SWISS DESIGN IN LONDON
PRESS RELEASE - London, July 2016
For the first time, Switzerland will be taking part in two of the main highlights of the London design season, the London Design Biennale (7-27 September) and the London Design Festival (22-25 September).
With a long history of design excellence, initiated by the need for longevity and functionality rather than only aesthetic, Swiss design and creative thinking have evolved into some of the most innovative, technologically advanced and quality solutions today.
To celebrate this, Switzerland is delighted to showcase its best offerings on the global stage in London - a city widely regarded as the epicentre of the design calendar.
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LONDON DESIGN BIENNALE, 7-27 September
‘In-Between: The Utopia of the Neutral’
For the first time in the British capital, more than 30 countries will be participating in the London Design Biennale, a global event hosted at the iconic Somerset House. Each country will showcase its best from the worlds of contemporary design, design-led innovation, creativity and research - all with submissions based on the theme of ‘Utopia’.
The Swiss contribution’s curator, Giovanna Lisignoli, responded to this brief with ‘In-between: The Utopia of the Neutral’, taking inspiration from neutrality as a space where experimentation, debate and movement can take place freely - a fitting reference to Thomas Moore’s celebrated Utopia.
Enlisting seven design studios (including Adrien Rovero, Dimitri Bähler and Kueng Caputo) to collaborate with seven niche manufacturers, all of which specialize in a different area of expertise, the various outcomes celebrate Swiss cultural identity, tradition and an exchange of knowledge in equal measure.
www.londondesignbiennale.com
#LDB16
PRESS INFORMATION AVAILABLE HERE
KUENG CAPUTO
Le Sound a Disparu
“Air is everywhere. What if we could enhance materials with air? Utopia or reality?”
With natural resources being rapidly depleted, the possibility to stretch building materials with air oscillates between utopian speculation and reality. Sarah Kueng and Lovis Caputo have explored this concept by collaborating with DeCavis - experts in the development of hydraulic bound materials for industrial applications.
Gypsum ‘stretched’ with air only uses 15% of source material without affecting its basic properties, but considerably reducing its weight. Based on this notion, the design duo’s concept challenges the perception of everyday materials, proposing a modular system of forms with which to adjust acoustic properties of spaces.
www.kueng-caputo.ch
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LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL, 22-25 September
Design Prize Switzerland at London Design Fair
Regarded as one of the highlights of the London Design Festival, the London Design Fair (including Tent London & Super Brands London) comprises the largest collection of designers, brands, country pavilions and galleries in one destination. A truly international event for both participants and attendees.
Showcasing the best of Swiss design on this global stage, the ‘Design Prize Switzerland’ (DPS) will be featuring a selection of 21 products and projects from designers, innovators and creative thinkers from a broad range of disciplines, such as BIG-GAME, USM and Stack to name a few.
Now including acknowledgments that demonstrate the innovative strength and quality of the Swiss creative industry as a whole, DPS’ curator Michel Hueter has endeavoured to highlight the added value of holistic design solutions. Developed by applying integrated processes, DPS is able to demonstrate the high level of Switzerland’s cultural and economic impact on the international stage.
www.londondesignfair.co.uk
www.designpreis.ch
#LDF16
PRESS INFORMATION AVAILABLE HERE
STACK BY MUGI YAMAMOTO
Rado Prize
‘STACK’ is a compact printer developed by ECAL alumnus Mugi Yamamoto. Placed at the top of a stack of paper, the contraption pulls sheets to be printed from beneath it and ejects them from the top of the device. Because of this unique functionality it is incredibly compact as well as uniquely appealing aesthetically.
www.mugiyamamoto.com
www.ecal.ch
BIG-GAME
Merit Prize
Consisting of Augustin Scott de Martinville, Elric Petit and Grégoire Jeanmonod, BIG-GAME's work has achieved both commercial and critical success. With institutions like the Museum of Modern Art in New York as well as a client list of famed design names, BIG-GAME represents both the best of the past and the future for Swiss design.
www.big-game.ch
USM PRIVACY PANELS
Furniture Prize
In collaboration with atelier oï, furniture company USM Haller created a modular system of office partitioning which offers visual and acoustic privacy. The individual panels consist of highly compressed polyester fleece which is attached to a framework of steel tubes, providing freestanding space dividers for use in open-plan work places.
www.usm.com
www.atelier-oi.ch
JOULIA-INLINE
Product Investment Goods Prize
The newly developed heat recovery system Joulia-inline uses hot waste water to pre-heat cold incoming water. This reduces the energy consumption that is needed for a hot shower by half - the practical advantages of the system being seen in both its compact and sophisticated design.
www.joulia.com
- Further information on the 21 selected projects is available to download here -
For all press enquiries regarding Switzerland’s involvement in the London Design Biennale and the London Design Festival, please contact Romain Casella from MAY, via media@mayconcepts.com | +44(0)7515701819.
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