Reporter
The London Design Festival returns to the capital and will take place on 16 – 24 September
Words By Emily Martin
London Design Festival
16 - 24 September
www.londondesignfestival.com
WITH A VIBRANT and thought-provoking programme of events, exhibitions and installations, the LDF will once again provide a vital platform for designers and creative businesses to showcase their work. The 2023 programme will transform the city with fresh perspectives and present ground breaking ideas and creative concepts. It will feature major installations across the city, museum exhibits, 12 Design Districts that highlight creative clusters across London, design fairs, major trade shows, and the Global Design Forum – a thought leadership programme that brings together creative leaders to explore and propose solutions for pressing global issues.--
Launched in 2021, London Design Festival’s Red Book aims to bring the design stories of London to the fore
Additionally, the annual London Design Medals will recognise the contribution made by leading design igures and emerging talent to London and the industry, with four London Design Medals awarded each year. In line with its commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, the Festival introduces-Launch Pad, a new initiative for 2023, which aims to elevate designers who typically face barriers to accessing the Festival’s partnership scheme.
This year, two Landmark Projects pay homage to architect and polymath Sir Christopher Wren. The Wren 300 celebrations, making the 300th anniversary of his death, celebrates Wren’s enduring influence and showcasing his significance in the 21st century: At St Paul’s Cathedral, there will be an installation,Aura,by Spanish designer Pablo Valbuena, which transforms sound into an aura of light projected at an architectural scale. A second Landmark Project by, Moritz Waldemeyer at St Stephen Walbrook in the City of London will also feature as part of the Wren300 projects.-
Simone Brewster will present Spirit of Place on The Strand, an installation of five large scale sculptural vessels. This family of objects, ranging up to 2.5m, represents Amorim’s cork forest at Herdade de Rio Frio, Portugal.
Elsewhere, inspired by powerful Buddhist principles, the Rubin Museum’s Mandala Lab in Canary Wharf is an interactive space designed to explore challenging emotions and consider how to transform them into wisdom. The freestanding structure contains a metaphoric floorplan for our emotional wellbeing, featuring five thought-provoking, playful experiences that guide you along an inner journey focused on self-awareness and awareness of others.
London Design Fair makes its return to the international design calendar on 21-24 September. The largest commercial exhibition during LDF, it returns to Truman Brewery in Shoreditch and visitors will enjoy talks and interactive workshops, as well as discover exciting new designs, installations and trends.
After last year’s successful debut, the-Material Matters fair will return to Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf between 20-23 September and will bring together worldleading brands, designers, makers and innovators to investigate and celebrate the importance of materials and their ability to shape our lives.
Elsewhere there will be specially commissioned projects at the V&A as part of the festival, as well as the Global Design Forum, LDF’s thought leadership programme, returning to explore how design can respond to some of the most pressing-challenges of our time.
