Hello: It’s me again. My review from Paris (here) got some attention. And so did my review from London last year (here). I have been saving up for my review on London Design Festival this year. Where to start?
LDF 2024. I saw some really nice things and nice exhibitions. The exhibition by Christopher Farr in Shoreditch was amazing. And above pieces from Yinka Ilori’s exhibition and a chair by Samuel Wilkinson that almost float at SCP.
Lovely.
And I don’t want to be hard. Words can sound so harsh. But LDF have challanges. Eleven design districts and no joint space like Truman Brewery or previous year’s 100% Design or Designjunction. That means that the week is scattered all over the city – and London is a huge city. And spaces, galleries or shows got pretty small this year. So you walk or travel for an hour to see an exhibition with four pieces.
The content is focused the new and unestablished. Like this chair above from Grymsdyke Farm.
Or this bottle opener/torch at Blond Laboratory.
I think my main critical point on London Design Festival is that I am missing all the British stars. Where were they? Why don’t they think it is important to participate? Faye Toogood opened her showroom and showed a new easy chair at SCP. Jasper Morrison did a superboring poster exhibition. Paul Smith worked with Artek. Bethan Laura Wood, Henry Holland and Adam Nathaniel Furman did things. But where were Ilse Crawford? Michael Anastassiades? Luke Edward Hall? Philippe Malouin? Martin Brudnizki?
Maybe it was a strategical decission but the invited designers from LDF were non-British. Like Jaime Hayon who did a window display and Stefan Diez who made this wood architecture that I will come back to.
Why don’t the British design scene want to participate in their own design festival?
And if they don’t believe in it – why should I?
Oh, well. Back to more optimism and positivity.
Raw-Edges are based in London and they showed a new lamp collection. Super nice.
Lee Broom showed a collection already launched in New York.
And London should be grateful for the quirky design duo behind Two Lovely Gays (@2lgstudio on Instagram). The boys curated two exhibitions during the design week.
More established brands. Artek invited Paul Smith to interpret some Aalto classics. They used wood colour and dyed the wood. Like here the stool with the legs.
Or the room divider that all of a sudden get these stripes that are typical Paul Smith.
Also an established British designer nowadays. From Mexico and working a lot on his Mexican heritage is Fernando Laposse. Here at a super sponsored exhibition by Asus and Dezeen.
But as said, LDF is more about the new, unestablished. Here new supertalent Giles Tettey Nartey. He was selected already in April for the design exhibition curated by Wallpaper in Milan. He showed his communal or communion table. Filled with heritage and contemporary references. When making food around this table, one should or could dance. All made of American hardwood from AHEC.
The stool is amazing. Made to carry. On your waist (the larger chip) or upside down on your sholder/neck (smaller chip).
Markings as a tattoo in a dark skin.
More at Brompton Design District. Here Fabio Hendry.
A beautiful chair by Andu Masebo.
More easy chairs. Here Sons of Beasley at SCP.
At Mint Gallery these chairs were shown by Trent Jansen & Tanya Singer. Also made of American hardwood by AHEC.
Among the RCA students I found this. Metal etching in a poetic way. By Sihyun Park.
The space Material Matters gathered people focusing on sustainability and new materials. Hence the name. Here bioplastics by Slovakian Crafting Plastics.
Ropes made if human hair…
Material experiments.
And comming to a conclusion. One of my favourite experiences was this below at Christopher Farr.
They have reproduced two carpets by Sophie Taeuber-Arp. She was a Dadaist in the beginning of last century. Nice textiles, plain setting and beautiful products.
One of the main reasons I was in London was because the organisation American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) wanted to show how architecture and design can be produced by timber from the US.
Stefan Diez was invited. The goal for AHEC was to show that large contructions can be made. Diez talked to his greenery friends at OMCoC and decided to make a construction with lots of plants in the city. Greenery cools cities. The “sails” will be filled with plants like beans, hops and flowers. Can be harvested. This construction is only five or six weeks old so normally this would be fully green in September.
A nice sustainable construction. As Diez said himself – perfect for bicycle roads.
OK. Summary.
London Design Festival. Scattered all over the city with small installations. I was missing the British designers. I found some emerging talents and that was nice. But it is a hassle to go between these places. It would have been much better to have three design districts and not eleven…
So, grades?? Five? Out of ten. London is London. Next year – make it tighter and call Ilse Crawford and Michael Anastassiades.