Creative ingestion is good for the soul

Last week we made stop at the Design Biennale in London’s illustrious Somerset House, on possibly one of the hottest days of the year 🥵. Themed ‘Surface Reflections’, the exhibit was a dynamic rollercoaster, often not quite as expected.

Here are a couple of standouts that used technology to question the environment and its impact on the future:

Building with Biology – a collaboration with Northumbria University, London
& UCL that looks at the possibility of growing buildings using materials such as fungi, microbes, and bacteria.

‘Memory Grid’, an installation at the Oman Pavilion, explored the relationship between traditional Omani pottery and modern data storage. A bit eerie and empty, but also vibrant and fresh.

My favourite (and last) of the day was at the Hong Kong Pavilion: “Human-Centered Design: Visospace” by designer Hee sun (sunny) CHOI and her team, whose use of data in emotional design explores how we think and act in spaces. With the potential to use learnings from this data to improve the environments we live in, this was a real game changer, merging art with science in an exciting and useful way.

A great day out for anyone – but catch it quick.

The London Design Biennale at Somerset House runs until June 29, 2025