Review: House of Detention, Clerkenwell Design Week

The festival’s House of Detention, set in the atmospheric converted vaults of a Victorian prison, last week showed a wide range of design talent from the UK and from around the world.

One of our favourite projects was the Money Bowls by Arthur Analts. Arthur showcased a small bowl made from 1000 shredded pounds and a large one from 3000 pounds. Arthur explains: ‘Money Bowls reflect the thin borders between valuable and useless, stable and variable, ancient and contemporary. Stability – one of the bowl’s basic principles is taken out. When the bowls are spun, they can rotate for up to two minutes, symbolising the change and rotation of the cash rate.’ Arthur graduated from the Riga School of Design and Arts in 2011 and is now studying product design at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts.

We also really enjoyed the yarn installation by Eleanor Ross, a graduate of Chelsea College of Art and Design that worked well in the setting. Known for her signature geometric style, Eleanor has collaborated with Antron carpet fibre to create a large-scale interpretation of the cross section of the company’s fibre using the very yarns used by the manufacturer.

Kristyna Pojerova’s Greenhouse of living herbs inside a lamp formed part of the exhibition New Goods by the Czech Centre. Also on show was Jolana Vodicka Sornerova’s Lightning Fireflies insect-shaped ceiling lights in porcelain and plastic – showcased to good effect in the dark atmosphere of the House of Detention. The lights respond to movement; the colour of their light changes according to the height of the person below.

Ornella Stocco’s Cleracut is a selection of pendant lamps and tea light candle holders in hand blown glass. ‘As its name suggests, the Clearcut Lamp has been cut at the very final stage of its blowing process with a pair of scissors.’

We also came across the dramatic giant handmade rugs from Makeda, based in Stockholm, including this geometric moth design.

Malene Hartmann Rasmussen graduated from the RCA in 2011 in Ceramcis & Glass and alongside Ornella Stocco was one of the 10 ARTS THREAD designers shown at Designersblock in September. Malene showed an installation made from old and new work.

Finally, we admired the colourful Six & Eight Boards by Hackney-based designer James Tattersall and printmaker Katy Goutefangea. ‘Sustainably sourced veneer is chosen for its grain pattern and size. Veneers are selected for silkscreen printing, the designs are applied by hand using ecological water based inks. The process creates a tactile surface that highlights the grain of the wood.’

For more information on Clerkenwell Design Week

Image Credit: photography by Calum Ross

Arthur Analts