Writer: Gem Barton
This morning saw the opening of the 10th London Design Festival 2012 at the Victoria & Albert Museum. This year the museum has opened up previously unseen secret-spaces to allow artists to create site specific works such as ‘Prism’ by Keiichi Matusda and ‘The Journey of a Drop’ by Rolf Sachs. Other features include ‘Mimicry Chairs’ by Nendo and ‘Walk the Light’ by Cinimod Studio.
Here is our summary of the delights on show from September 14-23rd 2012:
‘Prism’ by Keiichi Matusda
Matsuda is interested in dissolving boundaries between the virtual and the physical, he works with video, architecture and interactive media to create Prism, an installation which presents a very different view of London. Using unseen data flows in the capital such as transport updates and surveillance cameras he illuminates a suspended paper and aluminium structure within the cupola space in the roof of the museum. This investigation into the unseen life of our city offers up considerations of the data that controls our daily lives.
The sculpture is lit up like a lantern, displaying visualisations of live data over the skin of the installation.
‘The Journey of a Drop’ by Rolf Sachs
Situated in the Henry Cole Wing Grand Staircase this evocative and dynamic installation fully exploits the 30m soaring drop. Conceptual designer Rolf Sachs creates a multi-sensory exhibit; individual drops of three primary-coloured inks are released from the great height of the staircase in measured intervals. At the bottom of the staircase you watch these drops get absorbed into an illuminated glass tank filled with a water and detergent mixture. A microphone captures the sounds of the droplets which is then amplified around the space.
“As the drops commence their journey there is a sense of anticipation, followed by a visual spectacle. Each drop within the sequence creates a unique and magical colour explosion, mysteriously disappearing moments later” says Sachs.
‘Mimicry Chairs’ by Nendo
Previously featured on Futurespace was the preview renders by Nendo of their installation ‘Mimicry Chairs’ – here we see the complete articles in their site specific settings. These elegant chair formations appear in 11 different locations around the museum stairwells, corridors and lobby. The pressed and punched white aluminium frames work in contrast to the ornate surroundings.
These modified archetypal forms mimic the particular space they inhabit as well as the objects surrounding them.
‘Walk the Light’ by Cinimod Studio
Cinimod Studio sponsored by Philips Lighting create ‘Walk of Light’ in an underground tunnel entrance to the Museum. The innovative lighting installation is controlled by visitors’ movement through the space; upon entering the tunnel you are illuminated by a white band of light that tracks your movement through the space, leaving behind a red glow.
As the light moves from person to person, both leaving and entering the V&A, a collective experience is projected and shared, uniting a group of previous strangers.
The Nendo work looks amazing. Can’t wait to see it. Great photographs!