In Beijing, Ai Weiwei is back with a vengeance. The dissident Chinese artist has had four solo shows in the Chinese capital, ending an implicit exhibition ban that had been in place since his arrest in 2011. The fact that the shows, which opened in June, were permitted with minimal interference beyond one amended opening date surprised everyone, including Ai. “I never planned to have a few shows all at once,” Ai tells us. — The Art Newspaper
Related:Ai Weiwei, Jacob Appelbaum and the dissident experienceArt? An interview with Ai WeiweiAi Weiwei Exhibition Underscores Dangers and Importance of Art View full entry
I am so pleased to announce that Global Tools is now out. Edited by Valerio Borgonuovo and Silvia Franceschini, contributions by Manola Antonioli, Valerio Borgonuovo, Alison J. Clarke, Beatriz Colomina, Silvia Franceschini, Maurizio Lazzarato, Franco Raggi, Simon Sadler, and Alessandro Vicari.
If Graham Foundation wants to "like" it, there is a facebook page -Vasif Kortun, SALT
— SALT Online
GLOBAL TOOLS 1973-1975In January 1973, a gathering took place in Milan at the editorial office of the magazine ‘Casabella,’ involving, among others, the architects and designers Ettore Sottsass Jr., Alessandro Mendini, Andrea Branzi, Riccardo Dalisi, Remo Buti, Ugo La Pietra, Franco Raggi... View full entry
World famous street artist Shepard Fairey - the man whose “Hope” poster massively boosted Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign – has described an attempt to arrest him by Detroit police as “hilarious” after he was commissioned to do a mural in the city.
Last night authorities issued an arrest warrant for Fairey, 45, on graffiti charges with Police Sergeant Rebecca McKay issuing a statement warning: “Just because he’s a well-known artist does not take away from the fact that he is also a vandal.”
— independent.co.uk
Detroit's most recent charge against Fairey is for damages amounting to $9,100, caused by nine of Fairey's works. Detroit police are asking that he turn himself in, and say that he'll be arrested should he ever return to Detroit. Fairey doesn't seem to be phased, calling the charges... View full entry
The Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX debuted this week three new public art commissions designed to greet departing and arriving passengers and provide a measure of calm and reflection amid the chaos of air travel.
The artists involved all have strong ties to Los Angeles -- Mark Bradford, Pae White and the Ball-Nogues studio each resides or works in the L.A. area.
— latimes.com
Citing a recent report from the Great Wall of China Society, the [Beijing Times] claims that more than 30% of the original structure has disappeared. Approximately 74.1% is poorly preserved, and only 8.2% is in good condition. While concerns about the wall’s condition have deepened in recent years, the study appears to be the first to actually quantify the problem. — Hyperallergic
More on Archinect:Paul Rudolph's Government Center won't be saved, despite preservationist pleasU.S. LGBTQ preservation group pushes to preserve more heritage sites at the national levelNew list of America's Most Endangered Historic Places keeps fragile memories alive View full entry
In the five-and-a-half years since an earthquake killed more than 220,000 people here and displaced 1.5 million more, most of headlines from Haiti’s capital have been about dysfunctional projects, mismanagement and the overall slow pace of reconstruction.
Yet some innovative urban development work is going on here, often under the radar.
— citiscope.org
Previously:Four years and half a billion dollars later, the Red Cross has built six houses in HaitiMASS Design Group's new Open-Air Clinics in Haiti, reviewed by Michael KimmelmanRebuilding Haiti: Houses for Haiti's homelessHaiti Simbi Hubs Wins AA School and Foster + Partners Sustainability and... View full entry
Today sees the launch of CNN Style, a new online destination for intelligent, stylish content spanning the worlds of fashion, design, architecture, art, autos and luxury.
Throughout July, CNN Style welcomes renowned Polish-American architect Daniel Libeskind [...]. As guest editor, Libeskind has commissioned a series of pieces about architecture to be published through July, given an exclusive video interview to CNN Style and written about the interplay of architecture and emotion.
— CNN
CNN Style launched today with the inaugural editorial piece by Daniel Libeskind, "We mustn't forget the deep emotional impact of the buildings around us."In the network's announcement, Libeskind is quoted: "I feel very lucky to be CNN Style's inaugural guest editor. It's a brilliant opportunity... View full entry
The invitation was cryptic. A small piece of wood with a laser-burned message that read, "June 30, 2015. Please join us for tea and wishes overlooking the city. Sunrise, Griffith Park." — Los Angeles Times
It's a rather charming story: an anonymous collective of artists have fashioned a Japanese-inspired teahouse out of charred wood reclaimed from the 2007 Griffith Park fire and offered it as a gift to the city. Surreptitiously assembled in parts, the teahouse was inaugurated yesterday morning for a... View full entry
The Louisville house where boxing legend Muhammad Ali – then known as Cassius Clay Jr. – first began training at the age of 12 is about to undergo a $250,000 restoration. Currently in a dilapidated state, the small house on Grand Avenue was purchased by real estate investor and boxing fan... View full entry
[Paris] has not built a modern skyscraper since the 1970s, when the 231-metre tall Tour Montparnasse sprung up – much to the horror of the locals, many of whom still consider it an eyesore. — The Independent
In a narrow vote, the city of lights approved Herzog & de Meuron's Tour Triangle, a 42-story skyscraper that will be the tallest building to be built in Paris since the 1970s. In 2010, the city voted to remove its multi-decade-long height restrictions of 36 meters on new buildings, which were... View full entry
The project, called Underline, will include the underground’s first music commission and a plan by the Turner prize-nominated architectural collective Assemble to improve what is regarded as one of the most unloved station exits on the entire network, at Seven Sisters in north London. — theguardian.com
Organized by "Art on the Underground", a group that curates contemporary artworks for display in the London Underground, the new project will bring a variety of art, music and architectural interventions to the Victoria Line. Commissions selected to be part of the Underline are not simply public... View full entry
Opening in October, Newport Street Gallery is the realisation of Hirst’s long-term ambition to share his diverse collection – which includes over 3,000 works – with the public. [...]
Designed by architects Caruso St John, Newport Street Gallery spans 37,000 square feet, which includes a restaurant and shop. Its construction has involved the conversion of three listed Victorian buildings [...].
— Damien Hirst
Previously: Damien Hirst's gallery development draws closer to completition View full entry
Although the cranes swing, much of the new living zones now being created range from the ho-hum to the outright catastrophic. The skyline is being plundered for profit, but without creating towers to be proud of or making new neighbourhoods with any positive qualities whatsoever. If London is an enormous party, millions of people are on the wrong side of its velvet rope. — theguardian.com
Rowan Moore sets a signpost in London's rampant development, checking in on the industries and businesses struggling in the midst of city-wide growth. Moore points out that while things like a bevy of cranes and a thriving multicultural food scene may look like more feathers in London's urban hat... View full entry
This is where we encounter this strange animal, this monster, “ecomodernism”, that I am not sure we should learn to love, and that triggers in me, I have to confess, a deep antipathy. It sounds much like the news that an electronic cigarette is going to save a chain smoker from addiction. — ENTITLE Blog
Ecomodernism? Sounds good but majorly flawed according to Bruno Latour, who takes on its modernity, PR and philosophical tardiness."Wake up you ecomoderns, we are in the Anthropocene, not in the Holocene, nor are we to ever reside in the enchanted dream of futurism. Down to earth is the message... View full entry
'Recently, people were more worried about preserving their jobs, not preserving their history...Now a new generation is aware there was a history that came before them...Not a lot of our history has been preserved. People without a history can be erased.' — Mark Meinke, co-founder of the Rainbow Heritage Network — Curbed
History was made today in American civil rights with the Supreme Court ruling that legalizes same-sex marriage across all 50 states. The ruling is a major push toward marriage equality in the U.S., but like several historically marginalized communities, one giant obstacle that the LGBTQ community... View full entry