designboom weekly

GIOVANNI CARMINE ON CURATING ART BASEL UNLIMITED 2023

ahead of art basel 2023, designboom spoke with giovanni carmine, curator of this year's 'unlimited', the sector for monumental projects that transcend the classical art fair booth. 'the atmosphere in 'unlimited' is always quite unique, because it resembles an outdoor exhibition that happens indoors. it’s kind of like strolling around this huge space filled with interesting artwork,' carmine tells us. explore our guide to art basel 2023 here, read our conversation in full here, and discover more recent interviews here.

BEYOND THE WHITE CUBE: INDIA MAHDAVI'S COLORFUL SCENOGRAPHY AT NGV

over 100 works by french artist pierre bonnard go on view at the national gallery of victoria (NGV), enveloped in a mesmerizing scenography by award-winning architect and designer india mahdavi. the exhibition immerses visitors in a kaleidoscope of chromatic genius, evoking the wistful domestic intimacy of bonnard's paintings by recreating backdrops inspired by his patterns and colors. ‘monsieur bonnard and I share the same passion for color — the way he invites us in his home and intimacy is sublimated by his very own sense of color,' mahdavi shares. 'for this exhibition, we dived into pierre bonnard’s paintings and extracted some of his patterns and colors to recreate backdrops to his paintings, offering an immersive experience of a home to the visitor.'

CELEBRATING LOCAL CRAFT TRADITION THROUGH MATERIAL

this week, we published two installations that celebrate local craftsmanship by merging traditional materials and techniques with contemporary designs. building trust international's 'street urchin' in cambodia draws inspiration from the country's basketry tradition, weaving a canopy of 500 bamboo baskets that harmonize with the city's streetscape. meanwhile, in china, YI+MU design office celebrates the ancient artistry of tujia brocade with a monumental structure crafted from 150,000 vibrant red brocade threads. see more submissions by our readers here, and find out how to upload your own project here.

the weekly is an inside review curated by sofia lekka angelopoulou.