On the border of a nature preserve, near Salzburg, Austria, lies one of the weirdest looking homes in the world – the Voglereiter Auto Residence.

Designed by Markus Voglereiter, this unusual home looks a lot like an old Volkswagen Beetle. It might look funny to some of you, but transforming a 70’s style suburban home into car-shaped house was no joke, especially sine it required creating two separate dwelling for parents and children, while implementing efficient heating and insulation techniques. Not to mention respecting legal building and design codes.

But in the end, Markus Voglereiter managed to create a unique residence, both on the outside and on the. The interior of the car-shaped house also features auto-themed styling, like the springs on the metal staircase. All in all, a fascinating structure, the Volgereiter Auto Residence has already become somewhat of a tourist attraction.

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An unknown group of students from Carleton College decided to show their passion for Star Wars, by transforming their school’s observatory into a giant replica of R2D2.

Their idea truly is commendable, seeing they did such a good job, without using spay paint or doing any other permanent damage to the observatory. All the decorations were draped or taped on the observatory, and they even got it to make bleeping and blooping sounds.

The college authorities were so proud of the student’s harmless enterprise, they decided to post photos of their achievement on the Carleton College Facebook page.

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Created by German artist H.A. Schult, the Trash People, or Schrottarmee, are human figures made of different kinds of trash.

You probably didn’t know this, but there’s an army out there, hell-bent on conquering the world. Each year, it travels to a different location and makes its existence known to the world. But you mustn’t worry, unlike other conquering forces, the Trash Army has peaceful intentions.

The Trash People of H.A. Schult first appeared in 1996, at an amphitheater in Xanten, Germany. They were part of a local art exhibition, but after the idea of traveling around the world was born, the Trash People became an international attraction that showed up in locations like Moscow’s Red Square, The Great Wall of China, the Pyramids of Giza, Rome, Barcelona, and even the Arctic.

Well known for his action art, and using trash as an art medium, H.A. Schult has created 1,000 Trash People out of everyday garbage we humans produce. From Coke and bear cans, to crushed electronics, the Trash people are a representation of our waste society. Every time they show up, grouped in their trademark lines, they remind passers-by that ““We produce trash, are born from trash, and will turn back into trash.”, as their creator himself says.

via 1800Recycling

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Tanys Pullin, a British chef, well versed in the art of cheese cakes, has broken the record for the world’s largest cheese sculpture.

46-year-old Tanys, who claims to be the Nigella Lawson of the cheese world, had to work her magic on a 600 kg piece of cheddar cheese, in a fridge. Although she enjoys working with cheese, and has been doing it for many years, she didn’t consider herself the best cheese sculptor, and was really nervous throughout the whole process. But after eight days of carving, she created a beautiful cheese crown, to mark the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.

Her ‘cheesy’ masterpiece weighs a little under 500 kg, which is way more than the previous record (290 kg). Tanys Pullin is now waiting for an official confirmation, from the Guinness Book of Records.

One might thing working with cheese isn’t very difficult, but cheddar is a very tricky art medium, and Tanys had to keep her cheese sculpture at the right temperature, constantly spray it with olive oil and wrap it up, after each session, to prevent cracking.

Photos by APEX via Daily Mail

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Ever since China’s first 3D newspaper was released, back in April, the public has been asking for more. And they’re about to get it, as a limited number of the Hangzhou-based Daily Business editions are about to be issued, in 3D format.

British tabloid, The Sun, has announced it will be launching the first 3D newspaper, on June 5, a few days before the Soccer World Cup kicks off, in n attempt to raise awareness to the 3D broadcast of the sports event, by Sky News. Sorry guys, but you’re almost two months late, in China, 3D newspapers are already yesterday’s news.

Photos via ImagineChina

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So Ama, a humane organization, from Brazil, has built an entire neighborhood for around 1,600 stray dogs. This dog favela actually rivals people live in.

Located in the Southern city of Caxias do Sul, the pooch favela is probably the only one of its kind, i the whole world. Due to lack of funds to build a proper dog shelter, the volunteers of the So Ama organization were forced to build 1,000 dog houses and chain the dogs next to them.

The 1,600 dogs and 200 cats are definitely not easy to take care of, and right now the dog favela is just trying to make ends meet. The $14,000 it receives monthly, from municipal authorities, and the donations are not enough to cover all the costs, which include 13 tons of food and veterinary services.

Photos by Bruno Domingos/REUTERS via Daylife

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Using vegetables of all shapes and sizes, Chinese artist, Ju Duoqi, recreates famous masterpieces, like The Last Supper, or Mona Lisa.

Ju Duoqi first started working with vegetables in the summer of 2006, when she spent two days peeling a few kilograms of peas, before stringing them on a wire and transforming them in a skirt, a top, a headdress and a magic wand. This was her first experience with vegetable art, and it was called Pea Beauty Pageant.

In the years that followed, Ju Duoqi spent a lot of her time going to the vegetable market, picking them up and placed them in different positions, to see which ones made them more interesting. She discovered the different colors and textures of vegetables offered a rich source of imagery. And frying, boiling, drying, pickling or letting them rot made them even more interesting. The artist realized she no longer needed models for her artworks, as the vegetables could easily be used as models and props alike.

The Chinese artist decided to restage La Liberte Guidant le Peuple, using only vegetables, and called it La Liberte Guidant les Legumes. She used rotting ketchup for blood, potatoes as soldiers and rotting vegetables as background. She went on to create the vegetable art masterpieces you see below.

Ju Duoqi hardly ever leaves her home, and when she does she rarely travels for over 15 km, so she created her vegetable art for all women who love their home. She considers it an environmental way of bringing art and life together.

via ParisBeijing Photo Gallery

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What can you do with a monster truck tire and a rich imagination? Build a kick-ass tricycle, of course.

We can’t all build our very own sports car, or make a Batmobile replica out of scratch, but a good idea and some technical skills go along way, and this monster tricycle is the perfect example. Making great use of a giant tire, some European managed to build an old-school, with a modern twist.

Judging by the video footage below, riding the monster tricycle requires great leg  muscles, and I don’t even want to imagine what would happen if anyone were to ride it down hill, but it’s a great way to get noticed and become an Youtube sensation.

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Called ‘Strandbeest’ (beach animals), the kinetic sculptures of Theo Jansen actually walk, using the power of the wind.

A former physicist, Theo Jansen has used all of his knowledge to create a new strain of life, creatures made of artificial matter that are able to use the power of the elements to move, store this energy for later use, and protect themselves in case of danger. Just like living being, Jansen’s automatons are constantly evolving, and learning new things. In their creator’s vision of the future, the strandbeest will, at one point, develop muscles and brains that will allow them to perform complex actions.

But today’s strandbeest are complex enough, displaying amazingly flowing movements as they use the power of wind. Some are able to store its energy and move for longer periods of time, while others have learned self-preservation, and stick their yellow tubes into the sand, when wind threatens to blow them away.

Reading about Theo Jansen’s strandbeest, and even looking at photos of them, makes little sense until you get the chance to see them in action. So, scroll down and prepare to have your mind blown.

Photos via WebUrbanist

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Remember those cool Transformer stained glass windows we featured, a while back? Well, the idea of unusual stained glass seems to have caught on pretty well, as people are coming up with the most interesting ideas.

The latest example is a stonemason, named Dan, who used some old motherboards, donated by a friend, to create a really cool stained glass window. He actually used his creation on one of his projects, integrating the motherboard stained glass in a sandstone tracery window. Apparently, it has a “good vs. evil” theme going on.

via Overclockers.com.au

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Built back in 2007, by the guys at Orange County Choppers, the Barbecue Chopper actually features a working barbecue, for people who enjoy a nice steak, on the go.

This totally awesome chopper was featured on Make, as a present for its readers, on Memorial Day, and reminded me of the great bikes built by OCC. Normally their concept choppers are just for show, but this particular masterpiece, built for RUB, has a working barbecue, made by pit master, David Klose. The lucky rider can actually enjoy a nice fresh barbecue and ride this baby at the same time. I’d say that’s the ultimate biker’s dream.

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Making use of ULC (ultra light construction) an Austrian car enthusiast managed to build the lightest and slowest Porsche in the world.

The Ferdinand GT3 RS may look a lot like a Porsche roadster, but as we all know, appearances can often be deceiving. I’m not even sure we can call this thing a car, considering it doesn’t even have an engine, but it’s definitely an interesting concept. The Ferdinand GT3 RS weighs an astounding 99.63 kilograms, which is lighter than any other working car, but that means all the “unnecessary” components were left out. The body of this home-made sports car is made of plastic tubes, and the wheels are so slim they wouldn’t even fit on a bicycle.

The golden finish of the Ferdinand GT3 RS may look impressive, but you’ll be surprised to know it’s just gold-painted duct tape, covering the plastic tube frame of the car. Since it doesn’t even have an engine, you’re probably wondering how it works. As you can see in the video at the bottom, this DIY vehicle is powered by…(wait for it)…pedals. Just like on a bike, you’ll have to make good use of your legs, to get from A to B.

You can see a lot more photos of the building process of the Ferdinand GT3 RS, on its Flickr stream, but we’ve posted enough photos to give you a good idea of how it was made. The world’s slowest Porsche is now on display at the Lentos Museum of Art, in Linz, Austria.

via Ferdinand Johannes

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Actually making a playable guitar is hard enough, but making it using just popsicle sticks, some glues and basic house tools seems nearly impossible. Still, someone managed to do it.

Instructables user busupholstery managed to leave everyone speechless when he uploaded photos of the guitar he made, using posicle sticks. He bought 4,000 of them, worth $900, and ended up using 2,000 to create his DIY masterpiece. Using his own Gremlin parlor size guitar as a pattern, he spent 240 hours gluing and cutting popsicle sticks, until his unusual guitar was completed.

The most amazing thing about this man’s achievement is that he managed to build a popsicle stick guitar, somewhere in Costa Rica, basically using just a handsaw, some clothespins, rubber bands and glue. Let’s face it, most of us wouldn’t be able to make something like this with the latest power tools available.

And though it may not sound as good as the best guitars on the market, the popsicle stick guitar is playable. Before you even ask, it’s not for sale.

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It may seem strange, but embroidered Wonder Bread can be used as regular paintings, as it can last for years.

Catherine McEver is well known in the odd art world, particularly for her Wonder Bread creations. Her latest artworks are embroidered slices of Wonder Bread that look like famous paintings (Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’, for example). They might look silly, but these things are pretty difficult to make, considering how fragile Wonder Bread is. Just like paintings, these Embroidered slices can be hung on a wall,  and will last for years.

Check out more of Catherine’s bizarre artworks on her blog, StuffYouCantHave.

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Twelve luthiers, from Markneukirchen, eastern Germany, are working around the clock, adding the final details to what could be the world’s largest violin.

Markneukirchen is already famous for the quality violins made there, but this extraordinary instrument will definitely get its name into the record books. The world’s largest violin will be 4.28 meters tall, 1.45 meters wide, and weigh over 100 kilograms. It’s an exceptional achievement, but there’s just one problem: who’s going to play this thing? Even Sultan Kosen, the world’s tallest man, will have a tough time handling this giant instrument, especially since he’s not a very talented violin player.

Photos by AFP via Xinhua

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