Japanese Artist Ryotaro Muramatsu / NAKED launches a Global Scale Artwork Connecting the World's Prayers for Peace
Ryotaro Muramatsu / NAKED: the artist and founder of the Tokyo based creative company NAKED, INC., has launched a new art initiative Breath/Bless Project. The Project aims to install his digitally augmented artwork Dandelion in multiple locations around the globe to create an interactive artwork that connects people’s prayers for world peace. Although Muramatsu is known for his many works incorporating interaction and communication in projection mapping spectacles and immersive art exhibitions as creative director of NAKED, INC., this is the first time for him to present an artwork that connects internationally in real time.
Ryotaro Muramatsu / NAKED: the artist and founder of the Tokyo based creative company NAKED, INC., has launched a new art initiative Breath/Bless Project. The Project aims to install his digitally augmented artwork Dandelion in multiple locations around the globe to create an interactive artwork that connects people’s prayers for world peace. Although Muramatsu is known for his many works incorporating interaction and communication in projection mapping spectacles and immersive art exhibitions as creative director of NAKED, INC., this is the first time for him to present an artwork that connects internationally in real time.
Our world has changed in so many ways since the beginning of 2020, and difficult times continue. People all over the globe, from every background, wish fervently for a better world. It is my hope that our shared adversity will not divide us but will, instead, bring us closer together.
This artwork is alive.
As more Dandelion installations are set up around the world and more people participate, their many prayers will connect within this large and ever-expanding artwork.
Ryotaro Muramatsu / NAKED
Ryotaro Muramatsu / NAKED
A Public Art that Connects Cities and Creates a Network of Unity
Breath/Bless Project aims to install Ryotaro Muramatsu’s Dandelion in locations around the world. Dandelion is an interactive artwork that evokes the feeling one gets from making a wish on a dandelion. When the viewer blows a breath on the Dandelion installation, the fluff floats away, eventually landing on the ground and producing a new flower. Breath / Bless Project will not only install Dandelion artworks in real locations but will also have a platform online. This way, Dandelion can be accessed by anyone from anywhere in the world. People’s prayers for peace will connect both physically through the installations, as well as virtually on the online platform. For example, when someone in Paris blows their breath on an online Dandelion, the fluff will float to Tokyo and produce a new, beautiful flower at a real Dandelion installation in Tokyo. As more installations are set up around the world and more people participate, their many prayers will connect within this large and ever-expanding artwork. Real locations and the virtual world synchronize, as the network itself, which connects the many prayers, becomes the artwork.
The Journey begins in Tokyo and Singapore
In early November 2020, Breath / Bless Project will reveal its first series of Dandelion installations at multiple locations in and outside of Japan. Planned locations are Tokyo Tower, Shibuya Station area, Moomin Valley Park in Saitama, and Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay. In accordance with protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19, this particular series of installations will replace the interactive “blowing” element with a sensor that responds to physical gestures. The project will be offering special content such as virtual tours through Gardens by the Bay, for participants who support the project through its fundraising campaign.
Breath / Bless Project Fundraising Campaign: https://camp-fire.jp/en/projects/view/314807
The Inspiration Behind Breath / Bless Project
After the Paris Attacks in 2015, Ryotaro Muramatsu developed the concept of Breath / Bless Project, which calls for the placement of Dandelion installations at monuments of peace around the world. He believed that even sites which remind us of a tragic history could be connected with the world’s prayers for peace and bring out smiles and hope for the future.
This year, as the world becomes ever more divided in many different ways, is the perfect time to deliver the fundamental message of peace. “I believe that this artwork can bring out the kindness in people, as it reminds us of the pure, simple childhood feeling we all remember and can relate to beyond the constraints of race, nationality, or belief”, says Muramatsu.
“In past years, I have created works that integrate virtual and real, digital and analog; what I wish to offer the world today is an artwork that transcends barriers to unite people’s hearts. Flowers need no words. They are completely impartial. Their seeds fly to new places and bloom there. Through this art, I hope to spread this spirit, to plant flowers of peace throughout the world.”
How to be a Part of Breath Bless / Project
Find out more about how to enjoy this artwork from your own city and how you can support this global scale art project through Ryotaro Muramatsu / NAKED and NAKED, INC.’s official platforms.
-Official project website: https://breathbless.com/
-Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/breathbless.project/
-Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/breathbless.project
-Fundraising platform: https://camp-fire.jp/en/projects/view/314807
-NAKED, INC. official website: https://naked.co.jp
AMAN NAI LERT RESIDENCES BANGKOK TO DEBUT IN 2023
In anticipation of its ceremonial ground-breaking in the fourth quarter of 2020, the latest urban Aman Residences will soon rise in one of the most vibrant destinations for global travellers, Bangkok. Pre-eminent hotel and resort brand Aman has signed a long-term partnership with Nai Lert Park Development, a subsidiary of Nai Lert Group, to manage Aman Nai Lert Bangkok, which will comprise of branded residences as well as a luxury hotel slated for completion in2023.
Aman, together with Nai Lert Group, mark a milestone with a formal sales launch and ground-breaking for Aman’s first branded residences in Bangkok
In anticipation of its ceremonial ground-breaking in the fourth quarter of 2020, the latest urban Aman Residences will soon rise in one of the most vibrant destinations for global travellers, Bangkok. Pre-eminent hotel and resort brand Aman has signed a long-term partnership with Nai Lert Park Development, a subsidiary of Nai Lert Group, to manage Aman Nai Lert Bangkok, which will comprise of branded residences as well as a luxury hotel slated for completion in 2023.
Aman Nai Lert Residences Bangkok has been met with an exceptional level of enthusiasm in advance of its formal sales launch, which is scheduled for 10th September. A preview gallery of the residences has also been newly completed in time for the launch.
Nestled in the century-old tropical gardens of Nai Lert Park, Aman Nai Lert Bangkok will offer a unique connection to the rich heritage and history of Bangkok enhanced by the gracious traditions of Thailand. A haven of calm amid the leafy embrace of its namesake park, residences of unrivalled style and luxury will rise from its leafy canopy alongside a 52-suite Aman hotel. World-renowned architect, Jean-Michel Gathy, founder of Denniston and a long-time collaborator of Aman is tasked with conceiving a contemporary urban sanctuary of architectural distinction inspired by the stunningly vast Nai Lert Park, which has been owned exclusively by the Nai Lert family since 1915.
The harmony of the architecture and design, combined with elements of the local milieu, is a classic hallmark of any Aman, and this is no exception. At the same time, every Aman destination draws inspiration from the culture and history of its location. Gathy sought to remain faithful to the Aman identity, at the same time drawing upon a rich tapestry of influences at Nai Lert Park Heritage Home to infuse an exceptional and authentic sense of place.
Housed within a 36-storey edifice in Nai Lert Park, Aman Nai Lert Residences Bangkok will be built in the spirit of Aman and located on floors 11 to 28 providing a lofty sanctuary amidst the lush oasis of the park. With uninterrupted views of Nai Lert Park and the Bangkok skyline, the residences will be limited in numbers with no more than 50 units split across 18 floors. The one-, two-, and three-bedroom units and penthouses have a private entrance, offer an abundance of space, and most feature private terraces.
Residents and their guests will have access to several exclusive residents-only facilities. These will include a private Dining Room & Lounge serviced by its dedicated chefs, a Garden Lounge with a library and business centre opening directly onto Nai Lert Park, and a private infinity swimming pool on the 30th floor. A private Aman Fitness Centre and Yoga/Pilates Studio will be for the exclusive use of residents and their guests. They will also enjoy preferential access to the hotel’s comprehensive Holistic Wellness Centre and all its facilities.
Residence amenities will also include a private Aman Kids’ Club and a children’s swimming pool, as well as a private garden within Nai Lert Park. At this moment in time, access to space and nature has never been so important.
Also, among the intuitively selected additional offerings at the pet-friendly property are the Nai Lert Butlers, in-residence spa and salon, sommelier, chef and dining services, and “away from home” maintenance.
For more information, please visit: https://www.aman.com/resorts/aman-nai-lert-bangkok
THE ROLLING STONES OPEN ‘WORLD EXCLUSIVE’ FLAGSHIP STORE IN LONDON
On September 9, 2020, The Rolling Stones will open the doors to their world-first flagship store, ‘RS No. 9 Carnaby’ in the heart of London’s Soho, at 9 Carnaby Street.
Created in partnership with Bravado, the store will be home to an exclusive mix of collections and collaborations for fans of all ages and will feature a bespoke T-shirt customization station. Framed in an exceedingly contemporary red and black shop fit, visitors will be able to explore the diverse product offering whilst listening to tracks from the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world!
On September 9, 2020, The Rolling Stones will open the doors to their world-first flagship store, ‘RS No. 9 Carnaby’ in the heart of London’s Soho, at 9 Carnaby Street.
Created in partnership with Bravado, the store will be home to an exclusive mix of collections and collaborations for fans of all ages, and will feature a bespoke T-shirt customisation station. Framed in an exceedingly contemporary red and black shop fit, visitors will be able to explore the diverse product offering whilst listening to tracks from the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world!
The store’s windows feature a world first soundwave installation – taken from the opening to the 1966 hit track ‘Paint It Black’. The audio of the beginning of the iconic song is visualised as a soundwave and reinterpreted into a striking red metal sculpture.
Jointly curated by the Rolling Stones and Bravado, the shop fit follows the brand colours of red and black. The glass floor features many of the bands lyrics, and the fitting rooms are adorned with iconic album artwork; Exile on Main Street (1972) and Some Girls (1978).
Inside, there is an exclusive and curated mix of collections and collaborations for fans of all ages. The store will also introduce ‘Stones Red,’ the official colour from Pantone which is seen in the design elements of the store as well as an exclusive apparel and accessories collection.
Sound, vision, and lighting are key store components. Five, 90 inch portrait screens display a film made exclusively for the store showing footage across the rich history of the band. Speakers from high end British audio brand Bowers & Wilkins will play tracks from the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world.
“With this innovative partnership, the Rolling Stones add yet another cultural touchpoint to their rich legacy. RS No. 9 Carnaby is the result of years of planning and decades of building one of the world's most recognized brands. It creates a destination where fans can connect and immerse themselves in the music, style and spirit of one of the world's most iconic and beloved bands.”
Mat Vlasic, CEO, Bravado.
Exclusive store collaborations include Chateau Baccarat, from French luxury brand Baccarat, a collection of crystal wine glasses, champagne flutes, tumblers, wine decanter, and a beer glass engraved with the Tongue and Lips of the Rolling Stones. Other exclusives include The Soloist chairs and scarves and from premium Swedish raincoat brand Stutterheim there is a handcrafted high quality rubberized cotton raincoat that features the Rolling Stones logo. More exciting collabs will be announced soon.
One for superfans are the 10 limited edition signed and numbered framed artworks by John Pasche, the original creator of the iconic Rolling Stones logo, which was first used on the Sticky Fingers LP in 1971.
The store also features a bespoke T-shirt customization station – choose from an array of exclusive designs on the touch screen menu to create something unique.
“Soho has always encapsulated Rock ’n’ Roll so Carnaby Street was the perfect spot for our own store. We are confident this exciting project that our friends at Bravado have created will be an unrivalled experience for everyone to come to London and enjoy.” The Rolling Stones said.
It is a bold time to launch a permanent retail space in London, but RS No.9 Carnaby Street will provide a major long-term boost to music tourism in the capital, as one of the most iconic music British brands and bands of all time, launches this unprecedented experience on London’s historic Carnaby Street in Soho, which has been synonymous with British music culture since the sixties.
The Rolling Stones’ deluxe reissued 2020 version of their historic ‘GOAT’S HEAD SOUP’ album, out this week, looks set to top the U.K. album charts, 47 years after its first release.
Rolling Stones fans not able to visit can also experience it through a bespoke online store and experience which will be going live shortly - https://no9carnabyst.rollingstones.com
For more information, please visit: www.rollingstones.com
ALL ASSETS COURTESY: THE ROLLING STONES / BRAVADO
Helsinki Design Week celebrates design in September 2020
One of the largest design festivals in the Nordic countries with children and families, The 16th annual Helsinki Design Week is held from now until 13 September 2020. The festival events will again spread throughout the city: from museums to markets, from seminar halls to secret shops, from studios to showrooms and from offline to online events and encounters.
One of the largest design festival in the Nordic countries with children and families
The 16th annual Helsinki Design Week is held from now until 13 September 2020. The festival events will again spread throughout the city: from museums to markets, from seminar halls to secret shops, from studios to showrooms and from offline to online events and encounters.
Helsinki Design Week is a series of responsibly organized events of varying sizes. It is not a festival at one single venue holding thousands of visitors. With regards to possible restrictions on venues or visitors due to the international health crisis, the festival has the means and opportunity to multiply into smaller events or use new digital methods of exhibiting content.
Helsinki Design Week’s statement for 2020 is Commitment Matters – a theme that raises questions regarding the meaning and value of designing. The phrase is a stimulus for thought, and the theme is meant to be used as a tool for everyone taking part in the festival: the event organizers, the exhibitors, the seminar speakers and the visitors. The leading partner of the festival, the City of Helsinki, is supporting the safe and responsible organization of the festival.
The festival visuals celebrate the legendary Helsinki Olympic Stadium, combining its functionalistic architecture with vivid and energetic colours from the athletic world. Historic photos from the 1940s will highlight the design and history of the restored monument.
The main venue: the Olympic Stadium
The main venue of Helsinki Design Week will be the Olympic Stadium. With its large and airy spaces, it is a perfect spot for safe encounters. The stadium is open on 11–13 September for guided tours and for Children’s Design Weekend.
The Stadium is also home to the main exhibition, a series of installations on design, architecture and fashion, presenting interesting design from unique pieces to large scale setups. A review of top young designers is not to be missed. The Olympic Stadium will also host an event that may well become the biggest PechaKucha Night ever held. The evening of September 12 is reserved for 10 presentations, each less than 7 minutes long. The idea of PechaKucha, Japanese for “chit chat”, is simple: 20 slides and 20 seconds of commentary on a theme chosen by the presenter.
Helsinki Design Week’s programme for children develops an understanding of architecture and design.
Helsinki Design Week continues the festival tradition of a dedicated programme for children and families for the seventh consecutive year. A sports-themed Children’s Design Weekend 12–13 September takes place at the renovated and modernized Helsinki Olympic Stadium. Children’s Design Week at Annantalo 7–13 September focuses on design workshops. Schools familiarize learners with design through PechaKucha presentations with a toolkit produced by Helsinki Design Week.
“Our programme for children offers such activities for the whole family that makes architecture and design familiar to citizens from childhood onwards. Thus we guide them to observe their built environment with a critical eye,” says Helsinki Design Week Programme Director Anni Korkman.
Helsinki Design Week (HDW) produces the children’s programme, as well as all other programme content, in partnership with external event organizers. All children’s events are free of charge.
Children are guests of honour at Olympic Stadium.
A part of Helsinki Design Week’s in-house production, HDW Children’s Design Weekend is held at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium on 12–13 September. The weekend features a route designed for children and built on the famous green of the Olympic Stadium. The route’s five playful sports sites combine sports and art, making design visible at the same time. Parents can join their children’s sports performances with instructions stored in QR codes. At the end of the route, children make their trophies and pose with them on the podium. The trophy materials are available on the Helsinki Design Week website so that the programme can be duplicated at home.
As a part of Helsinki Design Week’s COVID-19 safety guidelines, registration is required to attend this free event.
Workshops at Annantalo
Annantalo, the City of Helsinki arts centre for children, young people and families, celebrates Children’s Design Week 7–13 September with nature- and future-themed programme.
Workshops on the themes are held at Annantalo for groups from schools and daycare centres. For example, 5th graders can create art with soil materials at the Annantalo yard in a workshop that combines mythology, architecture, art and biosciences.
A forest installation has been erected at the Annantalo yard: trunks of trees from thinning forest operations have been used to create a playful space resembling a forest. Three exhibitions on display inside the arts centre focus on ecology, the environment and the bond between a mother and her baby.
Most of the workshops are held outdoors. Safety is ensured indoors with sufficient distances maintained between occupants. Some of the workshops require registration.
Children’s Design Week at Annantalo
PechaKucha at schools
Learners at Helsinki comprehensive schools follow a Culture Path from one grade to the next. The path includes suggestions for cultural contents for each grade, and every learner should make at least one cultural visit in a year.
“Culture Path ensures that every learner has an opportunity to be familiarized with various cultural contents and cultural operators during their basic education,” says Pedagogical Specialist Panu Hatanpää of the City of Helsinki Education Division.
“Familiarizing learners with culture through Culture Path visits is part of new creative learning at Helsinki schools, and it is closely linked to familiarizing learners with design and design thinking,” Hatanpää emphasizes and points out that design is included in Culture Path contents.
There are no visits by school groups to Helsinki Design Week events this year. Visits are replaced by a toolkit produced by Helsinki Design Week for organizing PechaKucha presentations, one of the Design Week’s essential programme items. PechaKucha is a form of storytelling, in which the presenter talks about a topic with 20 images, 20 seconds about each.
“PechaKucha is a good method for learners to practice making a presentation in front of an audience and to talk about topics of importance to them. For the audience, PechaKucha is a good method to practice listening,” Hatanpää says.
Helsinki Design Week’s PechaKucha toolkit is freely available to all. (Please note that the toolkit content is in Finnish only).
Design education in Helsinki
Design education is also in focus at Design Museum: A&DO Learning Centre for Architecture and Design organizes DesignLab: Mini Jam at the museum and online on 11 September. Talks by specialists and design-themed jamming shed light on future architecture and design learning and on the tone that public participation brings to urban design. The City of Helsinki supports the event.
“Helsinki has been a pioneer in architecture and design education for many years,” says Chief Design Officer Hanna Harris of the City of Helsinki. “We have several teachers and schools in Helsinki dedicated to the theme.”
For example, the Arabia Comprehensive School teaches design as part of creative problem solving that crosses subject boundaries, and the methods of design education are used in all subjects on grades 1–9. The Kruununhaka Comprehensive School for grades 7–9 offers a design track for local students.
“The City of Helsinki has joined forces with design organizations and projects to develop contents for architecture and design education for use by teachers, and we have participated in varied design collaborations. Our next step is to develop long-ranging activities within the City organization,” Harris asserts.“ I consider the following to be of very high importance: architecture and design education provides children and young people with means for creative problem solving and for the development of their identity. They learn to comprehend their neighbourhoods, to understand planning and various materials, and they obtain tools to participate in building our joint future.”
For more information, please visit: https://www.helsinkidesignweek.com/festival/
The story of “Sky, Earth, and Bounty”. Designed by JJ Acuna of JJ Acuna / Bespoke Studio
Interior architecture, designed by JJ Acuna of JJ Acuna / Bespoke Studio, takes inspiration from Chef Mingoo’s humbly crafted artisanal platings, building a concept narrative aligned with the Chef’s craftsmanship and focused on the story of “Sky, Earth, and Bounty”.
Hansik Goo is Hong Kong’s newest fine-dining destination. At the helm is Korea’s Award-Winning, Chef Mingoo Kang, of Seoul’s famed Mingles restaurant. The name Hansik Goo is a play on words that can refer to both “a family that shares meals together” and “Korean cuisine by Chef Mingoo”. In collaboration with ZS Hospitality, Hansik Goo introduces the heart and soul of Contemporary Korea today with tasting menus authentically Korean but with inventively playful twists, elevating flavours in a refined and nuanced way using ingredients sourced locally and from Korea.
Interior architecture, designed by JJ Acuna of JJ Acuna / Bespoke Studio, takes inspiration from Chef Mingoo’s humbly crafted artisanal platings, building a concept narrative aligned with the Chef’s craftsmanship and focused on the story of “Sky, Earth, and Bounty”. The 2,200 sq.ft. Space is separated into three zones; the Sky Zone in the Main Dining Room design in various shades of blue, the Earth Zone at the Drinks Bar clad in copper metal, and finally the Bounty Zone defined by the Chef’s Private Room table in natural walnut with touches of forest green and birch finishes on walls and soft surfaces.
To create a space of warmth, Korean species of Oak and Birch give the space ease and softness, while hand-crafted glazed ceramic tiles make a glossy contemporary finish. The designers also take inspiration from Seouls’ ancient Bukchon Hanok Villages, a neighbourhood from the 14th Century with preserved traditional Korean architecture. The private room’s vertical surfaces are framed by geometry inspired by the Hanok, while the main dining room floor utilizes a uniquely staggered floor pattern made of sliced white limestone and poured-in-situ terrazzo- reminiscent of peripheral stone and concrete walls protecting these Hanok homes
In addition to the restaurant’s materials and finishes, uniquely bespoke artworks in collaboration with contemporary Korean artists were curated and placed carefully throughout the space. In the Sky Room- a 5-panel luminescent panoramique of Acid Etched Mirror and Laminated Glass, titled “Breathing of Light 20MA01 (2020)” by artist Lee Kyouhong was made specifically to respond to the design narrative of Sky. Three beautiful prints of Hanok homes, gardens, and landscapes by photographer, Kim Heewon, adorn all three zones of the restaurant. Other collaborations include sculptural work by Chung Yongjin, Kim Woo Young and Kim Yong Ho.
ALL Photographs taken by XU Liang Leon. Design by JJ Acuna / Bespoke Studio. All photographs are copyright of JJ Acuna / Bespoke Studio.
For more information, please visit JJ Acuna / Bespoke Studio.
Ditzel Lounge Chair Sheepskin Edition
Ditzel Lounge Chair is a modern take on the traditional, comfortable chair, offering a stylish seating solution for private residences to more public venues, such as hotel lobbies and executive suites, upscale lounges, reception areas and the like. Now available in white sheepskin with legs made of walnut wood.
Adding an extra layer of comfort to one of their classics, Fredericia now introduces the Ditzel Lounge Chair in a new version, fully upholstered with the softest sheepskin on beautiful legs made of walnut wood.
The Ditzel Lounge Chair is available in stores from October 2020.
Nanna Ditzel was truly an extraordinary woman. Incredibly talented, with a magnetic personality and a relentless drive. When Thomas Graversen took over as Creative Director at Fredericia in the late 1980’s, Ditzel joined him as Head of Design. Their close collaboration and openness to experimentation led to countless design awards and pieces celebrated all around the world to this day. Including what is arguably Ditzel’s most famous piece, the Trinidad Chair. She applied her brilliant creative mind to other disciplines, such as jewellery, tableware and cabinet making as well as textiles for famous design firms, such as Kvadrat. Boasting a career that began as part of the mid-century Danish Modern movement, she was a forward-thinking visionary whose work spanned more than 50 years.
Partnering with her husband Jørgen on the Ditzel Lounge Chair, they rejected conventional thinking and the assumption that a chair must be upright and rigid. Instead, by creating unconventional furniture that considered the various dimensions in a room, they believed that sitting in new ways would give people the freedom to think and live in new ways.
One of their most accomplished designs was the Ditzel Lounge Chair, designed in 1953. With the Ditzel Lounge Chair, each line and curve has been carefully considered to appear beautiful from all angles. Providing a perfect fit to the human form and as well as exceptional comfort, due to its generous width, back support, armrests and upholstery.
It also lends itself to customised versions and countless colours. Despite its broad, self-contained dimensions, the chair is rather light and takes up only little space. Known for her rebellious spirit and never-say-never attitude, Ditzel was unafraid to push the boundaries of what was considered possible. To challenge the status quo with sculptural, vibrant designs that drew inspiration from nature. Her rebellious spirit is also revealed in the varying ways you can position yourself in the Ditzel Lounge Chair. There are no rules; feel free to use it exactly as you see fit. Throw your leg over the side, lean sideways, straighten your back or cross your legs – do whatever you need to feel comfortable.
Ditzel Lounge Chair is a modern take on the traditional, comfortable chair, offering a stylish seating solution for private residences to more public venues, such as hotel lobbies and executive suites, upscale lounges, reception areas and the like. Now available in white sheepskin with legs made of walnut wood.
MATERIALS
Shell in high pressured PUR-foam enforced with a steel frame upholstered in sheepskin with solid wooden legs.