Hasta La Ideas

Back in October, I was excited to learn that French street artist JR had won the 2011 TED Prize: $100,000 to put towards a cause of his choice. In his recent TED2011 keynote speech he begins to answer the question “Could art change the world?” by sharing his experience as a public artist. This week JR launched the second piece of this answer through his TED Prize project: an opportunity for everyone to change the world through art with their very own JR-style poster printout.

INSIDE OUT is a large-scale participatory art project that transforms messages of personal identity into pieces of artistic work. Everyone is challenged to use black and white photographic portraits to discover, reveal and share the untold stories and images of people around the world. These digitally uploaded images will be made into posters and sent back to the project’s co-creators for them to exhibit in their own communities. People can participate as an individual or in a group; posters can be placed anywhere, from a solitary image in an office window to a wall of portraits on an abandoned building or a full stadium. These exhibitions will be documented, archived and viewable virtually.

“Women Are Heroes” in Africa

Watch the full presentation and learn more about JR after the jump →

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3Sixteen details three of their uniquely talented clients in video

In celebration of the unique individuals that wear 3Sixteen, the denim-focused label recently created a series of videos showing off their customers’ talents and hardworking lifestyles. The trio of intriguing mini-docs, all profiling people in their homebase of NYC and cleverly titled “Singularities,” follows the dedicated coffee roasters at The Coffee Foundry, the skilled tattoo artists at Invisible Ink and the laid-back drummer Jahphet Landis. Directed by Kellen Dengler, the vignettes capture each of their subjects without ever mentioning 3Sixteen. This subtle brand-building project, much like their clothing, keeps it about the product not the name.

We had the pleasure of getting to know just how the clothing company works when we collaborated with Andrew Chen and the 3Sixteen team late last year on a series of ties made from locally-sourced wool in Manhattan’s Garment District. Like everything the brand produces, the attention to detail and commitment to craft really shines in each of the four styles, with a simple label hand-sewn on the back.

Dengler and the team are still searching for the fourth subject for the Singularities series. If you think your talents deserve some airtime, submit your work using one of their various online platforms for the project before 1 April 2011. To get your hands on one of our remaining collaborative ties, check them out in our online shop, where they sell for $80 each.

America’s biggest antiques show, handmade instruments plus artisan cars, beds and chocolate from our favorite videos of 2010

Another great year for Cool Hunting Video, 2010 saw a cast of fantastic characters from Brooklyn to Bristol. While each video is its own compelling story, some of our personal favorites are highlighted below.

Micachu and the Shapes

We got an inside look at how British musician Micachu makes her instruments and her music with The Shapes. Their hands-on approach and experimental nature brought this piece to life, not to mention their irresistible charm.

Hästens

The quality and process of the Hästens mattress production was fantastic enough in itself to merit a video, but we quickly discovered that the dedicated group of people behind the scenes are as equally intriguing as their product.

Mast Brothers

Friends and now chocolate collaborators, the Mast Brothers gave us a walk-through of their delectable factory. Their unique process and philosophy make these siblings stand out in the chocolate world and we hope to work on more delicious projects with them in 2011.

Bristol Cars

We went to London’s Kensington area to check out where and how Bristol makes their luxurious cars. The experience made it clear why driving a hand-built custom car has its perks—the beauty in the design and thought that goes into each instant classic was a reminder of how much work it takes to stay classy.

Brimfield Dealers

At Brimfield we found a perfect slice of Americana. The items varied as widely as the people, but both were definitely worth getting to know. In our video about the dealers we met a couple who had been selling collectibles for most of their adult lives, offering valuable insight on the market while expressing true love for what they do and serving as an inspiration to the eccentric in all of us.

Today, gestalten.tv presents an exclusive interview with Marilyn Neuhart, author of the newly released The Story of Eames Furniture, and her husband John in their Los Angeles home. They both worked in various capacities with the Eames Office for over 30 years and describe their personalities and working processes, including an idiosyncratic hatred of the word “creative” and the lack of official job titles in the workplace. Watch the video above, or look over the new release here.

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French filmmaker Benoit Millot sent us a short film he made on behalf ot the CELC Masters of Linen, supporting the Linen and Hemp Industry in Europe. Watch as the film travels from linen and flax fields in Northern France to combing factories in Normandy and spinning centers in Belgium, illustrating how the plants are transformed into versatile materials suitable for use in many industries. Fifteen minutes long and beautiful the entire way through.

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