#BeOpenART #BeOpenNEWS
BE OPEN Art has named Naarm/Melbourne-based multidisciplinary artist Anna Kouvelas the Art Limitless winner for July 2026. Working with found, reclaimed, and repurposed materials, Kouvelas creates textile-based works that explore identity, memory, and materiality through weaving, stitching, assemblage, and sculpture.
Anna's sustainable practice has earned her this month's recognition and a place among the artists eligible for the Art Limitless annual awards, where three winners will receive cash prizes and international promotional support from the BE OPEN Foundation.
#BeOpenART #BeOpenNEWS
BE OPEN Art has named Naarm/Melbourne-based multidisciplinary artist Anna Kouvelas the Art Limitless winner for July 2026. Working with found, reclaimed, and repurposed materials, Kouvelas creates textile-based works that explore identity, memory, and materiality through weaving, stitching, assemblage, and sculpture.
Anna's sustainable practice has earned her this month's recognition and a place among the artists eligible for the Art Limitless annual awards, where three winners will receive cash prizes and international promotional support from the BE OPEN Foundation.
#BeOpenART #BeOpenNEWS
#BeOpenDESIGN
Nottingham Trent University Furniture & Product Design graduate Becca Panter has created ReFrame, a flat-pack steel wardrobe designed for a second life rather than the landfill. Developed in response to a Habitat and Vinted brief on small-space living, the project rethinks student furniture by making disassembly, repair and resale part of the design from the outset. Constructed from folded mild steel components and assembled with a single Allen key, ReFrame is engineered to be easily repaired, moved and reassembled, challenging the disposable culture of conventional flat-pack furniture while reflecting a generation that already embraces secondhand fashion.
Nottingham Trent University Furniture & Product Design graduate Becca Panter has created ReFrame, a flat-pack steel wardrobe designed for a second life rather than the landfill. Developed in response to a Habitat and Vinted brief on small-space living, the project rethinks student furniture by making disassembly, repair and resale part of the design from the outset. Constructed from folded mild steel components and assembled with a single Allen key, ReFrame is engineered to be easily repaired, moved and reassembled, challenging the disposable culture of conventional flat-pack furniture while reflecting a generation that already embraces secondhand fashion.
#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART
BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Bogdana Peric Milenkovic (Serbia) as the July Regional Artist of the Month in the Central Europe stage of its 2026 global art competition. As the third monthly winner in this regional stage, she joins the growing selection of outstanding emerging artists representing the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
Bogdana advances to the final selection for the Regional Winner title and the opportunity to receive a €500 prize and international recognition through the BE OPEN Art platform.
BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Bogdana Peric Milenkovic (Serbia) as the July Regional Artist of the Month in the Central Europe stage of its 2026 global art competition. As the third monthly winner in this regional stage, she joins the growing selection of outstanding emerging artists representing the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
Bogdana advances to the final selection for the Regional Winner title and the opportunity to receive a €500 prize and international recognition through the BE OPEN Art platform.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Developed by surfboard shaper Chris Garrett of Phantom Surfboards in collaboration with Gage Roads Brew Co., The Beerboard is an experimental surfboard that doubles as a 10-litre beer tap. Built around a sealed, pressurised chamber integrated into its core, the rideable single-fin board reimagines the way surfboard volume is measured, combining conventional board-shaping techniques with an onboard beer dispensing system while remaining fully surfable.
Developed by surfboard shaper Chris Garrett of Phantom Surfboards in collaboration with Gage Roads Brew Co., The Beerboard is an experimental surfboard that doubles as a 10-litre beer tap. Built around a sealed, pressurised chamber integrated into its core, the rideable single-fin board reimagines the way surfboard volume is measured, combining conventional board-shaping techniques with an onboard beer dispensing system while remaining fully surfable.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Hall 5, the studio of Ignacio Abaitua and his daughter Carlota, transforms leftover resin and fiberglass from surfboard production into furniture and everyday objects. Working from Spain's Basque coast, the duo developed an artisanal process that incorporates up to 70% reclaimed material, giving discarded surfboard waste a second life as terrazzo-like tables, vessels, coasters and soap dishes with distinctive colors and one-of-a-kind patterns.
Hall 5, the studio of Ignacio Abaitua and his daughter Carlota, transforms leftover resin and fiberglass from surfboard production into furniture and everyday objects. Working from Spain's Basque coast, the duo developed an artisanal process that incorporates up to 70% reclaimed material, giving discarded surfboard waste a second life as terrazzo-like tables, vessels, coasters and soap dishes with distinctive colors and one-of-a-kind patterns.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Designed by Vasyl Maletych, Grate Module is a modular furniture system built around a single grilled L-shaped section. The versatile component can be combined in multiple configurations to create everything from magazine racks to expandable coffee tables, while overlapping colored grates generate striking moiré patterns that turn functional furniture into graphic sculptural pieces.
Designed by Vasyl Maletych, Grate Module is a modular furniture system built around a single grilled L-shaped section. The versatile component can be combined in multiple configurations to create everything from magazine racks to expandable coffee tables, while overlapping colored grates generate striking moiré patterns that turn functional furniture into graphic sculptural pieces.
#BeOpenDESIGN
London-based EcoLogicStudio has developed Photo.Synth.Etica, a living algae curtain that uses photosynthesis to capture carbon dioxide from the air while releasing oxygen. Designed as a facade-mounted photobioreactor, the modular bioplastic system doubles as a sunshade, using microalgae-filled tubes to remove air pollution, generate biomass and explore how buildings could actively improve urban air quality.
London-based EcoLogicStudio has developed Photo.Synth.Etica, a living algae curtain that uses photosynthesis to capture carbon dioxide from the air while releasing oxygen. Designed as a facade-mounted photobioreactor, the modular bioplastic system doubles as a sunshade, using microalgae-filled tubes to remove air pollution, generate biomass and explore how buildings could actively improve urban air quality.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Rather than designing a playground for autistic children, architect Matthew Springett and educator Fiona MacDonald of Matt + Fiona invited students at Phoenix School in East London to become co-designers. Together, they created the Phoenix Playground Room, a striking sensory play space shaped by the children's ideas and built to provide continuity during the school's relocation. The project demonstrates how participatory design can empower young people, foster a sense of ownership and create environments that truly respond to the needs of their users.
More design for neurodivergent users on our blog.
Rather than designing a playground for autistic children, architect Matthew Springett and educator Fiona MacDonald of Matt + Fiona invited students at Phoenix School in East London to become co-designers. Together, they created the Phoenix Playground Room, a striking sensory play space shaped by the children's ideas and built to provide continuity during the school's relocation. The project demonstrates how participatory design can empower young people, foster a sense of ownership and create environments that truly respond to the needs of their users.
More design for neurodivergent users on our blog.
#BeOpenARCH
When disaster strikes, every second counts, and Hariri & Hariri's origami-inspired folding pod is designed with exactly that in mind. The New York architecture firm created a self-unfolding prefabricated shelter that transforms from a compact, transportable unit into a fully functional living space at the push of a button. Requiring no tools or manual assembly, the lightweight modular pod offers a fast, practical solution for emergency housing while remaining versatile enough to serve as a vacation cabin, event accommodation, or standalone tiny home, proving that smart design can be both beautiful and life-saving.
More portable architecture on our blog.
When disaster strikes, every second counts, and Hariri & Hariri's origami-inspired folding pod is designed with exactly that in mind. The New York architecture firm created a self-unfolding prefabricated shelter that transforms from a compact, transportable unit into a fully functional living space at the push of a button. Requiring no tools or manual assembly, the lightweight modular pod offers a fast, practical solution for emergency housing while remaining versatile enough to serve as a vacation cabin, event accommodation, or standalone tiny home, proving that smart design can be both beautiful and life-saving.
More portable architecture on our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Designed by Chung-Ang University student Youngbin Kwon, Mosaic is an AI-powered desk organiser that reshapes itself around the objects placed on its surface. Instead of fixed compartments, the adaptive tray reconfigures to accommodate items such as phones, keys and cables, exploring how artificial intelligence and modular design could create more intuitive, playful organisation systems.
Designed by Chung-Ang University student Youngbin Kwon, Mosaic is an AI-powered desk organiser that reshapes itself around the objects placed on its surface. Instead of fixed compartments, the adaptive tray reconfigures to accommodate items such as phones, keys and cables, exploring how artificial intelligence and modular design could create more intuitive, playful organisation systems.
#BeOpenARCH
Architecture studios 3XN, B+H Architects and Zhubo Design have completed the Shenzhen Natural History Museum, a 100,000-square-metre cultural landmark in China's Pingshan District. Clad in granite and shaped to evoke surrounding rivers and hills, the museum features an accessible sloping roof, cave-like interiors and cone-shaped galleries that create an immersive journey through natural history and the region's ecology.
Architecture studios 3XN, B+H Architects and Zhubo Design have completed the Shenzhen Natural History Museum, a 100,000-square-metre cultural landmark in China's Pingshan District. Clad in granite and shaped to evoke surrounding rivers and hills, the museum features an accessible sloping roof, cave-like interiors and cone-shaped galleries that create an immersive journey through natural history and the region's ecology.
#BeOpenARCH
Czech architect Lenka Milerová has transformed a derelict pigsty into a 32-square-metre summer house that celebrates reuse and material honesty. Retaining the original stone walls, the compact retreat pairs rough cement-rendered masonry with exposed concrete details, including a continuous bench that functions as seating, storage, steps and a bath, while new steel-framed openings bring light into the single-room interior.
Czech architect Lenka Milerová has transformed a derelict pigsty into a 32-square-metre summer house that celebrates reuse and material honesty. Retaining the original stone walls, the compact retreat pairs rough cement-rendered masonry with exposed concrete details, including a continuous bench that functions as seating, storage, steps and a bath, while new steel-framed openings bring light into the single-room interior.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Developed by Opera della Marca and supported by the Fondazione Oltre il Labirinto, HugBike is an inclusive tandem bicycle designed for people with autism, Down syndrome, blindness and other disabilities. Its reversed layout places the rider in need of support at the front while the driver steers from behind using extended handlebars, creating a reassuring "hug" that improves comfort, safety and accessibility for riders of all ages.
Developed by Opera della Marca and supported by the Fondazione Oltre il Labirinto, HugBike is an inclusive tandem bicycle designed for people with autism, Down syndrome, blindness and other disabilities. Its reversed layout places the rider in need of support at the front while the driver steers from behind using extended handlebars, creating a reassuring "hug" that improves comfort, safety and accessibility for riders of all ages.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Swedish practice ADDI Designstudio has created the STEKA sauté pan for Japanese cookware brand Mozambique, rethinking traditional cookware with an octagonal, uncoated aluminum form designed for lifelong use. Cast from 5mm solid aluminum, the pan features a removable screw-fixed handle for repair and replacement, a matching self-basting lid inspired by the Japanese otoshibuta, and a durable construction suited to both kitchen stoves and open-fire cooking.
Swedish practice ADDI Designstudio has created the STEKA sauté pan for Japanese cookware brand Mozambique, rethinking traditional cookware with an octagonal, uncoated aluminum form designed for lifelong use. Cast from 5mm solid aluminum, the pan features a removable screw-fixed handle for repair and replacement, a matching self-basting lid inspired by the Japanese otoshibuta, and a durable construction suited to both kitchen stoves and open-fire cooking.