September was a much-anticipated month for the creative industries, and while the stylish amongst us were given an insight into the SS2017 fashions from London Fashion Week, at Art2Arts we were excited for the visual delights that awaited us at the London Design Festival. With over 400 events and exhibitions from the most forward thinking designers, artists and multi-talented creative practitioners on offer, the event offered up nine days of unlimited inspiration and an exclusive look into the styles that are set to dictate the aesthetic appearance of tomorrow.
With so many incredible sights to feast our eyes upon it was difficult to choose just a few moments to share, but here are a few of our favourite pieces from this year’s London Design Festival, retold in original art so you can re-create each style in your own home.
Liquid Marble – Mathieu Lehanneur
With its organic swirls in monochrome colours, designers are fascinated by marble, using it heavily in recent years throughout fashion, home ware, interiors and more. ‘Liquid Marble’, a sculpture by French multi-disciplinary designer Mathieu Lehanneur used top of the range 3D imaging software technology to help him use this sturdy, natural material to give of the appearance of a rippling ocean. An illusion as much as it is a work of art, this is a ‘must sea’ for any op-art lover. If you love this kind of work with heavy textural qualities, ‘The Guardians’ by Stefan Fierros features a similar monochrome, organic swirling pattern that also gives the illusion of mystical, crashing waves.
Every year at The London Design Festival there are always particular products that become the ‘hero’ pieces of the event, catching the imagination of all those who visited. This year, it is the ‘Wondermats’ from Loris & Livia that stood out. Inspired by the flooring found on the trains in the London Underground and produced in collaboration with Transport for London, we admire this design studio’s ability to find beauty in what is often overlooked. Andrea Rossi also has an eye for highlighting the extraordinary in the everyday with two pieces, ‘Thoughts of Two Strangers’ and ‘On the Way to Work’ also inspired by the daily commute.
It’s no secret that the world is becomingly increasingly fast paced and filled with more stress than ever. As a result, lots of artists and designers created calming, meditative spaces to provide our capital city with a peaceful ‘time out’ at the London Design Festival this year. Our favourite was the magnificent Foil installation, which took over and transformed the tapestry room in the V&A museum. This experiential piece, comprising of an elongated, ripping foil sculpture, highlighted with light to cause reflections around the room, created an atmosphere that encouraged its visitors to slow down and take a moment with their own thoughts when entering the room. ‘Orange Fish Blue Sea No.2’ by Gill Bustamante re-creates this serene image, also using empty space that is framed by a rippling reflection in order to build up a peaceful scene.
These picks are simply a small selection of the boundless creativity that was displayed throughout the entire design festival. Did you attend this year? What were your favourite moments? How will you be re-creating them in your own home? Let us know in our comments below.
