Art Assault. 23 Artists Transform Decommissioned AK-47 Rifles In The Name Of Peace. ALL The Pieces From The AKA Peace Exhibition.

The most celebrated names in Contemporary Art united for Peace One Day, to react against the horror of violence globally, with ‘AKA Peace’.



Creating brand new works for a blockbuster autumn exhibition, curated by Jake Chapman in collaboration with non-profit organization Peace One Day, these artists have each reinterpreted an AK-47 assault rifle – the most recognizable and devastating worldwide killing machine – as arresting artworks of intrigue and even beauty; recasting a weapon of devastation as a conduit to peace.

Below are images of all the pieces:

Jake and Dinos Chapman:


Damien Hirst:

detail:

Antony Gormley:


Sam Taylor Wood:

detail:

Gavin Turk:

Solange Azagury-Partridge:

detail:

Rebecca Warren:

Stuart Semple (aka NIMROD):

Tim Noble and Sue Webster:

detail:

Douglas Gordon:


Jeremy Deller:

Marc Quinn:

Ryan Gander:

Jim Lambie:

Langlands & Bell:


Mat Collishaw:


Harland Miller:

detail:

Bran Symondson:

detail:

Sarah Lucas:


Charming Baker:

Antony Micallef:

Nancy Fouts:

detail:

Laila Shawa:

detail:


Here are a few beautiful portraits of the artists by Bran Symondson for his Cease Fire Magazine photo essay on the project:

Charming Baker:

Jake Chapman:

Tim Noble and Sue Webster:

Solange Azagury-Partridge:

Antony Micallef:

see more here

The AKA Peace Trailer:


The exhibition, originally conceived by photographer Bran Symondson and now curated by artist Jake Chapman, coincided with Peace Day, Friday 21 September 2012 and will raise awareness of Peace Day and raise funds for Peace One Day’s Global Truce 2013 campaign.

Jeremy Gilley, founder of Peace One Day said, “AKA Peace is a really profound project; turning a weapon of destruction into a weapon of peace is awesome. The benefits of awareness and finance to help Global Truce 2013 is a great outcome. I’m grateful to Bran for having a wonderful idea and it’s an honour to have Jake Chapman curate the project.” Peace Day 2012 will be marked by the Peace One Day Concert, at Wembley Arena in London. Headlining the concert will be Elton John, alongside James Morrison and 2Cellos.

The ICA exhibition of AKA Peace runs from 26 until 30 September at the Institute of Contemporary Art before the pieces are auctioned at Phillips de Pury & Company on 4th October to raise funds and awareness for Peace One Day and Global Truce 2013.

For more information please visit: www.peaceoneday.org/aka-peace

Bran Symondson took the majority of the photos shown in this post. The Damien Hirst image is courtesy of Damien Hirst, The Jim Lambie image is courtesy of Ruth Clark via Phillips de Pury. Other images courtesy of Peace One Day.

Seeing RED At The Conran Shop. Over 40 Designers Do It In RED to Mark 25 Years.

THE CONRAN SHOP UNVEILS RED, A SPECIAL EXHIBITION FOR THE LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL 2012, 14-23 September 2012

The Conran Shop is pleased to announce RED, a special exhibition to mark 25 years at the Michelin Building during the London Design Festival 2012. The exhibition will include works by over 40 designers including Jasper Morrison, Thomas Heatherwick, Nendo, John Pawson, Ingo Maurer, Marcel Wanders, Raw Edges and Alexander Taylor.

Jasper Morrison's Lightwood Chair in RED:

Philippe Starck's Gnome in RED:

John Pawson Bowl in RED:


The extraordinary range of designers participating in RED reinforces the company’s philosophy of collaborating with both established, world-renowned designers and emerging design talent. Inspired by the iconic British Pillar Box, each piece has been specially commissioned for The Conran Shop or specially produced in a red colour-way. RED will be the first exhibition on view in the Blue Room at The Conran Shop.

Harry Bertoia's Wire Chair in RED (Knoll):

Eames EA104 Lobby Chair in RED (Vitra):


Pieces in the exhibition will range from innovative lighting to hand crafted furniture to a collection of limited edition accessories. London based design duo Raw Edges will present DeskBox for Arco produced in a red stained wood exclusively for the exhibition. Deskbox is a small collapsible desk created for a laptop, offering a practical design solution for modern day living in which we use a laptop in different areas of the home and not exclusively for work.

The Deskbox:


RED will also see British product designer, Alexander Taylor launch the new Grip LED torch manufactured by Praxis:


Grip draws direct reference to the familiar form of the BMX bicycle grip and demonstrates Taylor’s considered and intelligent approach to design. The red Grip torch has been specially commissioned for the exhibition and the first time the product will be shown in the UK.

Ingo Mauere's JB Dragonfly Light in RED:


Emerging American designer, Jonah Takagi will present a limited edition run of red Index tables produced by Council exclusively for RED. Tasked with creating a table made entirely of wood, Jonah Takagi has designed a family of occasional tables constructed in stained ash that highlights the natural grain of the wood. Each Index table uses the same typology of structure, with the shape of the top and scale differentiating the three sizes.

Jonah Takagi's Index Tables (below) will be in RED:


Other designers and contributors include the Campana Brothers, Sebastian Bergne, Sebastian Conran, Nathalie Dewez, Vincent van Duysen, Diego Fortunato, Patrick Norguet, the Bouroullec Brothers, Studio Job, Paula Navone, Patrick Norguet, Petit Pan, Doshi Levien, Christophe Pillet and Inga Sempe.

Manolo Blahnik's RED Corolla Boots:

Solange Azagury-Partridge Blood Red necklace:

Langlands & Bell Frozen Sky Wristwatch:


RED marks a significant moment for The Conran Shop’s flagship store, celebrating 25 years at the Michelin Building.RED is a special exhibition to mark 25 years at the Michelin Building during the London Design Festival 2012. The exhibition includes works by over 50 designers including Jasper Morrison, Nendo, Ross Lovegrove, Studio Job, Thomas Heatherwick, NoeDuchaufour-Lawrance, ManoloBlahnik and Front Design. The extraordinary range of international designers participating in RED reinforces the company’s philosophy of collaborating with both world-renowned designers and emerging design talent.

Ross Lovegrove's Hanger in RED:









The Conran Shop
Michelin House
81 Fulham Road
London, SW3 6RD
Dates: 14 – 23 September 2012
Mon-Tues, Fri 10.00 - 18.00
Wed-Thurs 10.00 - 19.00
Saturday 10.00 - 18.30
Sunday 12.00 - 18.00

images courtesy of The Conran Shop