Indice dei contenuti per December 2021 in Wallpaper

MARGUERITE HUMEAU Artist Humeau’s new sculpture, Rise, reenacting the first cross-pollination between a male and female grapevine plant, was installed in Italy’s Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo art park in October. Alongside this homage to local winemaking traditions, the artist shared her recipe for white truffle ravioli for our Artist’s Palate series (page 154), fittingly paired with a glass of biodynamic wine. She is currently working on a solo show at New York gallery Clearing, opening in January. SOPHIE GLADSTONE Photography editor/photographer Not content with just commissioning and writing about photography for us, Gladstone is also an accomplished imagemaker herself – so much so that she was recently announced as one of the British Journal of Photography’s Ones to Watch. She shot this month’s menswear news story (page 037). ‘There was…

Cartier The hypnotising circles that make up the ‘Pasha de Cartier’ collection nod to the distinctive design of the original 1980s pieces, here rethought in stainless steel. Technically accomplished, the rotating bezel and sprinkling of blue cabochon gemstones recall the traditional aesthetics of a diver’s watch. Hermès The ‘Carré H’ watch links the architectural sensibilities of furniture designer Marc Berthier’s 2010 original with Hermès’ illustrious history in producing saddle leathers, thanks to a new Barenia calf strap. Its tactile curves, coupled with the utilitarian forms of the numerals, add an understated sporty touch to a classic piece. Omega Those partial to striving for a new personal best will appreciate the technically-savvy timings of the vintage-inspired ‘Speedmaster Chronoscope’. The loops of the dial reveal three different measuring devices: one for speed,…

American multidisciplinary artist Daniel Arsham is no stranger to collaboration. In 2021 alone, he has already melded his signature aesthetic with the likes of Porsche, Tiffany & Co and Pokemon, showcasing his uncanny ability to flex his creative muscles while still remaining true to the essence of his work. Arsham’s ethos has played well with a wide range of brands, the most recent of which is US kitchen and bathroom behemoth Kohler, with whom he has designed a limited-edition sink. Created using Kohler’s cutting-edge technology, the sink, named ‘Rock.01’, is Kohler’s first artist collaboration in many years. The 3D-printed sink continues the same line of thinking that Arsham explored with his ‘Objects for Living II’ furniture collection, presented at the Friedman Benda gallery in September (W*270). Confined to his Long…

A veteran of the British grime scene, Skepta first collaborated with Cuban rum brand Havana Club back in 2019. During a trip to Havana, the internationally acclaimed rapper and producer was struck by the links between Cuban traditions and his own West African heritage, and designed a pair of Havana Club 7 rum bottles, incorporating traditional Nigerian cultural symbols. Skepta and Havana Club have now teamed up again, this time collaborating on creating a unique, one-of-a-kind spirit for a new generation of rum drinkers. It began with another trip to Cuba, and a rum-and-cigar-tasting session with maestro del ron Cubano (Cuban rum master) Asbel Morales at the Havana Club distillery in San José de las Lajas to work out Skepta’s palate preferences. ‘We learnt all about the rum – the…

Since M+’s first acquisition in 2012, the museum has meticulously built an unparalleled body of works by artists, designers and architects, locally and from across the world, to represent a cornucopia of different and diverse narratives that define contemporary life. The world of ideas is limitless, and creative people find their inspiration far beyond their geographical borders and the limitations of their specific disciplines. With an unsurpassed collection of 20th and 21st century visual culture within a broadly Asian context, M+’s mission is to explore and document contemporary cultures and expressions in all their diversity, and shape these into a meaningful whole in its collections, featuring artworks in mediums ranging from painting, sculpture and ink art to installations, moving images and digital media. In addition, the collections feature architectural drawings…

Visual culture encompasses the way a society views and represents the world. Paintings, sculptures and photographs belong to visual culture alongside our built landscape, the clothes we wear, the films we watch, and even the commercial images that flood our lives. The study of the subject, too, embraces a spectrum of academic disciplines, both artistic and scientific. Different research areas combine to put visual culture at the heart of M+’s collections. Hong Kong’s geographical position has played a major part in the richness of its artistic and cultural history, which blends East and West. Despite its global reach, M+ considers the objects in its collections from a local perspective. The thematic area in one of the museum’s opening exhibitions, ‘Hong Kong: Here and Beyond’, draws on different disciplines to bring…

Spirit of adventure Welcome to our December issue! As a year of reopening and recalibration draws to a close, we’re dreaming of December getaways. Anticipating Design Miami’s triumphant return, we present a trio of exciting previews. Leading the way is creative polymath and A-Cold-Wall* founder Samuel Ross, who is presenting two new furniture collections that bring together three centuries of Black experience with narratives of modernism, industrialisation and brutalism. Among the highlights is his ‘Rupture’ chair, gracing our limited-edition cover, which reimagines traditional West African seating in marble and orange steel. A stalwart of the fair, Fendi has commissioned Botswanan designer Peter Mabeo for a series of ten pieces that pushes artisanal techniques and materials in new directions – including a galvanised metal seating sculpture, a clay stool, chairs in…

Drawing inspiration from shapes found in the natural world, Japanese design studio Nendo and Georg Jensen have collaborated on a set of three sterling silver vases with organic, tree-like forms. For Oki Sato, founder of Nendo and one of five visionaries featured in Wallpaper’s 25th anniversary project ‘5x5’ (W*270), looking to nature not only felt like a logical continuation of the Nendo oeuvre (which ranges from the ‘Cabbage’ chair, made from the leftover paper that is a by-product of Issey Miyake’s pleated fabric production, to his sun-inspired spherical cauldron for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics), but also a logical way to combine the language of Japanese minimalism with the aesthetic of the historic Danish brand. ‘There are many Georg Jensen designs that rely on nature as their primary motif; like a…

Electric scooters have become a familiar sight on city streets, yet the sweet spot between durability, range and practicality is still hard to find. Oakland-based scooter builder Unagi has been in the game for several years, and its latest scooter, the Model Eleven, designed by Yves Behar and his team at Fuseproject, is intended to be the ultimate urban transportation tool. Incorporating high-performance magnesium, aluminium and carbon materials for lightness, as well as punctureproof tyres for potholed city streets, the foldable Model Eleven sports an innovative dual suspension system, yet only weighs around 14.5kg. Riders have acceleration and brake at their fingertips and a touchscreen to show speed, battery life and navigation, while an LED ring alerts riders to potential collisions and lane departure as part of Unagi’s advanced driver-assistance…

Occasionally, although rarely these days, a brand will spark the touch paper of a white space you never realised existed, and explode. Tekla is a little bit like that – when co-founders Charlie Hedin and Kristoffer Juhl began discussing luxurious, consciously made bed sheets with a credible design ethos back in 2016, it seemed a step too progressive. ‘No one had done this before. When we first launched Tekla and were out there knocking on doors, people thought we were crazy,’ says Juhl. ‘It didn’t make any sense that two young guys were going to work in this industry that had barely changed for 30 years. It was uphill for sure.’ The reticence didn’t last long: it turns out the cofounders knew just what we wanted before we did. Hedin…

Le Dôme’s winery is tucked away in Saint-Émilion, a medieval village near Bordeaux in the south-west of France. A patchwork of stone cottages, cobbled streets, Romanesque churches and world-famous wineries, the Unesco World Heritage Site might be home to just a few thousand residents, but it is a leading destination for discerning oenophiles. The owner of Le Dôme, Jonathan Maltus, an Englishman born in Nigeria, moved to Saint-Émilion in the 1990s. It was a radical period when a group of winemakers known as the Garagistes were ripping up the rulebook on how to make traditional red Bordeaux wines. Avoiding lengthy ageing processes and tannic flavours, the makers created limited runs of full-bodied, fruitier reds in small scale – or ‘garage-sized’ – production areas. Maltus’ Le Dôme wine came about in…

Architect Matthew Royce’s house makes an eye-catching addition to the landscape in the sun-drenched LA neighbourhood of Venice, best known for its rustic beachfront living. Located on a tight triangular plot, on a former electric streetcar route, the house, where Royce lives with his Iranian wife, Farnaz Azmoodeh, nods to Venice’s past and present, but not in ways one might expect. Standing apart from the Craftsman bungalows, midcentury ranches and postwar stucco homes that proliferate the area, the house is constructed primarily from industrial materials, such as board-formed concrete, glass and copper, and consists of a ground level, first floor and spacious basement level, influenced by the sunken courtyard houses of Iran and the basement light wells in London row houses. ‘We found this property to buy on a plot…

M+ is set to make a major impression on the global cultural landscape as it takes centre stage in Hong Kong’s vibrant new cultural quarter, built on reclaimed land alongside the renowned Victoria Harbour. Offering a mix of performance venues, museums and public spaces, the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) is one of the most ambitious projects of its kind in the world. Swiss architectural practice Herzog & de Meuron won the competition for the new M+ building with a proposal described by the jury as a ‘memorable design that draws power from the simplicity and clarity of its parts with a carefully constructed internal layout felt to be inviting to the public, with a space that will be easy to understand and navigate’. Founded by 2001 Pritzker Prize winners…

W*:When did you start working with M+, and why did you decide to take on the challenge? SR:I moved to Hong Kong from Sydney in 2016 to join M+. The ecosystem of museum development in Asia is still emerging, which is why it is so exciting to be here. As a major new museum, we are simultaneously defining what global museum cultures of the future will look like, while creating a completely new understanding of the role of the museum in Asia. On a more personal note, as someone originally from Asia [Raffel was born in Sri Lanka], I have always felt the significance of owning the storytelling that belongs to us – these are our stories and they are unique to here. It is crucial that our voices are…

The estate of Karl Lagerfeld, who passed away in 2019, goes under the hammer at Sotheby’s this December. Held over two weeks, the auction will take place in Monaco, Paris and online, and among the treasures for sale are the contents of Lagerfeld’s neverbefore photographed apartment at 8 Rue des Saint-Pères, which he purchased in 2008 and renovated himself. The result is both modern and classic, with something wonderfully old-school about the back of the house, where mirrored double doors lead to hidden kitchens, bathrooms, storerooms and service entrances. Almost every wall is covered in shelving crammed with books, and there are more pieces here by the likes of Konstantin Grcic and the Bouroullecs than I have ever seen at an exhibition at Galerie Kreo, one of Lagerfeld’s favourite haunts.…

FAILSAFE GIFTS I have never enjoyed the taste of jam more than with London Borough of Jam’s damson and black pepper, londonboroughofjam.com Spring to Go sells delicious sauces, pickles and dressings in glass jars, as well as seasonal flowers, from Fern Verrow or Heckfield farms, springrestaurant-shop.co.uk Perfumer H’s olive oil, infused with lemon and bergamot, and pepper from the Keralan Muttiarmundi tree, are two pantry items that no one could refuse, perfumerh.com A guaranteed winner is a panettone from Pasticceria Stefania, though go for the 500g instead of the 1kg, pasticceriastefania.it Latteria Due Madonne produces exceptional Parmesan, matured between 26-48 months, latteriaduemadonne.com Paolo Petrilli sells exceptional slow-dried organic pasta and tomatoes, grown in the Puglian sunshine, paolopetrilli.it…

Once upon a time there was a man who had a dream about the ideal British holiday. So he bought a large piece of land by the sea in Suffolk and set about creating a fantasy village that embodied the perfect seaside experience. Quaint buildings in mock-Tudor style? Check. A picturesque long shingle beach? Check. An idyllic lake with little islands, a golf course, a family atmosphere, and an architectural folly in the shape of a converted water tower? Check, check, check. Welcome to Thorpeness, the perfectly orchestrated getaway born out of one man’s vision in the 1910s. The man was Glencairn Stuart Ogilvie; and what he initially created as a retreat for his family and friends slowly became a popular resort for a new wave of visitors, as some…

Berluti has a long history as an artisanal maker, producing finely crafted shoes, handbags, luggage and ready-to-wear garments. So it was very exciting when, last year, the Paris-based brand added homewares to its already-elegant portfolio. Its new range of desktop accessories sees everyday items recast with allure and artistry, utilising Venezia leather patinated in a palette of jewel-toned colours, sleek marble and hornbeam. Used to make bespoke Berluti shoe lasts, this extremely dense wood with a fine grain is rarely used for small-scale carpentry due to its sturdy, hardwearing properties, and is more commonly used when robust strength is needed. The collection bridges innovation and modernity with traditional craft, which is exemplified in the likes of the leather mousepad, designed to enhance digital working, while the joys of analogue working…

French designer Constance Guisset’s ‘Waves’ ottomans for LaCividina were inspired by natural forms: the rippling surface of the sea, rich colours of rolling earth, the waving and dancing flora and fauna. And the furniture system’s potential compositions – with varying modular shapes and sizes, joined together by clever magnetic fastenings, as well as additional backrests, compatible wooden coffee tables, concealed plug sockets and USB ports – are as endless as the synergetic kinships occurring in the natural world. The ottomans are only one of many elegant and ingenious designs coming out of LaCividina’s factory in northern Italy to appear in contemporary domestic environments, hotels, lounges and hospitality venues around the world. Showcasing LaCividina’s ‘Made in Italy’ philosophy and values, the brand’s versatile furniture pieces are crafted by expert artisans from…

HONG KONG: HERE AND BEYOND The Visual Culture of our City from the 1960s to Now Main Hall Gallery Divided into four chapters – Here, Identities, Places and Beyond – this exhibition captures the transformation of the city’s unique visual culture from the 1960s to today, and presents Hong Kong’s dynamism through numerous intersecting perspectives. M+ SIGG COLLECTION: FROM REVOLUTION TO GLOBALISATION Four Significant Decades of Contemporary Chinese Art Sigg Galleries This chronological survey traces the nation’s artistic journey from the 1970s to 2010s. Alongside China’s economic rise, its artists boldly experimented with new ideas and began to engage with their artistic peers worldwide. THINGS, SPACES, INTERACTIONS Design and Architecture from Asia and Beyond East Galleries Design and architecture define the very way we see the world. This exhibition will…

To Antony Gormley, the purpose of art is to ‘change the way people think’. Throughout his four-decade career, the Turner Prize-winner has used sculpture as instrument to explore the relationship between humans and our environment, and to pose fundamental questions about our place in the world. Asian Field, 2003, is a continuation of the artist’s Field series, conceived in 1989. The series includes pieces produced at different locations around the world with the collaboration of communities working with local clay, such as Amazonian Field and European Field, among others. For Asian Field, he engaged around 3o0 villagers in Guangdong, China, over five days, to create approximately 200,000 simple, standing figurines with eyes, which were then fired in a local brick factory. The resulting installation of these figurines together on the…