BBoth repairs and crafts get the respect they deserve in this month’s design news. Check out our stories to see where these beautiful activities are treated as art. We also look at the history of Casio watches and a new future for the Apple Watch. Sign up for the Design Review newsletter to receive more stories like this on architecture, sustainability and craftsmanship every month.
As Oscar Wilde said, “You have to take things seriously if you want to have fun in life.” So he would probably have admired the eclectic creations and collections on display at Artangel’s new exhibition Come As You Really Are, which has just opened in Croydon, UK. In January, British-Gujarati artist and filmmaker Hetain Patel put out a call for collectors, crafters, weekend painters and anyone else with a passion to send in photos and stories about their hobbies. From 1,500 responses, Patel has put together a wonderful exhibition that includes everything from handmade banjos and origami to collections of Warhammer and My Little Pony figures. The artist is an avid Spider-Man fan and the show includes his own Spidey-inspired works. Come As You Really Are is currently at the Grants building in Croydon, but will be touring the UK over the next 18 months.
Patel said: “Sharing something so personal is a vulnerability, something that often occurs in private spaces where we are faced with the responsibilities of daily life. But there is also enormous power in sharing collectively, which is at the heart of this project. I hope people will join us in this celebration of the unstoppable nature of self-expression demonstrated through our hobbies.”
For more details on Come As You Really Are and tour locations, visit Angel of art website
If you still get nostalgic when you think of the iPod, the TinyPod may be just the thing for you. This new device packs a strapless Apple Watch inside a case with the iPod’s click wheel, allowing you to use the technology like a limited smartphone. You can make calls, text, and listen to music, but you can’t easily access social media or play videos. The message of the TinyPod is that this is “your phone away from your phone,” and if you’re looking to limit your screen time without going back to a dumb phone, this could be the middle path.
Obviously, the TinyPod relies on you having an old Apple Watch collecting dust in a drawer, and you’ll have to deal with disabling the wrist-sensing feature. You won’t be able to count your steps, either. But finding a new use for redundant tech always seems like a good idea.
For more information, please visit the TinyPod Website
Around one in five Londoners is of South Asian origin and this community has left its mark on every street and neighbourhood in the capital. This rich history is celebrated in Blue Crow Media’s latest city guide map.
The publisher has a reputation for creating beautiful maps that combine hidden history with graphic excellence. Previous titles include Brutalist London and Black History London. This latest map has been created by urban designer and writer Krish Nathaniel and Bushra Mohamed, director of Msoma Architects. It features 50 locations across the capital, including Neasden Temple and Drummond Street, as well as a statue of Noor Inayat Khan and the Koh-i-Noor diamond.
“In Britain, it’s often taken for granted that the multi-ethnic part of our history began in the 1950s. For South Asians, that history is much longer than many know, and we wanted to make it visible and accessible,” says Nathaniel. “We want to show an intertwined history that spans all nations and religions of the subcontinent and its diaspora. Every member of the South Asian community can find themselves on this map, whether they’re 16 or 60.”
The London South Asian History Map is available at Blue Crow Media and several independent bookstores
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If you’re considering whether to repair or replace any of your belongings, check out Architecture of Repair on Instagram before your next move. The feed explores the possibilities of repair and showcases the work of the Beyond Repair collective. It shows everyday objects such as Ikea lamps, broken bottles and moth-eaten carpets that have been repaired and made beautiful and useful again by members of the collective, including Phineas Harper, chief executive of the educational charity Open City, architect Sanjukta Jitendhar and Smith Mordak, chief executive of the UK’s Green Building Council.
Some of these incredible objects are also currently on display at the Rotterdam Architecture Biennale in the Netherlands, if you want to take a closer look.
“Of the 222 million tonnes of waste the UK produces annually, around 62% comes from construction and architecture,” says Harper. “The United Nations estimates that the volume of e-waste alone is increasing five times faster than recycling rates. The transition to a fair and green economy must focus on reinvigorating a culture of repair, care, maintenance and refurbishment.”
It’s time to take another look at that Ikea lamp.
Beyond Repair is on display at the Rotterdam Architecture Biennale until 13 October. Instagram: @arquitecturareparacion
Photo: heliography/Stockimo/Alamy
It’s hard to believe that Casio watches are only 50 years old, but that’s the milestone the Japanese electronics company has celebrated this year. The brand behind everyone’s favourite affordable keyboard and calculator is introducing some of its classic vintage timepieces, focusing on classics from the 70s, 80s and 90s.
For anyone who grew up proudly sporting a G-Shock or lusted after the classic Calculator wristwatch, prepare to feel a tsunami of nostalgia.
Casio’s first digital wristwatch, which was launched in 1974, was the Casiotron. It was the world’s first with an automatic calendar function. When Casio launched a special limited edition of the watch earlier this year, it sold out in less than five minutes in the UK. More releases are promised later this year.
For more information on the vintage range, visit the Casio website. website.
