Saturday, May 26, 2012

NYC: Acme restaurant



NYC: Acme restaurant. The very trendy hip downtown brasserie Acme is the scene for young beautiful New Yorkers to hang out.  The kitchen is run by Danish chef Mads Refslund was known for his forager cuisine when he worked alongside Rene Redzepi at the renowned Noma restaurant n Copenhagen.



Acme. Spring Pea Soup with grilled cucumber, pistachio and yogurt.  This delicious soup has a surprise at the bottom of the bowl…snipped peas in their pod give an edge and a crunch to the creamy soup and fluffy foam.


   
Acme.  Pearl barley and Clams, Scallops, Artichokes and Roasted Sunflower broth.



Acme. Fallen Fruits dessert with dried pears, wheatgrass granite.  The wheatgrass granite had an interesting and distinctive flavor it tasted like hay or even a very strong green salad leaf.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

NYC: Gagosian Gallery - Picasso and Françoise Gilot: Paris–Vallauris, 1943–1953 Exhibition



NYC: Gagosian Gallery – Madison Avenue - Picasso and Françoise Gilot: Paris–Vallauris, 1943–1953 Exhibition. At the Gagosian Gallery, Madison Avenue, until June 30 the Picasso and Françoise Gilot: Paris–Vallauris 1943–1953 exhibition. It is the fourth major exhibition in an ongoing series on the life and work of Pablo Picasso and it is conceived as a visual and conceptual dialogue between the art of Picasso and the art of Françoise Gilot, his young muse and lover during the period 1943–53.  The exhibition is a result of an active collaboration between Gilot and Picasso’s biographer John Richardson, assisted by Gagosian director Valentina Castellani

 
Gagosian Gallery – Picasso and Françoise Gilot: Paris–Vallauris, 1943–1953 Exhibition.  Picasso and Françoise Gilot” celebrates the full breadth and energy of Picasso’s innovations during these post-war years, as well as presenting Gilot’s paintings alongside his marvelously innovative depictions of her and their family life. It is the first time that their work has been exhibited together—that the painterly dialogue between the fascinated mature male artist and the self-possessed young female artist can be retraced and explored.
Above. A painting by Françoise Gilot of their son Claude.

 Pablo Picasso and Françoise Gilot with their children Claude and Paloma.

NYC: ICFF – The Awards.


NYC:  ICFF – The Awards. Each year, the ICFF, International Contemporary Furniture Fair, convenes the industry’s top editors and invites them to scout the floor of the Javits Center, to choose the best of the best of the year's design crop. And each year, they do, combing the aisles with their highly trained eyes. Once they’re finished, they put their inestimable seal of approval on the year’s finest designs in 16 categories, including body of work, new designer, craftsmanship, furniture, seating, carpet and flooring, lighting, outdoor furniture, materials, wall coverings, accessories, textiles, kitchen and bath, multiple production, school, and booth.
2012 ICFF Editors Awards Committee: Arlene Hirst; Elizabeth Pagliacolo, Azure; Amanda Dameron, Dwell; Cristina Bonini, Interni; Chantal Hamaide, Intramuros; Paul Makovsky, Metropolis; Pei-Ru Keh, Wallpaper*.
Above: Iconic furniture designer Richard Schultz with his wife Trudy and son Peter.

 
ICFF – Knoll Studio. Now, icon designs by Richard Schultz are once again available through Knoll. The knoll Outdoor Collection defines outdoor living with pieces that inspire and endure with distinctive furniture by Richard Schultz, Harry Bertoia, Don Chadwick, Maya Lin and Daniel Stromborg.
Above: Knoll Studio Richard Schultz 1966  Collection. "I designed the collection in 1966 at the request of Florence Knoll, who wanted well-designed outdoor furniture that would withstand the corrosive salt air her home in Florida." Richard Schultz.


 
ICFF – Multiple Production Award 2012.  The Multiple Production Award went to Emeco’s Broom Chair by Philippe Starck “ Imagine,” Says Philippe Starck, “a guy who takes a humble broom and starts to clean the workshop, and with this dust he makes new magic.”  That is why it is called the Broom Chair.  It is made from scraps; 15% sawdust, 75% polypropylene and 10% glass fiber. By using reclaimed waste instead of raw materials Emeco reduces waste and use less energy. 

ICFF – Body of Work Award 2012.  The Body of Work Award went to Charles Pollock presented by Bernhardt Design featuring Pollock’s CP1 Lounge Chair. In 1965 Pollock’s iconic chair debuted, instantly becoming the best selling office chair in history and symbol of the modern office.  Forty-seven years later after the introduction of this landmark product Bernhardt Design presents the new CP Lounge Collection.
   
ICFF – Craftsmanship Award 2012.  The Craftsmanship Award went to Kaikado. The Chazutsu caddy, above, is a cylinder shaped airtight container of Japanese origin.  It is used to protect foodstuff, such as green tea leaves, from moisture and humidity.  In Japan many have been used for generations.  Chazutsu possesses both function and beauty, is practical and a work of art.
   
ICFF – Craftsmanship Award 2012.   Takakahiro Yagi works with his father Seiji, they meticulously hand craft each caddy in Kaikado’s fifth generation 1875 Kyoto studio.

 
ICFF: Design School Award 2012. The Design School Award went to Cranbrook Academy of Art for the theme developed in collaboration with Herman Miller, by sixteen students entitled Rest and Concentration in the Workplace. Enabled by wireless tablets and smart phones, today’s offices have adapted to the fluid interactions needed for teamwork, yet rarely provide space for private rest, concentration or ‘personal time’. When individual workers need a moment away from the group, what new furniture types will support their rest and concentration? 
Above: Private Rocker designed by Kyle Fleet and Tri-fold Bench designed by Douglas Leckie in the background. 
ICFF: Design School Award 2012. Cranbrook Academy of Art’s  project lead, Scott Klinker, 3D designer in Residence.

 
ICFF: Lighting Award 2012.  The Lighting Award went to Santa and Cole for the series BlancoWhite designed by Antoni Arola.  The series of four models with essential shapes are usable as table-top bookcases, luminous shelves, or lighting composition systems that are destined to play a leading role in our daily life.
 
ICFF: Furniture Award 2012.    The Furniture Award went to De La Espada. De La Espada is a groundbreaking firm in the field of developing powerful brands for high-end home furnishings consumers. The company sees itself as a leading exponent of contemporary craft, with a strong focus on solid wood without ignoring other materials that require the passion of a craftsman or craftswoman.  Their expertise in solid wood is renowned and rooted in many years of production at our own facility in Northern Portugal.
 
ICFF: Furniture Award 2012.   The designers of Autoban, the Istanbul-based architecture, interior design and product design studio, founded by interior architect Sefer Caglar and architect Seyhan Ozdemir. Autoban, designed the De La Espada collection, is highly influenced by nature, the rituals of daily life and the diversity of Istanbul, playfully reinterpreting the familiar through modern forms and contrasting materials. They are photographed sitting in their Nest Chair.
 
ICFF: Kitchen and Bath Award 2012. The Kitchen and Bath Award went to Axor for Axor Bouroullec by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. The Axor Bouroullec bathroom line is based on imagination, interaction, individual expression and the idea that all should “feel free to compose.” Made up of faucets, washbasins, a bathtub, shower components, and accessories, Axor Bouroullec invites users to think about how they use the space and interact with water to create their own customized bathroom configurations.
ICFF: Seating Award 2012.  The Seating Award went to Fritz Hansen’s Miniscule chair by Cecile Manz.  The Republic of Fritz Hansen launched Minuscule, a formal chair and table designed for an informal setting by the award winning, Danish designer Cecilie Manz. The name Miniscule represents the informal and understated style that the Scandinavians are truly famous for; why spell it out in capitals when discrete simplicity makes a clear statement.

ICFF: Seating Award 2012. Award winning, Danish designer Cecilie Manz who designed the Miniscule chair for the Republic of Fritz Hansen.
 
ICFF: New Designer 2012.   The New Designer Award went to Egg Collective.   Stephanie Beamer and Hillary Petri (above) together with Crystal Ellis make up Egg Collective. “We are a Brooklyn-based design company committed to building American-made furniture that merges heirloom-quality craftsmanship and contemporary design.  Our furniture and objects are handcrafted by members of the collective; anything we cannot make ourselves we source out to local and small-scale manufacturers.  We design enduring objects. We hope the people who invest in our furniture will pass it on to their children with stories of lives lived around it.”

 
ICFF:  Carpet and Flooring Award 2012.  The Carpet and Flooring Award went to Golran. The Memories collection of carpets was designed for Golran by Florentine artist and designer Isabella Sodi. The collection features the colors of nature. It offers a mixture of fibers and weaves; in which deliberate touches of slight imperfection are sparingly used to create carpets that also vaunt the charm of instinct and manual skill. The new Carpet Wear seating collection connects a taste for vintage, for contemporary design and for made in Italy.  These unique and unrepeatable interior design pieces of were designed through collaboration between Golran and Filippo Feroldi.

 
 ICFF: WallCovering Award 2012.  The Wall Covering Award went to Trove. Trove designers, Jee Levin and Randall Buck have been inspired by artists such as Wim Wenders, Gerhard Richter, and now Cindy Sherman. For August, Portraits of Queens Past wallpaper; Trove references the work of Cindy Sherman who also explores identity through the use of photography. The company employs technology that pushes beyond conventional manufacturing limits. Randall Buck believes these innovations are essential to his evolution as a designer and the possibilities are limitless.  Jee Levin, who applies her technique and philosophy of painting to wall covering design, seeks to create wallpaper that breaks all the rules by reimagining the current language of wallpaper from repetitive graphic patterns to organic imagery with less repeat and more of the random. Depth and perspective replace geometry and line.
 
ICFF: Outdoor Furniture Award 2012.  The Outdoor Furniture Award went to Councils Plank Collection designed by Eric Pfeiffer. The collection contains a lounger and a stacking side chair, and was designed for relaxed outdoor living. All pieces are structured around a frame of white powder coated steel with weather-treated pine slats in a natural, whitewashed, black-stained or gray-stained finish.
 
ICFF: Accessories Award 2012.   The Accessories Award went to Northumbria University’s Designers in Residence’s Tools for Everyday Life. Above are some of the Designers in Residence of Northumbria University who presented their work at ICFF: Danny Duquemin-Sheil, Tatsuya Akita, Ellen Thomas, Colin Wilson, Rickard Wittingham, David Irwin, Neil Conley and Philip Luscombe. The Designers in Residence scheme is a post-graduate initiative designed to support Northumbria alumnae wishing to develop their own professional design practice. It is run within Northumbria University’s School of Design and its professional practice is centered around the activities of furniture and product design. The signature of the scheme is its particular engagement with the design of products that both celebrate the value of traditional craft manufacturing qualities but are also contemporary, rich in narrative and market ready. In short the university wants their graduates to be able to innovate, make and sell great ‘British’ ideas.
 Fossil designed by Neil Conley
The Trademan's Wedge designed by Colin Wilson
Down-Lighter designed by Ellen Thomas
Pencil Works # 00 - # 09 Designed by Trevor Duncan

 Northen Tool Box designed by Rickard Whittingham

Chronovora designed by Tatsuya Akita


Wednesday, May 23, 2012

NYC: Nomad Hotel and Restaurant.



NYC:  Nomad Hotel and Restaurant.  The new NoMad Hotel is located in the NoMad neighborhood, North of Madison Square Park. The interiors were designed by French interior designer Jacques Garcia who is known for mixing seventeenth and eighteen-century references with modern influences that create a timeless interpretation of French elegance.
Above: The two-level library, connected by an original spiral staircase imported from the South of France, has a mezzanine catwalk. Guests can lounge throughout the day on custom-made furnishings or at a communal mahogany table, snack on finger foods or enjoy books from the eclectic literary collection. 



NoMad restaurant.  The restaurant is situated in a glass-enclosed courtyard and features a refined menu with a specially curated wine list. Under the supervision of Chef Daniel Humm and Restaurateur Will Guidara the food is inspired by Chef Daniel’s time spent throughout Switzerland, California, and New York City, the restaurant is rooted in the same traditions found at their Michelin three-star rated Eleven Madison Park.
Above: Snow Peas ciffonade with pancetta, Pecorino and mint.

 
 NoMad Restaurant. Smoked Trout with cucumber, buttermilk and rye tuile. Though foam has been part of cooking for centuries, it is very fashionable right now and is found in many trendy restaurants.


 
NoMad Restaurant.  Classic French desert, a gigantic Macaroon with Raspberries.


NoMad Restaurant.  Seen in the restaurant, Designer Piero Lissoni, who is in the city for Design Week, his impressive client list boasts; Kartell, Alessi, Boffi, Cappellini, Cassina ...


NoMad Hotel. The telephone in the Hotel lobby.

Minimal USA kitchen design for Transformers "Dark of the Moon" - www.min...




Minimal USA Party: the scene from Transformers Dark of the Moon movie featuring the Glam Sliding Top kitchen specially adapted for the movie by Stefano Venier.
see the party photos below.

NYC: Minimal USA Party


NYC:  Minimal USA party.   For the third year running Minimal USA cucine held another successful party on the rooftop of their Chelsea showroom overlooking the Hudson River and the High Line.
Above: the scene from Transformers Dark of the Moon movie featuring Minimal USA's Glam Sliding Top kitchen specially adapted for the movie by Stefano Venier.

 

Minimal USA party.   Minimal USA’s Design Director Stefano Venier and it’s President and CEO Bartolomeo Bellati.

 
Minimal USA party.   The two water tanks on the penthouse rooftop of Minimal USA's Chelsea showroom where the party was held. Music styling by Connie Yin who DJs at Cielo.



Moma's Contemporary Architecture curator Pedro Gadanho and Valentina Vinante.


Harold Tittmann, Michael Bennett, David Snowdon-Jones and Adrian Saker.


Minimal USA party.  Ozone Socks President Laurie Mallet and cookbook author Susan Simon admire a Minimal's Verve Sliding Top kitchen.


Artist Rachelle Oatman.


Cheekd.com's Lori Cheek. 

photo by Federica Carlet 

  Cameron Conwell and Casimir Zdanius.
 

Clementine and Laurie Mallet.

photo by Federica Carlet 

Bartolomeo Bellati and Romina Djelosevic.

Giulia Grazzini.

photo by Federica carlet

Alessandro Orsini and Elisa Baldin.

 
Minimal USA party. The overhead view of the High Line from the rooftop of the Minimal USA’s showroom in Chelsea.