Saturday, September 21, 2013

Ron Arad at Ivorypress


With his annual September shows at the Ivorypress Gallery, Norman Foster has single-handedly put Madrid on the map as far as first-class architecture exhibitions go.

After memorably featuring Jean Prouvé, Bucky Fuller or Zaha Hadid in past editions, this year he turns to a younger London contemporary, Ron Arad.

From the Ivorypress web page:
"From 5 September, Ivorypress will host a solo exhibition of architect and designer Ron Arad (Tel Aviv, 1951). The show—as part of the annual architecture programme celebrated each autumn at Ivorypress to mark the beginning of the season—covers the achievements and the latest work of this label-defying artist who has been based in London since the 1970s.

"The exhibition, which will run until 9 November, shows his singular perspective on architecture, design and the artistic object. With his interest in experimentation as a starting point, Ron Arad studies the expressive possibilities of different materials such as steel, aluminium, Corian and polyethylene.

"His approach to form and structure has a freedom which is unlimited by links or borders. ‘The principle is that everything should be based on something that didn’t exist before’, says Arad. In line with this philosophy, the show includes some of his most iconic works along with industrially produced objects and several mock-ups and architectural projects.
"Among Arad’s latest experiments that will be on show at Ivorypress Space, the Folly bench (2013) is particularly worthy of mention. Made by rotational moulding, Folly constitutes a large sculptural object composed of soft lines that endow it with great vitality. Movement, whether in his functional creations or in his purely aesthetic pieces, is always the main element of his work.

"Also among the objects on show is Blame the Tools (2013), in line with Arad’s early works made of waste materials. Additionally, the selection includes the workstation No Bad Colours (2013), which is the source of another experimental line of inquiry, centred on technological components rather than on plastic or ergonomic value. The exhibition at Ivorypress Space provides the opportunity to observe the diversity of his work and to re-examine his creative production.

"Ron Arad received his training from the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, in Jerusalem, and the Architectural Association School of Architecture, in London. In 1981 he founded the One Off design and production studio with Caroline Thorman and in 1989 he created the Ron Arad architecture and design studio. He has also been Professor of Design Products at Royal College of Art in London from 1998 to 2009."
Ron Arad 
Sept. 5 - Nov. 9, 2013

Ivorypress 
Comandante Zorita 46-48
28020 Madrid SPAIN

Monday to Friday, 10:00 - 14:00; 16:30 - 20:00
Saturday, 11:00 -  2:00
 

 Photo:
"Southern Hemisphere", 2006
© Ron Arad and Associates
Courtesy of Ivorypress

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

How Much is that Rolex in the Window?

Photos by José Hevia
 The one with the Molybdenum eyes? If you have to ask....

My latest assignment took me to Puerto Adriano, a Philippe Starck designed marina on the island of Mallorca, to visit the latest jewelry boutique for the Relojería Alemana by the young Madrid-based architect couple Jaime Oliver and Paloma Hernaiz of OH-Lab.

Selling luxury goods to new-rich foreigners from Russia, China and the Middle East is one of the few areas in which the Spanish economy is actually booming.

Here the attractive young sales staffers, dressed in tall heels and the rest, are a Russian blond and a petite Bulgarian. If you look the part and linger too long over the window displays, they will slip a glass of French champagne into your hands and start to chat you up in a soft purring voice with a beguiling accent. The real high-rollers are ushered into the suede-lined VIP room, where a panel pops open to reveal a glittering back-lit bar with an exquisite selection of icy, transparent liquors. A dangerous mission indeed.

Your mission, if you chose to accept it, is to read my article before it self-destructs in 30 days, That's right, the magazine removes its web content after a month, except for subscribers.

Midas Touch
"On a tony new marina, a young duo crafts a glittering jewel box for a storied luxury retailer"
Architectural Record, Record Interiors, September 2013