Best of CH 2014: Instagram
Art, architecture, autos and more from our team’s myriad worldwide adventures
As we traveled around the world this year, our team of writers and editors snapped images of the many inspiring, creative places and moments that caught our collective eye, and posted it all to Instagram. As part of our 2014 year in review, we looked back at what most captivated our audience as well, and found the content to be as diverse as the experiences. From brilliantly executed product design and stunning architecture to speeding automobiles and captivating uses of text, the following selections were among our favorites—and yours.
Use of color within product design, whether it’s been meticulously arranged within a watch or chaotically splattered across a vinyl disc, grabs attention. Our sneak peek at the magnificent Van Cleef and Arpels Midnight Planetarium watch was a fine example—delivering the illustrious cosmos to one’s wrist. On a contrary—but just as striking—note, is Ghostly’s vinyl version of their soundtrack for the Playstation game Hohokum, which serves as proof positive of the care and attention the indie record label puts into their vinyl projects.
Structure, especially geometric, lends itself to much success on Instagram. While visiting Lyon, France we previewed Musée des Confluences, a science museum 10 years in the making, before it officially opened on 20 December (hence the construction stickers). Designed by Austrian studio Coop Himmel(b)lau, it features a “crystal cloud” structure built where Lyon’s two rivers merge. While the image is impressive, the building itself inspires. Up in Nyack, New York we were able to scope out this Symbol Audio speaker system while filming for CH Video. Once again, structure defined the clean, geometric piece, but the materials definitely took it to the next level.
In the art world, two snaps we captured showed the importance of perspective. James Turrell’s “Sky Pesher,” a perception-bending piece occupying an entire room, delivers an optical illusion to all who experience it in the garden of Walker Art Center, Minneapolis. Dante Dentoni’s vibrant Lego excavation within the columns of the Now Contemporary Art booth at the Art Miami Fair lead one to believe the entirety of the column was built from Legos before being plastered over, when in fact, he had carefully constructed the illusion in just a select area.
In the world of automotive, whether out in the wild or at a dramatic unveiling, several cars posts garnered much attention. This including our test drive of the incredibly powerful Audi A8 in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The Mercedes GCode was unveiled in Beijing this year, and the striking, muscular car represents the brand’s vision of automotive’s future.
Generally, videos don’t perform as well as images. Maybe that’s due to our cumulative attention span, or perhaps because we didn’t all go to film school. That said, two videos we posted captured the essence of what they featured. As noted, sometimes it’s the simplest ideas that bring the most joy, like this Japanese cute cat kitty bank spotted at the MoMA Design Store F/W preview. At this year’s Monaco Grand Prix, we captured laps one and two from a bird’s eye view, as drivers hit speeds of up to 285 km/h.
Every so often the power of the written word is made visible in stunning graphic form.
A Sex Drugs & PDFs gaslight, made by Emi Dixon, was seen at the Chelsea College of Arts Undergraduate Summer Show in London and resonates perfectly in the digital age. We also learned some lessons in meditating before speaking thanks to J. Kristobans Co. The message within happened to be something everyone should always keep in mind.
Food that struck the tastebuds, whether highly refined or a rather lush feast, also played a visual role. A delectable Japanese meal at Yopparai, in New York, granted a simple, exquisite slice of sushi heaven. And a complimentary Blue Ribbon Chicken luncheon at CH HQ definitely kept us well-fed all day (and all night).
And while at the root of everything, our travels offered up many of the above images, but certain location-specific items truly stood out. Catching Space Invader while traveling in Japan felt like an appropriate fit for the land of tomorrow. And it’s hard to find anything more stunning than the Dominican church turned bookstore we entered in Maastricht, Netherlands. It was a palace fit for the best sort of stimulation.
To see what the world brings us in 2015, follow us on Instagram.
