We are all being consumed in volume of conversation rapt by the credit crunching, bailout, bonuses, job cuts… in, around, over, under, pre and projected, but things have hit a crude, Gladwellian Tipping Point. For the London Design Festival it has indeed been no exception. I say with utter confidence that no trade or cultural event (of which we can put the festival in both) is or will be the same again, at least not in the coming years.
100% design was predictably limp… I can’t help myself to summing it up with a crass re-brand “40% design-ish”, however an interesting transformation was presented in an effort, clearly clawing to full the space.
The 100% design product has been injured by this year, it was a tragedy not have been able to experience the kind of great seminars and installations by 100% sustainability and its siblings (bits and bobs of little ‘100% something’ children is not the same) all-in-all it was thin, too thin… unless you are in the market for glass shower screens and enjoy getting “charmed” by a sales rep from Warrington, it was not worth getting on a plane for and as Ryan Frank (whose show was at 93ft east) put it to me “neither the tube from East London”.
Designersblock, housed within Earls Court for the first time, had a great opportunity to catch an audience that perhaps wouldn’t usually get to Bishops Gate and wouldn’t put their life at risk walking round a dark abandoned builders merchant, I have to say I missed that experience. Designersblock did have their usual provocative design exhibitionists. The likes of Thomas Thwaites’ “The Toaster Project” was a wonderful addition to Earls Court in September.
This is it then… a marriage of the mustard cutting, sharp suites, and mini showrooms of 100% design with the dirty Converse, and challenging conceptualising of Designersblock… this is where its going, and I can’t help but think its a good thing!
Norway showed off its oil reserves, whilst most nations went modest (I must thank the nation and Wallpaper for all the vast amount Gin and Bubbly at their party). Three exhibitions… the daddy 100% Norway (I am not going to type 100% again) was very nicely positioned and sheltered under a comfortingly Norse Fiskehesje structure (cod not included). The show was more focused on in-production products and was a positive move forward. Taking up new work by Norway’s design crowd (mostly in exile here in the UK) was Norwegian Prototypes, curetted by Kim Thome. The show was a great success and demonstrated a positive group of designers. Tent was home to Made in Bergen, a more polished and mature collective who when at home are mostly housed from the west coast rain in USF Verftet, a cultural hub on the waters edge, unsurprisingly of an industrial aesthetic. Petter Knudsen’s Hublesswall Clock, a working prototype, subtle and excellently presented, was the piece from Bergen that really stood out.
Tent has grown up and was superb when compared to previous years of September shows in the Truman Brewery. It was a mix from designer makers, hell-bent on imposing their overkill-aesthetic and new ventures with established companies and design entrepreneurs.
In both reflection and comparison to the festival’s big shows, a radical difference, which seemed intended from Tent but reactionary from 100% (dam I typed it again) is apparent. The creative industries (sweeping comment) historically suffer greatly in economic downturns, yet the quick and innovation skills possessed by the “generators of IP” (thank you DCMS) should lead the way upwards. Perhaps this is an example of positive-ness and leadership from those working in the London Design Festival. It has changed, this is down to the recession, and I feel more comfortable with its new developing form. With a greater amount of investment next year and on this track I am optimistic of the outcome.
I will develop this post further into what I see as the other main focus and projections for the LDF but to wrap up this post for now with a bit of fun… two companies I loved this year was Laikingland, from Huddersfield and Interactive Arts from Miami.
A difference greater than previous years have been apparent at the LDF events and were of course to be expected. There has always been a healthy chatter behind the shows by organized clusters of likeminded individuals but from the listings one can see that these events immersed in discourses, in and around the many areas of design, to be growing.
A festival that sells design activity in much of its facets is vital and whilst using this gathering for development of ideas is nothing new, the opportunity for collective and organized discourse is growing. Turbulent periods in time require heads being put together to rethink the norm.
As design is becoming a stronger strategy player in organizational structures, events that are wide ranging from economics, ecology, sociology, management, etc. are being run during the festival.
No comments:
Post a Comment