Shakers Exhibit at the Vitra and Julian Charrière at the Tinguely

Pull up an exquisitely-made wooden chair and get a preview of a new exhibit at the Vitra Design Museum: «The Shakers: A World in the Making». The show highlights the work of The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, an American religious community more commonly known as The Shakers. In the U.S., the group is renowned for its unadorned, solidly made wooden furniture. The display at Vitra explores the origins of these designs, the religious attitudes that inspired them, and the world of the Shakers.

Commonly confused with the Amish or other Mennonites, the Shakers did not seek to separate from society or scorn technology. They participated in markets – selling not only furniture, but seeds and medicines. They also adopted new inventions. One item in the museum is a radio built by and for Shakers.

The show also incorporates new works by contemporary artists exploring the themes of Shaker beliefs and work. The English Show spoke with Vitra Design Museum curator Mea Hoffmann, who worked with curators from three museums in the U.S. to put together the show. Listen to the interview here.

Ajita Chowhan from Neighbourhood News spoke to Julian Charrière about his new exhibit «Midnight Zone» at the Tinguely Museum. In «Midnight Zone», Julian Charrière invites visitors to think and feel with water: as atmosphere, memory, movement and kin. Drifting between deep-sea descent and cryospheric suspension, the exhibition unfolds as an immersive reflection on fluid worlds – not the sea as surface, but as substance, where boundaries dissolve. «Midnight Zone» brings together earlier works alongside major new commissions that trace Charrière's long-standing exploration of environmental thresholds. To subscribe to Neighborhood News, click here. Listen to the interview here.

Our music theme this week is about sampling. Using snippets of other songs to build a new composition is an art that revolutionised hip-hop and pop music, beginning in the 1970s and continuing today. Like any musical innovation, it hasn’t been without controversy. Sampling has prompted debates over what constitutes interpretation and fair use. But with our playlist, we think you’ll agree, the art and craft of sampling make for vibrant, exciting new sounds. We played:

A Tribe Called Quest - Check The Rhime

De La Soul - The Magic Number

Digable Planets - Nickel Bags

DJ Yoda - Haunted House (Featuring Biz Markie)

J Dilla - Workinonit

Steinski - Swingset (10 Beautiful Girls Mix)

Wax Tailor - Que Sera