The French Pavilion at the London Design Biennale 2020 will explore the theme of resonance through metronomes. The design team will comprise of designer Sebastien Servaire, Margot Myers and curator Anne-Laure Pingreoun. Up to 50 countries, territories and cities will exhibit at the third edition of London Design Biennale this autumn. They will respond to Artistic Director Es Devlin's call to action exploring how design can provide solutions to the major crises of our time.
Metronome(s) draws inspiration from Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust, part of the series In Search of Lost Time. The French Pavilion will be "a time capsule and an altar to the senses." Using ASMR research alongside sound, scent and light, the design team aims to create a "hypnotic and deeply personal experience" for visitors to reflect on the passage of time and connect with memories. The installation also aims to celebrate French heritage, craftsmanship and passion for storytelling.
Paris-based Sebastien Servaire is a designer and creative director at award-winning studio Servaire & Co. He will be working in collaboration with Margot Myers, one of the directors of leading creative technology studio The Workers. French Pavilion curator Anne-Laure Pingreoun said: “Curating the French Pavilion at the London Design Biennale is an incredible honour. I wanted to bring together a dream team to represent France’s best ‘Savoir-Faire’ and Sebastien and Margot are both incredibly talented. Their work will bring this year’s theme ‘Resonance’ to life and will evoke a visceral and memorable response from visitors.
The London Design Biennale was established by the founders of London Design Festival, Sir John Sorrell CBE and Ben Evans CBE, to present world-class design thinking from every corner of the globe and to interrogate current design practice: highlighting its role to better our lives. The 2018 London Design Biennale welcomed designers, innovators and cultural bodies to the capital with over 200,000 visitors to Somerset House over the three-week period.
The Metronome(s) installation will be exhibited at Somerset House from 8 – 27 September 2020.