WE DON'T NEED NO DESIGN CONTROL

May 29, 2015

Did you catch the new, interactive exhibition by Gufram at 10 Corso Como in Milan this April? Entitled We Don't Need No Design Control, the surreal, contemporary cactus forest (Drocco/Mello, 2010-2012) encourages the viewer to reconsider the natural world, while the primary colored Babylonia (Studio 65, 1973) invites one to interact with the piece, knocking down and building up the oversized blocks into new and fantastic cityscapes. Visit Gufram's website to see more of their amazing vintage and contemporary design.

Know a cool, design-forward exhibition at a gallery or a museum? We want to hear about it! Connect with us onTwitter or Instagram! @kinderMODERN

MADE DESIGN: TORONTO STOOL

May 28, 2015

Furniture you can play with? We're totally sold. The Toronto Stool by Barcelona-based furniture company Made Design is comprised of adjustable, stackable button-like pieces that can be disassembled and rearranged in different heights and patterns. Each disk is made of either waste cork or foam and is 100% recyclable at the end of its life. This innovative design not only stimulates imagination, but also strengthens coordination and fine motor skills. Originally designed by industrial designer Daniela Seminara and the design studio In-Tenta Design, the stool can be purchased online at madedesign.goodsie.com.

Found an awesome design product and want to tell us about it? Connect with us on Twitter or Instagram @kinderMODERN

HIBINOSEKKEI + YOUJI NO SHIRO

May 27, 2015

We’re digging this cool kindergarten in Nagasaki, Japan by HIBINOSEKKEI + youji no shiro. Influenced by the surrounding landscape of ocean-facing mountains, the OB Kindergarten boasts sweeping views, nooks for small group play, a rope climbing tunnel, chalkboard walls, and spacious indoor and outdoor classrooms. This unique design emphasizes play, creativity, and physical movement. HIBINOSEKKEI + youji no shiro is an award-winning design and architecture firm, specializing in kindergartens. Check out their website to see more of their fun and stimulating projects.

JEPPE HEIN: PLEASE TOUCH THE ART

May 22, 2015

Looking for something fun to amuse you and your little ones in the city this weekend? Head over to the Brooklyn Bridge Park to see Danish artist Jeppe Hein's Please Touch the Art, an exhibition by the Public Art Fund curated by Nicholas Baume, on display from May 17, 2015 - April 17, 2016. This selection of 18 pieces, from three larger bodies of work, extends throughout the length of the park and the Public Art Fund has created a fun scavenger hunt to engage visitors, available on their website. Appearing Rooms consists of fountains that constantly change, creating new rooms for visitors to explore. Mirror Labyrinth NY reflects the Manhattan skyline both literally and symbolically, with mirror-polished vertical steel planks. Finally, the bright red Modified Social Benches reimagine the simple park bench into a new and playful form. Visit Hein's website to learn more about his work. We love this exhibit for its cool, interactive design and creative experimentation with form, function, and scale.

Share your art and design experience with us on Instagram or Twitter! @kinderMODERN

SHANTELL MARTIN: CYCLE

May 21, 2015

We've blogged before about our love for Shantell Martin, and we can't get enough of her newest endeavor, Cycle, a collaboration with Martone Cycling exclusively for Artspace. This limited edition series of white bicycles, each with chic Lucite pedals, a red chain, and a cool geometric basket, have been used as unique canvases for Martin's signature black and white line drawings. The project was inspired by New York City's commuters - stylish, hard-working, and innovative in the "ultimate creative urban environment." Learn more about the project on ArtSpace.com and be sure to check out this video to see Shantell at work.

DANIEL BUREN

May 20, 2015

We're loving the super colorful and geometric special exhibit currently showing through August 31, 2015 by French artist Daniel Buren at the Madre Museum in Naples, Italy. Consisting of over one hundred modules (giant arches, cylinders, spheres, and more) inspired by the pedagogical work of Friedrich Wilhelm August Frobel, this play area, Come Un Gioco da Bambini, on the museum's main floor encourages children and adults alike to engage with the "architecture," rearranging and rebuilding it to their own specifications. These "building blocks" represent an imaginative city, while also mirroring the real city around the museum, exploring the possibilities within and beyond both the physical and the conceptual.

#TBT MILAN // UNDUETRESTELLA

April 30, 2015

QpEY3TneDCljxd7jW5YF1kyTnQT1E4tOEV7QWiFocKc,aUzLGjBh37CV50N5yftnK1Y59Tw2xKdMtAeC3KazqeI,KtFZNTbU68KMBdPPOmLR9AoR1sDwiXEoDw-iXvUmkHM.jpeg

wP-76sOo5Jxi_uz05oWPvfNIwhFyN6BB24tEDqBChF0,h0v9UCJGGckRm320urnt2Cv5PjlmKrrud1u5P0nCLv0,M-dAyapmgcI89UMGUcfLanxtgszLMMCFUmHc0PLufRs,888xqvueiuxOZ7Rw-u_fSDRfbcu0XnPJD9hO1oG3omM.jpeg

Photos courtesy of unduetrestella

We’re still reminiscing about Milan and all the amazing exhibitions we saw during design week. One of our favorites was unduetrestella DESIGN WEEK, a special show geared towards children and the fascinating ways in which furniture has been adapted to the needs of the littlest members of our families, while still remaining chic and fresh for the rest of us. This year's theme, Stay little to become big, explores the importance of keeping the joy and wonder of childhood present in our adult lives. Some of our favorite brands from the show include IO Kids, Richard Lampert, and Lil’Gaea. Check out unduetrestella’s fun and colorful blog to see what they’re up to when they’re not putting on awesome design shows!

THE NEW WHITNEY

April 29, 2015

We’ve missed the Whitney and their amazing family programming this winter. Lucky for us, the new Whitney opens this weekend in the Meatpacking district of Manhattan and will kick off their educational programming with an open studio for kids. May’s studios (May 3, 9, 10, 17, 30, and 31, 2015 from 10:30am-3pm) are inspired by the exhibit America is Hard to See, a new curation from the museum’s permanent collection offering a fresh perspective on the themes and ideas that have inspired American artists over the past century. The Whitney Kids Opening celebration, free with admission to the museum, will take place on May 16, 2015, from 2-4pm, and include a tour, an art-making workshop, and a Whitney Kids Activity Guide.

The Whitney Museum of American Art is located at 99 Gansevoort Street in New York City. Closed Tuesdays. Admission is $22 for adults and free for children under 18.

LANDFILLHARMONIC

April 24, 2015

The Landfillharmonic empowers the people of poverty stricken Cateura, Paraguay to redefine their community, as they create and learn to play functional “recycled” instruments from the landfill their city sits upon. In a place where 40% of children never finish school, this project has allowed children to gain confidence, explore a new form of art and culture, and bring music to their community and the world beyond. We’re fascinated by the repurposing of materials into works of art for both the ears and the eyes, as the makers must get creative in order to turn garbage into instruments. Check out their website to learn more about this inspiring project and the forthcoming documentary. To see videos of the orchestra and the Ted Talk by director Favio Chavez, click here.

WE MAKE CARPETS

April 20, 2015

Our team had an incredible time checking out all the amazing and mind-blowing design in Milan this month. Visit the kM blog this month to see our favorites from Saloni and beyond!

Here at kinder we’re inspired by bold carpets and interesting textiles, and our team couldn’t get enough of another group of designers with the same passion. We Make Carpets creates “temporary contemporary carpets” out of unusual materials, including straws, chalk, and even toy soldiers. Stijn van der Vieuten, Marcia Nolte, and Bob Waaredenburg are the artists behind the ongoing project, putting their incredible eyes for pattern and meticulous attention to detail to the test in these intricate works of art.

Visit the We Make Carpets website to read more about their work, see photos of all their installations, and purchase their book, Kneeling.

ICE

April 16, 2015

Magna-tiles are some of our favorite building toys for little ones and we love the newest addition to the family. The clear "Ice" collection is perfect for re-creating a polar bear's lair or a favorite scene fromFrozen, but would also look very chic as part of mom or dad's deskscape. Check out the full line on the Magna-tile website.

MICHAEL MASSAIA

April 15, 2015

Michael Massaia: Scenes from a Childhood is currently on display through May 2, 2015 at Gallery 270 in Englewood, NJ. Including work from four original portfolios, each series examines childhood experiences that linger in our recollection for many years, shaping our memories and influencing nostalgia. Massaia's work also explores the often lonely and isolated life of a budding artist whose work is not yet understood by his family and peers. Of the four portfolios, we're drawn to Transmogrify and the Passing of Things, a series of brilliant color photographs depicting melting ice pops. We love the unexpected and dark beauty in these unusual still-lives, as well as the the melancholic nostalgia evoked. Check out the gallery's Artsy site to see images from all the portfolios, including Afterlife, haunting photos of the boardwalk at the Jersey Shore, and Quiet Now, a subtle testament to childhood ritual and family.

Gallery 270 is located at 10 North Dean St. in Englewood, NJ. The gallery is open Tuesday-Saturday 11am-6pm.

ANNE-CLAIRE PETIT

April 14, 2015

These crocheted toys and objet d’art by Dutch designer Anne-Claire Petit run the gamut from delicately sweet to super bold. We love the use of organic cotton and her reinterpretation of traditional handicraft to create traditional knit toys in fresh and unexpected ways. Petit continues to experiment with her design, allowing for larger and more unusual items in her Home collection. In addition, she has collaborated with a variety of both corporate and museum partners to create unusual objects, including a crocheted Air Mail envelope for the Van Gogh museum and a child size version of the Airborne AA chair. Visit Petit’s website to see the full range of her work.

ROSAN BOSCH

April 8, 2015

We’re fascinated by Rosan Bosch’s pedagogy inspired design for a series of three schools in Stockholm, Sweden. The Swedish free school Vittra promotes child-led learning, where students are encouraged to grow and explore academically and intellectually outside of traditional classroom settings. Bosch’s design facilitates this by moving beyond rows of desks facing an authoritarian teacher, and instead uses custom furnishings to delineate organically shaped “learning zones” for group lessons and small, cozy nooks for individual study. Visit Bosch’s website to learn more about this fascinating project and see photos of all three schools.

PINPRES

April 6, 2015

The PinPres by Madrid based OOO My Design is a fun and interactive way to encourage your kid to get books and toys up off the floor. Composed of hundreds of moveable pins, a child can push them in or out to get a one-of-a-kind fit for their toys and other special objects. This handmade product is available in natural beechwood or one of four pop colors, and is made in Spain from locally sourced wood. Check out OOO My’s website to learn more about this product and see the rest of their super functional and imaginative design.