The third edition of the London Design Biennale 2020, the event dedicated to innovation and design scheduled to take place from 8 to 27 September 2020 at London’s Somerset House, is a work in progress. Important new developments have been announced: the artistic director will be Es Devlin, visionary designer and artist working in various fields, from music and opera to theatre and technology.
Please Feed the lions by Es Devlin
We at IFDM included her installation Please Feed The Lions in the top ten must-attend events of the London Design Festival 2018. Among her unforgettable sculptures are those for the tours of Beyoncé, U2, The Weeknd, Adele, and Kanye West, to name just a few. Her work includes collaborations with Italian physicist Carlo Rovelli on his book L’ordine del tempo, read by actor Benedict Cumberbatch; the closing ceremonies of the London Olympics in 2012; and the UK pavilion at the World Expo in Dubai in 2020.
For the upcoming Biennale, Es Devlin has chosen the theme of Resonance, inviting more than 50 countries to participate. She explains: “We live in an age of hyper resonance, the consequences of which are both exhilarating and devastating. Everything we design and everything we produce resonates. Each idea we generate has the power to reach a mass digital audience undreamt of by previous generations, while the lifespans of the physical products we create often endure long beyond our own. In our global, digital era, design can reach instantly across borders and bridge cultures.
LDF18 – 10 years at the V&A
It can positively alter behaviours and transform societies. Perspectives can be shifted and lives can be improved when new ideas resonate and are adopted by extended communities. Designers have the power to influence and amaze their audiences into making these profound shifts, using the mass networks available to them to resonate practices that will help build a more sustainable future.”
Furthermore, the London Design Biennale has announced that the managing director will be Will Sorrell, previously managing director of designjunction, who states: “It is such an exciting moment to join London Design Biennale. The third edition in 2020 will come at a time when the UK finds itself in a new relationship with the world. What better way to strengthen those relationships, than to host the best international design thinking in our capital? Embarking on this edition with Es Devlin is a pleasure. She is an expert on communicating to diverse, global audiences and brings a deep understanding of how to both inspire and entertain.”
