada, the USA, Mexico, Chile, Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Russia and other countries, all painted in the last 15 years.

Partners

This project would not have been possible without the support of The Busan Cultural Foundation, The Arts Council Korea, Busan Metropolitan City, Indie Culture Network AGIT and Suyeong Local Government. MBC, the oldest and one of the major commercial Korean broadcasting companies, is the main media partner.

The post Asia’s Tallest Mural
by Hendrik Beikirch appeared first on Dezeen.

Architect Norman Foster (above) has designed the entrance to the Corderie Arsenale exhibition at the Venice Architecture Biennale, where the names of generations of architects, critics, designers, landscape architects and planners are projected over the floor, columns and visitors.

The Gateway installation also features rapidly changing images of communal spaces flashing overhead in an installation by Carlos Carcas, one of the directors of 2010 film How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr Foster?

The images were sourced from architects, planners, photographers, critics, writers and artists around the world and show famous historic public spaces from western cities alongside meeting places in rapidly growing Asian and South American cities and favelas.

The installation sets up a dual interpretation of biennale director David Chipperfield’s theme of Common Ground, highlighting both the heritage that architects share as a profession and the issues surrounding physical common spaces, before visitors move on to the rest of the Arsenale.

Meanwhile, over at the Central Pavilion in the Giardini, Foster presents an exhibition about the communal space at the base of his famous Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation headquarters below.

Above: Occupy the Bank, photo by John Nye

The biennale opens to the public tomorrow and runs until 25 November. See all our stories so far here, check out photos from the preview on Facebook and watch David Chipperfield talk about his chosen theme in our movie interview here.

See all our stories about Foster + Partners »

Portrait is by Paolo Rosselli. Exhibition photos are by Carlos Carcas.

Here’s some more information from Foster + Partners:

Norman Foster has curated two spaces for the 2012 Venice Architecture Biennale: the ‘Gateway’ installation at the head of the Arsenale, which is the first gallery that visitors pass through within the Corderie. The second space is in the Central Pavilion in the Giardini.

Norman Foster has chosen to interpret the theme of Common Ground in two ways. First in words, as the body of knowledge represented by the names of generations of architects, critics, designers, landscape architects and planners, who from antiquity to today have influenced the urban world. Secondly though images, which show the communal gathering spaces that bring us all together socially, outside or inside buildings.

For the ‘Gateway’ installation in the Arsenale, Norman Foster brings these two interpretations of the theme together in the words and images which he selected to create a black box experience. Visitors enter via symmetrical ramps into an immersive space, in which the floor and audience are washed by projected words, white on black and constantly in motion. On the walls of the space, projections of huge, rapidly changing images flash above the heads of the audience in an installation by filmmaker Carlos Carcas. They range from the historic spaces of the western world, to the booming new cities of Asia and South America, as well as the favelas, which are an inseparable part of these emerging urbanities. In the spirit of Common Ground, these thousands of images have been solicited from a global network of architects, planners, photographers, critics, writers and artists. The fusion of names and images are accompanied by a background soundtrack specifically composed for the installation.

The installation has been made possible by the Norman Foster Foundation and Ivorypress.

In the Central Pavilion in the Giardini, an exhibition focuses on the plaza below the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank tower as a gathering space. There were several early design variations for the Bank, which culminated in the final scheme, completed in 1985. The common denominator from the outset was a civic space created by lifting the building up to ensure a flow of pedestrian movement across the site.

Through models, sketches, drawings and photographs, the exhibition shows the evolution of the design of this public space and the tower that defines it, culminating in a photograph of the building by the artist Andreas Gursky. On Sundays, this space is transformed into an outpost of the Philippines, as hundreds of maids establish a community, with an extraordinary variety of social activities and intimate spaces created by cardboard walls. This aspect of the Bank is also explored in the work of artist Marisa Gonzalez. The triptych painting of the banking hall by Ben Johnson complements the view of the plaza from above by the photographer John Nye.

In the Hong Kong Pavilion in the Arsenale, Foster + Partners’ design for the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, part of the redevelopment of the former airport site, has been selected and curated by Chris Law. Continuing the theme of Common Ground, the terminal features a large public roof garden, set against the stunning backdrop of the city.

Credits:

Gateway

Curator: Norman Foster
Concept & Design: Norman Foster with Ivorypress team
Production: Elena Ochoa Foster and Antonio Sanz (Ivorypress), Katy Harris and Matthew Foreman (Foster + Partners)
Film Director & Editor: Carlos Carcas
Art Installation: Charles Sandison
Sponsors: The Norman Foster Foundation and Ivorypress

Hongkong and Shanghai Bank HQ

Curator: Norman Foster
Concept & Design: Norman Foster
Artists: Norman Foster, Andreas Gursky, Ben Johnson, John Nye, Marisa Gonzalez
Production: Elena Ochoa Foster and Antonio Sanz (Ivorypress), Spencer de Grey and Katy Harris (Foster + Partners)
Lenders: Andreas Gursky, HSBC, The Norman Foster Foundation, Foster + Partners
Sponsors: The Norman Foster Foundation and Ivorypress

The post Gateway by Norman Foster at Venice
Architeture Biennale 2012 appeared first on Dezeen.

Spraying a wall with water creates graffiti with tiny points of light instead of paint in this installation by French artist Antonin Forneau (+ movie).

Water Light Graffiti is made of thousands of LED lights that light up when they come into contact with water.

Participants can use paintbrushes, sponges, fingers or spray cans to sketch out words and pictures.

The project was unveiled in Poitiers, France, between 22 and 24 July this year while Forneau was in residence at the DigitalArti Artlab.

Other projects involving water we’ve featured recently include a sprinkler that paints rainbows and a series of fountains with added furniture.

Photographs are by Quentin Chevrier at DigitalArti Artlab.

Here’s some more information about the project:

Water Light Graffiti is a surface made of thousands of LEDs illuminated by the contact of water. You can use a paintbrush, a water atomizer, your fingers or anything damp to sketch a brightness message or just to draw.

Water Light Graffiti is a wall for ephemeral messages in the urban space without deterioration. A wall to communicate and share magically in the city. For a few weeks, Antonin Fourneau has been working in residence at Digitalarti Artlab on the Water Light Graffiti project.

After several tries, prototypes and material improvements, Water Light Graffiti was finally ready to take place for a few days in a public space, which happened to be Poitiers. From July 22nd to 24th, Poitiers inhabitants could discover and try Water Light Graffiti with the artist, the Digitalarti Artlab team and Painthouse, a graffiti collective, invited for demonstrations.

Water Light Graffiti is a project by Antonin Fourneau.
Engineer: Jordan McRae
Design Structure: Guillaume Stagnaro
Graffiti performance: Collectif Painthouse
Assistant team: Clement Ducerf and all the ArtLab volunteers
ArtLab Manager: Jason Cook
Filming: Sarah Taurinya & Quentin Chevrier
Photographs: Quentin Chevrier
Music: Jankenpopp
Editing and titles: Formidable Studio and Maïa Bompoutou
Support: Ville de Poitiers and Centre Culturel Saint Exupéry

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for DigitalArti Artlab appeared first on Dezeen.

Different views of a courtyard were framed by this temporary installation in Montpellier, France, by Dutch architecture office Paul Scales and French architecture and design studio Atelier Kit (+ slideshow).

Reframe was constructed in the Rotterdam workshop of Paul Scales and rebuilt in Montpellier with the help of Atelier Kit for the Festival of Living Architecture in June.

The theme of the festival this year was ‘surprise’, so the architects came up with a simple cube design that gradually reveals multiple framed viewpoints.

The installation was built from 45 opal-coloured polycarbonate sheets, a type of plastic often used for outdoor roofing and glazing, and 16 steel plumbing pipes.

The project was made possible by a grant from Stimuleringsfonds voor Architectuur.

See all our stories about installations »

Above photograph is by Pierre Berthelomeau 

Photographs are by Paul Kozlowski, except where otherwise stated.

Here’s some more information about the installation:

Reframe was created by Paul Scales and Atelier Kit for the 7th ‘Festival of Living Architecture’ in Montpellier, France. The festival is comprised of an architectural walking tour through the historic city centre where heritage sites are opened up to modern architecture. This year’s theme was ‘surprise’.

Reframe explores the theme of surprise through the creation of an object that reframes the relation of the visitor to the space, the historic architecture and the other visitors.

What first appears to be a simple modern cube is gradually discovered to be a more complex structure, through which architectural details, elements and facades are continuously revealed, reframed and reflected.

Visitors experience a shift from the position of observer to observed, from control to controlled and willingly or not, become engaged in a game of surprise and being surprised.

Not only a beautiful and interesting way to contrast modern and historic architecture, it also turned out to be very popular with the local kids who discovered that it was also a great object to play in.

Paul Scales constructed Reframe in their Rotterdam Werkshop and together with Atelier Kit rebuilt it in Montpellier for the festival in June 2012. It is now being stored at the Paul Scales Studio and is available for rent or sale.

The project was constructed from 45 sheets of opal-coloured 16 mm multi-wall polycarbonate and 16 steel plumbing pipes.

Above photograph is by Pierre Berthelomeau

The post Reframe by Paul Scales
and Atelier Kit appeared first on Dezeen.

Digital graphics company Crystal CG created animations on a 360 degree screen comprising 70,500 paddles held by the audience at the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics last night.

As with the opening ceremony, boards of nine coloured LEDs by each seat in the stadium made up images for 27 sequences, including sound waves reverberating around the arena to accompany Queen and the swirling backdrop to a psychedelic 1960s disco.

The ceremony was a showcase of British music and ended with the extinguishing of Thomas Heatherwick’s Olympic Cauldron, the petals of which will be taken home by participating countries. It was directed by Kim Gavin with a set designed by Es Devlin – see our slideshow of her previous stage designs here, including arena tours for Kanye West and Take That.

Crystal CG also created fly-through animations of London used by TV stations to link between venues and the animated video to accompany the Chemical Brothers’ specially commissioned song played in the Velodrome before each event.

See all our stories about the London 2012 Olympics »

Here’s some more information from Crystal CG:

‘Pixels’ to transform Closing Ceremony

Crystal CG creates larger-than-life animations to immerse live and television audiences in a spectacular rock concert, bidding farewell to the London 2012 Olympic Games

Following their debut in the London 2012 Opening Ceremony, the now-famous ‘pixels’ and Crystal’s animations immerse the audience in a celebration of British Music at the Closing Ceremony.

Danny Boyle said, “Every Olympic Ceremony aims for a major technical breakthrough. Our remarkable audience pixels have opened up amazing new images, effects and spectacle, but most of all they have enabled our live stadium audience to be part of the ceremony in a way that’s never been possible before.”

Directed by Kim Gavin, one of the UK’s leading musical creative directors, the Closing Ceremony assembles stars of the British music scene from 1967 to 2012 performing their biggest hits. Working closely with Kim’s creative team, Crystal has created 27 animated sequences, totalling the length of a feature length film to accompany the songs that bring Britain’s musical heritage to life.

The diversity of music has translated into the creation of a wide array of digital visual experiences that audiences at home and in the stadium can enjoy – ranging from turning the stadium into a giant disco and bringing to life psychedelic animations from the 1960s, to creating beat-matched visuals to accompany a superstar DJ, who will be revealed at this evening’s ceremony.

“We are going to witness one of the most extraordinary visual experiences ever seen on this scale – one that will surely herald the beginning of a new breed of stadium show,” said Crystal’s creative director, Will Case.

Over 10,000 pixels wide, the animations have required huge amounts of computer rendering and 24 hour IT support. To make it all happen, Crystal assembled an experienced creative and production team of local talent. The animator skill sets had to be extremely versatile and include complex 3D design and programming, as well as character and stop frame animation. As each act and song was confirmed, Crystal assigned a small team to create test animations and then executed full production. This included shooting catwalk models in high-end fashions, filming drifting clouds over London and flicking paint onto rooftop canvases.

Unlike the Opening Ceremony, the Closing Ceremony has had no Stadium rehearsal time. Since the sporting events finished on Saturday, the Closing Ceremony team has been working hard to transform the Olympic Stadium’s field of play into an arena stage show with multiple stages and screens.

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closing ceremony by Crystal CG appeared first on Dezeen.