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London Design Festival 2010: Visiting The Visitor, Okay Studio's Newest Exhibition

By Shai Akram - September 23, 2010

in London Design Festival 10

The Visitor is a collective show of works by Okay Studio and their friends. Okay Studio, based in East London, is made up of 12 friends (who met while studying at the Royal College of Art 6 years ago) nationalities include Spanish, German, Japanese, Dutch, Israeli and British. Only one member is actually from London and this observation, coupled with the statistic that 95% of people living in the city are not from London, prompted Andrew Haythornthwaite (Okay Studio) and Roger Arquer (a Friend) to propose a group exhibition exploring the concept of 'visiting' through objects. Haythornthwaite explains in his own words below:

Co-curated with Shai Akram, the works on show cover a range of approaches, from practical flat pack furniture to conceptual explorations of the theme. Ed Swan's Mark Maker table invites each visitor leaves his own trace on a surface by sanding away layers of paint. Jordi Canudas devised 'Homeless Sweet Home,' a hanging cabinet made of felt to contain home comforts when staying with friends. Oscar Narud and Tomas Alonso present easily disassembled shelves and tables, while Akram & Haythornthwaite's umbrella of lights bulbs, 'Hows the Weather,' comments on the long, grey winters of London.

Graphics and website are also contributed by Friends of Okay: Erika Muller and Benjamin Parry. The show runs until the 26th September and during opening hours the exterior is marked by a Welcome mat (12 - 6).

The Visitor Next Door to The Book Club, 100 Leonard Street, EC2A 4RH