London Design Biennale 2018

Somerset House, London

This exhibition presented the universal cohesion of design, and the way different cultures visualise and communicate their ideas about the future of now. There was a strong idea of the use of technology and materials within design that can and will shape our environments, such as the use of coal an an organic material in architecture, and completely recycled furniture.

There was a huge emphasis on our loss of connection with nature, and how organic materials and smells can reconnect us with the power of nature.

Lots of the entries lacked substance and seemed quite badly finished, with interesting ideas that were badly executed, as if to be concepts rather than solutions. Nonetheless, the countries that stood out to me as effective design were:

Latvia -  'people leaving their prints' - by inviting visitors to leave messages on a wall of condensation, 'Matter to Matter' explores the transience of motions and the ways in which nature reclaims the marks we leave on it 

The idea of a national pavilion is one that some might find an outdated concept, rooted in Victorian empire-building. However, the London Design Biennale has created a contemporary platform which allows different countries to explore the value of design on a national scale: its influence on cultural identity, the national economy and how it can enrich to lives of inhabitants. Arthus Analt’s installation Matter to Matter represents Latvias relationship to its natural environment. Analts, inspired by his native city of Riga–which has a constant humidity due to its proxiimty to the Baltic Sea, leading to condensations–and its surrounding forests.

Analts recreates this transition from gas to liquid using a large greenglazes glass surface. The glass invites visitors to interact by leaving their own message, and by doing so, evoking their own memories. This installation is serence, meditative – a large bench of Latvian woods serves as a place to contemplat the continous glass wall. Many international designers create ‘ecological design’ but very often its not sustainable, in a way its contradictory. Sometimes the term ‘sustainable design’ is misunderstood and becomes very extreme. Latvian designers think sustainably because we truly are close to our natural environment. The vast proximity woodlands and coastline form the Latvin lifestyle and a sustainable way of thinking from a very young age. (Analt, 2018)

Netherlands - a futuristic greenhouse that uses sunlight to generate both food and electricity - due to growing urbanisation & to use less land for agriculture 

‘Food drives many of our most primal emotions, and increasingly it is at the root of our deepest fears. With the world population growing rapidly, and climate change amplifying weather extremes, how can we contrinue to feed so many people – and without causing further amage to the planet? Power Plant is a greenhouse of the future – a building that harvests both food and the electricity needed to grow it. The transparent solar glass maintains an indoor climate, while a hydroponic sstem and the use of speicifically coloured LEDs in addition to sunight enables plant growth to be increased by up to 40 times.

“We hope to build a Kew Gardens of the 21^st century.” Says designer Marjan van Aubel, “Where we celebrate modern technologies and grow the plants of the future.”

Saudi Arabia - 'Prelapsarian' (before Eden, innocent and unspoilt); a universal language, a means of communication that can be understood by all, with its hypnotic connection giving a sense of serenity and tranquility

 
 
 
 

Australia

Israel - every day something new, on the spot design development

Taiwan:

 

 

Greece kinetic sculpture interactive installation

Handouts from the Exhibition

Exploring 'design for print' techniques used for the pavilions; including publication design and postcard design.

Raising awareness, providing information, sponsorship logos and layout considerations. Ways in which having something physical to take away can aid a concept, through contextual justification and imagery in production and distribution techniques. Adding a takeaway aspect to the works enables the ideas to become more memorable and physical for the experiencer, as well as getting the idea out into the homes of the public as they are given something.

CONSIDERATIONS:

- Typeface choices

- Pattern 

- Logo design

- Style of publication

- Scale

- Layout