Some were invented at MIT. Others were simply inspired by time spent at MIT. But all of them (well, maybe not #150) have had a profound impact, in one way or another, on society, culture, politics, economics, transportation, health, science, and, oh yes, technology. — The Boston Globe
Check the recently published Archinect feature: MIT, Going FAST After 150 Years View full entry
For over two decades japanese artist Akiko Ikeuchi has been creating room-sized vortices of silk, tying hundreds of small knots in coloured thread to form elaborate gallery installations.
Beginning with intricate plans resembling architectural diagrams, ikeuchi first lays a foundation structure using cotton thread. Next, a second layer using fine silk thread is slowly knotted into a mesh, a process that spans nearly a month for an installation such as the one depicted.
— inspix.net
Stunning! View full entry
The attorney and family friend, Liu Xiaoyuan, said he had met on Monday with Lu Qing and that she said her husband appeared to be in good physical condition. Mr. Ai also asked about the health of his mother and family, he said, but the circumstance of the supervised visit offered no chance to discuss how his captors were treating him or other details of his confinement. — NYTimes.com
"Typically you tend to find that students who are seeking-out courses in visual effects and film-making are the self motivated types who have gone out and found the information themselves."
"It is something we work very hard at, but schools and colleges could be more aware about how a creative art education can be applied in the world of high-end modern digital media," he said.
— BBC News
These weird, modernistic structures reveal a surprising freedom after the strict controls in 1920s Constructivism, Stalin's so-called Empire (or Gothic) style and Nikita Khrushchev's Modernism initiated in the '50s and '60s. — Los Angeles Times
For several years, the Gulf states have been engaged in an ambitious rebranding campaign, to establish themselves as a centre for art, culture and science. Leading academic institutions, like the New York University or Paris's Sorbonne university, have opened campuses in Abu Dhabi; major museums, like the Louvre and the Guggenheim are planning to build branches there. — Qantara.de
The Abu Dhabi Art Fair has turned into an attraction, not just for regional artists, gallery-owners and art experts, but also for those from Europe, the USA, South Asia and Australia. The Emirate of Sharjah puts on an Art Biennial which has international status. These developments are part of the... View full entry
The museum said it will hold a silent protest in support of Ai on Thursday at its downtown location. A spokeswoman said that the 24-hour protest will start 11 a.m. on Thursday and continue through 11 a.m. the next day. Volunteer participants will occupy two traditionally styled Chinese chairs for one-hour periods. — latimesblogs.latimes.com
The Montreal UNESCO City of Design initiative aims at creating opportunities for designers in Montreal so as to give vital and tangible expression to Montréal’s status as a UNESCO City of Design.
First launched throught an investment of $1.2 million over three years (2007-2011), the initiative aims to fund design and architecture competitions as well as promote made-in-Montréal design initiatives via various digital communication tools.
— Montreal UNESCO City of Design
To celebrate the 5th anniversary of Montréal's designation of a UNESCO City of Design, the city will be hosting a year-long event titled Montréal, UNESCO City of Design, from May 2011 to May 2012. View full entry
A stash of pornography was found in the hideout of Osama bin Laden by the U.S. commandos who killed him, current and former U.S. officials said on Friday.
The pornography recovered in bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, consists of modern, electronically recorded video and is fairly extensive, according to the officials, who discussed the discovery with Reuters on condition of anonymity.
— news.yahoo.com
“Voiture Minimum: Le Corbusier and the Automobile” ($49.95) focuses on Le Corbusier’s design for a “minimum car,” a two-seat, bare-bones people mover with a sheer, angled front. His design existed only in drawings during his lifetime, but became probably the most famous of all automobile designs contributed by architects. — NYTimes.com
Most ills in this world (and we know there isn’t a shortage of them) require massive change on systematic and ideological levels. Indeed, it is a capacity—and many say, a responsibility—of design to address the many pressing problems facing the world today.
But is this the only role for design? Is design solely a form of crisis management and problem solving? Or can design also offer a different perspective on a problem, without having the aim of solving the problem entirely?
— openhouse2011.com
Renny Ramakers responds to the NYT Opinionator piece by Allison Areiff, published last week. View full entry
The Chinese government said on Tuesday it was "unhappy" with foreign support for detained artist and activist Ai Weiwei, after Ai's detention last week sparked an outcry from Washington and other Western governments. — Reuters
I was driven instead by a curiosity about how the structures are used today and how they have settled into the everyday landscape. This is not a bunker archaeology or philosophy, as Virilio would have it, but a bunker sociology — a bunker acoustic ecology. — places.designobserver.com
Nick Sowers, author of the classic UC Berkeley Archinect School Blog, has an essay published at Places discussing "Bunker Archaeology and Acoustic Ecology", with recordings of World War II bunker landscapes. For more backstory on Nick's work and research, make sure to visit his archived blog. View full entry
Works for music lovers and html5 addicts! — surfstation.com
Architect Barbie has a whole team of experts vying to design her Dream House—anyone from the American Institute of Architects who wants to enter the AIA's new competition, which kicks off today at the AIA 2011 National Convention in New Orleans. The winning design will be voted on by the public and announced in August. — curbed.com