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London Design Festival returns for another week-long celebration of innovation and creativity, with a roster of thrilling exhibitions, open studios, talks, tours and workshops.
Launched in 2003 by British designers John Sorrell and Ben Evans, the festival has grown exponentially over the past two decades: last year more tahn 600,000 people from 75 countries attended. Now one of the world’s leading design festivals, LDF is a celebration both of innovative artists and designers, and of pioneering technology and ideas.
“London Design Festival is a fantastic event which brings together designers from across the globe and demonstrates the capital’s position as a powerhouse for the creative industries,” said Sadiq Khan.Here we pick just some of this year’s brilliant exhibitions.
Pavilions of Wonder by Nina Tolstrup of Studiomama
A collaboration between Mattel’s Barbie and Visit Greater Palm Springs, this installation explores Californian architecture and the way it has inspired Barbie’s DreamHouse over the years. Visitors are invited to explore several 3D pavilions, which play with ideas around cultural symbols, architectural heritage, pop culture and lifestyle.
Visit Greater Palm Springs, Mattel, Inc.’s Barbie®, Strand Aldwych. Free, no ticket required
Origin – A deep listening experience
In this transporting installation created by two of Punchdrunk’s associate artists, guests are invited to lay down and be bathed in sound and light. The calming space has been specially designed for disconnection from demanding schedules and fast-paced lives; it uses an audio track to tap in themes around human connection with nature and life cycles. Some of the sound design has been created by students from Goldsmith’s department of theatre and performance.
World Heart Beat Embassy Gardens. Paid, ticket required
Group Show
Promising to be very cool indeed, this group show at David Gill Gallery, suitably titled Group Show, takes a phrase from British poet Sylvia Plath as its starting point. “I am silver and exact” she wrote in Mirror; the exhibition, which centres around six key works by Mattia Bonetti (but also features the works of Fredrikson Stallard, Daniel Libeskind and Zaha Hadid) focuses on the colour silver in all its glory. There’s a ‘crater’ coffee table, a futuristic throne-chair, molten cuboids and a “scribbled” mirror – a reflective feast for the eyes.
David Gill Gallery. Free, no ticket required
Engrained: Material Intelligence
Sarah Myerscough Gallery represents craft and design artists who specialise in material-led processes: Engrained: Material Intelligence features artists such as Nic Webb, Peter Marigold, Studio Amos, Gareth Neal who are pushing the boundaries of design with wood. The gallery and the innovative artists are interested in showcasing the exquisite properties of wood, in doing so provoking ideas around durability, history, connectivity and ecology.
Sarah Mayerscough Gallery, Cromwell Place Garage. Free, no ticket required
Marine Pavilion: Sustainable Architectural Innovations
Head to Perfetti Gallery for two distinct exhibitions: the first is a display of Naixin Shi’s project Marine Pavilion. The design director collected discarded materials from a village, previously used by fishermen, to build a temporary architectural project. It shines a light on environmentally-focused practices and sustainable solutions.
The second is a display of objects made with leather moulding and lacquer techniques, two techniques rarely combined. This show explores innovative craftsmanship, particularly focusing on the work of artisans in Yangzhou, China.
Patch Design, Perfetti Gallery. Free, no ticket required
Ventete: Take A Deep Breath
This is incredibly cool: a prototype of a micro-collapsible cycle helmet that may very well be the kind of protective gear we’ll all be wearing in the future. The helmets, made by Swiss company Ventete, come in a slick pouch and are blown up with a tiny pump. The invention, says Ventete, is “the first meaningful divergence from conventional helmet materials in 50 years”. Simply put, they’re super slick, and will free up a huge amount of space in cyclist’s rucksacks. Plan a visit to try on the helmets.
Ventete. Free, ticket required
The Sun, My Heart by Marjan van Aubel Studio
There’s real excitement around Marjan van Aubel Studio’s upcoming exhibition: an interactive show, The Sun, My Heart will “synchronise visitors' hearts with solar rhythms” to raise awareness of the relationship between the human body and the wider universe.
The multi-layered installation comes as a reminder of solar energy's endless potential: a “constellation of lights” reflecting the sun’s rays on Earth throughout the day, and a soundscape based on NASA's solar recordings (a sonic translation of the sun’s waves, loops and eruptions) are likely to trigger the brain's theta waves (which are associated with relaxation and light sleep).
Marjan van Aubel Studio is a pioneer of solar-focused design and its work hangs in permanent collections around the world, including New York’s MoMA, Paris’s Centre Pompidou and London’s V&A.
Somerset House. Free, no ticket required
Luminous Kinetics: Sculpting with Light in Motion
A fascinating exhibition of objects which explore the interplay between light and movement, the show will feature some of the fields of study’s leading artists, including Brussels-based studio Studio Élémentaires and Dawn Bendick, whose work has been acquired by National Museum of Norway.
Charles Burnand Gallery. Free, no ticket required
Liquid Light
Liquid Light, one of this year’s key exhibitions, is a collaboration between Johnnie Walker and the artist collective Marshmallow Laser. The show, described by LDF as a “groundbreaking and immersive” installation, will be housed in The Old Selfridges Hotel and promises to be a visual representation of some of the pioneering research and development around the craftsmanship of glassmaking. Exciting stuff.
Johnnie Walker, Marshmallow Laser Feast, The Old Selfridges Hotel. Free, ticket required
Light in Motion presented by Acrylicize
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This group show features artists, designers, and engineers, including Duncan Carter, Kai Lab, Heyl & Van Dam, Maria Vera, and Relative Distance – creatives who have employed cutting-edge technologies in their work to explore ideas around space, movement, and time. Expect a series of interesting sculptures and designs that form a thoughtful exhibition about the natural world’s convergence with technology.
Acrylicize, The Art House. Free, no ticket required
Matter Forms
Matter Forms is an award-winning multidisciplinary design studio that works on material innovation. It’s focused on circular architecture and design – products that will support a circular economy and contribute to a cleaner future. Oyster[Crete], their first material, is two years in the making. The new substance has been created as an alternative to traditional concrete and is made of discarded oyster shells. Head to Redchurch Street to see a presentation of the brand new material.
Matter Forms, UJNG. Free, no ticket required
Bio-Spaces: Regenerative, Resilient Futures
Experimental and multi-sensory, this exhibition imagines the architecture of the future. Curated by environmentally focused platform Planted, the show explores nature-based design; as climate change puts pressure on resources and as the world’s population grows, more imaginative approaches to building are required.
Roca London Gallery. Free, no ticket required
Off The Shelf Pavilion by Rio Kobayashi & Webb Yates
Artist Rio Kobayashi and engineers Webb Yates have curated a new pavilion for fostering human connection. Their Off The Shelf Pavilion, inspired by both traditional Japanese wooden homes and the Olympia building, employs contemporary engineering techniques. The space will become a stage for exhibitions, workshops and performances.
Off the Shelf Pavilion at Olympia. Free, no ticket required
