Pop Up Design Museum Exhibition

Published: December 10, 2020

In our Malone Road studios, we currently have an on going exhibition where we have curated some of the artworks from the Belfast Design Week Pop Up Museum.

The artworks are in response to the Belfast Design Week 2020 theme : Environment. We love the different interpretations of theme and the diversity of work that was produced.

We wanted to highlight some of the artists & designers that took part of the pop up museum and showcase the work that is currently at our Malone Road studios.

Designer: Ciaran Hurson of Hurson
Theme: Environment: COMMUNICATE

“As part of my brief I was asked to explore the environment, way-finding, navigation. As I started to pull some thoughts together the words ‘You Are Here’ sprung to mind based on those way-finding maps that denote your physical location generally with a red dot.

My typographic poster celebrates those individuals who sensibly journey into the city centre either as a local or a visitor to support are local and independent traders. It acknowledges that you being here at this moment in time is a matter of importance and benefit to these traders as they are try to find their way through a challenging and turbulent economic environment. ”

Designer: Elham Hemmat
Theme: Environment: SOCIETY

“The dove and olive branch has been a symbol of peace for thousands of years in many different cultures. Early Christians portrayed baptism accompanied by a dove, often on their sepulchres and in the story of Noah in the Bible, when the flood waters receded, Noah sent out a dove which returned with an olive leaf, to show that the Biblical flood was over and that life had returned to Earth.

Beyond symbolism, the current state of world affairs seems to be very different. How does the ‘dove’ look like in reality? Can it fly freely? Or the rise of nationalism worldwide is hampering any peace effort.

In this poster, the dove has been shown with torn feathers, unable to fly, and the olive branch is sewn onto the background, depicting the current situation.”

Designer: Emma Stewart (Robinson) of Emma Stewart Photography
Theme: Environment: HOME

“My work explores the ideas of home, thresholds and their environments. Home is a starting point for understanding our relationship with space, place and the objects around us. It exists as a pre-conscious embedded experience- contrasting with “design”, which develops as a conscious, abstract idea and then becomes implemented in the world around us. Perhaps home is the underlying bedrock through which our approach to design is mediated.

My explorations of threshold and home are fleshed out primarily through photography, which captures something of the environment where I grew up- a byre, the view between my Grandparents house and my own, the lane, the view out the kitchen window- and many more places in between. The heirloom map is a nod to the tension between cartography (applied logically/rationally) and oral traditions (which are placed/embedded) that define home – now and in the past. When the map is juxtaposed with a subtle view that this document itself inhabits, we find that memories and daydreams begin to fill out the spaces of home in-between.”

Designer: Benji Connell of Concrete Clouds
Theme: Environment: WORK

“The illustration I have drawn for Belfast Design Week, shows the history of Belfast’s industry in the docks; from the days of the Titanic and shipbuilding through to the days of Game of Thrones and film studios. I like to juxtaposition weird fantastical elements in my work alongside reality, in this case, I just thought, wouldn’t it be cool to see some dragons sitting on top of the Titanic. It very quickly sums up an important part of Belfast and it’s long history – in one illustration – at least I tried to!”

Designer: Nichola Irvine
Theme: Environment: NATURE

“A motivational illustration to inspire others to think about the environment.”

Designer: Hannah Sharp
Theme: Environment: TRANSPORT

“As someone who has primarily used public transport and other environmental forms of transport in NI their whole life, I wanted to encapsulate little moments across that whole experience, while also thinking about the wider environmental picture. I use public transport all the time because I don’t drive, so this has been my natural environment for years. It’s been really scary to see this change so dramatically due to covid.

I’m really interested in the idea of the Slow Travel movement where travellers look at enjoying the quality of the journey, not just getting to the destination as fast as possible. Sometimes in NI, we’re almost forced into a longer journey if we choose alternative modes of transport. At it’s best it allows us to see more of the natural landscape we are preserving by choosing slower but more environmentally friendly methods of travel.”

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