The World is So Small, It’s Amazing
One of the hottest topics in the Greater Bay Area recently is the visit of Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman’s giant rubber duck exhibition in Hong Kong. From the “love affair” of the two ducks to the “duckling” becoming a single duck, and the farewell event held last week, the exhibition has gained a lot of popularity and attention.
However, not everyone is crazy about it. Some people have “gigantophobia” and cannot appreciate the cuteness of the giant rubber duck. It’s understandable that everyone has their own preferences. While some people chase after large-scale art installations like the rubber duck, there are also many who love the miniature world.
Apart from Tatsuya Tanaka, who is the first artist that comes to mind when we talk about “miniature,” which other artists and brands also love the wonderful tiny world? Today, this article will give you a glimpse of some of the amazing ones.
Uber Eats
Quantum-level Deliciousness, Just Like Ant-Man’s
Recently, before the release of “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” Disney+, Uber Eats, and the UK creative company Mother teamed up to open a coffee shop. You might think it’s just a pop-up shop for fans to take photos, but it’s actually a Quantum Cafe for Ant-Man and the Wasp.
The Quantum Cafe has locations in London, Manchester, and Bristol, but the specific addresses have not been announced. They only said that it would appear in corners or crevices of the city, teasing fans and leaving it up to chance whether they can find it and take photos.
Even if you can’t find the Quantum Cafe, don’t worry, you can still get the same food on Uber Eats.
This joint promotion not only features miniature stores, but also miniature food, all of which are quantum-level Ant-Man-inspired dishes. Uber Eats has launched “The Tiny Tasting Menu,” which includes dozens of classic takeout foods such as pizza, burgers, sushi, salads, and donuts. Although these dishes are probably not enough to fill an adult’s teeth gap, all proceeds from this event will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation to help children with life-threatening illnesses. This is a great way to promote and do charity work in a way that is very Ant-Man!
MSCHF is a creative collective that produces unique and often controversial products and experiences. They are known for their limited edition drops, which sell out quickly and often generate buzz on social media. Some of their most notable projects include a Jesus-themed pair of Nike sneakers, a browser extension that replaces all mentions of the word “cloud” with “butt,” and a collaboration with rapper Lil Nas X that involved selling “Satan Shoes” containing a drop of human blood. Despite the controversy surrounding their work, MSCHF has gained a large following and has been featured in numerous media outlets.
Vanity Only Visible Under a Microscope
When you see the name “MSCHF,” you know that this creative agency is always up to something unconventional and not “normal” (if you’re not familiar with them, click here). Following the controversial and attention-grabbing billionaire ice cream, MSCHF has released a microscopic handbag, which is exactly what it sounds like: a bag that can only be seen under a microscope. It measures only 657x222x700 micrometers and is made of fluorescent green polymer resin 3D printing. It’s so small that it can fit on your fingertip and is even smaller than a grain of salt. When viewed under a microscope, it becomes clear that it’s an imitation of Louis Vuitton’s pattern.
This handbag was created by MSCHF for the “Just Phriends” online auction, a collaboration between LV’s new menswear creative director Pharrell Williams and Sarah Andelman, the founder of the famous Parisian concept store colette. But who would pay for something so impractical?
According to Kevin Wiesne, the creative director of MSCHF, their design was intended to “make something that was once practical, impractical.” When the volume of a practical item like a handbag is reduced to the extreme and becomes increasingly abstract, it no longer serves its original purpose. Instead, it becomes a symbol of a luxury brand and a representation of vanity.
Participating in an auction that is so closely tied to the fashion industry in such a rebellious manner is truly ironic. However, this unique item is sure to generate buzz for MSCHF. It also makes us think about what we’re really consuming when we buy luxury brands.
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Blacklillybee
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The Spooky Coffin Becomes Adorable When Miniature
The size of an object often affects people’s perception and impression of it. Members of the Douban group “Giant Object Phobia” complain about various giant artworks. Conversely, if some inherently frightening things become smaller and miniaturized, they seem to have a cute quality. For example, the artist Blacklillybee’s “Miniature Coffins.”
However, the palm-sized miniature coffins have been transformed by Blacklillybee into homes for little ghosts, complete with three bedrooms, a living room, and a garden! The little ghosts stroll around their “homes,” take naps by the fireplace, or sit in the garden. The coffin, which looks ominous and unlucky, has become a work of art that sells out as soon as it is put on the shelf after Blacklillybee’s “magic touch.”
From the interior decoration of the coffin to the little ghosts themselves, everything is fingertip-sized and made entirely by hand by the artist. The details are full and vivid, and the profound craftsmanship comes from Blacklillybee’s extensive creation of miniature forest landscape models before making the miniature coffins. She is not pursuing extreme realism, but rather atmosphere and emotional expression. Sometimes, she even updates stories about the little ghosts on her Instagram account. You might think they are all the same, but in the artist’s mind, they are independent individuals with their own stories.
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Mini Materials
Mini Material: Building Materials for Your Mini World
In a world that’s too big and too busy, sometimes all we want is to create our own little world. That’s exactly what Jared Waters had in mind when he started Mini Material, a handmade building materials brand. What began as a personal hobby has now turned into a small business.
Mini Material offers a range of products that you would typically find in a real-life building materials market, such as red bricks, cinder blocks, wood, guardrails, concrete, forklifts, pallet jacks, traffic signs, and more. The products are highly realistic, with the only difference being their size.
These mini building materials can be used to create a variety of things, such as phone stands, ramps for miniature skateboards, doll beds, and more. Whether you’re looking to fulfill a practical need or simply indulge in some miniature playtime, Mini Material has got you covered.
In the words of founder Jared Waters, while everyone is pursuing a big-picture worldview, including himself, enthusiasts of the miniature world prefer to focus on the small details (think small).
Some people are passionate about creating and managing miniature worlds, even if they are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. At least they are completely under their own control and run in their own way. Others simply enjoy the sound of cutting materials and the pleasure that ASMR brings… In any case, this is definitely not a niche hobby or a obscure industry, as evidenced by MINI MATERIAL’s monthly sales of $2 million.
Yorkshire Tea
Helping the Environment by Starting with a Mini Kettle
If MINI MATERIAL’s audience consists of young people who cannot afford to buy a house in reality, choosing to create their own miniature world is probably a way of actively seeking self-consistency. However, when tea-loving Brits use a mini kettle, they have another purpose – to help the environment.
Do you always boil a large kettle of water but never use it all, wasting money and water resources? Why not use a mini kettle, also known as a “one brew kettle,” because its capacity is just enough to make one cup of tea. It seems like it won’t cause waste anymore, but the result is that instant noodles won’t cook properly, and when the family gets together for tea, it takes n rounds to make enough for everyone.
Don’t be angry, it’s a friend! This TV commercial from the British tea brand Yorkshire Tea is just trying to make a joke with everyone. The mini kettle, which is a “useless” thing, is actually mocking those brands that become “green” through superficial and unrealistic methods. The method of not wasting water resources is not that complicated, just boil water as needed.
In this way, this advertisement can be considered a humorous way to convey environmental concepts and a great creative idea of using small things to achieve big results.
More recommended readings on miniature creations:
Why has this “elderly” miniature town been popular for nearly 60 years?
Open the diary of miniature life and enter the micro world of Tatsuya Tanaka.
Someone made a miniature tin box out of Google Street View!
At 27, she sealed the ending of loneliness with her own hands.