Mint Luminates London at LDF
As we continue to explore London we now begin to tell you more about the events at the London Design Festival.
A stone’s throw from the Victoria and Albert Museum, Mint is positioned in London’s South Kensington, at the heart of Brompton Design District. For LDF 2017, owner Lina Kanafani curates an exhibition exploring collectable design by showcasing examples of design excellence. Over 60 international designers, both new and established, alongside recent UK graduates, were selected worldwide for their imaginative approach, challenging traditional techniques and craftsmanship. Furthermore, Mint will focus in this show on a selection of designs using new technologies in lighting.
As well as our cover image, Conversas by Arturo Álvarez (Arturo Álvarez is a lighting designer from Spain. Handling shapes, volumes and light sources fluently in a simple and elegant way, Alvarez masterfully mixes them to bring a new vision of creative lighting,) we have selected our three highlights from Luminates:
84 by Bocci
Founded in 2005, Canadian design company Bocci has a growing portfolio of contemporary design specialising in sculptural lighting. For the 84 Series, a white glass moil is captured inside a fine copper mesh basket and then plunged into hot clear glass. Air is blown into the matrix to gently push the white glass through the mesh, creating a delicate pillowed form that is suspended inside the thick outer layer of clear glass. Sometimes the copper mesh basket folds and crinkles, adding specificity to each piece. Undulations in the exterior shape are a natural consequence of the fabrication process and accentuate the gentle white pillowing below. A low-voltage xenon or LED light source is introduced into the piece, casting a warm coppery hue.
Pablo Tables by Leo Di Caprio for Aucap
A myriad of cultural references associated with contemporary creations are the foundations of this luxury furniture and goods producer. The creations of AuCap bring together the Brazilian cultural syncretism with global and contemporary background and experiences that are materially translated into unique concepts, shapes and materials. The Pablo Tables celebrate the species of the Brazilian rainforest. The diversity of the Brazilian forest and thus of the wood species – is widely known. But there is a further type of diversity hidden underground: stones. Chosen from more than 100 types found in Brazil, the Pablo tables are made of Emerald Quartzite and Spider Quartzite; such quartzites are only found in specific sites and small quarries of Brazil, which makes them be considered semi-precious stones, still being mystically considered for their energetic properties. The intersection of the oval planes, vertical and horizontal, evoke the shadows of the rich forest.
A.Z.OU by CT Lighting
Chris Basias is the founder of the creative studio CT Lights, based in Athens, Greece. Their lighting concepts often display hints of an eccentric and romantic ideal, with an element of playfulness that reference Basias’ childhood experiences in the Greek countryside. A.Z.OU is a surface mounted luminaire inspired by the joy of exploration. Every luminous point represents a travel stop on our ongoing quest to reach our destination. The innovative design of the wiring system (easily adaptable to the desired length) allows numerous arrangements and combinations.
Exhibition Dates: 16th September – 30th September 2017 (Sunday 17th – Closed, Monday 18th – Saturday 23rd – 10.30 – 19.00, Thursday 21st –10.30 – 18.00, Sunday 24th –11.00 – 17.00)
Have you planned your LDF visit? Where will you visit first? Let us know in the comments section below of on Twitter @DesignInsider1