What will characterize our own time on Earth? Sadly, it seems like the most enduring thing we’ll leave behind is trillions of plastic particles that will still be present in every corner of the globe 1,000 years from now. London architecture firm Vatraa makes this point in vivid fashion with “The Plastic Monument,” a roughly 21-foot-tall Stonehenge replica standing in a plaza in southern Milan. Winner of National Geographic’s 2019 “Planet or Plastic” design competition, the sculpture is made out of 16,000 recycled plastic bottles.

“Taking the form of a trilithon, one of the oldest forms of structure inherited from our ancestors, the monument draws the attention to the consequences of our actions in the long run, to the fact that what we are doing today might stay on Earth forever,” say the architects. “The installation poses a stark contrast between a single-use, disposable material and the eternity of the trilithon. Made of pressed PET bottle bales — the raw material for the plastic recycling plants – it educates the public into the recycling process by illustrating its first steps, just before the material is shredded, washed, and melted into new bottles.”

Thousands of crushed bottles are held together in three stone slab-like rectangular shapes made of wire mesh, making it clear that the “monument” is made of single-use plastic trash. It sits on two solid steel blocks as a foundation and stands just slightly smaller than the real Stonehenge. That enables it to stand up to strong winds — and be disassembled for display in other cities in the future.

“When we think of what our ancestors left to us, we think of real assets made of brick or stone, like the pyramids, the Colosseum, or Stonehenge,” says Bogdan Rusu, founding partner at Vatraa. “But part of our legacy to the next generation might also be plastic waste…Hundreds of years down the line our great-great-great grandchildren might find disposable plastic items that we just got rid of today because it was so convenient to us.”

If you find that to be a depressing thought, then the monument has done its job. Whether our actual contemporary architectural creations someday become their own “ancient monuments” may not matter. Even if humanity survives the coming climate catastrophe, future generations will likely think of us in terms of the pollution we contributed to the planet rather than our more admirable achievements.

The Plastic Monument will remain on display in Milan until next October, when Vatraa hopes it will embark upon a world tour to spread awareness about the consequences of our collective actions.

The post Plastic Monument: Stonehenge Recreated in Milan Using 16,000 Discarded Bottles first appeared on Dornob.

Dubbed “Moon World Resorts,” the idea is to recreate the Moon on a grand scale right here on our home planet, no rocket trip required. As Moon World Resorts co-founder Michael R. Henderson recently told CNN Travel, the moon is a “recognizable brand…seven and a half billion people know it, everybody loves it.” He hopes his ambitious idea will spur travelers everywhere to flock to the spacey, ultra-luxurious new hotel.

Though the project itself has been in development for nearly 20 years, artist renderings envision a futuristic space where guests can enjoy all the perks of a traditional top-notch resort while pretending they’e floating in a far-off space station. Of course, no trip to the moon would be complete without a space walk. A lunar experience inside the hotel will allow guests to simulate the feeling of actually walking on the moon. As Henderson says, “we will give you the ability in your lifetime to walk on what you believe will be the lunar surface.”

Unfortunately, as with most architecture projects of this scale and scope, Moon World Resorts has also come with its share of “tremendous technical challenges,” according to Henderson. He’s currently working with co-founder Sandra G. Matthews alongside “independent engineers and architects to make the concept a reality,” according to CNN Travel.

If all goes according to plan, the Canada-based entrepreneurs plan on eventually expanding Moon World Resorts to other continents, too. This will depend largely on securing licensees willing to invest in the project — but as we now know all too well, it’s pretty hard for rich people to say “no” to space.

For his part, Henderson remains hopeful that Moon World Resorts will eventually get past the conceptual stage and become a full-on reality. He believes that the first hotel could open as early as 2027 as “a destination in its own right,” drawing visitors from around the globe who want to experience the thrill of the final frontier from the comfort of the planet they know and love.

The post Dubai’s Moon World Resorts Take Us One Step Closer to Space Travel first appeared on Dornob.

What exactly has changed? Very little to speak of. When stacked against an iPhone 13 Pro Max, the new phone is ever so slightly less wide at 77.6 millimeters (mm) versus the 78-mm width of the 13. It’s also a hair thicker (7.9 mm versus 7.7 mm) and about the same height. The camera array is where you’ll see the most visible changes. It’s clearly a bit larger than that of the iPhone 13 Pro Max, with each lens measuring 16.2 mm in diameter versus 15.5 mm on the old version. That might mean the cameras have wider apertures, enabling higher quality photos in low-light situations.

Internet sleuths previously reported that Apple plans to replace the notch on the front of the new iPhone Pro with two cutouts: one round, one pill-shaped. The notch is expected to remain on the standard iPhone 14, though. Unbox Therapy’s replica unit doesn’t have a working display, but we can see that the rumors appear to be true. Alas, iPhone fans who have been hoping for a full, uninterrupted display minus the notch will have to spring for the Pro. Getting rid of the notch altogether would make the iPhone a little closer to the full-screen experience found on many Android phones.

On the surface, almost everything else looks to be the same. The buttons, SIM card tray, speaker holes, and charging port are the same other than a slightly longer power button, and the bezels around the screen are marginally slimmer. However, other rumored changes include a new A16 Bionic chipset for the Pro models, while the standard models will likely keep a variant of the current A15 chip. That could account for the slightly thicker body.

Apple reporter Mark Gurman revealed that Apple is currently testing iPhones that get rid of the Lightning port in favor of USB-C, responding to upcoming changes in European legislation that might require all phone manufacturers to do the same. The legislation is unlikely to affect iPhones until 2023, so the changes are being tested for iPhone 15 prototypes. That indicates that 2023 might be the year we see a bigger overall redesign for the entire range. Apple is likely to make the change worldwide, and may re-release previous models with USB-C ports, affecting the market for secondhand devices.

YouTubers aren’t the only ones giving us an early look at the potential new design. Japanese artist Souta used the schematics to create unofficial renders of the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max that are virtually indistinguishable from real Apple reveals. The hyperrealistic images show what the notch-free design might actually look like. One of the phones is even clad in purple, a color that’s rumored to be coming back this year.

How do all these leaks happen in the first place? Most of the time, they’re coming from accessory makers, who receive schematics for the new designs in advance of every new release so they can design their own cases and charging units. Unbox Therapy got its replica unit sent straight from a manufacturer in China, which made it to ensure that its new cases fit the new iPhone properly.

The post iPhone 14 Pro Leaks (Might) Reveal Apple’s New Design first appeared on Dornob.

An abbreviation of “mischief,” the company bought an original 1954 Andy Warhol pen drawing entitled “Fairies” for $20,000, and expertly duplicated it 999 times using digital technology and a robotic arm. Then heat, light, and humidity were applied to synthetically add years to the paper.

MSCHF says the replicas are so convincing that only the most expert art analyst might be able to distinguish the real one, and they claim to have destroyed all evidence of which is the actual piece.

“By forging ‘Fairies ‘en masse, we obliterate the trail of provenance for the artwork,” the MSCHF website says. “Though physically undamaged, we destroy any future confidence in the veracity of the work. By burying a needle in a needlestack, we render the original as much a forgery as any of our replications.”

All 1,000 prints of Fairies, under the project name “The Museum of Forgeries,” were then put on sale for just $250 each with the disclaimer that each purchase was a “possible real copy” of Warhol’s work. Remarkably, every print in the series sold out within a week, earning the collective of 20 artists $250,000 – more than 12 times the price they paid for the original.

This latest “drop,” as all MSCHF artworks are termed, was essentially a nose-thumbing at the art market.

“For the majority of high-net-worth individuals collecting art, it’s not about the aesthetic value,” MSCHF Chief Creative Officer Lukas Bentel told CNN. “It’s just about the investment value. Will this appreciate in time or not?”

Added co-Chief Creative Officer Kevin Wiesner, “It’s always very funny to do pieces that are able to simultaneously spit in the art world’s face, and also do what they’re trying to do – which is use art as an investment vehicle – but better.”

They were also pleased with their ability to (sort of) bring celebrated art to the masses. “A Warhol piece is completely unrealistic for most people to even come close to getting,” Weisner said. “In some way, we’re democratizing it by letting everyone have what could be a Warhol.”

He also speculates that the late artist might actually approve of this scheme, as Warhol himself often exploited mass production of his work.

“I hope he’d get a kick out of it,” Wiesner said, because “he mainstreamed the idea that great artists don’t produce their own works themselves, which at some point farther back in history would have been as verboten as forgery. For us, Museum of Forgeries is about using duplication as a means of destroying art.”

Now that there are 1,000 possibly authentic version of “Fairies” floating around in the world, Weisner notes that “You’d have to be out of your mind to take seriously a gallery that is offering this piece as a (authentic) Warhol in the future…We hope the chain of trust is irrevocably broken here.”

MSCHF is notorious for their prankster-like art. Recently they were sued by Nike for trademark infringement over their joint project with Lil Nas X, “Satan Shoes,” a pair of sneakers topped with a pentagram, “666” inscriptions, and drops of real human blood mixed into the air bubble ink.

The group first grabbed the public spotlight in 2019 when it sold a laptop installed with six of the world’s most dangerous viruses for over $1.3 million. The collective is currently engaged in a perpetual quest to make a new cheeky art drop on its site every two weeks.

The post MSCHF Gives Buyers a Chance to Buy A Warhol for $250 – But They’ll Never Know If It’s Real first appeared on Dornob.

Now, a team of designers called Flyte plans to recreate this lost pyramidia in spectacular floating form, as the world’s largest magnetically levitating artwork.

Named Py, the sculpture will be at least 20 feet (six meters) tall and showcased both in person at an art gallery and online in early 2022. The designers have developed custom-built maglev technology capable of levitating up to 220 pounds, and have already built a smaller-scale working prototype measuring 13 feet high. While this prototype is just made of carbon fiber rods, the full-scale version will be solid. They’re currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter to fund the project, including its exhibition, and backers get a pretty awesome reward in the form of a mini levitating capstone of their own.

Aiming to help remind us all that “there’s still a place for mystery and magic in our everyday lives,” the mini Py features a built-in light that you can turn on and off by touching the base. It comes in black, white, gray, iridescent, gold, and premium or iridescent glass versions.

The designers explain that “Py is a combination of the words Pythagoras, the Greek Philosopher, and Phi or Golden Ratio. 1:1.1618. Both are present in the structure of the installation. The Great Pyramid of Giza has a base of 230.4 meters (755.9 feet) and an estimated original height of 146.5 meters (480.6 feet). This also creates a height-to-base ratio of 0.636, which indicates it is indeed a Golden Triangle, at least to within three significant decimal places of accuracy.”

“Throughout the centuries, the ancient pyramids have been a source of inspiration to artists, writers, mathematicians, and architects. Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla had an obsession with the Egyptian pyramids. Tesla believed they served a higher purpose and was investigating them throughout his life. He believed the pyramids contained a power to send energy wirelessly due to their shape and location, which provided the inspiration for his experimental Wardenclyffe Tower and his designs for generators that could theoretically use the Earth’s ionosphere as a source of energy. His triangle-shaped design became known as Tesla’s electromagnetic pyramid.”

Flyte, which specializes in home decor and lighting products, previously created the world’s first levitating light bulb, which was recognized as one of TIME Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2016. Like Py, the Flyte bulb hovers in mid-air using magnetic levitation, powered wirelessly through the air.

The post Py: Colossal Levitating Pyramid Display Pays Tribute to Missing Ancient Capstones first appeared on Dornob.

After announcing a $400 remote control model of the vehicle in early 2020 (that’s only just now hitting store shelves), Hot Wheels parent company Mattel unveiled a new $100 Hot Wheels 1:10 R/C Cybertruck package in mid-May of this year. At one-tenth the size of the life-size futuristic transport, the Tesla mini-me is pretty fast. “Collectors will love the insane detail and epic design features of the Cybertruck, while R/C enthusiasts will marvel at its speed, reaching up to 12 mph,” the company website says. Of course, that’s only about half as fast as the first toy model.

Part of those “insane details” are the working headlights and taillights. Just like in the highly anticipated real Tesla, the headlight bar wraps around the entire front end while the taillights comprise one solid bar across the back. Reviewers of the original model say that although they are mostly cosmetic, these lights are fairly powerful and could be helpful if the car were to get stuck in a small, dark space.

The new accompanying remote control is exclusive to this version, patterned after the actual Cybertruck’s U-shaped steering wheel. After three hours of charging, the battery on the truck can deliver up to 25 minutes of run time.

The newer replica lacks the removable body shell like the previous toy, and it’s certainly not as durable as the real-life stainless steel car. However, sneak peek reviewers have been impressed with the new R/C’s all-wheel drive powertrain, and its ability to easily maneuver through grass.

Also included in this cheaper update is a miniature free-rolling Cyberquad, Tesla’s mostly mythical all-terrain vehicle. While it’s not a power toy itself, it can be added or removed from the open truck bed just like it was in the original company presentation. Using it as a “one more thing” gimmick during the 2019 Cybertruck unveiling, company founder and CEO Elon Musk wowed the audience by loading his space-age ATV into the back of the truck, demonstrating its huge loading capacity. While the CyberQuad was later promised to be an add-on to Cybertruck package, little has been heard about it since.

As for the eagerly awaited Cybertruck itself, it’s likely to be delayed. It was initially supposed to start shipping in late 2021, but since Musk announced that the vehicle would be produced in the Gigafactory Texas, which also has not yet been completed, expectant buyers – including the 250,000 who preordered the $40,000 truck within the first week of its unveiling – should prepare themselves for a much longer wait.

The Hot Wheels copycat seems to be just as coveted. The limited quantities sold out within hours of being made available on the company website, even with limits of “two per person, five per household.” Those lucky enough to have snagged the R/C bundle can expect it to ship by September 15th, 2021.

The post Hot Wheels 1:10 Scale RC Tesla Cybertruck Beats the Real Thing to Production first appeared on Dornob.

Among Japan’s most beautiful vernacular architecture, Shinto shrines are considered the dwellings of the kami, the Shinto gods. While the full-sized shrines draw visitors to marvel at their beauty, pay respects to the kami, and pray for good fortune, miniature versions called kamidana offer a way for individuals to invite the kami into their homes. Translating literally to “god/spirit-shelf” in English, kamidana are usually placed high up on a wall and used to display items related to Shinto-style ceremonies, like shintai, which are objects that house a chosen kami, giving it a physical representation to worship.

While traditional kamidana vary from small and simple shapes to more ornate shrine reproductions, architect Naohiko Shimoda has created a pair that are a bit more contemporary in style. For the latest one, Shimoda used incredibly narrow lengths of miniature lumber to construct a minimalist structure with a complex framework underneath it, almost as if a Shinto shrine were elevated on stilts to take advantage of a beautiful view.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKfv_oOjwq3/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKVefAcDwqb/

Presented on Instagram, the bespoke miniature shrine is just as fascinating in tightly-framed detail views as it is taken in as a whole. In some of Shimoda’s older Instagram posts, he shows off architectural models he’s built for his full-scale projects, and you can see a similarly complex structure underpinning his boxy modern designs.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BttFzKPj7vW/

This is the second such miniature Shimoda has custom-designed for a client. In 2018, he created “Kamidana in the corner,” a shrine that fits an outer corner rather than an inner one. Both designs take on more of a symbolic and decorative role than the shelf-like type of traditional kamidana that’s capable of supporting objects, but there’s still something powerful about the delicacy of their construction. The almost toothpick-thin supports give them an appearance of transience, as if they might pick up and leave in the night of their own volition.

“In general, architecture is too large, so we design using the concept of ‘scale.’ However, there is no scale on the kamidana,” Shimoda says. “Although the figure looks like a miniature, it always appears at a scale of one-third. The purpose of the kamidana is to build a company in the house, and there is a practical aspect that it must be a small company for that purpose. However, because it is a small company and a company that humans cannot enter, there is a sense of scale that is a method (maniella) peculiar to kamidana that has escaped from the human scale.”

“As a result, the driving force that determines the design is purely the details that create the beauty and corporateness of the proportions. This time, the proportions of each part are based on the aspect ratio (1:10) at which the architecture reveals its commemoration, and the details incorporate elements of temples and shrines nationwide. This is because a certain sense of déjà vu is important for the kamidana (= company). When a person prays for something, he or she needs a yorishiro to accept that thought. At that time, yorishiro needs some kind of production that makes it easy for people to think about it. The déjà vu effect used this time is a receptor that accepts the thoughts of those who pray.”

The post Miniature Shinto Shrine by Architect Naohiko Shimoda Offers a New Take on Tradition first appeared on Dornob.

With all this focus on deterioration and decay, it’s easy to characterize Laveuve’s work as dystopian, but the details often reveal a spirit of defiance. That’s never been clearer than in “The Navigator,” his latest work. As the artist makes clear in the description, this piece reflects frustrations with COVID-related restrictions and the loss of all the fun that comes with alcohol-fueled social gatherings. Given that it’s offshore, the tiny multi-story structure feels sort of like a pirate ship. The details are truly incredible — just check out the weathering on the tiny kegs of Heineken.

“The Navigator is a free and independent raft.

A tub that sails on the surreal waves of drunkenness guided by the song of the sirens.

The Navigator is an affable shack moored to the resistance.

A zinc-free roof sheltered from any curfew, where excess rhymes with sharing.

The Navigator is the smell of yesteryear, cigarettes, and teas for intimate friends.

Its scent is that of the Human ‘being together’ the dystopia of 2020.”

Other recent works explore similar themes, like “The Flight,” in which a construction worker pauses mid-job on scaffolding to partake in the small pleasure of flying a kite. “The Turret” reflects the artist’s feelings about withdrawing into a protective tower during the “war” of COVID, “the ideal nest of the misanthrope in confinement.” Another piece from this year has been in the works for a long time, Laveuve says. “The Road” depicts a grim scene taken straight from the Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name, and the artist warns that “this reality will reach us faster than expected if we do not change our habits as soon as possible.”

Laveuve’s work is highly influenced by his childhood in one of Europe’s most famous modernist urban environments, the concrete towers of architect Renée Gailhoustet, who built all the social housing in Ivry-sur-Seine. A photographer and author by profession as well as a self-taught artist, Laveuve is fascinated with human environments and how they change over time, and uses a lot of recycled elements in his work.

He explains: “Surrounded by the dormitories, pavilions, and the industrial zone, it is above all the spatial arrangements of the city, created in collaboration with Jean Renaudie, which inevitably marked my mind. My pieces, for the most part, have this aspect of shelter. A shelter for man, made by man, whose face is not necessarily present. I like to work on height and on the inaccessible. Protection and surrender. Fallen icons and their symbolism. Resistance and insubordination.”

The post Simon Laveuve’s Fascinating Miniatures Explore the Urban Post-Apocalypse in Dazzling Detail first appeared on Dornob.

Edge, which has previously produced epic robotic creatures for Hollywood movies like Free Willy, Anaconda, and Deep Blue Sea, already has a 550-pound, eight-foot-long porpoise prototype in the works, made from medical-grade silicone “skin” that looks so real it has already fooled test audiences.

Although underwater mammals have been the centerpiece of aquariums and water parks for decades now, the attractions have waned in popularity in recent years because of popular outcry regarding their treatment.

“The marine park industry has had falling revenues for over a decade due to ethical concerns and the cost of live animals, yet the public hunger to learn about and experience these animals is still as strong as ever,” Roger Holzberg, Edge’s creative director of animatronics says in an interview with The Guardian. “We believe that it’s time to reimagine this industry, and that this approach can be more humane and more profitable at the same time.”

The Edge website explains that “real-time animatronics are hyper-real creatures capable of delivering any experience you can imagine. From dolphins sharing their dreams with your children, to great white sharks inviting you to be a part of their feeding frenzy, to sea dragons breathing fire in a nighttime fountain show. Safe, up close, personal engagement with the creatures of our oceans is finally possible.”

Addressing worries that computer-built animals might not deliver the same experience as the originals, Li Wang, a business developer for Edge, says: “For people [like] me, I liken authentic to natural. But if we think about the younger generation, they spend far more time than us playing electronic games online. We actually need to ask ourselves what is real and what is fake.”

In fact, an animatronic dolphin can offer several advantages over a real one. For starters, because the robots are controlled by humans and artificial intelligence, they can be programed to make specific gestures in response to children. They’re also built for close contact that could easily hurt living wildlife. And because the robo-dolphins don’t need salt water or room to stretch their fins, they can also be conveniently housed in small tanks in shopping centers, or even in pools chlorinated to keep human germs at bay.

“We realized that using animatronics instead of using live animals enabled us to create characters that truly were lovable, that could really deliver on the idea that we won’t hurt what we fall in love with,” Holzberg says.

Developer Wang says the bigger challenge is convincing entertainment venues that the $26.3 million price tag for each replica is worth the switch. “We have to persuade them that it is a profitable business, even more profitable than live animals,” he says. Wang also points out that dolphin droids will save money by cutting back on the cost of carefully monitored water temperature, food, and veterinarians.

“In terms of a 10-year business operating period and a two million annual visitor capacity, the overall investment and maintenance costs for a decent animatronics entertainment portfolio only accounts for about one quarter or no more than one-third of what a traditional aquarium spends,” he adds.

And of course, there’s the compassion aspect. Porpoises average a life span of only 20 years in captivity, although they can live between 30 and 50 in their natural habitats. Plus, instating electronically-animated creatures in marine exhibits would eliminate the need to abduct dolphins from their homes and families.

Animal-rights group PETA has already signed on to Edge’s mission, having recently showcased the company’s prototype at one of its events. “In 2020, cutting-edge technology allows us to experience nature without harming it,” says PETA’s UK director Elisa Allen.

Chinese firm Red Star Macalline Group has funded Edge’s first phase of development, with a pledge to replace live dolphins at its theme parks with robotic versions. There are more than 60 marine parks in China, which combined attract hundreds of millions of visitors each year. If mechanized sea life could get off the ground there, it could very well lay the groundwork for a near-future aquarium revolution.

The post Swimming With Robotic Dolphins: The Future of Marine Parks? first appeared on Dornob.

The team began with a big idea and funneled it down to reality. Company director Rob McPherson explains: “The design theme called for a unique yacht that reflected the style and sophistication of the principality. We want[ed] to create a truly unique environment that could take the principality of Monaco to the ocean.”

For size and layout, they began with one of the most recognizable attractions in Monaco, the Grand Prix course, and modeled it to scale in hopes making it an onboard go-kart track capable of supporting three go-karts side by side. With the track hammered out, the designers turned their attention to replicas of the Monte Carlo Casino, Hotel de Paris, Prince’s Palace, Loews Hotel, Port Hercules, and La Rascasse.

The yacht is designed for the comfort of 16 guests in eight rooms, including seven guest suites that each include their own reception room, bathroom, dressing room, bedroom, and balcony. The larger VIP suites have the added luxury of a private office.

In a separate wing, the owner’s apartment covers three floors and 1460 square meters. It’s made up of multiple balconies, an office, bedroom, bathroom, his/hers dressing rooms, private courtyard, sunroom, and private sundeck complete with a jacuzzi and swimming pool. The apartment also benefits from a listening room and sitting lounge with fireplace. Even better, a private lift provides access to all three decks here.

A yacht this size (500 feet) is meant to be shared with friends, of course, so the designers also made sure to include public areas all throughout, including pools, cafés, a library, and a spa complete with a manicure and hair salon, private massage suites, sauna/steam rooms, and a large relaxation lounge featuring an accompanying spa pool and bar. “The Oasis” is located near the ship’s boarding area, where guests are greeted by a replica of the gardens right outside the Monaco Casino. This area also boasts a waterfall that spills over from the upper pools into the lower ones, as well as multiple landscaped paths and private sitting areas.

Get your game on with a battle at the yacht’s tennis courts, or hit the basketball court that doubles as a helipad for those guests that might have to fly inland for meetings. If helicopters aren’t so much your thing, you could always jump into the yacht’s submarine for an underwater adventure, or park a smaller yacht in the designated parking space and use it as your commuter vessel.

Obviously a luxury superyacht designed to replicate the city of Monaco isn’t for everyone —especially if you can’t cover the estimated $1 billion price tag. However, if money is no concern to you, you stand to own one of the most expensive — and likely the most original — boats in the world.

The post Superyacht Design Perfectly Recreates the Streets of Monaco first appeared on Dornob.

“As the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence, we are happy to participate, under the aegis of the Italian Commissariat for Expo, in this innovative project, the first high-tech reproduction of Michelangelo’s David. The David will be the protagonist of the Italian Pavilion of the next Universal Exposition…[this] icon of beauty and perfection will represent not only Italian art, his figure will above all be the bearer of an important positive message of rebirth, hope, and courage,” says the Accademia’s director Cecilie Hollberg.

Over the course of the next 12 months, until the October opening of the postponed Expo 2020 Dubai, the construction of the David’s high-tech brother will begin with comprehensive data collection and digitization. The natural plastics, resins, and other “innovative materials” will then be milled before being filtered through the “largest 3D printer in the world.” After being both machine and hand-polished, the final step will be detail work, like painting the replica to imitate the original’s marble coloring.

Digital David will be a collaboration between Italy’s preeminent engineers, computer scientists, artisans, curators, teachers, and restorers, all under the supervision of the University of Florence.

The 16th-century masterpiece is no stranger to being copied. Since its unveiling in 1504, Michelangelo’s treasure has been reproduced in countless forms and places. There are two full-scale facsimiles in Florence alone. A marble version is also located outside City Hall, the David’s original site (the real one currently resides safely out of the elements in the Galleria dell’Accademia). A bronze, now-patinaed model looks over the city at the Piazzale Michelangelo. The statue also has life-size likenesses in other places all over the world, including New York, California, Brazil, Uruguay, Korea, and Australia. According to the Wikipedia page about the David’s imitations, a plaster cast was even installed in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum in 1957 and included a “detachable fig leaf, used for added modesty during visits by [the Queen] and other important ladies.”

The newest edition is not even the first 3D-printed David. “At Stanford University they made a first digital [reduced-scale] copy about 20 years ago, but in the meantime the tools have changed and we wanted to try to transfer the knowledge applied so far only in the industrial sector, in the aeronautical and naval sectors,” explains Hollberg.

The result will hopefully showcase the progress Italy has made since Michelangelo first got his hands on that colossal block of Carrara marble. With native companies involved in all aspects of the venture, “the promotion of Italian scientific and technological expertise is part of the operation,” says Paolo Glisenti, commissioner general for the country’s Expo pavilion. “It’s technology tied to historical memory, for future memory. History and innovation — those are the themes that interest us.”

David 2.0 will be displayed centrally as the focal point of the multi-story Italian exhibition, enabling visitors to examine it from every angle. A video recounting the entire creation process will play nearby, providing a handy guidebook on how to replicate ancient artwork in the event of damage.

After the Expo closes in March 2022, the 3D twin will be returned to Florence, although its exact location has yet to be determined.

The post Michelangelo’s David Gets “Digital Twin” for World’s Fair first appeared on Dornob.

The way these tiny treehouses interact with houseplants is similar to the work of artist Jedediah Corwyn Voltz, who selects potted plants and bonsai with shapes that mimic real trees and builds adorable, realistic mini treehouses around them. Voltz’s work is definitely on another level, and these flat-pack kits can’t be customized to your plants in quite the same way, but you can still achieve a similar effect.

The model kits come in a range of difficulty levels, some bearing dozens of intricate pieces. The easiest models are rated 3/5 for difficulty, while the ornate six-story “Temple of Supreme Serenity” is a full-on 5/5. It takes two to four hours for the average person to assemble one miniature structure, with minimal glueing required. The styles include several beautiful temples, multi-level pagodas, a dangling lantern-style treehouse, and a more conventional rustic treehouse. Even better, more designs will be unlocked as the campaign meets future stretch goals.

Speaking of lanterns, here’s one of the coolest things about these mini flat-pack treehouse kits. Each model comes with LED lights and batteries so you can turn the tiny treehouses into softly glowing lamps, illuminating their interiors so all the details are visible in the dark. Models like “Tropical Lookout” and “Home Base” even have minuscule furniture arranged inside, including couches, dining sets, and beds small enough for ants to lounge on.

If you want to work on these models with kids without worrying about losing all the small parts, the creators just released the option of choosing larger versions of each treehouse, which makes them a lot easier to build. The regularly sized models will sell for about $45 each, and the scaled-up versions will cost an extra $14. The Kickstarter campaign ends Thursday, October 15th, and they’ll likely be available for retail sale at some point in the near future.

“Ever since I was little I loved arts and crafts, and now design has become a key tool for my self expression,” says creator Lars. “I love the problem solving, being hands on, and the way I get to manifest my own reality. My goal in life is to bring a bit of joy and happiness to the world, and to empower creativity in others. But really, I just love creating awesome stuff! Honestly, designing a product and bringing it into market has been a huge ambition of mine since I was young. If you back this project, you are helping me achieve a very big dream!”

If you love the idea of building architectural models but your tastes are more modern, there are plenty of other kits available for you, too. Just check out these mini modern “dollhouses” by toymaker BrincaDADA!

The post Build Your Own Tiny Treehouses With This DIY Model Kit first appeared on Dornob.

Now, kids (and kids at heart) all over Japan can travel to a recreation of this heartwarming scene in the rural town of Takaharu, Miyazaki Prefecture, where a “life-sized” Totoro stands waiting at a (fake) bus stop. A couple marking the milestone of turning 70 years old wanted to celebrate by creating the attraction for their grandchildren, as well as other children who might derive joy from seeing the cuddly replica.

The grandfather, who worked as a plasterer for 50 years, started by creating a wooden barrel as the base and layering cement on it. His wife and other elders from the neighborhood helped smooth out the surface and add details like the pointy ears, whiskers, and big round belly. They then set their replica on a bed of gravel and bricks on their own private property, placing a bus stop sign directly beside it. They have since installed a “fortune telling” vending machine in the area and begun renting out red umbrellas as photo props.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8q1qfTpflC/?utm_source=ig_embed

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpsnamZltuR/?utm_source=ig_embed

Naturally, it wasn’t very long before the installation started to draw visitors. The couple’s grandkids loved it, and so did just about everyone who learned of its existence. It quickly became such a big tourist attraction, the local town authorities had to release guidelines about respectfully visiting it, going so far as to recommend convenient guest houses located nearby. They even added three parking spaces so multiple people can visit at once to try out their best poses and post their photos on social media.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpRqRaSgUEU/?utm_source=ig_embed

The couple’s hard work helped bring the magic of the film to life, and the result is undeniably adorable. It’s no wonder Totoro fans from all over the world are starting to make their way there.

Totoro himself is inspired by legendary creatures called Koropokkuru from the Ainu tales of Japanese folklore. Unlike Totoro though, they’re not furry creatures, but rather tiny humans. Their name means “people below the leaves of the Fuki” in the Ainu language, and as the story goes, they were the original inhabitants of the northern Japanese islands. Short, agile, and skilled at fishing, they are often depicted holding leaves over their heads.

If you want to visit the Tonari no Totoro Bus Stop yourself, it’s marked on Google Maps at 7538-6 Kamamuta, Takaharu, Nishimorokata District, Miyazaki 889-4414, Japan. You’re welcome to give him a hug and take your photos between 8 am and 6 pm each and every day.

Are you a big Studio Ghibli fan? You’ll love the artwork of Japanese artist Monokubo, who creates fantastical digital paintings featuring friendly oversized animals like wolves, cats, foxes, and birds, all of whom similarly watch over, protect, and play with their human companions.

The post Japanese Couple Builds Totoro-Inspired Bus Stop for Their Grandkids first appeared on Dornob.

In previous decades, fake plants made of silk or plastic offered a common solution to this problem, but most of them weren’t exactly convincing. Today, you can occasionally find some pretty authentic-looking artificial houseplants, but they aren’t cheap, and you’ll have to keep them dusted to preserve the effect. So why not do away with the pretense altogether and move in a different direction?

Artist Raya Sader Bujana lets you enjoy the looks of every single one of those trendy houseplants without requiring even the slightest bit of care. Her incredible miniature creations are made of paper and stand just a few inches tall. Each individual sculpture in her series “Tiny Big Paper House Plants” looks so uncannily real, you’ll wonder for a moment whether somebody actually managed to breed tiny versions of these snake plants, cacti, and more.

Even more incredibly, Bujana has crafted baskets and planters to go with each one. Look closely and you’ll see that many of them are woven just like their full-sized counterparts, some so intricately that they “almost took my sanity,” as the artist says on Instagram. That’s where you’ll find many detailed shots of her creations, which give us a sense of just how much work goes into each one.

“I’m dedicating an entire post to this basket, cause it nearly killed me,” she writes. “If you followed the process on my stories you saw how long it took me to weave this tiny thing, with a hundred gazillion paper threads that I hand cut. It was fun and nerve-wracking, but fun… I enjoy things that challenge both me and my patience. What do you guys think of this one? I think it’s my favorite basket to date…”

Luckily, you don’t have to be as talented as Bujana to enjoy these little masterpieces. The artist sells her creations on Etsy, so you can collect a miniature paper nursery of your very own. Unsurprisingly, you have to act fast when they’re posted, because they tend to sell out in a flash. Bujana’s paper plant crafting expertise has already netted her over 100K followers on Instagram, many of whom are waiting breathlessly for her next items to appear.

View this post on Instagram

BARCELONA ???? Nos vemos mañana y el Domingo en el @festivaletbcn con muchas cositas nuevas, todas mis plantitas estarán de visita y esta vez traigo lupa ???????? Habrá prints nuevos, pins, collares, miniaturas y ya no me acuerdo que más porque estoy muy cansada ???? Quien viene a saludarme? ???? @leocroma #paperart #paperflowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #paperartist #pursuepretty #paperengineering #papersculpture #blooooms #dsfloral #DStiny #botanicalpickmeup #urbanjungle #plantlady #plantmom #etsyshop #festivalet2019 #rayasaderbujana #ohwowyes #miniatureart #dslooking #abmlifeiscolorful #thedesigntip #graphicdesigncentral #mymodernmet #molliemakes #designlovefest

A post shared by Raya Sader Bujana. (@littlerayofsunflower) on Dec 13, 2019 at 9:57am PST

View this post on Instagram

SURPRISE UPDATE to celebrate Small Business Saturday will be live for 24hrs starting in about 6hrs (midnight Spain time) This time I’ve included some slightly larger framed pieces as well ???? 12 Necklaces in total and 9 Framed pieces ????They are a perfect accent for your wall and can also be used as an ornament if you like ☺️ lots of Birth Flowers in this update. After 24hrs, if something hasn’t been sold it will be removed from the shop ???? There is 20%off on everything in the shop except originals through next Monday and all orders above 120€ will automatically be upgraded to express shipping ✈️ (applies to the US and Europe) and also, all orders above 35$ have free shipping to the US AND Spain and very reduced shipping costs to the rest of the world ❤️ All orders will ship on Monday ☺️ Hope you love these as much as I do ???? ???? @leocroma #paperart #paperflowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . #botanicalpickmeup #blooooms #paperartist #pursuepretty #paperartistcollective #etsy #birthflower #plantlady #urbanjungle #designmilk #designboom #graphicdesigncentral #dslooking #designsponge #dscolor #dsfloral #ohwowyes #rayasaderbujana #creativityfound #craftsposure #calledtobecreative #molliemakes

A post shared by Raya Sader Bujana. (@littlerayofsunflower) on Nov 29, 2019 at 8:42am PST

Bujana also crafts tiny cacti contained within miniature bell jar terrariums, wearable pressed paper flowers in glass lockets, life-sized paper flowers and ferns, paper food replicas, and additional non-paper items like enamel pins and framed prints.

Do these tiny paper plants make you want to start a collection that will never die?

The post Black Thumb? These Tiny Intricate Paper Plants Will Never Die first appeared on Dornob.

Today, as creativity and social commentary continue to push the boundaries across almost all genres, people’s interpretations of the event has become much more inventive, although many still prefer the classical interpretation of yore.

Here are a few of our favorite examples:

Barbie Nativity

In an effort to highlight the gaudy sense of consumerism that’s tainted the Christmas season over the years, Argentine artists Marianela Perelli and Emiliano Paolini created this Mattel-toy driven nativity scene called “Barbie, The Plastic Religion.” Ken and Barbie hog the scene in various costumes; the baby is the only original player.

Pork Lover’s Nativity

Back in 2010, one artistic Flickr user shared their bizarre take on the famous stable scene by making bacon and sausage the stars. The straw is made from sauerkraut, but the people and animals are 100-percent pork.

Vacuum Cleaner Nativity

If the spirit’s right, a nativity scene can be created from anything. A Brit with an appliance store in the UK’s Westcliff-on-Sea teamed up with his son to build this unique scene out of the line of Henry vacuum cleaners he sells to customers.

The Three Wise Aliens

Instead of bemoaning the commercialization of Christmas, artist Matt Henderson rewrote the nativity story altogether when he recreated the scene in a former church located in Portland, Oregon. Besides throwing an extra wise man into the mix (can’t have too much wisdom), he also invited Santa Claus to the party. The characters were hardly recognizable in the end, with the magi being portrayed by space aliens and Santa decked out as a shaman with antlers on his head.

Cats in the Cradle

Sisters Annette and Sue Amendola spent over a decade carefully building a traditional nativity scene on their lawn in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Then they added food to the display, and the local stray cats quickly spread the word, edging Baby Jesus off his perch for their own enjoyment of that cozy hay.

Hipster Nativity

When Casey Wright designed “The Modern Nativity Hipster Nativity Set,” he was thinking about how religions would be much more diverse if their hallowed texts and characters reflected today’s world. His details mirror his vision: Joseph has a man-bun, wears a denim shirt, and snaps a selfie with Mary, who’s holding a cup of coffee from a trendy shop. The Wise Men sport shades and cruise in on Segways with presents from Amazon. The event is shared on Instagram, and all the gadgets are powered by solar panels on the roof of the manger.

The post 6 Nativity Scenes You Probably Won’t See Around The Neighborhood first appeared on Dornob.

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.”

The post Urban Miniatures: Street Artists Turn a Gallery into a Diorama first appeared on Dornob.