Adventure is where you find it!

Just found this terrific lighting collection by designer Chiara Lampugnani. I’d include this in ANY project I was working on; contemporary or traditional. If you’re in Paris for Maison et Objet, check these out for sure!

from MoCo Loco’s blog:

“Chiara Lampugnani will be showing her Atmosphere series of shaggy
lighting at the Maison et Objet show in Paris this month and then again
in Milan this April. The lamps are made of optical fibres and LEDs on
bases of ceramic and metal. Presently there are 4 lights in the
collection: Cassiopea, Snow, Collie and Candy Floss, all of which give
an air of woven textiles somehow, like loopy knits. Cassiopea does
resemble the upside down jellyfish for which it is named, but Snow can
also bring to mind a huge ball of wool, and the loops in Candy Floss
evoke chain-link fencing, too.”

+ chiaralampugnani.com

via MoCo Loco

This is ingenious and hilarious! Throw all those gadgets in the recycling heap and just get this big rock!

Marie Garnier designed these beautiful sandstone Homo
Sapiens that can be used as a knife sharpener, crushing or grinding
stone (pestle).

And you thought Tokyo was fantastic on the surface! Just have a look at what’s under your feet: miles of cathedral-like sewers. A neo-gothic labyrinth of engineering wonder! I just wonder if they ever fill all the way up!

I was absolutely wrong about these! This is Kasukabe and a storm drain at that. Still an awesome space though. Here is a press release:

SAITAMA (Kyodo) An underground tunnel built to take in river
water overflow and release it into another river to mitigate flood
damage was shown to the media Monday in Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture.

The 6.3 km long conduit is 50 meters underground in Kasukabe and connects the Otoshifurutone and Edo rivers.

If the Otoshifurutone River or nearby Naka River flood, excess
water can be channeled into the tunnel from five locations and
temporarily stored in a gigantic reservoir before being pumped up and
released into the Edo River.

The water chamber, dubbed the “underground palace,” features 59
columns, each 25 meters high, that can store 670,000 cu. meters of
water, according to the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry.

The government project began in 1993 with a budget of 240
billion yen, and part of the tunnel became ready for use in 2002. The
system will begin full operation in June.

Historically, the eastern part of Saitama Prefecture has been
prone to floods. The government says the flood-management system will
significantly reduce the danger of floods in the area.

Just ran across this ultra-mod orchid growing system and fell in love. Get one for the James Bond fan in your life. Not so sustainable, but having more plants in our lives is a good start…

“Breathe Easy is an aeroponic growing system designed to improve home
air quality. It utilizes toxin absorbing plants that clean the air and
add humidity. It also doesn’t hurt to bring some of nature’s green
indoors too. The plants are held in place by magnetic seals in the top
opening…As an
added touch, a row of LED lights line the bottom for some nice ground
effects.”

+ Designer: Paul Thomas

via Yanko

Every so often a design comes across the desktop that just blows me away. IPSVM is one such design. Purely a prototype, the board nonetheless kills as an idea. Imagine shredding on this beauty! The fact is, I would never actually skate on this, it is just too beautiful.

Nice work Loren! Everyone be sure to check out the rest of his sick designs at coroflot.

+ coroflot

Over at Ligature we are featuring award-winning designer, fabricator and educator Peter Benarcik. Be sure to check his work out, it’s awesome.

Peter Benarcik has worked with nationally recognized architecture and industrial
design studios in addition to developing his own multi-disciplined
design studios.

Peter’s current endeavor- Five Ply Design based in
Seattle, WA- continues to focus on both furniture and architectural
projects.  As if that were not enough, Peter is also a Full-Time Tenure
Track Faculty member at Bellevue Community College where he teaches
various foundation and advanced design studios in the Interior Design
Department.

read the rest on Ligature:  Ligature Online

To view more of Peter’s work visit: http://www.fiveplydesign.com

]]> http://incli-nation.com/2009/01/05/peter-benarciks-great-green-designs/feed/ 0 http://incli-nation.com/2008/12/10/art-newspaper-tv-launches/ http://incli-nation.com/2008/12/10/art-newspaper-tv-launches/#comments Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:13:00 +0000 Staff http://incli-nation.com/?p=16 Just heard about this today, The Art Newspaper is launching a webTV channel. Hopefully we'll be seeing more of this on the net, but until then, good luck to Art Newspaper TV

From the press release:

The Art Newspaper is proud to announce the launch of a web TV channel
for the art world. It features interviews with key collectors,
curators, dealers, artists, and art world luminaries.

The Art Newspaper TV aims to further the success of The Art Newspaper and continue to provide breaking news, art market analysis and insight for the art world, online.

The site features interviews with sculptor Sir Anthony Caro, painter
Ellsworth Kelly and singer Patti Smith – all recorded this year. There
are also illuminating interviews with John Richardson, Jeffrey Deitch,
Adam Lindemann and Simon de Pury, to name but a few.

Anna Somers Cocks, founder of The Art Newspaper and
presenter for The Art Newspaper TV says, "We have always insisted on
going to primary sources for our stories in the print edition and the
online channel will maintain these standards. Firsthand comment from
experts in their respective fields will be the hallmark of our
interviews".

Sign up for a one month free trial by clicking here

Also included with an online subscription is access to a PDF version of the monthly Art Newspaper.

Recent features and interviews include:

Frieze Round Up
Dealers arrived at the Frieze art fair fearing the worst on the back of
a global economic meltdown. The buying frenzy of previous years was
over and buying far more considered.

John Richardson, Art Historian. Part 1
In part one John Richardson lifelong friend of Pablo Picasso talks to
Anna Somers Cocks about the current crop of emerging artists and
reflects upon his early days in America.

Zoo Art Fair Feature
This year, its fifth, has more international galleries showcasing
works. Collectors were out in force and, with the economic crisis just
a few miles away in the city, artists and gallery owners didn't seem to
be worrying.

Martin Parr
Martin Parr talks about his latest project which sees him photographing
the rich and famous around the world. We caught up with him at this
year's Frieze Art Fair.

Don and Mera Rubell, Rubell Family Collection. Part 1
Anna Somers Cocks talks with two of America's largest collectors of
contemporary art about why they are based in Miami, how they started
their collection and the legacy they hope to leave.

For more information and to sign up for a 1 month free trial please visit here

http://www.theartnewspaper.tv

Kim Joon, Bird Land-Armani (detail), 2008

Just got this great summary from Artkrush who will be on the scene again this year bringing you all the goodness to be found. Be sure to keep checking back as the month develops…

"Pockets will be substantially lighter at this year's Miami
Basel, but there will be no shortage of eye candy for those of us just
coming to look. As usual, Artkrush provides a tidy honor roll of our
personal favorites, with special attention paid to Art Basel Miami Beach, as well as Scope and Photo Miami contributor Julia Fullerton-Batten, a London photographer whose studies of adolescence picture girls looming larger than life, suspended in midair, and lost
in the uniform masses. Meanwhile, Artkrush editor Paul Laster connects with the Campana Brothers in Brazil to discuss the latest installment in their sci-fi furniture design series TransPlastic, included this year in Design Miami/. Across the bay from ABMB, we highlight the stylish counter-culture publications of
PictureBox — exhibiting at Nada Art Fair Miami — before leaving the Sunshine State altogether to review Sze Tsung Leong's photographs of Chinese suburbia in Los Angeles, and Roman Signer's slapstick videos in the Netherlands."

read the rest here…

Magic pen writes in Helvetica

Ahhhh… technology. The geniuses at Plexifilm have spent the past two
years developing a Sharpie pen that actually writes in Helvetica! This
pen is so experimental that it’s priceless… literally. You can’t buy
one, but you can get one free with any Helvetica-related purchase
(DVD, T-shirt, etc.). Get your free pen while they last. It’s a great
gift for that person in your life with sloppy handwriting…

* Warning: if you are John Downer or Marian Bantjes then the pen will
actually write in Helvetica. Otherwise, your results may vary. Do not
swallow. Keep away from open flame and co-workers. May cause
drowsiness.