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Doing London Design Festival

The Wick Culture - Inky Dhow Ultramarine Armchair + Rug - MATTIA GREGHI

Above Inky Dhow Ultramarine Armchair + Rug – MATTIA GREGHI

The Wick Culture - Blackhorse Workshop Birthday Party

Above Blackhorse Workshop Birthday Party

The Wick Culture - London Design Festival Districts. Image Courtesy Sam Jacob

Above London Design Festival Districts. Image Courtesy Sam Jacob

The Wick Culture - Eleanor. Image Elisabeth Adriel

Above Eleanor. Image Elisabeth Adriel

The Wick Culture - Sotheby's. Gesture, One Bench 2022

Above Sotheby’s. Gesture, One Bench 2022

The Wick Culture - Ginori Reborn Exhibition

Above Ginori Reborn Exhibition

The Wick Culture - INtoSIGHT TEASER Portrait

Above INtoSIGHT TEASER Portrait

The Wick Culture - Landmark Project 'Swivel' by Sabine Marcelis

Above Landmark Project ‘Swivel’ by Sabine Marcelis

The Wick Culture - Laz Emporium, All day in-person event

Above Laz Emporium, All day in-person event

The Wick Culture - Queer Nostalgia by Julia Dotson (BA Fashion- Fashion Design with Marketing)

Above Queer Nostalgia by Julia Dotson (BA Fashion- Fashion Design with Marketing)

The Wick Culture - Tom Dixon, Melt Land A

Above Tom Dixon, Melt Land A

The Wick Culture - London Festival of Architecture: The Lebanese House, 13th June 2022

Above London Festival of Architecture: The Lebanese House, 13th June 2022

Above Inky Dhow Ultramarine Armchair + Rug – MATTIA GREGHI

Above Blackhorse Workshop Birthday Party

Above London Design Festival Districts. Image Courtesy Sam Jacob

Above Eleanor. Image Elisabeth Adriel

Above Sotheby’s. Gesture, One Bench 2022

Above Ginori Reborn Exhibition

Above INtoSIGHT TEASER Portrait

Above Landmark Project ‘Swivel’ by Sabine Marcelis

Above Laz Emporium, All day in-person event

Above Queer Nostalgia by Julia Dotson (BA Fashion- Fashion Design with Marketing)

Above Tom Dixon, Melt Land A

Above London Festival of Architecture: The Lebanese House, 13th June 2022

London Design Festival
Various locations across London

17 — 25 September 2022
https://www.londondesignfestival.com

London’s biggest celebration of contemporary design returns for its 20th anniversary edition, with an exciting line-up of exhibitions, installations, talks and events happening across the city. Navigating the nine-day design extravaganza can be a daunting task, so here are our must-see highlights.

Start at the V&A, the festival’s official hub, where you’ll find an extraordinary collection of specially commissioned installations and displays by international contemporary designers. Of all the LDF projects on display here, our favourite is The Lebanese House: Saving a home, saving a city, an evolving installation by Annabel Karim Kassar exploring the reconstruction of Beirut after the 2020 explosion.
This year there are 12 official Design Districts, each one boasting its own unique personality and jam-packed programme of events, just a short walking distance from each other.

Head to the Mayfair Design District for LDF cocktails at sketch, a swoon-worthy scent collaboration at the Jo Malone Townhouse and a solo exhibition of work by the architect, sculptor and artist Max Clendinning at Sadie Coles HQ. Over in Shoreditch, you’ll find a wealth of product launches, a graduate showcase and a solo show by mixed media artist Karen Nicol.

Trek west for Yinka Ilori’s new solo show at the Design Museum, featuring a range of works in his trademark colourful style. While in the area, be sure to check out Sony Design’s INTO SIGHT, one of the festival’s two landmark projects.

The other landmark project, Swivel, is also worth seeing. Conceived by the Rotterdam-based designer Sabine Marcelis, and located in St Giles Square, it comprises ten unique seats made from a selection of stones and marbles sourced from Europe, the Middle East and Brazil. Marcelis hopes it will encourage people to stop, stare and experience the space afresh.

In Greenwich you’ll find Henge, the London Design Festival commission made of 150-million-year-old Jurassic limestone and marble. Conceived as a circular gathering space, it invites people to engage with it through performance, music and poetry. A short walk away is Design London (21-24 September), featuring the very best emerging and established design brands, as well as a curated selection of pavilions, installations and events.

If you’re in the King’s Cross area, make a beeline for the solo show of works by Alice Straker at Wolf & Badger and a launch presentation by Tom Dixon.

Viewing Sensitive Content

The Wick Culture - Xiao Lou, Polar-4, 2016, Image Copyright the Artist, Courtesy 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong Kong

Above Xiao Lou, Polar-4, 2016, Image Copyright the Artist, Courtesy 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong Kong

Above Sally Hewett, SHE

The Wick Culture - Mauro Martinez, Sensitive Content No. 35 1

Above Mauro Martinez, Sensitive Content No. 35 1

The Wick Culture - Sarah Hardacre, The Villain In Us All, 2018

Above Sarah Hardacre, The Villain In Us All, 2018

The Wick Culture - Penny Slinger, Scarlet Woman, 1976–1977 Collage on board 18 x 23 1/2 inches (45.7 x 59.7 centimeters). © Penny Slinger, Courtesy of the artist and Blum & Poe, Los Angeles/New York/Tokyo

Above Penny Slinger, Scarlet Woman, 1976–1977 Collage on board 18 x 23 1/2 inches (45.7 x 59.7 centimeters). © Penny Slinger, Courtesy of the artist and Blum & Poe, Los Angeles/New York/Tokyo

The Wick Culture - Linder Sterling, Untitled (TV Sex), 1977

Above Linder Sterling, Untitled (TV Sex), 1977

The Wick Culture - Polly Borland, Nudie 10, 2021
Polly Borland
Nudie 10
2021
Archival pigment print
102.2 cm x 135.9 cm x 3.8 cm
ENQUIRE
Helen Beard, Selenicereus grandiflorus (Queen of The Night), 2021
Helen Beard
Selenicereus grandiflorus (Queen of The Night)
2021
Oil on canvas
260 cm x 200 cm

Above Polly Borland, Nudie 10, 2021 Polly Borland Nudie 10 2021 Archival pigment print 102.2 cm x 135.9 cm x 3.8 cm ENQUIRE Helen Beard, Selenicereus grandiflorus (Queen of The Night), 2021 Helen Beard Selenicereus grandiflorus (Queen of The Night) 2021 Oil on canvas 260 cm x 200 cm

The Wick Culture - Leah Schrager, infinity4

Above Leah Schrager, infinity4

Above Beverly Onyangunga

The Wick Culture - Renate Bertlmann. Image Copyright the Artist, Courtesy Richard Saltoun Gallery London and Rome

Above Renate Bertlmann. Image Copyright the Artist, Courtesy Richard Saltoun Gallery London and Rome

The Wick Culture - Cary Kwok, Men on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown 2022. Courtesy the artist and Herald St, London.

Above Cary Kwok, Men on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown 2022. Courtesy the artist and Herald St, London.

Above Caroline Coon

Above Xiao Lou, Polar-4, 2016, Image Copyright the Artist, Courtesy 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong Kong

Above Sally Hewett, SHE

Above Mauro Martinez, Sensitive Content No. 35 1

Above Sarah Hardacre, The Villain In Us All, 2018

Above Penny Slinger, Scarlet Woman, 1976–1977 Collage on board 18 x 23 1/2 inches (45.7 x 59.7 centimeters). © Penny Slinger, Courtesy of the artist and Blum & Poe, Los Angeles/New York/Tokyo

Above Linder Sterling, Untitled (TV Sex), 1977

Above Leah Schrager, infinity4

Above Beverly Onyangunga

Above Renate Bertlmann. Image Copyright the Artist, Courtesy Richard Saltoun Gallery London and Rome

Above Cary Kwok, Men on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown 2022. Courtesy the artist and Herald St, London.

Above Caroline Coon

Sensitive Content
Unit London, London

13 September — 16 October 2022
https://unitlondon.com/whats-on/112-group-exhibition-sensitive-content/

Landing at Unit London this autumn is a radical group exhibition, featuring around 20 contemporary artists who have been marginalised and whose works have been censored by social media, governments or political bodies. Among them are such celebrated name as Betty Tompkins, Pussy Riot and Renee Cox.

Curated by artist Helen Beard and art historians Alayo Akinkugbe and Maria Elena Buszek, Sensitive Content explores why provocative themes such as sex, gender, religion and the role of women’s bodies in society and art are so often censored.

In doing so, it seeks to understand the histories of censorship and create productive conversations around its existence today — and in the future. It’s gratifying that these oft marginalised voices are getting the commercial recognition they deserve.

Happenings The Wick’s Top Ten Public Sculptures

Public sculpture is one of the most dynamic and innovative ways to create links between social, economic, cultural and political communities within cities. Sparking conversation, a sense of community and historical recognition, public sculpture is one of the cornerstones of London’s architectural landscape. In honour of Sculpture Week London 2022, which began on Monday 12 September, The Wick highlights ten sculptures that mean the most to us.

Henry Moore, The Arch, 1979-80.

Situated in Kensington Gardens on the North bank of the Long Water, Henry Moore’s six-metre-high sculpture aptly entitled “The Arch” is one of the garden’s most recognisable features. Made from seven travertine stones sourced from northern Italy and weighing a total of 37 tonnes, “The Arch” was personally donated by Moore to the gardens. However, due to its weight and shape, the sculpture was found to be unstable in 1996 and was subsequently dismantled and underwent a 16-year long restoration process until it was finally reinstalled in its rightful place in 2012.

Conrad Shawcross, Bicameral, 2019.

Integrated into the Chelsea Barracks – a recent redevelopment of former British Army barracks into a block of modern residences and townhouses in the heart of London – is a sculpture by British sculptor Conrad Shawcross. Entitled “Bicameral” the tree-like sculpture reflects the rich botanical history of the surrounding districts of Belgravia, Chelsea and Pimlico. Known to represent life, growth, wisdom and prosperity, the sculpture also harks back to the materials used to build the original barracks, whilst looking towards the prosperous and ever-changing landscape of London’s architecture.

Lynn Chadwick, King and Queen, 1990.

Lynn Chadwick’s sculpture situated atop the entrance façade of Fortnum & Mason is one of London’s hidden sculptural gems. Entitled “King and Queen” the sculpture portrays a pair of figures created from interlocking triangular and square shapes looking out onto the busy London landscape. Created in 1990, the sculpture was initially installed as a temporary feature in 2016 as part of an exhibition held in Fortnum’s at the time. The couple appears to have secured their ‘throne’ and have since become one of the most beloved public installations in the city.

Gavin Turk, Cavey, 1991-7.

British sculptor Gavin Turk is known for his playful reinventions of objects from everyday life that comment on issues surrounding authenticity and identity. Continuing with this theme, his sculpture “Cavey” reimagines the iconic blue plaques that adorn buildings all over London to commemorate links between buildings and the people that lived or worked in them with his own name and profession. Created during his time at the Royal College of Art, the plaque continues to commemorate life and uniquely marks the presence of the artist through absence and history.

Yoshitomo Nara, Peace Head, 2021.

This summer iconic Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara teamed up with Pace Gallery for a brand-new installation in the recently renovated Hanover Square opposite the gallery’s headquarters and also marks the first time Nara presented a work of public sculpture in the UK. “Peace Head” brings one of Nara’s playful pop characters to life, an element that is emphasised by a strong sense of physicality and materiality realised in the visible imprints of Nara’s sculpting process as he pulled, smoothed or smashed the clay into shape.

Antony Gormley, Cinch, 2013.

Another hidden gem in the centre of London is Antony Gormley’s first solid stainless-steel sculpture “Cinch” on the north facade of the historic shopping corridor, The Burlington Arcade. Perched high on a parapet and silhouetted against the sky, the reflective patina of “Cinch” reacts to figures walking by and the changes in natural light, which conveys the idea of a human as a work in progress, ever-changing. Blink and you might miss it.

Yinka Shonibare, Wind Sculpture, 2014.

Commissioned by HS projects, Yinka Shonibare’s permanent sculpture “Wind Sculpture” takes the form of a colourful ship’s sail and explores the notion of movement through nature. Positioned at Howick Place in London, the sculpture harks back to the location’s namesake after Viscount Howick, who was one of the key figures of the Reform Act in 1832, which fought for Catholic emancipation and the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. Utilising his signature bold colours and patterns that have become synonymous with African identity, Shonibare’s sculpture is a poignant reminder of Britain’s history.

Eva Rothschild, My World and Your World, 2020.

As part of The King’s Cross Project – a programme that commissions art for buildings and public spaces to rejuvenate and bring attention to the King’s Cross area – Eva Rothschild created a colossal 16-metre tall sculpture that evokes links between the mechanical and natural world. She achieves this through her use of steel and the organic shape that might evoke an image of the branches of an inverted tree, a river basin, or a lightning bolt. Painted in the artist’s distinctive colour palette of black, purple, pink, green, orange and red, the stripes create an optical illusion for spectators that splits the sculpture into further parts.

Nick Hornby, Muse Offcut #1, 2017, Glyndebourne, U.K. Image courtesy of the artist.

Nick Hornby, “Muse Offcut #1,” 2017.

British sculptor Nick Hornby has always been known to push the envelope with figuration and art history. His series titled “Sculpture (1507-2017)” installed on the grounds of Glyndebourne Opera House, Lewes in 2017 is widely regarded as some of his most exciting. Using computer software, Hornby combines numerous silhouettes from canonical sculptures found in art history to create new three-dimensional sculptures that invite spectators to walk around them and interact with their ever-changing forms.

Marc Quinn, Alison Lapper Pregnant, 2005.

For the occasion of his coveted Fourth Plinth commission in Trafalgar Square, Marc Quinn decided to create something unconventional – the portrait of disabled artist Alison Lapper when she was eight months pregnant carved in white marble. Wanting to draw attention to issues surrounding conceptions idealised physical beauty as dictated by fifth century Greek sculpture, Quinn decided to create a new model of female heroism for the public to engage with. Glorifying Alison’s beauty, Quinn redefined beauty standards and rejected classical notions of femininity. Of the sculpture Lapper said, “I regard it as a modern tribute to femininity, disability and motherhood. It is so rare to see disability in everyday life – let alone naked, pregnant and proud.”