November 2011
BD opens its new showroom
In 1972, as Boccacio Design, BD opened its first shop in Barcelona in Vía Agusta. In 1979, already converted to BD Ediciones de Diseño, its famous showroom in the modernist Thomas House was inaugurated. On monday October 10, 2011 BD Barcelona Design (as it is known today) opened a new public space at Ramon Turró 126, in the heart of the 22@ district, near the seaside. An old industrial building, with more than 600 m2, will be the sales point of the brand and the new meeting point for the design culture which has been encouraged by the catalan editor throughout its nearly 40 years of history.
Related news:
September 2011
Bathroom design and water
In the context of the Fifth Edition of Arquinset (Architecture Week, organized by FAD and COAC), Oscar Tusquets Blanca and Christian Sieger were invited by the prestigious German company Dornbracht to give a lecture about bathrooms, architecture and design.
Christian Sieger, designer and founder of Sieger Design, after giving an overview of bathroom history, thought about how the social changes that we are living through (especially technological and economic ones) can and should influence the use and design of the bathroom. Should the bathroom be an open space without fear of losing privacy? The new private heaven? There can be no doubt that domestic bathrooms are actually influenced by Spas, with new demands for relaxation and a certain hedonism; they do even have access to external spaces and no longer occupy those unfortunate parts of the house with no natural light.
Oscar Tusquets Blanca was more precise. Looking at his houses bathroom by bathroom, we saw everything from small and practical toilets like those of a boat’s cabin, in Cadaqués, 1968, to a bathtub set in the floor of Toni Lopez Lamadrid’s living room at La Balsa restaurant, the source of endless jokes and silent witness to the intellectual parties of that unrepeatable Barcelona, with Carlos Barral and Jaime Gil de Biezma, to jacuzzis surrounded by marble in Somosaguas, the family home of an exceptional client in Madrid. OTB finished the lecture with a quick view of some of his paintings relating to bathrooms, the last of which, Visión matutina, caused hilarity amongst the audience.
In the photos, from top to bottom: Christian Sieger and Oscar Tusquets giving lectures. Silvia Farriol (Arquinfad President), Christian Sieger, Jordi Galiana (Dornbracht Commercial Manager) and OTB. An image from the Dornbracht catalogue.
August 2011
VERANOS
(SUMMERS)
Palau de Casavells, Girona. August-September 2011
The twenty-four works by the artist selected for this exhibition revolve round the sea and the beach, pinewoods, heat and sarongs, a shower in the open.., round the many SUMMERS in our lives. The exhibition includes some paintings that have already been shown as well as more recent ones that have not been seen in public before, such as the large water-colours Naranjo borde and Algarrobo loco y manguera and the oil Afrodita en la ducha.
Palau de Casavells is a large and exceptionally sophisticated space in the middle of the Empordà district of north-eastern Catalonia, which is run by Jacobo Valentí and Miquel Alzueta. OTB’s works hang alongside furniture and sculptures of different styles and periods in a subtle, refined blend.
July 2011
Boris Izaguirre and Oscar were invited to talk at the FADFest
Boris Izaguirre and Oscar were at the CCCB on Tuesday 5 July as part of the FADfest. The chosen subject, which they discussed informally over drinks with the audience, was, “Is glamour frivolous? Is frivolity glamorous”.
You can listen to an Audio recording of the cvent.
May 2011
Foundation Oscar Tusquets Blanca in Madrid
On Friday 20 May 2011 the OTB Foundation held a meeting in Madrid.
They took advantage of the visit to see Fernando Higueras’ work, La corona de espinas (The crown of thorns) as well as his home/studio which is now the headquarters of his Foundation, El Rascainfiernos. On Saturday, the foundation’s trustees had the honour of visiting the painter Antonio López in his studio.
Upper photo: Members of the OTB Foundation on the steps of the entrance the La corona de espinas with Lola Botia, Fernando Higueras’ widow and the President of his Foundation.
Lower photo: Oscar Tusquets Blanca visiting Antonio López in his studio.
