Link About It: This Week’s Picks
Yayoi Kusama at The Whitney, LGA’s new boutique, Xbox aquariums and more in our weekly look at the web
1. Yayoi Kusama
The Whitney Museum of American Art is presenting a retrospective of 60 years of work by Yayoi Kusama, famous for her two-toned paintings of intricate dot patterns that make up large-scale environments. In conjunction with the show, the artist collaborated with Louis Vuitton on a clothing collection entitled “Infinitely Kusama,” and has decked out the windows of the brand’s 57th Street flagship and Soho outpost with her red and white polka-dotted whimsy.
2. Inked
Chinese born, Japan-based artist Pinpin Co draws intricate and potentially disturbing designs directly on her subject’s skin for a uniquely powerful display. Sketched with a 0.38 ink gel pen, each piece takes on a life and history of its own as Co develops a relationship with each subject. An exhibition of the work runs through 16 July at BankART Studio NYK in Yokohama, Japan.
3. Xbox 360 Pico-Reef Aquarium
Blue World Aquariums’ newest creation was made by using a gutted Xbox as a frame and rewiring the existing electrical components for lighting. The small aquarium looks like a piece of living art as “live rock”, a type of old coral skeleton that has been overgrown with new organisms, is illuminated inside the Xbox. The Xbox 360 Pico-Reef Aquarium includes an external filtration system and low-voltage lighting that is controlled with a wireless remote.
4. Her Highness
In an effort to draw attention—and admiration—to “the gift that is woman,” NYC-based artist Delphine Diaw Diallo presents the “Highness” project. Spanning sculpture, design, photography, collage and music, the elaborate hair-like body of work stands outside of time and place for a chilling depiction of the future through her eyes.
5. Desk Box
Purpose-built for the minimalist worker bee, Desk Box is a wall-mounted box that rejiggers into a work station and cubby hole. The design—created in collaboration between Raw Edges and Arco Contemporaray Furniture—is paired with a cutting board version that doubles as a bread box.
6. 17 Days of Summer
A designer’s tribute to the Olympic Games, Jordon Cheung created an elegantly laid out poster in which athletic gear is profiled in a five-color scheme. Free from Olympic branding and nationalist insignia—save a Union Jack in honor of the host country—the poster is an unexpected tribute to the international competition.
7. Gilt Live
Designer flash-sale site Gilt Groupe has amped up its technology, now allowing members to view all purchases of the coveted commodities in real-time. The countdown clock gives an extra sense of urgency to the compulsive and Gilt-obsessed customer, and also allows them to Like, Tweet and Pin the products. To view Gilt Live members must have the current version of Chrome, Safari or Firefox.
8. La Guardia’s Retail Therapy
Travelers have a bit more to do while waiting to board flights or during NYC layovers, as a new boutique has landed in Delta’s Terminal D at La Guardia Airport. Zona sells high-end and unexpected products from lip balms and “stylish toothbrushes” to wool shawls and pearl necklaces. The boutique has had surprising success, as travelers are drawn to the refreshing array of products in the usually mundane airport setting.
