Super Contemporary at Design Museum
Super Contemporary, a new exhibition at the Design Museum celebrates London’s designers and the city’s role as a design catalyst (until 4 October).
The centrepiece of the show is a group of 15 commissions specially made by some of London’s star designers. They’re intended to showcase the best of the capital’s design and they’re all themed around the city – some taking iconic features such as Nelson’s Column as a starting point (El Ultimo Gritto) and others going for broader urban issues like pollution or surveillance. So there’s a bus shelter by David Adjaye, a new London rubbish bin by Paul Smith and Thomas Heatherwick has redesigned the ubiquitous lamppost.
But as well as these headline grabbing pieces, there is also room for some smaller, more craft-orientated objects such as Kit Grover’s Thames Pin. This simple, 5 cm-long bent pin is inspired by the folk tradition of bending pins and throwing them into rivers as a form of protective votive offering. ‘I love the idea that you can transform something that is functional into a symbol by removing its function’, says Grover. He has always been interested in symbols and narrative, and this commission has given Grover a chance to explore some of these ideas and, as he says, ‘an opportunity to be what feels right and be myself’.
Design Museum and Beefeater 24 present Super Contemporary 3 June – 4 October at the Design Museum, www.designmuseum.org
