A 1986 Ellsworth Kelly design for a free-standing building has been acquired by the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, and will be constructed on the museum grounds this spring.  The building has some ties to the contemplative, spiritual air of the Rothko Chapel, as well as Matisse’s design for the Chapelle du Rosaire.  “I think people need some kind of spiritual thing because, as you can see, there are spots around the world that are blowing up and we don’t want that,” the artist says. “No one wants that.” (more…)

An enormous inflatable concert hall, designed in a collaboration between Anish Kapoor and architect Arata Isozaki, is set to open this week in the coastal Japanese town of Matsushima.  The project is intended to provide a temporary place for events in a region badly damaged by the 2011 Tsunami, and was initiated by Michael Haefliger of the musical event Lucerne Festival.  “I felt a strong desire to make a contribution to overcoming the consequences of the catastrophe, within the scope of what we have to offer.” He said. (more…)