Issue #080

Welcome to your weekly dose of TooXToo, this week featuring L’Arc De Triomphe ‘Wrapped’, a poetry-filled pavilion, the collaboration between Jony Ive & Ferarri, and the re-design of Peter Rabbit.

L’Arc De Triomphe ‘Wrapped’

If you thought wrapping up Christmas presents took time and effort- have you ever contemplated wrapping up the L’Arc De Triomphe? This monument was wrapped in 25,000 square meters of recyclable silver polypropylene fabric, and 3,000 meters of red rope. It took 1200 technicians two months to fully finish.

This display of public art is a wonderful ode to the talented artist duo Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The final work of this couple was 60 years in the making and one that the pair unfortunately did not live to see unveiled. Christo and Jeanne-Claude expressed that their “work of art is a scream of freedom” and has been acclaimed as one of the top public artworks of all time.

Like their past public installations- not only are they extraordinary to see and be in the presence of, but they are also embodied with deep political meaning. This large French historic monument is brimming with historical significance. Now draped in fabric metaphorically hiding the past, while creating a blank slate for the progression of a modern society.

You can view this impressive spectacle for the next 16 days only, until 3 October and as with their earlier installations, it will never be shown again. Need an excuse for a European city-break? Look no further than Paris.

A Poetry-filled pavilion

The Expo 2020 was originally intended to take place in Dubai, UAE, in October 2020 but has been postponed to October 2021. This awe-inspiring Expo sees the congregation of nearly 200 countries under the theme ‘Innovating for a shared future’. Es Devlin and a multi-disciplinary team have designed the UK pavilion, a 20-metre-high cone structure.

The building is made up of a collection of cross laminated timbers that invite visitors to “donate words” via an app which then creates a continuous poem that can be digitally displayed. Devlin developed this idea to exhibit British innovations, from space technology to AI. The pavilion is fully interactive as well as immersive- producing a musical soundscape and an AI-generated poem.

The concept was inspired by no other than the work of Professor Stephen Hawking. It is all about projecting a message from Earth to an outer-world civilisation, which would be representative of humanity.

Key to the pavilion’s design is its sustainability. The structure is partially underground which provides the space with natural insulation, alongside a “thermal labyrinth” that utilises water tanks to cool air allowing the interior temperature to be maintained. The lighting system is also regulated with control systems to reduce energy waste.

This beautiful poetry-filled space opens 1 October 2021 and will remain open in Dubai until 31 March 2022.

Jony Ive & Ferrari’s collaboration

Jony Ive: ex-chief designer at Apple, has collaborated with Ferrari signalling the start of a long-term partnership, which some have speculated could feature a new Electric vehicle. Ive’s input into Ferarri is part of a broader alliance between the design consultancy LoveFrom which he set up with Marc Newson and Exor in 2019.

The two entities are said to be teaming up to “explore the business of luxury”. The collaboration makes sense given Ive’s passion for cars- as the owner of an Aston Martin Vanquish, a Bentley Brooklands and Mulsanne, and a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud. At the moment no final announcements have confirmed the release of an EV, but a statement from the teams set to collaborate explains they are, “Exploring a range of creative projects”.

Despite the secrecy, it is understood that Ive has been pursuing an EV project titled ‘Project Titan’ which has supposedly included input from 1,000 car design aficionados.

Is an Apple car looming on the horizon? We will have to wait and see, but it is safe to say this exciting collaboration has petrol-heads chomping at the bit.

The Re-design of Peter Rabbit

 Last week witnessed the revamp of Mr Pringles, and this week we see our favourite furry friend: Mr Peter Rabbit similarly re-designed. Safe to say he looks as cute as ever, but what would Beatrix Potter think of her beloved rabbits new look?

Regardless- Peter Rabbit is turning 120 years old, and so the time has come to give this wonderful character a makeover to allow him to “remain relevant and loved by the next generation”. This modern refresh will be released across social media channels as well as brand packaging in the run up to Peter’s official Birthday in 2022.

The new logo is already viewable on the Peter Rabbit official website and was created by studio ‘Create Future’- who have shared a video explaining the thought and design process behind their innovation.

Potter’s original design and sentiment remain as we see the same pose and figure used. However, the Rabbit starring in the re-design appears much more modern and cleaner with an updated colour palette. The designers behind this new Peter wanted to include Beatrix’s signature which will, “act as signifiers of the official and original Peter Rabbit Brand”.