10. Rev Up Your Walls: Backdrop + Porsche Unveil Limited Edition Paint Collaboration
Porsche’s rich legacy of automobile design conspired with premium paint and wallcoverings brand Backdrop in a limited-edition palette of jewel-toned hues that paid homage to the iconic sports cars on their 75th anniversary. The partnership brought Porsche’s historic palette, by way of Backdrop formulations, into the realm of home interiors for the first time allowing enthusiasts to infuse their living spaces with vibrancy and spirit.
9. Large-Scale Ceramics That Are Both Eye-Catching + Functional
SCP presented an exhibition of new, large-scale ceramic works by Dutch designer Floris Wubben during this year’s London Craft Week to showcase a series that fuses function with sculpture. His work, often inspired by nature, is made using bespoke, low-tech machines forged from proprietary designs. Thanks to these innovations, he’s been able to stretch his abilities and talent further to expand his collection into the realms of lighting, mirrors, and furniture. It was the perfect partnership between a producer and dealer of high-quality contemporary furnishings with an innovative creator.
8. New Amazon Office Unveils Colossal Handwoven Textiles From Local NYC Artists
Amazon’s new Midtown Manhattan office – nicknamed Hank – occupied the defunct Lord & Taylor building following a years-long renovation and restoration after being designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Committee in 2007. That history was an impetus for Amazon’s “Project Hank” to honor its roots while providing a comfortable, collaborative workspace for its more than 2,000 employees. The brand commissioned art consulting firm IndieWalls and two talented local textile artisans – William Storms and Brit Kleinman – to create larger-than-life art installations that became focal pieces within the refreshed space.
7. Tekla Evelina Severin Drops Color-Blocking “Colour Vibes” at FORMEX
Working within the “Colour Vibes” theme, Tekla Evelina Severin transformed a 250-square-meter (almost 2,700 square feet) empty space for the FORMEX interior fair. The project parameters included exhibition design, curation, and styling a series of rooms. Taking cues from a labyrinth, hide-and-seek, and the Rubik’s cube, Dimensions of Colour composes multiple spaces in zigzag formation to facilitate changes in perspective according to view. New framed vignettes appear, as do ever-changing color palettes, making the space feel like it’s volleying between the natural and surreal.
6. 20 Modern Calendars for 2024
Embrace the passage of time and jump into 2024 with a calendar that sparks joy. It’s never too late to invest in good design so take a look at 20 modern calendars that will help kick 2024 with some graphic flare.
5. Dyadic Series Weaves New Explorations of 3D-Printed Forms
Pittsburgh-based spatial artist and designer Brian Peters investigated the overlapping realms of art, architecture, and fabrication in his Dyadic Series, a collection of limited-edition 3D-printed ceramic sculptures that are demonstrative of being woven without the hallmarks typical of additive printing. This multidisciplinary approach exercises an ethos that believes the future art of making is an integration of digital coding that can help articulate artisan craft distilled through contemporary aesthetics.
4. From Craft to Fine Art: Meet the Female Artists Redefining Fiber Art
Until recently, textiles have been overlooked as a serious medium or material of expression and relegated to craft. Movements like feminism and postmodernism have been slowly moving the needle leading up to current experimentation. Sheila Hicks and Tanya Aguiñiga’s immersive installations continue that shift, contextualizing their work as contemporary fine art. Threadwork: Women Redefining Fiber Arts includes 17 female-identifying textile artists for a collective body of work that includes mixed media tapestries, handwoven art objects, and tactile wall hangings.
3. Pantone Color of the Year 2024: PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz
What could only be described as the graphic artists new year, Pantone announced Peach Fuzz as Color of the Year 2024 with calendars coming to a close. This global authority determined that the warm and welcoming, velvety shade somewhere between pink and orange will provide some much needed respite from the din of 2023.
2. Daniel Arsham x Hot Wheels Collection Crosses the Line Between Toys + Collectibles
Artist Daniel Arsham subverts the mundane to make unsuspecting objects the subject of his artwork. Ashram’s affinity for the Porsche 930 Turbo made him an ideal collaborator for Mattel’s Hot Wheels Future Legends collectibles where the duo launched a capsule collection typical of his dilapidated, white sculptural aesthetic.
And the most popular art post of 2023 is…
1. Herman Miller Brings Back 8 Archival Alexander Girard Originals
Legendary design brand Herman Miller opened up their vault to reissue some of their most iconic archival prints having given design enthusiasts access to eight archival originals by Alexander Girard. Releases included some of his more recognizable designs, like Bouquet, Palace, Double Heart, and Eyes.
Check out the rest of Design Milk’s end of the year coverage here!
