Be Open think tank

Spanish painter and sculptor Okuda San Miguel has transformed the 16-metres-high Faro de Ajo lighthouse into a unique symbol respecting its original function of assisting ships as a maritime signal. The artist’s signature style comprises vibrant geometric patterns that integrate animals, skulls, and religious iconography. The theme chosen for this location celebrates the natural wealth of the artist’s homeland by representing local fauna and, with its textures, the cultural diversity of a modern and open Cantabria. The intervention entitled Infinite Cantabria was open to the public at the end of August 2020. okudasanmiguel.com

BE OPEN and Cumulus invite students and graduates of all art, design, architecture and media disciplines of universities and colleges worldwide to take part in ‘Design for Sustainable Cities’, a new international competition in support of the United Nations’ SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. Concerned by the issues caused by rapid urbanization, such as increased carbon emissions and resource use, growing number of slum dwellers and inadequate infrastructure, the stakeholders in this competition programme are positive that creativity, or design-thinking, is integral to tackle these issues. The objective of ‘Design for Sustainable Cities’ is to recognize, showcase and promote the best design ideas and projects that embody the principles and aims of United Nations’ SDG Programme. Top design ideas, be it an individual or a team submission, can win the following prizes from BE OPEN: · the Main prize of €5,000 · the Founder’s Choice prize of €3,000 · the Public Vote prize of €2,000 · the Safe City prize of €2,000 or enter the list of 50 honorary mentions and be featured in the competition’s online gallery. “Design for Sustainable Cities” is now open for online submissions. Visit citydesign2020.com for details.

BE OPEN Art is happy to announce that Julie Liger-Belair, Mixed-Media Artist based in Canada, has been voted the Artist of the Month by the visitors of art.beopenfuture.com Aiming to showcase emerging talents, every month we invite people passionate with art to choose the best artist among those exhibited in our online gallery. Congratulations to Julie Liger-Belair whose bespoke artworks have gained her a majority of votes in September! We also take the opportunity to applaud all the featured artists and thank everyone who voted. See more of Julie’s works at http://art.beopenfuture.com/julie-liger-belair/

French duo Exercice has reinvented the game of ping pong. As part of their Playground project, which aims to install various playful works in urban space, they have created Ping Pong Pang, a series of ping pong tables and bats with a twist. Taking the traditional objects as a starting point, they develop the imagination and dialogue, so the players can invent rules together. The players can choose from twelve reimagined paddle designs that are intended to encourage an imaginative and fun approach to a traditional game. Explore a selection of reimagined ping pong tables that stand between a social sculpture and a sport facility in our blog.beopenfuture.com

In contrast to the sleek metallic personal mobility vehicles, ILY-Ai, the new electric sit-down scooter by Japanese designer Mikiya Kobayashi is carved from solid timber that gives it a warm and user-friendly feeling. The vehicle is intended for both indoor and outdoor spaces and is especially aimed towards those with mobility issues, such as the elderly. The material palette includes chestnut wood and aluminum perfectly combined in organic shapes of the scooter’s body that beautifully integrate latest technologies in mobility. More electric two-wheelers in our blog.beopenfuture.com

Final call for the participants of #BEOPENBetterWay Instagram challenge with a prize of €300! Share art, photography or video of ingenuous ways of giving new life to old things with hashtag #BEOPENBetterWay and seize the opportunity. The entries close September 30th. Rules: beopensocial.com We would like to thank all the creatives, who have submitted their works so far, for their ability to find inspiration in the everyday life and transform it with their unique vision. Featured entries are by Daniel Svahn, Jutta Imelda Kanneberger, Aakriti Kumar.

Trying to move away from materials that might be considered more traditional, Brooklyn based design studio Wintercheck Factory founded by Kristen Wentrcek and Andrew Zebulon has been working with polyurethane and natural rubber to create a growing collection of furniture. The amber-like polyurethane rubber used in their Collection 400 looks and feels like medical tubing, its malleable nature enabling the studio to explore new forms. While the featured chair uses the rubber as a seat cushion within a minimal framework made from yellow pine, the table is cast from a single piece of rubber. More rubber furniture in our blog.beopenfuture.com

Archibird by French designer Grégoire de Lafforest has been conceived as a piece that would reimagine the classical typology of a cage. Designed as a nod to cabinets of curiosities, it features a table made of solid oak, an integrated birdcage below and three glass domes protruding from its surface. According to the designer, this unique piece of furniture “provides an ideal vision of nature”. The bird in this design-minded cage appears to be in the middle of a theatre set, with the glass bells adding to the impression that we see stuffed creatures that all of a sudden come to life. More bespoke cages for small pets in our blog.beopenfuture.com

As part of an international call by young architects competitions, New York based practice LMTLS has designed a treehouse for Château de la Mothe Chandeniers in France. Offering a renewed perspective for the historical castle, the proposal encompasses a slanted roof screen with arched openings allowing the visitor to enjoy the surrounding scenery. When viewed through the arches, Mothe Chandeniers appears to be a castle within a snow globe, recalling the magic of childhood. Depending on the vantage point, the building will look like a traditional treehouse or an abstract screen structure, creating a dialogue between the new structure and the old French chateau, enhancing the historical significance of the site. lmtlsarchitecture.com

London-based practice Will Gamble Architects has designed a residential extension to a listed Victorian house in Northamptonshire, UK on the place of the ruins of a 17th-century parchment factory and old cattle shed. Instead of demolishing the ruin to make room for the new extension, the studio proposed ‘a building within a building’ with two lightweight volumes delicately inserted within the masonry walls in order to preserve and celebrate it. Named The Parchment Works, the single-storey extension introduces an open-plan kitchen, living and dining area, and occupies one half of the ruins footprint to reduce the visual impact of the newly built structure and ensure it is subordinate to the ruin. More beautifully designed residential extensions in our blog.beopenfuture.com