Amsterdam
Things That Mind Their Own Business
To February 10
An exhibition that explores the technical, philosophical and cultural questions around the emergence of technological beings, including the Zephyr, an aircraft run entirely on solar energy and the Carnivorous Domestic Entertainment Robots by Auger & Loizeau, which catches snails and files and turns them into electricity.
Transnatural Workspace
Lijnbaansgracht 148a
Calgary
51 Buildings
February 1 to 29, 2012
Presented by Exposure 2012, 51 Buildings exhibits photographs by Robert Lemermeyer, taken during the last 15 years spent shooting architecture around the world. From humble shanties to state-of-the-art sports centres and museums, these photos document the colourful breadth of human construction.
Wine Inkorporated
101, 932 - 17 Ave SW, Calgary AB
403 229 1302
Kitchener, Ontario
Marc Ngui and Magda Wojtyra: Let's Glow
January 18 to March 4, 2012
Based on an allegorical mythology of the Crystal Kings – a self-generated rock-based lifeforms – Ngui and Wojtyra create brilliantly coloured paintings, textile sculptures and animations resonating with geometric forms.
Kitchener - Waterloo Art Gallery
101 Queen St. N
519 579 5860
Kyoto
Aldo Bakker: Time & Care
February 3 to 26, 2012
A broad range of Bakker's works, including the first of his tableware and furniture to exhibit in Asia, is now on display in this solo show in Kyoto's Sfera Gallery. A special feature of this exhibit is Bakker's Urushi series, a hand-crafted lacquered series compiled in connection with Japan. For more, please see the gallery website: http://www.ricordi-sfera.com
Sfera Gallery
17 Benzaiten-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0086 Japan
London
Designs of the Year 2012
February 8 to July 15, 2012
The Design Museum showcases the winners of its annual Design Awards. Spanning architecture, digital design, fashion, graphic and industrial design, it's a comprehensive look at the best of contemporary work of 2011.
Design Museum
Shad Thames
Nicolas le Moigne
February 8 to March 8, 2012
Swiss designer Nicolas le Moigne has already made a large impact in his short career, with lighting products and furniture for Eternit and Pfister that merge contrasting qualities. Fragility and robustness, industry and artistry and sophistication and simplicity are but a few combinations evident in his work. In his first solo show in the U.K., le Moigne shows a survey of his work including limited edition designs for NextLevel Galerie in Paris and Helmrinderknecht in Berlin and debuts the leather Slip stool.
Gallery Libby Sellers
41-42 Berners St.
+44 20 3384 8785
Montreal
Alturas de Macchu Picchu
January 26 to April 22, 2012
Photographs by Martín Chambi share walls with sketches by architect Álvaro Siza, famous for stark white rectilinear forms like Portugal's Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art. This exhibition sheds illumination on Siza's methods for finding inspiration while capturing a site and exploring its possibilities through drawing. Visit the website for more.
Octagonal Gallery, Centre Canadien d'Architecture
1920 rue Baile, Montreal QC
514 393 7026
New York
Real/Surreal and Three Landscapes
February 1 to 12, 2012
Two exhibits centred on pop and surreal explorations of reality are on now at the Whitney: Real/Surreal features 65 paintings, sketches, and photos from the Whitney's collection that exemplify the 20th century fascination with the frisson between realism and surrealism; and Three Landscapes resurrects a little-known three-screen film installation created by Roy Lichtenstein, a collage of sea and sky layered with his trademark silkscreen imagery, exhibited for the first time since its 1971 premiere.
Whiteney Museum of American Art
945 Madison Ave at 75th St., New York, NY 10021
Paris
Transversality
To February 11
Innovative and unusual furnishings and objects by Nacho Carbonell, Charles Kalpakian, Laurent Frati and others combine functionality with artsy eccentricity at this annual exhibit. Look for hits such as Pascal Frisa's op-art bookcases, LAQ's Ming-inspired coffee table made from skateboards coated with seven layers of glossy black lacquer, and the centrepiece of the show, Dennis Parren's sculptural wireframe chandelier that casts delicate coloured shadows across the ceiling.
Galerie Béatrice Saint-Laurent
23 rue Charlot
+33 01 44 78 94 14
Portland
Studio H: Design. Build. Transform.
November 17 to February 25, 2012
Architect and activist Emily Pilloton knows effective design: she scoured the planet for the best in socially responsible objects for her 2009 book, Design Revolution: 100 Products That Empower People. Around the same time, she and partner Matthew Miller relocated to rural Bertie County, North Carolina, to develop a hands-on curriculum for high schoolers. Called Studio H, the design/ build shop class seeks to stimulate students’ problem- solving and craft skills, from field research to brainstorming and, ultimately, prototyping. On display at Portland’s Museum of Contemporary Craft are the results from the first class, including chicken coops that resemble modern architectural follies but actually serve local micro-farmers. Videos, photos and text documenting the process, along with sketches and models, provide full context for the projects. Visitors gain some hands-on experience in an interactive area called the Lab, tackling one of Pilloton’s first assignments: making bridges from toothpicks, a lesson in working with what you have.
Museum of Contemporary Craft
724 NW Davis St.
Toronto
SNAP!
March 25, 2012
The AIDS Committee of Toronto's annual photography fundraiser returns for its 11th anniversary and features a live auction of curated art, a silent auction, and photo competition of work by both renowned and emerging artists.
National Ballet School of Canada
400 Jarvis St
(416) 340-2437
Noriko Maeda: Current
January 12 to March 30, 2012
Noriko Maeda's Japanese calligraphy recreates characters using dramatic brushstrokes similar to the splashy movements of abstract expressionism. Her unique style pushes the boundaries of the tradition, blurring the line between lettering and art.
Bulthaup
280 King St. W.
Migrating Landscapes
February 6 to 24, 2012
Populations migrate and echoes of their architectural heritage provide a cultural memory that is realized through the structures erected in their new homes. Although Migrating Landscapes will be Canada's entry at the 2012 Venice Biennale in Architecture, Canadians coast to coast will get the first glimpses of this project; regional exhibitions will showcase competition entries, with selected submissions going on to Venice at the end of August.
Brookfield Place
181 Bay St.
Stephen Burks: Man Made
January 23 to April 1, 2012
Stephen Burks and his studio Readymade Projects, work with craftspeople in developing countries to turn raw and recycled materials into beautiful, functional objects for such brands as Cappellini and Moroso. At the Design Exchange, his recent works are on view and are complemented by programming that including a lecture, workshop, and screening.
The Design Exchange
234 Bay St, Toronto
