Co-authored by Ekene Okobi MSc Applied Psychology in Fashion
at London College of Fashion
and Tracy Gordon MA Service, Experience and Design Innovation
at London College of Communication
On Friday, 19 January, members of the UAL postgraduate community met at CSM’s Granary Square to take in the sights of the Lumiere London light Festival. The event was organized by Zinta Jaunitis, PG Community Ambassador for Camberwell College. The weekend of 18-21 January showcased London’s second edition of international artists’ work combining art, design, technology and light. Several London locations hosted the festival along with King’s Cross St. Pancras. Light displays were also mounted in the West End, South Bank, Waterloo and Victoria.
Among the captivating installations members of the PG community experienced together was Waterlich by Dutch designer Daan Roosegarde, whose bluelit landscape illuminated Granary Square and CSM to illustrate a virtual flood. Roosegarde created the work to highlight the issue of climate change. Also on view was Aether, created by Architecture Social Club, a British collective of designers, whose artwork fuses light and music created by music producer Max Cooper. Viewers could walk around and lie underneath the light sculpture for a full interactive sensory experience.
After walking around and taking in the lights, UAL PG Community attendees had a Q&A session with Satyajit Das, Founder and Architect of the Architecture Social Club. Das discussed the development of Architecture Social Club, as well as the collective’s process and design ethos. Das came to his practice via an unconventional route: he first studied medicine and then architecture–disciplines he credits with giving him with a sense of rigor that he brings to conceiving and carrying out his artistic projects. Das also shared examples of previous Architecture Social Club projects, one which includes a giant pig he sees as the embodiment of the collective’s cheeky wit. His inspiration for founding the collective is that a design is only as great as the people with whom one collaborates.
As is to be expected, mounting works like Aether is not without its complications. On the day of the event, Das had to contend with the fact that someone had stolen a cable off Aether. Despite the difficulties, Aether was a popular attraction. Crowds stood entranced by its gesamtkunstwerk of light and music. Das shared that his goal for Architecture Social Club is that as it grows, new commissions will enable the collective to continue their artistic and technological development in a manner that provides the comprehensive funding needed to underwrite a creative process that isn’t characterized by sleepless nights and over-extended members, as has been the case up until this point.
Mateus Machado, who is enrolled in the LCC Service Experience Design Innovation (SEDI) course was pleasantly surprised by Das’ professionalism and extensive training. Chia Tsai, who is also on the SEDI course enjoyed herself as well. She said that Lumiere was a good chance for Londoners and tourists alike to enjoy something really special, and she loved the fact that it was so accessible to UAL. She also enjoyed the opportunity to meet other UAL post-grads, and to hear from Das after experiencing his work first-hand.