May 14, 2008

Contemporary Design

For a growing number of consumers, innovative and conscientious choices in materials and methods of production are as important as the final forms — even when it comes to picking out where to plant their behinds. Such elevated awareness is becoming ubiquitous in the world of design and continues to refine itself at events such as the International Contemporary Furniture Fair — the starting point for this issue of Artkrush. Looking at the ICFF, we discuss ecologically oriented companies including the Vancouver-based molo and Philadelphia's Iannone, as well as ready-made objects available at the fair's designboom mart. Outside of New York, we examine the comeback of UK design, taking young studio Viable London as a shining example, and Artkrush editor Paul Laster sits down with Piero Lissoni to discuss the Italian architect and industrial designer's design practice and project in the Bahamas. For our media pick, we recommend a Phaidon Press monograph on artist-cum-designer Jorge Pardo, and finally, in the galleries, we travel to Beijing for Huang Yong Ping's controversial large-scale installations and consider Berlin-based artist Thomas Zipp's recent oil paintings of moody nudes and arboreal abstractions.