Quiet Garden: London Design Biennale 2021
Interdisciplinary artist Naomi McIntosh uses wood to prompt an emotional response to the resonance of space, specifically the nourishing feeling and sensation of being within natural landscapes. Her suspended wooden sculptures are constructed as boundaryless columns, allowing the viewer to see into and through the pieces, playing with the internal and external structure, light and shadows. The materials can be skeuomorphic – looking heavy and solid at times, and light and lace-like at others.
This contemplative installation has been developed with sustainability at its core, in response to the strength of nature. As with all of Ruup & Form’s collaborations, it demonstrates creativity, ingenuity and practical intelligence. Here, visitors are asked to think about craft in terms of its contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of communities, connecting us to our cultural histories and providing tools to forge a more sustainable future.
Ruup & Form will be the only gallery selected for the Es Devlindirected global gathering London Design Biennale 2021 ‘Quiet Garden’ by Scotland-based artist Naomi McIntosh responds to the Resonance of Nature in an intervention rooted in Sustainability 1 st - 27th June | Somerset House, London.
London-based Ruup & Form is the only gallery to be selected by Es Devlin and a prestigious expert panel to take residence at Somerset House, with a collaboration realised by interdisciplinary artist Naomi McIntosh. The coveted presence at the third edition of the London Biennale will be part of a global gathering of around 25 countries and territories presenting their response to the theme Resonance. The 2021 Biennale has invited an artistic response to sustainability and innovation, and the gallery’s installation ‘Quiet Garden’ will explore the resonance of nature. ‘Quiet Garden’ is an immersive, kinetic, and multi-sensory installation comprising suspended wooden sculptures and the sounds and scents of McIntosh’s local Scottish Highlands. Rooted in sustainability, the suspended beech wood pieces are skeuomorphic – alternately appearing heavy and solid or light and lace-like. There will be shifts and changes as they gently turn and move and have a reciprocity with the viewer as the spaces and internal forms are seen, emulating the interplay of structure, light, and shadow found in nature. Over 15 pieces have been named with a Scots word that relates to the weather. ‘Quiet Garden’ invites viewers to interact with the symphony of sights, sounds and smells and into a quiet, reflective conversation that considers the relationship between body and object. An architect by trade, Naomi McIntosh earned an MA in jewellery design from Central Saint Martins. Her primary material, wood, is also her primary source of inspiration, utilised to prompt an emotional response to the sensation of being within green landscapes. McIntosh captures the changing feeling of space, scale, planes and light using techniques similar to an architectural model maker. Her work incorporates a broad range of skills, including digital and hand processes and has been displayed at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge and the London Design Festival.
Ruup & Form also collaborated with McIntosh for the 2021 edition of Collect: The International Art Fair for Contemporary Craft & Design, run in partnership with Artsy. “With ‘Quiet Garden’ I wanted to capture the ephemeral qualities and calm that I’m fortunate to experience from my workshop surroundings at Cairngorms National Park and highlight the importance and preciousness of the natural world. ‘Quiet Garden’ is about presenting the essential nature in pockets of spaces between the plants and trees. I wanted to tell a story and share the feeling of the sanctity of being in landscape: the changing light, movement of branches and leaves and visual noise of being within trees, plants and grasses,” explains Naomi McIntosh. Founded in 2019, Ruup & Form works with emerging and established contemporary makers, both local and international, to offer contemporary, handmade objects with a story. Specialising in textile, ceramics, glass, wood, paper and interdisciplinary works, the gallery presents a uniquely personal take on the selection and curation of craft. Founder and gallerist Varuna Kollanethu brings international training and a discerning curatorial background to the space, carefully building a creative community with a distinctive voice. The London Design Biennale will take place from 1-27 June 2021, curated by Artistic Director Es Devlin in a takeover of Somerset House. The overarching theme this year of Resonance considers the ripple effect of ground-breaking design concepts on the way we live, and the choices we make. The 2021 Biennale will further present ‘Design in the Age of Crisis’ in partnership with Chatham House, driven by a mutual commitment to fostering international dialogue towards seeking solutions to the world’s biggest global challenges.
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Ruup & Form
Founded by Varuna Kaur Kollanethu in 2019, Ruup & Form is a contemporary craft and applied art gallery furthering the blurring lines between art and craft, presenting carefully curated collection of effortless aesthetics and unique contemporary crafted objects. The gallery believes craft and design in all its forms demonstrate creativity, ingenuity, and practical intelligence. It contributes to the economic and social wellbeing of communities, connects us to our cultural histories, and is integral to building a sustainable future.
London Design Biennale
Established in 2016 by Sir John Sorrell CBE and Ben Evans CBE, London Design Biennale is a prestigious biannual event and a highlight on the global cultural calendar. The 2018 Biennale welcomed the world’s most exciting and ambitious designers, innovators and cultural bodies to the capital with over 200,000 visitors to Somerset House over the three-week period. The third edition of London Design Biennale, June 2021, will be curated by Artistic Director Es Devlin. Taking over the entirety of Somerset House, including the Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court and River Terrace, participants will respond to the theme, Resonance.
London Design Biennale's International Advisory Committee and Jury includes: Ms Paola Antonelli, Ms Victoria Broackes, Mr Aric Chen, Es Devlin, Ms Nipa Doshi, Mr Ben Evans CBE, James Lingwood MBE, Professor Jeremy Myerson, Jonathan Reekie CBE, Dr. Christopher Turner, Ms Suhair Khan, Sir John Sorrell CBE, Ms Marva Griffin Wilshire and Mr Waldick Jatoba.
