One of the hardest emotions for people to deal with is shame. We are afraid to admit it, confront it, and figure out a way to live with it. The healthiest way would be to talk to someone especially professionals. But if you’re not yet ready to take that step and you’re in London until December, there’s a pretty interesting art installation that may help you have a cathartic experience with your secret shame.
Designer: Annie Frost Nicholson
The Juicy Booth is an installation at the Coal Drops Yard as part of London Design Week which lets people have a 10-minute multi-media confessional session. Created in collaboration with K67 Berlin (a company that restores historical K67 booths) and The Loss Project (a social enterprise that creates spaces for communities to deal with grief and loss), artist Annie Frost Nicholson wanted to have a space for people to release their shame and have a quick healing session through colour, light, and music.
When you enter the booth, a refurbished K67 booth, you’ll see a retro 80’s keyboard where you can type out the thing that you’re currently ashamed of. Your confession will be spelled out on an LED monitor for your eyes only of course (unless you brought someone in with you there). Based on what particular emotion you’re dealing with, the system maps it out with their “carefully conceived colour spectrum”. You then get a light and sound show that will hopefully take you on a cathartic journey.
The whole experience will take you just 10 minutes but hopefully that is enough to start you on a journey to healing. You will also get to scan and access additional resources that can support you after your Juicy Booth session. The installation will be there until December 9 so if you have the chance to visit it and have a mini-confessional session, go ahead and do it.
Residential complexes and small communities are on the rise, and some of these areas try to provide open spaces for rest and relaxation like parks or gardens. People new to such communities might find themselves often lost in the beginning, and guests or couriers will definitely be unfamiliar with the place. Signs aren’t always visible, and those that are might not blend well with the aesthetics and atmosphere of the residential complex. This concept design tries to hit multiple birds with a single stone by providing multi-functional furniture that not only looks like an art installation but also a rather subtle navigation guide for both residents and guests.
Designer: Alice Vakhni
Unlike typical home and office furniture, outdoor furniture offers only temporary respite for people. They’re not exactly the most comfortable products to use, especially since they have to be built to withstand unfavorable weather, but they do offer a place to sit, put down their things, or maybe even work and eat even if only for a while. Ironically, this also frees up outdoor furniture design from certain requirements, allowing them to embrace more unconventional forms, as long as they get the job done.
THREADS is an example of such freedom, conceptualizing furniture that hardly looks like any typical benches or tables. They look more like giant metal thread, hence the name that snakes and loops around the complex, one segment at a time. Some have wavy structures with crests that provide stools for people to sit on, while others coil around structures like benches and tables. Some rise upward to become lamps, while others branch and loop to show directions.
That’s the second not-so-obvious function of THREADS. Just like how Theseus used threads to navigate the labyrinth, the large pipes guide your eyes and your feet in the direction you need to go. They act like railings and guidelines that bend in the direction you should be walking if you’re a bit lost. Of course, not all residential communities have the same layout, so the pipes’ modular design allows builders to combine different parts with different corners to create the navigation system they need.
THREADS is also a piece of art, like an abstract sculptural installation designed to give communities a distinct character. The almost freeform flow of the “threads” leaves each segment open to interpretation and any use. Made with powder-coated hot-rolled steel pipes, what would normally convey an industrial and impersonal appearance transforms into something playful and approachable, becoming the proverbial thread that binds communities together.
It’s always interesting and nice to see installations that are not just works of art but also invite the viewer to interact with it. Sure, paintings and sculptures in museums are nice to look at but of course you’re not allowed to touch them for important reasons. So art installations are much more accessible and in a sense, more experimental, especially if visitors are invited to touch and explore it.
Paired Cubes is a temporary pavilion that is set up in Busan, South Korea but is also created to be transferred and assembled in other public spaces. It is made up of 3,500 recycled polycarbonate panels put together in 2.5m tall pavilions and put together without any fittings or glue. It has eight outer facades and two inner walls and the overall effect, especially when illuminated, is that they look like floating panels.
Aside from its sustainability, the pavilion is also pretty interactive as visitors are actually invited to interact with the structure and its visual patterns and optical textures. They are put together in both a symmetrical and asymmetrical fashion. During the day, you can explore the layered surfaces that bring about various shadowy patterns. When it becomes darker, it becomes a luminous box which attracts you to go inside the pavilion.
Up to 6 people can go inside the structure at once but you can also just stay outside to play around with the panels. It is also built to be easily disassembled, transported, and reassembled so we can expect to see this pop up in other areas after this.
It’s always fun to see public art things that people can actually touch and interact with. Where I live that is a rarity for a lot of reasons so I envy places that have an abundance of public art exhibits. If you’re in London, particularly the Chelsea area this summer, you can check out this interesting part of the art trail where something seems like one thing but is actually another thing.
Love Continuum is a large piece of typographic art that inspires its viewers (kids and kids at heart) to actually climb on it and play on it (safely of course). It is located on the Duke of York Square in Kings Road as part of the Kensington + Chelsea Art Week celebration which runs until August. At first it just looks like a huge red spring or swirly thing that may be a random piece of art in the city.
But if you actually look at it from a certain angle, it spells the word “love” in cursive. When viewed in other angles, it’s hard to see the word as it’s just a red worm that you can climb on, sit on (maybe not so comfortably), or just look at. But when you finally see the word it spells out, it’s a “eureka” moment that you’ll enjoy. You can also invite other people to discover this not so secret secret.
The “red squiggly worm” is 7.5 meters in length and is the latest in Alter’s continuing work of colorful concepts that invite people to play with it and enjoy his art. And with the “secret” word that is part of the sculpture, it adds another dimension.
When looking for a chair, of course what you want is for something that you can sit on comfortably. Depending also on your budget or on your space, you probably don’t really care much about the design of it as long as it is able to perform its main function which is that you can sit on it. But there are some chairs that are not just functional. In fact, sitting on it may not be the only purpose of it but it becomes a piece of art, or in this case, even performance art.
Designer: Ahn Kihyun
The Halfway Serious chair will probably not make you comfortable and will even make you anxious if you’re that kind of person. But what it will definitely do is make the “mundane” act of sitting more interesting and more challenging. Aside from the actual seat, it uses a gimbal structure so you have to balance sitting on the chair so that the eggs placed on either end will not drop and become a yolky mess. Of course you don’t need to really put actual raw eggs but that defeats the purpose of the chair, which is to balance it out.
Designer Ahn Kihyun is known for his experimental designs for alternative furniture or “anti-furniture”. He believes that by adding elements to his pieces that give different experiences to the users, the act of using it can actually become a sort of performance art. For this particular piece, he made the egg container at either end of the gimbal look like an island. But with the addition of the chair in the middle, which looks like an ordinary bench on its own, you are able to tell a different story.
It would be interesting to sit on something like this although as a person with a balance problem, the eggs will probably not be long for this world. As its name suggests, Halfway Serious will not be an actual chair that you can sit on every day but something that belongs in a museum or a space meant to invite people to try it out and see if you can keep the eggs from cracking on the floor.
There are plenty of art installations set up around the world, but the majority of them have a “look but don’t touch” policy. After all, “art” is expected to be mostly visual and the risk of damaging a precious, one-of-a-kind masterpiece is just too high. There are, however, other art forms that require your other senses to truly have a complete experience, sometimes involving not just touch but even hearing as well. This sculptural instrument, for example, invites people to dip their hands into glowing drums of water to create a hypnotic audiovisual experience intended to raise their consciousness to higher levels.
Inner Waves look nothing like any musical instrument you can think of, except probably for a drum set with too many drums arranged in an almost random fashion around the largest circle in the middle. Like their namesake, though, these are actually small container drums that can hold liquid, in this case, water. Unlike your typical water drum, however, these cylinders have a faint glow on the outside that contrasts with the darkness they hold inside.
As captivating as these eerie glowing drums might be, they’re not designed just for your eyes. After all, you can’t even appreciate the water they hold in the darkness, and so you have to make that leap of faith and plunge your hand or even just a finger inside that darkness. This act rewards you with a brighter light and an ethereal sound that is reminiscent of the tones produced by a theremin. It is also similar to the sound you make when you dip your finger inside a glass of water and then run your fingertip around the mouth of the glass.
This alien sculptural instrument is advertised to link the water inside the viewer’s body with the water within the vessel, a statement that almost has a transcendental message to it. Technically speaking, it most likely uses the vibrations caused by ripples in order to trigger the mechanism that increases the light’s intensity and produces sound. Of course, your brain might not immediately make that connection, making you think that it is indeed your body’s agency that is creating this effect. Either way, the audiovisual art installation has the intended effect of putting your mind in a more meditative state, perhaps contemplating the deeper meaning behind this intersection of art and technology.
Street art is a form of visual art that is found in public buildings, streets, bridges, trains, and other spaces, particularly for public visibility and to reach a broader audience. Street art not only forms a powerful tool to convey messages to society but also enhances the beauty of public spaces. Street art is found all around the world and street artists are known to transform the streets with their creativity and imagination. The traditional form of street art included graffiti artists who worked with spray paint. Some of the other media include stencil art, mosaic tiling, LED art, and outdoor sculptures while the recent forms of street art include video projections of large city buildings.
The origin of street art can be found in ancient civilizations where graffiti was used to mark territories, express cultural identities, and served as historic records. The modern street art movement started in the 1960s in cities like New York and Philadelphia and 1970s artists in cities like Paris and London. In the 1980s and 1990s street art evolved, and artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Banksy rose to prominence. Today street art is touching new heights with the integration of new technology and adapting to the changing socio-political context.
Here are the top ten types of street art that one will often come across on urban streets. Each art comes with its distinct characteristics and techniques.
1. Graffiti Artwork
Designer: Banksy (via Banksy Archive)
Graffiti artwork is one of the most iconic forms of street art that has been around for ages. In this form of art images or text is painted on the building using spray paint, large bubble lettering, and decorative scripts to convey messages, evoke emotions and enhance the beauty of public walls. The term “graffiti” refers to inscriptions, figure drawings, and markings that have been found on the walls of ancient sepulchers or ruins just like those in the Catacombs of Rome or at Pompeii. Graffiti formed a part of the hip-hop culture in the 1970s, it is a form of self-expression and rebellion, allowing youth from disadvantaged communities to gain recognition for their creative ideas in public spaces.
2. 3D Wall Graffiti
Designer: Joe Fafard
3D wall graffiti is also known as anamorphic art which can create an optical illusion of objects popping out from the wall and the artwork coming to life. It makes two-dimensional paintings appear like three-dimensional paintings when viewed from a specific angle. This skill is honed through artists by employing perspective, shading, and anamorphic methods through dedicated time and practice as it appeals to both young and old when exhibited in public spaces. Chalk or paint is used to create these incredible pieces of art.
3. Stencil Graffiti
Designer: selfie_stencils
Stencil Graffiti employs stencils to create images on public spaces like walls, and buildings. The artists use pre-cut templates to reproduce the same image multiple times and then use spray paint to make a clear representation of the design. This ensures faster execution and replication and is effective in communicating ideas to a broader audience in multiple locations.
4. Street Poster Art
Street poster art involves the pasting of posters in public spaces like walls, poles, or any other visible surface to stimulate public thought. The posters may display controversial or abstract visuals to give political statements or social messages to bring forth public awareness about their causes.
Note: Wheatpasting art is the technique of applying posters in public using a mixture of wheat flour or natural adhesives to water to create a paste. These posters are weather resistant in comparison to other simple paper posters.
5. Video Projection
Designer: Eye Studio
Also known as projection mapping street art, it combines the use of video projections to project images, animations, or videos on buildings or other urban surfaces to create an immersive visual experience. The biggest difference between street art is that is static and uses paint for the surface, video projection is dynamic, and special software is used to map the content on the surface, including captivating animations and colorful visuals. It is temporary and used for special events and festivals.
6. Guerrilla Art
Designer: S.c. MeRo
Guerrilla art is also known as street intervention, where impromptu and temporary installations are created in public without seeking permission. It blurs the line between art and activism, raises awareness of social issues, urges the public to question their surroundings, and transforms the urban city into an ever-changing canvas for artistic expression. Some of the innovative methods of incorporating this art include wheat pasting, sculptures, and yarn bombing that aims to disrupt the urban environment.
7. Flash Mobbing
Among the various forms of street art, the flash mob is most enjoyable as it usually involves dancing in a public space. A flash mob involves a spontaneous assembly of individuals in a public space where they perform and then disperse swiftly. The main aim of flash mobbing is to deliver entertainment, satire, or artistic expression. They usually perform in crowded places like malls, parks, and public squares to spread a message. Street plays are also a form of art where a large group wears simple costumes and use banners and posters to attract attention.
Street Installations are 3D structures made by artists that are displayed on the streets. They can be categorized as sculptures with or without historic significance and interactive or temporary art installations. These three-dimensional artworks are usually connected with political, religious, and historic belongings and are made in materials like stone, wood, metal, recycled materials, and fiber to name a few. Unlike conventional street art, street installations occupy physical space. It brings art to the public and blurs the boundaries between artwork and the urban environment. This is a beautiful form of street art as it evokes emotions and reactions from people who pass by. In addition, the installations can be interactive and invite viewers to engage with the art in unique ways. Kinetic sculptures, artworks incorporating movement often powered by natural elements or mechanical means, can be considered a form of street art. Installed in public spaces like streets, parks, and plazas, they offer engaging and interactive art experiences for passersby.
Also known as Earth Art, it aims to bridge the gap between art and nature. Environmental art is an artistic expression where artists create site-specific artworks with natural materials found in the landscape like sand, rock, water, plants, and wood. These artworks are temporary and they emerged in the 1960s and early 1970s in response to the concern about environmental issues and indicate that it is our responsibility to protect it.
This is a large-scale artwork that is painted onto the walls or public surfaces of urban cities. It’s a great way to beautify public spaces with vibrant colors and themes that cover entire walls, including realistic portraits, landscapes, or abstract designs. The different techniques used in mural art may include spray paint, rollers, brushes, or any other technique. The best part about mural art is that it reflects the local culture, tells stories, and attracts both locals and tourists who appreciate its beauty in public spaces. The impressive artworks effortlessly transform the urban landscapes into iconic landmarks of the city.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Co3zKdVsRmA/
Hence, every form of street art leaves a unique impression on urban landscapes and plays a vital role in the dynamic and continuously evolving global street art movement.
