London Design Festival 2011 is nearly upon us. Spoonfed pick out the highlights from another jam-packed programme.
London Design Festival returns this September with a jam-packed nine-day schedule of events, exhibitions, and debates on everything from fashion to architecture. Once again the focal point is the V&A, but there's also a host of events taking place across town. With so much going on we struggled to limit our list of highlights to the usual five. Here then is Spoonfed's guide to the six best things at the London Design Festival.
20th-25th September
Bar Alto @ Redchurch Street
2011 sees the awesome DesignMarketo opening Bar Alto, a pop-up bar on Redchurch Street during London Design Festival. Inspired by Milan’s Bar Basso, Bar Alto is providing a variety of specially selected drinks including the increasingly cool again Negroni. As ever with DesignMarketo, attention to detail is key – Negronis are served in Duralex tumblers, for example, and their aprons have been designed by Ally Capellino. There's also an exciting programme of workshops and events for you to get stuck into.
22nd-25th September
Reddress @ York Hall
550 metres of red fabric, 238 people, 1 performer – it’s difficult to imagine, but all the more impressive because of it. REDDRESS – designed by Aamu Song – is a colossal red dress spanning over 20 metres, the billowing folds of which can then accomodate a further 238 people. As well as being open to visitors during the day, REDDRESS is also playing host to a programme of evening events – involving collaborations with various orchestras, choreographers and performers.
Until 25th September
Why Did It Take So Long? @ The Bargehouse
Part of Choices, a series of exhibitions and events organised by the African and the African-Caribbean Design Diaspora (AACDD), this exhibition comprises submissions from across the world. Spanning the three floors of the Bargehouse building, there’s plenty worth seeing, from film to fashion and fine art. Make sure you check out the photography installation Below the Surface on the second floor; which sheds light on the real life of African and African-Caribbean young people in London.
20th-22nd September
Secret Sensory Suppers @ Andaz Hotel
It sounds a bit like a cult food gathering, but also kind of brilliant. Held in the Masonic Temple at the Andaz Hotel, Secret Sensory Suppers consists of three nights of fantastical banqueting. FranklinTill has selected three creative partners to work with the Andaz chefs to develop a site-specific menu and experimental, interactive experience. There's Silent Studios, Bompas & Parr, and, on the Wednesday night, our highlight, the super-cool Caroline Hobkinson. Cutlery is banned and apparently it might involve masks...
15th September - 28th October
Inside Playful Minds @ The Arts Gallery
The Arts Gallery is a great venue for unusual but intriguing exhibitions, and their London Design Festival contribution is no exception. Inside Playful Minds is a sensory journey into the collective imagination of Physical Pixels; a leading London design studio. The exhibition consists of three interactive installations each held within the single super-sized pixel from which they evolved. It sounds crazy and it's certainly pushing the boundaries of design, but don’t pre-judge. Get down to the gallery and experience the exhibition for yourself.
Until 18th October
Escape Into the Upper Air @ Spring Projects
Designers from the collective El Ultimo Grito present a commission of new works at Spring Projects to coincide with the start of this year's festival. It’s a refreshing, innovative way to see contemporary design – with fibreglass tables suspended from the ceiling and a series of glass sculptures of ‘imaginary’ architecture. Using a variety of disciplines and a range of materials, the designers create bold and quite audacious objects which, at the very least, demand your attention and tickle your imagination.
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