British tourist is arrested for stealing historic Iraqi artifacts
A retired geologist from Bath, UK, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempting to steal historic artifacts whilst on a trip to Iraq. Jim Fitton, 66, claims he didn’t know he was breaking Iraqi law when he picked up shards of ancient pottery and placed them in...
Current in Design
New ‘DALL-E Mini’ website sparks arty social media trend
A new open source AI application lets anyone input prompts and generate images via a database algorithm. Social media has been messing about with its tools and coming up with some truly bizarre results. The inevitable shift to algorithm-generated artwork is well under way, at least as far as...
Twelve DRC students build ‘Mad Max’ car using waste materials
A group of sixth year mechanic studies students in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have defied the odds and built a car dubbed ‘Mad Max’ using only waste and scrap materials. Anyone remember the classic television show Robot Wars? Twelve students from the Goma Institute of Technology and Industry,...
Nike files lawsuit accusing StockX of selling fake sneakers
The reseller platform is being accused of copyright infringement and lying about its authentication processes, both of which have resulted in the sale of counterfeit Nikes. Greats news for those of us constantly missing out on the latest sneaker drop, bad news for resellers who earn the entirety of their...
New AI DALL-E 2 creates images from text prompts
A new AI system can create a variety of images both realistic and surreal from natural language descriptions. It has the potential to be game changing, but not without some concerns. Algorithms and AI continue to make waves across the art industry. The latest breakthrough comes from a research team...
El Salvador president reveals designs for volcanic ‘Bitcoin City’
El Salvador president Nayib Bukele is quite literally obsessed with cryptocurrency. This week, he caused big stir online with tweets showing intricate designs of a full blown Bitcoin city. One does not merely dabble in cryptocurrency. Once you’re in these days, you’re all in. El Salvador president Nayib Bukele is the...
How the pandemic changed our outlook on workplace design
Luring us back into the office was never going to be easy, so architects are finding ways to make modern workspaces virtually irresistible. After spending months working from the comforts of our own homes (and beds) we’ve all been armed with fresh expectations for what office spaces should look and feel like. Architects know that employees are now seeking out workplaces that prioritise their overall sense of wellness and safety. Spaces...
Students build solar greenhouse that produces energy
Traditional greenhouses typically use a ton of energy to work properly, but students in Catalonia have built a solar powered structure that creates energy rather than consuming it. Who says greenhouses can’t adapt to modern energy needs? First built in the nineteenth century, greenhouses are a nifty way to grow plants and produce our own flowers, but they usually use lots of energy to function. Students in Barcelona have created a solution...
South Korea has 15-acre floating city backed by the UN
Atop large, buoyant concrete platforms anchored to the seabed, a South Korean city will house 12,000 by the mid-century. Able to rise and fall with the water, this trailblazing project has now been backed by the UN. By the mid-century, some 800 million people will be residing in conurbations where surrounding sea levels could rise by more than half a meter. When this happens, many of the 500+ threatened cities...
Tate galleries cut ties with Russian investors
After weeks of public pushback, all Tate galleries are cutting ties with billionaire Russian investors amid the war in Ukraine. Tate Group, the institution which operates Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool, and Tate St Ives, has severed ties with Russian investors Viktor Vekselberg and Petr Aven. The two billionaires had invested in the Tate galleries to earn prestigious membership titles for the Tate Foundation, a charitable organisation that aims...
