Events this Weekend: 5.13-5.16

This weekend we bring you 11 exhibitions and events spanning London, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Kuala Lumpur. Got another one for us? Add it to the list.

On Wednesday, May 12, The Republic of Fritz Hansen Egg Tour: A Tribute to Arne Jacobsen's Egg Chair by Artist Tal R opened at ABC Carpet and Home in New York City. The Danish manufacturer commissioned 50 new upholstery designs from the artist, known in Denmark for his attention to colors and textures and collections of unique fabrics from around the world. The 50 patchwork chairs have traveled through central Europe, Scandinavia, Australia, and Japan, and are on display in New York through May 31.

An early-edition Egg Chair, circa 1970, with original leather. By Arne Jacobsen.

An early-edition Egg Chair, circa 1970, with original leather. By Arne Jacobsen.

Today, May 13, Bespoke: The Handbuilt Bicycle opened at the Museum of Art and Design in New York. The exhibit features the work of six internationally renowned bicycle builders through the 21 handbuilt rides on display. The show—which highlights the juxtaposition of form, function, and materiality—is on view through August 15.

Today is also the final day to view Mind Your Behavior at the Danish Architecture Center (DAC) in Copenhagen. The show, which opened February 13, is a review of well-regarded, large-scale projects in Denmark by the country's top firms and include Ørestad College and the new Denmark’s Aquarium. In June, an exhibit about the 2010 Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese firm SANAA opens at the DAC and runs through mid-Setpember.

On Friday, May 14, National Design Triennial: Why Design Now? opens at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York. This year's Triennial program, the fourth since 2000, asked designers in the fields of architecture, fashion, graphics, new media, landscape, and more to present their ideas to solve today's most pressing human and environmental problems. The exhibit runs through January 9, 2011.

Helix, 1970. Lucienne Day. Manufactured by Thomas Somerset. Printed Linen. The Collection of Jill A. Wiltse and H. Kirk Brown III.

Helix, 1970. Lucienne Day. Manufactured by Thomas Somerset. Printed Linen. The Collection of Jill A. Wiltse and H. Kirk Brown III.

On Saturday, May 15, Art by the Yard: Women Design Mid-Century Britain opens at the Textile Museum in Washington, DC. Featuring the work of Lucienne Day, Jacqueline Groag, and Marin Mahler, the exhibit features the bold graphics of these mid-century designers and the influences they had on contemporary home design in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. The exhibit is on display through September 12.

Also on Saturday, Diana Al-Hadid opens at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. The show features the artist's towering sculptures of baroque architectural forms and runs through August 15.

On Saturday only, the American Institute of Architects San Francisco chapter is hosting the Marin Living: Home Tours. Tickets are sold out but the chapter will host another series of home tours, this time in San Francisco, on September 11 and 12 during the month-long Architecture and the City celebration.

On Sunday, May 16, Ron Arad: Restless closes at the Barbican Art Gallery in London. On the heels of a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art of the Israeli-born, British-based designer's work, the show opened on February 18 as the first major UK survey of the F.P.E. creator's designs.

Counter-Composition VI, 1925, by Theo van Doesburg.

Counter-Composition VI, 1925, by Theo van Doesburg.

Also closing on Sunday is Van Doesburg and the International Avant-Garde at the Tate Modern in London. The founder of the De Stijl magazine and then movement, Theo van Doesburg was a Dutch artist who paved the way for designers and artists such as László Moholy-Nagy, Piet Mondrian, and Gerrit Rietveld, creator of the iconic Red-Blue chair. The exhibit opened February 4.

The London Eight Exhibition also is open for its last day on Sunday as well. On view at the SCI-Arc Library in Los Angeles, the show was curated by Sir Peter Cook, founding member of Archigram, and presents the work of five architects, chosen by Cook, next to the works of their self-selected "proteges." The exhibition opened April 1.

Finally, the Kuala Lumpur Design Week comes to a close on Sunday. With exhibits that ranged from typology to "devil robots" to magazine creation and design, the show opened May 1 and attracted millions of visitors.

Know of a great modern art, architecture, or design exhibition or event that should be added to our online calendar? Submit your suggestions here.
 

Miyoko Ohtake
When not writing, Miyoko Ohtake can be found cooking, training for her next marathon, and enjoying all that the City by the Bay and the great outdoors have to offer.

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