Anti-Design?

In response to the admittedly commercial London Design Festival, Neville Brody (of Research Studios and RCA) started the Anti Design Festival. The brochure describes the programme "in constant flux, as projects become more defined, or less, as the time approaches."

I love the idea of unfinished, ever-evolving work. I also love his challenge to the corporate world of design, which I agree in many cases is far too safe and repetitive. However, I'm not completely convinced (as I gathered many weren't) with his vision of anti design. Set up in a warehouse-like space on Redchurch, three rooms exhibited a variety of work by anonymous 'artists'. The 30 creations in 30 days piece was fantastic (best creation: chair consisting of beach balls in a net), as was the wall of manifestos. We really do need to bring the manifesto back..

But other aspects were so typically anti- the 'man' that I couldn't help role my eyes. For example, in one room installed like a bourgeois salon with its walls covered in works, I asked the gallery attendant for the name of one of the artists who's work I really admired. His response was "Oh, well, the point is to remain anonymous. You know, it's not about selling the work, so like, we didn't put names up." To which I replied, "But what if I like the work and want to see more of it?" So he ran off to his boss, got a list of names of exhibitors, and kindly gave me the chap's name. And then I rolled my eyes.

Love the idea of a shake up and wish I had had time to visit an evening programme (themes included "Painting on Music" and "Obsessive Classification Disorder"). Maybe next year!

ps: I would normally give credit to the works pictured above, but in the spirit of the ADF, I'll keep it anonymous.