Be Open think tank

#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART The third stage of the BE OPEN Regional Art competition is on. Over July – September 2023 we welcome artists from Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Works by 20 emerging artists will be posted at the online gallery every month, and a public vote will select the Regional Artist of the Month. At the end of the stage, BE OPEN expert community team will select the Artist of the Region, who best represents the artistic tradition of South East Asia, out of the monthly winners. The regional winners get the money prize of EUR500, while a selection of artwork best representing the region form an exhibition, in order to share the art with the wide public and celebrate the artists involved.

#BeOpenDESIGN Anonymous creator Str4ngeThing uses AI to produce surreal fashion footwear inspired by the Renaissance architecture. Every piece in the collection represents a fusion of classical design elements and contemporary style, resulting in a truly unique and artistic expression.

#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART BE OPEN Art is happy to announce that Brünn Kramer, emerging artist from South Africa, has been voted the June 2023 Artist of the Month by the visitors of art.beopenfuture.com 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 in our online gallery. This month, our congratulations go to Brünn Kramer (South Africa). Brünn completed his Masters in Fine Arts at Rhodes University in 2021 and has participated in numerous group exhibitions all over South Africa. His current research explores the intersection of personal experiences and identities, concerning depression. We also take the opportunity to thank everyone who voted!

#BeOpenARCH Lakeside Meditation Pod has been conceptualized by Sri-Lankan architect Thilina Liyanage known for his biophilic designs to allow yoga practitioners to meditate amidst nature. The pod, which can easily accommodate up to 5 people and one instructor, is shown sitting on the edge of a lake, as if hovering above the water’s surface. The structure uses a combination of wood and composite paneling, with ornate decorations on the roof to give the pod an almost Faberge egg-like appeal.

#BeOpenARCH The external skin of the Woven house created by English architecture practice Giles Miller Studio takes shape as an intricate steel latticework for climbing plants. The architects have taken inspiration from the circular patterns of twisted rattan weave and used recycled ABS modules crafted from electronic component housing waste to add a three-dimensional relief to the composition. The unique façade lets the dwelling integrate with the natural surroundings, while providing natural shading and allowing for the use of large floor-to-ceiling glass windows. More architecture integrating climbing walls in our blog

#BeOpenDESIGN Named (Non)Sense, graduation project of Orion Ivliev in Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art is dedicated to the jewelry designer’s love for plants. Created amidst the COVID pandemic, the project sought to synthesize jewelry with scents, which the designer believes have the power to control our mood, decision making and general state.

#BeOpenART #BeOpenNEWS BE OPEN Art is happy to announce that Anna Gibson, Barbadian contemporary artist who explores multiple mediums, has been selected the Regional Artist of the month (June) by the highest number of votes of BE OPEN Art online gallery visitors. Anna has been practicing for over 5 years completing her Associates and Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts (2017). Her artwork centers on exposing how women seek to physically mask or morph their bodies to achieve acceptance within their cultural, racial and social environment. Anna has become the last of the three candidates to the title of the Regional Artist: the Caribbean, alongside Kamlah Kew (Antigua & Barbuda) and Keyonne ‘Keeks’ Yarde (Barbados) who gained the majority of votes in April and May correspondingly. Very soon, BE OPEN Art expert team will select the one winner who will be awarded the 500 euros prize. Stay tuned!

#BeOpenDESIGN Created by Brunel University London graduate Daniel Oakes, Iconicle is a prototype of a foldable skateboard with smart-lock technology that discreetly and easily fits into a small backpack via a 1-step fold process, so you do not need to carry an awkward and cumbersome board when on public transport. To use the skateboard, simply throw it on the ground and it will unfold and lock into a full length, cruiser-style.

#BeOpenARCH The Haikou Jiangdong Huandao Experimental School by Beijing-based studio Trace Architecture Office sits on a playfully sloped site in the coastal city of Haikou in Hainan and comprises a series of curved volumes and rectilinear forms that intersect under a concrete roof. Brightly coloured volumes and sweeping curves add a sense of creativity to the campus and echo the unique childlike innocence and playfulness. More schools inspired by coloured building blocks in our blog

#BeOpenDESIGN The innovative concept of the Luna Lounger developed by Berlin based architect and designer Michael Hilgers combines exactly opposite functions simultaneously offering new possibilities for working and relaxing. The motorized height-adjustable and rotatable acoustic/visual protection panel beside it can serve as a side table to put your coffee or snacks in or to write on your notebook or type on your tablet or laptop. Specially designed to be used in co-working spaces, home offices or spatial living rooms, the product can be used as a room divider. Besides, the upholstery fabric of the panel is made from 100% PET bottles, which were collected, cleaned and shredded in Europe.

#BeOpenARCH Architect couple Casper and Lexie Mork-Ulnes, who head their own eponymous architecture studio with offices in San Francisco, California and Oslo, Norway, completed their family home in Kvitfjell, Norway. Named Skigard Hytte, the dwelling comprises a rectangular volume lifted from the ground on wooden columns to minimize environmental impact on and clad entirely in skigard, quarter cut and diagonally arranged tree logs that are traditionally used by Norwegian farmers for building fences. The roof is overgrown with the same native grasses found on the ground below and on century’s old local buildings.

#BeOpenNEWS Another throwback to the day of the opening ceremony for the exhibition dedicated to the BE OPEN Regional Art: the Eastern Mediterranean art competitions, aimed to support those whose art best represents their regional, cultural and ethnic identities. When awarding the Artist of the Region for the Eastern Mediterranean, the Founder of BE OPEN Elena Baturina said: “We set up BE OPEN Art with the sole purpose to showcase and support emerging talents. So many young artists all over the world deserve to be seen, and BE OPEN is happy to contribute to their artistic aspirations, to help them get deserved attention and an opportunity to have their say in the art. Our congratulations, this certificate and a money prize go to Jovanna Theodosiou. We wish Jovanna to keep following her heart, and the best of luck in her artistic future.”

#BeOpenARCH Shanghai architecture studio Wutopia Lab took cues from the inky brushstrokes of traditional Chinese paintings when designing a museum complex in Qinhuangdao for a Beijing-based developer. Named Monologue Art Museum, the space comprises an art gallery, a dance studio, a yoga room and a theatre arranged as a sequence of independent elements connected by gently curving walls and corridors. The museum's layout resembles "a slowly unfolding hand scroll," while is perimeter varies in thickness along its length just like brushstrokes. More exceptional Chinese cultural buildings in our blog

#BeOpenARCH Sicilian office Architrend Architecture has topped a concrete house in Malta with a swimming pool with a glass side that makes the water visible from street level as well as from inside the living space below. This solution creates a fresh atmosphere inside the house and gives the building a special identity from the outside. An opening in the ceiling of the double-height entrance lobby provides a view of the underside of the rooftop pool, and the large void ensures a visual connection between the different floors. More rooftop pools in our blog

#BeOpenARCH Landscape architecture firm Bunga Design Atelier used an unconventional material — penyapu lidi, a common cleaning tool found in Malaysian households, — as the main building component to create a habitable sculpture beautifully named rambu(T)-rambu(T) (Temple of Togetherness). The team employed paper tubes as baton-like elements, mapping out puncture marks for the metal rods. When assembled, a robust diagrid emerges, forming a seamless circle. Made together and to be appreciated together, the sculpture sits in its chosen context for years to come, in the hopes that visitors will leave with a new understanding of how precious and sacred our unity is.

#BeOpenDESIGN Minsk-based designer Andrey Avgust has combined portability and ease of use associated with laptops with computing power of a full-blown PC. His Mini ITX portable workstation is a concept centered around a framed backpack with dedicated slots to house the PC and CPU. The waterproof plastic case shields the costly hardware from the elements and the aluminum frame and leather straps distribute the weight of 13 kg well. Passive cooling is done with a big bent copper heat pipe, while A 600W DC-ATX Power Supply and 600W AC-DC adapter located inside the computer case allow not to worry about the power supply.

#BeOpenDESIGN A group of MIT students (Mateo Fernandez, Yiqing Wang, Justin Brazier) has combined the artistry of CNC milling and woodworking with robotics to craft the Homie Stool, a two-person stool that invites individuals to sit back-to-back, fostering an intimate and engaging environment. The team constructed the stool from maple wood using a unique assembly process reminiscent of a three-dimensional puzzle. Its intricately designed dovetail connections enable a robot to deftly piece the stool together. With a mathematically precise curvature enabled by the coding and calibration of the robot, the stool is able to stand independently once assembled.

#BeOpenARCH LEMEAL, Armenian creative 3D Studio founded by Jilavyan siblings, Davit and Mary, has conceptualized a boutique hotel that is comprised of a tiny cluster of three small stone-shaped dwellings built into the rock. Named Dolmen Shelter, the project is envisioned as made of reinforced concrete and faced with plaster imitating natural stone. There are just a couple windows, as a contrast to the modern aquarium-like buildings, while a rectangular volume with an entrance space is built into each house.

#BeOpenARCH Expected to complete in 2026, the Tour Triangle skyscraper designed by Swiss studio Herzog & de Meuron is going to be the largest skyscraper to appear on central Paris' skyline since 1973. Planned for Avenue Ernest-Renan, the 42-storey building will contain offices, a conference centre, shops, restaurants and a hotel. From a recognizable triangular shape to a tapered blade profile, the controversial structure will offer multiple faces and will bring to the Place de la Porte de Versailles great visibility from the whole metropolis.

#BeOpenART Conceived by architect Melek Zeynep Bulut, the Turkish pavilion at this year’s edition of the London Design Biennale acts like a giant hexagonal wind chime that forms a series of steel gates. Named Openwork, it comprises a performative space and a theatrical exhibition on the concept of gates and their role in enforcing borders and social hierarchies. Themes of displacement and exchange are explored via abstract and metaphorical ‘gates’ and ‘liminality’ that are created by the resonating audible surfaces. Just like an instrument, they turn the installation into a game of ‘exchange’ with the touch of the visitor. More installations not to miss at London Design Biennale in our blog