The 2019 edition of Cersaie - the world’s premier exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings - is returning to Bologna, Italy from September 23-27. With a robust program that includes lectures by Pritzker-winning architects, CEU-accredited seminars for architects and designers, and training courses for tile industry professionals, Cersaie will serve as an important venue for education, conversation and community. More than 800 exhibitors from 40 countries will showcase the latest trends, designs, and innovations in the ceramic tile industry. Cersaie is organized by Edi.Cer SpA and promoted by Confindustria Ceramica in collaboration with BolognaFiere.

The Architecture and Urbanism Research Academy (AURA) Istanbul invites you to its inspiring summer program, “Istanbul: Past, Present and Future” The melting pot of the East and the West, the great city of Istanbul, now a city of more than 15 million people, has been the capital of two glorious empires, the Byzantine and the Ottoman. With its eight thousand years of human history, it presents researchers a vast amount of architectural legacy to discover and analyze. Join us in Istanbul for a month of comprehensive analysis of the city with lectures from leading experts in their respective fields. Explore the mechanisms developed through the millennia to different sets of problems by the builders and inhabitants of this magnificent city! This summer research program will take place in Istanbul between July 8 – August 2, 2019. It is specially designed for undergraduate and graduate students of Architecture, Urban Planning and related fields. The four-week intensive coursework of lectures, on-site visits and studios will provide a valuable opportunity; while benefiting to learn from the distinguished researchers, there will be a chance to collaborate with a diverse group of participants from all over the world. For more information and application: http://aura-istanbul.com/index.php/aura-summer-academy-2019/

A new product design contest on Desall.com is now available: Pharmathek and Desall invite you to design the new case of the Sintesi robotized warehouse dedicated to the pharmacy world.

Pharmathek is looking for the new design of the case of the Sintesi robotized warehouse and of the automatic loader Pharmaload, installed inside the pharmacies and developed to facilitate the pharmacist and her/his collaborators in the daily management of the medicines and their data.

For more info: https://bit.ly/PharmathekContest

Contest timeline

Upload phase: 28th June 2019 – 03rd October 2019 (1.59 PM UTC)

Client Vote: from 03rd October 2019

Winner announcement: approximately by the end of December 2019

Total awards

€4000

Participation is free of charge and open to all creative people at least 18 years or older.

PHARMATHEK

Pharmathek is a company that designs, produces and installs robotic storage systems for pharmacies.

Born within the Th.Kohl Group, a company with a 100 years of experience in the pharmacy sector, since its foundation the company has worked to offer its customers increasingly innovative and high-performance solutions, able to respond better and better to the needs of the contemporary pharmacy.

Among the values ​behind Pharmathek solutions there are efficiency, speed and reliability.

But even before that, flexibility: the Pharmathek robotic storage systems can be configured according to the needs of the individual company.

This is why Pharmathek customers include not only pharmacies but also hospital pharmacies and medicine wholesalers.

DESALL

Desall.com is an open innovation platform dedicated to design and innovation, that offers to companies a participatory design tool involving in the creative process an international community coming from all over the world. To date Desall gathers more than 100000 creatives from over 210 countries and has collaborated with international brands like Luxottica, Whirlpool, Electrolux, ALESSI, Enel, Leroy Merlin, KINDER, Barilla, illy, Chicco, Mondadori and many more.

Thanks to the mingling of different cultural backgrounds and creative industries, the Desall community is able to provide high-quality project solutions for every product development phase requested by the client, from concept to product design, from naming to packaging.

The Martin Architecture and Design Workshop (MADWORKSHOP) supports students, makers, artists, and architects in the realization of socially valuable design projects. Our thriving fellowship and education programs nurture thinkers who will make radical, sustainable, and lasting contributions to the design discourse and society at large. Merging a contemporary aesthetic agenda, ambitious fabrication techniques, and the mentorship of MADWORKSHOP’s experienced Board of Directors, the foundation offers emerging designers the opportunity to take their ideas from concept to reality.

Sofia Borges is a practicing writer, designer, curator, and educator. Sofia has an extensive background in architecture, urbanism, and the arts. She studied photography at the California Institute of the Arts and completed her Bachelors in Urban Studies at the New School University. Informed by her diverse upbringing that extended from LA to Latin America and beyond, Sofia relocated to Berlin after completing her Master of Architecture degree at UCLA. During her time in Europe, she founded the interdisciplinary design practice Affect Studio and became the architecture editor at Gestalten. Sofia has authored and edited nearly two dozen titles on architecture and design. Her most notable books to date include The Tale of Tomorrow, Rock the Shack, Hide and Seek, The Sky’s the Limit, the LA edition of the CITIx60 travel guide series, and Give Me Shelter. Sofia returned to her home town of Los Angeles in 2014, joining the faculty at the USC School of Architecture and launching Colorblock Studio. In Fall of 2016, she joined MADWORKSHOP as their new acting director.

New product design contest on Desall.com: Binda group and Desall invite you to design the new watch Hip Hop Hero 4.0, a customisable product with a minimal and distinctive design, suitable for every moment of your daily life.

Established in 1985, Hip Hop introduced the first single-piece watch with the case integrated in the strap, made of scented rubber, which became a symbol of the 80s. Now, at 10 years since its last restyling, Hip Hop invites the international community to design the new iconic watch Hip Hop Hero 4.0, able to represent the distinctive traits and the unmistakable character of the brand, through a unisex product with interchangeable strap and case.

For more info: https://bit.ly/HipHopChallenge

Contest timeline

Upload phase: 19th June 2019 – 11th September 2019 (1.59 PM UTC)

Community vote: 11th September 2019 - 23rd September 2019

Client Vote: from 11th September 2019

Winner announcement: approximately by the end of November 2019

Total awards

€5000

Participation is free of charge and open to all creative people (at least 18 years old).

BINDA

DESIGNING EMOTIONS SINCE 1906

The Binda Company was founded in 1906 by Innocente Binda, grandfather of Simone and Marcello, current CEOs of the family company. For over 100 years, Binda has been one of the major players in the watch market, still the core business of the company, complemented by jewelry and accessories.

Among the brands owned by the Company:

- Breil, watches and jewelry brand, characterised by innovative and iconic products, accompanied by a greatly memorable communication.

- Chronotech became part of the Group portfolio in 2012. A brand that has dominated the scene on the market for the last years thanks to the unique aesthetics of its products, its prismatic glass, its glamour and greatly aspirational positioning for its target.

- Hip Hop, iconic watch of the 80s that was revived in 2010 with equal success. A unique product for its design features, its range of colours and the use of innovative materials, for its interchangeability and waterproofness.

- Wyler Vetta, historical brand that since 1896 has been synonym with tradition, elegance and high quality; a brand that combines classicism and refinement with a touch of modernity and originality.

DESALL

Desall.com is an open innovation platform dedicated to design and innovation, that offers to companies a participatory design tool involving in the creative process an international community coming from all over the world. To date Desall gathers more than 100000 creatives from over 210 countries and has collaborated with international brands like Luxottica, Whirlpool, Electrolux, ALESSI, Enel, Leroy Merlin, KINDER, Barilla, illy, Chicco, Mondadori and many more.

Thanks for the contamination of different cultural backgrounds and creative industries, the Desall community is able to provide high-quality project solutions for every product development phase requested by the client, from concept to product design, from naming to packaging.

Multi-hyphenate creative entrepreneur Virgil Abloh is known for many things: a successful DJ career, a thriving design practice, and the artistic direction of major fashion house Louis Vuitton. Tapping into the contemporary zeitgeist of our overly-saturated image and information culture, the 38-year-old polymath often infuses his work with explicit and at times, nuanced socio-political commentary.

Whether developing a new shoewear line for his own label Off-White or spinning a mashup set at prestigious events like Robert Wilson’s Annual Watermill Center Summer Benefit, Abloh transcends disciplines that, to this day, remain siloed. Breaking down the wall of high and low culture and doing away with this cliched divide altogether, the contemporary renaissance man transitions between the top echelons of the art world and that of mass consumer culture with ease.

And yet, this enigma of a figure has been accused of being a mimic—jumping on the bandwagon of the latest trends and repacking certain forms using the right marketable vocabulary. He has even been called a dilettante—a play on the current conditions of celebrities dabbling in different domains without really ever having to demonstrate any level of expertise or reflection. Mired cynicism aside, it’s hard to forget that Abloh did actually train as an architect and, unlike some of his contemporaries, is able to produce strong, relevant work, regardless of the smokescreen hype that surrounds him. Though he might not exercise a traditional mode of academic analysis, his overall output demonstrates a strong sense of cultural awareness and critique.

Read the full story on our interiors and design site, aninteriormag.com.

New York powerhouse gallery R & Company is known for its ability to balance historical and contemporary focuses. Its expertise of the midcentury modern Brazilian period is matched by its mastery of postmodern design from the late 1960s through to the early '80s. The multi-venue gallery is also recognized for its diverse roster of contemporary talents working in various mediums, applications, styles, and approaches. Playing to its own strengths, the gallery has mounted two distinct group shows at its sprawling White Street location this spring. On view till June 19, these two exhibitions reflect a clever curatorial vision: the decision to reframe, reassess, and recontextualize key works from the gallery's boundless stores and to debut newly acquired pieces. Building on the success of a similar exhibition mounted in 2017, a seminal anthology, and full-feature-length film—developed with independent curator Maria Cristina Didero—Radical Living presents important works from various collectives and talents of the once controversial but wildly influential Radical Italian Design movement. This period of firebrand fervor saw major designers question the fundamentals of how we live, interact, and occupy space. This design zeitgeist reflected the progressive and revolutionary tones of the time's societal shifts. Read the full story on our interiors and design website, aninteriormag.com.

Collectors, gallerists, designers, curators, and critics come to Design Miami/Basel from around the world to revel in some the most opulent and high-priced design. That being said, the fair isn't exactly known for its stance on sustainability, let alone efforts to be environmentally conscious.  That is soon to change, beginning with the 14th edition of Design Miami/Basel from June 11-16. The newly appointed curatorial director, Aric Chen, has plans to not only to change the operations but also the content of the fair itself. By providing an overall curatorial vision for the show's topic driven large-scale exhibition, "Design at Large," Chen surveys topics related to environmental sustainability, resources and waste, and potential futures. AN Interior recently chatted with Chen about his new role, vision for the fair, and highlights from this year’s gallery program.  AN Interior:  Can you tell me more about Design Miami? What has been accomplished and what is your vision moving forward? Aric Chen: I'm really excited to be working with Design Miami/Basel. I've known and consider all the previous directors as friends: Ambra Meda, Marianne Goebl, and Rodman Primack. They've done such a great job establishing Design Miami as this really singular platform for collectible design. AN: What will you be doing? AC: What I'm doing is actually a new role that they've created. It's not the director or chief creative officer (which is what Primack was), it's the Curatorial Director. What they've asked me to do is focus on setting the tone. Read the full article on our interiors and design site, aninteriormag.com.

What do the Rick Roll and Boris Yeltsin have in common? The cultural phenomenon and political figure were both fixtures of the late 20th and early 21st-century cultural zeitgeist, a time heavily defined by Generation X. Separate from the populous Baby Boomers and their Millennial offspring, this segment of western society was born between the late 1960s and early '80s. X-ers lived in a pre and postdigital world and were witness to how technology transformed culture. Coming of age just before the turn of the century, this generation experienced the growth of globalization and a collective loss of innocence. Currently on view at New York's Friedman Benda gallery, An Accelerated Culture—closing on June 8—is a unique group exhibition that seeks to survey rather than typecast design from this period. Read the full story on our design and interiors site, aninteriormag.com.

Europe is awash with heritage brands that, in the wake of late 20th-century industrial flight, have risen to prominence. Countries like France and Italy tend to stand out, as both represent a substantial list of artisanal manufacturers. These international purveyors of luxury produce everything from quality food products to haute couture and high-end furniture. Most European governments pay particular attention to territorial and traditional expertise and often bestow cultural labels to ensure preservation. These policies are also intended to promote economic growth. However, all regions within these countries are not made equal—some prosper more than others. In particular, the North-South divide paradigm seems more prevalent in Italy than anywhere else in the world. Throughout modern history, the areas around major Italian cities like Turin, Milan, and Venice have fared better than those surrounding Rome, Naples, or Palermo. Northern Italy has been as an important center of mid-range design production since the early 20th century. The economic disparity has shaped deeply ingrained cultural stigmas and fueled multiple waves of emigration. As a result, the artisanal prowess of the country’s southern regions has long been overlooked and overshadowed. Read the full article on our new interiors site, aninteriormag.com.

Artist and designer Katie Stout is building a triumphal arch—of trash. The aptly-titled Arc de Trash is the biggest thing she’s ever made, and it’s covered with material samples, shells, a DVD of Baz Lurhmann’s Romeo + Juliet, plastic necklaces, a friend’s shoe. “I don’t know why, but I love this gross cardboard situation,” Stout said, pointing to a mysterious mass of packaging tape, brown paper, and plaster near the lintel. There’s even a section devoted to an array of tiny plastic E.T.s from Wolf E. Myrow, a store in Providence, near the Rhode Island School of Design from which Stout graduated in 2012. “It’s a bunch of crap,” Stout said. “But every time I go in there I just think I need this box of E.T.s.” Positioned in front of the arch is a half-completed ceramic sphinx, which will provide a “regal moment amongst the trash and the rubble.” Originally, Stout wanted people to get on the beast and ride it. Read the full story on our new interiors site aninteriormag.com.

Built in the 12th-century, the original medieval core of Schloss Hollenegg has been added on to in various architectural styles over the centuries. Set atop the lush forests of Austria's remote Styria region, the sprawling palace features a Renaissance courtyard, Rococo staterooms, Gothic Revival chambers, and other features. This eclectic assemblage of stylistic references, matched with a wealth of material culture and architectural detail artifacts, makes for a dramatic backdrop to showcase some of the best contemporary experimental and conceptual designs out of Europe and the United States. Alice Stori Liechtenstein—the chateau's current owner—has done just that. For the past five years, the tireless culture-maker has transformed portions of her family home into a burgeoning design center. Read the full story on our new interiors site aninteriormag.com.