(Above: India Mahdavi's interior of Ladurée Beverly Hills, 2017, photography: Sam Frost, courtesy India Mahdavi)
This month we take a look at five ways creatives have reimagined the concepts of place, object, color use, and material. From elevating discarded materials and craft to the realm of fine art and design, to reimagining how we think about theatre and workplace, to a retrospective look at the work of a designer that has reshaped the way we look at the use of color in spaces.
Pairing the work of traditional piñata artisans with the creations of artists and artist collectives, showcases the deeply rooted Mexican tradition as a method of expression and storytelling. As traditional vessels of celebration handcrafted to evoke joy and happiness, the Craft in America Center in Los Angeles curated an exhibition of works that highlights the role the piñata plays in modern material culture, and the reinterpretation through sculptural practice. An accessible and humble object created to be destroyed, the craft is pushed to new limits as figural sculpture, installation, performance, and painting. Piñatas: The High Art of Celebrations is accessible virtually and in-person.
(Above: The outdoor plaza of Studio Zhu-Pei's Yangliping Performing Arts Center in Dali, China, providing both roof access and and acting as amphitheater seating for the outdoor/indoor theatre. Image by Weiqi Jin)
Blending internal and external spaces, and integrating the surrounding shapes and figures of the natural environment into its design, the Yangliping Performing Arts Center in Dali, China subverts the traditional concept of a theater. The cantilevered canopy roof echoes the surrounding landscape and draws visitors into the plaza which is met with a theater box that transforms the space into an interior/exterior performance space—inspired by Chinese Yin Yang theory.
Immerse yourself in the creative process of world-renowned, award-winning, Paris-based interior designer India Mahdavi. This self-titled tome, India Mahdavi, is the first monograph to document her color-driven work through the materials and inspiration behind some of her most iconic projects, products, and photography. Known for creating from a place of joy, her color-driven award-winning spaces are a testament to the power of color—her work at the Gallery restaurant at Sketch is credited with launching the millennial pink trend, and the Ladurée Beverly Hills, a playful take on Marie Anoinette's 'Garden of Delights' for the French Bakery (as pictured in the title image above).
The long awaited Greenwich Design District in London is now open, providing a new hub for creatives and designers. Brought to life by developer Knight Dragon, the campus includes 16 buildings by architects Selgas Cano, 6a Architects, Adam Khan Architects, Architecture 00, HNNA, Barozzi Veiga, David Kohn Architects, and Mole Architects. The hub reimagines the workplace as a hub, creating interconnected communities that offer permanent and leased spaces with flexibility to grow as needed from co-working spaces to studios and workshops, as well as curated events designed to foster a creative ecosystem within the inhabitants.
(Above: Cork trees damaged by forest fires in Portugal (left), the inspiration behind the Burnt Cork collection by designer Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance (right). Images courtesy of the designer.)
Finding inspiration in his surroundings in Lisbon, designer Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance was struck by the dichotomy between the resilience of the local cork trees and its unassuming uses. Drawn to cork blocks that bore damage from wildfire, he sought to transform the material using new technologies and manual techniques to create his latest collection, Burnt Cork. Noting that "It was an opportunity to transform the remnants of the fires, creating our own material as a rebirth," the pieces borne from this project include material ranging from calcined bark to fine grain, and elevate the material to new heights.
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