The Museum of Art and Design in New York City is currently hosting a major exhibition championing the city’s “makers”. The MAD Biennial has gathered together examples of the best work by artists, artisans and designers from across the five boroughs, with the 100 individuals working in a wide range of disciplines from stonemasonry to set design. The chosen centurions were nominated by cultural and civic leaders, and whittled down by a panel of judges. The process meant that as well as some well-known names, there was some rare attention given to those working in fields which are rarely fêted in the same way as the fine arts.
Once the cream had been skimmed, the selected makers were invited to take over the MAD’s many exhibition spaces, lobbies, offices and stairwells, and beyond the building’s boundaries into the city itself to show off their work. As well as the exhibition, there is a programme of talks, live events and publications arising from the Biennial in areas as diverse as fashion, special effects, millinery, and product design; a detailed schedule and the full list of participants is available from the MAD organisers.
Installation view
‘NYC Makers: The MAD Biennial’
at the Museum of Arts and Design. 2014.
(Detail of ‘Fringe Wall–Copper’, 2014 and ‘Catalogue’ 01, 2014 by CONFETTISYSTEM;
two iterations of Pig Bench, 2014, Heyerdahl Bench, and Heyerdahl Coat Rack/Planter/Lamp, 2014
all by Misha Kahn; ‘100 Arrows’, 2014 by Fredericks & Mae; ‘Totem’ II, 2014 by Lindsey Adelman
with Nancy Callan; and ‘X-Tower’ 54.4, 2013 by MILGO/BUFKIN , fabricator and Haresh Lalvani, designer.)
Photo, Eric Scott
NYC Makers: The MAD Biennial
Photo, Eric Scott
Installation view
‘NYC Makers: The MAD Biennial’ opening night, June 30, 2014
Photo, Gulshan Kirat
Beach Tennis, 2013
Fredericks and Mae
Baltic birch, cork, ink, cotton
Photo, Darroch Putnam
Installation view
‘NYC Makers: The MAD Biennial’
at the Museum of Arts and Design. 2014.
(Detail of ‘Cannibal Mécanique’, 2014 by Victoria Keddie)
Photo, Eric Scott
Installation view
‘NYC Makers: The MAD Biennial’
at the Museum of Arts and Design. 2014.
(Detail of ‘Play-A-Grill’ (from ‘Sensory Pathways for the Plastic Mind’), 2013;
‘Echolocation Headphones’ (from ‘Sensory Pathways for the Plastic Mind’), 2012;
and ‘Scent Rhythm’ (from ‘Sensory Pathways for the Plastic Mind’), 2013; all by Aisen Caro Chacin)
Photo, Eric Scott
NYC Makers: The MAD Biennial
Photo, Eric Scott
Installation view
‘NYC Makers: The MAD Biennial’ 2014
Photo, Butcher Walsh © Museum of Arts and Design
Network (stool), 2011
Chen Chen and Kai Williams
Oak, fabric, urethane resin
Photo courtesy of the artists
Chocolate Whiskey
Kings County Distillery
Photo, Valery Rizzo
Installation view
‘NYC Makers: The MAD Biennial’
at the Museum of Arts and Design. 2014.
(Detail of ‘Stepin One 2’ by Rafael de Cárdenas/Architecture at Large, 2014)
Photo, Eric Scott
Installation view
‘NYC Makers: The MAD Biennial’
at the Museum of Arts and Design. 2014.
(Detail of ‘Vigilant Floral’ by Flavor Paper and Dan Funderburgh, 2011)
Photo, Eric Scott
Installation view
‘NYC Makers: The MAD Biennial’
at the Museum of Arts and Design. 2014.
(Detail of ‘BFAMFAPhD’ Represented by Ben Lerchin,Caroline Woolard,
Lika Volkova, Vicky Virgin, and Julian Boilen, 2013)
Photo, Eric Scott
Gold Wall, 2010
CONFETTISYSTEM
Metallic foil, canvas
Photo, CONFETTISYSTEM
Unique crumpled sculptural vessel in mirrorized
yellow hand-blown glass with glass gems, 2014
Jeff Zimmerman
Glass
Photo, Joe Kramm for R & Company
