'COME-IN' EXHIBITION

It makes sense to see design as art, since art is a kind of visual language with theories behind it. Art always juggles with wish-fulfillment - so does design.

The Institut für Auslands-Beziehungen e.V. brings to Singapore shores their touring exhibition ‘Come-in’, which depicts the synthesis between interior design and fine art. By presenting the applied designs in contemporary artforms like sculptures and photography, these fixtures are given a new layer of artistic symbolism. The choice of each interior space also underscores the interaction of contemporary history with the artist’s biography and aesthetics.

'Come-in' assembled 25 well-known German artists, including Stefan Kern, Claus Fottinger and Daniel Roth, as well as local artist Min Chen and photographer Ho Hui May.


These four outwardly-facing chairs share a single spindle, suggesting that people in an office are structurally alienated and turn their backs in opposition to one another.


Created by Claus Foettinger, Hermann's Doner Inne imitates a flashy inner-city trysting place: the bar has a stylish and sharp combination of steel, glass and photographic imagery mounted on the drum of the semi-circular bar. Behind this funky invention, the shelving becomes capricious and disruptive. A giant yellow M alludes to consumerism (you know what the letter stands for, don't you?) while a giant cross reflects Christianity.

The images of doner kebab establishments present a curious contrast. These are your original naive places for value, spread around the globe wherever there are Turks but emphatically non-globalised, because they're about genuine food rather than corporate branding.


This installation is partly inspired by Stanley Kubrick's futuristic movie set for his 1968 masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Chaise Longue 1 by artist Isa Melsheimer is part furniture, part model and part landscape. It speaks of broken romantic longings and ideas about nature.

This string curtain is composed of sliced-up trunks of different species of trees surrounding the creator's home in the woods.

Through the exhibition, it is hoped that visitors will discover the fine line between art and design and see an object as something more than a piece of furniture.

The exhibition is now on till 12th April 2009 at the National Museum of Singapore.


Stan

Read More..

J-LOFT BY PLYSTUDIO

Here in Singapore, Plystudio has completed an apartment interior named J-Loft. The loft was stripped of all internal walls and reconfigured using box-shaped divisions and furniture.

KUS

Read More..

ASIA POP BY KETNA PATEL

I respect the richness and diversity of traditional Asian art a lot, but until recently, can't help thinking that many of the contemporary Asian artists are merely playing a game of “catch up” with their Western counterparts. I seriously need to correct that notion.

I'd like to point you to Ketna Patel's body of work. The Singapore-based artist is a highly prolific artist/ designer who utilizes a combination of different materials and techniques, ranging from traditional painting to multi-media interfaces, for her work. Her current collection Asia Pop is a series of art and furniture inspired by the plural narratives embedded in Asian street culture. Think powerful Asian images infused with loud electric colors.




Patel's work particularly impresses me with its pop art sensibility and joyful imagery of diverse religious icons and the extremes of daily life. While this may not be everybody's cup of tea (and definitely not for the weak of hearts), the artwork and furniture that result reflect the creator's refreshing personal style and is above the stereotypical Asian themed art/décor for export that we've come to know of.

Patel's work is currently on display at ARTSingapore 2008 until tomorrow (13th Oct).


Stan

Read More..

SQOOSH BY KIMMING YAP

Kimming Yap from Creativeans pointed us to his studio's website today and was I glad to find out about his sleek Sqoosh bench in fiberglass. Inspired by the "tension between 2 opposing forces and the dissonance that results when they meet", the bench comes with center 'ripples' which serve as magazine holders.


KUS

Read More..

FARRER COURT BY ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS

Zaha Hadid Architects recently unveiled these designs for Singapore’s largest residential development. The Farrer Court site is located in a strategic position within the residential area of Singapore, close to the amenities of Holland Road and the future MRT station. The absence of high rise buildings in the near surroundings and direct connection to the main traffic route of Farrer Road make this a prestigious and highly visible site across the whole city.

Not that I like Hadid's design here, but at least this development may give the monotonous Singaporean skies some much-needed excitement...

KUS

Read More..

MODERN HOMES - MAJORCA + SINGAPORE + LONDON

Images provided by SHOOTFACTORY
View the complete inspiration library of images as a slideshow

Thanks to amazing blogs out there like one of my new favorites by Justin Anthony of materialicious he shares with readers his amazing sources on residential architecture, design, craftsmanship, materials and products. An excellent resource. Featured on one of his articles is an amazing company SHOOTFACTORY based out of the UK. "shootfactory is a full-service location agency, representing UK and international properties, studios and venues for TV, film, photo shoots, product launches and events. With over ten years’ international experience in our respective arenas of photography, styling, location management and production, we are committed to providing our location owners and clients with the best service, advice and support." Shootfactory is great option for clients to consider to turn their vacation properties into a source of income while not in use.

Here are a few examples of the many amazing interiors Shootfactory features. My top cities for modern inspiration MALORCA + SINGAPORE + LONDON.

MAJORCA - "Modern lifestyle studio in SE Mallorca (Majorca). Superb daylight. Open plan. Internal and external studio spaces. Props and lighting."

SINGAPORE - "Spread over 3600 sq ft, the indoors and outdoors merge seamlessly in this open plan apartment. Custom made furniture by the designer mingles with modern classics, industrial materials with soft textures."

LONDON - "Striking architect designed and photographer owned timber house. Bright and minimalist rooms with large expanse of glass. Stylish diner-kitchen room with outside space. Parking. Loading gates." The amazing architecture of David Adjaye

Read More..