Be Open think tank

#BeOpenDESIGN Though developed years ago as a prototype, Walking Shelter, an early project by Australian design studio Sibling, continues to inspire. The concept takes the form of a pair of trainers that conceal a lightweight tent, which unfurls from around the ankles and pulls over the body to create instant shelter. Using the wearer as its structural support, the project blurs the boundaries between clothing, architecture, and survival, offering protection from rain and insects without the need for poles or frames.

#BeOpenART The Dress Tents project by artists Robin Lasser and Adrienne Pao blends wearable architecture with whimsical, site-specific installations. Over decades, the duo has created a series of giant, tent-like garments that serve as both protective shelters and elaborate gowns, often photographed in stunning landscapes. From the "Picnic Dress Tent" to "Ms Homeland Security," these structures come in various shapes, sizes, and colors, reflecting both the body and the environment. The project pushes the boundaries of sculpture, fashion, and photography, with each garment doubling as a functional space, sometimes even housing swings or gardens. With its blend of humor, artistry, and social commentary, Dress Tents invites viewers to reconsider the relationship between clothing, architecture, and the natural world.

#BeOpenARCH XISUI Design transforms a retired BK640 (China’s first domestically produced bus) into the Old Beijing Bus, a compact children’s playscape embedded in Sanjiaodi Park, Changping District. Referencing the familiar profile and proportions of the historic vehicle rather than replicating it, the project abstracts panels, openings, and surfaces into a legible play structure scaled to children. Divided into front and rear activity zones for different age groups, the installation integrates climbing, sliding, balancing, and tactile elements alongside built-in seating for supervision. Constructed from galvanized steel with bamboo contact surfaces and finished in the bus’s signature red and white, the project weaves collective memory, recycled infrastructure, and everyday street life into a playful public landmark.

#BeOpenART #BeOpenNEWS BE OPEN Art has announced Reem Aljeally as the winner of January’s Regional Artist of the Month, part of the 2026 competition for emerging artists from Northeastern Africa. This four-month competition celebrates artists whose work reflects the cultural and ethnic identities of the region, which includes Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Egypt, and Madagascar. Aljeally is the first of four monthly winners to be selected during the first stage of the 2026 programme, which runs through April. The remaining three winners will be announced over the next three months. At the end of the stage, one artist will be awarded a €500 cash prize, based on votes from the BE OPEN expert community.

#BeOpenDESIGN ETH Zurich spin-off MYNERVA has developed Leia, a smart sock designed to help people with diabetes regain sensation in their feet and reduce chronic pain caused by diabetic neuropathy. The sock integrates pressure sensors in the sole and electrodes woven into the fabric that stimulate specific nerve strands, prompting the body to release chemical messengers that block pain signals and restore ground perception while walking. A small tracker in the upper shaft processes pressure data and converts it into personalized electrical stimulation, which is continuously adjusted using AI based on each user’s needs and external conditions. Controlled via a mobile app, Leia has evolved over five years from bulky wired prototypes into a sock that looks and feels ordinary.

#BeOpenDESIGN Feel Book by YoungJin Jeong and Dong Il Lee is an AI-powered reading device designed to remove the barriers visually impaired readers face with traditional books. Using an AI camera, it recognizes printed text and images, reads the content aloud, and translates visuals into tactile feedback through a touch-based display, enabling users to both hear and feel a book’s content. Its intuitive multi-dial and tactile buttons are optimized for one-handed use, while the compact, portable form allows users to identify books on shelves and read comfortably anywhere.

#BeOpenDESIGN The Sustainable Art Painting toolkit, developed by Virginia Tech, offers a creative solution to the growing issue of food waste, particularly in schools. Designed by a team led by assistant professor Yoon Jung Choi, this hands-on toolkit turns discarded fruits and vegetables—often a major component of school waste—into vibrant watercolour paints. The process involves sorting the scraps into colour-coded bins, extracting natural pigments, and using a French press-like method to create concentrated paint. Not only does the project teach students about sustainability and resourcefulness, but it also empowers them to actively participate in reducing food waste while engaging in artistic expression. More paint innovations on our blog.

#BeOpenDESIGN Designer Xuanhao Li’s Polycycle Illumination collection turns discarded polyethylene packaging into artful, marine-inspired lighting. Using industrial plastic waste from an Atlanta-based furniture manufacturer, Li repurposes typically unrecycled plastic film into translucent, jellyfish-like lampshades. By blending parametric design, CNC cutting, and heat-pressing techniques with traditional craftsmanship, the project aims to address the growing issue of plastic pollution. The ethereal, biomimetic designs also highlight the environmental threat posed by plastic in marine ecosystems, urging viewers to rethink their relationship with disposable materials.

#BeOpenNEWS The State of the World Forum has opened submissions for its Multi-Intelligence Award, a $100,000 grant spotlighting bold, early-stage ideas that fuse at least two of four intelligences—Human, Nature, Artificial, and Cosmic—into real-world impact. Positioned as a global brain trust and one of the most influential conferences of our time, the Forum backs projects that turn deep insight into action, from climate-healing technologies to consciousness-expanding art. Open to creators across science, design, technology, ecology, and spirituality, the award welcomes applicants aged 13+ with concepts that meaningfully benefit people and planet. The winning project receives funding, mentorship, global exposure, and a live showcase at the State of the World Forum 2026. Submissions close May 15, 2026.

#BeOpenDESIGN The non-melting ice lolly, created by London-based food design studio Bompas & Parr, is a groundbreaking treat that can withstand high temperatures for longer than traditional ice lollies. Inspired by Pykrete, a material developed during World War II, the lolly stays intact for over an hour in 24°C heat, thanks to a unique blend of fruit fibers. This innovation addresses the growing issue of global warming and food waste by providing a more sustainable way to enjoy frozen desserts in hot weather, offering a potential solution for keeping ice creams and lollies from melting too quickly in increasingly warmer climates. More mind-blowing ice cream innovations on our blog.

#BeOpenART #BeOpenNEWS BE OPEN Art is excited to announce the winners of its regional competition for emerging artists in the Western Africa region, with the competition taking place from October to December and receiving kind support from the African Heritage Centre, the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA), the Association Arts Burkina and the National Gallery of Art (Abuja). The title of Artist of the Region and a €500 grant goes to Ahmed Partey, a self-taught contemporary artist from Accra, Ghana, whose Afro-Ancestral Spiritualism bridges ancestral heritage and modern identity; honorary mentions are awarded to Nigerian artists Charity Meshach and Aluu Prosper, alongside a personal choice of BE OPEN Founder Elena Baturina, who awards a €300 grant to Erica Adjei, a mixed media artist from Accra.

#BeOpenDESIGN Louise Middleton, founder of Kudhva campsite hotel, has partnered with architects Ben and Hannah Huggins of New British Design to create the K-Tent, a portable, off-ground tent that embodies the Kudhva cabins’ ethos. Made with a recyclable aluminum frame and durable canvas, it offers comfort and minimal environmental impact. The K-Tent's adjustable tripod legs allow it to adapt to uneven terrain, making it versatile for various landscapes. Designed for two guests, it reimagines traditional tipi and yurt forms while remaining off-grid and eco-friendly.

#BeOpenARCH Shanghai-based Drawing Architecture Studio has created Fun Palace, a playful installation in Chengdu’s Taikoo Li district. The project transforms a central plaza with five sculptural forms and looping ball tracks, reinterpreting local cultural activities like hotpot dining and Sichuan opera. Inspired by Aldo Rossi’s ideas of architecture as collective memory, the installation invites visitors to interact with the kinetic landscape, engaging with colorful metal balls and architectural sculptures made from corrugated PVC. The work blends architecture, culture, and public participation in a lively, immersive experience.

#BeOpenDESIGN Designer Jumphol Socharoentham has teamed up with Thai brand Waste is More to create the innovative Slab seating collection, which blends sustainability with refined design. Featuring a chair, bench, stool, and bar stool, the collection incorporates seating made from unique materials like recycled plastics, used coffee grounds, and agricultural sugarcane waste. These elements are seamlessly integrated into solid wood frames, offering a tactile, eco-conscious experience.

#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART BE OPEN Art is delighted to announce Meshach Charity, a Nigerian figurative painter, as the December winner of its Regional Artist of the Month program within the Western Africa stage of the global BE OPEN Art competition. A graduate of the University of Uyo, Meshach works primarily in oil paint, transforming everyday moments into vibrant visual narratives. Meshach Charity now joins Ahmed Partey of Ghana and Aluu Prosper of Nigeria as contenders for the Western Africa Regional Winner title, which will be announced soon. The selected artist will receive a €500 cash prize and increased global visibility through the BE OPEN Art platform.

#BeOpenDESIGN Developed by researchers at Empa in Switzerland, the fungal battery is a 3D printed, fully biodegradable microbial fuel cell that generates electricity using living organisms. The device combines yeast fungi at the anode, which release electrons through their metabolism, with white rot fungi at the cathode, which capture and conduct those electrons, all embedded in a cellulose-based printing material. Powered by simple sugars, the battery can run small devices such as environmental sensors for several days before breaking itself down from the inside. Non-toxic and compostable by design, it reframes energy storage as a temporary, living system rather than a permanent piece of hardware. More biodegradable batteries on our blog.

#BeOpenNEWS BE OPEN Art, the online art gallery founded by Elena Baturina’s BE OPEN think tank, is delighted to announce the winners of its 2025 Artist of the Year competition, which celebrates emerging talent from around the world. Czech-British painter Anastazie Anderson, previously named Artist of the Month in September, has been awarded the Artist of the Year 2025 title along with a €1000 prize, in recognition of her large-scale, emotionally charged canvases that blur the boundaries between memory and imagination through references to photography, social media, cinema, and modernist painting. In addition, BE OPEN founder Elena Baturina selected Rio Skor as her personal favourite of 2025; the Montreal-based artist and architect-turned-sculptor will receive a €500 prize. #BeOpenNEWS

#BeOpenARCH Wired Scape by 100architects transforms a residential playground in Guangzhou into a flowing, abstract landscape where play becomes part of everyday urban life. Instead of mimicking nature literally, the project translates forests and water into sculptural steel “trees,” suspended bridges, and graphic ground patterns that encourage movement, exploration, and discovery across multiple levels. A continuous, multicolored surface organizes paths, plazas, seating, and play zones into a single fluid terrain, while a sunken central plaza adds space for gathering and rest. Designed as a multi-generational environment, Wired Scape blends climbing, swinging, and balancing with areas for supervision and social interaction, using durable materials and integrated lighting to function as both a daytime playground and a nighttime neighborhood landmark. More immersive playscapes on our blog.

#BeOpenDESIGN Futto is a lightweight wearable rehabilitation device developed by Yoshihiro Yamada that uses rubber straps to support and effectively replace weakened walking muscles. Consisting of an abdominal belt and four elastic straps that hug the legs and feet, the 280-gram gear provides balanced tension to stabilize posture, assist leg movement, and improve gait. Designed for elderly users and those recovering from sports injuries, Futto works through a three-step mechanism that aids leg lifting, heel landing, and stride progression, helping patients walk more naturally while strengthening their bodies under professional guidance.

#BeOpenDESIGN Sleev is a conceptual upper-limb exosuit by South Korean designers Youngha Rho and Sungchan Ko that reimagines wearable robotics for everyday use rather than clinical or industrial settings. Unlike bulky exoskeletons focused on rehabilitation or load-bearing, Sleev is lightweight, sleek, and easy to wear with one hand, resembling an elbow brace rather than a machine. Designed to support natural arm movement, it assists with daily tasks like lifting groceries or holding a baby, while also serving rehabilitation needs for stroke or injury recovery. By integrating force myography (FMG) to read muscle pressure and user intent, Sleev aims to provide intelligent, personalized assistance making robotic augmentation something people would actually want to wear daily.