Poet turns Malcolm X’s prison cell into ‘freedom library’
The prison cell that was occupied by the civil rights activist has been transformed into the first of 1,000 planned ‘freedom libraries’. Poet and lawyer Reginald Dwayne Betts is using his MacArthur ‘genius grant’, worth $625,000 (£471,000) to set up 1,000 micro-libraries in US prisons through his charity, Freedom Reads,...
Current in Design
Banksy pledges £10million to transform Reading prison
The prison was shut down in 2013 and plans to revamp the space have continuously fallen through. World renowned street artist Banksy is pledging money to transform it into a positive space for art and culture. What happens to prisons once they shut down indefinitely? In the case of England’s...
Earth’s Black Box will record climate research for future beings
Located in Tasmania, the Black Box - similar to mechanisms found on planes - will outlive humankind and hold all the information we’ve gathered about climate change. Getting real about climate change means accepting that a global failure to meet net zero goals could mean the end of our current...
Tate’s new exhibition points to its own sordid past
‘Life Between Islands: Caribbean-British Art 1950s - Now’ is the latest Tate exhibition to explore the works of renowned British artists such as Sonia Boyce, Claudette Johnson, and Steve McQueen. But housed in a bastion of colonial history, will these displays of Black artistic excellence ever force Britain’s cultural...
CopenHill power plant and ski slope is World Building of the Year 2021
World Building of the Year 2021 has been given to CopenHill, a waste-to-energy power plant in Denmark that also serves as a ski slope, climbing wall, and rooftop bar. Looking for a fun getaway next year, provided the pandemic actually calms down for longer than twenty minutes? Want to...
Henry Glogau’s ‘portable solar distiller’ wins the Lexus Design Award 2021
The Lexus Design Award 2021 was all about invention for the good of humanity, and New Zealand born architecture graduate Henry Glogau took first prize for his solar powered water distiller. Since its inauguration in 2013, the Lexus Design Awards have always been shaped by the company principles of ‘anticipate,...
New poster campaign launched to fight anti-Asian hate crime
The Asian American Federation has released a series of posters created by various illustrators to raise money for ‘Hope Against Hate’ and to spread awareness of racial stereotyping. A new poster campaign by the Asian American Federation hopes to highlight racial discrimination and raise money for the ‘Hope Against Hate’ charity in New York City. The organisation has released ten unique posters created by artists of varying ages. Each one paints...
‘Eighth Continent’ concept design could recycle plastics from the ocean
Forget a trip to Australia, the only exotic continent you’ll need to visit in 2050 is this man-made recycling structure that collects ocean debris. No word on whether you’ll be able to get a tan yet, mind. If you’ve been checking in on Thred over the past few months – particularly during our COP26 coverage – then you’ll know all about ocean pollution. With plastic still being dumped into our seas...
Who is Messy the COP Ness Monster?
Waterbear’s new denim draped sculpture, Messy the COP Ness Monster, aims to prove a circular economy is more tangible than her folklore inspiration. Ever noticed how the back-pocket of your jeans is shaped like a dragon scale? No? Luckily sustainability-focused streaming service WaterBear did, and they really ran with the idea. To celebrate COP26 taking place in Glasgow between Oct 31st and Nov 12th, WaterBear teamed up with artist Billie Achilleos...
Designer Joe Doucet creates new wind power wall
Artist and designer Joe Doucet has invented a spinning, gridded wall that could harness wind power without needing giant turbines and large spaces for farms. When someone mentions ‘wind power’, most of us think of massive white turbines in the rural countryside that require a ton of farmland. They’ve become a huge success in the pursuit of clean energy. Wind power is one of the most popular sources of renewable energy...
