Stefan Sagmeister, “Design and Happiness” October 5, 2009

Renowned for the album covers he created for the likes of Lou Reed, Talking Heads, Aerosmith and the Rolling Stones, Stefan Sagmeister's design work is simple, striking, and humorous. It mixes intimacy and sexuality with wit and a whiff of the sinister. It's strength lies in his ability to come up with potent, original, stunningly appropriate ideas.

In 2008 Sagmeister built an installation of 250 000 Eurocents on Waagdragerhof Square in Amsterdam.

Over 8 days, more than 100 volunteers sorted the coins into 4 different shades and placed them over this 300 square meter area. The coin mural spelled out "Obsessions make my life worse and my work better."

Upon finishing they left the coins free and unguarded for the public to interact. Less than 20 hours after the grand opening, a local resident noticed someone bagging and taking the coins. Protective of the installation they had watched being created, they called the police.

After stopping the “criminal,” the police, in an effort to preserve the artwork, swept up every remaining cent and carted them away.

The Caroline Werner Gannett Project: Visionaries in Motion III brings to Rochester leading thinkers at the cross between the humanities, sciences, and technology.

Official Website: http://cwgp.org/sagmeister_highlights.php