Festival des Métiers: Hermès at Saatchi
Context matters – even in the world of luxury scarves, bags and belts – and there is arguably nothing quite as powerful as a brand with a strong narrative. You cannot invent this – well you can, but the impact isn’t quite as evocative as having inherited an intriguing story. Hermès clearly knows this. Founded in Paris in 1837 by Thierry Hermès as a house of master harness-making and later saddle-making, the company remains family-owned,... Read More
Art Drive: The BMW Art car collection
Art and money have always had a mutually seductive rapport – artists need the patronage of industry, industry the positive kudos this union can bring. And the outcome can often be quite intriguing as is the case with some of the art cars painted by leading names in the world of modern art and commissioned by BMW . The German marque has a 35-year history of commissioning art cars, dating back to 1975 when racecar driver Hervé Poulain commissioned... Read More
William Morris Gallery to reopen
The William Morris Gallery has been renovated with new gallery space to accommodate the comprehensive collection of work by one of the principal creative artists and thinkers of the nineteenth century. Born in London in 1834, Morris was a founder of the Arts and Crafts movement, supporter of the Pre-Raphaelites, a socialist pioneer, designer, craftsman and visionary. The collection housed here is the only one in the world to represent all aspects... Read More
Exhibitions: Bauhaus Art as Life
It is near impossible to be a designer in this day and age and not have been in one way or another influenced by the Bauhaus. The modern world’s most famous art school operated relatively briefly – between 1919 and 1933 – yet it changed the way we see, think and create. Bauhaus united art and technology, its utopian vision sought to change society in the aftermath of the First World War. Founded by architect Walter Gropius, the school... Read More
Colour One for Mini at Milan
Colour One is the work of Dutch design duo Stefan Scholten and Carole Baijings of Scholten & Baijings, created for Salone del Mobile 2012. It aims to explore the design of the Mini One, the marque’s base model, by dissecting the car – examining its composition. It draws on the familiar stylistic devices of Scholten & Baijings who deal mainly with colour and material. #gallery-4 { margin: auto; } #gallery-4 .gallery-item... Read More
Salone del Mobile 2012 highlights
The design world congregated on Milan last week for Salone Internazionale del Mobile, Europe’s leading design fair in Milan. To mark its 51st year, the fair set its focus on technology and its influence on design. This is a vast show, spanning most of Milan with its hub at the exhibition centre in Rho. Read the report published in Wallpaper*. #gallery-5 { margin: auto; } #gallery-5 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top:... Read More
Israeli designers exhibit at Holon
For a taste of design in Israel today, head to Holon for the Holon Design Week and supporting Designer Plus Ten exhibition at Design Museum Holon. This is the first time the museum will curate an exhibition that focuses exclusively on local talent. Expect designers from textiles, fashion, jewellery, industrial design and digital and visual communication to exhibit their work. #gallery-6 { margin: auto; } #gallery-6 .gallery-item... Read More
Redefining the walled city
How do you define and redefine ‘walled cities’ within the metropolis setting? From physical historical defences to more liminal social boundaries, corporate estates or legislative territories, the impact of these structures is increasingly prevalent. With this theme in mind, architecture students at London’s Royal College of Art have proposed a series of existing walled cities, in the process generating their own critical approach. #gallery-7... Read More
Clerkenwell Design Week: Highlights
The sun shone on the second instalment of Clerkenwell Design Week in May, which secured its spot in the design calendar this year with a steady throughflow of specifiers, architects and designers. Devoid of the tired trademarks of traditional trade shows CDW showcased the parades of showrooms that populate Clerkenwell Road, St Johns Street and the surrounding area in central London, each branded for the event with hot pink signage inviting onlookers... Read More