CLERKENWELL SHOW PREVIEW
Gateway at St John ’ s Gate of the Order of St John by artist Steve Messam
Box K2 on Clerkenwell Road by artist Steve Messam
BUBBLETECTURE , EDIBLE TABLESCAPE AND MODERN CRAFT
Highlights at Clerkenwell Design Week 2023 : 23 – 25 May 2023
Clerkenwell Design Week ( CDW ), now in its 12th edition , will return to EC1 London between 23 – 25 May 2023 . Taking place across the whole of Clerkenwell , a neighbourhood renowned for its high concentration of architects and designers , the festival is set to offer its biggest programme yet – featuring more than 600 events and , for the first time , merging with its sister show , Design London .
CDW 2023 sees a total of 12 exhibition venues across Clerkenwell including : Design Fields , Contract , Light , Project , Elements , British Collection , Detail , Platform , Ceramics of Italy , Old Sessions House ( the festival hub ), and two new additions – Catapult and The Garden . While these unique venues will present over 300 design brands and emerging talent covering furniture , kitchens and bathrooms , materials and surfaces , textiles , decorative accessories , and lighting , an extensive network of more than 130 local showroom partners will host product launches , workshops and talks over the three days of the festival .
ARCHITECTURE GOES INFLATABLE
Headlining this year ’ s CDW Presents programme is a specially commissioned installation by British artist , Steve Messam – who exhibits internationally and is well known for his large-scale , inflatable artwork reimagining our everyday surroundings . At the festival , the County Durham-based artist will bring his distinctive public art – sponsored by 3D design software company , SketchUp – to St John ’ s Gate of the Order of St John . This site-specific piece , titled Gateway and measuring 6m ( height ) by 15.5m ( length ), will feature 27 giant spikes hand-sewn in a striking blue textile . It forms part of Messam ’ s ongoing art series taking over historic architectural sites – and inviting the public to examine their environment in a new light through its deliberately ambiguous shape and size .
“ Gateway offers a dynamic and unforgettable sensory experience ,” says Messam . “ While the spikes tower above the public as they pass through the gate , the bespoke piece traces the internal space between the arches before bursting out beyond the bounds of the building .”
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