The first London Design Biennale will open this September at Somerset House. More than thirty nations from six continents will present exhibitions and installations under the motto “Utopia by Design” at Somerset House in London on the occasion of the 500^th anniversary of the first publication of Utopia by Sir Thomas More, a world classic in the field of social philosophy.

Austria will present a specially developed installation by the Vienna-based design studio mischer’traxler founded by Katharina Mischer and Thomas Traxler. The Austrian contribution will be curated by Thomas Geisler, former curator of the Design Collection, MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art, Vienna, and organized by Austria Design Net. mischer’traxler studio will create a kinetic light installation entitled LeveL: the fragile balance of utopia.

mischertraxler’s large-scale kinetic lighting installation is set in motion by the smallest changes in the air current around it. Its form is unwittingly created by the viewers’ movements, producing a state of constant flux that is both graceful and chaotic. The installation is a continuation of their artistic research into responsive systems through design. Their most recent kinetic installations such as ephemerā (2014) and curiosity cloud (2015), both commissioned by Perrier-Jouët Champagne, invite interaction with the audience and foster participation, discussion and questions—in these two cases concerning the interrelation of mankind and nature. Despite using state-of-the-art technology or even pushing for new computational developments, their installations have never translated into a technolanguage. On the contrary, their object-based interfaces appear in well-crafted surfaces and products. Exceptional and exquisitely bridging traditional and future crafts, mischer’traxler’s work perfectly represents Austrian design culture of the past, the present and the future.

At the London Design Biennale, you will see installations curated by the leading museums and design organizations in the world, including Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (USA), DAMnation (Belgium), German Design Council, Directorate-General for the Arts (Portugal), Moscow Design Museum (Russia), Triennale Design Museum (Italy), India Design Forum, Southern Guild (South Africa), The Japan Foundation, and Victoria and Albert Museum (UK). Design teams include architects, designers, scientists, writers and artists.

Taking over the entirety of Somerset House, including The Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court and River Terrace, the London Design Biennale will explore major questions and ideas concerning sustainability, migration, pollution, energy, cities, and social equality. You will see engaging and interactive installations, innovations, artworks and proposed design solutions - all in an immersive, inspiring and entertaining tour of the world.
 
Administering Body: AustriaDesignNet
Design Team: mischer'traxler studio
Curator: Thomas Geisler, former curator of the Design Collection, MAK
Supporting Bodies: The Arts and Culture Division of the Federal Chancellery of Austria, Advantage Austria, Austrian Cultural Forum London
Location: Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom

#LDB16 #UtopiaByDesign

Further information: 
londondesignbiennale.com