MANE Graduation Show, 2014
Exhibition design at Central Saint Martins, London
For MA Narrative Environments
Collaborators: Chirag Dewan, Hera Winata, Federica Mandella
The Central Saint Martins building used to be a granary, as such when designing the graduation show, we had the luxury of an extremely high ceiling, and daylight streams in through the glass roof added during renovation works. Ten weather balloons become the exhibition feature—they responded to the verticality of our space, metaphorically they also represent buoyancy of thoughts and the energy of interaction that enable us to make changes to the world we live in.
Exhibition at the Granary, London, 2014. Photo by Central Saint Martins
Graduation show at Central Saint Martins, 2014. Photo by CSM Library
MA Narrative Environments responds to the growing need for multidisciplinary collaboration and critical, socially-engaged design. It addresses the demand for meaningful visitor experiences in cultural, commercial and community environments. This encompasses heritage sites, museums, retail, travel and leisure destinations, urban public spaces, libraries, health and educational environments. Increasingly, organisations want to communicate their stories through the physical environment. They may need to inform their communities; overcome social divides; develop their reputation; and increase visitor numbers or attract new audiences. Narrative environments constitute a core part of “the global experience economy”. This addresses the desire for transformational encounters, providing opportunities for learning, discovery, social interaction and cohesion as well as the purchase of products and services.
Tables made from black OSB placed on top of a wooden structure to give the impression of lightness, London, 2014. Photo by Hera Winata
The wooden frames where made out of a constructive system cut on cnc, London, 2014. Illustration by Mariana M Blavanera
The exhibition design was made in collaboration with MANE students and presented during the graduation show at the Central Saint Martins entrance hall at Granary Square. 9 weather balloons hovered above the exhibition space, to delimit the space with an invisible wall. The lightweight wooden structures carried the black surfaces in an airy way, giving the illusion that the show would float away.
Sketch for layout, 2014. Illustration by Mariana M Balvanera
Graduation show at Central Saint Martins, 2014. Photo by CSM Library