The Interval | Smart Stylish Salon

A new venue in San Francisco offers up style, smarts, and tasty spirits. Located in San Francisco's Fort Mason Center, The Interval is part bar, part cafe, part museum and all salon. With a clock designed to last 10,000 years and the time traveling cocktails of Jennifer Colliau, time spent at Interval is guaranteed to include great conversation. Add to all this that the venue is also home to The Long Now Foundation and we can't think of a better place to discuss the science, design, and culture shaping the future

Gallery of Trees

Arboretums can be found around the world. But curating a collection of trees as artwork is a rare find indeed. That is exactly what Swiss landscape architect Enzo Enea did with his stunning Tree Museum in Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland. Enea's museum exhibits over 120 trees at any given time across 75,000 square meters.

Cultural Crossroads

Image credit: Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
The name, Shangri-La, is generally associated with the fictional Himalayan paradise referred to in James Hilton's 1933 novel Lost Horizon. But is also ubiquitous in popular culture as the name used for any concept relating to a hidden paradise or elusive ideal of perfect love, happiness, etc.

Just east of Diamond Head on the Hawaiian island of Oahu you will find a Sangri La like no other. A paradise within a paradise, the Shangri La of the late Doris Duke (1912-1993) is a crossroads of cultures, celebrating breathtaking Islamic art and design in one of the most beautiful places on earth. After a lifetime of collecting and commissioning art and furnishings from Iran, Morocco, Turkey, Spain, Syria, Egypt, and India, Duke's collection includes over 3,000 objects. The estate was designed by Marion Sims Wyeth and includes the Playhouse, a scale version of the 17th century Chehel Setun in Esfahan, Iran. The grounds, inspired by Duke's love for the Shalimar Garden in Lahore, Pakistan, combine formal Mughal garden design with Hawaiian plants, landscaping, and fishponds.

Image credit: Alison Chiu

Phantoms of Asia

The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco recently opened a new exhibit that has the lofty goal of being both a feast for your eyes and your eternal soul. Phantoms of Asia: Contemporary Opens the Past, presents historic and modern artworks from across Asia to help us all reflect on our own place in the universe. The stunning Breathing Flower (pictured above) by Choi Jeong Hwa launched the exhibit and set the stage for the many and diverse creations that make up the provocative curation.

The exhibit runs May 18th through September 2nd, 2012.

Music, Art, & Architecture at the Guggenheim

MGMT, the neo-psychedelic band which achieved mainstream renown for its electro-pop gems such as “Kids” and “Time to Pretend,” recently made two appearances at the Guggenheim Museum in New York to play at the afterparty for the museum’s 2011 International Gala. This year’s gala featured a retrospective of the works of the artist Maurizio Cattelan.

Cattelan’s hyperrealist art is known for being subversive, and often shocking. To complement this aesthetic, MGMT performed new music written specifically for the occasion. They stated in a press release:

“We’re creating a musical experience that works for the building, and for the construction and presentation of the Cattelan exhibition. The art exhibition is done in a completely original way, so it deserves music which is completely original. The Guggenheim performance won’t be a traditional MGMT show, but it will be _______.”

The music is largely in the vein of their experimental sophomore album, Congratulations, rather than the more radio-friendly Oracular Spectacular. The performances occurred on November 10 and 11. EM

A clip from the show is available below:

Artistic Equations | Mathematics: A Beautiful Elsewhere Exhibit

"O Paraiso", 2011. Beatriz Milhazes.
A new transdisciplinary exhibit of math and art recently opened at the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain in Paris. Titled Mathematics: A Beautiful Elsewhere, the exhibit offers visitors “a sudden change of scenery” in the words of mathematician Alexandre Grothendieck. The exhibit was developed with the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques (IHÉS) under the patronage of UNESCO and utilized IHÉS mathematicians and scientists to curate diverse works from many artists, including some celebrities such as David Lynch and Patti Smith. The exhibit runs October 2011 to March 2012.

Far Out Architecture | ROM's Michael Lee-Chin Crystal

One of the most striking buildings of the 21st century, the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto is an ultramodern gem. Designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, the structure is inspired by the ROM’s gem and mineral collection and based on an quick sketch on a napkin. ROM's mission is to build bridges of understanding and appreciation for the world's diverse cultures and natural environments, we think it also builds a bridge to an innovative and inspiring future.

Science takes center stage in Chicago

The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago is trying a new experiment...literally. Their new project, Month in the Museum, will feature one lucky subject that will spend one full month living in the museum. It comes with $10,000 in compensation...hopefully a lifetime membership as well.

Banksy's surprise exhibit

Infamous British graffiti artist Banksy surprises even Museum administration with his surprise exhibition at the Bristol's City Museum and Art Gallery. Find a few images from the exhibit on the BBC website.

Culture Beat - The new Acropolis Museum opens

At long last the new Acropolis Museum has opened. The design of the building may be by New York architect Bernard Tschumi, but the contents are all about the Acropolis. For the first time ever, objects from the Acropolis sight will be gathered from around the world and presented in several upcoming exhibits.

Smarties down unda

I recently received word about a fantastic science and design resource in Australia...the Powerhouse Museum. By all signs and suggestions, its really, Really, REALLY cool. I haven't really seen such a great presentation of science and design together, especially not in a way that captures the best of pop culture too. From Star Wars to emerging designers in multiple industries, Powerhouse Museum pretty much taps all of the best science and design have to offer. And don't miss D*Hub, an online design resource that bridges thei museums design collection with the latest and greatest from across many design fields.

Confluence - Robots and Rock & Roll

You'll find everything from robots to rock & roll at the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum (EMP/SFM) in Seattle. Designed by architect Frank Gehry, the building is meant to resemble a smashed guitar, and that it certainly does. From rock concerts and conferences in the Skychurch to giant orbs and the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, there's nothing quite like what you find at EMP/SFM.

Design Notes - Design for the other 90%

The Cooper Hewitt Design Museum's Design for the other 90% showcases initiatives providing solutions for underserved populations.