The 2018 London Design Festival is now underway, having returned for its 16th year. Running from 15th to 23rd September, and spread across the city, the Festival features works such as Snøhetta’s rotating book pavilion and a series of installations at the V&A celebrating the venue’s 10th year as the Festival’s official hub.
Below, we have compiled a list of collaborations to look out for throughout the week, including investigations into issues such as climate change and plastic pollution, and artistic themes such as Cubism and classical music.
Alphabet / Kellenberg-White
With support from Festival Headliner British Land, Kellenberger-White has designed a series of alphabet chairs experimenting with folded metal to create a typographic system. The 26 chairs have unique colors, chosen from a specialist paint manufacturer used for industrial metalwork, featuring hues matching San Francisco’ Golden Gate Bridge and more.
Location: Finsbury Avenue Square, Broadgate, EC2M 3PA
Multiply / Waugh Thistleton Architects
Collaborating with the American Hardwood Export Council and Arup, Waugh Thistleton has created an interactive modular maze-like installation encouraging visitors to re-think how homes and cities are built. Addressing the issues of housing and climate change, the three-dimensional permeable structure uses a modular system made from re-usable tulipwood panels.
Location: The Sackler Courtyard, V&A Museum, SW7 2RL
Dazzle / Pentagram
Inspired by “dazzle,” an experimental camouflage pattern derived from Cubism and used during the First World War, Pentagram’s installation abstracts the letterforms of Wilfrid Wilson Gibson’s poem “Suspense” to create an immersive experience. The installation forms a culmination of the Dazzle Ship series co-commissioned by 14-18 NOW, the UK’s arts programme for the First World War centenary, and Liverpool Biennial.
Location: The Creative Studio, Level 4, V&A Museum, SW7 2RL
Memory and Light / Arvo Pärt and Arup
Curated by Clare Farrow with Eva Woode in collaboration with Arup, this multi-sensory installation investigates the meeting of design and music. An acrylic, transparent, curved screen combines with a luxurious leather listening bench allowing visitors to experience the words and music of prominent Estonian composer Arvo Pärt.
Location: British Galleries, Room 52B, Norfolk House Music Room, V&A Museum, SW7 2RL
The Onion Farm / Henrik Vibskov
Vibskov’s Onion Farm consists of a light, dynamic structure activated by colorful brushes and red textile “onions” seemingly growing from the frame. The installation seeks to create a strong tactile impression, offering viewers a new perspective on everyday objects. The Onion Farm is meant to be interactive, inviting visitors to touch and move through it as they walk along the gallery.
Location: V&A Tapestries, Room 94, V&A Museum, SW7 2RL
A Fountain for London / Michael Anastassiades
Supported by the London Fountain Co. and inspired by the abundance of water fountains in the London of the mid-19th century, A Fountain for London is conceived as an “elegant, enduring, and robust addition to public spaces that can be used for refilling bottles as well as drinking.” With an abstract form subtly communicating its function, the installation is designed to gain familiarity over time, forming both a staple of urban streetscapes and a protest against the environmental damage of plastic pollution caused by bottled water.
Location: The John Madejski Garden, V&A Museum, SW7 2RL
Time for Tea / Scholten and Baijings
Supported by Fortnum & Mason, and located on the first floor of their Piccadilly flagship store, this live tea party uses 80 products designed by companies across the globe. With a distinctive green hue, blends of Italian marble, British wool, and Japanese porcelain take center stage for the performance held four times per day.
Location: Fortnum & Mason, London, W1A 1ER
News via: London Design Festival
