Since moving to London and starting here at TDL I have been to two great free exhibitions (we all love a freebie don’t we).
As I have a background in fashion these two were right up my street but you didn’t need to be a fashion lover to appreciate the design of the exhibitions.
Louis Vuitton Series 3 – Strand 180
This exhibition had some great use of film and projection to show the construction of bags and garments, you could even see a live demo of a bag being made. For me, it was the exhibition space itself that made it special- from dark mirrored rooms, to all white, product-focused showrooms.
Mademoiselle Privé – Saatchi Gallery
I went along one evening a couple of weeks ago to the Mademoiselle Privé exhibition and it really was a spectacle. Every room was completely different, with some really nice illustrations and animations. I even spotted one of a dachshund! As well the classic Chanel black and white, there was some great use of colour and pattern that I really enjoyed.
They were both great marketing events and did a good job of making you feel connected to the brands. I can’t say I’ll be popping into Chanel or Louis Vuitton to pick myself up a treat anytime soon but I did leave both exhibitions feeling inspired about design.
After speaking to the team, we came up with an additional list of noteworthy exhibitions in London (and beyond) which we’ve been to in the past year…
Alexander McQueen, Savage Beauty – V&A, London
Fran, Oliver and Vicki went, saying that is was beautifully curated and the garments were breath-taking. One room had floor to ceiling alcoves, filled with digital catwalk displays, taxidermy and McQueen’s most famous work.
London Design Festival – London
Tomoko attended the last day of the London Design Festival, which featured hundreds of events across London. Her favourite was Curiosity Cloud, housed at the V&A. A partnership between Perrier-Jouët and mischer’traxler, this installation saw hundreds of tiny insects enclosed in mouth-blown globes. These insects came to life when the lights were switched on, making a soft tapping noise against the glass which sounded like pattering raindrops.
Soundscapes – The National Gallery, London
Niki found the immersive and multi-disciplinary creations really cool. The exhibition saw all types of artists- from DJ Jamie XX to composer Nico Muhly producing responsive sound art based on famous paintings.
Structure and Clarity – The Tate Modern, London
Fran loved wandering around this free exhibition, which is one of the Tate’s collection displays. It included abstract pieces by renowned artists such as Kandinsky, Delaunay and Mondrian. She wishes she had a bigger home and a couple more 0’s on her paycheque to be able to enjoy these every day.
The Pavillion – Serpentine Gallery, London
Our intern Abbey went to this crazy installation which housed a café in the middle. The Pavillion was “an amorphous, double-skinned, polygonal structure consisting of panels of a translucent, multi-coloured fluorine-based polymer”. The artists were inspired by the way people move through London, in particular, the underground.
What is Luxury? – V&A, London
Tomoko went to this free exhibition at the V&A and immersed herself in everything luxurious! She said that it was fascinating to see, as we typically define “luxury” as anything expensive, but this display focused on how much time and expertise was required to create certain objects, therefore making them desirable.
Musée d’Orsay – Paris
Although not a specific exhibition, Fran thoroughly enjoyed all of the pieces on display here. Not only were there paintings by the likes of Cézanne, Manet and Monet, but the building itself was a piece of art; an old train station transformed into a gallery, with a café at the top where you can look out on the Parisian rooftops from inside a ginormous clock face- cool!
Images found at:
LV image : http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2015/09/21/louis-vuitton-series-3-exhibition-preview—london
Curiosity Cloud- Image taken by Tomoko
The Pavillion- http://www.serpentinegalleries.org/exhibitions-events/serpentine-pavilion-2015
Musée d’Orsay- Image taken by Fran