We Heart; Lifestyle & Design Magazine

Andaz Liverpool Street, London

James Davidson — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:22:44 +0000

Andaz Liverpool Street has been open for a few years now, but it wasn’t until recently that we had the distinct pleasure of bedding down there for the night. Sure, we’d been along to see some of the many art and design happenings that they host – it was only December when we featured Eyal Burstein’s Advent Table, the Christmas before it was Studiomama’s Christmas Kitchen, and perhaps most notably the Shoreditch hotel played host to Mathieu Lehanneur’s magical Once Upon a Dream for Veuve Clicquot – but there’s no substitute for resting your wearies somewhere to truly experience what it’s all about…

Formerly the Great Eastern, one of the original London railway hotels, the building dates back to 1884, and there’s a definite feeling of that history – even if it has been given a 21st century sheen. It’s that 21st century sheen that may put some off. Andaz is Hyatt’s “boutique” brand, but the spectre of ‘corporate business hotel’ is still most definitely there, it’s in the city – it can’t escape it. But what the Andaz does do, is use that ‘corporateness’ (yep, just made that one up) to its advantage. Sure, there’s a sheen – but it’s one that just feels luxe. The furniture and fittings in the rooms are heavy, the doors solid, and the walls thick. It’s got a weighty 5-star feel but, with their commitment to art and design, you feel less guilty about shacking up in a business hotel, in fact you positively embrace it.

Their USP is bringing the ‘small’ hotel service to a big chain. There’s no check-in desks, instead you walk straight into the “Andaz Lounge” – where drinks are free and smartly-dressed, well-mannered types check you in with iPads (oh-so modern). There’s a complimentary non-alcoholic minibar, and there’s complimentary serving of wine in the lounge come evening time. It’s quite obviously a big brand cherry-picking the best components of a stay at a truly boutique hotel, but it works. And it’s impeccable – you’d think you were in America the service is that good.

Where the Andaz really excels is in its food and drink offerings. It’s like a whopping great American resort-hotel – but a stone’s throw from Spitalfields and Hoxton. There’s exceptional Japanese at Miyako, exceptional fresh seafood at Catch, exceptional pub-grub at George, British à la carte at 1901 and a brasserie menu at Eastway. It really is exceptional. And seemingly, somewhat of a secret – only half the London-based (and East-end types at that) people I asked actually even knew the hotel existed, let alone of its ridiculously diverse food offerings. The resplendent halls and history-packed spaces that these bars and restaurants inhabit are just the icing on an already scrumptious cake.

Of course there’s high-end leisure facilities too, all the business malarkey of course, and there’s the location – it’s next door to Liverpool Street Station, and as mentioned, a stone’s throw from some of London’s hippest spots. There’s no individual designer rooms, there’s no quirky amenities and the bar isn’t a hipster graveyard – but if you want to be in the hub of all East London has to offer and you want true, true 5-star luxury – but without the faceless conveyer belt experience of big, ugly business hotels – I really don’t think London has a better alternative…

Prada’s 24 h Museum

James Davidson — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:02:28 +0000

Blink and you missed it. This collaboration between fashion giant Prada, architecture icon Rem Koolhaas’ research studio – AMO, and celebrity obsessed artist Francesco Vezzoli, opened on January 24th and – as the name suggests – was gone by the 25th. Vezzoli’s sculptures – photographs mounted onto foamboard – of classical figures with celebrity faces, lined the main hall of the delightfully shocking pink ‘cage’, whilst elsewhere the “Salon des Refusés” – inspired by museum’s ‘hidden archives’ – shrouded a discreet disco dance floor.

Unsurprisingly the celebs turned out in force, with the likes of Marianne Faithfull and Anna Wintour allegedly throwing shapes to a Kate Moss DJ set – how very A-List, darling. But, forget the glamour, forget the mwah-mwah fashion set, what’s intriguing about Prada’s 24 h Museum is the examination of the concept of iconography and Vezzoli’s satire on celebrity. Will the human race be looking back at Courtney Love or Natalie Portman in a few centuries? Who knows, but we’ll bet our bottom dollar that they’ll still be admiring Koolhaas’ breathtaking spaces…

Images courtesy OMA

Design Geekery; The Visconti Family Tree

Katie Treggiden — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:03:01 +0000

iBride launched the Visconti Family Tree at Maison & Objet on 20th January. Ostensibly a collection of tea trays, when viewed collectively they form a feline family tree.

Each tray features a sphynx cat in posed for a portrait in his or her Sunday best. A biography for each cat gives you an insight into their character and starts to build a picture of the family dynamics…

“Discreet, loving and benevolent, Hermance always remained in the shadow of her husband, Isidore…”

“Irina directed her workroom of apprentice seamstresses (‘little hands’ in the French version)… with the utmost rigour… and supposedly even frequented the same social circles as Coco Chanel at her debut.”

“Following in his father’s footsteps, both ambitious and widely travelled, Edgar made the family business prosper. He even took great pleasure in having singlehandedly brought the sharkskin up to date.”

“Her piano and art lessons not only taught her good manners; in the privileged position of the youngest child, she adopted Sarah Bernhardt’s famous motto “despite all” to exert her audacity and total disregard for social convention.” (Victoire)

I love the dark sense of humour and surreal aesthetic of iBride’s work and this new launch is no exception. What surprised me is how quickly cats in suits on tea trays become perfectly normal as you get drawn into this quirky family saga.

societyM, Glasgow

James Davidson — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:13:57 +0000

As Bob’s times were ‘a-changing’, the last few years have certainly seen business ‘a-changing’, as the modern business folk work – to quote another early 60s classic – wherever they lay their hat. Albiet, of course, should they lay their hat somewhere with good connectivity and strong coffee. The good folk behind cheap-chic hotel brand citizenM (we reviewed their Glasgow outpost a while back) have christened this new breed of worker the “business nomads”, and have even gone and built a natural habitation for these nomads. societyM.

Whether hot-desking, getting out of their bedsit cum studio, or meeting and greeting; societyM – which debuts at the aforementioned Glasgow hotel – lavishes its people with all the trappings of a swanky member’s club. There’s wall-to-wall designer furniture – Tom Dixon, Vitra and Moooi providing some serious eye-candy – there’s “creating rooms” with audiovisual shenanigans and wipe-clean walls for brainstorming your next social networking masterpiece, there’s a bar, thinking spaces, and a 50-seater screening room.

They really have got it all covered; and – as with the hotel itself – it’s been designed by superstar Amsterdam agency concrete, and therefore it’s a bloody good-looking space in which to while away your working day…

Photography © Ewout Huibers for Concrete

The Salthouse Harbour Hotel, Ipswich

Julia Pearson — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:35:16 +0000

When you think of a stylish, super sexy getaway Ipswich isn’t somewhere that springs to mind, unless of course you already know about the Salthouse Harbour Hotel. The hotel is housed in a converted Victorian warehouse, set right on the harbour front it boasts some pretty special views out over the Marina. The first thing you notice is the eclectic mix of furniture and artwork, from Vivienne Westwood rugs and vintage citrus leather sofas, to art by Blek le Rat and huge sculptures – this hotel wouldn’t look out of place in the depths of trendy East London.

The hotel has 70 individually designed rooms but if you’re looking to score some major brownie points with the Misses there really are only two options; either of the Penthouses or one of the Salt Loft Marina rooms. We were lucky enough to bag one of the Salt Loft Marina rooms with a freestanding cooper bath at the side of the bed and complementary massage oil for added spice – ooo eeer! The rooms continue the fashionable theme with modern patterned wallpaper, pieces of art and all the home comforts you need from a hotel room. Fluffy robes, a Bose sound system, Temple spa products, rain shower, the all important under floor heating, cafeteria coffee, luxury teas and Emma Bridgewater mugs (nice touch) – a hotel with style and substance, we like.

Once you’ve taken full advantage of the room amenities we suggest you head all the way downstairs to the lobby, grab a space on the comfy chairs with a nice glass of vino from the extensive wine list – no lie it’s huge! If you are staying at the hotel it would be rude not to try out the restaurant – which is rumoured to be the best in Ipswich – serving seasonal British dishes made with local produce. The restaurant housed in the original warehouse building features exposed brick work, more art, leather booths and a central bar.

After dinner we retired to our room to find housekeeping had completed their turn down service, leaving a bottle of relaxing pillow spray for our use – we’re glutens for these luxurious added extras and the Salthouse is full of them!

Breakfast is served in the restaurant or in bed, the menu offers a good selection of dishes but we’d suggest you go all out on the Suffolk Grill or Bacon Sandwich, quite possibly the biggest we’ve seen (we’re pretty sure it contained at least a whole pig!).

If you’re looking for a short break in a chic hotel with fabulous food and attention to detail you can’t go wrong with a stay at the Salthouse Harbour. Ipswich? Who’d of thought it…

The Bronson Caves by Brice Bischoff

James Davidson — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:54:31 +0000

From the early 1900s, through to such perennial classics as 2010′s Mega Python vs. Gatoroid, the section of LA’s Griffith Park known as Bronson Caves have been a backdrop for movies and TV shows. Acting as the setting for an altogether more cultured performance – if no less otherworldly than the many sci-fi flicks that have been filmed here – Los Angeles based artist, Brice Bischoff, chose the location for a series of simply stunning photographs. What appears to be smoke – or lighting effects – is actually Bischoff himself, performing with sheets of coloured paper; photographed on long-exposure.

“If a visitor to the caves were to accidentally stumble upon my performance” says Bischoff, “they would only see a mass of crumbled coloured paper draped awkwardly over a man moving/dancing to a camera positioned on a tripod”. That mental image offers a decidedly more light-hearted view to these works; without the insider knowledge Bischoff’s images are unsettling, intriguing and thoroughly spellbinding…

The Bronson Caves show at Culver City’s Kopeikin Gallery through March and April, 2012

The Weekend Edit; 2.2.12

James Davidson — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:12:48 +0000

Here it comes, the winter’s here at last – the temperatures are dropping outside, so why not head inside and indulge in some art, design, cinema and gastronomy. Welcome to The Weekend Edit…

Until 5 February

The Photocopy Club, Shoreditch

One of the many art projects taking things back offline and keeping it strictly lo-fi, The Photocopy Club was born in November last year, and has already seen photographers from all over the world submitting photocopied images via snail mail. The subsequent submissions then comprise bi-monthly exhibitions such as this, at Shoreditch’s Beach Gallery. Challenging art elitism, and generally just reintroducing a bit of that magical punk DIY, the club’s founder – self-published photographer Matt Martin – plans to fund a book, that celebrates the best works of the first 6 shows, with the proceeds of the exhibitions; where photocopies are sold for as little as £2 to £5. Just brilliant…

The Photocopy Club at Beach London, 20 Cheshire Street, London, E2 6EH; Running until 5th February and then again at Create in Brighton on 18th April

Reprinted by arrangement with Penguin,
A member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
from Paris versus New York by Vahram Muratyan
Copyright (c) 2011 by Vahram Muratyan.

Tonight; 6pm – 8pm EST

Paris Versus New York at The Standard

Homesick during a long trip to New York, Paris-based illustrator Vahram Muratyan set about creating a series of brilliantly understated visual comparisons between the two iconic cities. The resulting body of work has found its way into a quite wonderful publication and, following a launch at Paris’ capital of cool Colette, the New York launch takes place tonight at the ever-hip The Standard…

Paris Versus New York, A Tally of Two Cities book signing at The Shop at The Standard, 442 West 13th Street, New York City; Tonight 6:00pm – 8:00pm EST

Third prize
Christina and Mark, 14 months,
2011 by Dona Schwartz
© Dona Schwartz

Until 12 February

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize, National Portrait Gallery

With some 60 works by some of the world’s most talented portrait photographers – amateurs, gifted students and celebrated professionals alike – it’s your last chance to see this year’s National Portrait Gallery prize show, including utterly compelling works like this melancholic 3rd place winner from stupidly talented American photographer, Dona Schwartz…

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize, National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place, London, WC2H 0HE; Running until 12th February. Open daily 10:00am – 6:00pm, Thursday and Friday 10:00am – 9:00pm; free entrance

3 February – 5 February

International Student Film Festival

With a judging panel that includes Jan Harlan (producer of The Shining and Eyes Wide Shut), Lord of the Rings editor Jabez Olsen and Simon Pegg, the first annual International Student Film Festival looks set to be a rewarding experience for the international students who are travelling from some 38 countries for the event. Organised by young people, for young people, this fledgling filmmakers showcase looks set to be an interesting addition to the international cinephile’s calendar…

International Student Film Festival at London College of Communication, Elephant and Castle, London, SE1 6SB; 3rd February to 5th February

6 February – 12 February

Stockholm Design Week

Nobody needs to be told about Scandinavian design’s influence on global aesthetic, ergo you shouldn’t require the proverbial degree in aerospace engineering to know that Stockholm’s very own design week is one of the hottest dates on the design calendar. With high profile events, installations and pop-ups scheduled all around the city – next week will be another big one for Sweden’s capital…

Stockholm Design Week incorporating Stockholm Furniture Fair and Northern Light Fair, In and Around Stockholm; Design Week runs 6th – 12th February whilst the Furniture Fair and Northern Light Fair run 7th February – 11th February

Until 12 September

Geometry; Lighting up Brentford

Passengers flying in and out of Heathrow this year may be forgiven for thinking Jean Michel Jarre has taken up residence in West London. Watermans‘ International Festival of Digital Art gets underway with what promises to be a spectacular installation from French artist Félicie d’Estienne d’Orves. Lasers bouncing between 2 programmed mirrored masts are set to punch the night sky with their contorting geometric patterns – and all without a dull new-age synth soundtrack. Perfect…

Geometry is part of the International Festival of Digital Art 2012 in collaboration with Watermans and will be seen for miles around Brentford; Running until 12th September

7 February – 11 February

The Cinnamon Club Pops-Up at Desmond’s, Manhattan

Westminster’s swanky The Cinnamon Club has been somewhat of an institution for well-to-do fans of its modern-Indian fayre over the last decade and, next week, well-to-do New Yorkers with a penchant for said modern-Indian cuisine will be able to see what all the fuss is about at equally-swanky Upper East Side establishment Desmond’s. The former 1920s bank, with its graceful domed ceiling and open kitchen, is a thoroughly splendid setting, and those braving the interaction between society types will be rewarded with dishes of the ilk of seared breast of Long Island duck with Hyderabadi-style sesame and tamarind sauce. Pretentious? Perhaps. But don’t let the clientele put you off what will be a weekend of undoubtable gastronomic delight…

The Cinnamon Club at Desmond’s, 153 East 60th Street, between 3rd and Lexington, New York City; 7th February to 11th February

Until 11 February

The Customized Show, London

London-based sneaker brand Double Identity have let 10 designers loose on their shoes for an interesting interactive exhibition that, for once, actually does something useful with a QR code. Visitors can choose their favourites from the customised pairs by scanning the code, whilst those who can’t make it can interact via the brand’s Facebook page; which is more than worth checking out for some of the outrageously fun designs…

Double Identity present The Customized Show, 5 Kingly Court, Off Carnaby Street, London, W1B 5PW; Running until 11th February. Open Monday – Saturday 11:00am to 8:00pm and Sunday 12:00pm to 6:00pm

Meatballs at The Quality Chop House, Farringdon

James Davidson — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:21:47 +0000

‘Funky’ new restaurants pop up all the time. Offering quirky takes on traditional staples, intriguing new fusions or rebranding some other country’s cuisine to fit with an egotistical restaurateurs ‘concept’. Lots of them are crap, and nearly all of them are in faceless off-the-shelf, shiny spaces. Not many (in fact – you could quite safely say, none) are housed in a working men’s Victorian chop house, that dates back to the 1870s. Enter Clerkenwell’s latest eatery; Meatballs at The Quality Chop House.

Just on the edge of Farringdon’s foodie (god I hate that word) mecca, Exmouth Market, The Quality Chop House is an exemplarily specimen of Victorian curiosity. The creaky wooden pews are tight, uncomfortable, but so utterly brilliant, the tiles, lighting, wooden panelling… everything is just so right about it, and – by god – the images we received just don’t do this splendidly unique dining room justice. But, you ask, “what of the ‘funky’ new restaurant?”, well – surprisingly – it’s just as good.

For all its nouveau mix-and-match menu and fashionable fusing of international tastes, Meatballs is really just a restaurant that focuses on the simplicity of mastering a single dish – and boy have they mastered the humble meatball. Succulent and meaty without being too heavy, these unctuous little flavour-grenades are made freshly on-site – from beef, lamb, pork, chicken and even courgette – and are available in a portion of 3 for just £3.95. And that is really all you need to know.

Forget the Blueberry Gin & Tonic – a refreshing take on the original G&T – forget the sides, like pearl barley risotto, and forget the desserts – you won’t need any – just grab yourself a beer and a portion of London’s best meatballs, because it’s nice to be reminded that simplicity is key…

StudioXAG’s Selfridges Window

James Davidson — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:07:55 +0000

It’s that time of the year again, where Selfridges offer up their iconic windows to the latest and greatest young talents. No newcomers to mesmerising window displays, London-based StudioXAG have sent through their collaboration with Future Map – an annual exhibition showcasing University of the Arts London’s finest fledglings – and mightily impressed we are with it too. Future Map’s starburst logo has been transformed into an explosion of lurid turquoise that unites the work of a handful of their designers and artists in a decidedly surreal domestic scene…

Jamie Oliver’s Union Jacks

James Davidson — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:42:37 +0000

Cuddly Jamie Oliver is knocking out restaurants at the sort of rate a normal chef knocks out omelettes, no sooner had he established his premium-chain of Italian restaurants, than he was collaborating with American BBQ expert Adam Perry Lang on the Tom Dixon designed Barbecoa. Perpetuating the notion that he’s acquiring multi-million pound chains as frequently as he debuts television shows and accompanying cookbooks, his latest enterprise follows his latest theme; good, honest British grub. On pizzas.

Sure, Union Jacks is a potentially divisive concept – Worcestershire sauce braised oxtail pizza (well, he calls them ‘flats’) is enough to give any Italian a heart attack – but the interiors, courtesy of award-winning agency Blacksheep – are where the Brit-theme really takes shape. With unabashed tongue-in-cheek nostalgia, the design concept offers up tea-cosies, vintage tellies and 1950s colour palettes, all centered around the retro cinema-board menu and open kitchen. It’s not big, and it’s not clever – but it’s bloody good fun and, most importantly, it looks a treat…

Chaos by Philip Watts Design

James Davidson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:24:02 +0000

Whilst in town for last week’s Interiors UK at the NEC, we dropped in on Birmingham’s “cultural quarter”, the aptly named Custard Factory – the 5-acres of riverside factories it occupies were built some 100-years ago, by custard’s inventor; Sir Alfred Bird. The Zellig building is the most recently redeveloped of the factories, and the 100,000 sq ft, £10m development’s centrepiece is this overwhelming steel and glass sculpture cum bridge network. Erected just over a year ago, by Nottingham-based Philip Watts Design, Chaos – as it’s known – is just that, a chaotic, discombobulating 5-storey mass comprised from 3 miles of steel tubing. Awkward, and seemingly unsteady, Chaos is part baby giraffe taking its first steps, part matchstick model – but most of all, it’s the most wickedly unique series of bridges we’ve ever seen. Just don’t ask us to cross them…

DRNK; Jeremiah Weed Brews

James Davidson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:23:11 +0000

If you’ve ventured out to any invite-only ‘hip-and-happening’ exhibition openings, dance parties, or cultural events in the last few months; you may have noticed your free-booze had a new face. We first encountered this phenomenon at Brick Lane’s oh-so cool Old Truman Brewery at the tail-end of last year… It wasn’t premium beer, it wasn’t even the cans of Red Stripe they dish out when everything else has gone – it was a rootin’ tootin’ Deep South brew, and bloody good it was too. Jeremiah Weed have been popping up all over the shop with their ginger tinged ‘root brew’, and delectable bourbon infused ‘sour mash brew’, as they carefully roll out their new brand to us detestable hipsters. Want an insider tip from us? We’re happy to put our necks on the line and say they’ll be the taste of your summer…

Want to bag yourself a Jeremiah Weed t-shirt? The first 18 people to tweet this get one. Can’t say fairer than that, can you?

Kate MccGwire’s Feather Sculptures

James Davidson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:18:37 +0000

London-based artist Kate MccGwire has been doing beautifully disturbing things with feathers for some years, and her latest pieces – predominantly housed in antique display units – are her most eerie works yet. Where her past works have famously seen feathers gushing from holes in walls, fireplaces and through gallery windows, the framing of MccGwire’s latest pieces evoke a kind of unsettling, Victorian curiosity; it’s as if they’re horrific creatures as museum pieces – but so alluringly beautiful at the same time. Objet d’art, sculpture, historic beast… it’s the perturbing contradictions that make MccGwire’s works so undeniably compulsive…

California Design, 1930–1965

James Davidson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:24:21 +0000

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art – LACMA to you and I – recently unveiled a mammoth exhibition celebrating Californian midcentury design – the first of its kind, with some 300+ objects representing all areas of design. Appropriately named – California Design, 1930–1965: “Living in a Modern Way” – the title references a quote from Swedish designer/architect Greta Magnusson Grossman – who brought with her a very Scandinavian minimalist approach when she arrived on the United States’ west coast in the late 1930s – and, in doing so, lays the foundations for the unique sun-kissed Scandi-style that iconic designers like Charles and Ray Eames became so famous for.

Whereas European countries so easily slip off the tongue when prompted for celebrated design aesthetics, the ‘sunshine state’ may not be as instantly synonymous; but – as this exhaustive collection so effortlessly reveals – California’s glamorous fusion of classical design conventions with its own fresh, bold and inimitable style deserves its dues as an iconic international design philosophy in its own right…

California Design, 1930–1965: “Living in a Modern Way” runs at LACMA’s Resnick Pavilion until June 3rd, 2012

Installation view
California Design, 1935-1960. ‘Living in a Modern Way’
October 1, 2011-June 3, 2012
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
© Airstream, inc. Reproduced by permission
Photo © 2011 Museum Associate/LACMA

Richard Neutra, Kaufmann House, Palm Springs, 1946.
Photo by Julius Shulman, 1947
© J. Paul Getty Trust. Used with permission. Julius Shulman Photography Archive.
Research Library at the Getty Research Institute (2004 R.10)

Mary Ann DeWeese (1913-1993, active Los Angeles)
Catalina Sportswear (Los Angeles, 1907-93)
California Lobster Bikini, Man’s Shirt and Trunks, 1949
Lastex, cotton
Collection of Esther Ginsberg/Golyester Antiques
© 2011 The Warnaco Group, Inc. All rights reserved. For Authentic Fitness Corp., Catalina Sportswear
Photo © 2011 Museum Associates/LACMA

Charles Eames (1907-1978, active Venice)
Ray Eames (1912-1988, active Venice)
Herman Miller Furniture Company
ESU (Eames storage unit), c. 1949
Zinc-plated steel, birch-faced and plastic-coated plywood, lacquered particle board, rubber
69 x 47 x 16 in. (175.3 x 119.4 x 40.6 cm)
LACMA, Gift of Mr. Sid Avery and Mr. James Corcoran
© 2011 Eames Office LLC (eamesoffice.com); Herman Miller. Inc.
Photo © 2011 Museum Associates/LACMA

Installation view
California Design, 1935-1960. ‘Living in a Modern Way’
October 1, 2011-June 3, 2012
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Photo © 2011 Museum Associate/LACMA

Straub & Hensman Buff
Recreation pavilion, Mirman House, Arcadia 1958
Photo by Julius Shulman, 1959
© J. Paul Getty Trust. Used with permission. Julius Shulman Photography
Archive. Research Library at the Getty Research Institute

Installation view
California Design, 1935-1960. ‘Living in a Modern Way’
October 1, 2011-June 3, 2012
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Photo © 2011 Museum Associate/LACMA

Charles Eames (1907-1978, active Venice)
Ray Eames (1912-1988, active Venice)
Molded Plywood Division, Evans Products Company (Venice, 1943-47)
Elephant, 1945
Molded plywood
16½ x 30¾ x 16¼ in. (41.9 x 78.1 x 41.3 cm)
Eames Collection, LLC
© The Eames Foundation. Courtesey Eames Office LLC (eamesoffice.com)

Carlos Diniz (1928-2001, active Los Angeles)
Ladd & Kelsey, Architects (Pasadena, 1958-80)
Monarch Bay Homes, Laguna Niguel (outdoor dining terrace). 1961
Screenprint
20 1/8 x 26 in. (51.1 x 66cm)
LACMA. Gift of Gilbert Ortiz and Edward Cella Art + Architecture
© Carlos Dinz Archive
Photo © 2011 Museum Associates/LACMA

Paul Lâszió (b. Hungary, 1900-1993, active Beverly Hills)
Paul Laszio’s European Group textile, 1954 or before
Rayon, cotton
105 1/2 x 48 5/8 in. (268 x 123.5 cm)
LACMA, Gift of Peter and Shannon Loughrey
© Paul Lâszió Estate/ADAGP, Paris/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

The Proposal No.2; Untitled

James Davidson — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:33:59 +0000

You may recall us featuring Zürich’s The Proposal at the tail-end of last year – if you don’t then you really need to check it out – we said then that it’s “not just a gallery, but possibly the most astonishingly unique b&b we can recall”, and now the guys are back with the 2nd in a series of 6 planned proposals.

Running until February 12th, “Untitled” poses American philosopher Henry David Thoreau’s question “what are we busy about?” – as artists Jeremie Maret, Lenny Staples and Christian Weber explore the concept of workers losing perspective of what exactly it is they’re doing. 337 Euro-pallets fill the courtyard – and surround the 1977 Peugeot J7, one of the b&b’s two rooms – to symbolise industry and the production process, whilst inside the main gallery the question is posed about society’s connection to these processes.

Once again it’s innovative, thought-provoking and, well, we just can’t wait for No.3…