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      Tomás Saraceno adapts Serpentine gallery to welcome all species

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      Argentinian artist Tomás Saraceno has changed the HVAC and electrical system of the Serpentine gallery in London, in an effort to make an exhibition for all the nearby species.

      Titled Web(s) of Life, the exhibition presents some of the artist’s most recent and well-known environmentally focused works, while also encompassing interventions into the building itself.
      These interventions aim to make the Serpentine South building housing the exhibition more porous and responsive to its setting in Kensington Gardens, challenging anthropocentric perspectives that only consider the interests of humans and not any other beings.
      Tomás Saraceno has made changes to the Serpentine South building for his exhibitionSculptures made for the enjoyment of a variety of different animals are placed on the building’s grounds, facade and roof as well as inside the building, while complex webs woven by multiple types of spiders working “in collaboration” with Saraceno feature inside the dimly lit galleries.
      “You see that many architectures today are somehow not so inclusive of what is happening on the planet,” said Saraceno, who trained as an architect. “I’m very happy to think that for the first time at the Serpentine, there are many spiderweb pavilions.”

      “It’s a little bit about trying to think how animal architecture could enter into the discourse and how we need to have a much more equilibrated and balanced way of building cities today on Earth,” he told Dezeen.
      Saraceno’s Cloud Cities sculptures can be found in the groundsTo make the gallery interior more comfortable for spiders and other insects, the equipment that controls the building’s temperature and humidity has been switched off and some doorways opened to allow for free movement of both air and animal life.
      Given the exhibition will run throughout the British summertime, this might mean some discomfort for human visitors – but within limits. According to the Serpentine’s chief curator Lizzie Carey-Thomas, the gallery will allow the staff on its floor to decide when conditions are too hot for them to work safely or for visitors to have an enjoyable time.
      At that point, the gallery will close rather than switch on the air-conditioning, encouraging visitors to enjoy the installations outside in the park and under the trees.
      The sculptures also feature inside the galleryA further intervention by Saraceno comes in the form of a new solar array on the Serpentine’s roof, which will power all the films and lights in the exhibition.
      The destructive effects of lithium mining on the environment and Indigenous communities is a key theme of the exhibition. So Saraceno and the Serpentine are avoiding the use of a lithium battery and instead embracing the intermittency of solar power by adapting the exhibition’s energy use to the level of sunshine outside.

      Tomás Saraceno installs Aerocene metallic orbs in Paris’ Grand Palais

      On cloudy or partly cloudy days, films will run less frequently and lights will be dimmed. On particularly sunless days, the films may switch to audio-only, while some lights will switch off altogether.
      “The irony there is that on the extreme heat days with lots of sun, we will have full power but we won’t be able to open the exhibition,” said Carey-Thomas.
      As the Serpentine South building is heritage listed, both Carey-Thomas and Saraceno say the process for making any alterations was complex and drawn out, with approval for the solar panels taking two years and other plans to remove windows and doors quickly abandoned.
      The exhibition environment is meant to be more comfortable for spiders, whose webs are on displayThe works within the exhibition include Saraceno’s Cloud Cities sculptures, which feature compartments specifically designed for different animals such as birds, insects, dogs, hedgehogs and foxes.
      The artist is also screening a film that documents one of the instalments of his Aerocene project, which involves making an entirely fossil-free aircraft powered purely by air heated by the sun with no need for batteries, helium, hydrogen or lithium.
      In the film, the Aerocene team completes the world’s first piloted solar-powered flight, flying a balloon sculpture over the highly reflective salt flats in Salinas Grandes.
      A film in the exhibition documents Saraceno’s fossil-free flight projectThere is also a work created specifically for children, called Cloud Imagination, which is accessed through a dog-shaped door that’s too small for most adults to enter.
      Saraceno and the Serpentine describe the Web(s) of Life exhibition as having been created “in collaboration” with a host of different contributors, both human and non-human.
      These include the communities of Salinas Grandes and Laguna de Guayatayoc in Argentina, spider diviners in Cameroon, the communities around Aerocene and Saraceno’s Arachnophilia project, and the lifeforms found in the Royal Parks surrounding the Serpentine, which will continue to evolve the works over the next three months.
      The films may run less frequently when the levels of solar energy are affected by cloud coverThe artist and gallery also want to extend the ethos of the exhibition to the potential sale of the artworks by developing a scheme called partial common ownership or, Saraceno hopes, “partial common stewardship”, which means any buyer would “co-own” the work along with a designated species or community.
      Another recent artwork to have explored ideas of intermittency in energy and design is Solar Protocol, which looks at the potential of a solar-powered internet.
      The photography is by Studio Tomás Saraceno.
      Tomás Saraceno In Collaboration: Web(s) of Life will take place at Serpentine South in London, UK from 1 June to 10 September 2023 and culminate with a day-long festival on Saturday, 9 September including a weather-dependent Aerocene flight. For more information about events, exhibitions and talks, visit Dezeen Events Guide.

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      The Offbeat Sari exhibition celebrates “one of today’s most important global fashion stories”

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      The first sari to be worn at the Met Gala and sequins made from discarded X-ray film sourced from hospitals feature in the Offbeat Sari exhibition, which showcases around 60 contemporary saris at London’s Design Museum.

      The Offbeat Sari is the first UK exhibition to explore the contemporary sari, according to the Design Museum. The show opens today in a cavernous space within the museum’s subterranean gallery, illuminated by thin neon pendant lights.
      Hailing from India and wider South Asia, a sari is traditionally thought of as an unstitched drape wrapped around the body from shoulder to waist.
      The Offbeat Sari opens today at London’s Design MuseumIn recent years, designers have been reinventing the 5,000-year-old garment to serve young people’s growing interest in the sari, which has led to its revival, according to Design Museum head of curatorial Priya Khanchandani.
      “Women in cities who previously associated the sari with dressing up are transforming it into fresh, radical, everyday clothing that empowers them to express who they are, while designers are experimenting with its materiality by drawing on unbounded creativity,” said the curator.

      The first sari worn to the Met Gala features in the exhibitionSplit into various themes such as identity and resistance, the exhibition presents around 60 contemporary saris created by a range of established and emerging designers.
      Among the garments is the first sari to be worn at New York’s Met Gala in response to the annual ball’s 2022 theme, Gilded Glamour.
      Embellished with semi-precious stones, the tulle Sabyasachi-designed sari worn by Natasha Poonawalla features a statement train and was paired with a gold Schiaparelli bodice with protruding, orbit-shaped elements.
      Fashion brand Abraham & Thakore created sequins from recycled X-ray filmAnother navy blue sari by Abraham & Thakore is characterised by delicate sequins that were made using discarded X-ray film salvaged from hospitals – a design that aims to address the issue of sustainability within the fashion industry.
      Also on display is a purple georgette silk sari embroidered with shimmering acrylics, sequins and crystals. Founder of the #DeGenderFashion movement, author and comedian Alok previously wore the garment to highlight their belief that saris can be worn by anyone, regardless of gender identity.
      Photographs showing different ways of wearing saris are pasted across a blue wallContrasting textiles such as distressed denim and woven stainless steel make up other saris in the exhibition, highlighting the garment’s versatile evolution.
      Within the show’s “movement” section are a number of saris worn by young people while engaging in sports. These include a garment adorned with cherry blossom motifs that was donned during a cricket match as well as a polyester chiffon sari, which is among the outfits worn by a group of women who have begun to skateboard in saris – a growing trend, according to the museum.
      Sari wearers are increasingly wearing the garments to engage in sports, especially skateboardingThere is also an area dedicated to the craftsmanship involved in sari-making that explores how its history has transformed over the 21st century.
      “The sari is experiencing what is conceivably its most rapid reinvention in its history. It makes the sari movement one of today’s most important global fashion stories, yet little is known of its true nature beyond South Asia,” explained Khanchandani.

      “Genuine inclusivity in design is not a fantasy and need not be tokenistic”

      “For me and for so many others, the sari is of personal and cultural significance,” reflected the curator.
      “But it is also a rich, dynamic canvas for innovation, encapsulating the vitality and eclecticism of Indian culture.”
      There is also an area dedicated to materials and craftsmanshipChinese artist Ai Weiwei’s first design-focussed exhibition is another show that is currently on display at the Design Museum until late July. In other recent fashion news, designer Rick Owens has released a collection of wearable helmets that double as fluorescent floor lamps.
      The photography is by Andy Stagg. 
      The Offbeat Sari is on display at London’s Design Museum from 19 May to 17 September 2023. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
      Project credits:
      Curator: Priya KhanchandaniAssociate curator: Rashmi Varma3D design: Studio Mutt2D design: Stuthi Ramesh

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      Winning a Dezeen Award “made me feel like anything is possible” say past winners

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      With just three weeks until Dezeen Awards entries close, last year’s winners detail the positive outcomes of winning and encourage other studios to enter.

      One studio said that winning a Dezeen Award was “a thrilling, rewarding and inspiring experience” while another said it created “new relationships with retailers, media and customers”.
      “Winning a Dezeen Award has considerably raised my profile and helped me secure further collaborations,” said a studio that won for their consumer product design.
      Dezeen Awards 2023, in partnership with Bentley Motors, is open for entries. There are only three weeks left to submit your project before midnight London time on 1 June and avoid late entry fees.
      Read on to see what last year’s winners had to say:

      British company MysteryVibe won for their a sex toy designed to help with erectile dysfunctionSex toy company MysteryVibe, which won wearable design of the year for its vibrator aimed at tackling erectile dysfunction, considered winning a Dezeen Award “the ultimate honour”.
      “It’s the ultimate honour for us to be recognised for all the hard work over many years that has gone into improving the health and happiness of people across the globe,” said the studio.
      “The award resulted in press coverage and media attention in publications that we wouldn’t normally be featured in.”
      Japanese startup studio Quantum won Dezeen Awards 2022 overall design project of the yearJapanese firm Quantum won product design of the year and design project of the year for its lightweight foldable wheelchair and told Dezeen that winning last year offered the practice new clients and media exposure, and encouraged other studios to also enter.
      “We have received more inquiries from new clients and media who had heard about us winning the award,” said Quantum. “It also resulted in being selected as a part of the permanent collection of the museum Designmuseum Danmark.”
      Architecture practice Studio Bua won residential rebirth project of the year for its Icelandic artist’s studio and residence and agreed that winning has led to new opportunities.
      “It has positively affected our previous client relationships and it helps when acquiring new clients,” said Studio Bua. “We did see an increase in followers on our social media and clients have mentioned it after they saw that we posted about it.”
      Designer Kathleen Reilly playfully rests her winning designs on her trophy”It made me feel like anything is possible and I saw my future career as an artist and designer a lot more clearly,” said designer Kathleen Reilly, who won homeware design of the year for Oku, a knife informed by chopstick rests.
      “As a result of winning, I have managed to secure a new collaboration, as well as several press articles and new relationships with retailers, media, and customers.”
      “The wooden board which comes with Oku is now being made with Karimoku, Japan’s leading furniture manufacturer, and we are looking to launch this new collaboration this year.”
      Studio G8A Architecture’s Dezeen Awards trophy pictured in front of a scale model of the winning factoryThe team at Dutch practice Olaf Gipser Architects won housing project of the year for their apartment block with planted balconies and their win has served as motivation for future projects.
      “We display our Dezeen Awards 2022 trophy at our office close to the entrance and next to a 1:200 scale wooden model,” said Olaf Gipser Architects.
      “It reminds us of our achievements and recognitions and gives us all extra motivation to keep on going towards our goals.”
      Office G8A Architecture, which won for its stainless steel manufacturing factory designed in collaboration with Switzerland-based Rollimarchini Architects, told Dezeen that winning gained the studio international validation.
      “Winning a Dezeen Award can be described as a thrilling, rewarding and inspiring experience,” said G8A Architecture. “It helped us gain international recognition, reaching new clients and new talent for our team.”
      Practice Atelier Boter’s trophy and certificate are displayed on the shelves in their officeTaiwanese architecture studio Atelier Boter won small workspace interior for its glass-fronted community hub and also has its trophy on display in the office.
      “We put the trophy on the shelf together with all the books we gain inspiration from – it is a shelf we only place things that we’ve filtered through, as it is what falls in sight every time we walk into our studio,” said Atelier Boter.
      “Winning a Dezeen Award is certainly an important encouragement to us as a small studio and it reassures us that we are doing the right thing,” added the studio.
      Dezeen Awards 2023
      Dezeen Awards celebrates the world’s best architecture, interiors and design. Now in its sixth year, it has become the ultimate accolade for architects and designers across the globe. The annual awards are in partnership with Bentley Motors, as part of a wider collaboration that will see the brand work with Dezeen to support and inspire the next generation of design talent. More

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      Markus Benesch designs Alpine home for fabled “tuntschi” doll

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      A vengeful doll from an Alpine folk tale was the imagined occupant of this colourful cabin-style home created by German designer Markus Benesch at Milan design week.

      The maximalist Alpine Rising installation featured decorative Alpine-style furniture and multi-coloured wall coverings, all filled with references to life in the mountains.
      Benesch developed the design after becoming fascinated by the fabled character of the “tuntschi” doll.
      The exhibition featured Alpine-style furniture and multi-coloured wall coveringsAccording to the story, the tuntschi is fashioned out of wood, straw and cloth by herdsmen who spend the summer tending cattle on the mountain and crave female company.
      The doll comes to life, yet the herdsmen continue to objectify her. So when the time comes for them to return home, she takes murderous revenge on one of them.

      This got Benesch thinking about what happens after the story finishes.
      Stui dining chairs and Hockerl stools both combine ash wood with colourful resin”I wondered, what is this doll doing when she is alone in the wintertime?” he told Dezeen. “I thought, maybe she has the time of her life.”
      One of the starting points for the design was to think about the types of pastimes that the doll might enjoy.
      The Tuntschis Chapel cabinet is based on traditional Alpine architectureOne idea was that she might ski. This resulted in swirling motifs – reminiscent of snow tracks – that appeared throughout, plus a pair of bespoke skis.
      Benesch also thought the doll might take up pottery, which led him to the work of Austrian ceramicist Florian Tanzer, founder of Vienna-based studio Luma Launisch.

      Six interior designers style rooms at Artemest’s L’Appartamento in Milan

      Tanzer’s rough and enigmatic ceramics often depict unusual characters.
      For Alpine Rising, he created vases and vessels that integrate the face of the tuntschi. Some pieces had more than one face, in reference to her two-faced nature.
      The wallpaper combines images of wooden shingles with different colours and tonesBenesch and his small-production furniture, textile and wallpaper company Curious Boy created a completely custom interior for the tuntschi’s Alpine cabin.
      Divided into rooms, it was filled with farmhouse-style furniture pieces that combined traditional Alpine woodcraft with colourful motifs typical of Benesch’s designs.
      Benesch creates these patterns by inlaying wood with pigmented resin.
      The zigzag-patterned Hochzeitsschrank wardrobe was crafted from pineIn ash wood, designs on show included the cabin-style Tuntschis cabinet, the elaborate Himmibed and the playful Stui dining chairs.
      Walnut was used for the amorphous Splügen lamp, while the zigzag-patterned Hochzeitsschrank wardrobe was crafted from pine.
      Florian Tanzer created ceramics that refer to the two-faced nature of the dollFor the wallpaper and textiles, Benesch created repeating patterns using images of wooden shingles that typically clad Alpine chalets, then overlaid them with various colours and tones.
      Underlying the entire design was an idea about getting away from today’s digital world and the harmful effects it can have on mental health, and instead celebrating “an analogue lifestyle”.
      Benesch also produced hand-carved ash and walnut spoonsThis idea was emphasised by hand-carved ash and walnut spoons and a pack of custom-designed playing cards.
      “We want to disconnect from the crazy of our today’s world and reconnect more with ourselves in nature,” added Benesch.
      The exhibition formed part of the 5Vie district during Milan design week, where other exhibitions included Artemest’s L’Appartamento, a 1930s apartment redesigned by six different studios.
      Following Milan design week, we collected ten standout installations and projects on show during the week.
      Alpine Rising was on show from 15 to 21 April 2023 as part of Milan design week. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.
      Exhibition and furniture photography is courtesy of Markus Benesch Creates. Ceramic photography is by Gregor Hofbauer.

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      IKEA reflects on “the past, the present and the future” of the home at Milan design week

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      Swedish retailer IKEA marked its 80th anniversary at Milan design week with Assembling the Future Together, an immersive exhibition that charts the furniture company’s history and addresses its future.

      Assembling the Future Together took place at Padiglione Visconti in Milan and explored the brand’s progression since the 1950s.
      Assembling the Future Together is on display at Milan design week”The whole exhibition is about the past, the present and the future,” said IKEA designer and chief creative officer Marcus Engman.
      “So it’s a little bit like telling the story of IKEA furniture, things we have done and things that we will do even more,” he told Dezeen in Milan.
      Furniture from IKEA’s history is on display to reflect its pastTo reflect this idea, the space was divided into three main sections. One area dedicated to the past features designs from IKEA’s 80-year history displayed on geometric white shelving.

      Among the pieces was furniture from the 1970s with bright fabrics and bold shapes, which were influenced by the increasing emergence of youth culture during this decade, according to the brand.
      Chunky children’s furniture from IKEA’s Mammut series was also included. The line was first designed in the 1990s and has remained popular ever since.
      IKEA is also debuting its new Nytillverkad collectionFor the present portion of the exhibition, the brand launched the first products in its new Nytillverkad collection.
      Characterised by “simple, functional and playful” elements, the furniture, bedding and accessories intend to pay homage to past iconic IKEA pieces in line with the current wide-spread revival of interest in vintage designs, according to the brand.
      The colourful collection takes cues from previous IKEA designsWhile the collection nods to IKEA’s roots, the brand used contemporary materials to create the pieces.
      “It’s putting old things into a new perspective,” explained Engman.
      Crowd-sourced images of people using the brand’s iconic Frakta bag are suspended in the spaceLarge-scale contemporary photographs, which showed members of the public sporting IKEA’s recognisable blue and yellow Frakta shopping bag in unexpected ways, were suspended from the ceiling throughout the venue
      One image showed a bride protecting her dress inside one of the shoppers on her wedding day, while another has been adapted to transport a dog on the subway in New York.
      “Even if we perceive our products as ‘ready design’, people see them a bit more like Lego pieces to play with,” acknowledged the designer. “People use the Frakta bag in so many ways we didn’t expect.”
      The ‘future’ section references the four elements with installationsThe future area of the exhibition features four towering installations dedicated to the elements of fire, water, earth and wind, which include an illuminated tree and smoke dispensers.
      “The future part is all about showing how we are using design and product development to nudge people’s behaviours into doing something that is good for people and the planet,” reflected Engman.
      “It’s also where we try to challenge people to be part of this – not just wait for IKEA to do stuff, but actually ask, how can we do things together?”
      “We have set out to be fully circular by 2030 so that affects everything that we do,” he continued.
      IKEA intends to urge people to think about the role they can play in shaping the future of designDesigned as an inclusive, “down-to-earth” space that is open to all, the exhibition drew together many other experiences, such as a cinema zone showing portraits taken by photographer and IKEA’s first artist-in-residence Annie Leibovitz that document the “real lives” of people in their homes.
      The project is part of IKEA’s annual Life at Home Report, where members of the brand’s team visit people in their living spaces and document their findings.
      A cinema zone is showing portraits of people at home taken by Annie LeibovitzVarious talks and music events took place in the space throughout the week alongside a dedicated “record shop” and on-site IKEA cafe serving branded food and drinks.
      The aim of incorporating music into the exhibition was to bring people together, according to Engman. Communicating the sacredness of the home is at the core of the IKEA exhibition, said the designer.

      “We have done cutting-edge things that people didn’t see coming” says IKEA’s Marcus Engman

      “This is something for us that we need to constantly work on – finding new ways of getting people to understand how important the home is,” he explained.
      “I mean, the challenges during covid and now the cost of living crisis has been where we can help out even more.”
      “Because people have had to spend more time at home – but how can we make the home also something that is really not just a functional thing, but an emotional thing?” he continued.
      “So I think that’s our biggest thing, but making sure we do that in people- and planet-positive ways. Because that’s the only way forward.”
      The exhibition was designed to be inclusivePreviously, IKEA donated its products and design services to create a series of United Nations-led refugee support centres in Eastern Europe to offer sanctuary to vulnerable groups displaced by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The brand’s research lab, Space10, developed a concept for connecting physical furniture to an ever-evolving NFT tree.
      Assembling the Future Together is on show from 18 to 23 April 2023 at Padiglione Visconti, Via Tortona 58, Milan. See our Milan design week 2023 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

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      Ai Weiwei's first design exhibition celebrates “how life goes on” after the pandemic

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      Hundreds of thousands of cannonballs, donated Lego bricks and a marble toilet roll feature in Making Sense, the first design-focussed exhibition by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei at London’s Design Museum.

      Showing a range of new and historical works spread across a single gallery, Ai Weiwei: Making Sense opens at the Design Museum this Friday and marks the artist’s first design-focussed exhibition to date.
      Still Life is an installation of thousands of found objects from the Stone Age”I had to do something after the pandemic to celebrate how life goes on,” explained Ai, who is globally recognised for using art as a tool for activism.
      Central to the space is five “field works” made from rectilinear arrangements of found objects that the artist has been collecting since the 1990s.
      Ai Weiwei also created a “field work” from porcelain cannonballsStill Life is a group of several thousand Stone Age axe heads, knives, spinning wheels and chisels sourced from flea markets and laid side-by-side. The installation intends to humble visitors and serve as a reminder that design was originally based on survival.

      Another untitled work created last year brings together over 200,000 Xing ware porcelain cannonballs made during China’s Song dynasty – seemingly delicate objects that were once war weapons.
      Left Right Studio Material collects Ai’s sculptures that were destroyed by the Chinese government”It’s a matter of intelligence,” Ai told Dezeen, discussing his long history of collecting artefacts.
      “It is to keep the memory and to try and build yourself with what has happened to other human beings in very dramatically different times through history.”
      Other pieces feature thousands of Lego bricksSpouts is an installation of thousands of ancient porcelain teapot spouts, while Left Right Studio Material collects fragments of Ai’s sculptures that were destroyed by the Chinese state when it demolished the artist’s Beijing studio without warning in 2018.
      “The remains are a form of evidence of the repression that Ai has suffered at the hands of the Chinese government, as well as a testament to his ability to turn destruction into art,” said the Design Museum.
      Among the found objects is a Han dynasty urn painted with a Coca Cola logoThe fifth “field work” features piles of Lego bricks that were donated by members of the public after the toy manufacturer stopped supplying bricks to Ai because he used the toys to create portraits of political prisoners.
      Called Lego Incident, the work is presented alongside a vast recreation of French impressionist Claude Monet’s famed Water Lillies series that is also made entirely out of Lego, as well as a dramatic wooden sculpture made of columns sourced from a Qing dynasty temple and tables from the same period.
      In 2020, the artist created a toilet roll from marble in response to the pandemicAmong the other pieces in the exhibition, the artist presented a pair of large sculptures made from life jackets and children’s school bags respectively.
      The objects were arranged in two snake-shaped formations dedicated to the victims of China’s 2009 Sichuan earthquake and the ongoing refugee crisis in Europe.
      Also on display are two life-size toilet rolls made from marble and glass, which were designed in 2020 in response to our dependency on everyday objects at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
      Photography also features in the exhibition, including the artist’s Study of Perspective series”They work as one,” said Ai, who said he does not have a favourite piece in the exhibition – rather, he feels the projects complement each other.
      “All my works work as one – the bad ones, the so-called ‘good’ ones, the random ones or the ones being neglected.”
      “It’s just like, can you choose one part of your body as the most important one?”

      Chinese government sees architectural discussion as “dangerous” threat, says Ai Weiwei

      Various photography was also shown, including colourful new editions of the artist’s Study of Perspective series – images of the artist pointing his middle finger at recognisable landmarks including Berlin’s Reichstag building and New York’s Trump Tower.
      Prints displaying the National Stadium, widely known as the Bird’s Nest, being constructed prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympics were also mounted to the wall.
      While the artist helped to conceive the stadium in collaboration with architecture studio Herzog & de Meuron, he later distanced himself from the project in protest against the Chinese government.
      One image shows Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium in construction”I never really have a particular hope,” said Ai. “I just focus on my own practice,” he said discussing how he would like audiences to engage with the exhibition.
      “I think it’s a good idea to present to others as people may share the same kind of emotions or concepts [to you]. But I have no idea – I just don’t know.”
      Other recent projects contained in Ai’s extensive portfolio of political work include a cage-like structure in Stockholm and a Quebec City installation made of a wall of life jackets that were used by Syrian refugees while attempting to cross the Mediterranean sea.
      The images are courtesy of Ai Weiwei Studio.
      Ai Weiwei: Making Sense is on display at London’s Design Museum from 7 April to 30 July 2023. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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      Chatsworth House exhibition is a “collision of past and present”

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      An exhibition at Chatsworth House including designers including Michael Anastassiades, Faye Toogood and Formafantasma, features in this video produced by Dezeen for the stately home.

      Called Mirror Mirror: Reflections on Design at Chatsworth, the exhibition brings together a collection of furniture and objects displayed throughout and responding to Chatsworth House and its gardens.
      In total, 16 international designers and artists created pieces that respond to the interiors of the building.
      The exhibition introduces new art pieces and objects into the house and gardenSome responded by sourcing materials from the property itself, while others focussed on themes and ideas taken from decorations within the interiors.
      “The designers of the exhibition have responded to Chatsworth in all sorts of fascinating ways,” said co-curator of the exhibition Glenn Adamson.

      “Throughout you really see this kind of conversation between the present and the past.”
      Jay Sae Jung Oh designed a throne using musical instrumentsThe exhibition continues Chatsworth House’s 500-year-long history of working with leading artists and designers and collecting an extensive collection of art and objects.
      “An artist’s new work can create a new way of looking at these spaces,” said Chatsworth House Trust director Jane Marriott.
      “It can capture their imaginations and hopefully inspire them to explore Chatsworth in a different light.”
      Toogood’s monolithic furniture creates a pensive space within the exhibitionBritish designer Toogood took over Chatsworth’s chapel and adjoining Oak Room. As a nod to the historical use of the space as a place of worship and gathering, she created an installation of monolithic furniture made from bronze and stone.
      The sculptural forms were designed to evoke ecclesiastical structures and to reflect the local landscape.
      “These objects give a sense of meditative calm, a sense of massiveness or monumentality that feels appropriate to the space,” Adamson said.
      Dutch designer Joris Laarman designed a series of benches for the exhibitionTwo stone benches by Dutch designer Joris Laarman made from locally sourced gritstone , which was the material used to build the house itself, were placed in Chatsworth House’s gardens.
      The surfaces of the benches were carved with undulating patterns in which moss and lichen have been planted and will continue to grow over time.
      Other objects in the exhibition include a throne-like seat wrapped in leather made from musical instruments by Jay Sae Jung Oh, a fibrous cabinet designed by Fernando Laposse, and sinuous steam-wood sculptures by Irish furniture maker Joseph Walsh.
      Laposse’s fluffy cabinet is made from agave plant fibresAnother section of the exhibition, which occupy Chatsworth’s Sculpture Gallery built in the early 19th century, features pieces by British designer Samuel Ross.
      Ross’s pieces were designed to echo the surrounding sculptures, mimicking their form to invite viewers to imagine the body that would recline on them. The designer has used a material palette of stone and marble to further reflect the sculptures within the gallery.
      Chatsworth’s collection contains art and design pieces spanning 4,000 years”It’s a kind of collision of past and present, of the artisanal with the technological, the classical with the industrial,” Adamson said.
      “It’s a great example of how the show in general tries to talk across generations, across centuries.”
      Mirror Mirror: Reflections on Design at Chatsworth is on display at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire until 1 October 2023. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
      Photography is courtesy of the Chatsworth House Trust.
      Partnership content
      This video was produced by Dezeen for Chatsworth House as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen’s partnership content here.

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      Printed textiles are “not just an accessory but something that can create a space” says Marimekko creative director

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      Bold colours and prints can enhance interiors in the same way as architectural details, argues Rebekka Bay of lifestyle brand Marimekko in this interview.

      Bay was appointed creative director of the Finnish design firm in 2020 having previously held top roles at fashion brands including Everlane, Cos and Uniqlo.
      Founded in 1951, Marimekko is known for its bright and bold prints that are applied to clothing, ceramics and homeware.
      Bay talked to Dezeen about how printed textiles can add spatial design to interiors. Photo courtesy of MarimekkoMore than just decorative pieces, Bay believes Marimekko’s patterned surfaces can be used as features to define and create interior spaces.
      “Often printed textiles are confused with this idea of just being like a drape or a tablecloth, but really when we develop printed textiles at Marimekko we see them as architectural elements, something that can also add spatial design or architectural elements to your home,” she told Dezeen.

      “They are not just an accessory, but actually something that can create a space.”
      Marimekko collaborated with IKEA on a homeware collection informed by wellbeingIn the wake of coronavirus lockdowns, the ability of colourful prints to improve wellbeing and happiness in the home has become increasingly valuable, Bay added.
      “The role of the home is increasingly important because we have all been forced to relate to what our home environment is and how it supports our wellbeing,” she said.
      “There is a renewed understanding of the importance of creating a home environment that will allow you to both rest and re-energise.”
      “Being surrounded by bold beauty is something that evokes happiness or optimism,” Bay continued.
      References to Marimekko’s and IKEA’s Nordic heritage are seen throughout their collaborationPicking up on this trend, Marimekko recently collaborated with Swedish furniture retailer IKEA to create a homeware collection named Bastua, which includes furniture, glassware and textiles informed by nature and the self-care rituals of the Nordic sauna.
      Drawing on the brands’ Nordic heritage, the Bastua collection features practical home objects made from wood and glass.
      Bay said the collaboration aimed to focus on circularity and longevity.

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      “What we share both at Marimekko and IKEA is that in the design process, we are concerned with how to design for circularity, how to design for longevity, how to design objects of timeless value and also multi-use objects,” she said.
      “Our intent in this collaboration was to design objects that will have this timeless value, both in terms of the design but also in terms of material.”
      “We have worked in very honest natural materials with glass and wood and other materials that improve over time and also focused on how the materials can be either recycled or upcycled.”
      The rhubarb leaf is a repeated motif in the Bastua collectionMarimekko developed brand new prints for the Bastua collection, including a large rhubarb-leaf design that references the plants often found growing beside sauna buildings in Finland.
      This print was applied to bath robes, seat cushions, shower curtains, trays and the iconic IKEA carrier bag.
      “Functionalism and pragmatism joins this idea of celebrating everyday objects, which is very much a product of Marimekko’s mission – to bring joy to people’s everyday lives,” said Bay.
      “I think for Nordic designers, we have strong design traditions in creating very beautiful but very functional, democratic design.”
      Bay believes bold, colourful prints can add happiness to the homeIn addition, she emphasised a desire to inject an element of humour into the designs.
      “At times it’s very subtle and very serious, but I think what is unique to both Marimekko and IKEA is this intent also to bring a smile or a wink,” she continued.
      “There’s something outside of the seriousness, wanting to develop truly high-quality, timeless design but also wanting to bring this little wink.”
      Bay enjoys creating collections that “bring a smile or a wink”Marimekko has accrued a large portfolio of prints over its seven decades of production and still reproduces archive designs.
      The brand’s historic prints are used to inform new print designs that it hopes will resonate with modern consumers.
      “I think there’s always this danger if you only look back that you end up being self-referential, or you end up being an archive or a museum piece,” said Bay.

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      “I would hate to create something of only museum value and not create a proposal for the future,” she added.
      “There is this always looking back in order to look forward, always understanding what has resonated, what has broad relevance and then see if we can reposition or refocus that.”
      Other projects recognisable for their bold textile designs that have been featured on Dezeen include a collection of upholstery fabrics informed by Iranian culture and an exhibition that celebrates a 1940s print by using it to cover walls and seating.
      The photography is courtesy of Inter IKEA Systems BV unless otherwise stated.

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