Laura Ford’s trio of bronze outdoor girls doesn’t worry about getting their shiny red shoes muddied.

Shibboleth runs a lot deeper than through the floor of Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall. Doris Salcedo sure knows how to make her point. See the video.

Then Stas Volovik soothed us with his compositions, like happy Rorschach tests.

French street artist Zevs shows us how to window-shop.

Mylar is part of the magic in Hillevi Baar’s work that is a mixture of texture, illustration and paper sculpture. SM

More at Art MoCo.

We featured Merrill Lyons’ Collectables Coat Rack not too long ago, a piece that got a fair bit of attention. Some of her other pieces also combine a primary function with lighting, like the mirrors and storage units we show today. Lyons explains for whom she designed these pieces and why.







Your Collectables Coat Rack draws on tying nostalgia to contemporary needs. Why do you think we are so receptive to delving back into the past? Is nostalgia a factor in your other designs?
I wanted to create a product that was not only useful but conjured up feelings of the familiar. It was helpful for me, in tailoring this product, to clearly define the needs and desires of the user. This group was then defined as the "young urban dweller" who, most likely lived in a home deficient of light and space. A common factor of renting their home also correlated with a lack of personality and sense of warmth in their living space. It was then clear to me that this product not only had to become sensitive to the space/light/efficiency factors of the home but the emotional desires of the user.

Fragiles is the porcelain, glass and ceramics show curated by Die Gestalten Verlag for next week's Art Basel in Miami. It's a collection of more than 200 pieces of contemporary work by leading designers who are using fragile materials to further their creativity. Designer Arne Quinze has been commissioned to create new works in glass for this exhibition and the work he did with the traditional Bavarian glassworks can be seen here. There will also be work by Marcel Wanders, Jaime Hayon, Hella Jongerius and a host of other designers, and so much of it will show the sense of humour that reigns throughout the creative world. The Millipedes above are by David Amar, and there’s more variety after the jump.

+ die-gestalten.de

+ This office by Ivan Bravo was designed for Ecopellets, a company that produces wooden pellets as an alternate energy system. The building is clad in energy efficient zinc panels.

+ Futil Design has a great series of modular luggage. The base unit designed for a 24-hour trip is the size of a carry-on and can be used as a backpack as well. Put two of these together with the handle hardware and you’re good for 2 days. The modules can be combined for a grouping of up to six units.

+ The Siren candleholders by Mino Kodama "are compared to a lighthouse". The Siren elevates standard tea lights and can also be used in a candelabra or a menorah by stacking them.

+ These tiny stainless steel figures in silhouette have been created by Hannes Freising for use in architectural models and we can imagine how much fun artists would have with them too. Smaller than a paper clip.

+ The Lorna chaise by Sam Wilkinsonhas an ergonomic shell with a cushion of reflex foam that will mould to the body. Lorna is all about relaxing, reading the paper and napping.

+ The Naoto Fukasawa-designed and Red Dot Design Award winning ITIS desk lamp for Artemide, available in black or white, will go on sale in December.

+ Another great novelty item from +d, this time the tiny clip PhotoHanger, designed by Juuta Kan.

+ Tokujin Yoshioka (PANE Chain, Media Skin) gets profiled in The Japan Times this week. JS

+ The Zen Garden, Roof and Deck Bench by Aidan Olive is a low profile western red cedar outdoor bench especially designed for a roof deck, but perfect in any space used for relaxation and contemplation.

+ Haseform’s new shelf is also a good filing system for a lighter load. Folder is made of powder-coated steel and designed by Kathrin Lang and Wolfgang Rößler.

+ The Arash + Kelly powder-coated steel arrow is a tidy way to hang things up. Well, it would have been, but we think it is sold out.