SpY Transforms a Ghent Building into a Spiny Thicket of Bright Orange Traffic Cones

“Cones” (2023). All images © SpY, shared with permission

Hundreds of reflective traffic cones jut from the neoclassical facade of Aula Academica at Ghent University, turning the grand columns into a dense thicket of spines. The playful installation is one of the most recent projects of the Spanish artist known as SpY (previously), whose site-specific works often utilize functional materials in unexpected places.

The short-lived intervention, titled “Cones,” wraps hundreds of bright roadway markers around eight columns lining the street entrance. Light illuminates the installation at night, casting a cheerful orange glow on the surrounding area.

On view for just a few weeks in late 2023, “Cones” was a preliminary project to the 2024 Lichtfestival Ghent, which opens this month in the Belgian city.

 

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An Italian Basilica, Mountain, and the Moon Magically Align in an Extraordinary Photo

Image © Valerio Minato, shared with permission

Looking out from the high elevation of Castagneto Po in Italy on December 5, Valerio Minato photographed an extraordinarily magical alignment across the way in Piemonte. Already glowing in the darkness, the hilltop Basilica of Superga sits directly in the center of the Monviso mountain with the moon precisely framing the pair.

Minato planned the perfectly positioned shot well in advance—watch the night unfold on Instagram—and explains the distinct lighting within the image. “Even though the setting moon was captured in a crescent phase, the exposure was long enough for doubly reflected earthlight, called the da Vinci glow, to illuminate the entire top of the moon,” he says.

Minato frequently photographs cities and landmarks around Italy, which you can view on his site. Find prints in his shop. (via Kottke)

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A Mesmerizing Video-Filtering Technique Called ‘Motion Extraction’ Helps Visualize Time

How do you visualize seemingly imperceptible changes over time, like trees rustling in the wind or cabinets shaking when someone walks by? Michiel de Boer, a.k.a. Posy, devised what he terms “motion extraction,” a filtering technique that leaves only the variances in time visible.

In a compelling and instructional video, de Boer explains a rather straightforward editing technique he uses to isolate movement over time. Examples include how to reveal a camouflaged deer walking through a forest and rain plunking into puddles, transforming scenic landscapes into what appear like glowing, abstract animations. As Kottke notes, the most stunning moment shows a man walking through a gravel bed, his footprints suddenly illuminated as bright splotches where the rocks have shifted.

Check out the tutorial-turned-artwork above, and find more of de Boer’s educational experiments on YouTube.

 

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Remarkable Drone Footage Captures a New Volcanic Eruption in Iceland

All images © Isak Finnbogason

Photographer and drone pilot Isak Finnbogason captured stunning footage of a new eruption on Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula in December, documenting the nearly two-mile-long lava vent on the first day it was active. Streams of magma rolled across the snowy landscape, creating a dramatic contrast between the frozen surface and molten earth surging up from below.

See more of Finnbogason’s aerial shots on his YouTube, and follow him on Instagram for updates. You might also like this video, filmed at night, which just shared of last summer’s incredible eruption.

 

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Undulating 3D-Printed Ceramic Tiles by Studio RAP Envelop a Boutique Facade in Amsterdam

All images © Studio RAP, shared with permission

Visitors peering into the storefronts along Amsterdam’s popular P.C. Hooftstraat are greeted by a striking, technologically advanced new facade by Studio RAP. Utilizing custom-built 3D printers, the firm conceived of white and brick-colored ceramic tiles that undulate across the surface, fusing historic architectural styles with contemporary design.

On the first floor, pearlescent pieces capture your attention at eye level, and on the higher floors, three shades of red mirror the original cross bond, or brick arrangement. A laser-cut steel framework perfectly aligns with the outlines of the blocks, its metallic edges employed as a high-tech reference to the original flush joints, or mortar.

Studio RAP created the delicate curves and fold-like details as a nod to stitch patterns and knitted textiles, responding to the building’s function as a boutique and creating a playful tension between tough building materials and associations with softness and pliability.

See more projects on Studio RAP’s website, and follow updates on Instagram. (via Yatzer)

 

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Colossal Members Have Funded 75 Art Projects in K-12 Classrooms through DonorsChoose

Illustration by Katie Lukes

The Colossal community hit an exciting milestone this week: thanks to our ever-generous Members, we funded our 75th classroom through DonorsChoose.

A portion of all Colossal Membership fees are allocated to K-12 art education, and so far, we’ve collectively donated $8,090 to classrooms in need. In celebration of the occasion, we’re sharing some feedback from educators whose students have directly benefited from the support.

Thank you for your donations to this project to help our students engage in hands-on learning and use their creativity. During the pandemic, they missed these projects and the joy of working with their peers. As they are creating, they are reconnecting with their peers and developing those social skills that are crucial to their success as productive citizens. Not all students thrive academically. These projects will allow my students to express themselves in other ways. —Mrs. Lindsey, Carver Elementary School

A heartfelt thank you for funding the art therapy supplies for our school’s social work services. Your generosity will enable us to provide a creative and healing outlet for our students. Your support means the world to us and our students. —Ms. Roberts, Pilsen Community Academy

It is so amazing to be in a community that supports the arts as much as you do! Because of your generosity, year after year, we can continue to expand and experiment with new materials, which makes it exciting for me and the kids! Thank you so much for your support. —Mrs. MacBeth, Amundsen High School

You can find out more about the specific projects funded on DonorsChoose, and join us by becoming a Colossal Member.

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In Delicate Detail, Ester Magnusson Meitculously Fashions a Human Skull From Lace

All images © Ester Magnusson, shared with permission

“I’m obsessed with lace,” says Swedish fiber and textile artist Ester Magnusson, who loves to deep-dive into the history of garment design. As she prepared her portfolio for a residency focused solely on bobbin lace, she conceived of the idea of a human skull made entirely from the dainty fabric. “Once you express an interest in lace, people come out of the woodworks to give you their grandma’s old collection, so I had a lot of thrifted and gifted material to work with,” she says.

The resulting piece is titled “Skör,” which is pronounced like “sure” and translates to English from Swedish meaning “fragile.” Adjacent to Magnusson’s passion for textiles is a curiosity about wordplay, especially puns. “In Swedish, the words for ‘a piece of weaving’ and ‘tissue (anatomical)’ are both Vävnad, so I was coming up with ideas for a very punny fantasy exhibition when I thought of the concept,” the artist says.

Made of a mix of cotton and linen lace, “Skör” is assembled using cotton thread and wood glue. Tiny stitches connect various strips and shapes, but felt that she needed to add something she had created herself. “I had a feeling that I was just working with other people’s materials, that the piece wasn’t quite mine… so I made the teeth by hand,” she says, noting that she crocheted the details in a scallop pattern using a tiny metal hook. Once the work was complete, the artist used wood glue as a substitute for traditional starching agents like cornflour or sugar glue.

Interested in sustainable production, Magnusson continues to work in the garment industry and has recently been experimenting with a tapestry crochet variation of “Skör” that merges the concepts of pixel art, anatomical studies, and sweaters. Follow her on Instagram for updates.

 

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