Korean artist Jiyen Lee beautifully manipulates images of crowds to create captivating works of art. It’s a distorted reality that looks completely real and impossible at the same time. From crowded stands to intertwining escalators, Jiyen’s patterns provoke the imagination. We’ve posted a few sample images from his collection below.

Words: Taj Reid
Works: Jiyen Lee

FUBIZ
SAATCHI
MY MODERN MET

TWO DIMENSIONS
ART THAT BLENDS
BY THE BUS STOP

We’ve spent more hours than we’d like to admit playing video games. Kung Fu, Excite Bike, Donkey Kong – you name it, we were lost in it. All thanks to the two-dimensional worlds conjured up by Nintendo and Sega. That’s why Christian Aslund’s photography resonated with us. His approach to capturing Hong Kong’s urban landscape will make any arcading fanatic pause. Using a tele lens and some ingenuity, Christian recreates a world reminiscent of your favorite video games. By laying flat and shooting from above, HK’s streets take on a new look and feel. We’ve posted a few images below.

Words: Taj Reid
Photography: Christian Aslund

CHRISTIAN ASLUND
DESIGN TAXI
NEATORAMA

ART THAT BLENDS
BY THE BUS STOP
SUBWAY PHOTOGRAPHY

Seeing the unseen is a beautiful trend bubbling among contemporary artists. From Liu Bolin to Joshua Callaghan, their work is creating a deeper awareness for cityscapes by hiding surprising elements in the everyday details of their surroundings. Bolin hides himself in plain view. Callaghan hides utility boxes. And both utilize a form of urban camouflage as their expression.

More recently, we came across the brilliant work of Roeland Otten, a dutch designer, who applies this technique to the streets of Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Dating back to 2009, Otten has been making his mark by applying paint, large prints and even mosaic tiles to city objects to hide them in plain view. For example, in the above image Otten explains, “An old public toilet building used to measure the quality of the air in this thoroughfare in Amsterdam was to be renewed, but the district council determined the area shouldn’t suffer from another concrete element. The design camouflages the little concrete building of GGD (Health Department of the city) Amsterdam. The tiling patterns bring back the lost views as pixelated images of the shopping street Jan van Galenstraat.” Click Read More to view more of Otten’s work.

Words: Taj Reid
Photography: Courtesy of Roeland Otten

ROELAND OTTEN
DEZEEN
WIRED

INVISIBLE UTILITY
LOST IN ART
BY THE BUS STOP

Call it anthropology. Call it beautiful photography. Either way it’s an interesting look at London and its community. Between 2001 and 2005, Richard Hooker consistently took photographs of various bus stops throughout London. The result tells a fascinating city-story. As Richard describes it, “Every few minutes of the day, all over the capital, people gather into small groups to share the same space and fleeting moment in time. Simply to wait for something routine and forgettable as a London bus. In transient, with time to kill, and often amongst strangers, each collection of these individuals proves completely unique from the next. The way people take ownership of the space, how they congregate, is often better than anything an art director or photographer could ever deliberately replicate. Each collection provides a little insight into London’s incredible diversity, how we relate to our surroundings, and each other.” We posted a few images from the series below. Be sure to check them out, it’s really well done.

Words: Taj Reid
Photography: Richard Hooker

RICHARD HOOKER

PETAPIXEL

IT’S NICE THAT

SUBWAY PHOTOGRAPHY

SCULPTURE FOR MANDELA

HENDRIK BEIKIRCH IN KOREA

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Subways never looked this beautiful. Nick Frank, also known as IS072, is an Art Director and Photographer hailing from Munich, Germany. We first noticed his work on The Fox is Black and immediately dove into his portfolio where we found the following subway images. Each photo highlights their individual beauty in a way that is easy to miss when you’re among rush hour crowds. Nick’s use of color and composition bring to life some of the world’s most well designed stations. We’ve posted a few images below, but be sure to visit his website to see his full range of work.

Words: Taj Reid
Photography: ISO72

ISO72

THE FOX IS BLACK

SCULPTURE FOR MANDELA

HENDRIK BEIKIRCH IN KOREA

URBAN ORIGAMI

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Recently we came across this incredible sculpture by Marco Cianfanelli honoring Nelson Mandela. Last August marked the 50th Anniversary of his arrest by apartheid police. In 1962 while driving just outside of Howick, KwaZulu-Natal he was pulled over and arrested after successfully avoiding apartheid operatives for 17 months. From that moment, Mandela disappeared from public view for approximately 27 years. The sculpture, located at the spot of his arrest, beautifully displays Mandela’s face from one angle, but from another, eerily reminds viewers of jail’s isolation. Click Read More for additional information and images.

Words: Taj Reid
Photography: Courtesy of Marco Cianfanelli

NOBEL PRIZE

MARCO CIANFANELLI

HUH MAGAZINE

HENDRIK BEIKIRCH IN KOREA

URBAN ORIGAMI

THE PHOTOGRAPHER’S GALLERY

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South Korea’s expanding urban center raises the temp on tensions between the working class and big business. High risk, high interest and even higher skyscrapers dominate. But mural artist Hendrik Beikirch offers a counter punch to make people stop and think about aging workers who are hitting 60 without any hopes of retirement. His black and white mural of a working class man is perched high on the face of one of South Korea’s taller buildings. The juxtaposition is brilliant. We posted a few images below. Click Read More to view.

Words: Taj Reid
Photography: Courtesy of Hendrik Beikirch

HENDRIK BEIKIRCH

DEZEEN

DESIGNBOOM

PLUS ONE BERLIN

CONSERVATORIUM HOTEL

MAMA MARSEILLE

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The intricate work of french artist Mademoiselle Maurice finds a striking home on the outdoor walls of Hong Kong, Vietnam and France. Known as Urban Origami, Maurice’s talent creates stunning art as a homage to the symbolic paper crane and general-well being of people across the globe. As she describes it – By moving her work outside, she’s devoted herself to street art which acts as an open air museum where she can achieve huge urban performances deepening the link between art, the environment and the individuals viewing it. We can’t stop looking at these beautiful images. View a sample of her work and a video showing how it all comes together below.

Words: Taj Reid
Photography: Mademoiselle Maurice

MADEMOISELLE MAURICE

SPOTTED VIA DESIGNBOOM

THE PHOTOGRAPHERS’ GALLERY

SERPENTINE PAVILION

CLOUD CITY

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Last month one of London’s most coveted institutions grew in size and became the city’s largest gallery dedicated to photography. Appropriately named, The Photographers’ Gallery reopened in a new location boasting three viewing floors, a bookshop, café and studio space for classes and other educational activities. It’s a beautiful building. Every detail is cleanly executed – even when you’re inside looking out, the windows feel like perfectly framed images. Plus the curation nicely balances exhibits from new and established artists, which makes everything more interesting. Next time you’re in London don’t miss this fantastic source of inspiration. We’ve posted a few images below.

Words: Taj Reid
Photography: Dennis Gilbert

The Photographers’ Gallery 16-18 Ramillies Street, London W1F 7LW, UK

THE PHOTOGRAPHER’S GALLERY

ARCHDAILY

DENNIS GILBERT

SERPENTINE PAVILION

CLOUD CITY

THE SECRET GARDEN

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Each year we look forward to the latest architectural work featured at London’s Serpentine Gallery Pavilion. Now in its twelfth year, past dignitaries include Peter Zumthor, Frank Gerhy, Zaha Hadid and other visionary talents. This year is no different. As London preps for the 2012 Summer Olympics, it’s only fitting that the Gallery commission Herzog and de Meuron with Ai Weiwei for this year’s exhibit – the same all-star team that created the incredible Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium for Beijing 2008.

Acting as an ode to the works that came before them, this year’s Serpentine Gallery Pavilion takes visitors underground where they’ll find 11 pillars representing each year prior. A twelfth pillar is also in place representing the current year. Each of these columns support a floating platform just 1.4 meters above ground filled with water similar to a reflecting pool. As Julia Peyton-Jones, Director of the Gallery describes, “It is a great honor to be working with Herzon & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei. In this exciting year for London, we’re excited to be creating a connection between Beijing 2008 and the London 2012 games.” It’s an amazing installation and will be on display from now until October 14, 2012. We’ve posted a video with a few images below.

Words: Taj Reid
Photography: Iwan Baan

Serpentine Gallery Kensington Gardens, London W2 3XA

THE SERPENTINE GALLERY

DESIGNBOOM

THE TELEGRAPH

CLOUD CITY

THE SECRET GARDEN

SILENT WORLD

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As soon as spring and summer arrive, wonderful installations like the Secret Garden begin to appear. Exhibits like these are great for cities and their visitors because they have the ability to reacquaint people to urban-spaces in new and re-imagined ways. At this year’s Salon del Mobile, Zaha Hadid and Paola Navone created The Secret Garden which served as an ideal model for this concept. The delightful exhibit, located within Milan’s Orto Botanico, boasted brightly colored huts, hanging lamps and other ornate creations to transform the botanical garden into a cozy moment of fantasy with the ultimate goal of engaging visitors. It was a tremendous success and we’d love to see more exhibits like this worldwide. We have a few images posted below.

Words: Taj Reid
Photography: Courtesy of The Secret Garden

PAOLA NAVONE

YATZER

ZAHA HADID

SILENT WORLD

LOST IN ART

CROWDED ISOLATION

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Empty. Vacant. Quiet. Silent World by Lucie & Simon is a beautiful project capturing some of the world’s most famous locations free from the din and crowds that usually occupy them. Recently awarded the Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet Prize, Lucie & Simon’s work is characterized as, “The silence of the world, like a quotation, is suddenly endowed with an oppressive eloquence. Small intrusions are the true sparks here, because their disconcerting presence disrupts the majestic calm of the streets and squares. Are the latter guilty or victims? The fate that governs these shots in a tangible way is not the result of decisions taken by metaphysical powers, but stems uniquely from the imagination of the two creators of these photos, Lucie & Simon.” It’s a beautiful series. We’ve posted a few images below.

Words: Taj Reid
Photography: Lucie & Simon

LUCIE AND SIMON

MINUS MANHATTAN

FUBIZ

LOST IN ART

SNAPSHOT NEPAL

SNAPSHOT SERBIA

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Liu Bolin paints himself into sceneries that render him nearly invisible. It’s performance art captured through photography. And in each piece, Liu finds a way to embed larger messages. If you look closely – not just for Liu, but for what he’s suggesting – you’ll find a dialogue about relationships. The kind that highlight an individual’s interaction with society at large. For example, the Eli Klein Gallery makes the following point about the above image, “[Liu’s] Panda examines the Chinese newfound preoccupation with commercialism. It confronts the viewer with a palpable materialism, whereby the viewer can sense an infatuation with commodity that has recently supplanted many elements of traditional Chinese culture. Through the numerous identical stuffed pandas, Liu Bolin forces us to acknowledge the pull of material objects and the power that they wield in contemporary China.” You can see works like this and many others by Liu Bolin, from now until May 11, at the Eli Klein Fine Art Gallery in New York City. We posted additional information and a few images below. Click Read More to view.

Words: Taj Reid
Photography: Courtesy of Eli Klein Fine Art Gallery

Eli Kliein, 462 West Broadway, New York, NY 10012
From Now until May 11, 2012

DESIGNBOOM

ELI KLEIN FINE ART GALLERY

ARTNET

SNAPSHOT NÉPAL

SNAPSHOT SERBIA

CROWDED ISOLATION

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A dramatic shift is taking place. Today, Atlantic Cities reported that China, the most populated country in the world, has officially become urbanized. For the first time in their history, more people live in a city than they do countryside – 51.27 percent to be exact, which amounts to more than 690 million people. It’s a notable shift. Rapid urban growth is commanding more and more attention from global leaders as its impact spans infrastructural and cultural demands. This made us think about Eric Perriard and his photography.

Over the last few years, Eric has been investigating urban growth in Seoul, Korea and telling its story in a unique way. As he describes it, “I was excited to artistically examine one of the defining steps in the evolution of our civilization. Within the context of an accelerating urban setting, I developed a photographic essay about people living in a cosmopolitan environment. While wandering in Seoul City, I was looking to catch the instant when an isolated character encounters a moment of self-realization. Has living in cities truly become part of human nature, or are we still adapting ourselves in order to survive? By keeping a certain distance from the subject, I could preserve the tension between the city and its inhabitant in order to start thinking about the human condition in a megalopolis.” Check out his work below – it’s fantastic.

Words: Taj Reid
Photography: Eric Perriard

ERIC PERRIARD

ATLANTIC CITIES

BEAUTIFUL DECAY

THE REDBALL PROJECT

DELTA AT ALICE GALLERY

AI WEIWEI ABSENT

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