#BeOpenDESIGN
Freckle, developed by startup Freckle with design studio Body Shop, reimagines the children’s mobile phone as a tool for exploration rather than constant entertainment or parental surveillance. Designed for ages seven to 13, its custom ClayOS replaces social media, browsers and app stores with features such as outdoor quests, an AI-powered discovery camera, storytelling tools, maps and walkie-talkie functions, encouraging children to explore independently. Its rugged, lanyard-worn form is inspired by binoculars, while privacy-conscious safety features aim to give parents reassurance without turning the phone into a tracking device.
Freckle, developed by startup Freckle with design studio Body Shop, reimagines the children’s mobile phone as a tool for exploration rather than constant entertainment or parental surveillance. Designed for ages seven to 13, its custom ClayOS replaces social media, browsers and app stores with features such as outdoor quests, an AI-powered discovery camera, storytelling tools, maps and walkie-talkie functions, encouraging children to explore independently. Its rugged, lanyard-worn form is inspired by binoculars, while privacy-conscious safety features aim to give parents reassurance without turning the phone into a tracking device.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Shanghai-based designer Tongqi Lu’s Call It a Day is a three-piece lighting collection designed around effortless interaction. Comprising a table lamp, floor lamp, and pendant, the collection uses soft translucent silicone shades that respond to taps, presses, and pulls instead of conventional switches. Developed through full-scale cardboard prototypes and hand-cast silicone molds, the lamps combine tactile controls, a woven-like surface texture, and a playful yellow cable to create lighting designed for moments when precision is the last thing you want.
Shanghai-based designer Tongqi Lu’s Call It a Day is a three-piece lighting collection designed around effortless interaction. Comprising a table lamp, floor lamp, and pendant, the collection uses soft translucent silicone shades that respond to taps, presses, and pulls instead of conventional switches. Developed through full-scale cardboard prototypes and hand-cast silicone molds, the lamps combine tactile controls, a woven-like surface texture, and a playful yellow cable to create lighting designed for moments when precision is the last thing you want.
#BeOpenARCH
What if shingles could dance with the wind? In What the Stones Whisper, Italian design practice Collectif MAGMA reimagines Lunano’s historic stone towers as a six-metre-tall timber installation wrapped in suspended wooden shingles. Hung from jute ropes, the layered elements sway with the breeze, creating shifting patterns of light and shadow while allowing air and sound to pass through. Built in just two weeks using lightweight timber frames and simple construction techniques, the installation transforms traditional cladding into a dynamic architectural skin, exploring the relationship between heritage, material innovation and the ever-changing landscape.
More shingle-clad structures on our blog.
What if shingles could dance with the wind? In What the Stones Whisper, Italian design practice Collectif MAGMA reimagines Lunano’s historic stone towers as a six-metre-tall timber installation wrapped in suspended wooden shingles. Hung from jute ropes, the layered elements sway with the breeze, creating shifting patterns of light and shadow while allowing air and sound to pass through. Built in just two weeks using lightweight timber frames and simple construction techniques, the installation transforms traditional cladding into a dynamic architectural skin, exploring the relationship between heritage, material innovation and the ever-changing landscape.
More shingle-clad structures on our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Designed by Joao Teixeira, TWIST reimagines the humble side table as a sculptural, multifunctional object. Crafted from a single flowing sheet of metal, its continuous form combines a circular tabletop, an integrated carry handle, and an open storage compartment for books and magazines. A wooden base adds warmth, while a subtle orange accent brings a playful touch to its minimalist silhouette. Balancing practicality with expressive design, TWIST proves that even the smallest piece of furniture can make a lasting impression.
More impressive metal furniture on our blog.
Designed by Joao Teixeira, TWIST reimagines the humble side table as a sculptural, multifunctional object. Crafted from a single flowing sheet of metal, its continuous form combines a circular tabletop, an integrated carry handle, and an open storage compartment for books and magazines. A wooden base adds warmth, while a subtle orange accent brings a playful touch to its minimalist silhouette. Balancing practicality with expressive design, TWIST proves that even the smallest piece of furniture can make a lasting impression.
More impressive metal furniture on our blog.
#BeOpenART
Greek land artist The Krank has created Wound, a temporary 50-metre-long land art installation in Erimitis, Corfu, that draws a parallel between bodily trauma and environmental damage. An oversized red incision cuts across a previously disturbed section of landscape, while black stitches—created and positioned with help from the local community and the Save Erimitis initiative—visually reconnect its edges. Installed in an area shaped by years of development disputes, the work transforms the physical scars left by bulldozers into a powerful reflection on ecological vulnerability, collective action and the uncertain future of one of Corfu’s remaining undeveloped coastal ecosystems.
Greek land artist The Krank has created Wound, a temporary 50-metre-long land art installation in Erimitis, Corfu, that draws a parallel between bodily trauma and environmental damage. An oversized red incision cuts across a previously disturbed section of landscape, while black stitches—created and positioned with help from the local community and the Save Erimitis initiative—visually reconnect its edges. Installed in an area shaped by years of development disputes, the work transforms the physical scars left by bulldozers into a powerful reflection on ecological vulnerability, collective action and the uncertain future of one of Corfu’s remaining undeveloped coastal ecosystems.
#BeOpenARCH
German architecture practice Wulf Architekten reimagines the Museum Oberamteistrasse in Reutlingen by combining the restoration of medieval buildings with a contemporary timber structure that completes the historic street corner. Dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries, the preserved buildings retain their original timber frames and stone foundations, which now serve as integral parts of the museum experience. The new volume references the proportions and rooflines of its surroundings without replicating them, using translucent cast-glass shingles inspired by traditional beaver-tail tiles to create a luminous facade and roof. Inside, exposed triangular timber trusses frame the exhibition spaces, while a sweeping staircase connects the contemporary structure with the archaeological remains below, bringing historic fabric and modern craftsmanship into dialogue.
German architecture practice Wulf Architekten reimagines the Museum Oberamteistrasse in Reutlingen by combining the restoration of medieval buildings with a contemporary timber structure that completes the historic street corner. Dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries, the preserved buildings retain their original timber frames and stone foundations, which now serve as integral parts of the museum experience. The new volume references the proportions and rooflines of its surroundings without replicating them, using translucent cast-glass shingles inspired by traditional beaver-tail tiles to create a luminous facade and roof. Inside, exposed triangular timber trusses frame the exhibition spaces, while a sweeping staircase connects the contemporary structure with the archaeological remains below, bringing historic fabric and modern craftsmanship into dialogue.
#BeOpenART #BeOpenDESIGN
Bulgarian graffiti artist XPOME transforms public sculpture into an interactive skatepark with Skateable, an installation in Gabrovo that spells out the artist’s name through five oversized concrete and steel letters. Created for an exhibition exploring the history of skateboarding in Bulgaria, the work sits outside the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Center, bridging cultural display and contemporary skate culture. Each letter doubles as a functional feature, from a double quarter pipe shaped like an X to a rail-wrapped P, a volcano-like O, a grindable M and a jumping platform forming the E. By inviting visitors to skate, rest and interact with the structure, XPOME reimagines public art as an active, shared experience rather than an object meant only to be observed.
Bulgarian graffiti artist XPOME transforms public sculpture into an interactive skatepark with Skateable, an installation in Gabrovo that spells out the artist’s name through five oversized concrete and steel letters. Created for an exhibition exploring the history of skateboarding in Bulgaria, the work sits outside the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Center, bridging cultural display and contemporary skate culture. Each letter doubles as a functional feature, from a double quarter pipe shaped like an X to a rail-wrapped P, a volcano-like O, a grindable M and a jumping platform forming the E. By inviting visitors to skate, rest and interact with the structure, XPOME reimagines public art as an active, shared experience rather than an object meant only to be observed.
#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART
BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Josipa Krolo as the Artist of the Month for October 2026. A Croatian contemporary painter, Krolo explores social change, memory, and the complex relationship between place and identity. Her artistic practice examines how urban environments evolve under economic and social pressures, and how these transformations affect communities, their histories, and their sense of belonging. Krolo studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Barcelona and the Arts Academy of Split, where she completed her MA in 2018.
Each month, BE OPEN Art presents 20 artists for public voting, with monthly winners advancing to compete for the title of Artist of the Year 2026. The overall winner will receive a €1,000 prize and promotional support from BE OPEN Art.
We warmly congratulate Josipa Krolo on this recognition and celebrate her thoughtful artistic contribution to the BE OPEN Art community.
BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Josipa Krolo as the Artist of the Month for October 2026. A Croatian contemporary painter, Krolo explores social change, memory, and the complex relationship between place and identity. Her artistic practice examines how urban environments evolve under economic and social pressures, and how these transformations affect communities, their histories, and their sense of belonging. Krolo studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Barcelona and the Arts Academy of Split, where she completed her MA in 2018.
Each month, BE OPEN Art presents 20 artists for public voting, with monthly winners advancing to compete for the title of Artist of the Year 2026. The overall winner will receive a €1,000 prize and promotional support from BE OPEN Art.
We warmly congratulate Josipa Krolo on this recognition and celebrate her thoughtful artistic contribution to the BE OPEN Art community.
#BeOpenDESIGN
PJ Collection’s Tempered Handheld Lamp combines portability with a distinctly tactile material palette. Handcrafted from oxidized copper, forged iron, and hammered metal, the 8.7-inch lamp features a brass lever and USB-C charging. Its compact, cordless form allows the warm light to move effortlessly between patios, terraces, and interiors, reflecting PJ Collection’s approach to combining traditional craftsmanship with contemporary, functional design.
PJ Collection’s Tempered Handheld Lamp combines portability with a distinctly tactile material palette. Handcrafted from oxidized copper, forged iron, and hammered metal, the 8.7-inch lamp features a brass lever and USB-C charging. Its compact, cordless form allows the warm light to move effortlessly between patios, terraces, and interiors, reflecting PJ Collection’s approach to combining traditional craftsmanship with contemporary, functional design.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Finalform.stl by Dutch designer Esmée Willemsen reimagines the traditional coffin through sustainable materials and 3D printing. Made from EconitWood, a wood alternative combining sawdust with a natural, non-toxic magnesium carbonate binder, the coffin can be customised to fit different body sizes and feature personalised decorative patterns. The waste-free printing process eliminates the need for metal handles, screws and other conventional components, while allowing the structure's density and filtration properties to be adapted to local soil conditions.
Finalform.stl by Dutch designer Esmée Willemsen reimagines the traditional coffin through sustainable materials and 3D printing. Made from EconitWood, a wood alternative combining sawdust with a natural, non-toxic magnesium carbonate binder, the coffin can be customised to fit different body sizes and feature personalised decorative patterns. The waste-free printing process eliminates the need for metal handles, screws and other conventional components, while allowing the structure's density and filtration properties to be adapted to local soil conditions.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Hommage to the Sponge Bath by Berlin University of the Arts graduate Mia Pahl reimagines traditional sponge bathing as a contemporary, water-saving self-care ritual. The project challenges conventional showering habits by proposing a washing routine that requires just 2 liters of water. A mobile washing station and complementary valet stand combine practical functionality with thoughtful design, accommodating washing essentials, supporting the body, and enabling water reuse. By transforming an everyday hygiene practice into a deliberate ritual, Pahl explores how product design can encourage more mindful resource consumption without compromising personal comfort.
Hommage to the Sponge Bath by Berlin University of the Arts graduate Mia Pahl reimagines traditional sponge bathing as a contemporary, water-saving self-care ritual. The project challenges conventional showering habits by proposing a washing routine that requires just 2 liters of water. A mobile washing station and complementary valet stand combine practical functionality with thoughtful design, accommodating washing essentials, supporting the body, and enabling water reuse. By transforming an everyday hygiene practice into a deliberate ritual, Pahl explores how product design can encourage more mindful resource consumption without compromising personal comfort.
#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART
BE OPEN Art has announced Yuria Mizuta [MORSO] as its October Regional Artist of the Month in the East Asia stage of its 2026 global art competition. Running from September to December 2026, the third stage of the fourth year of the programme celebrates outstanding emerging artists from across East Asia (including Japan, North and South Korea, China, Hong Kong and Macau, Mongolia, and Taiwan), with monthly winners advancing towards the regional title.
The selected Regional Winner will receive a €500 cash prize and increased international visibility through the BE OPEN Art platform. The competition supports emerging artists worldwide, promoting artistic innovation and cross-cultural exchange.
BE OPEN Art has announced Yuria Mizuta [MORSO] as its October Regional Artist of the Month in the East Asia stage of its 2026 global art competition. Running from September to December 2026, the third stage of the fourth year of the programme celebrates outstanding emerging artists from across East Asia (including Japan, North and South Korea, China, Hong Kong and Macau, Mongolia, and Taiwan), with monthly winners advancing towards the regional title.
The selected Regional Winner will receive a €500 cash prize and increased international visibility through the BE OPEN Art platform. The competition supports emerging artists worldwide, promoting artistic innovation and cross-cultural exchange.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Sukchulmok Studio’s mok-04 chair reinterprets the traditional Korean jige, a wooden A-frame carrying tool, through a cross-shaped structure that combines timber with bundles of rice straw. Building on the studio’s earlier Jige-inspired design, the chair features a modular angled frame developed with Happ Studios, whose structural consulting and metal inserts support its distinctive form. Its seasonal concept draws on rice straw’s traditional use as winter insulation, allowing the natural byproducts to be replaced as conditions change. Based on proportions in multiples of three, mok-04 brings Korean material culture into contemporary furniture design.
Sukchulmok Studio’s mok-04 chair reinterprets the traditional Korean jige, a wooden A-frame carrying tool, through a cross-shaped structure that combines timber with bundles of rice straw. Building on the studio’s earlier Jige-inspired design, the chair features a modular angled frame developed with Happ Studios, whose structural consulting and metal inserts support its distinctive form. Its seasonal concept draws on rice straw’s traditional use as winter insulation, allowing the natural byproducts to be replaced as conditions change. Based on proportions in multiples of three, mok-04 brings Korean material culture into contemporary furniture design.
#BeOpenDESIGN
The stop! collection by Studio Martins Mezulis and 13_0663_tsx reinterprets the Netherlands’ iconic red-and-white aluminum safety barriers as modular benches and stools. Retaining the original structures’ distinctive high-visibility patterns and industrial materiality, the designs repurpose utilitarian forms into functional street furniture. Presented at Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven, the collection explores how material reuse, visual identity and recontextualization can transform restrictive infrastructure into inviting spaces for public gathering.
More extraordinary urban furniture on our blog.
The stop! collection by Studio Martins Mezulis and 13_0663_tsx reinterprets the Netherlands’ iconic red-and-white aluminum safety barriers as modular benches and stools. Retaining the original structures’ distinctive high-visibility patterns and industrial materiality, the designs repurpose utilitarian forms into functional street furniture. Presented at Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven, the collection explores how material reuse, visual identity and recontextualization can transform restrictive infrastructure into inviting spaces for public gathering.
More extraordinary urban furniture on our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Swedish designer Simon Skinner gives vintage glassware a new lease on life with Buké, a series of sculptural lamps assembled from second-hand bowls, ashtrays, vases and even cat figurines. Inspired by flower arranging, each composition explores contrasts, balance and unexpected combinations, transforming familiar household objects into contemporary lighting. Sourced from charity shops and flea markets, the pieces retain traces of their past, while sandblasted finishes bring visual cohesion to the eclectic forms. The result is a playful exploration of reuse, nostalgia and the creative potential of overlooked objects.
More distinctive lighting from scrap materials on our blog.
Swedish designer Simon Skinner gives vintage glassware a new lease on life with Buké, a series of sculptural lamps assembled from second-hand bowls, ashtrays, vases and even cat figurines. Inspired by flower arranging, each composition explores contrasts, balance and unexpected combinations, transforming familiar household objects into contemporary lighting. Sourced from charity shops and flea markets, the pieces retain traces of their past, while sandblasted finishes bring visual cohesion to the eclectic forms. The result is a playful exploration of reuse, nostalgia and the creative potential of overlooked objects.
More distinctive lighting from scrap materials on our blog.
#BeOpenNEW #BeOpenART
The Art Limitless programme within the BE OPEN Art online gallery has announced Zimbabwean visual textile artist Sinqobile Shamiso Dube as the October 2026 monthly winner, recognising her expressive textile-based practice that transforms discarded garments into compelling artistic narratives, using textiles as both material and memory. Her work reflects stories of resilience, community, and everyday life, bringing personal and collective experiences into focus.
Throughout 2026, BE OPEN continues to highlight artists whose work reflects sustainable approaches to artistic practice. Each month, a winning artist is selected and featured in the online gallery, and at the end of the year, three artists will be chosen from the monthly winners by members of the BE OPEN community to receive monetary awards and increased international visibility from the BE OPEN Foundation.
We warmly congratulate Sinqobile Shamiso Dube on this achievement.
The Art Limitless programme within the BE OPEN Art online gallery has announced Zimbabwean visual textile artist Sinqobile Shamiso Dube as the October 2026 monthly winner, recognising her expressive textile-based practice that transforms discarded garments into compelling artistic narratives, using textiles as both material and memory. Her work reflects stories of resilience, community, and everyday life, bringing personal and collective experiences into focus.
Throughout 2026, BE OPEN continues to highlight artists whose work reflects sustainable approaches to artistic practice. Each month, a winning artist is selected and featured in the online gallery, and at the end of the year, three artists will be chosen from the monthly winners by members of the BE OPEN community to receive monetary awards and increased international visibility from the BE OPEN Foundation.
We warmly congratulate Sinqobile Shamiso Dube on this achievement.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Designer Joffey’s Turner reimagines chess as a rotating cylindrical board, wrapping a blue-and-white checkerboard around a sculptural pedestal. Created for Day 04 of the #productober challenge under the theme “magnetic,” the concept uses magnets to hold recognizable chess pieces against the curved surface as it rotates. The design pairs a restrained color palette with a playful departure from the traditional flat board, turning chess into a tabletop object that invites interaction. While the cylinder creates a fresh spatial experience, it also raises practical questions about visibility, piece handling and gameplay rules. Turner remains a concept rather than a finished product, exploring how a familiar game might change when its board becomes a three-dimensional form.
Designer Joffey’s Turner reimagines chess as a rotating cylindrical board, wrapping a blue-and-white checkerboard around a sculptural pedestal. Created for Day 04 of the #productober challenge under the theme “magnetic,” the concept uses magnets to hold recognizable chess pieces against the curved surface as it rotates. The design pairs a restrained color palette with a playful departure from the traditional flat board, turning chess into a tabletop object that invites interaction. While the cylinder creates a fresh spatial experience, it also raises practical questions about visibility, piece handling and gameplay rules. Turner remains a concept rather than a finished product, exploring how a familiar game might change when its board becomes a three-dimensional form.