#BeOpenDESIGN
Stora Enso, a renewable-materials company based in Helsinki, uses batteries made from trees to power up electric vehicles. The company has replaced the fossil-based graphite in lithium-ion battery with hard and refined carbon from trees, named lignin, a binder that gives wood its stiffness and resistance to rotting. Using the company's Lignode battery, electric vehicles can benefit from more environment-positive charging and more manageable electrification based on the current standards of living.
More renewable energy systems in our blog
Stora Enso, a renewable-materials company based in Helsinki, uses batteries made from trees to power up electric vehicles. The company has replaced the fossil-based graphite in lithium-ion battery with hard and refined carbon from trees, named lignin, a binder that gives wood its stiffness and resistance to rotting. Using the company's Lignode battery, electric vehicles can benefit from more environment-positive charging and more manageable electrification based on the current standards of living.
More renewable energy systems in our blog
#BeOpenNEWS
The submission period for the DCA competition has been extended till the end of February, 2024!
Speed up to submit your entry to BE OPEN's global competition to help relieve climate change. Win €5,000 as the First prize, €3,000 as the Second, and €2,000 as the Third prize. There will also be the BE OPEN's Choice prize of €3,000.
The competition aims to encourage creation of innovative solutions by students and recent graduates for a more prosperous and sustainable future; the focus of the competition is Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action.
See the rules and guidelines, and submit your projects online.
The submission period for the DCA competition has been extended till the end of February, 2024!
Speed up to submit your entry to BE OPEN's global competition to help relieve climate change. Win €5,000 as the First prize, €3,000 as the Second, and €2,000 as the Third prize. There will also be the BE OPEN's Choice prize of €3,000.
The competition aims to encourage creation of innovative solutions by students and recent graduates for a more prosperous and sustainable future; the focus of the competition is Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action.
See the rules and guidelines, and submit your projects online.
#BeOpenART #BeOpenNEWS
BE OPEN Art is happy to announce that Dora Prévost, Congolese sculptor based in South Africa, has been voted the January 2024 Artist of the Month by the visitors of art.beopenfuture.com
Aiming to provide emerging creatives around the globe with an opportunity to be seen by the art world community, every month we invite art enthusiasts to choose the best artist among those featured in our online gallery. In January, our congratulations go to Dora Prévost (Democratic Republic of Congo). Dora is using her work as a voice for women’s issues. Her art focuses on breaking the silence around Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and the injustices that women face today. It also celebrates the complex experiences of being a woman in the 21st century.
We congratulate Dora and take the opportunity to thank everyone who voted!
BE OPEN Art is happy to announce that Dora Prévost, Congolese sculptor based in South Africa, has been voted the January 2024 Artist of the Month by the visitors of art.beopenfuture.com
Aiming to provide emerging creatives around the globe with an opportunity to be seen by the art world community, every month we invite art enthusiasts to choose the best artist among those featured in our online gallery. In January, our congratulations go to Dora Prévost (Democratic Republic of Congo). Dora is using her work as a voice for women’s issues. Her art focuses on breaking the silence around Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and the injustices that women face today. It also celebrates the complex experiences of being a woman in the 21st century.
We congratulate Dora and take the opportunity to thank everyone who voted!
#BeOpenART
Minimum Monument is an urban art action in public spaces, created by Brazilian artist Nele Azevedo. Since 2005, Azevedo has been setting up her Minimum Monument in several countries around the world. The project is a critical reading of the monument in the contemporary cities. It consists of thousands of 20 cm tall ice sculptures of tiny men and women that are taken to central places in cities and with help from the passers-by, are left to melt. The project addresses the major issue of global warming and threats poised by climate change, showcasing interdependence between different humans.
Minimum Monument is an urban art action in public spaces, created by Brazilian artist Nele Azevedo. Since 2005, Azevedo has been setting up her Minimum Monument in several countries around the world. The project is a critical reading of the monument in the contemporary cities. It consists of thousands of 20 cm tall ice sculptures of tiny men and women that are taken to central places in cities and with help from the passers-by, are left to melt. The project addresses the major issue of global warming and threats poised by climate change, showcasing interdependence between different humans.
#BeOpenART
In the UNESCO site in Sarfannguit, Greenland, Swedish architect Konstantin Ikonomidis has built a circular, site-specific glass pavilion aiming to celebrate and promote the Inuit's intangible cultural heritage and traditional knowledge of the environment. Set among stunning surroundings, the permanent landmark ‘Qaammat Fjeld’ celebrates the beauty and rich history of the natural site as well as the spiritual sensibilities rooted in the local community.
In the UNESCO site in Sarfannguit, Greenland, Swedish architect Konstantin Ikonomidis has built a circular, site-specific glass pavilion aiming to celebrate and promote the Inuit's intangible cultural heritage and traditional knowledge of the environment. Set among stunning surroundings, the permanent landmark ‘Qaammat Fjeld’ celebrates the beauty and rich history of the natural site as well as the spiritual sensibilities rooted in the local community.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Industrial designer Lieyah Dagan has collaborated with furniture designer Spenser Atlas to explore the playful possibilities of pool noodles. Together, they created a collection of brightly coloured furniture made from the foam tubes. The duo started out by deconstructing old chair frames and playing around with the forms the pool noodles could make. Once they finalized the designs for each piece, they added dowels and MDF board to give extra support to the frames.
More unique designs made from pool noodles in our blog
Industrial designer Lieyah Dagan has collaborated with furniture designer Spenser Atlas to explore the playful possibilities of pool noodles. Together, they created a collection of brightly coloured furniture made from the foam tubes. The duo started out by deconstructing old chair frames and playing around with the forms the pool noodles could make. Once they finalized the designs for each piece, they added dowels and MDF board to give extra support to the frames.
More unique designs made from pool noodles in our blog
#BeOpenART #BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenRegionalArt
BE OPEN Art is happy to announce that Guzel Zakirova @guzelzakirart, Almatian Uighur visual artist, has been selected the Regional Artist of the month (January 2024) as an artist who best represents the artistic tradition of Central Asia.
In 2024, BE OPEN Art continues to run BE OPEN Regional Art, the regional competition for emerging artists, whose art best represents their regional, cultural and ethnic identities. The first stage of the second year of the programme will cover the countries of Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The stage will last 3 months, with a winner named and awarded 500 euro at the end of March.
BE OPEN Art is happy to announce that Guzel Zakirova @guzelzakirart, Almatian Uighur visual artist, has been selected the Regional Artist of the month (January 2024) as an artist who best represents the artistic tradition of Central Asia.
In 2024, BE OPEN Art continues to run BE OPEN Regional Art, the regional competition for emerging artists, whose art best represents their regional, cultural and ethnic identities. The first stage of the second year of the programme will cover the countries of Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The stage will last 3 months, with a winner named and awarded 500 euro at the end of March.
#BeOpenARCH
Designed by Spanish architecture and design studio Fran Silvestre Arquitectos, this newly completed home, dubbed Casa Sabater, arises from its implementation in the environment. The building unfolds through a very clear geometry, shaped by the landscape. This strategy, combined with the slim proportion of the construction, allows for an increased perimeter of the dwelling’s contact with the exterior, creating a system of courtyards that seems limitless.
Designed by Spanish architecture and design studio Fran Silvestre Arquitectos, this newly completed home, dubbed Casa Sabater, arises from its implementation in the environment. The building unfolds through a very clear geometry, shaped by the landscape. This strategy, combined with the slim proportion of the construction, allows for an increased perimeter of the dwelling’s contact with the exterior, creating a system of courtyards that seems limitless.
#BeOpenARCH
Architecture office Studio Gang with offices in New York, San Francisco, and Paris has designed a hotel building that is going to be an energetic new social center in downtown Denver. The texture and rhythm of its sculptural façade is strongly tied to the building’s hotel function. Each vertical scallop is the width of a guest room, and its windows change in size in response to the character of the building’s public and private spaces.
Architecture office Studio Gang with offices in New York, San Francisco, and Paris has designed a hotel building that is going to be an energetic new social center in downtown Denver. The texture and rhythm of its sculptural façade is strongly tied to the building’s hotel function. Each vertical scallop is the width of a guest room, and its windows change in size in response to the character of the building’s public and private spaces.
#BeOpenARCH
Developed by global architecture studio SOM, the project of Kempegowda International Airport in Bangalore, India, reimagines the travel experience, transporting passengers through a landscaped transit hub and terminal inspired by Bangalore's “garden city” heritage. The new terminal offers a sequence of spaces, each integrated with a variety of landscape features, creating a calm oasis within the bustle of an international airport. By doubling the airport’s annual capacity from 25 million to 50 million passengers, Terminal 2 positions BLR as one of the major airports in India and the world.
Developed by global architecture studio SOM, the project of Kempegowda International Airport in Bangalore, India, reimagines the travel experience, transporting passengers through a landscaped transit hub and terminal inspired by Bangalore's “garden city” heritage. The new terminal offers a sequence of spaces, each integrated with a variety of landscape features, creating a calm oasis within the bustle of an international airport. By doubling the airport’s annual capacity from 25 million to 50 million passengers, Terminal 2 positions BLR as one of the major airports in India and the world.
#BeOpenART #BeOpenNEWS
BE OPEN Art is happy to announce the Artist of the Year 2023, selected by the majority of votes among the monthly ratings. Our congratulations and the €1,000 prize go to the gifted Jean D’amour Imanishimwe, a Rwandan visual artist.
Graduate of the Nyundo School of Arts, Jean is the co-founder of HUZA ARTS RWANDA gallery whose objective is to give a platform to young local artists to exhibit and sell their artworks.
Aiming to showcase young talents, every month of 2023 BE OPEN Art invited art enthusiasts to choose the best artist among those 20 exhibited in the gallery. The artist whose works gained the majority of votes throughout the year became the Artist of the Year.
BE OPEN Art is happy to announce the Artist of the Year 2023, selected by the majority of votes among the monthly ratings. Our congratulations and the €1,000 prize go to the gifted Jean D’amour Imanishimwe, a Rwandan visual artist.
Graduate of the Nyundo School of Arts, Jean is the co-founder of HUZA ARTS RWANDA gallery whose objective is to give a platform to young local artists to exhibit and sell their artworks.
Aiming to showcase young talents, every month of 2023 BE OPEN Art invited art enthusiasts to choose the best artist among those 20 exhibited in the gallery. The artist whose works gained the majority of votes throughout the year became the Artist of the Year.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Lifepack by multinational product design team Solgaard looks like a conventional carry-on suitcase only on the outside. Inside, it features a patented integrated shelving system. Once the traveler opens the suitcase, they only need to lift the handle up and hang the six-pocket shelf on it.
More versatile travel bags in our blog
Lifepack by multinational product design team Solgaard looks like a conventional carry-on suitcase only on the outside. Inside, it features a patented integrated shelving system. Once the traveler opens the suitcase, they only need to lift the handle up and hang the six-pocket shelf on it.
More versatile travel bags in our blog
#BeOpenDESIGN
Created in Portugal, where around 1 million tons of food are lost annually while the textile sector is responsible for up to 20% of the contamination of fresh water, Sacalho tote bag by designer Gui Giantini uses a completely biodegradable composition, resourcing the waste of garlic peels for its fabric production.
More sustainable bag options in our blog
Created in Portugal, where around 1 million tons of food are lost annually while the textile sector is responsible for up to 20% of the contamination of fresh water, Sacalho tote bag by designer Gui Giantini uses a completely biodegradable composition, resourcing the waste of garlic peels for its fabric production.
More sustainable bag options in our blog
#BeOpenRegionalArt #BeOpenNEWS
Every month of the last decade of 2023, works by 20 emerging artists from Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo Republic - Brazzaville, the DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, São Tomé & Principe were posted at the online gallery as part of The BE OPEN Regional Art competition for the public to select their favourites.
This time, BE OPEN proudly invited Aidan Salakhova, a world-renowned artist, sculptor and gallerist, to select the Artist of the Region for Central Africa out of the three monthly winners, and her choice is Marcel Tchopwe, a young artist born in the Far North of Cameroon. Through his work, the artist tries to throw light on the inadequacy of university training in relation to the job market for the Cameroonian youth. The artist will now be offered a grant of 500 euro from BE OPEN.
Every month of the last decade of 2023, works by 20 emerging artists from Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo Republic - Brazzaville, the DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, São Tomé & Principe were posted at the online gallery as part of The BE OPEN Regional Art competition for the public to select their favourites.
This time, BE OPEN proudly invited Aidan Salakhova, a world-renowned artist, sculptor and gallerist, to select the Artist of the Region for Central Africa out of the three monthly winners, and her choice is Marcel Tchopwe, a young artist born in the Far North of Cameroon. Through his work, the artist tries to throw light on the inadequacy of university training in relation to the job market for the Cameroonian youth. The artist will now be offered a grant of 500 euro from BE OPEN.
#BeOpenARCH
Commissioned by the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Seoul, ‘Perpetual Spring, The Climate-Correcting Machine’ by Obra Architects based in Seoul and New York is a one-of-a-kind pavilion that served as a public venue for the centennial exhibition ‘Architecture and Heritage: Unearthing Future’ back in 2019. Perpetual Spring was also a climate-correcting machine, an urban device acting as a place of public refuge during the city’s months of inclement weather and a remainder that the global climate emergency is a human-created crisis. It was disassembled in May 2020 after the exhibition’s closing and is scheduled for further development and reopening in Jincheon, approximately two hours outside of Seoul.
Commissioned by the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Seoul, ‘Perpetual Spring, The Climate-Correcting Machine’ by Obra Architects based in Seoul and New York is a one-of-a-kind pavilion that served as a public venue for the centennial exhibition ‘Architecture and Heritage: Unearthing Future’ back in 2019. Perpetual Spring was also a climate-correcting machine, an urban device acting as a place of public refuge during the city’s months of inclement weather and a remainder that the global climate emergency is a human-created crisis. It was disassembled in May 2020 after the exhibition’s closing and is scheduled for further development and reopening in Jincheon, approximately two hours outside of Seoul.
#BeOpenARCH
A collaborative team of two local studios, Esrawe Studio and Cadena Concepts, has transformed a former car mechanical workshop in the neighbourhood of Mexico City into a new boutique for the fragrance and home scent brand Xinú Marsella. The project seeks to bridge the gap bewteen urban life and the natural world, serving as a green oasis amongst the city jungle. the retail space comprises a wooden pavilion surrounded by a living garden. The radial axis of the wood pavilion guides visitors through a sensorial journey, connecting with the surrounding garden. Beyond being a store where one can buy scents, candles, and home products, the pavilion showcases the synergy between handmade luxury, nature, design, and craftsmanship embedded in the olfactory arts.
A collaborative team of two local studios, Esrawe Studio and Cadena Concepts, has transformed a former car mechanical workshop in the neighbourhood of Mexico City into a new boutique for the fragrance and home scent brand Xinú Marsella. The project seeks to bridge the gap bewteen urban life and the natural world, serving as a green oasis amongst the city jungle. the retail space comprises a wooden pavilion surrounded by a living garden. The radial axis of the wood pavilion guides visitors through a sensorial journey, connecting with the surrounding garden. Beyond being a store where one can buy scents, candles, and home products, the pavilion showcases the synergy between handmade luxury, nature, design, and craftsmanship embedded in the olfactory arts.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Paragraphica, an innovative camera developed by Danish designer Bjørn Karmann does not need a lens to make a picture. Instead, it utilizes a text-to-image AI and location data to generate "photos" of specific places and moments. When looking through the viewfinder, users are presented with a real-time description of their current location, which is made possible via combining the data from open APIs, such as the address, weather, and time of day. By pressing the trigger, the camera then transforms this description into a scintigraphic representation of this description.
More instant cameras enhanced by AI in our blog
Paragraphica, an innovative camera developed by Danish designer Bjørn Karmann does not need a lens to make a picture. Instead, it utilizes a text-to-image AI and location data to generate "photos" of specific places and moments. When looking through the viewfinder, users are presented with a real-time description of their current location, which is made possible via combining the data from open APIs, such as the address, weather, and time of day. By pressing the trigger, the camera then transforms this description into a scintigraphic representation of this description.
More instant cameras enhanced by AI in our blog
#BeOpenDESIGN
Vancouver-based artist Zung Hoang has unveiled a fully functional 35mm vintage film camera that can be assembled using 582 LEGO pieces. Named ZH1, the affordable and portable camera includes a working shutter button, a film advance and take-up reel, a winder lever with wind release, and a customizable lens. The biggest challenge for the designer was to make the body lightproof to avoid light leaking out of them while capturing a shot, while keeping the design portable.
More bespoke designs built using LEGO bricks in our blog
Vancouver-based artist Zung Hoang has unveiled a fully functional 35mm vintage film camera that can be assembled using 582 LEGO pieces. Named ZH1, the affordable and portable camera includes a working shutter button, a film advance and take-up reel, a winder lever with wind release, and a customizable lens. The biggest challenge for the designer was to make the body lightproof to avoid light leaking out of them while capturing a shot, while keeping the design portable.
More bespoke designs built using LEGO bricks in our blog