Villa Walala at London Design Festival

"Currently hidden away in the City of London’s landscape of glass and concrete is a vibrant and squishy celebration of playfulness in the form of Villa Walala. The latest creation by textile-designer turned installation artist Camilla Walala opened on Saturday as LDF’s Landmark Project, and will remain open until 24 September." - Ruby Boddington @ It's Nice That

“I wanted to create something that played to this idea of escaping the office and letting off steam, but which was also a surprising contrast to the architectural context – something colourful and playful that would make the people of Broadgate stop and smile”

— Camille Walala

BAAAAAAM 💥💥💥💥 The VillA Walala is finally launching today for @l_d_f_official ❤️🌈🙌🏼💛 Huge thank you to @broadgatelondon @britishlandplc for the amazing opportunity @govisualltd for the floor vinyl 🙌🏼❤️ -------- @juliajomaa_ and @ioana_lupascu @jessmeyer__ for working by my side and make it all happen ❤️❤️❤️❤️ The @_zetteler_ Family for being the best creative agency. And @lemonheadprints for the beautiful deckchAirs!!❤️💛💚💜💙

A post shared by 🔵⚫️〰⭕️ (@camillewalala) on Sep 16, 2017 at 3:46am PDT

Walala was chosen by London Design Festival’s headline partner British Land to create this year’s Landmark Project to celebrate the 15th anniversary of London Design Festival

Social Weapon by Tom Galle

NYC-based artist Tom Galle has reworked the idea of corporate logos in a way that makes them not only daring, but kinda deadly. 

Water Portraits By Reisha Perlmutter

Artist Reisha Perlmutter lives and works in New York, creating oil paintings informed by the way we “relate to our bodies on an uninhibited, biological level.” Her subjects are depicted in both close-up and full body compositions, their bodies caught amongst light flares and reflections of the sun shining through the surface. The Florida-born artist presents quiet, solitary moments in the pool, her subjects appearing at peace with their surroundings and themselves..

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This post was shamefully censored few times by Facebook and Instagram leaving our accounts compromised and blocked for weeks then a month and completely destroying any logic and a will to support that channels.

Art censorship in action from Facebook Nipple Army of cheap labour moderators based in Manila, Philippines and India. Watch related movies “The Cleaners” and “The Moderators” about actions against Art and Photography undertaken by freaking policies of the largest online platforms.

Jan Erik Waider Photography

"Drawn to arctic scenery, photographer Jan Erik Waider skillfully captures the “rugged charm and pristine beauty” of Nordic nature. In his striking series, Arctic Silence, the Hamburg-based creative offers an intimate glimpse into the haunting stillness and ghostly tranquility found in Greenland's glacial landscapes.."

The Digital Decade 5, London - Official Video

During UK bank holidays on 25th of August Designcollector Network ran a successful exhibition that explored intersections digital and physical forms - "Phygital" in art, featuring 50 Artists working in the field of near-future terms. This year's theme was "Cyberia - the Unknown Territories shaped by the Digital Ethnos" encourages artists to reflect on the concept of the newborn digital-native that is changing our common value systems.

Digital Decade 5 went on 25 - 27 August at Ugly Duck, London

Official Video directed by So!Fraiche

For the 5th Edition we were lucky to collaborate with 3 huge online platforms working in the fields of Digital Art and representing the majority of online artists. If you are looking to promote your body of work, please consider this platform as a kick starter of your career

Ello Network

Ello is The Creators Network, a socially-powered publishing and collaboration platform supporting a global community of artists. Founded in 2013 by a small group of art & design professionals, Ello provides a creative oasis for artists and their fans while empowering artist x brand collaboration via our Artist Invites program.

Ello.co

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Curioos Marketplace

Designcollector is proud to have Curioos as a retail partner. They are printing all artworks for Digital Decade 5. Curioos is a curated marketplace of lifestyle products designed by independent artists. It’s the one-destination for graphic artists to profit from their creativity by selling their artworks on high-quality, everyday products such as wall art, apparel and accessories.

Curioos.com

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Sedition Art Platform

Delivering Video Art challenge and showcasing selected artists on “Sedition digital Frames” at Digital Decade 5. Sedition Art is the world’s leading online platform for artists to display and sell their art in digital format for connected screens and devices. Sedition offers everyone an easy, enjoyable and social way to experience art-collecting at affordable prices. The company was founded by Harry Blain, the owner of Blain|Southern. The mission of Sedition is to change the art world by introducing a marketplace for collecting and trading art in the digital age.

Seditionart.com

Photography from the event

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Photos are taken by Antony Kitson

Very Still Life by Roni Landa

"Very Still Life" is a series of clay sculpture created by Tel-Aviv artist Roni Landa depicting veggies in a totally "carnivorean" way

Cindy Sherman's Art of Selfie

"Before the age of social media and its painstakingly sculpted personae, Pictures Generation artist Cindy Sherman had already established herself as the art world’s reigning queen of self-reinvention, using the camera to morph into one character after another. Though her works are technically not self-portraits, Sherman’s method of turning the lens onto herself is uncannily appropriate to our times, in which the stage-managed selfie has become so ubiquitous that it’s now fodder for exhibitions and often cited as an art form in itself.."

"The (Instagram) account, which mysteriously switched from private to public in recent months, is a mix of personal photos alongside Sherman’s ever-famous manipulated images of herself.." via Artnet

Cynthia Morris "Cindy" Sherman is an American photographer and film director, best known for her conceptual portraits. In 1995, she was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship.

Neon Scribbles by Jung Lee

"Like the loop-de-loop scribbles of a child, artist Jung Lee (previously) constructed a series of neon light sculptures that were installed and photographed against cinematic landscapes as part of her series titled “No More“. "

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Jung Lee was born in 1972 and currently lives and works in Seoul, Korea.  She received her M.A. in Photography from the Royal College of Art, UK and her B.A. with honors in Photography from Kent Institute of Art & Design, UK.  She received a B.A. with honors in Mass Communication & Journalism from Kyung Hee University in Seoul, Korea. She most recently participated in 2012 Daegu Photo Biennale, the Incheon Women Artists Biennale, the 2010 Gwangju Biennale “10,000 Lives” under the direction of Massimiliano Gioni, the contemporary Korean photography exhibition “Chaotic Harmony” at the Museum of Fine Arts (Houston).  She has also shown at the Seoul Museum of Art and Gwangju Museum of Art.  She will participate in the upcoming Esslingen Foto and Media Triennale. via ONE AND J. GALLERY

Matthew Stone Art

Matthew Stone is an artist and shaman. These two interconnected roles are defined by his activities as painter, photographer, sculptor, performance artist, writer, Optimist and cultural provocateur.

A post shared by Matthew Stone (@artshaman) on Jun 29, 2016 at 2:39am PDT

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“Optimistic thought without action will not fix broken systems. In fact pitching optimism as the primary means of self-actualisation for those facing genuine adversity can be a patronising tool of oppression. By-your-bootstraps philosophies tacitly reassert the toxic idea that inequality arises from the attitudes of those who are oppressed rather than the systemic violence enacted upon them.”

— Matthew Stone

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Stone’s most recent body of work demonstrates an innate enthusiasm for the development of painting within the framework of art history. The new works, use 3d modelling software and paint to break with the history of painting on a flat surface, lifting the strokes into a virtual and free space. The addition of shadows and foreshortening creates an illusionistic - trompe l’oeil sense of depth and perspective within the canvases. He organises and examines complex statements in regard to the relationship between painting, photography & computer generated imagery disrupting the holy status of painting as the ‘cosmic flesh’ of art history whilst simultaneously pushing the visceral experience of paint forward. The series offers a new technical approach to traditional painting, showing diverse bodies at play and in conflict.

A post shared by Matthew Stone (@artshaman) on Jul 9, 2016 at 1:12pm PDT

A post shared by Matthew Stone (@artshaman) on Oct 4, 2016 at 7:30am PDT

Camille Walala at Now Gallery

Camille Walala (previously) has transformed Greenwich Peninsula’s Now Gallery into a colour labyrinth of wonder. Walala X Play opened through 24 September and her zigzag paths, winding walls of different heights, hanging shapes, and mirrored panels are all decorated with Camille’s signature geometric patterns and brash colours.

The installation is also a puzzle, taking the form of a 3D “spot the difference” in which visitors are encouraged to seek out anomalies in the pattern, with new differences being introduced once a month during the installation’s run until September.

The print designer and artist was selected as Now Gallery’s 2017 Design Collaborator and the piece forms part of the gallery’s summer programme.

Words  by Rebecca Fulleylove

I Left My Heart in Tokyo by Audun Grimstad

Phenomenally detailed illustration work from artist Audun Grimstad inspired by Manga classics in a piece called “I left my heart in Tokyo.”

Fauxdega by Lucy Sparrow

For her US solo exhibition debut, artist Lucy Sparrow opened a pop-up convenient store at the Standard, High Line Hotel. “Handmade in Manhattan: 8 Till Late” is a ‘fauxdega’ that features 9,000 handmade felt products that are all available for sale.

Sparrow transformed the 1,200 sq ft space into an exact convenient store replica with food, books, drinks and household products. The exhibition was intended to run from June 5 – June 30, but due to overwhelming demand—all of the products were sold, shelves were emptied and the store closed 9 days early on June 21. Sparrow even closed the store for 3 days midway through the show’s run to restock the shelves but was still unable to meet customer demand.

Embroidery art by Sheena Liam

"Malaysian model and artist Sheena Liam first learned to embroider as a child. But two years ago, while in a foreign city for a shoot, the 26-year-old picked it up again. In the place of flower and leaves, Sheena stitched modern girls with black hair that spilled out of the frame. Nowadays Sheena continues to create her imaginative embroidery, which ranges from a girl fiddling with a loose topknot to a character snipping her own bangs."

"Wreck" by Jordan Griska

Life-size sculpture "Wreck" by Jordan Griska is a perfect replication of a Mercedes Benz S550 car constructed from thousands of polished steel mirrors. The Brooklyn-based artist echoes the themes of F.S.Fitzgerald's Gatsby juxtaposing the efflorescence of luxury with brutality of wreckage

"Destierro" by Anish Kapoor

Artist Anish Kapoor is back with a new exhibition titled Destierro – which translates from Spanish into ‘exile’ The exhibition, taking place at Parque de la Memoria in Buenos Aires, features three installations that see Kapoor veering back towards his signature style of work with pigmented powder. However, unlike his previous work, the three pieces on display in Argentina shine a spotlight on the global migration crisis marking a change in direction for Kapoor who has, up until recently, shied away from making political work.

Kapoor is the first British artist to put on a solo exhibition in Argentina. The space, Parque de la Memoria, is also known as Remembrance Park as it was built in memory of those killed by Argentina’s military regime between 1976 and 1983.“Destierro (exile) can be seen as one of the major global dramas of our time," says the exhibition’s curator Marcello Dantas. “This exhibition was reborn in light of our urgent times.”

Witches by Denise De La Rue

On 22 June,  the second part of Mexican artist Denise De La Rue’s special exhibition “Angels and Witches” Goya Metamorphose opens at the Lázaro Galdiano Museum, Madrid. The artist has created a series of mesmerising photographs juxtaposing iconic Spanish actresses with the painter’s work, analysing the dichotomies and similarities between these characters whilst engaging with historical and relevant sites such as the Museum.

The works are imbued with mysticism, magic, life, death, and the powers of creation, transformation and destruction, characteristics which De La Rue has recognised in Goya’s angels and witches and as key characteristics of the acting profession. These paintings therefore create a dialogue between the actresses and Goya’s paintings and demonstrate De La Rue’s interest in researching the capability of women to transform and empower themselves, which historically has been seen as threatening to the conservative preconception of patriarchal societies.

This exhibition is a rare opportunity to experience the full series of Goya’s Witches. Two of the works have been lost and De La Rue has recaptured them by retrieving historic files that include details of the works. Using photography technology, the artist has reconstructed the works and reunited them in the same space for the first time since the pieces left the Dukes of Osuna’s, the series’ commissioner, hands. Two of the works are owned by the Lázaro Galdiano and will be on show alongside Witches. 

The first part of “Angels and Witches” Goya, Metamorphose was Angels at the Royal Chapel of San Antonio de la Florida in Madrid, where Goya’s remains rest as well as where some of his most recognised frescos are. Having the two exhibitions of Angels and Witches in dialogue with Goya’s work in these pertinent venues is a unique opportunity to see and understand Goya’s interest in witchcraft and the holy, revised by photography and a contemporary perspective.

Video from previous installation "Angelas" inspired by Goya

HI-RES by Romulo Celdran

Imagined and executed by Madrid-based artist, Rómulo Celdran, the artworks entitled HI-RES, are divided into three distinct categories: Solid, Voxel, and Mesh. The goal of HI-RES for Celdran is to emphasise the artist's undying preoccupation with the ever-evolving and limitless possibilities of the 3D virtual world. As the artist explains, its the 3D world's "capacity and plasticity as a valid reference for pictorial and sculptural creation."

Pokras Lampas x FENDI

Russian Calligrafiturism artist Pokras Lampas spent 500 l of yellow paint, 1250 sq.m of calligraphy for the fabulous "F.. is for Fendi" campaign performed on the top of monumental HQ of Fendi in Rome at Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana (Colosseo Quadrato)

An official Calligraffiti ambassador (and freak), Pokras Lampas is blurring the frontiers with his brushes and paint buckets. He is one of the most talented modern artists, and is totally rewriting stuff through Calligrafuturism, his personal way of expressing his version of our uber-global and sometimes-crazy world. This globetrotter is also spreading the word about modern calligraphy and collaborating with crazy cool brands and artists.

He realized the biggest Calligraffiti in Italy on FENDI rooftop at Palazzo Della Civiltà Italiana, reinterpreting the F IS FOR…manifesto throughout freedom of expression, art, culture and optimism all around!

Not only he’s a super fly freak – who happens to love Kanye West – but he is also an incredible masterpiece machine. Pokras Lampas captures, creates, interprets and simply makes magic magic.

Totally goosebumps-worthy, his time in Rome with the F is For… crew was so rad, filled with an intense, gigantic-lettered poem, shapes and lines that basically set the standard once again for what we label as authentic talent.

Scarlett Johansson narrates short movie about Jeff Koons

"What is Jeff Koons‘s art really about? According to a newly released mini-documentary, narrated by none other than Scarlett Johansson, the answer is new things (vacuum cleaners, basketballs, shiny surfaces) and old things (Praxitales, Massacio, and Led Zepplin)."

"The eight-minute video traces the artist’s rise from outsider to art-world giant with a little help from ScarJo’s smoky-voiced narration. The actress, it turns out, is a big fan of the 62-year-old. Directed by Oscar Boyson, the video was produced last spring in collaboration with MOCA"

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Conversation

Emmanuel Levinas, a French philosopher, states that Other, dissimilar and incommensurable to oneself, appears to one as a ‘visage’. Though the manifestation of Other’s visage, both natural and inevitable, could seem to one as an unilateral intrusion, it establishes a passage to transcend the outer world from the enclosed inner self as the subject that perceives and embraces the visage. One, therefore, is completed from the responsibility and understanding of Other, ultimately finding one’s true self.

The photography project ‘Conversation’ is a journey that begins from concerns of acquaintances, eventually finding oneself in the process. In the photographs, the space becomes the world where one encounter the Other, and the cloth tossed into the air becomes the medium that draws out one's relationship with Other. Other, as an unsubstantial light flashed into space, actualises when the visage materialises onto the aimlessly tossed cloth, and one’s act of capturing the moment signifies one's conversation with the Other. One finds one’s essence through Other, not just an illusion of light, but as a real existent materialised on a white cloth.

Created by Jeong Wonjun