Hands on

The award for the creepiest exhibition at the forthcoming London Design Festival goes to Studio XAG for the Hands On show.

To be hosted at the University of the Arts London’s Arts Gallery from 16 September-29 October, the show centres on a doll’s house drawing room scaled up to adult size, featuring an array of new design objects.

The plate glass wall of the gallery acts as a window into the room, where viewers will see products such as Hektor Mamet’s Leaning Chair and Reiko Kaneko’s Drip Teas & Lip Tease cups.

A rather sinister giant par of articulated hands hangs over the display, which Studio XAG describes as ‘a very fitting motif for an exhibition in which handcraft is the star of the show’.

The consultancy adds, ‘Personal nostalgia for a youth spent making things led us to reimagine a small scale in a shoebox. Scaling this up to human size allows us to utilise an eccentric selection of furniture and products to enhance the playful mood, with elegant trompe l’oeil tableware nodding to the tea-drinking sensibility.’

Hands On runs at University of the Arts London’s Arts Gallery, 272 High Holborn, London WC1V, from 16 September-29 October.