The Practice of Learning: Brompton Design District Reveals Programme for London Design Festival 2024

Brompton Design District has revealed its programme for London Design Festival 2024. Running from 14 – 22 September, London’s first design district, known for nurturing new and experimental design, will host a range of exhibitions, talks and events. The programme showcases the work of established and emerging designers as well as celebrating leading designers and brands including Cassina, Molteni&C, Dolce & Gabbana Casa, Giorgetti, Liaigre and others who have been instrumental in bringing some of the world’s most iconic designs and designers to London. This includes the work of Charlotte Perriand, Christian Liaigre, Patricia Urquiola, Carlo Scarpa and Michael Anastassiades.

For London Design Festival 2024, the theme for Brompton Design District is The Practice of Learning curated by Jane Withers Studio. Brompton Design District has invited designers and collectives with learning embedded in their practice to explore the fertile grounds of knowledge gathering, experimentation and exchange, and showcase the results of that process.

Curated programme exhibitions include:

Designer Jessica Shi at Grymsdyke Farm for Reading Design. Photo George Baggaley

Following the success of last year’s The Farm Shop, Grymsdyke Farm returns to Brompton with a new collaborative exhibition. Reading Design will share the results of workshops led by four designer-educators, each focusing on different materials and processes: Attua Aparicio; Marco Campardo; Studio Glithero and Guan Lee. The project explores not only the processes of learning through design, but also how individuals can learn from each other, from the environment, and through making.

Making Room – A Workshop Space, Andu Masebo

Making Room – A Workshop Space by Andu Masebo and Mikey Krzyzanowski sees the designers host a space for people to come together, somewhere to absorb knowledge from a wide range of sources and learn tacitly through experience. Each day workshops, talks and happenings will take place in order to make room for collaborative experiences and new ways of thinking. As the festival unfolds the space will find its form, becoming populated by the results of the creative programme. Collaborators include Helen Job of Observatory Studio, Stacie Woolsey founder of Make Your Own Masters, Mitre & Mondays, Bafic, Christian Cassiel & Ayo Fagbemi of Seed Archives x Explorers Club and Nelly Benhayoun.

Sarah Myerscough Gallery, Nic Webb, Big Red. Photo Leroy Boateng

Sarah Myerscough Gallery presents a new exhibition Engrained – Material Intelligence exploring the rich material intelligence involved in working with wood through a curated exhibition of contemporary design featuring Nic Webb, Peter Marigold, Studio Amos, Gareth Neal, and Kasper Hamacher. Made at the intersection of craft, sculptural design and material research, each of their works at the Garage at 15a Cromwell Mews in the Brompton Design District emerges from innovative and forward-thinking approaches to process and technique.

POoR Collective, Power Shift. Photo Stagg Studio

POoR Collective return to Brompton Design District with POWERSHIIFT 2024, a group exhibition building on this year’s Brompton Design District curatorial theme. POWERSHIIFT 2024 invites emerging practitioners who draw on their surroundings, cultures, and lived experiences for education and inspiration, encouraging them to share their knowledge and creative outputs. This exhibition, a sequel to POWERSHIFT 2023, aims to demonstrate what established designers can learn from new talent.

RCA Design Products, Thomas David Scrimgeour

For Curious Habits – Design as Learning graduates of the Royal College of Art’s (RCA) Design Products course explore processes of learning and design. Reflecting on individual work practices and their transformative potential for the subjects of design and designers themselves, the exhibition focuses on moments of insight, learning and change. The show also features the RCA’s collaboration project with mobile technology brand OPPO, now in its 5th year and focusing on Connective Intelligence. Here, students from across the RCA School of Design exhibit projects that explore, redefine and question ecosystems of devices, archetypes of engagement, and new ways of being.

Zieta Studio installation 2023 photo courtesy of Zieta Studio

Joining these temporary exhibitions Zieta Studio present Through process to progress, a curated display of select pieces from Zieta Studio’s ever evolving collection. On display at Loop Generation’s store Zieta Studio present an exhibition that delves into the fusion of fashion, design, and sustainability. In close collaboration with renowned interior designers and architects BGY ID, Through process to progress showcases air-sculpted aluminium creations highlighting new developments in technology, design approaches and production methods.

Alongside the curated programme, Brompton Design District will see design partners based in the District host a series of designer talks and exhibitions as well as new collection launches.

Highlights include:

Cassina Chaise longue Indochine from the Charlotte Perriand Collection photo courtesy of Cassina

Cassina celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Charlotte Perriand Collection presenting an exclusive selection of unseen icons designed by the pioneer of modernity and an extraordinary window-installation dedicated to her. The new Chaise longue Indochine is at the centre of a scenic representation dedicated to Perriand’s attention to materials and expression of lightness, surrounded by the disassembled components of two of her models fluctuating in the space. The Indochine chaise longue was designed in 1943 by Perriand during her term as Director of Crafts in Vietnam and originally crafted in rattan due to a shortage of steel at the time. In collaboration with Pernette Perriand-Barsac, Cassina recoups the original intuition of the pioneer of modernity and produces Chaise longue Indochine in painted tubular metal. The interiors of the space also welcome a selection of novelties from the Cassina 2024 Collection, such as the iconic Cornaro sofa by Carlo Scarpa, and new designs by established names such as Michael Anastassiades, Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby and Cassina Art Director Patricia Urquiola.

Occhio, Lunanova

Luxury lighting brand Occhio presents its first chandelier, Lunanova which makes its debut in London at London Design Festival. Redefining the concept of what a chandelier can be, the spherical appearance of the light object creates a dramatic statement and, together with the ‘Supernova’ lighting effects create an eye catching interior installation. Visitors to the brand’s Fulham Road Store can also experience Occhio Light Space showing how rooms can be designed with light – how light can give them identity and create different atmospheres.

Liaigre London

Liaigre London will present the UK debut of The Costes x Liaigre capsule collection. The story of the collection dates back to 2015 when acclaimed hotelier Jean-Louis Costes entrusted Christian Liaigre with the redesign of Hotel Lotti on Rue de Castiglione in Paris, uniting it with the legendary Hotel Costes next door to form the present-day Le Costes, a favourite haunt among A-listers and celebrities. Liaigre’s refined approach, inspired by neoclassical Parisian mansions and lofts, marks the maison’s Founder’s final achievement and the collection is a testament to his legacy, encapsulating the essence of his design philosophy. This preview is a rare chance to see these exquisite pieces up close and learn about the inspiration and craftsmanship behind them.

Molteni&C

Molteni&C celebrates 90 years of innovation, design, industry and corporate culture with Molteni Mondo. An Italian Design Story, the first monograph dedicated to the company. The volume is presented for the first time in the UK with a dedicated immersive installation in Molteni&C Flagship Store on Brompton Road and will be launched with an exclusive talk with Michael Anastassiades, one of the designers featured in the book. The conversation, drawing on the theme The Practice of Learning, will explore the role of design today and in the past.

The newest partner in the District, Henge will open its doors at 254 Brompton Road marking a new milestone for the Italian design brand. With a focus on elegance and craftsmanship, the new 600sq metre store will host an event celebrating London’s design stories and showcase signature furniture collections throughout the festival.

Kartell

District showrooms including Meridiani, Dolce & Gabbana Casa and Kartell will also host London Design Festival events and activities from 14 to 22 September.

Communion by Giles Tettey-Nartey. Photo Jason Yates

Speaking ahead of the festival, curator Jane Withers said:

“This year Brompton invites designers to respond to the theme The Practice of Learning. Cumulative experience combined with an insatiable curiosity help to foster the resilience and agility needed to respond to today’s complicated world. We wanted to give a platform to this important part of the design process and invite designers to share their insights and approaches to embedding learning in their design process. This often isn’t visible in the end project or product but in today’s complex world making space for the transfer of ideas, knowledge and multidisciplinary research is more important than ever. Several of the projects in Brompton this year are not static shows but will evolve as the week progresses and I look forward to welcoming visitors to join us on this journey of discovery.”

It is also fitting to the district – formal learning is embedded in South Kensington through the educational and cultural sites from Imperial College or the RCA to the V&A. But in Brompton our aim is to explore more experimental approaches to knowledge exchange. To open minds to other ways of thinking about and experiencing learning and its potential to transform the design process. I hope visitors to the District will gain insight into the real life design process, talk with designers and have the chance to join in the programming, whether it’s workshops, talks or events.”

Designer Andu Masebo said:

“Our goal is to share inspiration, tools and ideas that encourage young people to express intuition through design. We want to encourage young people to engage with the world around them, and show them that they can change their world through design. The room they sit in can become more meaningful to them, through the appreciation and creation of objects and furniture.

With this year’s theme The Practice of Learning chosen for Brompton Design District, it is the perfect opportunity to introduce Making Room – A Workshop Space, a room designed to encourage and act on curiosity.”

Oku Group by Riyo Nemeth

The full District programme can be viewed online at www.bromptondesigndistrict.com. On Thursday 19 September visitors will be welcomed to Brompton for a series of late night events at temporary exhibition spaces and showrooms across the District.