Archive for August, 2008

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Invisible Streetlight

August 5, 2008



Jongoh Lee’s
elegant Invisible Streetlight is a solar-powered alternative to those ubiquitous energy-sucking globes posted throughout parks and other public spaces. The lamps are designed to wind around existing branches, seamlessly integrating into their environs to enchanting effect. The design makes a wonderful addition to the current crop of beautiful biomimetic led lamps.

Entwined among existing tree branches, Lee’s lucent leaves store the sun’s energy throughout the day and burst forth with light at night in a visual metaphor for photosynthesis. “The most innovative element of Invisible Streetlight is that it does not require a support because the flexible body in the shape of tree branch is directly installed to the trees lining a street.”

The beautiful solution to un-intrusive nighttime lighting was recently awarded with a prestigious IDEA award. Perfect for parks and other tree-lined spaces, the invisible streetlight provides an inviting ambiance without breaking up the experience of the outdoors.

Jongoh Lee

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Big Ideas (don’t get any)-Remixing Radiohead

August 3, 2008


Be patient and wait until 1:10 min to hear this beauty (try listening to the original track)

Radiohead held a remix contest for their song ‘Nude’ from their latest album ‘In Rainbows’. The original title of was ‘Big Ideas (Don’t get any)’, James Houston took that as his inspiration. He recreated the song with quite a different lineup: Sinclair ZX Spectrum – Guitars (rhythm & lead), Epson LX-81 Dot Matrix Printer – Drums, HP Scanjet 3c – Bass Guitar and a Hard Drive array – Act as a collection of bad speakers – Vocals & FX.

This video missed the contest deadline.

James Houston on Vimeo

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Advanced Beauty

August 3, 2008



‘Advanced Beauty‘
is a programmed animation by Mate Steinforth.

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BMX mounted soundsystems: Made In Queens

August 2, 2008

Made In Queens is a short film that lifts the lid on an underground scene emerging in the outskirts of New York’s Queens borough. Directed by Nicolas Randall and Joe Stevens, the film looks at a small crew of Trinida­dian teenagers, led by Nick Ragbir, who are obsessed with customising their bmx bikes with the fattest soundsystems they can possibly hook them up with.

“In this age of obsessive video sharing and social networking, nearly every action is designed and packaged for public consumption. Especially with young people,” says co-director Joe Stevens. “The immed­iate charm of Nick and his crew is that they’re the exact opposite of all that. There is nothing calculated or self-conscious about who they are. They’re just a group of friends doing some­thing to challenge themselves and have some laughs. It’s a story which would have never come from kids who were born here.” (via CR)

Check more info on
MADE IN QUEENS

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World’s First Sustainable Photography Award

August 2, 2008


Wasserstiefel (Water boots), by Roman Signer

Last month 18 of the world’s leading photographers were shortlisted for the Prix Pictet, the first photography award dedicated to sustainability. Can a photograph really help to sustain the planet? According to The Prix Pictet, “It depends on the photograph.” The contest mobilizes the medium of photography to bring the message of sustainability to the public. At its 2008 launch in London, Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland (Special Envoy on Climate Change to the Secretary-General of the United Nations), explained that “The Prix Pictet offers photographers the opportunity to influence change for the good of sustainability.”


The Prix Pictet: World’s First Sustainable Photography Award


Dark Matter, by Mary Mattingly


Crushed Cars #2, by Chris Jordan


Water Tragedy: Climate Refugee of Bangladesh, by Munem Wasif

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Ron van der Ende

August 1, 2008


Ron van der Ende is a sculptor in Rotterdam, the Netherlands who makes perspective bas-reliefs of cars and industrial-age imagery using reclaimed timber. It is hard to believe that they are only 20cm deep.

See some of his work HERE

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Touched Echo

August 1, 2008

“Touched Echo” by Markus Kison (who also developed “pulse”) is a minimal medial intervention in public space. The visitors of the Brühl’s Terrace (Dresden, Germany) are taken back in time to the night of the terrible air raid on 13th February 1945. In their role as a performer they put themselves into the place of the people who shut their ears away from the noise of the explosions. While leaning on the balustrade the sound of airplanes and explosions is transmitted from the swinging balustrade through their arm directly into into the inner ear (bone conduction).

More info: markuskison.de

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Viktor

August 1, 2008



Viktor
is the younger brother of Hektor, a spraycan robot. Viktor on the other hand uses chalk and likes blackboards. Viktor has 4 motors instead of 2, but otherwise they are quite similar. You can send almost any vector image to these devices and they will draw/spray them on a wall. If you’re in London, you can go see Viktor in action at the exhibition ‘A Recent History of Writing and Drawing’ at the Institute of Contemporary Art. Both were developed by Jürg Lehni.

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Mushrooms can save the world

August 1, 2008

Paul Stamets, American mycologist & author, is a passionate believer that mushrooms/fungi, can indeed save the world. One such brilliant way he has demonstrated this is through Mycoremediation, which is a form of bio-remediation that can turn soil which has been contaminated by oil, into an “oasis… teeming with life”, in a matter of weeks.

This is yet another example that Nature already contains the most elegant processes & techniques for us to learn from. Aiding in our more complete & natural integration with the Earth. It’s all there for us… and thankfully people like Paul are looking with insatiable curiosity.

PAUL STAMETS’ SITE

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