More Steampunk Architecture From Dave Trautrimas - The SpyFrost Project

above: detail of The Radiant Proliferator

David Trautrimas, the Canadian artist about whose steampunk-like architectural art, The Habitat Machines, I blogged about once before, has a wonderful new series of work called The Spyfrost Project.

The Spyfrost Project illustrates David's hypothesizing the origins of modern iconic appliances by reassembling them into top secret Cold War era military outposts. These hybrids of machinery and architecture stand as colossal weaponized ancestors to common objects, such as refrigerators, lawnmowers and washing machines.

Carbon Inversion Device:

detail:

Digital print on archival paper (framed). 30” x 20”. 2010. Edition of 14. $1400.00 each.

Micro Re-Instigator:

detail:

Digital print on archival paper (framed). 40” x 30”. 2010. Edition of 10. $2600.00 each.

Mnemonic Doppelganger:

detail:

Digital print on archival paper (framed). 22.5” x 35”. 2010. Edition of 12. $1725.00 each.

Seismic Conduction Tower (and detail):

Digital print on archival paper (framed). 20” x 30”. 2010. Edition of 14. $1400.00 each.

Storm Crown Mechanism:
detail:

Digital print on archival paper (framed). 40” x 30”. 2010. Edition of 10. $2600.00 each.

Terra Thermal Inducer:

detail:

Digital print on archival paper (framed). 35” x 22.5”. 2010. Edition of 12. $1725.00 each.

The Aurora Maker (and detail):

Digital print on archival paper (framed). 14” x 17”. 2010. Edition of 16. $925.00 each.

The Brilliant Device:

detail:

Digital print on archival paper (framed). 30” x 20”. 2010. Edition of 14. $1400.00 each.

The Fragment Accumulator (and detail):

Digital print on archival paper (framed). 20” x 30”. 2010. Edition of 14. $1400.00 each.

The Radiant Proliferator:

Digital print on archival paper (framed). 30” x 20”. 2010. Edition of 14. $1400.00 each.

The Toronto launch of his latest series will be opening at LE Gallery on Friday April 30th and the exhibition runs from April 28th to May 30th. In Europe, The Spyfrost Series will be exhibited at the Eckhart Gallery in The Hague, Netherlands from May 2nd to June 11th.

See David's Habitat Machines And Factories here.

Ben's So New Money. A Close Look At The 100$ Redesign.

Update: The circulation of this new bill design has taken much longer than initially expected. See an updated post on the new $100 bill here.

Original Post:
Officials from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the United States Secret Service recently unveiled the new design for the $100 note. Complete with advanced technology to combat counterfeiting, the new design for the $100 note retains the traditional look of U.S. currency.



There are a number of security features in the redesigned $100 note, including two new features, the 3-D Security Ribbon and the Bell in the Inkwell. These security features are easy for consumers and merchants to use to authenticate their currency.



The blue 3-D Security Ribbon on the front of the new $100 note contains images of bells and 100s that move and change from one to the other as you tilt the note. The Bell in the Inkwell on the front of the note is another new security feature. The bell changes color from copper to green when the note is tilted, an effect that makes it seem to appear and disappear within the copper inkwell.

The new $100 note also displays American symbols of freedom, including phrases from the Declaration of Independence and the quill the Founding Fathers used to sign this historic document. Both are located to the right of the portrait on the front of the note.

The back of the note has a new vignette of Independence Hall featuring the rear, rather than the front, of the building. Both the vignette on the back of the note and the portrait on the front have been enlarged, and the oval that previously appeared around both images has been removed.

Although less than 1/100th of one percent of the value of all U.S. currency in circulation is reported counterfeit, the $100 note is the most widely circulated and most often counterfeited denomination outside the U.S.

The New Security Features
Below is a close-up look at the new features to help you learn how to identify the real thing and use the two advanced security features: the 3-D Security Ribbon and the Bell in the Inkwell.



1. Portrait Watermark
Hold the note to light and look for a faint image of Benjamin Franklin in the blank space to the right of the portrait.

3. Color-Shifting 100
Tilt the note to see the numeral 100 in the lower right corner of the front of the note shift from copper to green.



2. Security Thread
Hold the note to light to see an embedded thread running vertically to the left of the portrait. The thread is imprinted with the letters USA and the numeral 100 in an alternating pattern and is visible from both sides of the note. The thread glows pink when illuminated by ultraviolet light.

4. Raised Printing
Move your finger up and down Benjamin Franklin’s shoulder on the left side of the note. It should feel rough to the touch, a result of the enhanced intaglio printing process used to create the image. Traditional raised printing can be felt throughout the $100 note, and gives genuine U.S. currency its distinctive texture.

6. Microprinting
Look carefully to see the small printed words which appear on Benjamin Franklin’s jacket collar, around the blank space containing the portrait watermark, along the golden quill, and in the note borders.



5. Gold 100
Look for a large gold numeral 100 on the back of the note. It helps those with visual impairments distinguish the denomination.

FW Indicator (not shown here)
The redesigned $100 notes printed in Fort Worth, Texas, will have a small FW in the top left corner on the front of the note to the right of the numeral 100.
If a note does not have an FW indicator, it was
printed in Washington, D.C.

The note will begin circulating in February, 2011. All U.S. currency remains legal tender, regardless of when it was issued. Visit www.newmoney.gov where you can watch an animated video, click through an interactive note.

Maison Moschino: Fashionable Fantasy Accommodations In Italy

You are probably familiar with the Moschino fashion brand and their three lines; Moschino, Moschino Love and Moschino Cheap and Chic.

But did you know they had a new and beautiful hotel in which you can stay? The Maison Moschino had it's formal opening in February of this year. In case you don't plan on popping over to Italy anytime soon, I'm going to show you some of their unusual and fantastical room and suite designs along with other images of the hotel.




The hotel is located in the old neoclassical railway station on Viale Monte Grappa, 12, that opened in 1840 for the Milan-Monza route. The hotel’s creative direction is led by Rossella Jardini and Moschino’s creative team.




The exterior facades were restructured to be faithful to the original structure, while the interior was completely interpreted in the Moschino style. Divided into four floors, the 65 rooms and junior suites are all different. On the ground floor, the hall and the bar welcome guests into the hotel.



The common thread connecting the rooms is a fairy tale theme. Whimsical and magical elements reminiscent of Enchanted Forests and children's favorites like Alice In Wonderland, Little Red Riding Hood and Candyland are the themes of some of the rooms.

Forest room:


Alice's room:

Half-A-Room:

Little Red Riding Hood Room:

Sweet Room:



Walls climbing with ivy, beds covered in roses or ribbons and surreal hanging clouds can be found in various rooms, like those shown below.

Ivy room:

Life is a Bed of Roses room:

Ribbon room:

Clouds room:


Others have touches such as ballgown beds, ornate headboards, mystery keys, and color themes to give each room a dream-like fantasy feel:

Sleeping In A Ballgown rooms:


Zzzzzzz room:

The Shadows room:


The Luxurious Attic room:

The Gold room:

The Wallpaper room:

The Blue room:


The hotel interior, lobby and restaurant reflect Moschino’s distinctive style where the ordinary world is painted with a brush of surrealism.




The hotel also has a restaurant and a spa. The restaurant Clandestino Milano extends from the hall to the terrace, the Culti spa and the gym are located on the lower levels.

The restaurant menu proposes a selection of innovative dishes starting from breakfast: the delicious “Mos kit”, for instance, represents a culinary itinerary. It is offered in a choice of 4, 6 or 8 combinations and served in a precious box that humorously reminds of an elegant shoe box. “Mos kit” changes every day according to the seasons and to our chef’s different inspirations.



Irony is the theme that inspires Maison Moschino’s lunch menu and its aperitif, served as a toothbrush with an edible mint and coconut toothpaste and a saké and mint flavoured “mouthwash”.



The restaurant Clandestino Milano is open 7 days a week. Room service is available from 7 am until midnight. Cocktails and aperitifs are offered at the bar.

Maison Moschino is centrally located and within easy reach of the transport system. You can get to the nearest underground station, Porta Garibaldi (green line), in just five minutes by foot.



The green line is directly linked to the Cadorna station, where the MALPENSA EXPRESS shuttle leaves for Malpensa International Airport.

The hotel has some amazing special offers, tours and exclusive packages for design, theater and art lovers. See the packages here.

For more information, visit Maison Moschino

Special thanks to partner of the project, Hotel Philosophy S.p.A, Mobygest Group,for additional images. Actual owner of the real property is Allianz Global Investors SGR S.p.A – Fondo Ras Antares.