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Held on 15 – 23 September 2018 it was set up like a treasure hunt, the V&A Museum brought the London Design Festival to life through user engagement and interactive activities.
With each display carefully placed around different corners of the museum, design enthusiasts wandered through time exploring past, current and future design projects.
From compositions to AI and 3D printing, the exhibitions and installations chosen for this year’s festival fed the curious minds of different age groups.
Here are some of our favourite installations and exhibitions below.
Artificial Intelligence
One of the first exhibitions which sparked curiosity was, in fact, artificial intelligence. Small but highly interactive, the exhibition explored human-machine interaction, the potential of future worlds and the relationship and influence AI will have in society.
Several artists came together to explore and tackle the surroundings issues, specifically, human behaviour and their relationship with technology.
Photo by Susana Lemos
Memory and Light Arvo Part and Arup
Shaping a better tomorrow, Arup, the independent firm of designers, paired up with curator Clare Farrow to create an installation which referenced musician Arvo Part’s quote, “ I could compare my music to white light, which contains all the colours. Only a prism can divide the colours and make them appear; this prism could be the spirit of the listener.”
The multi-sensory installation included a transparent curved screen, representing the prism in Arvo’s description. With Arvo Part’s music playing in the background, a sense of tranquillity filled the room.
Photo by Susana Lemos
Vase Forms, Andy Lomas
Inspired by Ernst Haeckel, D’arcy Thompson and Alan Turing’s work, this series of textured shapes are an exploration into computer simulated growth processes.
Andy’s vase forms are a simple visualisation into the kind of complex organic shapes that can be achieved when there is a visual transition between art and science.
The simplified model of cellular growth became incredible to watch, attracting several audience members from different age groups to speculate.
Photo by Susana Lemos
Waugh Thistleton Architects
At V&A’s grand entrance it was hard to miss Waugh Thistleton’s MultiPly installation piece. Designed like a maze, the interconnected spaces encourage visitors to rethink the way we build our homes and cities. Waugh’s perspective on construction shows through their choice to overlap and intertwine parts of the installation.
The project confronts two challenges, the housing crisis and the urgency to fight climate change. Here, Waugh Thistleton explores and combines a series of solutions such as modular systems and sustainable construction materials.
The 3D interactive experience allows visitors to explore and understand the potential of modular construction within property building. The 9-metre-high MultiPly wood building is carbon neutral, arrived in parts and became assembled within a week.
Photo by Susana Lemos
Fountain for Michael Anastassiades
At first glance, the fountain looks ordinary, but as you step in closer, you automatically know its purpose is different. Set up by curators Jane Withers and Charles Asprey, London Fountain Co was designed to re-introduce drinking fountains to the streets of London.
13 billion plastic bottles are used each year in the UK, and only 7.5 billion are recycled. With this statistic in mind, it comes to no surprise why the project exists. Jane and Charles are looking to shift our cultural perspectives and become a refill culture by introducing fountains which individuals can drink and refill form.
Michael Anastassiades Fountain / Photo taken by Andy Stags
Have you been involved or collaborated with London Design Festival ? We would be delighted to feature your work. You can email us on info@built-id.com.