Ark Nova - bringing a little joy to those struck by disaster

The world's first inflatable concert hall was launched in Japan this week. Designed by Anish Kapoor and architect Arata Isozaki, Ark Nova seats 500 and includes a multistage format which can accommodate various events from orchestra to chamber music, jazz , performing arts or art exhibitions. The membrane can be folded up and loaded onto a lorry, allowing it to be used as a pop up venue in Northern Japan, the area devastated by the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and massive tsunami in March 2011.
Image: Art Nova designed by Anish Kapoor and Arata Isozaki

Kapoor downplays controversy surrounding his tower at the Olympic Park

Anish Kapoor is downplaying the controversy surrounding the tower sculpture for the London Olympics, which he created with structural designer Cecil Balmond, saying he has researched initial negative reactions of Parisians to the iconic Eiffel Tower, recalling the horror of observers such as author Victor Hugo. Read more...
Image: Balmond and Kapoor's ArcelorMittal Orbit (detail), Olympic Park, London

Kapoor collaborator Cecil Balmond on London's Olympic tower

Artistic collaborations often sail on an uneven keel; the best known member of the crew tends to get all the limelight while the rest are left toiling in obscurity. Anish Kapoor's tower sculpture for the London Olympics is a case in point - the role of the structural designer has received little coverage. However, ARTINFO talked to Cecil Balmond recently about his part in the project. Read more...
Image: Balmond and Kapoor's ArcelorMittal Orbit, Olympic Park, London

Kapoor designs a mobile concert hall for the areas of northern Japan devastated by the earthquake and tsunami

With Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, Anish Kapoor is designing a mobile 700-seat concert hall to bring music and the performing arts to the areas of northern Japan devastated by the earthquake and tsunami earlier this year. Kapoor will design the shell of the building, a "pneumatic structure" made of an elastic material such as PVC that can be erected quickly by inflating it with air.

Entitled Ark Nova, the project is being sponsored by the Swiss bank UBS, but organisers hope to find additional supporters for each performance so that attendance can be free. An artistic committee which includes conductors Claudio Abbadio and Daniel Barenboim, Chinese pianist Lang Lang and Japanese cellist Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi and others has been set up to plan the programming, which is due to begin in Spring 2012.

Bigger than Ben Hur

Plans have been unveiled for Britain's biggest piece of public art designed by Anish Kapoor and structural engineer Cecil Balmond for the 2012 Olympic Park in Stratford East London. It will follow another large-scale work by Kapoor commissioned by Alan Gibbs for The Farm on the Kaipara, NZ.

This link takes you to an article on Kapoor's Olympic Park sculpture posted on the Frieze Editors Blog.

Images: Kapoor's work for Britain's Olympic Games Park, and his recently completed work situated at The Farm, Kaipara, NZ