Instead of Venice and art, for me it was Somerset House and design. The Design Biennale in Somerset House hosts installations from 40 countries, regions and cities until 23 September.
A wide-ranging theme – ‘Emotional States’ – provides room for a huge variety of topics, quite a few related to textile industries. One of those is from Pakistan. It features an installation of garments that form a screen for films about the makers of these garments – the women who are the backbone of the country’s cotton industry.
A surprising Swedish installation imagines a new use for an old energy source. Rather than burning coal, it proposes the material’s use in architecture and interior design.
My favourite though – highly practical compared with many other installations -, is the German entry showing examples of upcycling – transforming waste destined for the tip with skill and craft into one-off, very special pieces. Below a picture of Studio Campana’s plastic chair encased in wickerwork.