Be Open think tank

#BeOpenARCH Japanese practice Sou Fujimoto Architects has designed a temporary pavilion in front of Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine in Fukuoka, Japan, which will undergo a major renovation for the first time in 124 years. Set to be open until the main renovation is complete, the design is characterized by a bent ‘green’ roof, which dissolves the boundary between built space and natural surroundings.

#BeOpenART Australian architects Adam Newman and Kelvin Tsang, both of architecture studio NWMN, have created Temple of Boom, a scaled-down version of Greece's famous Parthenon in the garden of the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne. Victoria-based artists Drez, Manda Lane, and David Lee Pereira were then invited to cover the structure made from glass-reinforced concrete with op-art murals and floral motifs. Over the course of its nine-month residency, the temporary installation will also host a programme of activities, including a VR experience that will allow participants to virtually explore the real Parthenon temple in Athens.

#BeOpenART #BeOpenNEWS BE OPEN Art is happy to announce November 2022 Artist of the Month. Aiming to provide emerging creatives around the globe with an opportunity to be seen by the art world community, every month we invite art enthusiasts to choose the best artist among those featured on our online gallery’s website. This month, our congratulations go to Ojima Abalaka, a Nigerian illustrator and artist. The majority of visitors of the online gallery granted their votes to Ojima’s illustrations that explore everyday life and being. We also take the opportunity to applause all the featured artists and thank everyone who voted!

#BeOpenDESIGN Concerned by the disturbing fact that cigarette stubs are the most commonly littered item in the world, with 4.5 trillion of them discarded every year and their cellulose acetate filters taking years and years to degrade, Indian designer Sachi Tungare collected five kilograms of cigarette butts in the streets. She amalgamated these together and used as a raw material to create her Jugaad collection of multi-coloured bowls and vases. More extraordinary vases in our blog

#BeOpenNEWS We are here to remind you that #BEOPENCleanEnergy Instagram open call offers €300 for the best post visuals that represent a cleaner, safer, happier and more sustainable world, achievable with affordable and clean energy! The deadline is extended until Dec 4th, so don’t miss your chance to be our next winner! Don’t forget to add #BEOPENCleanEnergy hashtag to the photo, picture or video you share on Instagram to join the open call. Find details at beopensocial.com

#BeOpenDESIGN Those wishing give their city bicycle the versatility to work off the road would appreciate reTyre’s zippable tire-tread system. The system features a simple zipping mechanism that allows the user to add a secondary tread from a selection of tougher options to ride a bicycle on mud, gravel, rocks, or even snow. When not in use, the treads easily fold up and are compact enough to fit into an ordinary backpack. More bespoke bike accessories in our blog

#BeOpenART Ulf Mejergren of Swedish studio UMA has won a competition to create a permanent sculpture for a pre-school in Falun, the cradle of the Swedish typical red color that can be seen on cottages all over Sweden. The red color derives from the Falun copper mine that once produced as much as two thirds of Europe's copper needs and is currently listed as an UNESCO World Heritage site. The typical Falu red paint is still produced in the town with byproducts from the mine. Drawing inspiration from the local red cottages, the team created a playful tower comprised of five houses stacked on top of each other. Perforated with stars in various sizes, the houses gradually get bigger, which makes them look like they could fit into each other like a matryoshka doll.

#BeOpenDESIGN Aiming to encourage people to limit the use of mobile devices, Unhook conceptualized by Spanish industrial designer Irene Fernandez Palacio is a narrow wooden table with an electronic device isolation system hidden inside the removable drawer. The designer suggests placing the table near the entrance, so you can leave your phones and other gadgets there and set a time when the box remains locked, thus creating an environment free of electronic interference.

#BeOpenART Design Academy Eindhoven graduate Paula Vogels has created an installation that consists of eight suspended tubular speakers woven from copper wire and nylon fishing line. A weaver herself, Vogels designed the Re-Sounding Yarns project to explore the sounds and labour conditions of the textile industry. When a sound signal enters the speakers, the copper wire transmits this signal to small magnets fixed to either end of the woven tubes, creating an electromagnetic field that vibrates and thereby generates a sound. The soundscape ranges from the gentle rhythms of handweavers to the thunderous power looms used in factories.

#BeOpenARCH In his new AI-generated series, Canadian designer Yongwook Seong imagines the fictional Neo Coral City that utilizes the 3D printing technology and algae friendly materials to construct various types of coral habitats, and implants heat/acid tolerant symbionts into them for climate change resilience. Created using text-to-image design tool Midjourney, the biomorphic coral reef revitalization project illustrates how the once thriving Great Reef area with a vast diverse marine life has recently been devastated by climate change and rising ocean temperature.