Magenta!

We recently completed our latest painting: "Magenta - The never-ending game between the Astronaut and the Plastiline Rabbit", a 240 square meters outdoor painting realized at the elementary schools of Bozzoreda, Lugano (CH),  on request of the DSU of Lugano (the public services department of Lugano). 

It is mainly realized with spray cans paint, with some part in acrylic paint markers and lacks. It is composed by two big walls, one perpendicular to the other, and it shows an evolving scenery, a story (or more) that's taking life. The basis of this painting are the idea of creating, of creativity, imagination, thought, discovery and memories; of the great abilities and possibilities from which we naturally can tap into at any age.

...You can hear strange noises coming from behind the little door: the rustle of paper is mixed with the roar of a fully active engine, a slight fluttering of wings seems to accompany the notes of a guitar, while something is moving in the water and seems to enjoy. The small key can reveal everything and involve the visitor in the never-ending game between the astronaut and the plastiline rabbit. 

Click on the images to enlarge them, and more about "Magenta" on our website.

The Funnel Project

"The Funnel" is the project that we proposed to Arte Urbana Lugano, in the national competition for the temporary renewal of the Lugano-Besso (CH) pedestrian tunnel.

A 80 feet long blackboard that runs through the tunnel, on one hand, a white wall with benches to observe, on the other one; colored chalks in an automatic-vending machine, the four cardinal points written with neon lights; messages which are randomly generated by a computer. This is "The Funnel", where the constant flow of travelers and passers-by brings messages, information, ideas and suggestions.
The idea behind this project is very simple: give to people, who go through the tunnel that connects Besso to Lugano or that come from the railway station, a tool to express themselves and a place to leave their own messages. But the developments are full of potential. Who has never written a sentence of love, an insult, a thought on the blackboard at school? Who has never dreamed of doing it using all the available colors?
A dream comes true to the nth power, with a 80 meters long blackboard placed on the south wall of the tunnel. Divided into four colors regions representing the four cardinal points that meet up int the tunnel, the blackboard will turn it into "Funnel," a funnel of information, news, messages, thoughts that come from the four corners of the world and from the two poles of the city : the Besso quarter and Lugano. Mixing visions and travels in a single, large collective fresco.

To participate in this work, the distracted traveler or the rushing passer-by, will have at the disposal colored chalks, which can be found in an automatic-vending machine located at the junction of the North / South and East / West flows, at the underpass that leads to the train tracks. Each color is linked to one of the four cardinal points, and thus, perhaps, influence the choice of the message to leave and in which part of the long blackboard leave it.
To inspire the passer-traveler-writer will be distributed, along with chalks, a phrase printed on a ticket. Dark, disturbing, maybe funny: it is randomly generated by a computer and, perhaps because it's random, it speaks us about our fate... or maybe not. After leaving his mark on the large blackboard, the traveler-passer will recover from his labors by sitting in front of the long black wall, on a simple bench at the foot of a luminous white and just as long wall (the north part). To view, read and think.
"The Funnel" is this: a place where the flow of information, thoughts, desires, stops for a moment, on a long blackboard placed at the intersection of different worlds. In Lugano. A simple idea, full of potential developments: into "the Funnel" you can organize events, lectures, happenings, drawing contests, reading evenings of the messages that stranded on the blackboard. But "The Funnel" will become ath first something alive, a landing place for the flow, one that binds and unites the whole, an organism with a life of its own made of urban legends, love stories and oblique messages written in chalk.

We planned to use about 80% of the maximum budget allowed for this project (CHF 100'000. -): 50% for the realization and 30% to support events and activities within it.

The competition was won by Sophie Maffioli and Paola Tallarico, with the project "(S)Guarda Lugano", and it will be realized in june 2012 for Arte Urbana Lugano.

For more details about concept, techichal solutions, more images and for the ITALIAN version download the PDF here or visit our website.

Highlighting invasion!

"Highlighting invasion" is a mixed media planar living-structure.

The basic concept of the work is the relationship between man and nature, between mankind and its nature. The bio-mecha structure is at the same time a symbol of scientific and creative potential, and personification modern life chaos, confusing excess of information and new media increasingly becoming part of our existence. The two sides of the coin. The flow of color, which originates from the "Space Invader" into the big brain, makes everything readable and unified in its parts. It's life and creativity, coming from everyone, from the streets, revealing new ways and new systems and showing that problem and solution are strictly connected in our decisions.

Of this living-structure we created also a smaller version, with reduced proportions and scale of values, named "Highlighting Invasion: Life Space Invasion".

More about "Highlighting invasion" on our website's page.

NEVERCREW at Grafik12

 photo by RawCut.ch

From March 1 to March 4 2012, Grafik12 took place at the Maag Halle in Zurich (CH): an exhibition of graphic design (intended in its widest meaning) and young art. They were exhibited 100 between graphic designers, illustrators, and artists from all over Switzerland (like Ata "Toast" Bozaci, Donovan Gregory and the Designer's Club, Amadeus Waltenspühl, Michel Casarramona, Suki Bamboo, Rips1, C-Line and many more). The event has had 1800 visitors during the opening night and 6000 during all the 4 days.
We were there too with four of our recent works and we also had to realize a 4 hours live painting for Boesner during the opening night, and another 3 hours live painting during the last day (March 4) for Yootea Cares, a charity organization. For the same event were painting also Mr.Kong, Queenkong, Shark, Rips1, C-Line, Amadeus Waltenspühl, Lluvia Tresmil, Suki Bamboo, Kevin Högger, Safu, Stvan, Pase, Felix Wastütü, Kkade, Fafa and Dr. Drax.

Some interesting video of the event on Rawcut's Vimeo page.

photo by RawCut.ch

 photo by Gabriela Domeisen

 

Sluggy P - Superfrosted!

Sluggy P Superfrosted is the hairy version of Sluggy P (our latest 4 inches designer toy), evolved for situations of considerable frost and frosting (outdoor or in the kitchen). As the "regular" Sluggy P, the Superfrosted lives in the cities and look at us from the top of the buildings; but he's more relaxed and also likes to visit mountains and nature, or to walk right on the streets. His new hairy surface gives him the necessary protection from low temperatures and bad weather (also between persons), and also more adherence on his head to grab everything he needs. Needless to say, thanks to his white hairy-look he's frequently confused with a Yeti, but he's more common and not aggressive.

In the first series, we will produce 50 pieces with white hair and pink donut and 50 pieces with white hair and blue donut, both numbered and signed and buyable on our store.

To know more about Sluggy P Superfrosted, visit its page on our website.

Click here to know more about the "regular" Sluggy P and here to visit our store.

A wallpaper set is on out downloads page.

 

Sluggy P!

"Sluggy P" is a character that we created for the upcoming movie "Tutti Giù" by Niccolò Castelli (ImagoFilm), for wich we worked as art directors, that's going to be released in 2012.

Sluggy-P is a pigeon like any other one, but probably not so easy going. He doesn't like the chaotic life of the metropolis, also if he likes to live there. He desires a better life for everyone (and for himself, of course) with all the modern comforts and technologies, but without the excess and disorder of bad informations and without pollution. He loves colors, creativity and diversity, but can't stand confusion and intolerance. This stressful situation makes him very hungry and a bit depressed, and he takes comfort from the sweetness of donuts, like an edible colored lifebelt. 

 

More about Sluggy P on our Website.

More about "Tutti Giù" on the official page and on the IMDb page.

 

A wallpapers set is available on our Downloads Page.

 

 

 

 

Parts of the Process!

We were invited by the RSI (Radiotelevisione Svizzera Italiana) to create an image for the T-Shirts of the 10th anniversary of the broadcast "BandZ On Air".
So we started a search of the necessary elements, looking into the underground music scene of Ticino, going through homes and pockets of singers and musicians, asking to the experts and to the beginners, scouring the streets and the bars in our cities. What we found are the pieces that will help us to create a musical and creative living machine, and in this special picture we will show you how it works. :-)

As everyone knows, there are balloons in the sky filled with color... so, this is the starting point of the machine we're building for the T-Shirt. Through an elaborate process, the balloons are attracted and captured and, passing into a system of canals, are transformed by the special elements that compose the living machine (and that we have worked so hard to find).

There are, for example, the "Bio Fermentation" that produces a velvety feeling through an inevitable explosion of plastic bacteria; the "Music Jam Jar", the container where the various elements find the right tune; the "Fluidisation Prism", that receives the imput from its dark side and delivers new variations from the opposite one.

The musical and creative living machine is almost ready, we just have to do the final touches and catch some flying color balloon to make some test! :-) In the meantime, you can download this image (in 8 different colors), to use as wallpaper or just to learn more about the machine, in our DOWNLOADS page.