Awesome Art & Design

Most locks unlock with either a few turns of a dial, or inserting a key. But the Schloss 250 is a lock puzzle that requires 250+ moves in order to open its hasp. The solution is relatively simple once you get it, but quite time consuming. The Generation Lock is even more challenging.

Laurel Hwang’s Plier is a room divider that can also perform the opposite of its original function. It has hydraulic pistons that let you fold its upper half down, turning the divider into a table. Its translucent surface alludes to its inclusive design.

Super Deluxe introduces us to Eric Lindsey of Prosthetic Artists, Inc. to go inside the artistry of creating prosthetic eyes for people who have lost theirs. Each eye must not only be perfectly fitted, but must be precisely painted to match the patient’s natural eye characteristics.

Vox contextualizes Grant Wood’s 1930 painting American Gothic. One thing they failed to point out is the significance of that Gothic-style window – it’s like a carbon fiber hood on a Prius. Whether it’s pathetic, aspirational, or just how life works is up to you.

Tested’s Adam Savage stopped by UK special effects costume house FBFX to check out some of the incredible spacesuits they’ve made for science fiction movies. The engineering, detail, and craftsmanship in each of these outfits is truly extraordinary.

“My healed chest wound transformed into a gate. Where I receive love from, where I give love from.” Recovering from a heartbreak, Björk says that The Gate is a song about transcendent love, and that her upcoming album Utopia is about rediscovering love.

Klokers unisex analog wristwatch was inspired by 1960s style, and packs their unique spinning disk mechanism, which aligns the current time with a marker at the top of the face. Features easily interchangeable straps, and options like a pocket watch clip and desk stand.

Jason Tang spent about a month arranging elements in the game Kinacoustic to perform a medley of tunes from Ori and the Blind Forest, arranged by pianist ThePandaTooth. The resulting video is as fascinating to watch as it is to listen to. Download the file here.

Aviation International News shares an informative look at FlexSys‘ morphing wing flap technology, which improves the aerodynamics of airplanes by eliminating exposed hinges and rivets. Apparently it’s made using a carbon fiber honeycomb core and a flexible composite skin.

Ukiyo-e Heroes has been making geeky art inspired by Japanese woodblock printing for 5 years. Now they’re ready to create prints that are even more complex, both visually and technically. The new batch includes a tetraptych that features Overwatch characters.

Mechanical LEGO builder Josh DaVid shows off one of his coolest creations. When you turn the crank on this little automata, a lawnmower floats above a pair of treadmills, which make it appear as if the mower is cutting the grass.

10KLumen shows off a super cool build – a slick replica of the headgear that Jay Kay wore in the music video for Automaton. It lights up, changes colors, and even has moving spikes. Learn how you can win one of the helmets on their Facebook page. (Thanks Victor!)

We were really wondering how director Max Ksjonda created the mindblowing visuals in his clip Samoliot for the group 5’Nizza. Well, now we have the answer – it was mostly done in camera, with amazing prop work and rigging which was later cleaned up in post-production.

These clever picture frames from South Korean design house TEEV turn any wall into the cabin of an airplane, looking out over the sky. You can load your own images, though it appears they do make them with a selection of cityscapes as well. Sold in a set of three.

Polaroid’s first instant camera in years combines the aesthetics of its 1970s classics with modern engineering. It’s super simple to use, has high quality optics, a bright flash, self-timer, and rechargeable battery. Instant film stock is available in color or black and white.

The unique YouTube channel Film Color Palettes compiles scenes from visually compelling movies, and then proceeds to break down the images into collections of color swatches. It’s a neat resource for designers and artists, though it could use more videos. (Thanks Lane!)

The Honda Urban EV Concept is an incredibly charming mix of past and future. Its squat and boxy body is tempered by a LED-lit grill that has a message board. Inside is a massive digital dash and two bench seats. A production version will be released in Europe in 2019.

Kia flexes its design muscle yet again with a concept study for a 5-door wagon variant of its tame European Cee’d hatch. There’s nothing mild about its looks, with a Lava Red body, elongated wheelbase, 20″ rims, dramatic illuminated roofline, and over-the-top interior.

A team or engineers from the UGent Campus Kortrijk and Industrial Design Center developed this creepy, yet endearing six-legged robot which looks like a giant scorpion, complete with pincers and a whip tail. They’d sell a million of these to 12-year-old boys if they retailed them.

A wonderful and whimsical porcelain design which conceals a special treat. Each Maruhi cup and saucer set has a hidden compartment beneath the mug’s base, under which you can stash cookies, candies, or other tiny surprises.

Babies outgrow their clothes very quickly in their first couple of years. Petit Pli clothes are designed to last throughout that time. Their pleated design lets them stretch to fit children from 4 months to 3 years old. They’re also waterproof and machine washable.

In early 2017, protest artist Banksy opened The Walled Off Hotel, an actual hotel right in front of the infamous West Bank barrier. Now it has a gift shop where you can get miniatures of graffiti on the wall, t-shirts, and a mug with the hotel’s slogan: “The Worst View in the World.”

Developed by Voxon Photonics, the VX1 can display incredible holographic 3D images which float in space. It uses a proprietary technology which can project more than half a billion points of light every second onto a rapidly moving projection surface. More here.