Completed by Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning studio SANAA eight years after the Japanese firm’s proposal won an international competition for the new building, Sydney Modern adds 7,000 square meters (about 75,350 square feet) of gallery space to the existing Art Gallery of New South Wales. It officially opened to the public on December 3rd.

The new addition connects to the original art gallery, a neoclassical-style building designed by British architect Walter Vernon and completed in 1909, via a public garden “land bridge.” It consists of a series of stepped platforms that give it a stacked, low-profile appearance from a distance — certainly a contrast to the bold, graphic Opera House and its unforgettable silhouette.

For SANAA, the point wasn’t to rival that monument. It was to create an appropriate building for the site, with its stunning views of Woolloomooloo Bay and a backdrop of the city skyline. SANAA principal architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa wanted the building to be harmonious with its surroundings, “one that breathes with the city, the park, and the harbor.”

“There are two ways to create a landmark, which depends on the landscape,” says Nishizawa. “If you are in an open site, a landmark can appear with a positive form and clear outline, like a rock. But if you are in a forest with all its trees, this doesn’t work. You have to create a clearing and allow the sunlight in. But the light in the forest doesn’t have a clear outline. This is a very different way to create an icon.”

The effect may be subtle architecturally, but its impact on the museum certainly isn’t. The addition’s rectilinear pavilions are arranged around a central glass-walled atrium with views of the water. Courtyards and rooftop terraces grant the upper levels a series of outdoor areas for open-air events, and the lower levels are made with rammed earth, anchoring them to the site.

Interior spaces include large exhibition rooms, including one solely dedicated to aboriginal art and another two with soaring 18-foot ceilings. Smaller exhibition rooms are devoted to children’s learning spaces and a studio for creating multimedia artworks. A large, columned underground art space repurposed from a decommissioned World War II naval oil tank will offer another 2,200 square meters (23,680 square feet) for special commissions and performances.

The new land bridge reconnects the art gallery to the city’s Royal Botanic Garden, allowing pedestrian movement from the Woolloomooloo to the city center and creating an entirely public space in the process. The garden atop the land bridge is named “bial gwiyuno” (the fire is not yet lighted) and includes both indigenous plant species and an installation by Australian artist Jonathan Jones.

“The Sydney Modern Project allows us to engage our audiences and work with our artists in thrilling new ways,” says Maud Page, Deputy Director and Director of Collections for the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

The post Sydney Modern is Australia’s Most Iconic Architecture Since the Sydney Opera House first appeared on Dornob.

Ceysson & Bénétiere Gallery Presenting Daniel Firman

Entitled Attitude Jade #3, this piece by Daniel Firman had many visitors hesitantly approaching, afraid they were about to experience a jump scare or a performance piece a la Marina Abramović. It appears, at first, like perhaps a young woman is taking a long time gazing at some kind of artwork mounted on the wall and shrouded by a piece of fabric. But the whole thing is actually a hyperrealistic sculpture made of resin, clothing, a wig, and shoes. It was definitely among the most Instagrammable pieces in an event designed to produce Instagrammable pieces.

The Future Perfect at Design Miami/

If you’ve ever thought that furniture design was boring, even momentarily, take in this booth by The Future Perfect like a shot of espresso for your brain. Presented at Design Miami/ 2022, a collectible furniture fair exhibited as part of the larger Art Basel Miami event, the booth includes an alluring array of fascinating works, including a wool carpet by Claudy Jongstra, a Chris Wolston bronze coffee table, and boucle-and-aluminum club chairs — get all the details about every last element in this photo here.

Leandro Erlich Retrospective

Presented at the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) is Leandro Erlich: Liminal, the first monographic exhibition of Argentinian artist Leandro Erlich’s work in North America. The exhibition features 16 works spanning more than two decades throughout PAMM’s special exhibition galleries. The works are arranged to create a narrative storyline as visitors make their way through the gallery, encountering reality-shifting interactive installations like Swimming Pool, originally created in 1999.

Mark Grattan at Design Miami/

Also at the Design Miami/ fair, furniture designer Mark Grattan’s sexy mirrored bedroom display was like 1980s cocaine culture softened up for 2023, its hard chrome edges contrasting with soft, curving lavender upholstery. Located in the booth by T&C O.G. Cristina Grajales, the display served up an aesthetic we didn’t know we were craving.

Perrotin Presenting Hernan Bas

Miami native Hernan Bas captured both the attention of festival goers and an excellent sum for his painting, titled Conceptual artist #15 (Performance based, along with a troop of hired actors he takes residence in ‘fixer upper’ homes and feigns nefarious occult activity to stir up the neighbors). Presented by Perrotin, the piece sold for $450,000. The title alone might be worth the price.

Savannah College of Art & Design Collaboration with Cerámica Suro

The Savannah College of Art and Design booth was an unexpected revelation at this year’s Art Basel, displaying works created in collaboration between SCAD students and Cerámica Suro, a Guadalajara-based studio known for pushing the boundaries of what artisanal ceramics can be. Founder José Noé Suro evolved his family’s manufacturing business into a globally renowned powerhouse through partnerships with leading contemporary artists. The vibrant collections of glazed tiles were created by SCAD alumni artists Nicolas Barrera, Lauren Clay, Gonzalo Hernandez, Cory Imig, Abel Macias, and Nikita Nagpal.

Thaddaeus Ropac Presenting Georg Baselitz

One of this year’s highest-selling works at Art Basel was also one of its most striking. London-based dealer Thaddaeus Ropac sold an abstract oil painting by Georg Baselitz entitled Emilio macht das Licht Aus (2020) for $1.4 million. The painting depicts a nude figure partially concealed within black and white brush strokes.

Sikkema Jenkins Presenting Maria Nepomuceno

Who doesn’t love to look at weird, slightly fleshy textile sculptures? Okay, maybe not everyone, but there’s no denying that Maria Nepomuceno’s work pulls you in to look closer and marvel at its complexities. Her display of colorful, organic forms was beautifully presented at Art Basel 2022 by gallery Sikkema Jenkins. This is just a taste of what the gallery has staged using Nepomuceno’s creations, so make sure to check out their previous exhibitions for more elaborate displays.

The post Our Favorite Works and Exhibits at Art Basel Miami Beach 2022 first appeared on Dornob.

Enter Taylor Swift’s former New York residence, a charming carriage house in Greenwich Village which the songstress rented as recently as 2016. Situated in one of NYC’s most iconic neighborhoods, the five-story former pop palace is perhaps most famous as the subject of her song “Cornelia Street,” in which she refers to the early days of her relationship with the actor Joe Alwyn. The townhouse is situated on the quaint (you guessed it) Cornelia Street near Washington Square Park. At the time of Swift’s living there, it was owned by former Soho House executive David Aldea, who according to Vulture didn’t even know who Swift was when she asked to rent the property while renovations were being made to her own Tribeca apartment.

Upon first glance, 23 Cornelia Street is easily overlooked from the street. With an unassuming brick facade and wooden doors, the property doesn’t exactly scream “glamour.” Swift herself supposedly chose the townhouse because of its private garage, through which she could enter and exit in relative peace (though devoted Swifties naturally discovered where she was staying at the time).

Built in 1899, the historic home is a sprawling 5,500-square-foot dream of luxe grandiosity and glam touches that are very fitting for a star of Swift’s caliber. The basement alone is an airy, seemingly sky-high ceilinged lounge complete with a queenly glass chandelier, a private garden, indoor pool, and gym area. But it’s the townhouse’s living room which undoubtedly holds the most appeal for fans, as it’s featured in a video Swift posted of herself at the time writing the song “King of my Heart.”

During her tenure at 23 Cornelia Street, Swift reportedly used up the entire home, which boasts a total of four bedrooms and six bathrooms. It’s hard not to picture her using the sumptuous primary bedroom, complete with a small terrace and free-standing bath, or spending time on the rooftop terrace with her beau (as she sings in “King”: “With all these nights we’re spending/Up on the roof…”).

The home most recently sold in 2019 for a whopping $11.5 million. Today it’s unoccupied by residents, but instead serves as a “corporate house” for the Italian furniture company Zanotta. Any fans dying to get a glimpse into the pop star’s former abode can still book a tour hosted by the New York Junior League (NYJL). The female-led organization recently hosted a Fall House Tour and is planning another one in Spring of 2023, so make sure to mark your calendar if you’re a Swiftie!

The post Get a Glimpse Inside Taylor Swift’s Former NYC Home Turned Furniture Gallery first appeared on Dornob.

It’s immediately clear why such pieces would be displayed in a gallery: they are indisputable works of art. The sculptural “Khanda” table is a standout, consisting of three separate black wood pieces that can either be pushed together or separated for flexible usage. “Khanda is a playful yet grounded piece with a certain sense of timelessness in its solid mass,” explain the designers. “Its function varies from a low table, a pair of stools, a bench… it is a dynamic piece of furniture which evolves in a room by changing its function over time.”

A pair of stools called “Cuddle” function much the same way as the Khanda table, coming together like living creatures seeking comfort. The makers explain that the design was born “as a story between two beings,” bringing two seated users together in close proximity or separating them as more autonomous beings.

Likewise, the alluring “La Nuit Étoilée” armchair embraces the user with a mysterious shape and a color palette inspired by the midnight sky. “As we approach it from the back, it appears like a piece of the moon, levitating in space,” says Atelier Pendhapa. “ [The inside] reveals a radically contrasting interior in soft night blue. A swivel mechanism is concealed within its solid dark wooden structure.”

The “Mast” chair aims to bring balance to the body with its solidity, which “anchors the object in space.” Its curved design consists of just two elements, a base, and a circular back that folds around the body to provide a sense of intimacy. The “Anchor” chair achieves a similar effect in a slightly different shape, with a lower center of gravity and a soft blue velvet seat.

The “Sarani” trio of objects takes its name from the Sanskrit word for “an endless spiritual path,” and includes three pieces designed with this notion of infinity embodied in their curving shapes. Atelier Pendhapa collaborated with a local fine metal craftsman to bring the objects to life, pairing their signature black teak with Kuningan metal. The objects include a striking coffee table, a vase, and a bowl.

Other pieces by Atelier Pendhapa are just as captivating, like the “Naksathra” sofa with its skeletal black frame and structured white cushions, the graphic black and white “L’Écorce” bench with its built-in side table, and the invigorating “Admani” bench, a collaboration with artist Helena Bajaj Larsen.

Founded in 2019, Atelier Pendhapa consists of designer/architect duo Antonin Hautefort of France and Ignatio Tenggara of Indonesia. Hautefort and Tenggara bring together their diverse cultural backgrounds and a shared passion for local craftsmanship to design spaces and objects that evolve over time, yet feel timeless and always in dialogue with their context.

The post Atelier Pendhapa’s Dramatic Black Teak Furniture Collection Debuts at Paris Gallery first appeared on Dornob.

Burning Man came back in a big way after a two-year COVID-induced hiatus. Not only did this year’s event in remote Black Rock City, Nevada draw an incredible 80,000 attendees and end with an epic eight-hour traffic jam, it also featured a record 88 official art installations. This year’s theme was “Waking Dreams,” aimed at “explor[ing] the transformative power of dreams, both literal and figurative, and celebrat[ing] the dreamers who channel this potent energy in eye-opening, often surrealistic, sometimes life-changing ways,” according to the festival’s organizers.

Here are 6 of our favorite works of art from Burning Man 2022:

Empyrean Temple

Every year, one monumental art installation is set ablaze along with the Burning Man effigy. This year, it was “Empyrean Temple” by Laurence Renzo Verbeck and Sylvia Adrienne Lisse, an architectural structure that’s revealed to be a compass rose beacon in the shape of an eight-pointed star when viewed from above. The installation represents “the region just beyond our physical realm that is the highest center of wisdom, and the source of energy-consciousness,” according to the artists. Visitors passed through portal gates and into the “multiverse” of the temple, where numerous navigational choices offer different experiences.

Paradisium

Made of reclaimed lumber and trees burned in the CZU Lighting Complex fire in Santa Cruz, an interactive grove of geometric trees sprouts out of the sand. “Paradisium” by Dave Keane and Folly Builders of San Francisco creates a play of shadows across the desert floor and offers climbable structures and walkways among the canopies. The artists explain that “Paradisium is a grove made out of trees, long fallen, that remind us of the forest’s beauty and our interconnectedness and interdependence with nature, while also fostering a sense of community and an investment in our shared future.”

Gaia

This colossal sculpture by Marco Cochrane and Julia Whitelaw measured 40 feet by 12 feet and was made out of stainless steel rods based on a “flower of life” pattern and covered in stainless steel mesh with LED lighting effects.

“Inspired by and in honor of nurturing energy… mother energy… love and connection: and the joy we feel when we act on the imperative to take care of each other and our planet,” the artists explain. “Julia’s vision for Gaia was inspired by the joy she and her children experienced those times when, as a young mother, she took her children to the beach and watched as they ran, jumped, dug, built castles, bickered, buried each other, and made new friends, and by her own memories of being that child.”

The Museum of No Spectators

Architect John Marx and artist J Abinthia Vermut created this spectacular open-air art gallery challenging the “elitist” nature of typical galleries. The “radically inclusive and interactive museum space” creates a space for everyone to make art and become an exhibiting artist. Located on the edge of Black Rock City, the unusual shaped structure invited guests to create their own art on the spot, contributing directly without gatekeeping.

The artists add: “When participants exit, they find themselves on a stage, the Theater of the Participant, which opens you back up to the vast potential of the Playa and the World beyond. This is the stepping-stone to becoming the change you want to make in the world…”

Catharsis

Point of View

A collaboration between Serge Beaulieu and Yelena Filipchuck, this piece is inspired by embroidery patterns from Filipchuk’s birthplace, Ukraine. “It is not possible for us to think of this year without thinking of her homeland and wanting to represent the beauty and spirit of Ukraine while working through the emotions of this challenging time in our artwork,” the artists explain.

The post 6 Unforgettable Art Installations from Burning Man 2022 first appeared on Dornob.

The 42-year-old architect will helm the $500 million, 80,000-square-foot addition to the museum’s Fifth Avenue building. Though her designs have not yet been revealed, Met director Max Hollein has praised her potential to “challenge the embedded hierarchies of our history and chart a more accessible trajectory for the new wing.”

The path of the addition has been rocky since its announcement in 2014, when sluggish fundraising delayed its progress. Chipperfield’s firm was initially selected to design the expansion in 2015, but when its plans pushed the cost up to $800 million, the project was reconsidered. The addition was originally supposed to be completed in time for the Met’s 150th anniversary in 2020.

COVID also resulted in a $150 million budgetary shortfall for the museum. Last December, trustees Oscar L. Tang and his wife Agnes Hsu-Tang gifted the museum $125 million, the largest donation in its history, allowing the project to move forward. The new wing will thus be named the Tang Wing.

Escobedo founded her studio in 2006 and previously gained attention for becoming the youngest architect to ever design the Serpentine Pavilion in London in 2018. Her focus on simplicity eschews luxurious and expensive materials, instead elevating ordinary materials like concrete blocks to craft sophisticated atmospheres. That gives her projects a sense of monumental minimalism full of pattern, repetition, and clean lines. The Met commission will be her largest and highest-profile project to date.

“[Escobedo] wields architecture as a way to create powerful spatial and communal experiences, and she has shown dexterity and sensitivity in her elegant use of material while bringing sincere attention to today’s socioeconomic and ecological issues,” Hollein said in the Met’s official statement. “The new wing will be a vibrant, exhilarating space that meets the Met’s current and future needs while promoting a lively representation and reevaluation of the art of the 20th and 21st centuries in the context of 5,000 years of art history.”

Hollein’s approach to the renovations is guided by a desire to create more inclusive exhibitions and find homes for works like a collection of Cubist paintings gifted by Leonard A. Lauder in 2013. The director has previously spoken about the art world’s failure to include non-Western contemporary artists in museums.

The Met is currently working to repatriate colonial objects like 45 artifacts from the Khmer Empire believed to have been stolen from Cambodia between 1970 and 2000 during a period of civil war and genocide, along with other objects obtained via colonization. Museums in the United States and Europe are also facing a reckoning around racism in the wider art world, and the ways it affects what we ultimately view on museum walls.

“The Tang Wing presents an opportunity to give new life to the museum’s art from the 20th and 21st century; to celebrate the dynamics we can find within art of different times, geographies, and ideologies; and to uncover new spaces for self-reflection and connection with others,” Escobedo said in a statement.

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The new “Gallery COMMON” in the Harajuku district of Tokyo will be able to do just that, thanks to the ingenious imagination of Fukoka-based architects CASE-REAL. Known for their transformative minimalist designs that often bear undertones of cleverness, slyness, and even subliminal messaging (see their Aesop store design in Shinjuku), the architects/chameleons have once again subverted expectations with their design concept for this new Tokyo exhibition space.

Like many of CASE-REAL’s past projects, Gallery COMMON is based in an existing structure. A basement room with sky-high ceilings and an abundance of natural light due to its glazed perimeter, the space offered a great palette for the architects’ vision but still needed some minor refinement. As they recently explained, “This feature [the glazed areas around the rectangular space] was appealing as a project space, yet as a gallery, these many glass surfaces were a hindrance to exhibitions.”

Too much light is not normally a problem, but in an art gallery, it may not be ideal (depending on the exhibition). In this instance, the architects decided to concentrate the sunlight on one side, then recreate stark, white walls throughout the rest of the area’s open space. Placing white walls that both work in tandem with and filter out the overabundance of light created an environment with enough space to display the gallery’s many works.

Of course, the use of light is not the only distinctive feature of Gallery COMMON. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the space is its movable walls. Yet another CASE-REAL innovation, the four movable walls inside are attached to H-shaped beams that were already part of the existing ceiling. Easy to store and integrate into the rotating exhibition system, these walls work as foils to their solid, immovable counterparts. This creative touch allows the gallery to not only curate new exhibitions with ease, but also opens the possibility of changing the layout mid-exhibition, an effect that takes interpretive art to the next level.

The natural light also comes into play here. Depending on the display, pieces can be shown in the “spotlight,” the center of the space’s distinctive natural light, or can be shrouded in shadows, mysterious and obscure but no less dynamic.

Despite the seemingly complex inclusion of moveable walls and customizable light, the gallery’s minimalistic touches like a grid-patterned stone floor only serve to enhance the overall simplicity of the basement space. According to the architects, it’s all meant to evoke both rigidity and softness.

Located in the Harajuku area of Tokyo, the new Gallery COMMON is the latest installment of architectural brilliance from the Fukoka-based CASE-REAL. Continuing their tradition of revamping existing spaces into new and exciting forms, the space features movable walls meant to make the gallery experience fluid, immersive, and undeniably distinctive. Once again, CASE-REAL has created something amazing with their movable art space in Tokyo, giving a whole new meaning to the phrase “if these walls could talk.” Only this time, they move.

The post Art on the Move: How CASE-REAL Transformed a Basement Space into a Dynamic New Gallery first appeared on Dornob.

Located on his own 50-acre property, art dealer Michael Hue-Williams came up with the idea during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Walking through these beautiful grounds during lockdown, I realized I have a unique opportunity to share the experience,” he says. “Having access to this land, combined with my numerous years of experience working with contemporary sculpture, made the decision to open an outdoor sculpture park really compelling.”

“There is very considerable interest from the public in seeing sculpture, particularly in the countryside in southern England, where there are such limited opportunities. In the current pandemic situation, it would be of even greater benefit,” says Lord Rothschild, one of several financial supporters of Albion Fields.

Opening on July 9th, 2021, the art garden’s first exhibition features 26 pieces from some of the world’s top sculptors, all showcased in the lush beauty of the English countryside. One preeminent work is Bernar Venet’s “Indeterminate Line” (2016-2020), itself an oversized mass of coiled metal. Also highlighted is “Sofa in Black” (2011) by Ai Weiwei, which looks convincingly like real leather but is actually carved entirely out of solid marble.

“Horizon Pavilion” (2017) by David Adjaye is a geometric timberwork that blends in harmoniously with its natural surroundings. Elsewhere in the garden the giant frame of “Cement Truck” (2010) by Wim Delvoye catches the eye, having been outlined with intricate Gothic architectural elements.

Many of the garden’s featured artworks also focus on light and reflection. “Big Be-Hide” (2017) by Alicja Kwade is composed of giant boulders on either side of a mirror, one natural and the other constructed from aluminum, thereby providing different echoes in the glass.

Erwin Wurm’s “Fat Convertible” (2019) is a mirrored car silhouette of bulbous metal, and Hue-Williams has artfully juxtaposed it against the weathered wood of an ancestral barn.

Panels of polished stainless steel and aluminum create a dimensional object that appears to vanish into the background at certain angles in “Twisted Geometric Mirror III” (2020) by Jeppe Hein. Albion Fields also includes another of his works – a nine-foot-tall metal cucumber.

Yet another reflective sculpture is Ryan Gander’s “More really shiny things that don’t mean anything” (2012), a six-foot tall sphere composed of a thousand small chrome objects.

To enhance the garden encounter, Hue-Williams even had his land, long used for agricultural purposes, rewilded with deer, badgers, owls, hares, woodpeckers, and other woodland creatures. As they move from piece to piece, visitors can catch glimpses of them as they meander on a zen-like path through forests, meadows, and lakes.

The project came together with the help of four partnering galleries: König Galerie, Goodman Gallery, Lisson Gallery, and Marian Goodman. Adding to the uniqueness of the space, every sculpture on view is for sale through their respective galleries.

The current set of sculptures will be on display until September 25th, after which the collections will be rotated every six months. Visits to the Albion Fields and the adjacent indoor gallery Albion Barn are free, but reservations are required.

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But this is one show in which the most interesting part isn’t what most people see: it’s the way in which it was created. Curious visitors who peek behind the screen won’t find any digital projections of imagery, but rather a fascinating series of five powerful spotlights reflected and refracted through lenses, prisms and mirrors. These elements, many left over from previous artworks and experiments, are assembled within small boxes and attached to motors that turn and flip them in various ways.

Currently on display at the Tonya Bonakdar Gallery in New York, the Your Ocular Relief exhibition also includes five additional light sculptures with names like Mirror my calmness Buddha in me and Edgy but perfect kinship sphere.

Eliasson is perhaps best known for his architecture, which blurs the lines between built environments and works of art. Responsible for unusual structures like the kaleidoscopic facade of the Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavík, Iceland and the sculptural Fjordenhus in Vejle, Denmark, he often plays with light and reflections on many different scales. Music is an inspiration, as well, and just as he has described previous designs as “choreographed,” he calls the complex apparatuses by which Your Ocular Relief is achieved “an orchestra.”

“Since the early 1990s, Eliasson’s practice has concentrated around the investigation of perception, often using natural phenomena to heighten our understanding of each other and our surroundings,” states the Tanya Bonakdar Gallery. “Your ocular relief continues Eliasson’s long-standing investigation of the cognitive and cultural conditions of perception, seeking to offer an alternative to the current pressures that shape our existence.”

“Eliasson has long been fascinated with optical devices and has collected all sorts of lenses over the years as part of his investigation into perception and the qualities of light. ‘We live in an age of the proliferation of lenses,’ the artist says, ‘not only in the surveillance cameras that pepper our urban space, but also in the hands of activists who are aiming them back at the instruments of power. Through recent conversations with the art historian Gloria Sutton, among others, I have become intrigued by the notion of the ‘ocular’, as we progress beyond the single-gaze of the panopticon to the decentralization of the authority of the lens. Today, many of us now carry lenses with us through our various devices, so the question arises—who is the owner of the narrative?’”

Last year, Eliasson experimented with augmented reality as a way to offer access to art during pandemic-related gallery closures. WUNDERKAMMER is a series of 10 digitally rendered sculptures that can be viewed wherever you happen to be using an app that virtually places the artworks around your home. You can even adjust the shadow angle and light intensity to match your space to make the effect more realistic.

The post Your Ocular Relief: Olafur Eliasson’s Surreal Light Exhibition at NYC’s Tanya Bonakdar Gallery first appeared on Dornob.

“In their wide spread across the globe, masks have become a ubiquitous symbol of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the gallery website says. “Through this project, we hope to call attention to the significance and signification of masking as an issue of public health and a demonstration of civic responsibility. Equally, MASK calls attention to this newly-important medium’s function as an outward mode of self-expression and opportunity for creativity.”

These are certainly no ordinary face masks (nor are they medically functional). Some are whimsical and quirky, like Serge Attukwei Clottey’s mask wiring together plastic container fittings and cardboard tubes, or Freyja Sewell’s “Food,” itself a layering of green felt in free-flowing shapes that extend into a headpiece. Others are thought-provokingly serious, like the one entitled “Incalculable Loss,” constructed from hospital tags inscribed with the names and locations of American COVID-19 casualties.

Also haunting is Tiffany Matheson’s beautiful “Momento Mori.” Although the elaborate lace nose and mouth drape is lovely, the overall work, whose title is Latin for “remember you must die,” reminds us of the fragility of life in these times.

Michael Espinoza’s “How to Survive a Plague” uses humor to hint at bigger issues. Made from plastic condom wrappers, it simultaneously evokes the idea of fun and fear, drawing a connection to a past worldwide pandemic, HIV/AIDS.

Other designs in the series encapsulate the feeling of being stifled, whether it be physically or psychologically. “COVID-19 (Mask for the Art World)” by Trey Duvall uses a brick affixed to surgical gloves as a mouth covering, a nod to the difficulty of expression that comes with mouths and voices being restricted. Kate Marling’s “Classical Sculpture Mask” transforms the wearer’s lower visage into that of a Greek goddess, but alludes to the frozen nature of our countenances in public right now.

Cristina Rodo’s “Covidus,” a woolen octopus that seems to be suctioned right over the nose and mouth, relates how this pandemic sometimes seems to be sucking the life out of us. There’s even a double mask in the collection, itself comprised of two face coverings connected at the cheeks with respiratory tubes protruding down from each mouth. Called “Contact,” it intimates the longing we have for human relationships during this time of separation.

The installation’s layout also adds an element of import. The designs are all positioned on faceless mannequin heads at eye level, each standing in no particular artistic order. This lack of refined arrangement points to the urgent and chaotic nature of both putting together an art collection in troubled times and the pandemic itself.

“MASK” will be on display through December 1st. Entrance is free, but appointments (and masks) are required to maintain social distancing. As a part of the exhibition, the Vicki Myrhen Gallery will also be contributing money to Denver’s RedLine Contemporary Art Center, which is creating free protective face masks for the local community.

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Rammed earth is almost as ancient as architecture itself. This construction technique compresses locally available natural raw materials like dirt, clay, chalk, lime, and gravel between flat panels called formwork to produce hard-packed bricks that stand the test of time. Many rammed earth structures still standing today, including the Great Wall of China and the Alhambra in Spain, were built over 1,000 years ago.

The local materials and formwork used give each rammed earth project its own unique look, and the result is just as attractive as it is low-cost and sustainable. The thick walls keep indoor spaces comfortable, even in the hottest, driest climates, and no finishing is needed inside or out.

The practice of building with rammed earth may have fallen out of favor in past decades, but a recent resurgence gives us new examples of what this material can really do. In Accra, Ghana, architecture firm Tzou Lubroth has created a stunning modern rammed earth residence and studio for an artist, incorporating natural ventilation, gallery spaces, a swimming pool, outdoor areas, and views of the sea.

The rammed earth construction lends layered pastel red, pink and beige tones to the two-story live/work complex, making it look like just as much of a work of art as the client’s own creations. Louvered wooden shades complement the natural materials and let in plenty of fresh air. Arched doorways and clumps of desert plants root it in the visuals of its location, while a dramatic shimmering silver staircase connects the private areas to the public ones.

The firm explains that they “were asked by the artist Amoako Boafo to develop a hybrid typology that brings together a home, a painter’s studio, a gallery, and facilities for three artists-in-residence. The project was motivated by the artist’s desire to return to Accra with the mission of bringing a newfound energy to the city’s art scene. A lack of contemporary art venues and opportunities for exchange between local and foreign artists was as important to Mr. Boako as his need to establish his studio in his homeland after long periods of being abroad.”

“The house consists of two volumes interacting through slight shifts in geometry. The artist’s house and studio occupy one volume, while the residences, dining areas, and public gallery occupy the other. At the center of the courtyard, a circular staircase leads from the pool to the public gallery. By hybridizing public and private programs, the house had to become something new, something more that a mere dwelling. Rammed earth walls and galvanized steel platforms and railings combine to form a sculpted environment that is at once rigid yet earthbound and free.”

Loving the look of rammed earth? There’s lots more inspiration where this project came from. DUST Architects completed a gorgeous contemporary desert home surrounded by cacti, complete with a rooftop deck for taking in views of the dramatic landscape. Another modern rammed earth home in New Mexico has a roofline you’d never expect from this type of construction, but the effect feels fun and fresh all the same. And in China, the crumbling remains of a traditional “yaodong” cave house have been transformed with a new rammed earth insert by hyperSity Architects to gorgeous effect.

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When the people of Auckland were asked what they wanted out of their museum-going experience, the message was clear. They wanted the gallery itself to be a work of art. They wanted an iconic work of architecture that respected all of New Zealand’s cultures and fit well with the gallery’s existing 131-year-old portions. Too often, radical designs are imposed on a site by architects disconnected from both the building’s context and the people living around it. In this case, Aucklanders had their say.

The most recent version of the gallery, officially known as the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, was completed in the fall of 2011 after an arduous 10-year construction period. The cost of completing this renovation? $121 million NZD, or approximately $80 million USD by today’s exchange rates. Its exhibition space was enlarged twofold, giving it the ability to showcase larger international collections alongside their own pieces.

Visitors enter the gallery via a transparent and capacious lobby covered by an undulating roof structure made from already-felled kauri trees. This structure’s golden maritime look comes courtesy of the Sydney-based architecture firm FJMT and the Auckland-based Archimedia, both of whom clearly know how to make an entrance.

Other vaulted roofs can be found in other parts of the gallery, translating a coherent message between its newer and older spaces, which themselves date back to 1887 when the building was mainly used as the city’s Free Public Library and Municipal Office. The oldest portion of the building was constructed in the style of a French château, and the fact that the architects were able to so seamlessly blend that aesthetic with contemporary additions is a complex achievement indeed.

The Auckland Art Gallery is quite the theatrical work of architecture. It’s like a symphony of old and new, stone textures and intricate wooden patterns. Even just standing on the outside and peering through it’s expansive glass at the activity within is exhilarating. This transparency is exactly what most older gallery and museum structures lack. In this way, the art, hidden behind opaque walls and charming architectural styles from the past, often suffers from its container. Few but the privileged feel welcome in older structures. Now opened up to the city with a clearer entrance, the Auckland Art Gallery’s conversation with the city is more purposeful and democratic, even if the art is still kept in galleries out of sight from the street.

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Diego Rincon of Diego Alejandro Design approached this project with an unusual source of inspiration in mind: the sense of peace and calm you find in art galleries. When imagining a space that feels highly functional, spacious, and clean but with a creative edge, Rincon thought of artist Yves Klein’s posthumous “Propositions Monochromes” exhibition, which famously paired a single distinctive shade of blue with the blank white gallery walls.

The “before” image shows a fairly standard contemporary kitchen with mid-grade appliances, green Formica countertops, white subway tile, and off-white cabinetry that doesn’t match the white walls. The new custom-designed cabinetry is a cook’s dream, with each cabinet and drawer outfitted with special partitions and trays for pots and pans, cutting boards, cooking tools, colanders, and more. The new cabinets have no hardware or milled details for a more streamlined look, not to mention the fact that there are fewer doors overall, making the space look larger.

Thick, open shelving allows a curated selection of objects to set a mood while clutter is kept hidden away. Rincon took the door off the pantry to the left of the stove and transformed it with extra counter space and a pull-out cabinet to physically enlarge the kitchen. Lighter marble countertops make a big difference, too, with the extension of the marble pattern up onto the backsplash giving the space a more harmonic feel.

Rincon explains: “When I started designing this custom kitchen for my client — an avid cook with a busy schedule — I wanted to give him an efficient and functional space. But I also wanted to create a space for him that had a sense of peace and calm resembling an art gallery’s atmosphere. Cerused Oak wood with a natural grain mixed with custom, high-gloss lacquered cabinetry, alongside calacatta lilac marble from Italy were some of the materials carefully sourced for the redesign of this kitchen in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York.”

“I removed an old set of upper cabinets to make the space feel airier. Two floating shelves took their place. To me, this is perhaps one of the most graceful parts of the kitchen. I wanted to highlight the craftsmanship that was put into every little detail that makes up the kitchen. I designed a small spice cabinet — six inches deep, to store herbs from different regions plus a selection of olive oils and vinegar bottles, which is especially convenient in New York.”

Obviously, not everyone can take their pick of Viking appliances and luxury surfaces, but just seeing how Rincon changed certain elements to alter the ambiance and functionality of the space can help spur your own ideas. Plus, if you’re a renter or on a serious budget, you can always try recreating some of these elements with IKEA’s LACK wall shelves, sleek handle-free cabinet doors, self adhesive marble film, and some organizing inserts.

All photos courtesy of Gieves Anderson

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A new exhibition called Urban Miniatures takes the kind of street art you’ll commonly find in places like London, New York City, Lisbon, and São Paulo and literally shrinks it down. The curators took a Hornby train set and a collection of tiny (like, really tiny, not shed-tiny) houses, and asked a lineup of 40 well-known international graffiti, urban, and contemporary artists to customize each piece, producing “a subversive model city.”

Needless to say, this isn’t your average miniature Christmas village or museum diorama. Each diminutive work bears the tell-tale stamps of the artist who customized it, and if you’re familiar with street art, you’ll recognize some right away. There’s an optical illusion mural from Peeta, black-and-white wheat pasting by DONK, and abstract geometry by Mark McClure.

There’s something really fun about zooming in to examine a high-rise or bodega that can fit in the palm of your hand and taking in all of the practically microscopic details, like graffiti tags, trash, the weathered edges of an old sign, and the texture of the tiniest cobblestone wall. The train cars are especially cool, including an NCB freight car customized by TinyScenic to include a swimming pool, floats, lounge chair, and palm tree. Plus, the train set actually runs along its tracks at the show.

The full roster of artists also includes Adam Bridgland, Ange Bell, Art+Believe, Ben Allen, Ben Frost, Candice Tripp, Carl Cashman, Chum101, Cosmo Sarson, Dave Buonaguuidi, David Bray Frea Buckler, Jerome White, Jo Peel, Maxim, Katrina Russell-Adams, Louis O’Haara, Louis Masai, Pure Evil, Regman, SheOne, Shuby, Static, Tim Fowler, Tinsel Edwards, Victoria Homewood, Will Barras, Zevs, and many, many others.

You can see the Urban Miniatures show in person now through December 22nd, 2019 as part of the Artists Open Houses Christmas Festival in Brighton, England, or check out featured works on Instagram. To support individual participating artists, check out the PaxtonGlew online store, which includes limited edition prints, models, and more.

PaxtonGlew consists of duo Emily Paxton, a photographer, educator, and creative, and Pam Glew, an international textile artist. This show marks their curatorial debut.

The duo’s official website notes: “Emily and Pam met in 2004 in Brighton, where they worked as Photography and Art technicians. Since then they have remained good friends, worked as educators, started families, and continued their creative careers. Emily is a freelance photographer and lecturer who has curated pop-up exhibitions and taught numerous people their way around a camera. Pam has exhibited internationally as a textile artist and has been commissioned by brands including Armani, Ralph Lauren, and Microsoft.”

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As you approach, you’ll see two circular entrances ringed by perforated metal screens, the word “FAIRYLAND” emblazoned above one of them. This mood-setting detail gives you an idea of what you’ll find inside. This is no ordinary café. It’s a place that parents, caregivers, and kids can enjoy together, and it really does feel like stepping into a whole new world.

For kids, Fairyland probably feels like heaven. That’s kind of what it looks like, too. Undulating sheets of acrylic on the floors and ceiling mimic the look of an “ocean of clouds” in the central play area known as “Cloudy Town.” This space also features tree houses, slides, a miniature carousel, and a pit full of translucent balls. Then, within the “Golden Castle,” fireplaces and candles create a glowing atmosphere. A white gallery is tucked away for quiet time and privacy.

Adults aren’t neglected, either. In addition to the small pitched-roof houses scattered around inside, there are also comfortable dining areas overlooking the play areas, complete with U-shaped couches. It’s easy to imagine groups of moms gathering here to chat and connect while keeping an eye on the children.

One of the project’s lead designers notes: “One morning my daughter Tangtang was drawing out her dreamy fairyland, and I really want[ed] to make that dream come true so more kids c[ould] come and join in this wonderful fairyland. The exterior facade of the restaurant is made of aluminum panels with punctures of various sizes on it to create [the] effect of ripples woven together. Behind these ripples, a world between reality and dreams is created for kids. The front lobby is a circular space surrounded by a forest of lights, which is composed of 1000 acrylic tubes that are able simulate the effect of sunlight shining through thick layers of leaves to provide a unique forest experience [using] the reflection of the mirrored wall.”

“Kids, there will be no unwitnessed life [here], because we’ll be here for you, and every one of you will be the shiny star because we made a stage for you. Red velvet curtains slowly reveal the gateway to old memories with neon lights, wood floors, beautiful wallpaper, and crystal chandeliers. The future and the past are now interweaved, and the stage is ready for you to dance. [Even the] restroom becomes the daydream for kids. Cotton candies become girls’ favorite cloud lamps and mirrors, and boys can be astronauts traveling space.”

Don’t these pictures make you wish there were more spaces like this, where kids can experience a little bit of magic mixed in with the more mundane aspects of daily life?

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“In the months that followed real life became a difficult place to deal with, as I found myself retreating further into an alternative existence through the portal of my camera,” she explains. “This escapism grew into the idea of creating a storybook without words, dedicated to her, that would echo fragments of the fairy tales she had read constantly to me as a child.”

“Originally it began as a small summer project, but none of us could have predicted the path that lay ahead and the very special friendships it would produce. From the moment I met hair and makeup artist Elbie Van Eeden there was a sense of something deeper. We became extremely close and the series blossomed into our own private playground within the ancient woodlands that surrounded my home.”

Each photograph in the Wonderland series evokes a memory of Kirsty’s mother. She says she was “driven by the need to produce tangible pieces of [her] dreams,” crafting everything from cascades of paper butterflies and hydrangea blossoms to futuristic spins on Elizabethan collars. The series follows lead model Katie Hardwick, whom Kirsty says became a mirror for her own emotions. Each of the character’s concepts could take up to five months to hand-craft. Eventually, Kirsty gave up her fashion career to focus exclusively on this immensely personal project, leading to features in Vogue Italia, Harper’s Bazaar, The Royal Photographic Society, and more. In 2018, the entire collection debuted as a major museum show at Fotografiska in Stockholm.

Just as fascinating as the photographs themselves are the behind-the-scenes records documenting Wonderland’s creation. Mitchell’s exhaustive website documents each of the photo shoots on video, and it also gives viewers the chance to see the intricacies of the costumes and props in isolated close-up shots. Mitchell also kept diaries through the planning and shooting of each photograph.

“So this has been a bittersweet tale to tell, ten years ago my world had ended, I had never felt so lost, numb, and alone. Yet what was the worst thing to have ever happened to me somehow bloomed into something extraordinary that I may never have known in another life. I’ve learned that grief can take you down in the most monumental way, but it can equally lead you along a path you never expected. This is something I try to hold on to every day, especially since my own cancer diagnosis after the birth of my first child in 2015. I’ve learned to embrace what we have thrown at us, to try to take the sadness and fear and make something meaningful and beautiful in its place.”

Want more? In addition to the wealth of photos and information to be found on her website, Mitchell has released a book of Wonderland’s photographs, so you can hold the images in your hands and share them with friends and family. Individual prints are also available.

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