Somerset House Hosts The First London Design Biennale

Somerset House is set to launch the first London Design Biennale next month, running for three weeks from 7 September. Nations from six continents will present newly commissioned works that explore the theme Utopia by Design. The subject matter aims to encourage the creation of installations questioning the notion of utopia in history. It will provide a prestigious, global stage for the world’s leading contemporary design and design-led innovation, creativity and research.

Taking over the entirety of Somerset House, including The Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court and River Terrace, the London Design Biennale will explore questions and ideas about sustainability, migration, pollution, energy, cities, and social equality. You can expect to see engaging and interactive installations, artworks and proposed design solutions, presented in an immersive and entertaining tour of the world.

Projects are curated by leading international museums and design organisations, including the Smithsonian Design Museum from the USA, DAMnº Magazine from Belgium, German Design Council, Moscow Design Museum, India Design Forum, Southern Guild from South Africa, and The Japan Foundation, to name a selection. Design teams include architects, designers, scientists, writers and artists. Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby’s installation Forecast, curated by the V&A, will represent the UK. The kinetic sculpture suggests the image of a large sailing ship, demonstrating wind as a natural and sustainable energy source for our planet.

A unique part of London’s cultural scene, Somerset House is one of the city’s most visited attractions with 2.4 million guests passing through annually. From its 18th Century origins, it has been a centre for debate and discussion. Sir John Sorrell, British designer, entrepreneur and philanthropist, and Dr. Christopher Turner, editor of design and architecture magazine Icon, are president and director respectively of the London Design Biennale.

Sorrell proclaims: “The London Design Biennale will be a place where innovative design concepts are trialled, where research and debate ignite and where important international collaborations and creative partnerships are born. It is collective values such as these that universally position the worldwide Creative Industries sector, with design at its heart, as such a powerful force for social and economic development.”

From 7–27 September 2016 at Somerset House, London WC2R 1LA

 

Featured image: ‘UK: Forecast Model’ (via Barber & Osgerby)

Text by Tamara Akcay