5 design things to look out for in November 2018

From trails of illuminated installations to exhibitions looking at the homes of the future, here are some of our top picks to look out for this month.

© David Foldvari and Save the Children

Exhibition: Journeys Drawn: Illustration from the Refugee Crisis

What: A new exhibition featuring the works of 12 illustrators, sharing refugee stories from around the world, some experienced first-hand and some observed. The display explores how illustrators are able to capture images and stories from places and situations where photography may be inappropriate or banned, embracing the idea of artists becoming visual journalists. Works include a graphic novel by Kate Evans about her time volunteering in the Calais jungle and “digital portraits” by Olivier Kugler of refugees arriving at the island of Kos. Also on display is Majid Adin’s animation re-imagining Elton John’s Rocket Man, drawing on his own journey from Iran to the UK, which involved being smuggled to London in a fridge. The multimedia display which includes illustration, manga and animation also shows work by Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, Asia Alfasi, George Butler, Nick Ellwood, David Foldvari, Karrie Fransman, Toby Morison, Mahmoud Salameh and Gideon Summerfield.

When: 10:00am – 6:00pm, 9 November 2018 – 10 March 2019.

Where: House of Illustration, 2 Granary Square, King’s Cross, London N1C 4BH.

Info: An adult ticket with gift aid costs £8.25. For more information, head here.

Exhibition: Home Futures

La casa telematica by Ugo la Pietra (1983), Courtesy Archivio Ugo La Pietra, Milano

What: This exhibition looks at innovations in the homes of today and compares them to how designers from days gone by imagined we might live in the future. Presenting more than 150 objects and experiences, the shows explores whether past predictions about futuristic ways of living, such as in a mechanised or compact home, have come true or whether our way of living has proved resistant to change. Themes include “living smart, which compares historic visions of a home led by machines, with contemporary smart and connected devices used in homes today. Other themes explored in the show are “living on the move”, “living autonomously”, “living with less”, “living with others” and “domestic arcadia”. Highlights in the show, which has been created in collaboration with IKEA, include furniture from the House of the Future (1956) by Peter and Alison Smithson, an original model of Total Furnishing Unit by Joe Colombo (1972) and the “One Shared House 2030” project which aims to imagine what a co-living space could look like in the future.

When: 7 November 2018 – 24 March 2019.

Where: Design Museum, 224-238 Kensington High St, Kensington, London W8 6AG.

Info: Tickets, which include a donation to support the museum, cost £16 for adults, £8 for children and £12 for concessions and students. For more information, head here.

Festival: Light Up Lancaster

What: A two day event of light installations, family workshops and more events across Lancaster, culminating in a fireworks extravaganza. A Light Art Trail across the city features dozens of works, from large glowing birds to illuminated musical instruments and kaleidoscopes of moving images, colours and lights. There are plenty of immersive displays for visitors to discover, all while taking in the city’s landmarks in a whole new light. Fringe event highlights include The Lancaster University Family Zone which features a miniature version of the Northern Lights made out of 500 light-emitting diodes LEDs.

When: See the Light Art Trail from 5.30pm-10pm on 2 November and from 5.30pm-7.30pm on 3 November 2018.

Where: Various venues across Lancaster.

Info: Most events are free, but some may require tickets(?). Fireworks require wristbands. For more information, head here.

Exhibition: The Hepworth Prize for Sculpture

© Hufton + Crow

What: An exhibition of new and recent works by artists on the shortlist for the Hepworth Prize for Sculpture. The biannual prize, named after sculpture pioneer Barbara Hepworth, is for “a British or UK-based artist of any age, at any stage of their career, who has made a significant contribution to the development of contemporary sculpture”. Shortlisted artists this year, as selected by the panel are Michael Dean, Mona Hatoum, Phillip Lai, Magali Reus and Cerith Wyn Evans. A tour of the exhibition takes place every day at 2.30pm.

When: 26 Oct 2018 – 20 Jan 2019.

Where: The Hepworth Wakefield, Gallery Walk, Wakefield, West Yorkshire WF1 5AW.

Info: Free entry. For more information head here.

Talk: By Design: Martino Gamper

What: Martino Gamper, the product designer best-known for the 100 Chairs in 100 Days project which involved creating a new chair each day by combining old chairs, will speak to art critic Alice Rawthorn about his design inspiration and work. The event is part of a new series of talks, known as By Design, at the Sir John Soane’s Museum, organised in partnership with rug designer Luke Irwin. The talk series will feature six well-known designers, who will each focus on one item and talk about the influence it has had on them and their own design process. Other designers that will take part in future talks, co-hosted by Will Gompertz, arts editor at the BBC and design writer Alice Rawsthorn, include Es Devlin and Sir David Adjaye.

When: Talk 7pm-8pm, followed by drinks reception 8pm-9pm, 26 November 2018.Where: Sir John Soane’s Museum, 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3BP

Info: Tickets cost £30. For more information head here.

Other things to catch:

Good grief, Charlie Brown!: An exhibition at Somerset House of original Charles M. Schulz Peanuts cartoons alongside works that have been inspired by them createdby modern-day designers. For more information, head here.

‘Untitled’: An Evening with Pentagram’s Newest Partner: Pentagram’s newest partner Yuri Suzuki, an installation, sound and experience designer who has worked with big names in music and has work exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art will talk about his career and plans with the design studio. For more information head here.

Manchester Animation Festival: Educating Animators Conference: A day of talks about teaching the next generation of animators and the different approaches and challenges involved, with speeches from educators from a range of colleges and universities. The conference is part of a wider event exploring animation in all its forms. For more information, head here.

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