As you already know, the JordiEnsenyatDisseny blog covers a range of topics, among them our own particular selection of interesting events in the world of graphic design.
So, following that editorial line, in this post we’re going to cover an event taking place in the capital of the United Kingdom, London.
The London Design Festival. This annual event helps promote London as a place and a meeting point for various design disciplines, and acts as an international springboard for graphic designers to make a name for themselves. This year the festival runs from 17 to 25 September.
So if you’re planning to visit the city around those dates, or you have a few days with nothing better to do, we strongly recommend going along.
It’s a very, very worthwhile date for graphic design studios and graphic designers in general who want to see what’s brewing in the UK.
We’ll give you a few pointers so you can get the most out of the event, picking 3 installations you shouldn’t miss to begin with. From there you’re completely free to explore and dig into whatever interests you most.
The first one is called The Smile, by Alison Brooks.
The American Hardwood Council regularly surprises us with its commissions; this year in particular Alison Brooks was the one tasked with delivering her proposal, a huge 34-metre-long timber curve that visitors can walk through.
At the end of the curve the visitor stands 3 metres up, which gives a very different point of view from the usual one. Very, very interesting.
And for those who like the numbers: the installation is held in place by 20 tonnes of counterweight. Astonishing!!!
The next one is called Mini Living, by Asif Khan.
Asif Khan has created an installation for those underused urban spaces, or third places, a term that originates with the sociologist Ray Oldenburg, who defines them as places that «host the regular, voluntary, informal gatherings beyond the realms of home and work». Quite the philosophical exercise.
His three-place installation is therefore made up of forest environments containing plants that you can take home with you during the festival.
And the 3rd recommendation is Beloved, by Tabanlıoğlu Architects.
Beloved is a 13-metre-long mirrored installation designed for the Victoria & Albert Museum’s (V&A) Medieval and Renaissance Galleries.
And it’s a response to the 1943 novel Madonna in a Fur Coat by the Turkish author Sabahattin Ali.
Visitors can look inside the structure, where they’ll find images from the novel, physical objects, text, lights and sounds.
With this installation the designer sets out to bring the novel into the present day, make it accessible and introduce it to every kind of audience.
And that’s where we’ll wrap up our brief round-up; we hope we’ve shed a little light and sparked your interest in the event.
