Anish Kapoor is a British sculptor of Indian origin. Born in Mumbai, he has lived and worked in London since the early 1970s when he moved to study art, first at the Hornsey College of Art and later at the Chelsea School of Art and Design.

He started his international career during the early 80’s and immediately got noticed because of its offbeat characters from that period. The optical illusion is a major emphasize of his works. The game between inside outside and being empty and dark is also a ‘non space’. We exist in relation to space and time; therefore Anish plays a game between space and darkness. Accordingly what follows are the large-scale installations inside which one can walk in semidarkness. The passage from light to dark represents a return to the maternal womb, to the place of origin.

This show in the Fabbrica del Vapore consists of the monumental site-specific installation Dirty Corner, created specially for this occasion.  Kapoor has always acted within a metaphysical conception which can be seen in the way the sculptures become an integral part of the space and generate silence around them. The site-specific installation Dirty Corner is fully occupies the “cathedral” of the Fabbrica del Vapore. This installation – realized with the backing of the Galleria Continua, the Lisson Gallery, and the Galleria Massimo Minini – consists of a huge steel volume 60 metres long and 8 metres high which the visitors can enter. The entrance is goblet-shaped; the interior and exterior surface is circular and has only a minimum contact with the ground. The work will be progressively covered with some 160 cubic metres of soil.

Kapoor’s work is collected worldwide, notably by the Museum of Modern Art in New York; the Tate Modern in London; Fondazione Prada in Milan; the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; the Guggenheim in Bilbao; the De Pont Foundation in the Netherlands; the Moderna Museet, Stockholm; the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan; and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Kapoor has also received several important awards like Premio Duemila at Venice Biennale, Turner Prize and also has been awarded Honorary Fellowships by the London Institute and Leeds University , University of Wolverhampton and the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Once again, Kapoor’s poetics embodies the unity of opposites: empty/full, dark/light, male/female, positive/negative, material/ephemeral. Becoming one with the red earth that covers the long cylindrical sculpture in Milan metaphorically emphasizes a unitary
conception of the world.

Posted by : Amal Kiran Jana from Milan at 03:55PM

Is just not a time keeper

“Time is God’s way of keeping everything from happening at once”

It initially started with a trend of attaching chain to the watch and carrying in pocket. Henlein is also often credited with constructing the first pocketwatches, mostly because of a passage by Johann Cochläus in 1511.

The wristwatch was previously known as wristlet as it was tied to the wrist. Carrying a watch in the early 1900s was a symbol of status and being called real gentleman. But the whole thing changed during the World War I when soldiers thought it was quite impractical and they attached the watch to their wrist with a leather strap. And from then on the game begins.

Watches being considered as jewels or as a product of art, with such a high precise of engineering involved behind making it that one can’t stop comparing it to an artifact. Later came many varieties of watches in contrast to occasion of wearing it and prices. Like formal, casual, semi-formal, sports watch but the most debatable are fashion watch vs couture watches.  Most companies that produce watches specialize in one or some of these are as – Patek Philippe, Blancpain and Jaeger-LeCoultre specialize in simple and complicated mechanical dress watches; companies such as Omega SA, Ball Watch Company, TAG Heuer, Sinn, Breitling, Panerai and Rolex specialize in rugged, reliable mechanical watches for sport and aviation use. Companies such as Casio, Timex, and Seiko specialize in watches as affordable timepieces or multifunctional computers. Lacoste, Guess, Esprit and Swatch falls under the category of fashion or fast fashion watches. Other “fashion” watches followed are Fossil, Nina Ricci, DKNY, Burberry etc, because some of these watches were produced under license from luxury fashion houses, it so happened that, ever after, any watch bearing the name of a luxury fashion brand was dubbed as “fashion” watch. But we can put it like this that watches which cost below Rs. 50,000 can be called as fashion watch and anything above it as luxury watches.

Accessories being a modern trend and watches falling under this category, there are various styles showcased by designers to make one look glam.  Like the funky skeleton watches by BCBG MaxAzria, Stuhrling and Anne Klein swarovski crystal accented. The tank watch by Cartier, Philip Stein two tone chronograph tank and BCBG connoisseur royal white mother of pearl dial tank. Finally the ultra chic watches by Badgley Mischka, Dolce & Gabbana 800 stone encrusted bracelet silver white dial, Peugeot gold tone swarovski crystal and mother of pearl leather bangle, Badgley Mischka swarovski crystal accented gold tone blue stingray strap.

Watches are just not an accessory it’s functional too. So, with a new look in wardrobe it’s also important to be trendy with watches & accessories. 

Posted by : Amal Kiran Jana from Milan at 01:58PM

Luigi Colani, is a German industrial designer whose father came from Madulain near St. Moritz in Switzerland and mother from Poland.

The earth is round, all the heavenly bodies are round; they all move on round or elliptical orbits. This same image of circular globe-shaped mini worlds orbiting around each other follows us right down to the microcosmos. We are even aroused by round forms in species propagation related eroticism. Why should I join the straying mass who want to make everything angular? I am going to pursue Galileo Galilei’s philosophy: my world is also round. — Luigi Colani

Colani, with his creativity and entirely novel approach for perfect and practical design of appliances and devices, even mundane objects, as well as complete industrial designs in terms of ergonomics, aerodynamics and functionalities, is a great designer of international renown well ahead of his time.

Yet, in his modesty, he sees himself merely as a interpreter of Nature. Colani is closely observing Nature where development over aeons has produced uncountable wonders of perfection and beauty, and he further analyzes, adapts, adjusts and implements. The prime characteristic of his designs are the rounded, organic forms, which he terms “biodynamic” and claims are ergonomically superior to traditional designs. His “kitchen satellite” from 1969 is the most prominent example of this school of thought. Many of his designs for small appliances are being mass-produced and marketed, but his larger designs have not been built, “a whole host of futuristic concepts that will have us living in pods and driving cars so flat that leg amputation is the only option.”

Luigi Colani comes to the mother land of design ‘Italy’ – this to celebrate celebrated the 150 Years of Unity. “To come behind and to go ahead, humanity absolutely should return at the origins and restore itself with the nature. It should make itself as close to nature.  The BioDesign indicates us how to live in harmony and in peace.  We can learn to safeguard what we know and we love.”

The Show “Il Futuro e a Milano – Colani BioDesign Codex Show” is like a journey on board in a time machine: The first official exhibition of Colani, who is considered as a guru, that already in his 60 years preached the energy saving, the reduction of consumptions and  alternate employment of sources.

Posted by : Amal Kiran Jana from Milan at 02:51PM

les curiosités d’un designer

In October at Les Arts Decoratifs commence exhibition of Maarten Baas, born in Arnsberg in Germany in 1978, Maarten Baas graduated from the prestigious Design Academy in Eindhoven in 2002. He is famous for his iconoclast and fanciful creations, ranging from the Smoke series of burnt furniture and the Clay Furniture collection, whose apparently unstable pieces seem to defy the rules of functional design, to the Sculpt series of mirror-distorted wardrobes, tables and chests of drawers and Real Time, a twelve-hour film of actors indicating the time. In his controversial experimental work, Maarten Baas merrily challenges design’s limits to reveal a strange, playful reality of optical effects and illusion.

For his first exhibition in a Parisian museum, he has imagined a universe inspired by 14th-century curiosity cabinets, a theatrical environment composed of a series of Surrealist interiors in which he mixes anonymous pieces and his own works. All his pieces are unique and seem to challenge the boundary of functional design, so, appeared very much unreal and unstable. In the process of manufacturing the idea Bass is particularly original; a miniature is first developed from the outlines he has in mind. In the next step he enlarges them into the real size, and satisfying his feeling to the finished product. In the workshop of Baas & den Herder, close to Eindhoven, where the designer allows to broadcast his production in an autonomous way.  Baas preserves a manufacture method “hand-crafted” while realizing each of its pieces to the hand. Most of his creations are therefore unique pieces, numbered and dated.

 

In 2005 Maarten collaborated with the design team of Ian Schrager, for the new Gramercy Park Hotel. Maarten Baas supplied Smoke furniture for each room and some Clay pieces and a Smoke billiard for the lobby. All pieces were hand made in studio Baas&den Herder. In August 2006 the Gramercy Park Hotel opened. In Milan, in April 2009 Maarten showed Real Time, a series of videos depicting a real time clock, with actors moving the hands of the clock as time passes by.

In 2009 Maarten was named Designer of the Year by Design Miami. During the design fair in Miami, he presented a new piece, commissioned by Design Miami, named The Shell.

Posted by : Amal Kiran Jana from Paris at 01:12PM

 

JAN FABRE
It is almost impossible to enumerate all the faces of Jan Fabre’s work. The Fleming from Antwerp multidisciplinary artist, playwright, stage director, choreographer and designer. He studied at the Municipal Institute of Decorative Arts and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. Between 1976 and 1980 he wrote his first scripts for the theatre and made his debut performances.

Currently exhibiting in muzeum sztuki ms2, Lodz, Poland. It is the first presentation of the art of the outstanding Belgian multimedia artist, dramatist, internationally famous and recognised stage designer. His works have been shown, among others, at the Venice Biennale and at Documenta in Kassel. He has also participated in many theatre and dance festivals all over the world. He is known to wider audiences for his theatrical activities. The exhibition at Muzeum Sztuki allows for a closer look at the extraordinary artist at his works.

The title of the exhibition has been inspired by a controversial solo show of 2008 Jan Fabre. L’ange de la metamorphose (Musée du Louvre), where Fabre staged a four-hour long performance Art kept me out of jail!. The action was inspired by the character of a French criminal, Jacques Mesrine, who was notorious for his many escapes from French prisons.

Jan Fabre, living and working in Antwerp, will present, among others, videos documenting his most important performances: Art kept me out of jail! (2008), Virgin/Warrior (2004), Sanguis/Mantis (2001) during the exhibition at Muzeum Sztuki.

The exhibition is also a unique opportunity to see a joint work by Fabre and Marina Abramovic Virgin/Warrior, performed at Palais de Tokio in Paris. Dressed in armours of common wasp (Abramovic) and Rhinoceros beetle (Fabre), enclosed in a glass cage for 4 hours, the artists performed tasks they imposed on themselves (e.g. shaking weapons, breathing, cutting a left arm, holding hearts in their hands.

Fabre’s performances enable art to arise out of the action and the need ‘to experience certain things in the flesh’. Fabre is an empirical artist who explores the limits of the body, consciousness and imagination. Looking for a place where experiences from a variety of disciplines can be brought together, in his performances he builds bridges between visual and theatrical work.

Posted by : Amal Kiran Jana from Lodz, Poland at 06:13 AM

 

Brand: Costume National

Italian Fashion designer ‘Ennio Capasa’ was born in Lecce in 1960. He is the creator of the Italian fashion house ‘COSTUME NATIONAL’

Speaking about its Fall 11 collection: It was inspired from the Mondrian’s art work, the color and feeling. Also the inspiration board was filled with images of Twiggy and David Bowie.

What is the importance of stylist:  A stylist has a very important role to play towards creating a feel and look to the collection in a digital media or fashion show. Though for his brand he choose to do the work by himself as it keeps him close to his feeling. And can achieve what exactly he wants.

About the future of fashion: It is a very successful time for fashion right now. The awareness for fashion among the mass has increased a lot. And thanks to the fast fashion brands who made fashion available to all. And the future holds more growth and lot of innovation to come.

How do you stay creative: It is a very personal process sometimes by reading a book, watching film. It not difficult to get inspired because there are so many things around you happening. But it difficult to choose the most strong one and follow it through out.

What is your style: My style has always been minimal with very strong tailoring details. And adding some glimpse of Rock n roll, biker.

Did you have failure at any stage of your career: No not really. Because I tend to take very small steps, and try to achieve them slowly slowly. I am never in rush and always know my limits.

How has web technology impact fashion: Compare to when I started my career and now there is a vast difference. Research and access to information has become very easy and convenient. The whole experience of fashion has changed. Now you can feel fashion virtually sitting at home and also can experience the fun of shopping too.

Posted by : Amal Kiran Jana from Milan at 04:17 PM