1) Dutch Duo Design Anti-Surveillance Jackets

KOVR, Marcha Schagen and Leon Baauw

Dutch design duo KOVR, which comprises Marcha Schagen and Leon Baauw, have designed a line of bags and jackets that keep the wearer and their data safe from the prying eyes of public surveillance technology. Schagen and Baauw have backgrounds in fashion design and research-based design, respectively, two practices that come together beautifully in the set of articles that they’ve created. The jacket and bag are made from a layered fabric composed of polyester, copper and nickel. The combined materials block all incoming and outgoing signals, essentially making the wearer invisible to “big brother.” For added practicality, the garments include specific cell-phone pockets made from signal-permeable material, so you can stay almost invisible but still be reached by your friends.

2) Zachary Johnson Opens a Gallery on His Left Arm

An armband by Christopher Sutton on Flex Gallery

The latest innovation in gallery spaces comes in the form of an arm-based gallery that’s currently being run by artist Zachary Johnson. Called Flex Gallery, the exhibition space is located on the artist’s upper left arm and features a set of six armbands, each designed by an individual artist. Johnson will wear each armband for an exhibition length of two months. In a statement to Hyperallergic, Johnson described Flex as a way of bringing art into a public space without the red tape and bureaucracy associated with formal public art installations. Johnson says Flex was partially inspired by Chicago artist Meg Duguid’s earlier project Clutch Gallery, in which the artist held exhibitions inside a purse that she carried around with her.

3) Vast Sculpture Park to Open in Montana

Proverb, Mark di Suervo

An 11,000 acre ranch in rural Montana is becoming home to a new sculpture park, opening to the public this June. The vast park features a landscape of rugged, mountainous terrain, and is currently home to 7 different sculptures by artists including Mark di Suvera, Patrick Dougherty and Stephen Talasnik. Some of the sculptures are site-specific, and two more are planned for installation in coming years. With each sculpture placed one to two miles away from its neighbor, the park keeps the landscape at the forefront and prevents any sculpture from interacting closely with another, allowing each piece to becoming an imposing, impressive monolith.   

4) An Interview with the Nigerian Artist who Worked with Beyoncé on Lemonade

Yoruba body art by Laolu

Beyoncé’s recent visual album Lemonade is garnering praise as an achievement in songwriting, cinematography and black feminism. This interview from ABC News looks at some of the traditional Yoruba art that was created specifically for the album, by Nigerian artist Laolu. The New York-based artist’s work appears at several points in the film, taking the form of white body paint in ornate patterns on the bodies of numerous dancers and performers. According to Laolu, Beyonce’s company Parkwood Entertainment contacted the artist through Instagram in December, asking him to participate in the then top-secret music video project. Further proof that Instagram is an excellent social media tool for artists!

5) Campaign Aims to Build Crazy Golf Course Designed by Visionary Architects 

Hadid's contribution to the Visionary Crazy Golf course design

Tom Dixon, Paul Smith, Zaha Hadid and a number of other artists and design collectives recently came together to design a surreal golf course. In light of the recent death of Hadid, a Kickstarter campaign has been started to bring the course, called Visionary Crazy Golf, to light in conjunction with the London Design Festival. With a plan to put the installation in London’s Trafalgar Square, the campaign aims to raise £120,000, a figure which will be matched by sponsor donations if achieved. If everything goes according to plan, the gold course promises to be one of the most popular and memorable installations in the LDF’s history.