As 2022 comes to a close, it’s once again time for that annual blogosphere tradition, the yearly recap post. So like last year, here’s a selection of some of the favorite photos culled from the more than 1,800 posted on Seen.Today during 2022. For 2023 you can expect much more of the same high quality, visually interesting stories from the NYC region and beyond (with hopefully more emphasis on the beyond part).
If you are a regular reader, thank you for taking time to visit this site and explore it. If there’s one lesson learned from the last twelve months, it’s that independent, corporate platform-free media is a valuable thing.
Photos and Text: Dave Pinter
Francois Chambard | Angels
The reopening and relocation of the Cooler Gallery in Brooklyn was a good start to the year. Better was the exhibition by long time friend François Chambard that christened the new space. Angels is a series of experimental molds constructed by François to represent the creation of an idea. Many of the bits of materials used were cast off scraps precisely combined together to fuel the imagination.
Infiniti | 2022 NYIAS
There still much debate and speculation over the future relevance of auto shows. I don’t think there’s any other way to replace or replicate the sensory experience of attending a top tier one. A big part of the spectacle are the stand designs. Infiniti’s stand at the New York Auto Show was visually impressive while making use of minimal materials. Spanning the ceiling above the displayed vehicles were a series of curved pleated fabric mesh ribbons. While the above photo shows them in white, lighting was used to alter their color across a few different hues.
Current 2022
This group design show focused mainly on exhibiting the work of NY’s east river adjacent designers was again held in the DUMBO neighborhood. The day I visited was a particularly dreary and damp afternoon lending a particularly Blade Runner vibe to this 9node chandelier by Bjarke Ballisager
Luna Night | Tarform
Brooklyn-based electric motorcycle builder Tarform created a light installation to compliment their bikes for an event durning NYCx Design 2022. Luna Night took place during the evening hours in a Navy Yard warehouse space shortly after the first of two lunar eclipses happening during the year. It was a cool space to be in and a different kind of event to the normally furniture focused roster.
Architecture | Pratt Shows 2022
Wandering around the annual student design show at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn can get overwhelming. Occupying the main aisle are typically several large platforms covered in architectural models. Idil Sevimliturk & Polina Ustinova’s Embedded Character(s): Urban Acupuncture was particularly eye-catching for the use of interesting forms and punchy colors to highlight their design ideas.
Intervención/Intersección | Masa
The most memorable exhibition during NYCxDesign was Mexico City-based Masa Gallery’s transformation of the former post office inside Rockefeller Center. Aside for the great collection of work exhibited, the space itself made the experience unique. Every millimeter of the interior of the old post office was spray painted a shade of truly liminal beige lifted for the original space. The result was a sense of weightlessness you got from the floor, walls and ceiling blending together. I was an impressive reminder of just how much effect paint can achieve.
Porsche | Industry City
Porsche intended to fill an entire parking lot with vintage and current models to celebrate the opening of a showroom at Industry City in Brooklyn. They enlisted the help of the CarPark team to help fill the lot. However early rainy weather that day partly spoiled the plan. When the sun finally did come out, there was just enough time grab some shots of the cars that braved the weather and made it out.
Christian Chironi | Morton St. Partners
One of the best things to happen to the NYC car culture scene in 2022 was the opening of Morton St. Partners. Part collectible vehicle consultants and gallery space, they’ve managed to pull of four great exhibitions in the first 9 months of existence. While most of the other shows featured gorgeous high dollar rare unobtanium, the Christian Chironi show that centered around a humble FIAT 127 as the basis for an art and performance project was a special story to experience.
CarPark | Industry City
The morning summer light carves through the walled streets of Industry City and makes for nice silhouette shooting opportunities. This Porsche 911 was captured during roll in for the August cars and coffee event.
Land Rover | CCC
Classic Car Club Manhattan’s regular series Gears on the Pier has been a great case study on how to do a curated car show. A late fall edition was dedicated to Land Rover and brought together classic and contemporary models. One of the nicest was this vintage Range Rover restored by Brooklyn-based Stray Dog Classics. Lots of clean lines when Land Rover leaned more on function than style. There’s a real architectural elegance here.