LOUBOUTIN WINDOWS SELFRIDGES

We see London getting ready for their Olympiade. Not into sports? No problem. Walking around a completely brushed up city, visiting Tate Modern or The Design Museum. The latter organizes an exhibition of French shoe designer Christian Louboutin. In the meanwhile you can see his windows at Selfridges...

As the former Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent designer celebrates his own ubiquitous brand’s 20 years of shiny red soles and outrageous designs; Christian Louboutin’s is a name that’s hard to escape right now. The brilliant StudioXAG once again have their indubitable talents on display in London’s most iconic shop windows – their spellbinding kaleidoscopic displays mesmerising fashionistas and cynics alike. Whilst inside, Selfridges and StudioXAG have collaborated on an exquisite World of Louboutin concept space – a whole host of his lavish designs to splurge your pennies upon.

Watch the films.

RAFAEL LOZANO-HEMMER

I was struck by the works of artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer. You can browse his website and see so many interesting ideas  / photos / films. There is enough for everybody. Some things will remind you of Eliason, some of Abramovich. But it's more this time captured then looking like.

Lozano's Website

Here are some of his videos:

It also reminded me of an interview by Chris Dercon in Dutch Newspaper NRC [5-3-2012] where he makes a statement about the enormous lust for participation, visitor's of museums have nowadays. There is a link, but only available for subscribers of NRC

Quote: 'De Tate biedt een vorm van troost' Volgens Chris Dercon, directeur van Tate Modern, is de nieuwe museumbezoeker geen consument meer maar deelnemer. Er is een enorme zucht naar participatie ... 

IDEAS TO LIVE BY

At The School of Life all is possible, courses, holidays, 'bibliotherapy', meals, sermons, events and psychotherapy. There's also a shop and ist here that they sell Aphorisms [a set of cards or posters with a clever text, a bit à la Dutch Loesje

The course bear agreeable names like:
How To Be Cool?
How To Have Better Conversations.
How To Find A Job You Love.
How To Spend Time Alone.
How to be a good friend.

I.W.I.W. MAN OF TALENT ANDY MACGREGOR

Some people inmediately give you the feeling... I wish I was him or her. Andy Macgregor does!

First you come across a picture on Style Bubble

Then there is a link to Fred Butler Style where you see some pictures of Andy.

And finally you arrive at his own site. By then completely smitten!

Look for instance at these paper construction animals, commissioned by Elemental for Chopard watches [please visit his site for more, much more...

Bravo for the man!
Great works, I wish I was Andy Macgregor!

GERD ARNTZ GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Exhibition: Isotype International Picture Language, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2 December 2010-15 May 2011

As a politically engaged graphic artist and designer Gerd Arntz (1900-1988) portrayed the world in wood and linoleum cuts. During the 1920s, he conveyed his vision on social wrongs and the rise of Nazism in Germany in his prints. He did this in such a simple, direct style that anyone - regardless of their education and nationality - was able to understand his images. This prompted the Viennese social scientist Otto Neurath (1882-1945) to ask him to design the symbols for the ’International system Of Typographic Picture Education’ (ISOTYPE). During his long career, Arntz made more than 4000 coherent, powerful and legible symbols and figures. We still see their traces around us on a daily basis: in pictograms featured on objects ranging from traffic signs to gameboys, and in information graphics.
This book displays many Isotypes and explains the system and its context. This overview of Gerd Arntz’s life and work includes a selection of his political prints and other rare visual material that was never published previously. With contributions from Flip Bool, Gert Dumbar, Mieke Gerritzen, Nigel Holmes, Max Kisman, Paul Mijksenaar and Erik Spiekermann.

Open publication - Free publishing - More isotype