Awesome Art & Design

Gorkem Sen’s Yaybahar is an incredibly strange acoustic instrument. When its strings, springs or drum-like membranes are struck, the vibration bounces back and forth between the spring and the membranes, creating a layered echo.

Inspired by the Silver Arrow, these street bikes both have a 43hp 400cc water-cooled engine and weigh only 297lb. The White Arrow is designed to be clean and simple, while the Black Arrow can handle off-road use as well. More here.

NVA teamed up with the Phoenix Dance Theater to outfit their performers with LED light suits and LED bikes, then captured their movements in multiple exposures and slow motion to create this captivating visual symphony. More here.

Baker and graphic designer Kylie Mangles made this fantastic cake based on Erick Flores’ hilarious t-shirt design. The delicious half-skinless Ralph Wiggum was made of red velvet cakes, buttercream, Rice Krispies and chocolate.

Paris, France is renowned for its tiny apartments. The designers at Kitoko Studio came up with a way to cram an entire living space, including bed, storage, dining, bathroom and kitchenette inside what amounts to a closet – just 86 square feet.

We have enough trouble losing pieces from out normal-sized chess sets, but you have to appreciate the craftsmanship in jeweler Sal Knight’s handcarved gold and silver chess set which is just a bit larger than a quarter.

Like the Gear Ring, Kinekt Design’s Gear Necklace has moving gears at the core of its design. They let you slide the heart-shaped pendant along its ball chain. The ring and the necklace are also available in a discounted set.

Sketchfab member Glenatron made a small interactive virtual diorama that depicts various scenes from Metal Gear Solid, including Solid Snake using the CODEC and teaming up with Gray Fox to battle Metal Gear REX.

Pop Chart Lab’s The Insanely Great History of Apple 3.0 is a chronological checklist of the tech giant’s 534 products, from the Apple I to the iMac with 5K Display. It even comes with System 6-style rails for mounting. Zoom in here.

Filmmaker Chris Shimojima and composer Ljova coordinated a group of nine street musicians, located in various wi-fi enabled subway stations in New York City, using computers and smartphones to lead their remote orchestra.

If you’re curious about how OK Go created their video for I Won’t Let You Down, Damian and Tim explain the secrets behind the video. Those funky scooters are Honda UNI-CUBs, and the overhead shots were done with actual people, not CGI.

Stephen Von Worley’s Crayon the Grids is a series of beautiful interactive maps of various major cities with the streets and roads colored according to their orientation. London and Chicago prove to be extreme opposites.

GiantAnt’s extraordinary animation serves as a backdrop for StickBoy, a multimedia performance currently being staged by the Vancouver Opera. Shane Koyczan’s spoken word about bullying is equally as moving as the visuals.

Animation studio A Large Evil Corporation has designed an ongoing series of vinyl toy mockups based on pop culture characters. Since they’ve gone viral, the studio is seriously considering turning them into actual figures.

A concept for an electronic whiteboard. The WriteBoard is a 27″ 1080p LCD touchscreen that comes with a marker-sized stylus. Anything you write on it will be sent to other WriteBoards as well as to connected mobile devices.

Artist Yuliya Tsukerman spent weeks painstakingly carving dozens of pumpkins, then mimicking the composition and edits to replicate the classic shower scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. Side-by-side comparison here.

Mate puts a complete chess set on your wall, and doubles as a playable work of art. The square pieces hold neatly in their wood cubbies, and can be ordered in a variety of colors. Measures 23.5(h) x 18.5″(w) x 2.25″(d).

Thomas Olivri compiled this amazing book featuring over 750 images of pop culture inspired artworks from talented creators around the globe. It also includes website and contact info for each artist, so you can buy their works.

A collection of prints from digital pop art specialists Crush Collective. $$$ Machine features remixed images of US dollar bills, shamelessly flaunting the power of the currency with bright and bold graphics.

Not only do Nendo’s cubic rubber bands just look plain cool, they’re easier to find in a drawer, and will never get tangled up with others. Sadly, they’re only available in Japan for now, and cost about 10 bucks for a pack of three.

La Machine’s Long Ma is a 50′ tall dragon horse puppet that expels fire and steam. The French puppeteers recently put on a show in Beijing featuring Long Ma and their other famous puppet, the giant spider La Princesse.

Chop Shop’s Altered States of America is a collection of prints, cards and pins featuring characters and items from various sci-fi, horror and fantasy stories set in the US, from Twin Peaks to The Walking Dead. More here.

As part of his 2010 film Il Capo, artist Yuri Ancarani captured this footage of the work that happens every day in an Italian marble quarry, as the chief on the job site directs construction equipment like the conductor of an orchestra.