#BeOpenDESIGN
As part of her final project at Kingston University, BA Product and Furniture Design graduate Sofia Matheou transformed inflatable furniture, typically associated with low quality and quick disposal, into a collection of high-end statement pieces. For her Inflate Series, the designer utilised an inner tube, a steel frame and donated leather off-cuts from an upholstery manufacturer. She reimagined the conventional upholstery process by eliminating foam, padding, and glue typically found in traditional furniture and replacing them with air. Additionally, these pieces are lightweight, easy to transport and can be deflated and re-inflated whenever necessary with a standard bike pump.
As part of her final project at Kingston University, BA Product and Furniture Design graduate Sofia Matheou transformed inflatable furniture, typically associated with low quality and quick disposal, into a collection of high-end statement pieces. For her Inflate Series, the designer utilised an inner tube, a steel frame and donated leather off-cuts from an upholstery manufacturer. She reimagined the conventional upholstery process by eliminating foam, padding, and glue typically found in traditional furniture and replacing them with air. Additionally, these pieces are lightweight, easy to transport and can be deflated and re-inflated whenever necessary with a standard bike pump.
#BeOpenNEWS
BE OPEN Foundation in cooperation with the Centre of Visual Arts and Research (CVAR) have come up with a new educational initiative in Nicosia, Cyprus, dedicated to the popularization and preservation of traditional Cyprus fabric production techniques.
On April 22 and 23, BE OPEN and CVAR will run six educational sessions for Nicosia schoolchildren, each consisting of a lecture on craft-related entrepreneurship and a master-class of traditional Cypriot weaving.
The lecture will be based on the experience of Andreani Panayide, a young woman of Cypriot origin, who will share her journey from trying to explore her cultural heritage to establishing a fashion brand that trades in accessories and clothes internationally; the master classes will be held by Elli Filokyprou, a weaver of over 20 years of experience, who runs her weaving workshop in the village of Gourri.
BE OPEN Foundation in cooperation with the Centre of Visual Arts and Research (CVAR) have come up with a new educational initiative in Nicosia, Cyprus, dedicated to the popularization and preservation of traditional Cyprus fabric production techniques.
On April 22 and 23, BE OPEN and CVAR will run six educational sessions for Nicosia schoolchildren, each consisting of a lecture on craft-related entrepreneurship and a master-class of traditional Cypriot weaving.
The lecture will be based on the experience of Andreani Panayide, a young woman of Cypriot origin, who will share her journey from trying to explore her cultural heritage to establishing a fashion brand that trades in accessories and clothes internationally; the master classes will be held by Elli Filokyprou, a weaver of over 20 years of experience, who runs her weaving workshop in the village of Gourri.
#BeOpenARCH
Located in the historic center of Chisinau in the courtyard of the Art Academy (AMTAP), the ARTCOR – Creative Industries Center has been designed by architect Maxim Calujac with a vision to become a hub for the development of creative industries in Moldova. The new construction is a volume of reinforced concrete, wrapped in Corten steel, with the interior design accentuating the building's structural features, such as a caisson ceiling, internal auditorium staircases, and tinted concrete walls. The external concrete staircase serves not only as a path to the green roof, but also as an amphitheater and a space for interaction and communication.
Located in the historic center of Chisinau in the courtyard of the Art Academy (AMTAP), the ARTCOR – Creative Industries Center has been designed by architect Maxim Calujac with a vision to become a hub for the development of creative industries in Moldova. The new construction is a volume of reinforced concrete, wrapped in Corten steel, with the interior design accentuating the building's structural features, such as a caisson ceiling, internal auditorium staircases, and tinted concrete walls. The external concrete staircase serves not only as a path to the green roof, but also as an amphitheater and a space for interaction and communication.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Chair-object, or Ode to Chair 14, by designer Jiri Krejcirik pays homage to the iconic Chair 14 by furniture company Ton that has been on the market for over 180 years. The backrest is constructed from bent wooden circles that applaud the bending craftsmanship of Ton, which is known as masters of the bending technique. Now new mold had to be created to make this sculpture of a chair, as the designer intentionally created it from components and molds already in Ton's production.
Chair-object, or Ode to Chair 14, by designer Jiri Krejcirik pays homage to the iconic Chair 14 by furniture company Ton that has been on the market for over 180 years. The backrest is constructed from bent wooden circles that applaud the bending craftsmanship of Ton, which is known as masters of the bending technique. Now new mold had to be created to make this sculpture of a chair, as the designer intentionally created it from components and molds already in Ton's production.
#BeOpenARCH
Designed by local studio Namo Architecture and i29 Architects, Buitenverblijf Nest is an idyllic little cabin that looks like an oversized birdhouse. The cabin is part of a series of 11 micro dwellings on this former barracks site and was designed to be vacation rentals by the local authorities. The Buitenverblijf Nest is elevated on slender black supports and is raised 7.5 meters above the forest floor. The exterior of the home has space for birds, bats, and insects, as well as solar panels on the roof that give access to power.
Designed by local studio Namo Architecture and i29 Architects, Buitenverblijf Nest is an idyllic little cabin that looks like an oversized birdhouse. The cabin is part of a series of 11 micro dwellings on this former barracks site and was designed to be vacation rentals by the local authorities. The Buitenverblijf Nest is elevated on slender black supports and is raised 7.5 meters above the forest floor. The exterior of the home has space for birds, bats, and insects, as well as solar panels on the roof that give access to power.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Convinced that conservation should be prioritized over recycling, Seoul-based mmmdesignstudio has developed the Dots Stool, a concept that allows to produce the maximum number of chairs using minimal materials. The design process makes it possible to produce approximately 4.5 times more units than a typical-sized stool, while using the same amount of material.
Convinced that conservation should be prioritized over recycling, Seoul-based mmmdesignstudio has developed the Dots Stool, a concept that allows to produce the maximum number of chairs using minimal materials. The design process makes it possible to produce approximately 4.5 times more units than a typical-sized stool, while using the same amount of material.
#BeOpenNEWS
Over two days of April 22-23, the Centre of Visual Arts and Research in Nicosia welcomed 160 schoolchildren from Cyprus public schools who took part in the educational sessions organized by BE OPEN Foundation. Each session consisted of a lecture on craft-related entrepreneurship and a master-class of traditional Cypriot weaving.
The lecture was prepared by a young entrepreneur Andreani Panayide, who shared her own journey. Elli Filokyprou, a weaver of over 20 years of experience taught the children master classes of actual weaving on small transportable looms, and helped them create their own pieces of fabric.
Founder of BE OPEN Elena Baturina welcomed the children, thanked the project supporters including the Deputy Minister of Culture Dr. Vasiliki Kassianidou, Permanent Secretary Dr. Marina Ioannou Hasapi, Mayor of Nicosia Constantinos Yiorkadjis, Anna Zavou Christoforou, the Internal Audit Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus, and CVAR Founder Dr. Rita C. Severis.
Over two days of April 22-23, the Centre of Visual Arts and Research in Nicosia welcomed 160 schoolchildren from Cyprus public schools who took part in the educational sessions organized by BE OPEN Foundation. Each session consisted of a lecture on craft-related entrepreneurship and a master-class of traditional Cypriot weaving.
The lecture was prepared by a young entrepreneur Andreani Panayide, who shared her own journey. Elli Filokyprou, a weaver of over 20 years of experience taught the children master classes of actual weaving on small transportable looms, and helped them create their own pieces of fabric.
Founder of BE OPEN Elena Baturina welcomed the children, thanked the project supporters including the Deputy Minister of Culture Dr. Vasiliki Kassianidou, Permanent Secretary Dr. Marina Ioannou Hasapi, Mayor of Nicosia Constantinos Yiorkadjis, Anna Zavou Christoforou, the Internal Audit Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus, and CVAR Founder Dr. Rita C. Severis.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Inspired by the ancient Japanese art of Kintsugi, which involves repairing the seams of broken pottery with lacquer and gold, Kawatsugi ( 'leather repair' in Japanese) technique by Israeli designer Roee Ben Yehuda employs the use of leather as a means of filling in the cracks and imperfections. The idea came to the designer after receiving broken ceramics from Japan in the mail. Each piece is transformed with leather interventions, their textures mending the cracks of the broken pieces as a contemporary nod to the traditional crafts.
Inspired by the ancient Japanese art of Kintsugi, which involves repairing the seams of broken pottery with lacquer and gold, Kawatsugi ( 'leather repair' in Japanese) technique by Israeli designer Roee Ben Yehuda employs the use of leather as a means of filling in the cracks and imperfections. The idea came to the designer after receiving broken ceramics from Japan in the mail. Each piece is transformed with leather interventions, their textures mending the cracks of the broken pieces as a contemporary nod to the traditional crafts.
#BeOpenDESIGN
As part of the "Walking Sticks & Canes" exhibition at Triennale Milano during Milan Design Week 2024 curated by industrial designer Kenji Takeuchi, Portuguese designer Hugo Passos has reimagined the titular object. He has developed Cestino, a beautifully crafted wooden stick that features a small integrated basket for picking fruit and gathering things in the garden.
More reimagined walking sticks in our blog
As part of the "Walking Sticks & Canes" exhibition at Triennale Milano during Milan Design Week 2024 curated by industrial designer Kenji Takeuchi, Portuguese designer Hugo Passos has reimagined the titular object. He has developed Cestino, a beautifully crafted wooden stick that features a small integrated basket for picking fruit and gathering things in the garden.
More reimagined walking sticks in our blog
#BeOpenDESIGN
With real living moss inside, desktop-sized humidifier and purifier by Mosslab turns dry air into moisture-rich environments. Named Moss Air, the device features a moss panel that serves a dual purpose: filtering out fine dust particles and converting carbon dioxide into oxygen. The moss not only cleans the air but also increases humidity levels. As a rootless plant, moss does not require soil maintenance and can last up to 6 months without a drop of moisture and still spring back to life when watered.
With real living moss inside, desktop-sized humidifier and purifier by Mosslab turns dry air into moisture-rich environments. Named Moss Air, the device features a moss panel that serves a dual purpose: filtering out fine dust particles and converting carbon dioxide into oxygen. The moss not only cleans the air but also increases humidity levels. As a rootless plant, moss does not require soil maintenance and can last up to 6 months without a drop of moisture and still spring back to life when watered.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Conceptualized by Yunshang Edu, Ii Jianfeng, and Szesam Oze, Modular Design desk accessories pay homage to the world-famous Lego building blocks. The various devices, including a wireless speaker, storage boxes, a night LED light, a card holder, and a small fan, can be used on their own to add some fun to the workspace or be assembled together in various combinations.
More "deskterior" accessories to bring more joy into your workspace in our blog
Conceptualized by Yunshang Edu, Ii Jianfeng, and Szesam Oze, Modular Design desk accessories pay homage to the world-famous Lego building blocks. The various devices, including a wireless speaker, storage boxes, a night LED light, a card holder, and a small fan, can be used on their own to add some fun to the workspace or be assembled together in various combinations.
More "deskterior" accessories to bring more joy into your workspace in our blog
#BeOpenDESIGN
Envisioned by NIFT New Delhi student Sonakshi Gupta, the minimalist Euclid chair, aptly named after the ancient Greek mathematician, draws its shape from a simple cube. To make the chair more environmentally friendly and promote sustainability, it is handcrafted from reclaimed wood. A mortise and tenon joinery is used to provide stability eliminating the nee for screws or glue. This makes it easy to later take the chair apart if some pieces need to be replaced.
Envisioned by NIFT New Delhi student Sonakshi Gupta, the minimalist Euclid chair, aptly named after the ancient Greek mathematician, draws its shape from a simple cube. To make the chair more environmentally friendly and promote sustainability, it is handcrafted from reclaimed wood. A mortise and tenon joinery is used to provide stability eliminating the nee for screws or glue. This makes it easy to later take the chair apart if some pieces need to be replaced.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Italian furniture brand Paola Lenti has teamed up with Japanese design firm Nendo to create Hanara-shi, a series of furnishings and complements inspired by Japanese culture. Crafted from 100% polypropylene waterproof fabric, the collection features suspended lamps, baskets, floor lamps, armchairs, and ottomans. The properties of the material, which is rigid, marbled in colour but textured, flexible, and malleable, enabled the team to fold and wrap these bespoke pieces of furniture.
Italian furniture brand Paola Lenti has teamed up with Japanese design firm Nendo to create Hanara-shi, a series of furnishings and complements inspired by Japanese culture. Crafted from 100% polypropylene waterproof fabric, the collection features suspended lamps, baskets, floor lamps, armchairs, and ottomans. The properties of the material, which is rigid, marbled in colour but textured, flexible, and malleable, enabled the team to fold and wrap these bespoke pieces of furniture.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Stretching across 600 square metres inside a redeveloped industrial building near Porta Venezia during this year's Milan Design Week, Making Sense of Color installation created by research studio Chromasonic for Google allows visitors to experience the colours through two different senses simultaneously, simulating the experience of having synesthesia, a perceptual phenomenon where people experience one sense through another. Changing patterns of coloured light are projected onto a maze of semi-transparent screens, accompanied by localised sound in frequencies equivalent to the real wavelengths of the various shades. As a result, participants get the experience approximating that of mindfulness meditation.
More stunning installations from Milan Design Week in our blog.
Stretching across 600 square metres inside a redeveloped industrial building near Porta Venezia during this year's Milan Design Week, Making Sense of Color installation created by research studio Chromasonic for Google allows visitors to experience the colours through two different senses simultaneously, simulating the experience of having synesthesia, a perceptual phenomenon where people experience one sense through another. Changing patterns of coloured light are projected onto a maze of semi-transparent screens, accompanied by localised sound in frequencies equivalent to the real wavelengths of the various shades. As a result, participants get the experience approximating that of mindfulness meditation.
More stunning installations from Milan Design Week in our blog.
#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART
Samar Alzaidy, young Iraqi painter, has been selected the Regional Artist of the Month (April 2024) and has become the first of the three candidates to the Artist of the Region (Middle East), as an artist who best represents the artistic tradition of Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
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 second stage of the second year of the programme run will cover the countries of Middle East. The stage will last 3 months, with a winner named and awarded 500 euro at the end of June.
Samar Alzaidy studied at the Ceramics Institute in her native Iraq and participated in many exhibitions around the world. Experimenting with watercolors is an important thing in Samar's creative work.
Samar Alzaidy, young Iraqi painter, has been selected the Regional Artist of the Month (April 2024) and has become the first of the three candidates to the Artist of the Region (Middle East), as an artist who best represents the artistic tradition of Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
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 second stage of the second year of the programme run will cover the countries of Middle East. The stage will last 3 months, with a winner named and awarded 500 euro at the end of June.
Samar Alzaidy studied at the Ceramics Institute in her native Iraq and participated in many exhibitions around the world. Experimenting with watercolors is an important thing in Samar's creative work.