On Purpose: Design Concepts Exhibition

Åbäke, Ann-Sofie Back, Droog Design, Daniel Eatock, Electronest, Will Holder, Peter Jensen, Onkar Kular & Noam Toran, Metahaven, Alex Rich, Savage, Yuri Suzuki.

On Purpose: Design Concepts exhibition at Arnolfini looks at conceptual design practices, the emergence of ‘meta design’, and the question of who or what can define something as design. It will present interventions and work of a selection of the most interesting and ‘speculative’ designers today. Focussing predominantly on these interventions, On Purpose will also be used as an opportunity to reshape the existing infrastructure of Arnolfini, it will look at every public facet of the institution – physical and virtual – and will aim to rethink it afresh.

Many of the exhibits are newly produced for the exhibition, alongside some re-presentations of significant previous works. Åbäke will present their ‘Limb Typography’ interactive sculpture which, as the name suggests, allows you to create your own font and words using your own limbs. Yuri Suzuki will be selling his hybrid record/jewellery designs, for which you are invited to bring in your own sound recordings to be etched into the design and Droog Design will be presenting their “Do Hit” chair, which violently illustrates how a sculpture can be turned into something useful.

Other works are much more about relating to the physical infrastructure of the Arnolfini building. Bringing a more social approach to design, Alex Rich’s contribution will consist of wall drawings around the Arnolfini lobby and stairwell, which will be the result of a series of workshops with different groups, including deaf people and the staff of our very own café/bar.

There will also be interventions with other art forms, Noam Toran’s films about curious fetish objects, fantastical and occasionally disturbing, will be presented as shorts before main feature films within our cinema, as well as being presented intermittently amongst the advertisements on Arnolfini’s information monitor in the lobby

Venue

Arnolfini, Harbourside

Dates

Date 13 Sep 2008 - 9 Nov 2008

Road Directions

From M32: Follow signs to the City Centre. At large roundabout, take 1st exit onto Haymarket .Keep to the left and you will come to The Centre, Cenotaph and water feature. Keep in the left lane until you have to filter left onto Baldwin Street. Take 2nd right onto Queen Charlotte Street then 1st left. At river turn right . At the end take the 2nd exit off the mini roundabout onto The Grove (look for the Severnshed and Riverstation bars). Arnolfini is at the end of The Grove

Public Transport Directions

Arnolfini is a 15 minute walk from Templemeads railway station. A taxi rank can be found outside the station.

Most city centre bus services stop within walking distance of Arnolfini. The nearest stops are at The Centre and Queen Square. Marlborough Street Bus Station is 15 mins walk away.

For more information on trains call +44(0)8457 484950
For more information on buses call +44(0)117 955 3231 or +44(0)870 6082608

 Facilities

Provider Preferences

• In town/city centre

Accessibility

• Accessible to Wheelchair Users

Catering

• On-Site café/restaurant

Establishment Features

• Toilets