Scent from the Factory / Pope's art / Gehry troubles (Wednesday 14 November 2007)

compiled by Marthe Leach

The smell of Warhol

Following in the footsteps of such artistic wonders as Britney Spears, Sean “P Diddy” Combs, and Kate Moss, Andy Warhol is set to have his own line of signature perfumes. Bond No. 9, a company that frequently releases scents based on different areas of New York, will release ‘Silver Factory’ first, with other scents to follow. Somewhat fittingly, Silver Factory will be a unisex scent.  This project is being done with the cooperation and permission of the Andy Warhol Foundation. Now everyone can smell like a superstar. 

Source: http://www.basenotes.net/industry_news/20071016.html

The Pope's art

Parmiggiani's installation entitled Polvere, made with fire, smoke, and soot on wood. Image held here

It seems the Pope has taken a temporary interest in contemporary art. After several meetings with the Vatican - the director of patrmony, the Secretary General of the Conference of Bishops, and Cardinal Ruini - Claudio Parmiggiani has been commissioned to do a piece for the Church.  Parmiggiani himself is not a Christian.  In fact, he claims he “was brought up with atheism as though it were a religion.”  However, the artist, known for painting with smoke,  has caught the Church’s eye by the sheer beauty of his work.  He has incorporated several Christian images into his work in the past, such as his veiled statues and canvases that are references to the days between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.  The Pope says of this collaboration, “I’m very happy to see this work; the Church has always had a close relationship with modern, but not contemporary art.”

Source: http://www.theartnewspaper.com/article.asp?id=6432

MIT sues Frank Gehry over flawed design

Gehry's Stata Center at M.I.T. Image held here

The brains behind the Guggenheim Bilbao is, it seems, in some trouble. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has filed a lawsuit against Frank Gehry and a construction company, claiming that the building Gehry designed for the school is faulty.  The Ray and Maria Stata Center cost $15 million to build and will cost a whole lot more to fix.  Only weeks after the building was finished, the floors began to crack, the ceilings began to leak, and in Boston’s winter months, snow and ice slided off the roof blocking exits and damaging property, as well as, no doubt, hitting passersby. 

This is not the first problem a customer has had with a Gehry design.  In Cleveland, Ohio, Case Western Reserve University’s management building designed by Gehry cost nearly double what it was originally estimated at.  A building for the University of California at Berkley had to be torn down due to severe leaking.  His Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles had to have parts sandblasted due to the excessive glare produced by the building's skin.

The Peter B Lewis building at Case Western Reserve University. Image held here

Some people feel that, because of history and the nature of the buildings, a customer takes on a certain risk when hiring Gehry.  Both Cleveland and Boston have harsh winters with a lot of rain and snow.  Knowing that Gehry’s designs incorporate curves and flowing roofs, it is possible that these cities were not the best locations for a Gehry building. 

MIT is seeking unspecified damages, but Gehry is not worried.  “I think the issues are fairly minor,” he said.  “M.I.T. is after our insurance.” 

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/07/us/07mit.html?ref=design;
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/architecture/story/0,,2206428,00.html

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