Posted May. 21, 2007,

Design Week Mania

By Kim Hastreiter

Design Week hit New York on Saturday and continues until tomorrow with back-to-back parties, exhibitions, conferences and, of course, the ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair) at the Javits Center. All the design heads are here in town from all over the world and believe me, they all showed up for Murray Moss's opening party on Saturday night. (Murray told me 5,000 people stopped by and they ran out of wine halfway after pouring through 26 cases!!!!)

Moss has a show of the young hot Dutch design team Studio Job (see their ceramics above) and their stuff was selling like hotcakes. I'm sure Larry Gogosian is trolling Studio Job, as their pieces are quite conceptual and sell for up to $160,000, and I think were almost sold out!

Last night, I hosted a dinner at my home with Murray Moss, his partner Franklin Getchell and my friend, jewelry designer Ted Muehling, to celebrate a milestone birthday for our old dear friend Ingo Maurer (the legendary German light designer... see his classic bulb design above). Murray was in charge of the invite list and it turned out to be a fun group of people. Studio Job's Job Smeets and his girlfriend Nynke both came (they are so glamourous... see how cute they are in the photo above). They told me they're hopping back to New York in a couple of weeks, because the CFDA invited them to design the CFDA Design Awards. Should be fab. It was fun to bond with them.

Art Attack: Murakami, assume vivid astro focus and Gelitin

By Carol Lee

There were many, many art shows that opened this week. The climax was yesterday's assume vivid astro focus show at John Connelly Presents (pictured). It's not too often that you're asked to take off your shoes before entering the gallery. But that's what happened, and once you've walked past a friendly drag queen who handed you a 3-D glass-mask with a half of her face on it, it was well... I won't spoil the fun for you.

So the word on the street is that the market is still strong (surprised?)!! Apparently, the buying frenzy is so potent that gallerists need more artists and more work to sell, and supposedly at the Takashi Murakami opening at Gagosian Tuesday night, prices kept morphing on the small flower plates (see below) as the demand continued to escalate. I don't know what's crazier -- New York City real estate market or the art market!

But never mind all this waxing on capitalism... beginning this Monday, art renegades from Austria Gelitin (pictured right, below) will be subway-ing to Coney Island with shovels in hand to dig a hole as part of Creative Time's anniversary extravaganza. We give you the message from the horse's mouth:

About Last Night…Murakami, Golf and “Ankle Injuries.”

By PAPERMAG Editors

Here's a report from PAPER special correspondent Gary Pini...

The limos were lined up on Madison Avenue last night for the opening of Takashi Murakami's first show for the Gagosian Gallery. Lots of Japanese media and Upper East Side $$$ (plus several members of the Scissor Sisters) contemplated the artist’s latest work -- paintings that seemed specifically geared for the high-brow crowd. Those expecting more of his familiar cartoon style, as cleverly used by Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton, may be disappointed. The exhibit is on view until June 9 at 980 Madison Ave.

Stopped at Rockefeller Center to check out the temporary one-hole golf course with a big water trap set up by The Players Championship. You can try it beginning May 4th (until the 13th) or just watch other people embarrass themselves. Walked by the Apple Store on 59th and was quickly admonished by a security guard for getting too close to the glass structure. They have a guard posted at each corner 24/7. I guess it saves on Windex.

Had good potato salad and a cheeseburger at Stand (24 E. 12th St.) before heading over to Webster Hall for Peter Bjorn and John + Fujiya & Miyagi. The latter currently have the #5 tune on the latest "music discovery" site CriticalMetrics.com with a catchy song called "Ankle Injuries."