Both mending and hobby crafts get the respect they deserve in this month’s design news. Check our stories to see where these fine activities get treated as art. We also look at the history of Casio watches and a new future for the Apple Watch. Sign up for the Design Review newsletter to receive more stories like this about architecture, sustainability and craft each month.
Untrivial pursuits
As Oscar Wilde said: “One must be serious about something, if one wants to have any amusement in life.” So he would probably have admired the eclectic creations and collections on show at the new Artangel exhibition Come As You Really Are which has just opened in Croydon, UK. In January, British-Gujarati artist and filmmaker Hetain Patel put out a call for collectors, crafters, weekend painters and anyone else with a passion to send photos and stories about their hobbies. From the 1,500 responses, Patel has put together a wonderful exhibition featuring everything from handmade banjos and origami to collections of Warhammer figurines and My Little Pony. The artist is an avid Spider-Man fan and the show includes his own Spidey-inspired works. Come As You Really Are is currently in the Grants building in Croydon but will tour the UK over the next 18 months.
Patel said: “There is a vulnerability in sharing something so personal, which often happens in private spaces around the responsibilities of daily life. But there is also a tremendous power in sharing collectively, which is at the heart of this project. I hope people join us in this celebration of the unstoppable nature of self-expression that is demonstrated by our hobbies.”
For more details on Come As You Really Are and tour locations go to the Artangel website
Smart dumbphone
If you still get a pang of nostalgia when you think of the iPod, the TinyPod might be just what you need. This new gadget fits a strapless Apple Watch inside a case complete with that familiar old iPod clickwheel, letting you use the tech as a limited smartphone. You can make calls, send texts and listen to music, but you can’t easily access social media or play videos. Tinypod’s sell is that this is “your phone away from phone” and if you’re looking to limit your screen time without going back to a dumbphone, this could be the middle way.
Obviously, the TinyPod relies on you having an old Apple Watch gathering dust in a drawer, and you’ll have to fiddle about turning off the wrist detection feature. You won’t be able to count your steps, either. But finding a new use for redundant tech always feels like a good idea.
For more information, go to the TinyPod website
Hidden histories
Approximately one in five Londoners are of South Asian heritage and this community has made an impact all over the capital’s streets and neighbourhoods. This rich history is celebrated in the latest city guide map from Blue Crow Media.
The publisher has a great reputation for creating beautiful maps combining hidden history and graphic excellence. Previous titles include Brutalist London and Black History London. This latest map has been created by urban designer and writer Krish Nathaniel and Bushra Mohamed, director of Msoma Architects. It features 50 locations across the capital including the Neasden Temple and Drummond Street, as well as a statue of Noor Inayat Khan and the Koh-i-Noor Diamond.
“There’s often a lazy assumption in Britain that the multi-ethnic part of our history began in the 1950s. For South Asians, that story is far, far longer than many would know - and we wanted to make that history visible and visitable,” says Nathaniel. “We want to show an entwined story that covers all nations and faiths of the subcontinent and its diaspora. Every part of the South Asian community can find themselves in this map, whether they’re 16 or 60.”
South Asian History London Map is available from Blue Crow Media and various independent book shops
Can You Fix It?
If you’re weighing up whether to repair or replace one of your belongings, please check out Architecture of Repair on Instagram before your next move. The feed explores the possibilities of repair and showcases the work of the Beyond Repair collective. It shows everyday objects such as Ikea lamps, broken bottles and moth-eaten rugs which have been mended and made beautiful and useful again by collective members including Phineas Harper, chief executive of educational charity Open City, architect Sanjukta Jitendhar and Smith Mordak, chief executive of the UK Green Building Council.
Some of these amazing objects are also currently on display at the Rotterdam Architecture Biennale in the Netherlands if you want to have a closer look.
“Of the 222 million tonnes of waste the UK produces annually, about 62% is from construction and architecture,” says Harper. “The United Nations estimates that the volume of electronic waste alone is rising five times faster than recycling rates. Transitioning to a just and ecological economy must centre on revivifying a culture of repair, care, maintenance and restoration.”
Time to take another look at that Ikea lamp.
Beyond Repair is at the Rotterdam Architecture Biennale until 13 October. Instagram: @architectureofrepair
Casio anniversary
It’s hard to believe Casio watches are only 50 years old, but that’s the milestone celebrated by the Japanese electronics company this year. The brand behind everyone’s favourite affordable keyboard and calculator is showcasing some of its vintage classic watches, focusing on classics from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
Anyone who grew up proudly sporting a G-Shock or lusted after the classic Calculator wristpiece, prepare to feel a tsunami of nostalgia.
Casio’s debut digital wristwatch back in 1974 was the Casiotron. It was the first in the world with an automatic calendar function. When Casio released a limited special edition of the watch early this year it sold out in under five minutes in the UK. More drops are promised later this year.
For more information on the vintage range, go to Casio’s website.
