The city’s celebration of all things design is back for another year
Running from 14th – 22nd September, London Design Festival showcases London as a design capital of the world through events, fairs, installations, pop-ups and exhibitions happening all over town. LDF also highlights different Design Districts across the city from Bankside to Shoreditch Design Triangle to Park Royal and spotlights the greatest design talent from around the world. From collaborations with the V&A (not surprising given that it’s one of the world’s leading art and design museums) to Landmark Projects, here are all the best things to see at this year’s London Design Festival.
Pavilions of Wonder by Nina Tolstrup of Studiomama
2024 is Barbie’s 65th anniversary and LDF is getting on the celebrations, with a little help from Nina Tolstrup of Studiomama, Mattel and Visit Greater Palm Springs. This installation, made up of three interactive pavilions, blends playful design and desert modernism to show how the Barbie DreamHouse has taken inspiration from the mid-century modernist architecture of Greater Palm Springs. Each pavilion on the Strand will be open round the clock so you can see how the experiences differ from day to night.
Sat 14th – Sun 22nd September 2024
Strand Aldwych, London WC2R 1ES
studiomama.com
The Juicy Booth by Annie Frost Nicholson
The interactive installation, created by Annie Frost Nicholson in collaboration with K67 Berlin and The Loss Project, in Coal Drops Yard is designed to help visitors explore feelings of shame. Once inside, you can type your feelings on a retro keyboard and LED displays will respond with different colours and music, making it easier for you to let go of any shame and leave feeling lighter.
Until Mon 9th December 2024
Coal Drops Yard, Stable St, London N1C 4DQ
kingscross.co.uk
Duo by Melek Zeynep Bulut
Turkish artist Melek Zeynep Bulut is exploring the concepts of duality and interaction with this rectangular prism made up of a system of magnets and sensors. Taking up residence inside the magnificent Old Painted Hall, the work fully reveals itself and its rhythm with human interaction.
Sat 14th – Sun 22nd September 2024
Painted Hall, The Old Royal Naval College, London, SE10 9NN
melekzeynep.com
Vert by Diez Office
Created by industrial design practice Diez Office (in partnership with urban greening specialists OMC°C) and installed on Chelsea College of Art’s parade ground, Vert is a sustainable structure that’s designed to support urban biodiversity. Made out of red-oak glulam and featuring a biodegradable net with around 20 plant species, it seeks to offer a solution to urban development that doesn’t compromise the environment.
Sat 14th – Sun 22nd September 2024
Parade Ground, Chelsea College of Art, 16 John Islip St, London, SW1P 4JU
diezoffice.com
Memories in Motion
The SIM Project at the V&A examines the way both photography and jewellery can function as personal archives and how SIM cards operate as a tool for connection. A series of 3D-printed sculptures featuring SIM-scale glass prints of screenshots, made and worn by people with experience of displacement, will be on show.
Sat 14th – Sun 22nd September 2024
V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL
vam.ac.uk
Material Matters 2024
Material Matters, the fair that celebrates material intelligence, is back at Bargehouse for 2024. Running across four days, there are five floors filled with installations, exhibitor spaces and products from over 50 brands, designers, makers, and manufacturers to explore.
Weds 18th – Sat 21st September 2024
Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf, Barge House Street, London, SE1 9PH
materialmatters.design
Communion
The practice of making fufu, a West African staple food, is being transformed into a communal ritual at the V&A. The performance piece, centred around a communal pounding table, features multiple people pounding cassava and plantain using a mortar (woduro) and pestle (woma), with the movement and sound becoming like a dance.
Sat 14th – Sun 22nd September 2024
V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL
vam.ac.uk
Liquid Light by Johnnie Walker and Marshmallow Laser Feast
This immersive installation is a celebration of the craftsmanship involved in glassmaking and the delicate balance that the medium strikes between strength and fragility. As you move around the glass-blown droplets suspended in mid-air, changing light, shadow and music, will bring the piece to life.
Sat 14th – Sun 22nd September 2024
The Old Selfridges Hotel, 1 Orchard St, London, W1H 6HJ
johnniewalker.com
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