Berlin firm ART+COM just completed this stunning new kinetic sculpture in Terminal 1 of Changi Airport in Singapore. Kinetic Rain consists of two sets of 608 suspended raindrops made from lightweight aluminum covered in copper which are raised and lowered in a 15-minute computationally designed choreography controlled from motors embedded in the ceiling. ART+COM created a similar though somewhat smaller piece for the BMW Museum in 2008. (via hungeree)
Known mostly in for his graffiti-influenced string tags on the streets of Minneapolis, Eric Rieger aka HOT TEA (previously here and here), recently completed this massive installation at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Titled Letting Go, the piece uses 84 miles of colored string that forms the artist’s interpretation of the sun. In a statement about the work Rieger says:
At least once in our lives we have all had to let go of something we truly love. Whether it be a pet, personal object or in some cases, loved ones. This piece is my interpretation of the sun. The sun brings life and also represents happiness, warmth and energy. When letting go of something or someone we truly love, sometimes it is okay to celebrate their lives along with mourning. This piece represents the warmth and love I have received from those I have had to let go of.
Definitely check out the timelapse of the installation, the upside-down haircut at the end looks like it was a lot of fun. Letting Go will be on view through Septmeber 2 at MIA. Photographs courtesy Amanda Hankerson and Eric Rieger. (thnx, rob!)
Artist Jason deCaires Taylor was born in Great Britain in 1974 and spent his youth diving the coral reefs of Malaysia where he developed a strong bond with the sea and nature, then as a teenager began a pursuit of art and graffiti. In an incredible marriage of his two passions, Taylor has since become famous for his immense underwater installations in locations off the coast of Mexico, the Bahamas, and the West Indies where he uses eco-friendly concrete sculptures specifically designed to harbor life. The artificial reefs are photographed and filmed in numerous stages from the moment they are first submerged to months and years later after thriving ecosystems form within his artwork.
This Saturday, Taylor will have his first debut solo gallery exhibition titled Human Nature at Jonathan leVine Gallery in New York. Via the gallery:
For this exhibition, the artist selected photographs of some of his major public projects. While some works were photographed as soon as they were submerged, others feature various stages of coral and algae growth that has occurred over a period of time. The resulting photography (much like the experience of viewing in person) evokes a sense of discovering forgotten civilizations, and surreal narratives of lost, sunken worlds.
The show opens June 30th at 7pm and runs through July 28th. If I was in New York I would absolutely not miss this. For some great behind-the-scenes photos, Jonathan leVine was lucky enough to visit Taylor in Mexico for one of the coolest “studio visits” I’ve ever seen.
I just stumbled onto these wonderful photographs by Brazilian artist André Feliciano who creates flower blooms out of colorful miniature cameras. (via design you trust)
Luzinterruptus is an anonymous artistic group in Madrid who seek to highlight problems within the city using a wide variety of temporary light-based installations. The group is headed up by a duo including an artist and a photographer who have been using their art to create awareness of social and environmental issues since 2008. Via their website:
We began to act on the streets of Madrid at the end of 2008 with had the simple idea of focusing people´s attention by using light on problems that we found in the city and that seem to go unnoticed to the authorities and citizens. But everything that we do does not have a subversive aim. Sometimes we simply want to embellish, or to highlight anonymous places or corners that seem special or objects to which we think extraordinary artistic value, although they have been left on the streets for unknown seasons, with artistic intention, by anonymous people.
From memorializing a public swimming pool taken from a community with empty governmental promises of a new one, to ghostly commentary on nuclear power, I find their work to be fun, original and always a pleasure to discover. Shown above is just a glimpse of my favorite five of their works, so make sure to check out their blog or Facebook to see dozens more.
Artist Bruce Munro (previously) just opened a new exhibition at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania including a number of impressive translucent silos constructed from bottles. The exhibition will be up through September 11. Images above via Corriette Schoenaerts and Linden Gledhill.
Nope, not Photoshop. These outdoor door installations by Nicole Evans and Pat Farrell are part of Uncommon Common Art, an annual art treasure hunt of sorts in Kings County, Nova Scotia.
Uncommon Common Art is a community, environmental art project produced by the Alliance of Kings Artist (AKA). This project is designed to highlight two of Kings County’s greatest assets – the abundance of creative people who live here and the beautiful environment that is the Minas Basin. The idea for this project came from the joy of finding unexpected creations while exploring nature. Involvement is not limited to professional artists or to just visual art.
For the past few years Evans and Farrell have created a different door installation, resulting in these colorful stacked portals that seem to go to nowhere. The first obscure thing they reminded me of was this scene from Beetlejuice. Am I right? See many more photos in the Uncommon Common Art photo pool. (photos via AJ and shaun george)
Here’s a fun installation photographed last year from a 2011 international arts festival in Munster, Germany called Flurstücke 011. The piece was part of a performance/spectacle by a group called Generik Vapeur. Photo by Ingeborg. (via street art in germany)
