Armed with a new director and a whole new set of design challenges, London Design Festival takes over the British capital with an exciting programme of events that challenge – or perhaps perpetrate – the notion of design today. But while temporary events like the one in London, or even the Salone in Milan, continue to proliferate, can we still doubt their validity? Or should we just embrace their richness and exuberance? For once, we are not being critical about the purpose of such events, and are instead celebrating this year’s edition of London Design Festival with a selection of events you should not miss.
A major part of the London Design Festival’s programme is the presentation of Landmark Projects in various locations in London. Conceptual artist Alex Chinneck, renowned for elevating everyday structures into the extraordinary, created an installation titled “A Bullet from a Shooting Star” which takes the form of a regular electricity pylon but is given an unconventional design.
At the V&A, the classic stop on the festival’s tour and the core of its rich programme, a series of installations, exhibitions, talks and explorations will take place – from an installation by Grafton Architects to temporary exhibitions dedicated to British icons like Robin Day. The Somerset House, on the other hand, is an entirely new location for the Festival, and will be properly introduced with an exhibition of ten incredible international designers.
A number of large group-shows will take place across the city where
new and established exhibitors from the UK and around the world will debut their designs. These ‘Design Destinations’ are crucial for designers and manufacturers wanting to reach new markets and provide excellent platforms for new and emerging designers and makers to present their products and innovations – and perhaps also form the most viral and spontaneous way for the public to try and understand what contemporary design is. London Design Festival runs from 19 to 25 September 2015.
