Touch This Art
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Your browser does not support the video tag. W hen Michael Szivos, the founder of the New York City–based design studio SOF Tlab, is asked if making public art is important to him, he poses a question of his own: “Why can’t we have more work like this in the world all the time?”
The answer, if you were to ask Lincoln, Atlantic Re :think, or the designers at SOF Tlab, is simple: We should.
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This unorthodox collaboration began earlier this year, as Lincoln prepared to release its new crossover, the 2019 Lincoln Nautilus. Rather than promote the vehicle through traditional means, Lincoln wanted to create something novel. It teamed with Atlantic Re:think, The Atlantic’s in-house creative studio, on an ambitious undertaking that reflects its human-centered design ethos: producing an interactive public work of art. They found a like-minded artistic collaborator in SOFTlab, which, under Szivos’s leadership, previously created installations with LEDs and mirrors that react to viewers’ movements and sounds in real time.
The result of the trio’s joint effort is The Nautilus, a large-scale public art installation at New York City’s historic Seaport District. Please touch this art. Yes, you read that right. How the installation comes alive is, quite literally, in your hands.
The Nautilus is a constellation of 95 interactive poles that are activated by touch.
Passersby are invited to engage with the immersive space or observe others’ interactions from its central enclosure.
When you grasp a pole, its electrical field senses your presence and responds to the qualities of your unique touch.
This prompts the installation to light up and play a personalized tone from an eight-note scale, forming an idiosyncratic symphony of light and sound with other participants.
The Nautilus suggests how technology can produce an experience that’s inherently human, responsive, and sensory.
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The Nautilus—named after its point of inspiration, the 2019 Nautilus crossover—joins New York City’s storied history of public art. Like its predecessors, it exists beyond traditional institutional barriers such as museum entry fees or a gallery’s hermetic white walls. “Museums are great, but our work that’s in the public realm is not in a white box, so it’s not framed, in a way,” says Szivos. The Nautilus’s approachable context—which creates the possibility of happening upon the work and unexpectedly engaging with art in daily life—is only one way in which the installation subverts art-viewing preconceptions. The installation also relies on human activation and transforms passive viewers into active participants. Szivos embraces the unanticipated results that come with giving the public that agency. “I think the engagement from the public is better when they come up with their own outcomes,” he says, observing that in his view, this kind of open-ended interactive art often results in a more resonant and memorable experience than people have with traditional art.
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Inventive ideas for interactive artworks are well and good, but their execution relies on ease of use; one must understand how people move through space and relate to the world around them in order to meaningfully engage the public (appropriately, all of SOFTlab’s designers are, to some degree, schooled in architecture). The success of both SOFTlab’s art and Lincoln vehicles hinges on their respective designers tapping into that knowledge of human behavior. Throughout their artistic processes, from research and prototyping to fabrication, both SOFTlab and Lincoln designers consider how individuals will experience their creations—in short, how their work will come alive in the user’s control.
This shared sensibility is partly why Lincoln and Atlantic Re:think chose SOFTlab to create The Nautilus. “Artwork of course needs to stimulate and cultivate the society in which we live, but our vehicles also do a very similar thing,” explains Earl Lucas, the chief exterior designer at Lincoln. “…[It’s] doing things that are memorable, that enhance and complement society, no matter what the art form is.” One of the core brand and design tenets at Lincoln is “human.” It’s an approach that frames all aspects of its automotive design, and inspired Lincoln to commission a welcoming public piece of art. “Everything that we do at Lincoln, we try to do from a human perspective,” says Lucas.
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It’s this very quality that made The Nautilus’s namesake, the 2019 Lincoln Nautilus, a solid creative foundation for SOFTlab’s art installation. The crossover’s Lincoln Co-Pilot360™ technology in particular informed the approach of SOFTlab’s designers. While on the one hand these technologies are pragmatic assistance features, they’re also designed to serve an intuitive human experience—to augment how drivers move through the world by helping them sense it. “I think the installation is framing this technology—and the idea of not only sensing but analyzing things—as fun and positive, and not solely a necessity,” says Szivos. The Nautilus installation uses technology to individualize the participant’s art experience; it senses the seen and unseen qualities that form one’s unique touch and responds to the user. Those who engage with it have a straightforward task: Touch. Hear. See. Experience.
Now that The Nautilus has entered the public sphere, Szivos looks forward to people making it their own—perhaps even activating the environment in ways that surprise his team at SOFTlab. “It’s like letting something out into the world,” he says. This sentiment is echoed by Lucas, who, as an art observer, sees the excitement in putting the art in the audience’s hands. “Now you’re not just reviewing something,” says Lucas. “You’re experiencing it.”
The Nautilus is installed at Pier 17 in New York City’s Seaport District until September 10, 2019.
Understanding Annual Renewable Term Life Insurance (ART): Features And Benefits
What Is Annual Renewable Term Life Insurance (ART)? Annual renewable term life insurance is short-term life insurance that provides coverage for a specific period of time; in this case, for one year. One year term life products are designed to protect you on short term needs or situations. This could include mortgage protection, temporary financial obligations and many other reasons. In simple terms, ART is structured like a regular term life policy by covering needs defined by the customer with level premiums over a fixed period of time. At the end of the term, the insurance is no longer in effect unless the policyholder decides to continue coverage on a renewable term policy. As with any level term life insurance product, there is no cash value associated with annual renewable term life insurance. Premiums pay for the insurance coverage and life insurance company fees. If the policyholder decides to renew, the insurance company will reevaluate the policyholder and determine if the rate should be changed. This is very similar to how insurance companies handle longer term life insurance policies. How Does Annual Renewable Term Life Insurance Work? Insurance companies evaluate potential policyholders in ways similar to how they underwrite policies for longer term life insurance. They will look at factors such as age, health, occupation and many other factors to determine the premium amount. At the end of the year, the policyholder has the option to renew the policy or drop the coverage. Like a longer-term policy, ART premium rates will likely rise on each renewal period because the policyholder is getting older, and new issues often arise that lead the insurance company to believe its risk has increased. This renewal process can continue on as long as the insurance company is willing to accept the risk. However, it is likely over an extended period of time, five to 10 years or more, that the policyholder will experience significantly higher premiums. There is a limit based on age on how long an ART can be renewed, and it varies by state. In New York, for example, the age limit is 80. Pros and Cons of Annual Renewable Term Life Insurance There are reasons why ART might be a good fit for your life insurance needs and reasons why it might not be the best fit. Let’s look at the pros and cons. Advantages and Benefits of Annual Renewable Term Life Insurance Annual renewable term life insurance fills a need for individuals or businesses looking for a short-term solution based on issues that often have arisen unexpectedly. Temporary coverage. Annual renewable term life insurance might be a good fit for families or businesses who need short-term coverage for an important issue. For families, it might be the last year or two of a child’s college education they want to ensure is covered in the event of the policyholder’s death. For businesses, it could be ensuring business continuity in the event of the loss of a business owner or business partner. Affordable for the short term. In many situations, ART can be a very cost-effective solution to a short-term problem. It’s not unusual for premiums to be low in the first few years, assuming the policyholder renews annually. However, premiums can go up significantly if ART is used as a substitute for longer term life insurance. Convertible. Some ART policies can be converted to one or more types of permanent insurance. You should speak with a licensed agent about these scenarios. Annual renewable term life insurance can be an excellent solution to a temporary problem or issue. Considerations and Limitations of Annual Renewable Term Life Like any life insurance plan, no one product can meet the needs of everyone. Annual renewable term life insurance has become a popular product to fill unique short-term needs of policyholders, but it has its limitations. Increasing premiums. Insurance companies work to manage the risk they take on when issuing a life insurance policy. In the case of ART, they often start new policyholders at competitive rates, assuming there are no significant issues with the application. But as the policyholder ages, the cost of coverage will increase. Limited customization. What you see is basically what you get with ART: term life insurance for a one-year period with a level premium. There is the ability in some cases to add riders to an ART policy. No cash value. Unlike permanent life insurance, there is no cash value associated with annual renewable term life insurance. The premiums you pay cover the cost of insurance only. Short term only. If your coverage needs are more long term, then this probably isn’t the type of policy for you. If you are considering a short-term insurance solution like ART, we recommend you speak with a financial advisor or licensed insurance agent to make sure you understand the issues with this type of policy. Adding Riders to Annual Renewable Term Life Insurance (ART) Riders can be a way to add additional coverage for specific needs. Here are a few of the most popular riders: Accelerated death benefit. This allows the policyholder to access a portion of the death benefit if they are diagnosed with a terminal illness. Waiver of premium. If the policyholder becomes disabled and unable to work, this rider waives the premium payments while keeping the coverage in force. Conversion. There is an option in some cases to convert the annual renewable term life insurance policy to a permanent life insurance policy without additional underwriting. Check with your insurance agent for details. As with any life insurance, the best riders depend on your individual needs and budget. What Is the Difference Between Permanent and Annually Renewable Term Life Insurance? These two types of life insurance are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Annual renewable term life insurance is a product designed to meet needs over a short period with level premiums and no cash value during its one-year term. ART requires annual renewals for the policy to remain active. Permanent life insurance is designed for lifetime protection with several types of coverage from whole life insurance to universal life insurance that build cash value in a variety of ways. Permanent insurance is often an important component of estate planning. What Is the Difference Between an Annually Renewable Term Life Policy and a Term Life Insurance Policy? These two types of term life insurance are very similar. The only significant difference is that traditional term life insurance is designed for longer periods of time, typically a 10-, 20- or 30-year term. Some insurers will go up to 40 years. Is Annual Renewable Term Life Insurance Suitable for You? Life insurance in general is a flexible financial and estate planning tool, with many features and options. And, yes, at times all the options can be confusing. Annual renewable term life insurance is designed to meet short-term needs and situations. When used for a number of years it can become expensive — often more than you might have paid for longer term life insurance coverage. But ART can be a good fit for many different needs: Parents with dependent children. The focus is on protecting the child for the years until they move out of the home. Student loans. Many students attempt to pay down loans quickly, but during that time ART can be used to cover that cost in the event of the policyholder’s death. Business startups. The early years of most young businesses are littered with startup and operational costs and business loans before the business becomes profitable. Having an ART can help secure loans and provide for business continuity funding. Key person protection for businesses. ARTs are used as protection for the business in the event of an important person such as a key employee or business owner passing away. Debt repayment. A common use of an annual renewable term life insurance policy is protecting heirs from the burden of loans and credit card debt. In between jobs. ART can be an effective bridge when an individual is in between jobs and is planning to take group life insurance coverage with their next employer. Annual renewable term life insurance can be an effective way to manage short-term personal business issues and concerns. There are also many other types of term insurance that can be used for these situations. The best life insurance for you will depend on your goals, how long you require protection and various other factors.
Our goal at the Guides Home Team is to provide you with comprehensive, unbiased recommendations you can trust. To rate and rank life insurance companies, we created a thorough methodology and analyzed each company by combing through online policy information, speaking to agents via phone, reading customer reviews for insight into the typical customer experience, and reviewing third-party financial reliability scores. After collecting this data, we scored each company in the following categories: coverage, riders, availability and ease of use and brand trust. To learn more, read our full life insurance methodology for reviewing and scoring providers.
AM Best DisclaimerDrew Gurley is a licensed life insurance expert with nearly 15 years of experience. During his career as both a licensed life insurance agent and industry executive, he has helped thousands of clients with their life insurance needs through his work at Redbird Advisors and Senior Market Advisors. When Drew isn’t working, he spends time with his family, supporting breast cancer and epilepsy awareness. Sabrina Lopez is an editor with over six years of experience writing and editing digital content with a particular focus on home services, home products and personal finance. When she is not working on articles to help consumers make informed decisions, Sabrina enjoys creative writing and spending time with her family and their two parrots.
Introduce The Subtle Art Of Quiet Luxury To Your Home
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