A Connecticut nonprofit is addressing forced labor in the construction and design industries, the Costume Institute unveils its 2020 exhibition, and Bjarke Ingels continues to think BIG. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
Bjarke Ingels sets out to save the world
BIG founder Bjarke Ingels has revealed a new masterplan in an effort to prove that “a sustainable human presence on planet Earth is attainable with existing technologies.” Ingels unpacked the concept, known as Masterplanet, in a recent interview with TIME magazine, in which he identifies the approach of sustainability akin to the way an architect approaches masterplanning for a city. He even posits that up to 10 billion humans could still enjoy a high quality of life if the environmental crisis is addressed holistically. Masterplanet is characterized by the division of environmental crises into 10 sections under two subheadings: polluting and sustainable living. The former comprises transport, energy, food, industry, and waste management; while the latter is composed of biodiversity, water, pollution, health, and architecture and urbanism.
“About Time” exhibition opens at the Met
The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has unveiled its 2020 exhibition: “About Time: Fashion and Duration.” Designed by Es Devlin, the exhibit chronicles 150 years of fashion—from 1870 to the present—via a disrupted timeline inspired by French philosopher Henri Bergson’s concept of La Durée, or the continuity of time. “About Time” further explores how clothing creates temporal associations that combine the past, present, and future, with the writings of Virginia Woolf providing additional illumination. The exhibition is open to the public through February 7th, 2021. If attendees listen closely, they might also hear the voices of Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, and Meryl Streep narrating text.
Grace Farms Foundation aims to end forced labor
New Canaan, Connecticut-based nonprofit the Grace Farms Foundation has issued a new report calling for the eradication of modern slavery in the architecture, construction, and design industries. Backed by more than 60 industry professionals and leaders, the report, known as “Design for Freedom,” addresses systemic uses of forced labor within building materials supply chains and analyzes the cycle of slavery in the building industry. The report finds that the $11.4 trillion construction industry is the most susceptible to the use of forced labor across the industrial sectors. It is also among our least modernized and most disaggregated with a mere 1 percent productivity rating.
Artist Frederick Weston dies at 73
New York-based artist, performer, and fashion designer Frederick Weston died of cancer last week. He was 73. According to ARTnews, the news was confirmed via arts nonprofit Visual AIDS, of which Weston became a member following his HIV diagnosis. The Memphis-born Fashion Institute of Technology graduate explored the deconstruction of the male form throughout his career. His “Blue Bathroom Blues” series plastered homoerotic imagery cast in blue hues across an array of downtown Manhattan construction sites. His 2015 work, Body Map I, drew inspiration from his own identity as a Black, queer, HIV-positive person. The Gordon Robichaux gallery in New York hosted Weston’s first solo exhibition, “Happening,” last year.
Stream the 16th annual HD Awards now
The 16th annual HD Awards were held (mostly) virtually this year at the NeueHouse Madison Square in New York. With a small, socially distanced audience in attendance, the ceremony was broadcast live to hundreds of industry professionals via webcast, with winners accepting both virtually and on stage. This year’s esteemed panel of judges also appeared in cameos, discussing what stood out from the more than 1,000 entries submitted across project and product categories. Is FOMO setting in yet? Fear not—you can stream this year’s event in its entirety here.
And a special thanks to our sponsors: Coastal Shower Doors, Delta, Dometic, and Mandy Li Collection (Title Sponsors); Williams-Sonoma/West Elm (Student Competition); and Dupont, Emser Tile, and Viso (Supporting Sponsors).
