‘The Guardians at Ten Years’ Celebrates Antonio Pio Saracino

In 2013, artist and designer Antonio Pio Saracino created two colossal sculptures in Manhattan’s Bryant Park from a digitally generated architectural composition to celebrate the Year of Italian Culture—Hero, made of 8,000 pounds of marble, nods to Michelangelo’s David and stands near Superhero, made of 15,000 pounds of stainless steel. An encounter with the pieces feels like stepping onto an action-film set—yet they also appear at home among the glassy skyscrapers. This spring, “The Guardians at Ten Years” exhibition celebrate Saracino’s work with the The Guardians: Hero & Superhero sculptures at 3 Bryant Park as the centerpiece of the show.

Presented by Maison Gerard, the exhibition runs through May 1, 2023, and also features a retrospective of Saracino’s work from the last decade. “Antonio is forward thinking in the way he marries materials and technology. With his approach he is blurring boundaries across different mediums with his use of digital technology, elevating materials such as stainless steel and rubber and presenting familiar shapes in unexpected ways,” explains Benoist F. Drut, owner of Maison Gerard. “I admire his zest for experimentation—he is an architect who produces massive public art projects, makes sculptural furniture and functional art.”

“The Guardians at Ten Years” at 3 Bryant Park Runs Through May 1, 2023

The exhibition offers insights into Saracino’s creative process, revealing the making of The Guardians and other works. Throughout the 5,000-square-foot space, original sketches, maquettes of the sculptures, 3D renderings, photographs, and video installations are on display alongside Saracino’s furnishings and smaller sculptures. “Creating public art and a landmark is an incredible privilege because it is about creating a sense of identity for cities, communities, and the building process of our civilization,” says Saracino in a statement. “When I first presented the concept of The Guardians to the project’s selecting Committee, I presented the idea to create in New York a tangible symbol of the superhuman that inspires us to move a step forward every day. We all love superheroes’ stories because they never give up on us. They patiently remind us that we are much stronger than we think we are. Seeing The Guardians standing reminds us today, just like ten years ago, of the universality of that message.”

Visitors can catch a glimpse of the Formula One and MotoGP trophy by Saracino as well as a Nike sculpture of the winged goddess of Victory, prototypes from different museum collections, and furniture made of wood, bronze and marble fabricated in Italy and Brooklyn. Saracino’s latest landmark The New Arc, a project awarded from a public competition to be built next to the train station in Newark, New Jersey, will also be on display. 

14 Product Highlights From Dubai Design Week 2022

Dubai Design Week returns to the Middle East this week, celebrating contemporary design November 8-13. Once again the show will include Downtown Design (introducing international furnishings to the UAE market) and The UAE Designer Exhibition (turning the spotlight to local designers). This year, the work from the 2022 edition of the annual Tanween design programme by Tashkeel was a particular standout. From a light formed from kombucha bacteria to a console fabricated from date seed concrete, here are 14 of our favorite finds.

Top Products from Dubai Design Week

1. Skin by Shaza Khalil for Tashkeel’s Tanween Program

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The bacteria grown during the fermentation process of the probiotic drink kombucha can be directed towards more than a healthy gut. Egyptian designer Shaza Khalil uses this bacteria for Skin, a ceiling-mounted light inspired by the Plumeria (Frangipani) tree.

2. Cosmic Candy by Form

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A collection of nontraditional mirrors rendered in glass, marble, and wood, Cosmic Candy by Form is inspired by the cosmos, and the “structures and dynamics of cosmic energy, space, and time,” explains Form founder Engi Jaouda.

3. Datecrete Console 0.1. by Sara Abu Farha and Khaled Shalkha for Tashkeel’s Tanween Program

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Exploring new materials, an urban planner and a chemical engineer conceived Datecrete Console 0.1., built from the world’s first date seed-based cementitious material with no trace of concrete or resin.

4. Gaar by Nareg Krikorian

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Hollow—and therefore light—the Gaar collection consists of a distinctive bow-motif armchair and a side table, both in stitched leather and made entirely by hand in by artisans incorporating traditional methods of craft in Lebanon. The solid wood top of the table earns its patina from a stain made from coffee.

5. Armitage Floor Lamp by Joe and Edward Armitage for Armitage

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Joe Armitage revives two heritage designs from creatives in his family with the Armitage Floor Lamp. Rendered in solid walnut and brass, it’s based on a 1952 lamp design by his grandfather with a conical shade printed with a textile pattern by his grandmother.

6. Cabinet by La Nena Home 

To mark the opening of its new flagship store and coffeeshop in Dubai, Spanish manufacturer La Nena Home unveils a furnishing collection. A series of rounded forms, Cabinet is made from the company’s signature solid-surfacing material and handcrafted by local artisans from the Galicia region of Spain.

7. Palm Veneer by Reem Jeghel

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Employing wood marquetry techniques, Reem Jeghel reuses waste from the palm industry. Palm Veneer is composed of discarded palm fiber, which is collected and pressed into cardboard to make a veneer. The veneer is then arranged in beech wood frames. “The idea came about when I noticed workers taking down parts of the palm pieces to be discarded,” says the designer. “I saw potential in this raw natural material and I wanted to highlight its rich texture and colors of it.”

8. Love by Zufa

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The wood-framed Love chair by design studio Zufa in Bahrain is complementary as a pair, with curves that fit together. 

9. Pieces of Past and Present by Amna Alshamsi

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Seven segments inspired by the historic architecture of Dubai’s Al Shandagha district merge to form gradient orange, yellow, and magenta coffee table Pieces of Past and Present. Deconstructed, they’re stools or small tables.

10. Lounge by Anqa Studios

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Mexican cactus (for the faux-leather seat) and 100 percent recycled plastic (for the frame and mainly sourced from plastic spools used for thread) are the sustainable materials behind Lounge by Anqa Stiudios. The chair is offered in four colors, among them Jumeirah Pink, a gradient pink and off-white. “We want to express that plastic isn’t dead yet and somewhere is trying to rot in a dump, but that we’re trying to breathe new life into the material, so that it is “still in the pink (meaning: alive),” says co-founder Doloris Schreiber.

11. Kaseeriya by Ebrahim Assur for Tashkeel’s Tanween Program

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To breathe new life into biodegradable Palmade pallets Ebrahim Assur conceived bench Kaseeriya. Recycled cork and camel leather accents complete the transformation.

12. Fratelli by Mario Gagliardi for Baaya

The Bauhaus movement influenced the generous proportions of Fratelli by Mario Gagliardi, a wood-framed lounge chair with upholstered seat and back. 

13. Mineral by Jassim AlSaddah for Samovar Carpets

While the compositions in the Mineral collection of carpets by Jassim AlSaddah might seem highly abstract, they can be spotted in nature. Each motif comes from the geometry and crystal structures found in geology and mineralogy.

14. Anamil by Huda Al-Aithan for Tashkeel’s Tanween Program

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Pendant light Anamil (Fingertips) by Saudi Arabian designer Huda Al-Aithan highlights the regional craft of ‘safeefah’ (palm frond weaving). To produce the piece, the designer enlisted Emirati craftswomen.

10 Must-See Exhibitions at Design Week Lagos

When it comes to the vast array of design aesthetics in Africa, output by Nigerian designers and architects continuously commands attention—and visibility. And there’s no better place to take in the country’s experimental designs and enriching shapes and textures than Design Week Lagos.

Curated by event founder Titi Ogunfere, the event kicks off October 20 and runs through October 23 centered around the theme: “Beyond The Box.” The lineup includes exhibitions, installations and product launches by creatives near and far, including Ini Archibong, Tosin Oshinowo, Tola Akerele, and others. 

True to the theme, this year’s exhibits spotlight the unexpected, from a video installation uncovering futuristic ideas in the metaverse to an enticing Jesmonite lamp. Don’t miss Interior Design‘s 10 highlights from the Design Week Lagos 2022. 

Amber Lampshade by Jade Folawiyo-Shitu for Design Week Lagos

Via, Bukan and Hat by Charles O Job

There is a spirit of improvisation in Charles O Job’s designs, the sort that is playful but still offers a subtle nod to minimalism. At Design Week Lagos, Job takes visitors through three products: Via, an umbrella stand that looks both functional and sculptural; Bukan, a receding set of crossed-shelves for storing magazines and books; and Hat, a wall-mounted coat hanger shaped like its namesake object that takes on a trompe-l’oeil three-dimensional form.

Jesmonite Arch Lamp by Tejumola Butler Adenuga x Soho Home

Nature and handmade works often make for great collaborations and this lamp by Tejumola Butler Adenuga and Soho Home is no exception. For the project, the happenstance duo created an arch lamp using jesmonite rock for its firm, two-legged stand, which is capped by cylindrical lampshade.  

RawUrban and tableware collection by Afrominima

Afrominima is a design brand where minimalism meets functionality—but in the kitchen. For their raw-urban and tableware collection, Olubunmi Adeyemi offers a fresh take on cutlery woodworks and ceramics; handcrafting each utensil and carving well-patterned wavy and spiral lines with immense spontaneity, and a Nigerian touch. 

Vekpuk limited edition by Victor Ekpuk

Colors and patterns offer designers outlets for bold statements—as seen in Victor Ekpuk‘s works. For the designer’s latest collection, Ekpuk reimagines art as wearables, aligning with a fashion intuition. Motifs come to life in shoes, headscarves, sweatshirts and others. “I wanted to democratize access to my artworks and make them available as fashion items that collectors could express themselves in,” he shares. 

Toguna World by Pierre-Christophe Gam

Design Week Lagos would not be complete without a digital installation. Conceptualized by Pierre-Christophe Gam, the Toguna World is “an art installation informed by IFA, an ancient divination system from West Africa,” in the designer’s words. In the work, Gam weaponizes multidisciplinary art tapestry, fusing film, photography, music, ceramics and food to bring the audience’s thought to a futuristic concept— a value the metaverse is built upon. 

Raffia Ottoman & Raffia Lamp by Bubu Ogisi

There is a heart to sustainability, a purist thought to erase the world of damage—that’s the concept Bubu Ogisi brings to Design Week Lagos, seeking solace in traditional African aesthetics for two products on exhibition: a handmade raffia ottoman and handmade raffia lamp.

KANO collection by Eva Sonaike

Eva Sonaike is conscious about colors, relishing the way they add detail to her work. For the fair, Sonaike introduces her KANO collection, a series of cushions with designed motifs willed in deep traditional semantics—the Hausa culture of Nigeria precisely. The cushions interpret the message of ancient African art forms in a contemporary design aesthetic.

Boomerang Chair by Chibu Nwoko-Oloyebua

A very functional and minimalistic chair takes visitors on a journey to the past. Made with fine cedar wood, the Boomerang Chair speaks on designer Chibu Nwoko-Oloyebua‘s approach of making Afro-cosmopolitan designs. The chair was boldly inspired by “the weathered look of exposed wood commonly found in the local Lagos market or the simple basic ‘eazzy’ outdoor chair left outside to the elements,” shares the designer.

Tray collection by Mpho Vackier

Elegant trays in geometric shapes offer an air of sophistication. Here, the Johannesburg brand theUrbanative displays an Afrofuturistic tray collection. Sets include: Ziyanda (squared trays), Ile (triangular trays), Amahle (rounded tray), Ntombi (half-moon tray), and Bongi (quarter-round tray) as well as Lungi (L-shaped tray) and Asanda (small half-round tray). The team also collaborated with the South African candle maker, Okra Candles, to make Vanilla scented Oku Hut Candles in ebony and coffee.

Quincy Ellis’ Solo Exhibition in Chelsea Explores The Many Shades of Skin Tones

What color is nude anyway? It’s a question Quincy Ellis of Facture Studio, based in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, asked with “Tone,” his solo summer exhibition at Tuleste Factory, a Chelsea gallery founded by sisters Satu and Celeste Greenberg. On one level, the circular pieces are color studies, with gently blurred gradients of saturation and hue. But on a deeper level, they explore the idea that skin tones, like colors themselves, are many, varied, and multiple. Indeed, all the shades in the Tone Halo series are taken from Ellis’s own skin, showing the breadth and variety that can be present on a single body. His eight wall objects are 6 feet in diameter and made from aluminum and wood surfaced with resin polished to a smooth-as-glass finish.

An Exhibition Spotlighting the Creative Prowess of Yves Saint Laurent is on View in Portugal

Talk about staying power. Since early June, some 5,000 visitors have visited the Palace of the Dukes of Cadaval in Évora, Portugal. But they’ve come to see an exhibition relating to Morocco. That’s because it also involves an influential creative force who died in 2008.

“Love–Marrakech Opened My Eyes to Colour: Yves Saint Laurent” offers three different perspectives on the French fashion designer’s passion for the region, in two locations on the palace grounds. One of the sites is the Church of São João Evangelista, a 15th-century edifice with a stunning vaulted ceiling and azulejo tile paneling. Running down what had been the nave is a long platform populated with mannequins donning vintage Saint Laurent Rive Gauche pieces that were inspired by the designer’s first visit to Marrakech in 1966. In the palace proper are additional exhibits: one showcasing the work of 13 contemporary Moroccan artists and another, a collection of Saint Laurent’s annual handmade greeting cards, converted into poster form and featuring the word love.

Italian Illustrator Olimpia Zagnoli Displays 37 Works at Her First Exhibition in France

“We don’t embroider cushions here.” Those were the dismis­sive words Le Corbusier uttered to a young Charlotte Perriand when she came to his Paris studio one October afternoon in 1927 looking to work with him. Fortunately, she was not deterred: She was ultimately hired and became a significant collaborator on many of his projects, one being the Unité d’Habitation de Marseille, for which Perriand did the interiors. It’s that quote along with Perriand’s body of work that inspired Olimpia Zagnoli’s current exhibition—titled “Ici nous ne brodons pas de cousins,” Corbu’s above quote in French—at the iconic housing unit, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. The Italian illustrator’s first exhibition in France features 37 pieces, from a 2019 cover for The New Yorker to ones created specifically for the show, including her debut sculpture, which is in concrete echoing the rough-cast concrete facade of Corbu’s building. But Zagnoli’s lines and color combinations, along with the idea of making art a part of everyday life are winks to Perriand.

Sculptor Vince Palacios Unveils His ‘Potato Trees’ in a New York Exhibition This Fall

Sculptor and ceramics professor Vince Palacios was born in Michigan and is based in California. Yet for his latest body of work, he references, among other inspirations, Peru—particularly taken with the the notion that a certain tuber symbolizes purity there. For “Haptic Memory,” at Gabriel & Guillaume in New York this fall, his series of “potato trees” nods to the food’s bulbous and awkward, yet beautiful and essential qualities. “I’m most interested in the unexpected things that emerge in the moment,” he says.

Indeed, the vessels are delightfully surprising, a result of manipulating clay by wheel and hand, then treating it with glaze and various flux before it undergoes multiple firings. “We all have bumps and lumps, my goal is to cause viewers to reflect on finding a way of fitting in.” Gabriel & Guillaume has done just that, this exhibition launching cofounders Nancy Gabriel and Guillaume Excoffier’s first permanent location. They’ve chosen to put down roots in the landmarked Steinway Hall (now, with a new adjoining tower by SHoP Architects and Studio Sofield, called 111 West 57th Street), engaging design agency FrenchCalifornia and Cueto Art Advisory to establish 17S, a former duplex apartment, as a soaring, 5,000-square-foot gallery.