New British Inventors: Inside Heatherwick Studio

D MUSEUM presents New British Inventors: Inside Heatherwick Studio, an exploration of the work of internationally acclaimed Heatherwick Studio. Appearing for the first time in Korea, the exhibition will run from June 16 to October 23.

Since 1994, Thomas Heatherwick has led Heatherwick Studio, now comprising 180 architects and designers and noted for its innovative projects, brought to fruition through an integrated approach that draws on a broad range of fields ranging from furniture and product design to urban planning. This exhibition traces the evolution of Heatherwick Studio, as their flexible thinking transcends aesthetics and function, leading to designs that resonate strongly with their users and create new value by encompassing everything from the smallest detail to the largest structure and from single feelings to multiple sensations. The exhibition is divided into three sections, which explore the processes that Heatherwick Studio applies to all its projects: thinking introduces the studio’s unique thought processes, identifying core concepts through exhaustive questioning and critique; making demonstrates how they experiment with materials and processes to transform ideas into reality; and storytelling shows how the studio aims to imbed an idea in a form, leaving a powerful impression upon users. Meanwhile, this Seoul exhibition brings the exclusive début of Spun-Hula! (2016), an artistic installation commissioned by D MUSEUM that reinvents a previous design concept from Heatherwick Studio, Spun (2008), using new technology. Introducing Thomas Heatherwick, his studio and the endlessly broadening possibilities they present with their ever-changing ideas and revolutionary problem-solving, New British Inventors: Inside Heatherwick Studio offers viewers an exceptional opportunity to experience the creativity and integrated thinking demanded by society today.

Organized by: D MUSEUM, British Council
Supported by: the GREAT Britain Campaign

D MUSEUM
Daelim Cultural Foundation, founded in 1996, opened Hanlim Museum, Korea’s first specialist photography museum, in the city of Daejeon. In May 2002, the museum was relocated to Seoul and reopened as Daelim Museum. Since then, Daelim Museum has introduced a variety of creative concepts and forms in contemporary photography and design, now established as art forms within our everyday lives. Its innovative exhibitions, accompanied by a range of cultural and educational programs, have touched the lives of countless viewers. In 2012, the 10th anniversary of Daelim Museum, the foundation opened D Project Space, a creative facility for young Korean artists, in Seoul’s Hannam-dong neighborhood. In 2016, to mark its 20th anniversary, the Daelim Cultural Foundation took another step forward with the opening of D MUSEUM on Dokseodang-ro Street, also in Hannam-dong. D MUSEUM is bringing new change, reaching out to more viewers with the kinds of content exhibited until now at Daelim Museum, providing high-quality cultural and artistic experiences in a larger venue.

Dokseodang-ro, the street on which D MUSEUM stands, is part of a charming neighborhood that attracts plenty of visitors thanks to its quirky ambience. The street is named after the Dokseodang, an institution created in the Joseon period (1392–1910) for promising young scholars to take a holiday while immersing themselves in study. By the late-20th century, the neighborhood was a hub of university life; today, the emergence of new residential spaces has ushered in a new paradigm. Located amid these currents of change, where diverse cultures intermingle freely and creative experimentation never ceases, D MUSEUM aims to exist in a synergistic relationship with the Hannam-dong area, becoming a hub of art and culture together with all those who love style and inspiration.