New York leads the U.S. construction pipeline, the Venice Architecture Biennale is set to take place in person beginning in May, and Nike reveals its first hands-free sneaker. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
Kehinde Wiley announces Black Rock resident artists
Kehinde Wiley; photo by Whitewall Magazine/Flickr
Artist Kehinde Wiley, known for his portrait of former President Barack Obama, has announced the 2021 artists in residence for the Black Rock Senegal program he founded in Dakar, Senegal in 2019. Wiley is not a part of the selection committee, which aims to “consider the class of artists as a whole and tries to pick a diverse group of residents, including personal identities and nationalities and the medium they work in,” the New York Times reports. Sixteen creators will spend several weeks at a designated studio in the West African capital in staggered phases due to coronavirus restrictions. Included among this year’s artists are Congolese painter Hilary Balu; Nigerian-American writer, director, and producer Abbesi Akhamie; and Houston-based contemporary artist and visual activist Irene Antonia Diane Reece.
The Venice Architecture Biennale is on
A portion of the event will be held at the Venetian Arsenale; photo by Andrea Avezzù, courtesy La Biennale di Venezia
After two postponements due to COVID-19, the 17th edition of the Venice Architecture Biennale will host its physical opening on May 22nd, reports the Architect’s Newspaper. Lebanese architect and educator Hashim Sarkis is curating the forthcoming exhibition, entitled How will we live today? The event’s theme was announced in 2019, months before COVID-19 was first identified and long before the virus’s impact could have been forecast. Although the exhibit has not been altered significantly due to the past year’s events, “it may indeed be a coincidence that we [were] asked the question a few months before the pandemic hit,” says Sarkis. “However, the same reasons that led us to ask this question (climate crisis, massive population displacements, political polarization, and growing racial, social, and economic inequalities) have led us to this pandemic.” The Art Biennale, typically held during odd-numbered years, will take place in April 2022.
Maya Lin’s Ghost Forest to debut in Madison Square Park
Portrait by Jesse Frohman and courtesy of the artist
Manhattan’s Madison Square Park will be home to a new immersive installation by artist and environmental activist Maya Lin this spring. Initially scheduled to open in June 2020, Ghost Forest will comprise 40 towering desiccated white cedars spread across the park’s oval lawn. According to the Art Newspaper, the installation will create a micro-landscape, whose eerie presence depicting the effects of climate change will be accented by a custom soundscape for visitors to hear the calls of endangered and extinct species once native to the city.
Nike unveils hands-free shoe
In 2015, Nike introduced a prototype designed with new Flyease technology that would enable users with limited dexterity to put on the shoe with one hand thanks to Velcro and zippers. Six years later, Flyease has advanced into Flyease Go, a colorful hands-free option that snaps onto wearers’ feet. Slated for a rollout later this year, the sleek, inclusive shoe will be available for $120. Fast Company reports that the neoprene-like clog is tilted at 30 degrees via a patent-pending bistable hinge that is also part of the shoe’s outsole. Once a foot slides into the Flyease Go, the hinge automatically snaps shut, grasping the heel with a satisfying suction sound. Performance foam and upgraded cushioning also make the design extra comfortable.
New York leads U.S. hotel construction pipeline
A rendering of the Denniston-designed Aman New York, slated to open spring 2021
The U.S. closed 2020 with 5,216 projects and 650,222 guestrooms in its development pipeline. According to the latest U.S. Construction Pipeline Trend Report from Lodging Econometrics, New York holds top billing among all U.S. cities for the first time in six quarters. The Big Apple currently maintains 150 projects and 25,640 guestrooms in its pipeline, as well as 108 projects and 19,439 guestrooms under construction. With 14 projects and 2,617 guestrooms, New York also ended the final quarter of 2020 with the most construction starts in the country.
