Choreographer William Forsythe on melding man, machine and dance

Ann Buehler, who began dancing at 2½ years old due to a medical recommendation for leg braces, developed a lifelong passion for dance, eventually teaching beginner classes at 16. She pursued various dance forms during her time at Southwest Missouri State University and, after graduating, balanced a career as a second-grade teacher with teaching dance on the side. Initially, she taught as 'Ann’s Dancers' in a church basement in Mt. Vernon, progressively expanding and operating studios in both Mt. Vernon and Springfield. Buehler transitioned to full-time dance instruction, founding Ann’s Performing Arts Centre in 1992. After years in a studio that no longer met her needs, an opportunity arose when Paula Daugherty, whose children were Buehler’s students, and her husband, developers of the new Paige Reese Plaza in south Springfield, invited Ann’s to establish a new location. Buehler collaborated with Daugherty and architect Brian Kubik of Buxton Kubik Dodd Creative to design an optimal space based on her extensive experience. Kubik translated Buehler's requirements into architectural plans, while Daugherty oversaw the interior design. The resulting studio features an open and airy layout, incorporating modern furnishings with accents of red and crystal chandeliers. Key areas include an open lobby, a locker room, a tumbling room, two main dance studios, an office, and an upstairs area for staff with a study nook for students. The lobby serves as a communal space for families, equipped with a kitchenette for snacks. The locker room, furnished with 100 lockers, is a popular gathering spot for students. The tumbling room is designed for younger dancers, equipped with mirrors, mats, and safety gear, with all tumbling activities tailored to support dance training. The second level provides a comfortable retreat for employees, featuring a seating area and kitchenette, and offers views into Studio A and the lobby. The two main dance studios are versatile, separated by a garage door that allows them to be combined into one large space for special events. Both studios are outfitted with Marley Sprung floors, mirrors, ballet bars, and stall bars. The studio also accommodates 'The Company,' a group of select dancers who participate in competitive dance, with their photos displayed in the lobby. The new center is celebrated by Buehler for its chic, sleek, and fun aesthetic. #DanceStudio #PerformingArts #InteriorDesign #Architecture #SpringfieldMissouri #DanceEducation #CommercialDesign

The exhibition “Courtyard of Detachments” by Trevor Yeung is presented as a response to his earlier work, “Courtyard of Attachments,” and is showcased in Hong Kong. The exhibition explores themes of power dynamics, human relationality, and artificiality through mixed-media installations, drawing inspiration from Hong Kong's Mong Kok goldfish market. Historically, in the densely populated city of Hong Kong, fish have been popular pets due to limited living space. Yeung, having grown up in Hong Kong and cared for pet fish, finds the goldfish market a compelling subject, incorporating elements from it into his art. His artistic practice often choreographs animals, plants, and objects into staged scenes that subtly reveal intricate human relationships. This approach was previously seen at the 60th Venice Biennale, where Yeung’s installations featured flowing liquids and functional aquariums, notably without live fish. The 2024 exhibition, “Courtyard of Attachments,” combined cultural symbols with pet shop displays to highlight underlying artificial structures, building on the artist’s thematic interests. In contrast, “Courtyard of Detachments” in Hong Kong faces different contextual constraints, primarily the inability to incorporate large quantities of water due to the architectural design of the Herzog & de Meuron-designed gallery spaces. An installation titled *Pond of Never Enough (Under Construction)* (2025) in a bamboo-clad gallery, named the “Venetian Courtyard,” ironically alludes to this limitation. What was a working fountain in Venice is presented in Hong Kong as boarded up and dry, featuring seating that serves as a pedestal for sculptures made from found objects. Another significant piece, *Gate of Instant Love* (2024), is a metal sculpture that mimics the display structures found in Mong Kok fish shops, featuring mesh and S-hooks. Within its arch, a photograph titled *the stealth that doesn't hurt/the scratch that doesn't help* (2024) depicts wafer-thin clear plastic in a transparent acrylic frame. This image, appearing weightless and clinical from a distance, reveals subtle complexities through light refractions and scratches up close, echoing themes from the publication *Cruising Archaeology*, which documents flattened remnants from cruising sites. A separate room in the exhibition simulates an abandoned pet fish shop under neon-pink lighting. Here, *Little Comfy Tornado (After Typhoon)* (2025) consists of empty aquariums filled with filtration equipment necessary for sustaining fish in artificial environments. Wires, pipes, and pumps are arranged around a shattered glass tank on a plinth, serving as a "warning of the consequences of neglect." The exhibition’s use of textual descriptions often directs the interpretation of Yeung’s otherwise nuanced works. The aged appearance of the tanks, with clouded glass and lime-scarred rubber seams, transforms them into metaphors for societal systems that claim to provide care but also impose restrictions. The absence of water and life in these aquariums symbolizes a void, reflecting themes of longing or desire. This carefully constructed emptiness allows for the concept of attachment or detachment to be understood through the exhibition's infrastructure, turning the theme of animal husbandry into a broader examination of power dynamics, observation, and control, particularly evident with the inclusion of full-length mirrors in the room. #TrevorYeung #ArtExhibition #HongKong #MPlusMuseum #MixedMediaArt #CulturalSymbols #HumanRelationality #PowerDynamics #Artificiality

This article provides an in-depth look into the meticulous renovation of Washington Hall, a 143-year-old auditorium at the University of Notre Dame. The project aims to modernize the auditorium for contemporary audiences while faithfully restoring its high Victorian interior artistic details, originally added in 1894 by Italian artists Luigi Gregori and Louis Rusca. These ornate artworks, including portraits, floral scenes, filigree, and scrollwork, were painted over in 1956 and subsequently hidden for decades. The renovation began with an initial exploration in February, during which artists from Conrad Schmitt Studios carefully chipped away at layers of paint in various sections of the auditorium. This process revealed the buried 1890s artwork underneath, providing crucial insights into the original aesthetic. The article highlights the work of Oleksandr Lytvynenko, a mural artist at Conrad Schmitt Studios in New Berlin, Wisconsin, who is creating new murals and medallions for Washington Hall. These pieces, including depictions of theatrical comedy and tragedy masks, Greek god Dionysus, and St. Genesius, are crafted with precision to fit the historical context and recreate the grandeur of the original decor. The design process for the renovation was significantly guided by a sharply detailed, black-and-white photograph from the Notre Dame Archives, dating back to circa 1895. This photograph, showcasing the stage and northeast section of the auditorium with its intricate details, served as the primary reference. Aidan Gruber, a historic decorative digital designer at Conrad Schmitt Studios, developed a comprehensive decorative plan based on this image. As more of the original artwork was uncovered on-site, the plan was updated to incorporate the newly revealed color schemes and patterns of Gregori and Rusca, transforming monochrome elements into vibrant multi-colored designs. For instance, a gold filigree above the stage was re-envisioned with intertwining hues of gold, plum, and green, and a ceiling flower transitioned from a single color to a bold yellow on a sky-blue background. Artists on campus also created tracings of the uncovered artwork, which Gruber used to accurately size new stylized murals and medallions, ensuring they fit precisely into the spaces where original portraits once hung. The process involved a collaborative effort, with workers on campus sending close-up images of geometric designs to Gruber, who then integrated these motifs into the overall plan like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. While some surfaces within Washington Hall are still undergoing paint stripping and cleaning, final artistic elements are simultaneously being added. Inga Belozerova, an artist based in New Jersey, hand-painted a colorful scene of flowers and grasses on the ceiling's inner dome, drawing inspiration from the 1890s photograph. Additionally, a trompe l'oeil mural of Pegasus, the winged horse from Greek mythology, is being developed near the stage. Other ongoing work includes the precise application of stenciled patterns in chocolate brown over a dusty salmon background on the crown molding and the painstaking process of applying powder-thin layers of bright gold leaf to wooden edging. Aidan Gruber, the digital artist, expresses his anticipation to visit Notre Dame upon the project's completion to witness the tangible results of his design efforts, emphasizing the goal of blending the energy of the original murals with a more contemporary style. #WashingtonHall #NotreDame #HistoricRenovation #ArchitecturalRestoration #MuralArt #VictorianDesign #InteriorDesign #ConradSchmittStudios #ArtConservation

Lori Olsen McElvain and Jay Eiler, former colleagues with a history of working together at two design firms, have reunited to establish a shared office space, transforming a former Webster dance studio into a functional and collaborative environment. This joint venture provides a mutually beneficial arrangement, especially for McElvain, who notes the challenges of maintaining a workspace alone while balancing a part-time and working mother's schedule. Eiler emphasizes that their established relationship, built on trust and respect, allows them to effectively brainstorm and share ideas, metaphorically leaving 'breadcrumbs on each other’s desk.' The designers' new office is strategically located within a developing 'mini-design district,' situated between two other interior design and architecture firms and in close proximity to a PPG Paints store, a factor Eiler highlights as making their shared space a logical choice. The office setup itself demonstrates practical design solutions for a dynamic workspace. To manage the inherent challenge of a large, open space that can quickly become cluttered, they utilize an ample supply of bins from IKEA to maintain organization and tidiness. Key features of their collaborative workspace include homemade presentation boards constructed from galvanized metal sheets set on plywood magnet boards. These boards are instrumental in helping clients visualize proposed designs, such as a unique whisk chandelier concept presented to St. Louis Kolache, one of McElvain's clients. The designers also incorporate versatile furniture, exemplified by a metal restaurant-style table that has served multiple functions, including a desk, kitchen island, and work table. Two tall desks are also present, allowing the designers to work standing up, which promotes productivity and physical well-being. This variety of surfaces is crucial for spreading out materials when working on multiple projects simultaneously. Lighting throughout the office is provided by metal Bryce table lamps, also known as hotel lamps, which are equipped with USB ports. This selection is particularly fitting given Eiler's extensive work in boutique hotel design, both nationally and locally, including the upcoming Hotel Saint Louis. These lamps serve the practical purpose of allowing the designers to charge their electronic devices throughout the day, aligning with McElvain's vision for a flexible workspace. The transformation of the dance studio into a dynamic and organized shared office underscores the designers' ability to combine their individual expertise and resources into a synergistic and efficient working model. This article was originally published in *Design STL*'s May/June 2018 issue, showcasing innovative approaches to interior design and collaborative professional spaces. #InteriorDesign #SharedWorkspace #OfficeDesign #CollaborativeEnvironment #DesignSolutions #WebsterGroves #LoriOlsenMcElvain #JayEiler #DesignSTL

This article explores the immersive and unconventional art installations of New York-born, Los Angeles-based artist Tita Cicognani, focusing on her use of hot tubs as central elements in her multimedia works. The artist’s practice, which largely involves sculpture and assemblage, took a unique turn with the integration of hot tubs, driven by a desire for physical interaction and shared experiences, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Her works contrast with the trend of “dematerializing practice” in the art world, instead embracing the tactile and communal. The piece begins by describing Cicognani’s current installation, "Heart Tub" (2022), at the Hammer Museum, where visitors can reserve 45-minute slots to soak in a heart-shaped, red crocodile-skin vinyl hot tub. This installation is designed to evoke a sense of "tackiness" and "religious frenzy," adorned with embedded video screens displaying floating holograms of flying saucers and bubbly hearts. The artist explains that this first tub was created during the initial COVID-19 lockdown, stemming from feelings of isolation and a craving for physical connection. The article then details Cicognani's earlier hot tub installations. "Mothership" (2021) was an inflatable pool designed as a "tiny wet fun house," featuring mirrors, LED lights, and a disco ball, reminiscent of a Gravitron ride. This work explored the convergence of religious and corporeal ecstasy. Another significant piece, "Prayer Cards" (2019), involved devotional cards featuring the artist's image in poses suggesting stigmata or submission, printed with the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, challenging conventional notions of piety with pop culture aesthetics. Her second tub installation, "Grotto Tub" (2022), presented a more visceral experience. Located in an artist-run space in Chinatown, it encouraged a more uninhibited, almost chaotic interaction, with PVC pipes emitting a brown goo and accompanying videos of mud wrestling. This installation, playfully dubbed “art student soup” by a Hammer Museum curator, highlighted a deliberate embrace of the earthy and raw aspects of human interaction. The transition to the Hammer Museum for "Heart Tub" introduced new logistical challenges, including safety protocols, scheduled time slots, and ADA compliance, leading to elements like a chrome heart-shaped handrail. The article also delves into the video component of "Heart Tub," titled "I Still Believe" (2022). This 40-minute looping video, viewed from within the tub, features a green-skinned CGI avatar of the artist navigating a cheap motel with a heart-shaped tub, encountering UFOs, and immaculately conceiving an alien progeny. The narrative explores themes of desire, beauty, and love, drawing heavily from pop music and shiny aesthetics, elements Cicognani previously resisted but has now embraced. The work also has intellectual underpinnings, drawing parallels to other water-based art installations like Hélio Oiticica and Neville D’Almeida’s “CC4 Nocagions” (1973). Finally, the artist discusses the socio-economic implications of embracing "tacky" aesthetics and the interplay between high art theory and pop culture references, such as the film "Hot Tub Time Machine." The experience concludes with the writer reflecting on the custom-made pea-green towels, embroidered with an alien baby and the words "I still believe," which serve as a tangible takeaway from the immersive art experience. This installation, and Cicognani's broader body of work, actively seeks to engage the body and challenge traditional art consumption by bringing viewers directly into the art. #ArtInstallation #MultimediaArt #ContemporaryArt #HammerMuseum #ImmersiveExperience #Sculpture #PopCulture #ConceptualArt

Mifune Design Studio has implemented an innovative and interactive design concept for Room 211 of Hotel T'Point in Osaka City, Japan. The project redefines the spatial arrangement of a hotel room by utilizing three flexible partitions, inspired by shower curtains, to delineate different functional areas. This approach challenges conventional hotel room layouts, which typically feature fixed walls, by offering guests the ability to reconfigure their immediate environment. The core idea behind this design is to create a dynamic and engaging experience for the guests. Instead of static boundaries, the translucent curtains can be moved to enclose or open up the bed, shower, and toilet areas. This flexibility allows guests to personalize their space according to their preferences and needs at any given moment, transforming the act of defining space into a 'graceful dance'. The studio intentionally placed these essential functions in close proximity to emphasize the need for their concealment, thereby highlighting the curtains' role. The design aesthetic of Room 211 is minimalist, with decorative elements purposefully omitted. This stripped-back environment ensures that the interaction with the movable partitions becomes the primary visual and experiential focus. The 'dance' of the shower curtains serves as the room's sole decoration, drawing attention to their material quality and the way light interacts with them as they are repositioned. This absence of traditional decor encourages a more thoughtful engagement with the spatial dynamics. A key functional detail in the design is a slight inclination of the floor around the shower area. This subtle change in elevation is the only physical differentiation in the floor plan, serving the practical purpose of containing water while maintaining the overall fluidity of the space. While curtains are commonly used to prevent water splashing, Mifune Design Studio expands their utility beyond this conventional role, showcasing their potential as versatile architectural elements. The project, named 'Room 211 (Hotel T’Point)', was designed by Yasutoshi Mifune of Mifune Design Studio. Located in Osaka City, Osaka, Japan, the hotel room covers an area of 42 square meters. The primary materials used are shower curtains, plaster, and concrete, chosen for their practical and aesthetic qualities within the minimalist scheme. The construction was carried out by Obai Carpentry Shop, and the photography was done by Yasunori Shimomura. This design was submitted to designboom through its 'DIY submissions' feature, inviting readers to share their work for publication. The design offers a unique perspective on hotel room functionality and guest interaction, prioritizing adaptability and interactive spatial experiences over static room layouts. #HotelDesign #ShowerCurtains #FlexibleSpace #MinimalistDesign #InteractiveDesign #SpatialDynamics #YasutoshiMifune #HotelTPoint #OsakaArchitecture

Simon Sörensen, a young engineer based in Sweden, has developed a kinetic art table that generates and subsequently erases intricate patterns in sand. This creation, featured on his YouTube channel RCLifeOn, offers a serene and contemplative ambiance, inspiring philosophical reflection on the ephemeral nature of creation and destruction. The table utilizes a metal ball that gently glides across a bed of sand, illuminated to enhance its visual appeal. Sörensen's inspiration for this project stemmed from hearing about a commercial sand-plotting machine called Sisyphus. Sisyphus Industries produces similar artful tables where metal balls create continuous patterns in sand, though these products are noted for their significant cost, with a coffee table model priced at approximately $2,000. In his DIY approach, Sörensen essentially reverse-engineered the concept of the Sisyphus table. To control the movement of the metal ball, he ingeniously adapted components from a 3D printer. Specifically, he utilized the rack-and-pinion mechanism, which is responsible for the motorized movement of an extruder along two axes in a 3D printer. By attaching a magnet to this motorized assembly, positioned beneath the table's surface, Sörensen demonstrated the capability to precisely guide the metal ball within the sand. An initial challenge in the development process involved mitigating a noticeable scratching sound produced by the ball moving across the glass surface. Once this acoustic issue was resolved, the remaining construction and refinement of the table became more straightforward. While Sörensen's self-built kinetic art table may not possess the same level of flawless execution as the commercially produced Sisyphus tables, its functionality is remarkably effective. The table consistently moves its small metal ball to generate mesmerizing geometric patterns that continuously emerge and then gradually dissipate, creating a perpetually shifting display of abstract art. The tranquil and repetitive motion, combined with the geometric designs, is suggested to have a calming effect on observers. #KineticArt #ZenPatterns #DIYProjects #EngineeringInnovation #SandArt #HomeDecor #MagneticControl #3DPrinterParts

This article details the journey of Amy and Bruce Paul in designing and decorating their 11,000-square-foot home in Rye, New York, focusing on integrating their extensive art collection into a cohesive interior design. Having previously lived in a post-modern home with traditional furnishings and a growing contemporary art collection, the Pauls sought to create a new residence where the exterior architecture and interior aesthetics were harmoniously aligned with their personal taste in design and art. Their objective was to construct a home that could comfortably accommodate their family of six while optimally showcasing their practiced and perfected collection of paintings and sculptures. The couple acquired a 13-acre estate in Rye before the 2001 World Trade Center attacks, subdividing it into seven lots and reserving a two-plus-acre parcel for their own home. They collaborated with builder Michael DiChiaro to construct a six-bedroom, seven-full-bath residence that offers views of a wooded yard, later enhanced with a pool and waterfall by Coral Sea Pools, and adorned with bronze sculptures by Mexican artist Bruno Luna. For the interior design, Amy Paul enlisted Joseph R. Stabile of J.R. Cattington, who had previously worked with them. Stabile and his team were involved from the ground up, providing input on architectural design, interior finishes, electrical layouts, and lighting selection. Stabile chose a palette of cream and gold to complement the Pauls' artwork and suggested structural modifications, such as adding a doorway to improve flow in the formal living room. Amy's primary design directive was for a "light and bright" home, which was achieved in the living room through buttery gold satin-striped fabric from Robert Allen for window treatments and crystal wall sconces by Crystorama. This room serves as a gallery for various notable paintings, including works by Janet Treby, Liane Abrieu, and Russian artists. The soft color scheme is accented by silk brocade wing chairs with colorful throw pillows and fuchsia and silk rugs from China. The family room continues the luminous theme with yellow walls, a toile pattern by Antonia Vella, Seabrook wallcoverings, and similarly colored fabrics in lemon, green, and persimmon for window treatments, pillows, and side chairs. Crystal chandeliers from Murano, imported by Castilian Imports, were chosen to coordinate with paintings by Isaac Maimon and Charles Levier. The coffered ceiling in a green apple shade with cream-colored woodwork further enhances the vibrant, garden-like atmosphere. Bruce Paul's personal space, a clubby card room, contrasts with Amy's preferences, featuring dark wood paneling, built-in bookcases, a bar, and masculine fabrics. This room, separated from the family room by a stone-front fireplace, includes Biedermeier chairs with leopard-print fabric and various personal artifacts. Stabile designed the fireplace with intricately carved mahogany lions and used a Serengeti Leopard carpet to connect Bruce’s adjoining office. The Pauls' children, Joanna, Ryan, Matt, and Jason, also contributed to the design of their respective bedrooms and bathrooms, incorporating elements such as Masland Carpets, Bernhardt furnishings, and Thibaut wallpapers. The master bedroom, with its vaulted ceiling, presented a challenge in scale, addressed by Stabile using Highland Court silk brocade for a cornice "headboard" that coordinates with custom curtains. The article highlights the Pauls' passion for art collection, which began with a French artist Charles Levier painting and expanded to include works from their travels to Europe, South America, Asia, and the Southwest. Despite concerns about diminishing wall space, their quest for art, driven by personal connection and memories from their travels, continues. #HomeDesign #InteriorDecor #ArtCollection #LuxuryHome #RyeResidence #JosephStabile #CustomDesign #ArchitecturalFeatures #PersonalStyle

The article reviews "Every Wall is a Door," Superblue Miami’s inaugural exhibition, which features large-scale, immersive artworks by teamLab, James Turrell, and Es Devlin. The exhibition builds upon the visionary ideas of new media pioneer Stan VanDerBeek, who in 1966 envisioned "intermedia experience machines" that would help people process the rapid changes brought by technological innovation. VanDerBeek believed in the importance of artistically cultivated experiences to foster a new, shared vocabulary, incorporating concepts from ecology and cybernetics alongside immersive and collective audience participation. teamLab, a Tokyo-based collective of over 400 "ultra-technologists," is presented as a modern-day realization of VanDerBeek's vision. Their interactive digital installations, such as _Flowers and People, Cannot be Controlled but Live Together - Transcending Boundaries, A Whole Year per Hour_ and _Universe of Water Particles, Transcending Boundaries_ (both 2017), are central to the exhibition. These works utilize darkened rooms, large-scale projections, and intricate visual effects to create immersive environments where visitor participation directly influences the artwork. Flower petals and water particles respond to movement, and luminous flora and swirling streams contribute to a sensuous, expansive illusion accompanied by a dreamy soundtrack. The collective's populist approach encourages audience engagement, ranging from taking selfies to observing the evolving scenery, effectively transforming the gallery into a technologically enhanced "black-box" where art is "democratized." In contrast to teamLab’s vibrant sensory overload, James Turrell’s _AKHU_ (2021) offers a more subdued, perceptual experience. This installation is an iteration of his "Ganzfeld" series, featuring a white chamber that uses high-chroma light to manipulate visual perception. The LED-halo color-cycling is so gradual that it creates an illusion of stillness and ambiguity in space and time. Viewers experience shifts in tonality that are products of their own minds, highlighting the role of perceptual agency in art. This piece emphasizes that the lack of conscious control over perception is not a flaw but a core element of the artwork itself. Es Devlin’s _Forest of Us_ (2021), a London-based stage designer's contribution, concludes the exhibition. Visitors first watch a video montage that draws parallels between fractal branching in nature, such as air movement in bronchial passages, and the interconnectedness of humanity with nature. Following this, they enter a recursive, curvilinear mirror-maze with winding corridors, stairwells, and bright white lights that create infinite reflections. The accompanying cinematic sci-fi synths and slow breathing sounds contribute to an ethereal atmosphere. While the thematic link between the video and the maze might become less apparent during the experience, Devlin’s meticulous execution and background in theatrical design are evident in the installation’s visual impact and spatial choreography. Superblue Miami aims to be a next-generation art space dedicated to large-scale, immersive art, seeking to challenge and transform visitors' understanding of themselves and their relationship with the world. The curated route of "Every Wall is a Door" guides guests through a diverse array of experiential poetics, balancing high-tech spectacle with analog immersion. The installations explore themes of illusion, reality, memory, forgetting, and human agency. The ultimate success of Superblue is presented as residing not just in the artworks themselves, but in their capacity to elevate the viewer's aesthetic sensitivity, leading them to recognize the immersive potential of art and everyday life beyond the confines of a traditional museum setting. Steven Pestana, a visual artist and writer, contributed this review, drawing on his background in digital media and art history. #ImmersiveArt #DigitalArt #NewMediaArt #ArtExhibition #InteractiveInstallation #StanVanDerBeek #teamLab #JamesTurrell #EsDevlin #SuperblueMiami