LMNOP challenges NYC architects and designers to craft creative mobiles out of recycled materials

<em>"Perspective Dissected" by Dan Chilcote, Pamela Roganti and Colin Haentjens of <a href="http://www.mmoser.com/">M Moser Associates</a>. </em> </p> NYC's architecture and design community got a chance to "hang" out last week thanks to <a href="http://www.lmnopnyc.org/">LMNOP</a>'s "Art in Balance" competition, which challenged teams to fabricate suspended pieces of art celebrating the legacy of mobile inventor <a href="http://www.calder.org/">Alexander Calder</a>. Eleven teams showcased their gravity-defying creations made from recycled and repurposed materials, and proceeds from the night went towards LMNOP's professional development programs and networking events for members of the A&amp;D community.

“GLOBAL PRODUCTION. A CONVEYOR BELT OF GREED. NEW YORK CONSUMPTION” by Jane Bae and Chris Blackadder of <a href="http://www.scottbrownrigg.com/">Scott Brownrigg</a> took home the People's Choice award. "The concept for our mobile comes from the idea that the whole world provides for New York City and consumers here just pick from all available, after which remains of consumption are regurgitated as waste...a conveyor belt of consumption," said Bae and Blackadder of their design.

Blanca Arregoitia, Cepp Selgas, and Armando Guiller set out "to create a mobile that depicts balance between human kind and nature with their "3Q" mobile made of twigs from Arregiotia's yard and common office paper clips.

“Café” was designed by Antonio A Rodríguez, Jeanette Kim and Juliana Aristizábal of <a href="http://perkinswill.com/">Perkins + Will</a>. The team used metal hangers and used Flavia coffee filter pack injectors to put their own twist on Alexander Calder’s timeless kinetic sculptures. As an added bonus, their mobile was the only one that smelled like coffee!

“All day long I dream about sushi” by Steven South and Cecilia Cordova-Kling of <a href="http://perkinswill.com/">Perkins + Will</a>. "Inspired by our lunch of sushi our Mt.Fuji is surrounded by floating clouds of sushi," said South and Cordova-Kling. "Most of the piece is made from leftover fabrics in the library and some recycled paper sushi trays."

“Marcel Mobile-In-A-Mobile” by Janet Salzer and Andrew Fuston "Challenged with creating a mobile sculpture with recycled materials, we of course turned to Marcel Duchamp for inspiration," said Salzer and Fuston. "His ready-made sculptures have been inspiring the world for one hundred years. One cannot fabricate a mobile sculpture without credit to the master, Alexander Calder. The selection of materials and objects was inspired by David Smith, whose combinations of primary forms in metal are fascinating. Our sculpture was created with materials and components from our homes and a midtown construction site. Only a few connectors were provided by our local hardware store. We would like to thank Shiffman Electric for their 'donation'."

“Light Catcher" by Hung Chan, Melissa Gambino, and Sara Agrest of <a href="http://www.dattner.com/">Dattner Architects</a>. The Dattner team described their mobile as "A play of simple triangles connected to create a larger sculpture that play with color and light."

“Flatiron Deconstructed” by Lauren Helman Foley, Kristi Buchler, and Lourdes Saladino of <a href="http://www.interiorarchitects.com/">IA Interior Architects </a> "Inspired by the neighborhood we work in, this mobile design abstracts the blocks and streets of Manhattan's Flatiron district," said the IA team. "Playful, colorful, repurposed felt and cardboard suspended about a central mast refer to both the ‘mobile’ and ‘stabile’ work of Calder. The urban structure is simplified in shape but layered in composition, celebrating both the iconic and ever-changing nature of our city."

"Synergism, Uninterrupted" by Danei Cesario, Maria Lluberes, and Caroline Chin of <a href="http://www.franciscauffman.com/">Francis Cauffmann</a>. "The concept for the mobile comes from the importance of collaboration within our industry," explained the <a href="http://www.franciscauffman.com/">Francis Cauffmann</a> team. "A project is most successful when all involved parties come together in a harmonious union. The connectivity between all entities is of upmost importance. The whole cannot occur if any of the links are unconnected."

"Macchine Inutile" by Jim Hunter of JLH art+design turns old license plates into a "mute wind chime" that flutters softly in the breeze.

For "Perspective Dissected", Dan Chilcote, Pamela Roganti and Colin Haentjens of <a href="http://www.mmoser.com/">M Moser Associates</a> set out to "use an everyday object to highlight how preservation, reuse &amp; transformation can come together to create a beautiful, provocative and lasting piece of art."