We’ve scoured the globe to find the most captivating, uncanny and memorable design exhibitions to see in 2018; from retrospectives and major blockbusters to thematic exhibitions and solo shows. So here’s our list of must-see design events this month...
‘Notturno I’ by The Campana Brothers at Giustini / Stagetti, Rome
Humberto and Fernando Campana present a pair of new collections at the first in a duo of shows opening up at Giustini / Stagetti in Rome. Titled ‘Notturno I,’ the installation presents a narrative of the Brazilian brother’s processes that are influenced by their cultural surroundings of São Paulo and beyond.
Fernando explains, ‘I draw with total freedom, quickly, so as to loose nothing I have imagined, then contact with materials dictates what we must do,’ these drawings are found across the exhibition tying the two diverse collections together. The geometry in the ‘Bacteria’ collection that includes lamps and a rug (created in collaboration with Nodus) creates an optical illusion in the abstract lines, meanwhile, the ‘Abbraccio’ armchair from the ‘Morbido’ collection exudes the duo’s animalistic style, made out of overlapping material elements. Writer: Luke Halls. Photography: Omar Golli
Until 24 November; Via dell’Arancio, 46, 00186 Rome
‘Urban Daydreaming’ by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec at HKDI Gallery, Hong Kong
French industrial designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec’s trademark thoughtful thinking brings a new perspective to urban planning with a wideranging, immersive installation of 14 models and videos that reflect on nature in public spaces. ‘Some are romantic ideas while others are old principles translated in a new way,’ Ronan says. ‘It is not about being prescriptive; we simply want to raise ideas about how nature interacts with the city.’
This is the first time the brothers have worked on an urban scale, exploring creative solutions such as suspended, jungle-like forests and minimalist waterways that snake through the city. It also includes Clouds, an intriguing melding of organic and geometrical forms that has already been built in Miami’s design district, integrating an elegantly simple floating garden, and blue and green glass that generates enchanting shadows and colour variations. Writer: Catherine Shaw
27 October-17 February 2019; 3 King Ling Road, Tseung Kwan O
‘Lawless’ by Aratani Fay at Salon, Boston
The women’s empowerment movement is alive and well in Boston thanks to Salon, the city’s new contemporary design space. Located in the city’s stylish Beacon Hill neighbourhood, the part-concept store, part-gallery aims to showcase primarily female designers. ‘Women have a unique perspective and approach to design that resonates with me,’ says Amanda Pratt, interior architect and Salon founder.
For its inaugural exhibition, Salon presents Aratani Fay first solo show, ‘Lawless’. In total, the 650 sq ft gallery features eight works: three lamps from the ‘Roommate’ series and five furniture pieces from the ‘Lawless’ collection, which were designed for the show. ‘[We wanted] to embrace irregularities in the domestic everyday,’ explains Ayako Aratani, one half of the Detroit-based studio. ‘Discovering comfort in dystopia, and beauty in chaos [is an] opportunity to celebrate new perspectives in design.’ Photography Jessica Delaney
Until 17 November; Salon Gallery, 126 Charles Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 02114
‘Akari: Sculpture by Other Means’ at Noguchi Museum, New York
The Noguchi Museum is showing an exhibition dedicated to Isamu Noguchi’s modular, collapsible ‘Akari’ lanterns. Starting in 1951, Noguchi designed over 200 Akari models in his lifetime, as a way of marrying an ancient paper craft with electricity. The exhibition includes the largest Akari ever created, the two-metre-wide Akari 200D, made for the 1986 Venice Biennale, in addition to various archival materials. A second, concurrent exhibition, ‘Akari Unfolded: A Collection’, features 26 Akari-inspired lamps created by French studio Ymer & Malta in partnership with Nendo, Sebastian Bergne, Stephen Burks, Océane Delain, Benjamin Graindorge, and Sylvain Rieu-Piquet. Pictured: Nendo’s modern interpretation of the light. Courtesy: Ymer & Malta
Until 27 January 2019; Noguchi Museum, 9-01 33rd Rd, Queens, NY 11106