KUNLÉ ADEYEMI
With Kunlé Adeyemi, founder of the architecture firm NLÉ, we learn of the philosophy behind his groundbreaking work on floating cities. From the origin of the studio's name—"at home" in Yoruba—we learn how it shapes the studio’s focus on public space. Adeyemi reveals how each edition, from Venice to Chengdu, is guided by local materials and community needs, and outlines the future of building in vulnerable waterfront cities: “We want to develop a sustainable and viable community on water that addresses the environmental issues, but is also accessible to a wider range of inhabitants.”
ADRIAN PEPE
We speak with the artist Adrian Pepe and delve into his unique approach of treating wool as a vessel of knowledge. Through the artist’s work and eyes we engage with the wool of Awassi sheep as objects that hold multiple histories of trade, identity and also myth: “Wool holds the animal’s presence and absence. Working with it became a way to think through interspecies intimacy, cultural memory, and the afterlives of utility. The sheep, as a species, sits at a charged intersection of biology, mythology, religion, and domestication, both a witness and a vessel of human culture.”
Design Anthology/ MUSEUMS’ SERIES
Sursuma is delighted to present Museums’ Series: A Duology of Printed Matter and Design Anthology—collaborations with cultural institutions to reimagine their collections.
For our inaugural Design Anthology edition, we partner with Pirelli HangarBicocca to explore Anselm Kiefer’s The Seven Heavenly Palaces, presented by Giovanna Amadasi, Head of Public and Educational Programs. This monumental installation transcends sculpture to become an architectural act: an active exploration of history, materiality, and collective memory.
A. Young is a Seoul-based artist with a degree in Fine Arts from UAL-Central Saint Martins in London. We feature monthly her photo album titled: Point-and-Shoot (camera); as she shares her discoveries of her hometown.