5 design things to look out for in May 2017

This month, you can delve into a retrospective book on the work of Noma Bar, visit the Dundee Design Festival and take a trip to the V&A to learn about Pink Floyd.

Book collection: Bittersweet: Noma Bar

A Noma Bar print

What: Illustrator Noma Bar is known for his abstract, colourful prints, which use negative space to create recognisable shapes and optical illusions. In May, Thames & Hudson will publish a career retrospective on Bar, curated by the artist himself. It features his work categorised into five thematic volumes; Pretty Ugly (portraits), In Out (sex), Life Death (conflict), Less More (daily life) and Rough Smooth (artistic process). The five books also come with a limited edition, signed print by Bar. The collection aims to reveal the illustrator’s working methods, inspiration and the life experiences that have shaped him as an artist, says Thames & Hudson.

When: Released 25 May 2017.

Where: Available online nationwide from Thames & Hudson.

Info: Hardback edition costs £200.


Fair: Clerkenwell Design Week

Beogram 4000, by Bang & Olufsen

What: Every year, London’s Clerkenwell is taken over for a week by events, exhibitions, installations, talks and product launches spanning furniture and product design. Brands on show this year include Vitra, Formetiq and Bang & Olufsen, while Design Week editor Tom Banks is set to chair a discussion around how Brexit will affect designers. Details to follow on this.

When: 23-25 May 2017.

Where: Various venues in Clerkenwell, London.

Info: Most events at the fair are free. Head to the Clerkenwell Design Week website for a map of the venues and to register.


Talks programme: Typo Talks Berlin

What: Like a TED Talks for the design world, Typo International Design Talks provide inspirational and educational content, available to watch and listen to online after events have taken place. In May, conference Typo Talks Berlin will take place, with the likes of Pearlfisher’s Jonathan Ford, Johnson Banks’ Michael Johnson, Dominic Wilcox and Pantone’s Carola Seybold set to speak. If you can’t make the conference, videos of the talks will follow on the Typo Talks website.

When: 25-27 May 2017.

Where: House of World Cultures, John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10, 10557 Berlin, Germany.

Info: Tickets cost 649 (£547). For more information, head to the Typo Talks website.


Festival: Dundee Design Festival

What: Only in its second year, Dundee Design Festival is set to take place in a former print works factory in May, which draws on the city’s history of manufacturing and the festival’s theme of “Factory Floor”. The festival will see installations, craft and manufacturing workshops and product stalls selling local designers’ work, and ties in with the Scottish city’s recent drive in promoting design, culminating in the opening of the V&A Museum of Design, Dundee in 2018.

When: 24-29 May 2017.

Where: West Ward Works, Guthrie Street, Dundee DD1 5BR.

Info: For more information, head to the UNESCO City of Design website. The new Dundee Design Festival website with a full schedule is coming soon.


Exhibition: Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains at the V&A

Pink Floyd, photo by Storm Thorgerson, Aubrey “Po” Powell and Hipgnosis

What: Rock band Pink Floyd has been around for nearly six decades, and London’s Victoria and Albert (V&A) museum will be opening a major retrospective dedicated to their eclectic music, memorabilia, album covers and stage design this month. Aubrey Powell, a designer who has had a long-standing relationship with the band, is creative director of the show, while Stufish has completed exhibition design.

When: The show opens 13 May 2017.

Where: V&A Museum, Cromwell Road, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2RL.

Info: Tickets cost £20-£24. For more information, head to the V&A’s website.


Also catch:

  • The Role of Design and UX in IOT Products, taking place 4 May 2017 from 6.30-9.30pm at Cocoon Networks in London, will see product design studios exploring how connected home (internet of things) products are created. For more information, head here.
  • What Design Can Do, taking place 23-24 May 2017 in Amsterdam, will look at design’s role in social and environmental change, and will feature speakers including Pentagram’s Naresh Ramchandani and design journalist Alice Rawsthorn. For more information, head here.
  • The National Festival of Making, taking place 6-7 May 2017 in Blackburn, will explore the art of handcraft through workshops, talks, debates, films, music and product fairs. For more information, head here.
  • Design Week’s panel discussion with Ikea, taking place 18 May at London’s PI Artworks, will discuss how to design for modern, urban spaces. For more information and to apply for tickets, head here.

Have you got an event coming up this year? Let us know sarah.dawood@centaurmedia.com.

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