#modernism

#modernism

Lam's impact lies in his refusal of singular origin. Born in 1902 in Sagua La Grande, Cuba, to a Chinese immigrant father and an Afro-Cuban mother, he inherited a plural visual and spiritual vocabulary from the start. From his father came an understanding of objects as vessels, of line as philosophy, of restraint as power. From Afro-Cuban cosmology came ritual, invocation, and the inseparability of body and spirit.

When Archigram published their fanatical vision for pneumatic cities and walking megastructures in the 1960s, they seemed to be designing buildings. Beneath the surface, the avant-gardeists were pushing culture through radical alternatives to lifestyles and forms of organizing in the city. Laboratories found themselves between the lines of copy on Domus or Casabella magazines, propositions doubling as blueprints for the civilizations to come.

From October 4th, 2025, to January 25th, 2026, the Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) presents Frank Lloyd Wright: Modern Chair Design, the first exhibition to treat the architect's furniture as essential to his vision. Bringing together more than 40 chairs, many never exhibited before, alongside sketches, photographs, digital renderings, and newly constructed works, the show reveals how Wright's furniture was integral to the environments he created.

Contemporary architecture often references ideals from modernism - canonical elements like clean lines, open plans, and material honesty - further tempered to suit current tastes and needs. This Highland Park residence, designed by SmithArc with interiors by Joshua Rice, belongs firmly in that lineage. While expressing its modernist DNA, the home reconsiders what it means to be a "machine for living," with an emphasis on how color, material, and built-in conveniences will impact a growing family.

As the exhibition explains, the council was granted new powers to direct local development in 1963, and its new department was led by a London County Council architect, Edward Hollamby, giving them a significant advantage when planning large estates. He was more interested in Scandinavian style modernism than the British New Brutalism exemplified elsewhere, and despite what you might see if you travel through the area, was more interested in low-rise developments instead of tall blocks.

Morrison's Abstract Expressionism flouts these cleavages with sumptuous irony: lush, often warm colours that idealise landscapes and urban scenes even as they expose the confrontational realities of displacement, prejudice and survival.

The Rolly table uniquely combines functionality and joy, featuring four circular wheels that allow it to act as a side table or portable cart, enhancing any space.

DOUBLE CANDLE, a pair of seven-meter-tall bronze forms cast from soft Polyfleece, stands like sentinels above the city. The sculpture's patinated surface and retained fabric folds evoke both domestic softness and monumental gravity - drawing parallels to historical statuary, the Twin Towers, and the rooftop chimneys of the Cité itself.

Blurring the distinction between abstraction and figuration, Expanded Eye's recent works explore themes of the divine feminine and 'the peaceful power of the Earthmother.'

The exhibit "Past as Prologue: The Last Decade of Furniture Design by Ray and Charles Eames (1968-1978)" focuses on office furniture designed for the white-collar workforce, emphasizing modularity and visual authority.

Cezanne was the first artist I ever truly loved. His short brushstrokes and colliding perspectives gave me the courage to see the world in my own way.

The renovation managed to balance legacy and modernity, ensuring the Redwood House retains its historical significance while adapting to contemporary living needs.

Hemingway's trademark martini ritual reflects his exacting nature—frozen glass, gin stirred with ice, a teaspoon of vermouth, and a cocktail onion, epitomizing clean modernity.

As Mies van der Rohe once commented, 'A chair is a very difficult object. A skyscraper is almost easier.' You can't hide your work with cladding and curtain walls.

Togo's architectural heritage, which spans ancient clay structures to complex histories and outlandish modernist experiments, is an incredible source of inspiration for our work.

Drive a bit north of Central London and before long you'll find yourself in Hampstead, a community in the Borough of Camden known for its village-like atmosphere.

Paimio Sanatorium, completed in 1933 by Alvar and Aino Aalto, showcased a visionary design that prioritized the health and comfort of tuberculosis patients through radical modern architecture.