Pavilion of Art & Design London 2010 – Seen by Wallpaper* Magazine

 The Moet-Hennessy-PAD London prize-winning ’Fragile Future Concrete’ chandelier by Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta of Drift, for Carpenter’s Workshop Gallery

image: Wallpaper* Magazine

Malaika Byng has written a nice little article entitled “Pavilion of Art & Design London 2010” for the marvelous Wallpaper* Magazine, looking at the ” rich and enjoyable exhibition” of design and art featured at this year’s PAD.  With works dating from 1860 to 2010, there’s no “flood of new products” nor the frenzy of Frieze, but rather a richly satisfying diversity of styles, materials and creative ideas.  Though the prices may be beyond most of our budgets, the beauty of the pieces exhibited is well within our reach.

Very nice slideshow, here.

And a fascinating video of Random International’s sound-reactive ‘Swarm’ light for Carpenter’s Workshop Gallery, here.

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“The Heart That Beats, Heats, Chills and Whips” – Design Observation

Chemex Coffee Maker, from 1941.

image: Museum of Modern Art/The New York Times

It is always with great pleasure that we read Roberta Smith’s journalistic contributions, usually in the vast domain of art, on which her commentary is precise, inspired and wonderfully rich.  Her new article entitled, marvelously, “The Heart That Beats, Heats, Chills and Whips” in the Art & Design section of The New York Times looking at the new exhibition entitled “Counter Space: Design and the Modern Kitchen” (through March 14 at the Museum of Modern Art; (212) 708-9400, moma.org) is yet another learned, thoughtful and amusing addition to her, shall we say, body of work.

Design, social observation, penetrating and wry commentary; what more could we want? (Except, naturally, to head off to MoMA to see the exhibition.)

The article includes a nice slideshow, here.
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Venice 2010 Architecture Biennale – Best Laid Plans?

More more-art-than-architecture, in the Fray Foam Home by Andres Jacque Arquitectos

image: William Menking/The Architect’s Newspaper Blog

 William Menking has published a very interesting post entitled “Venice 2010> Has the Biennale Outlived its Usefulness?” in The Architect’s Newspaper Blog looking at many of the projects and possibilities, some dynamic, some less so, presented at the Venice 2010 Architecture Biennale and asking a couple of the crucial questions:  “When ‘modest’ national pavilions cost $500,000 to $800,000 dollars, are there better ‘architectural’ ways to spend the money? and “Is design in the absence of urbanism truly architecture or just design?”.  Menking doesn’t limit himself to these subjects, however, and also reflects on the ability of exhibitions (architectural or otherwise) to communicate to the cognoscenti (or conoscenti, if you prefer) as well as to the public.  He’s also taken some nice photos.
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Architecture & Design – Diller Scofidio + Renfro Design for Los Angeles Broad Collection Art Museum

The parking lot next to the Frank Gehry designed Walt Disney Concert Hall will be the site for the upcoming Diller Scofidio + Renfro designed Broad Collection art museum

image: Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times

Christopher Hawthorne has written an interesting article entitled “Critic’s Notebook: Eli Broad and the Diller Scofidio + Renfro museum design” in the Los Angeles Times looking at the very recently approved Eli Broad art museum to be built in Los Angeles, just across the street from Frank Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall.  Christopher Knight, also for the Los Angeles Times, has written an article entitled “Broad Collection building design is upside-down” looking at Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s design for the Broad Collection/Boston’s Institue of Contemporary Art and the error that the architects are about to repeat in Los Angeles.

Are art museums still about art?  Or have economic concerns now imposed the “culture mall” vision? One supposes that it means something when both articles appear in the “Entertainment” section of the newspaper…

And what do you think?
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