The London Design Biennale, an international exhibition promoting design innovation, will return to Somerset House in June 2025 for its fifth edition since its foundation in 2016.
Next summer, it will be led by Samuel Ross MBE, the South London fashion designer behind cult streetwear label A-COLD-WALL* as well as the Industrial Design studio SR_A SR_A, as artistic director. Ross is also the founder of The Black British Artist Grants Programme, which has independently provided 50 emerging artists with funding.
He is excited about the new position, where he will oversee a Biennale themed Surface Reflections; previous years have included subjects Utopia by Design (2016) and The Global Game: Remapping Collaborations (2023).
Ross intends to bring “experimentation” to the affair — “My objective is to blur the categories of Art and Design, bringing them closer together. Design thrives in the undefined areas of expression,” he says of his slightly philosophical approach - “less tangible, a sense of lucidity remains a priority.”
Why did the offer appeal to him? “Our city is a catalyst of expression,” he says. “London's soft power remains embedded within the creative sector. Designers, Artists & creatives fuel one another. As a participant, it's an honour to increase the city's velocity.”
It helps “London lives and breaths visible design,” he says. “From your jacket to that specific park bench. It has always been a global hub of design. London passes the spirit of expression across generations.”
For part of his contribution, Ross will debut a series of new large-scale sculptural works in the courtyard at Somerset House, which will mark his first major UK installation.
As for what else is in store for 2025, he keeps it vague. “Loosening the structure for the fifth edition feels right to me,” he says, but promises “potency and expression” nonetheless.
