Pioneering pop artist James Rosenquist has died at the age of 83. He was most famous for his painting “F-111,” an 86-foot-long critique of the Vietnam War and the military-industrial complex. Critic Robert Hughes has said that the painting “summed up Rosenquist’s vision of America as an Eden compromised by its own violence.”
[The Guardian]
High-end luggage brand Rimowa has opened a new flagship in Paris. Atelier Oï designed the five-story space to mimic the look of the Junkers F13, the first-ever all-metal plane. Rimowa had previously funded a three-year project to make the Junkers F13 able to fly once again.
[Condé Nast Traveler]
Massimo Piombini, formerly the worldwide commercial director of Valentino, has been named Balmain’s new CEO. “There is a great opportunity in the market,” said Piombini. “Balmain is one of the best-hidden secrets, because it’s not developed at full potential yet, and so with the support of [head designer] Olivier [Rousteing] and a structure that we have and that we are going to reinforce, I think we’re going to have a great future.”
[WWD]
Construction will begin later this year on the Sasaki-designed Sunqiao Urban Agricultural District, a 247-acre space for urban farming, education, and more in Shanghai. “As cities continue to expand, we must continue to challenge the dichotomy between what is urban and what is rural,” reads Sasaki’s press release. “Sunqiao seeks to prove that you can have your kale and eat it too.”
[Archdaily]
Ikea worked with design students, as well as Tom Dixon, to develop a modular, transformable sofa. Dixon and Ikea design leaders hosted four-day workshops at colleges in New York, London, and Tokyo. At the end, students presented their ideas, which, if chosen, would remain their intellectual property.
[Co.Design]