- This event has passed.
London Design Biennale, Somerset House
June 1, 2021 - June 27, 2021
£22.50
Somerset House will host the third London Design Biennale this June. Established in 2016 by Sir John Sorrell CBE and Ben Evans CBE, London Design Biennale promotes international collaboration and the global role of design.
Theme of London Design Biennale 2021
Curated by Artistic Director Es Devlin, Resonance is the theme for the London Design Biennale 2021. Designers are asked to consider the effect of ground breaking design concepts on the way we live, and the choices we make.
The Biennale will occupy the whole of Somerset House, including the Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court and River Terrace. It will include pavilions from six continents, as well as special projects.
Devlin explains the concept, “Everything we design and everything we produce resonates. Each idea we generate has the power to reach a mass digital audience undreamt of by previous generations, while the lifespans of the physical products we create often endure long beyond our own. Whether in the social media feeds of millions or in the bellies of marine animals, our ideas and our objects stick around.
“In our global, digital era, design can instantly permeate borders and bridge cultures. It can positively alter behaviours and transform societies. Attitudes can evolve and lives can be improved when new ideas resonate and are adopted by extended communities.”
Pavilion of the African Diaspora and Forest for Change
Located on the River Terrace, Ini Archibong’s Pavilion of the African Diaspora is an architectural folly that gives a stage for African voices to be heard. While the courtyard will be transformed into a Forest for Change, consisting of 400 trees, that provides an interactive journey of discovery towards the UN’s Global Goals for Sustainable Development.
Global Pavilions and Collaboration
Inside the house itself there will be global pavilions from Antarctica to Taiwan, and Canada to Chile that will explore issues from the pandemic to climate change, and from equality to migration. They will explore how we can combat these issues through international collaboration and communication. A list of all participants at the London Design Biennale can be found here.
Victoria Broackes, Director, London Design Biennale, says: “Following a year like no other, global collaboration is more vital than ever, and perhaps more possible. This June, designers from across the world will come together to exchange expertise and ideas exploring how design can better the world we inhabit. We look forward to welcoming visitors both to Somerset House and to the Biennale’s online programme, and inspiring our audience with the positive change that can be brought about through design.”
This year’s Biennale will also present Design in An Age of Crisis, which will include radical designs from more than 500 submissions from 60 countries, and Sustainability and Innovation a series of installations from universities, organisations and brands.
When is the London Design Biennale?
From 1 to 27 June, 11am to 7:15 pm. Late nights until 8.30pm 17, 18, 19, 24, 25 & 26 June.
Where is the London Design Biennale?
Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA.
For more information on the London Design Biennale
Click here. #LDB21.
