When it comes to Scottish architecture, I don't know much beyond my enthusiasm for my homeland and for designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Whenever I'm in Glasgow, which is never enough these days, I make a beeline for Mackintosh's 1895 Glasgow Herald building, which in 1999 was converted into the Lighthouse, Scotland's first dedicated, national centre for architecture and design. Among the many reasons to visit is a new exhibition there called Architecture in Scotland.
Add Mumbai to the list of places too dangerous to visit. Appease terror’s desire and stay away. Believe all the hype and empower the terrorists who don’t want you there. Or, as jewelry designer Superfertile advocates, dare to challenge the hateful few and explore, discover and connect.
It was only temporary, but so much in life is. A paper bridge, created by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, crossed the Gardon river near Remoulin, in southern France for a couple of months last year. A bridge made of paper doesn't sound very sturdy, but don't let preconceptions fool you.
What do you do with your old glass bottles? Do you recycle? Do you sell them back at five cents a bottle? Or do you build a monumental, gorgeous work of art? The monks of Sisaket province, Thailand, decided to choose the third answer. Welcome to Wat Lan Kuad, or Temple of a Million Glass Bottles.
Earlier this year, a classic mural by the late artist Keith Haring was recreated on Houston Street and Bowery in New York. The original had been created in 1982 and lasted just a few months before it was painted out. The new version, repainted by Gotham Scenic, was unveiled on what would have been Haring's 50th birthday (May 4th), but a few months later it underwent a dramatic transformation.
Look closely at this picture. At first glance, it's not a pretty sight, a sprawling shanty town in Rio de Janeiro. On second glance, it's something else entirely. Art, to be precise, courtesy of French photographer and guerilla artist JR.
We've all experienced the massive inconvenience that is air travel today: full body scans, no liquids in your carryon bags, taking off your shoes, and the list goes on and on. Where has the sense of our fellow travelers' humanity gone? Or are we destined to one day shuffle naked into the airport before being vacuum wrapped in plastic in order to board a plane? Well, one artist has decided to inject a little humor into this dehumanizing security process: behold, X-Ray Art.
As if Cornwall's Eden Project wasn't appealing enough, this winter it will feature a dazzling display of illuminated sculpture. Bruce Munro's 'Field of Light' will be scattered, like some surreal luminous alien lifeform, across the grass roof of the visitors' center.
I was recently visiting Chichester, a cathedral city in West Sussex, England - and a friend took me to see the Cass Sculpture Foundation in nearby Goodwood. It's a really interesting place - basically a sculpture park hidden in the woods. But it's also an art gallery where you can browse and buy all kinds of amazing works to take home with you.
Last weekend, giant crowds looked on in awe as a colossal spider took over the streets of Liverpool. It looked like something out of The War of the Worlds, an oversized arachnid poised to eat the famous city alive. In reality it was a piece of performance art by French theatrical engineers La Machine, in honor of Liverpool's status as European Capital of Culture.
It's 2100. Humans haven't gained control of their carbon emissions. The earth has warmed up. The oceans have risen. Millions of ecological refugees have nowhere to go. Unless, of course, they had the foresight to build Lilypads.
I hate heights, so, although I love this amazing structure in Norway, I'm not sure I could walk on it. The Aurland Lookout, created two years ago by Saunders Architecture, reaches out over the Aurland Fjord - and appears to fall into it.
