Frontlines
Arts, design, culture, events and ideas from across the globe
Words: Cecily Layzell
Design
A mini garden you can send in the post
Show off your green fingers without ever having to get your hands dirty with the PostCarden. Pop open the kit on a windowsill or desk, shape into an ornate botanical garden and add water. Within days, you can claim to have cultivated a lush crop of Lepidium sativum (cress). See www.postcarden.com
Sofa so good
Cycling – Relax my ride
The term ‘couch potato’ has been given a positive spin, thanks to the sofa bike. Combining a tandem and a two-person sofa, the bicycle makes getting out possible for even the most dedicated homebodies. But it isn’t just comfortable to sit on. The three-wheeler also comes equipped with two eight-gear hubs and hydraulic breaks, a folding roof and a battery-powered sound system.
Boat race
Recycling – Bottle it
Dutch designer Floris Hovers was on a camping trip, quitely idling by a little river when he discoverd some rubbish cluttering up the scene. With an old plastic bottle, a bag and some twigs, he created a little boat, and an idea was born: the Flessenboot. His firm now sells kits to use with old shampoo bottlesSee www.florishovers.nl
Sticky commission
New – Augmented reality stamp
How do you bring to life a visionary, yet- to-be-built structure within the confines of a two-dimensional stamp? That was the dilemma facing Amsterdam design agency Gummo when the Dutch Post Office commissioned it to create a set of five stamps celebrating contemporary architecture in The Netherlands. Gummo’s solution was to add a third dimension. Each stamp comes with an augmented reality code. Hold it up to a computer with a webcam, and a 3D model of the building appears on your computer screen. See www.toekomstinbeweging.nl
Fantastic plastic
Bright idea – Probiotic lamp
It looks like a honeycomb, but this organic shape is actually a lamp made out of plastic Yakult bottles. After drinking the contents, a Japanese probiotic yoghurt drink, designer Carolyn Joan Lau tied the empty bottles together to form the glowing Nourishment Lamp. The distinctive little bottles will eventually degrade, but have been given a second chance to shine before they are committed to the recycling bin.
Twitter kit
Sports – Football shirt
Sports giant Nike has launched an ‘inspired by supporters’ football kit for the US Men’s National Team. The sleeve of the red shirt is printed with the word ‘indivisible’, which could be the world’s first Twitter- sourced motto. Fans were asked to tweet their ideas using the hash tag #RedAllOver and the winner was selected from some 6,000 entries. See www.nike.com
Happy campers
Transport – Compact caravan
At 2m x 75cm, the €6,000 QTvan is the world’s smallest caravan. Designed by the British Environmental Transport Association (ETA) to hook up to a mobility scooter, the QTvan is so called because it caters to three British obsessions: queuing, tea and caravans. The tiny trailer is equipped with tea-making facilities, but also comes with a drinks cabinet, full-sized bed and colour TV. ETA launched the caravan for mobility scooter users who don’t have breakdown cover, and face a long wait if they have a mechanical fault or run out of battery. See www.eta.co.uk.
Treats
If you’re tired of digging your earphones out of your bag only to find them coated in fluff, crumbs or worse, Pioneer’s washable earphones may be the solution. Simply toss into warm water after use. See www.pioneer.eu
As advanced as technology gets, sometimes things were just better the way they used to be. At least that’s according to the designers behind Red Pop, a big red button that attaches to an iPhone, turning it into a classic point-and-shoot camera. See www.red-pop.com
For all the pen chewers out there, there’s now a sweet alternative to plastic. Dutch designer Dave Hakkens has created the candy pen. The entire pen is edible, including the ink, except the small point used for writing. See www.davehakkens.nl.em
Rhyme time
M
usical justice – Revenge rap
Bad customer service? Noisy neighbours? Partner forget your birthday? Whatever the grievance, get it off your chest with a custom-written rhyme. For $17, Chicagoan Derek Erdman, aka Rap Master Maurice, will create a gently worded ‘revenge rap’ and call the offender. Maurice is not all anger and retribution though. For $24, he can be persuaded to write a non-revenge, friendly rap. See www.derekerdman.com
Fore!
KLM Open – 8-11 September
The 22-year-old sensation Rory Mcllroy will be teeing off alongside world-class players such as England’s Lee Westwood and Germany’s Martin Kaymer (last year’s winner, above). Held at the Hilversumsche Golf Club near Utrecht, this annual tournament was first held in 1912 and is a permanent fixture on The European Tour – see www.klmopen.nl
Scale to fit
Fishy flatsThe FishHotel is a stylish alternative to the traditional fishbowl. The square aquarium features a glass interior and sleek white shell with asymmetrical windows. Several units can be stacked on top of each other to create a fish condominium, or to keep fractious finned species apart. See www.umbra.com
Back to school
Fold-away kitchen
Student digs aren’t known for being spacious, but proving that size doesn’t matter is the CookEase. This compact cooking system can be set up on even the tiniest of surfaces. It consists of a magnetic induction heater and two pans that double as bowls. When not in use, it folds up to the size of a lunchbox. See www.coroflot.com/annlee
Smash hit
Breakable art – Shanghai Museum of Glass
Shanghai has big cultural plans, aiming to open 100 museums in a decade. The most recent addition to the city’s artistic scene is the Museum of Glass. The permanent collection of ancient and contemporary glassworks from around the world is appropriately housed in a former glass manufacturing plant, which has been transformed into a glittering, modern structure by German architecture firm logon. Running until 6 October is Vipassana, an exhibition of works by US glass artist Steven Weinberg, who won this year’s Rhode Island Pell Award for Excellence in the Arts. See www.en.shmog.org
Tuscan tipple
Wine by numbersPutting the chic in geek is Italian engineer turned winemaker Giuseppe Camerini. Originally from Milan, he used his love of numbers to create a customised temperature- controlled fermentation system for the cellars of his Cecilia vineyard in Tuscany. Even the apparently whimsical star shapes on the vineyards’ labels are based on an underlying mathematical principle, devised by physicist Roger Penrose. See www.aziendacecilia.it
Read all about it
The Newspaper MapStuck for something to read? The Newspaper Map highlights more than 10,000 newspapers from around the globe and lets you read them all online. You can search by specific news outlet, language or location, or select one of the pins on the world map. History buffs should click the Historical! button, which links to the archives of forgotten or defunct publications, such as Le Petit Journal, printed in Paris from 1863 to 1940, and The Weekly Orb from Bisbee, Arizona, which survived just four years (1896-1900). See www.newspapermap.com
Books
Great to Cool
Dutchman René C.W. Boender has worked on advertising campaigns for global brands since the late ’70s. He now travels the world as a keynote speaker and consultant. Great to Cool is a collection of insights from his 30-year career and quotes from the likes of Albert Einstein and Henry Ford. These are presented as ‘brain candies with a bite’, inspiring snippets for success and what he calls ‘business happiness’. Published by Bertram + de Leeuw.
