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Street artists inspired by the pandemic
In Bristol, Banksy’s Girl with a Pierced Eardrum was suddenly adorned with a surgical mask. In São Paulo, the Brazilian muralist Eduardo Kobra, displayed a 6 x 3 metre fresco depicting five masked children praying, in reference to the five religions, on the walls of his residence (photo). Around the world, Covid-19 continues to inspire street artists, who hijack existing works or create new takes on the global health crisis. There is a whole collective culture, made of masks, sanitiser gel, rolls of toilet paper and bottles of Corona which is being created, in the spirit of both a sense of humour and of hope.
The game
The Jigsaw Puzzle is out and proud
From six pieces to several thousand, there is something for all ages and for all tastes... With lockdown, long forgotten puzzles have been rescued from the cupboard and proudly shown off on social media. Sales have exploded so much, that online sites have had to reduce the number of days and times when orders can be placed. Beyond logistic and delivery problems, demand is such that available supplies are no longer enough. It is necessary to draw individual pieces by hand so that no two pieces are identical. The design of a new puzzle can thus take several weeks. A true game of patience for players and manufacturers alike.
Lace to save Coral Reefs
An unusual and striking hypothesis lies at the heart of the Corail Artefact project. The artist Jérémy Gobé, on the occasion of the Clermont-Ferrand International Festival of Extraordinary Textiles, has discovered a unique application for the lace of Puy-en-Velay. Visually similar to a coral skeleton, it is a material he knows well from his artistic career. He wondered if this lace could serve as a substrate to capture coral larvae and regenerate reefs, instead of using plastic and concrete. Laboratory tests have been conclusive, and Jérémy Gobé has decided to create a project combining art, science, industry and education, to help save the Great Barrier Reef, located off the coast of Australia.
A "Parkipelago" in the port of Copenhagen
CPH-Ø1. It is not the brother of R2-D2 but a codename designating the first floating public space in the port of Copenhagen, a prototype launched in 2018, which won over Copenhageners and received numerous awards. Two years later, an entire forested green archipelago was built in the Danish capital. With Australian architect Marshall Blecher and designers from Danish studio Fokstrot still at the helm, the project includes a new island, itself made up of twelve small interconnected islands. This non-profit initiative aims to create a “parkipelago” accessible to fishermen, walkers, swimmers, divers... and conducive to re-wilding by birds, algae, fish and crustaceans, which find refuge and shelter there.
AI
A musical anti-plagiarism device
To avoid the myriad of plagiarism and counterfeiting lawsuits in the world of music, the Spotify streaming platform is developing artificial intelligence capable of detecting the similarities between two songs, before they are even published. The so ware will analyse the score in real time and spot any similar segments with existing works. Aimed at songwriters, this programme could thus prevent possible involuntary borrowing before less melodic legal issues potentially send a career out of tune.
Back to basics
An egg in a nest of greenery. This is the vision of the ideal lockdown for interior designer Sybille de Margerie, who conceived this ‘luxury cocoon’ in Spring 2020. For her, well-being is a luxury and this cocoon is the place to relax, curl up, and be in harmony with oneself and nature, escaping the worries of city life.
The idea of the egg is inspired by the Chinese symbol of yin and yang and plays on several oppositions: light/dark, day/night, interior/exterior and withdrawal into oneself/openness to others. Designed as an extension, the project of Sybille de Margerie is adaptable to fit in a hotel as well as a second home, and will be no doubt as appreciated outside of lockdown as well as in.
Flight shame
“Flight Shame”, originally “flygskam” in Swedish, denotes the sense of shame felt when flying, due to concerns about its environmental impact. This feeling of guilt is usually felt by people who are already informed and sensitive to issues surrounding the protection of the environment. Whether this feeling is followed up by individual actions or not when considering taking the plane, flight shame fits into a larger trend: the “Köpskam”, which means shame (“Skam”) of buying or consuming (“Köp”) in Swedish.
Pedalling over the forest
In Belgium, an unusual cycle path has been unveiled… in the trees. Supported by architects De Gregorio & Partners, and landscape architects BuroLandschap, this project called Cycling Through The Trees has been installed in a forest in the region of Limburg. Perched 10 metres above the trees, this circular cycle path o ers visitors in search of nature, 700 metres of pathway through the middle of the forest and the feeling of being at one with nature. The track is very ecological in its design since it is constructed using hundreds of wooden piles rather than concrete. In addition, the trees removed for this project were replanted nearby.
The discovery
An artificial skin sensitive to pain
Researchers at the Royal Institute of Technology in Melbourne (Australia) have developed an artificial skin that responds to pain in the same way as human skin. Still in the prototype stage, the device mimics the almost instantaneous feedback response of the human body, when faced with pain sensations linked to pressure, heat or cold. This major innovation opens the way to biomedical applications such as the development of more e icient prostheses or gra s for severe burns. It could also be of interest in robotics by allowing finer tactile interactions between robots and humans.
An eletric bike inspired by the first Harley
Harley Davidson is climbing onto the electrically assisted bicycle (eBike) business by drawing on its legendary past. With its black frame, sprung leather saddle, belt drive and large white tyres, the Serial 1 is very reminiscent of the Model 1, the very first motorcycle from the famous Milwaukee firm, originally rolled out in 1903! Although the world’s biggest large-engine manufacturer has remained discreet about the future of this iconic prototype, it has already announced the marketing of four models of eBikes with an emphasis on urban riding: the Mosh/Cty, as well as the Rush/Cty, which will be available in three versions. These models are already available for pre-order, in Germany and the United States. Especially for those who like to ride the city in style.
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