The work of contemporary Dutch designer Nicolette Brunklaus is filled with narrative and imagination. She often manipulates photography to generate pattern and tell a story, whether printing a wooded forest scene on the interior of a lampshade, or, as in Blond Curtain, digitally printing long blond tendrils on velvet to create a curtain. The textile, at...
Tokujin Yoshioka’s ToFU lamp is magical. The spare form—a square cut delicately from clear methacrylate resin—conducts light only around its edges, stemming from a single halogen bulb. It is as though light itself is harnessed in the design, caught within and released by the material in a minimal, sensual gesture.
The holiday season is a special time of year to reflect on family and… jewels! Hemmerle’s Egyptian Story bangle is a particularly exceptional jewel. Not only does it evoke the firm’s distinctive voice, showcasing innovative techniques and material combinations to create a bold, modern jewel enriched with cultural references, but it provides a bit of...
Design Miami/ is always a stunning collection of modern and contemporary design under one roof, but can be a bit overwhelming without knowing where to look. I led tours of the fair (the Museum’s second tour collaboration with DM/) to provide insight into this year’s highlights, connecting the works on view and illuminating themes. Honestly,...
The MyLight.MGX, a hanging lamp by designer Lars Spuybroek for Belgian-based manufacturer Materialise NV, illustrates the possibilities of computerized production methods. Made in 2007, it was digitally printed (also known as 3D printing) using the process of Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). With SLS, a computer controls an infrared laser that solidifies miniscule layers of powdered material—in this case, polyamide, or nylon. The object is then additively built, layer upon layer. There are no molds, there is no assemblage of multiple parts. The object is printed in its entirety.
The ProSolve 370e system consists of modular architectural tiles coated with titanium dioxide that, when activated by daylight, neutralizes nitrogen oxides—harmful for their effect on the respiratory system, acid rain, and ozone depletion—in the surrounding environment. While the antimicrobial and air-purifying effects of titanium dioxide have been known for years, it is the form and application of ProSolve that is particularly innovative.
In the hands of Viennese glass firm J. & L. Lobmeyr, drinking a glass of water becomes a sensual ritual.
In the hands of designer Henning Andreasen, the humble stapler is an icon of beautiful, functional design. Introduced in 1977, the Folle 26 stapler, manufactured by Danish manufacturer Folle, is still in production today—a testament to its timeless appeal and functionality.
When I first stumbled across this object in the Museum’s collection, I had absolutely no idea what I was looking at. Its form hints subtly at a creature living in the sea or the sky, and I did not understand the small buttons adhered to its body. “Prototype, Wrist Computer,” the object information stated. I still was not clear. Upon researching a bit further, however, it is an absolutely fascinating object that is a surprising concept model for the future, delivered from the past. It is, effectively, a smartphone.
