Inside Genius Loci—Studiopepe and Coutume Studio’s Exploration of Earth and Nature Through Design

genius loci studiopepe coutume studio sixtysix

Photo courtesy of coutumestudio.fr

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August 12, 2021

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genius loci studiopepe coutume studio sixtysix

Photo courtesy of coutumestudio.fr

Studiopepe and Coutume Studio collaborate for Genius Loci, a showroom of earth tones and sculptural furniture.

+ Inspired by a Roman expression meaning the protective spirit of a place, genius loci is a scenography set emblematic of living in an artistic universe with some of Italy’s most iconic designs brands.

+ Purity, durability, and raw materials were the guiding principles for the setting, playing host to archetypal Italian designs such as Tacchini’s Sesann sofa and Baxter’s Verre Particulier coffee table. The project is further informed by pieces made from onyx slabs in collaboration with Alimonti Milano.

In other creative news, Stuart Semple is at it again with a follow-up to his blackest black paint.

+ When Anish Kapoor was given exclusive artistic rights to Vantablack, formerly the blackest ink ever created by Surrey NanoSystems, Stuart set out to create the blackest black paint. Now he’s back with the blackest black ink, Blink.

+ Stuart’s latest creation is the result of over 1,000 iterations tested by artists informing its development. Blink is a non-reflective, opaque, and waterproof ink designed to be a reliably black hole–esque pigment accessible to anyone except Anish Kapoor.

Photo courtesy of kourosmaghsoudi.design

Kouros Maghsoudi debuts Mehmooni, a furniture collection inspired by Persian culture and post-modern design.

+ The three-piece collection was designed as a nod to a mehmooni, which means “gathering” or “party” in Farsi. The Taarof cocktail table includes an optional built-in ice bucket, ashtray, and fruit bowl, inspired by taarof, the Persian tradition of friendship and politeness.

+ Growing up in Frank Lloyd Wright’s suburban Chicago, Kouros is influenced by the lighthearted design of post-modernism, as can be seen in the curved back and rotund arms and legs of the red, low-seated Behsheen chair.

 

The new Ace Hotel Brooklyn is a textile art mecca.

+ New York’s second Ace outpost hosts textile and fiber art from two dozen local artists curated by artist and collaborator Niki Tsukamoto. The Roman and Williams-designed hotel has a series of exhibitions throughout the fall, featuring in-room artists, Black Folks in Design, and a finale show by the Textile Art Center.

+ “The varied styles of work are a clear reflection of the way the city influences and inspires people in such different ways. Beyond artists connected to the immediate community, we included certain artists in the program to provide much-needed humor, wit, and levity that the Ace is known for,” Niki told Wallpaper.

Courtesy of homer.com

Frank Ocean launches Homer, a luxury goods line three years in the making.

+ Homer’s first collection features bracelets studded with lab grown diamonds, hand-painted enamel pins, silk scarves, and gold and silver rings molded into words like “A-OK.”

+ Distinguished by bright colors, chunky shapes, and character-driven designs, Homer is reminiscent of Takashi Murakami and Y2K graphic appeal. The inaugural collection is compiled into an 84-page catalog shot by Tyrone Lebon, photographer and director of Frank’s “Nikes” music video.

Philippe Stark’s Paris office looks out over the Place du Trocadéro. Photo by Élodie Daguin

Here’s what to see in Paris, according to young creatives working there.

+ On the Seine side of a Paris suburb, history repeats itself with La Sira, a once rundown 37,000-square-foot warehouse turned fashionable art space à la Andy Warhol’s Factory, featuring both young and distinguished artists in a setting fit with a rooftop terrace and vegetable patch.

+ The ambitious young curator Marie Madec has found a forever home on the Rue Faubourg St. Martin for Sans Titre, her praised nomadic art gallery that focuses on young international artists at a time they’ve yet to be discovered. Move on to a 17th-century Parisian mansion for all things fashion and art at 3537, a design concept store devoted to exhibitions, concerts, and fairs.

 

Justin McGuirk, chief curator at London’s Design Museum, shares his top five objects from the Charlotte Perriand retrospective, The Modern Life.

+ Over seven decades of work from the French designer is on display in the exhibition—featuring furniture, drawings, interior reconstructions, and more—demonstrating her prolific contributions to design through a feminist lens.

+ Some of the most noteworthy objects in the exhibition are Charlotte’s Chaise Longue Basculante, Table à six pans, and Bibliothèque. Each design shows her practical, architectural designs, Justin says. “She was wrestling with how you could give the masses access to leisure,” he told Dezeen.

Courtesy of audiusa.com

Audi reveals Skysphere, an e-roadster concept car capable of shape-shifting.

+ The rear-wheel drive electric two-door convertible is the first of three concept vehicles from Audi. Skysphere can extend or shrink its wheelbase by nearly 10 inches offering two driving modes: a self-driving tour mode and a driver-centric sports mode.

+ With its sleek front-end, compact cabin, and flared wheelbases, Skysphere’s design was inspired by the 1938 Horch 853 roadster. Its red LED taillights indicate the driving mode, retracting its steering wheel and pedals when touring for a more elegant cruising experience. The car performs at 0 to 62 mph in four seconds and will run for approximately 310 miles.

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