Can't Pay 20k For Jeff Koons and Dom Pérignon's Balloon Venus? Get The Limited Gift Box Versions Instead.

The news broke last June that artist Jeff Koons and Dom Pérignon collaborated on a limited number (650 worldwide) of manually assembled and hand polished champagne holders inspired by Koons' Balloon Venus.



The two-foot tall polyurethane resin version (shown above) of the artist's bulbous take on the 25,000 year old fertility symbol, Venus of Willendorf, was designed to cradle a bottle of Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 2003 and is offered in a limited edition of 650 worldwide costing $20,000 a piece.


above: Jeff Koons and Dom Pérignon's Richard Geoffroy with Koons' Balloon Venus for Dom Pérignon design and the hot pink full-sized sculpture that inspired it.



If you can't afford the $20,000 Balloon Venus bottle holder (and if you can, I'd like to be your friend) than perhaps the limited edition gift box is a better choice.



The Limited Edition gift box was designed by Jeff Koons himself for both Dom Pérignon Vintage 2004 and Dom Perignon Rose Vintage 2003. The exterior of the boxes feature silk-screened spot-varnished images of a yellow Balloon Venus and a hot pink Balloon Venus (to match the respective cuvees) on a dark background.


above: Koons' full-sized Balloon Venus in yellow

From the outside, the gift box extends the feeling of being in the presence of Balloon Venus, as the reproduction features a 360 degree view of the sculpture.



A view of the artist’s studio is visible on the reflective surface of the Balloon Venus, a reference to the place where Jeff Koons takes his inspiration, just as the Abbey of Hautvillers is where Richard Geoffroy, Chef de Cave of Dom Pérignon, creates the Dom Pérignon vintages.

The gift box opens to expose the bottle, unveiling first an elaborate design that simulates the iridescent interior of the original sculpture made of high chromium stainless steel with transparent color coating dress. The iconic Dom Pérignon bottle erupts, exactly as it does from the body of the Balloon Venus for Dom Pérignon.



Similar to the boxes, the bottle foils give a pop twist to the color of its cuvée, Blanc or Rose, interpreting the tension between the colors and the dark bottle. It bears a metallic shield with the same color layout as the foil and the box.



The label plays with colored surface on the depth of the shield, emphasizing its allure, playful and yet mysterious.



Richard Geoffroy of Dom Pérignon said that the label first approached Koons with the idea two years ago, and gave the artist free rein on the end design of the package.



The limited edition boxes can be found at select specialty liquor and wine stores all over the world.

Dom Pérignon has previously collaborated with such artists as David Lynch, Marc Newsom, Martin Szekely, and the estate of Andy Warhol for limited edition champagne buckets and bottles.

Dom Pérignon
images courtesy of Dom Perignon and Jeff Koons

Malaysia's Hottest New Hotel Is A Transformed Colonial Filled With Art and Whimsy: The Macalister Mansion.

This new 4,800 square meter hotel in Panang, Malaysia was just completed last year and has already garnered numerous awards from the most prestigious hotel and travel organizations. It is housed in a 100 year old historic mansion that has been adapted into a modern and hip, but luxurious dining room, living room, den, cellar (bar), lawn area, mosaic pool and 8 separate rooms complete with private baths.



The name Macalister Mansion honors Panang's British Governor Colonel Norman Macalister and there are numerous references to him in a host of specially commissioned art pieces found in and on the grounds of the mansion.



Designed and branded as a lifestyle oriented 'residence', the Macalister Mansion and the five F&B (food and beverage) and Hotel entities (rooms) that comprise it have been conceived as a single holistic vision by the Ministry of Design based in Singapore.




Led by its Design Director Colin Seah, the design differentiates itself from the local boutique hotel scene by its intimate scale, contemporary design and attention to details - design ranging from art curation to uniforms, branding to interior design and everything else in between.

Wall sketches in the livingroom, art in the bedrooms and whimsical animal sculptures permeate the hotel:




Set against the backdrop of a conserved mansion, the heritage spaces have been carefully adapted and key features conserved and infused with contemporary design, allowing the project to strike a balance between the nostalgia of the past and a vision of relevance for the future.



When Colin was first approached by the client Dato' Sean to conceive of a lifestyle based offering which would enliven the hotel and dining scene in Penang, it was readily agreed that the new offering in the restored colonial mansion would stem from a holistic vision, with the 8 rooms and the 5 F&Bs (formal diningroom, casual dining, the den, the cellar and the outdoor bar) forming a holistic brand with a distinctive positioning.






The design process spanned an 8 month period from February to September 2011, with Colin and Dato' Sean working collaboratively to produce a design for a stunning set of distinct entities offering sophistication in a singular package.

In the 12 months of construction that followed, there were multiple meetings held to discuss the major infrastructural work required to restore a colonial mansion, e.g. retaining and reinforcing original columns, staircases and archways, removing plaster to reveal the original brick walls and wall cornices, and repairing and soundproofing original windows for contemporary hospitality use. As an extension of the grounds, Colin and his team also masterplanned an event lawn where large-scaled parties can be hosted. Beside the lawn is a mosaic lap pool with a feature sunken 'swim-up' pool bar at one end. Guests of the hotel also enjoy additional gym, computer lounge and library.




The oversized sculptural bust of Macalister encapsulates the spirit of Macalister Mansion - the meeting of heritage and contemporary design. The 2.5m bust is the first art piece to greet you as you approach the mansion from along the hedge lined driveway.



It draws inspiration from traditional portrait busts of important figures but instead of the typical life-like features, Macalister's features are modernised by rendering them as sharp edged fractal lines - as if sculptured by computer aided design. The piece is constructed in fiberglass and spray painted a high gloss white finish.



The dining room of Macalister Mansion is conceived as a whimsical experience where the diner enjoys the formality of fine dining that is imbued with a contrasting fairy tale-like quality - pastel coloured deer graze around a tree while squirrels and birds perch on its branches. The pink, blue and yellow animals complement the all white dining room and are constructed from fiberglass and finished in high gloss paint.



The 8 rooms blend a minimal but comfortable contemporary style with beautiful Bisazza tiled bathrooms, light woods, unusual art and modern fixtures.



In this room the sonnet below is enlarged and embossed as art above the bed:


Another room features a modern chrome and wood post bed with built-ins:


This room has a large tiled bath separated from the sleeping area by the partial glass shower wall and a terrace that overlooks the pool:




One of the rooms has a spiral staircase and wire wall art of Macalister:





And yes, they offer a room with double beds:


A narrower room features an enormous bathroom opposite the bed:



And this room has both a glass wall separating the bathroom from the bedrooom and a partitioned seating area




and the last of the eight rooms:


So, if you've been planning a trip to Malaysia, consider the Macalister Mansion.

Macalister Mansion
228 Jalan Macalister, Penang, 10400 Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia
Phone:+60 4-228 3888

Cool Concrete Docking Stations for the iPhone 5.

Modern and industrial looking, these are concrete docking stations for the iPhone. A minimalist design created by Jordan Castro of the Massachusetts-based company Zeitgeistfactory, it is handcrafted from a proprietary blend of cement and recycled stone dust which is a by-product of the countertop industry. Each dock is designed to stand vertically or horizontally. The removable concrete peg fits snugly into place via two silicone o-rings.

In white concrete:





In dark concrete:





dimensions: W6.5" X D3"

White or dark concrete. $35
buy it here