Form&Seek shares their top picks from London Design Festival 2017
The Highlights Reel
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Prismania Chair by Elise Luttik, part of the Dutch Stuff presentation at LDF 2017
Photo © lisa Klappe; courtesy of Zetteler
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Colour Wheel by Rive Roshan, presented at the Dutch Stuff exhibition at London Design Festival 2017
Photo © Rive Roshan
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Daze Table by Studio Truly Truly, presented at the Dutch Stuff show at LDF 2017
Photo © Lexander Popelier; courtesy of Zetteler
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Royal Blue Collection by InsideOut Luxury B.V., part of the Dutch Stuff show at LDF 2017
Image courtesy of Zetteler
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Mirabilia Wallpaper by Alissa van Asseldonk, part of the Dutch Stuff exhibition at London Design Fair
Image courtesy of Zetteler
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Abide Vessel by Studio Truly Truly part of the Dutch Stuff presentation at LDF 2017
Photo © Studio Truly Truly
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The Dutch Stuff presentation at London Design Fair 2017
Photo © Dan Weill; courtesy of Zetteler
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Cloud by James Patmore, part of the Water exhibition at LDF 2017
Image courtesy of Zetteler
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Reflections by Dean Brown, part of the Water exhibition
Image courtesy of Zetteler
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Landscapes of Water by Kirsi Enkovaara (detail), from the Water exhibition
Image courtesy of Zetteler
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The Domestic Sea Collection by Unit Lab, from the Water exhibition
Image courtesy of Zetteler
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Fenster Farm by Simon Denzel, part of the Water exhibition
Image courtesy of Zetteler
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Material Driven: The Best of Circular Design
© Joel Knight Photography
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Material Driven: The Best of Circular Design
© Joel Knight Photography
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Jule Waibel's Unfolded Landscapes presentation
Image courtesy of the designer
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Pieces from RCA grad Jule Waibel's LDF presentation, Unfolded Landscapes
Image courtesy of the designer
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Making a Living by Max Frommeld at Aram Gallery
Photo © Amandine Alessandra; courtesy of Aram Gallery
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Making a Living by Max Frommeld at Aram Gallery
Photo © Amandine Alessandra; courtesy of Aram Gallery
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Making a Living by Max Frommeld at Aram Gallery
Photo © Amandine Alessandra; courtesy of Aram Gallery
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Making a Living by Max Frommeld at Aram Gallery
Photo © Amandine Alessandra, courtesy of Aram Gallery
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Making a Living by Max Frommeld at Aram Gallery
Photo © Amandine Alessandra, courtesy of Aram Gallery
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Baskets by Max Frommeld
Photo © Max Frommeld, courtesy of Aram Gallery
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Sconce by Max Frommeld
Photo © Max Frommeld, courtesy of Aram Gallery
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Arch Mirror by Bower at the USA Pavilion
Image © Bower, courtesy of Zetteler
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Composium Lamp No4 by Ladies & Gentlemen Studio at the USA Pavilion
Image © Ladies & Gentlemen Studio; courtesy of Zetteler
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Full Moon Peach Mobile by Ladies & Gentleman Studio, part of the USA Pavilion
Image © Ladies & Gentlemen Studio; courtesy of Zetteler
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John Hogan glass object, part of the USA Pavilion at LDF 2017
Image © John Hogan, courtesy of Zetteler
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Yellow Lamp from the RBS Series by Steven Haulenbeek, presented at the USA Pavilion
Image © Steven Haulenbeek, courtesy of Zetteler
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Rubber CYL Side Tables by Slash Objects, part of the USA Pavilion
Photo © Erika Lapresto, courtesy of Zetteler
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Additional designs by Slash Objects, part of the USA Pavilion
Photo © Israel Vientidos, courtesy of Zetteler
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Form&Seek's new collection
Image © Form&Seek
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Crystallised Mirror by Isaac Monté, part of Form&Seek's new collection
Image © Form&Seek
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Ripple Espresso Cups by Bilge Nur Saltik and Hues Textiles by Rive Roshan, both part of Form&Seek's new collection
Image © Form&Seek
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Tall OP-Vase Pink by Bilge Nur Saltik, part of Form&Seek's new collection
Image © Form&Seek
As a cultural and creative hub, London never fails to bring together a great mix of interesting people, great design, and fresh ideas. But when it comes to September, and a lost summer shows us a very late warm smile, London really turns into something special. Because for one week, London Design Festival spreads its wings over many of the city’s boroughs, filling small galleries and great venues alike with design from all over the world. And besides the joy of seeing old friends at busy opening nights, the abundance of inspiring products, installations, talks, gatherings, and exhibitions makes one feel a week is not enough to experience it all.
For our collective, Form&Seek, this particular edition of LDF was a special one. Form&Seek has developed a new and disruptive model for independent designers like ourselves that allows us to collaboratively produce, market, and sell our work. We chose this very week to launch our first collection via a Kickstarter campaign, aimed at supporting a group of highly talented, up-and-coming designers from a new generation of artistic, process-driven innovators. With an exhibition as part of the Dutch Stuff pavilion and a buzzing launch party, our campaign got off to a flying start.
In between insightful conversations with visitors to our show, we managed to pop out and see some of the other exciting events going on during the week. We noticed an underlying theme of exhibitions revealing the current climate of entrepreneurial designer-makers—those independently organizing themselves to create and reveal their ideas and thoughts to the world!
Here are some of our favorites…
Dutch Stuff
It would be an injustice not to start with the people that surrounded us for the duration of London Design Fair. Not because they were our friendly neighbors or dear friends, but for the simple fact that some of the work around us was, in fact, some of the strongest we encountered. With a diverse selection of Dutch designers and brands curated by London Design Fair’s own Jimmy McDonald, this floor showed a good overview of Dutch design today: experimental, colorful work, both upbeat and raw, tasteful and abstract. Exhibitors included Studio Truly Truly, Dutch Invertuals, Rive Roshan, Isabel Quiroga, Vij5, and Klaas Kuiken.
Water
We went to see the Water exhibition in a familiar place: the Bussey Building, a location where many of us and other Form&Seekers started our own design studios. The exhibition included work by 13 designers exploring the theme of one of the most common yet important elements in our lives: water. The experimental pieces in the exhibition included Cloud, a piece of sculptural lighting transforming liquids into solid mass by James Patmore; Landscapes of Water by Kirsi Enkovaara, a further exploration of her existing marbling techniques resembling movements of water taken to a three dimensional tactile level; and the Domestic Sea Collection by Form&Seeker Cindy Strobach of design studio Unit Lab, a surreal range of ordinary objects turned into sensory experiences of the sea. The show was a great escape from the hustle and bustle of east and west London and a fresh look into what experimental designers of our generation are doing today.
Re-Make
by Material Driven at Smile Plastics
Further up towards Waterloo station, Material Driven hosted an educational exhibition and panel discussion on the future of Circular Design in the showroom of Smile Plastics. The exhibition told the story of the most innovative products and processes emerging from the re-appropriation of materials by six designers from diverse realms. At the exhibition’s core stood a backdrop of Smile Plastics materials, which are made from recycled plastic waste. Their beautiful material ranges from surfaces made of yogurt containers to a rich black charcoal surface made of recycled plastic packaging.
What struck us most during this event is that recycling as an attitude to find new exciting materials and applications is a bottom-up force with more potential to connect with people than a top-down incentive with no connection to a material’s second life. To see and experience these re-purposed materials in innovative and unique ways creates a powerful argument for the environmental case.
Unfolded Landscapes
by Jule Waibel
All of us at Form&Seek love the work of Jule Waibel. She’s one of our earliest exhibitors and has collaborated with us numerous times since our first show. Her pleated universe came to life in the Unfolded Landscapes exhibition at Play Ground Gallery, Dalston. Her beautiful, playful process of folding turns all materials—from paper to cork—into clothing, accessories, and furniture, showing an ongoing and deepening interest in the pleating process and a promise that this journey has only just begun.
Making a Living
by Max Frommeld at the Aram Gallery
Over at the Aram Gallery (one of our favorite galleries in London), Making a Living, curated by Riya Patel, explores the theme of Max Frommeld’s experience of working and living as a designer—one that resonates with many designers today. The handmade and self-produced pieces come together to create a beautiful, raw, intuitive atmosphere, with each item exploring unique and new processes. The exhibition continues until the 28th of October, so there is still some time to see it!
Assembly
by Sight Unseen
Finally, we were lucky enough to be just on the other side of the wall from the Assembly exhibition, an overview of design coming out of the US curated by Sight Unseen for the fair’s Guest Country Pavilion. It highlighted the creative, fun, and unique processes being explored by designers in the States. It was the first time we were exposed to the work of John Hogan, and we fell in love with his experimental use of glass and color to create mystical objects. The exhibition also included the kinetic sculptures of Ladies and Gentlemen Studio, such as Full Moon Mobile and Half Moon Mobile, which intricately, elegantly combine different materials.
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Text by
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Form&Seek
Form&Seek is an international design collective founded by Bilge Nur Saltik, Golnar Roshan, and Ruben de la Rive Box. They're passionately dedicated to supporting emerging contemporary talent that reflects diverse perspectives.
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More to Love
Upside Down Table by Elise Luttik
Upside Down Chair by Elise Luttik
Shimmer Candle Holder by Bilge Nur Saltik for Form&Seek
Hues Kitchen Textiles Set by Rive Roshan, Set of 8
Square Sediment Table by Rive Roshan
Loom Bound by Rive Roshan
Small Turquoise OP-Vase by Bilge Nur Saltik
Medium Green OP-Vase by Bilge Nur Saltik
Tall Green Op Vase by Bilge Nur Saltik
Small Circadian Tapestry by Rive Roshan
Large Circadian Tapestry by Rive Roshan