Material Matters 2022

• Material Matters 2022 is a new design fair, which shapes the critically acclaimed podcast of the same name into a 3D exhibition
• The fair takes place 22-25 September at Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf, during the London Design Festival
• Material Matters 2022 will address issues and express ideas for a better future, including circularity in design and materials; how materials can help drive the sustainable agenda; and how they can influence human behaviour
• The event will feature an extensive talks programme, curated by Grant Gibson

Material Matters 2022 is a new fixture on the London design calendar. Based on the critically acclaimed podcast of the same name, the event will see its inaugural edition take place during this year’s London Design Festival, from 22-25 September on London’s Southbank. The event promises to bring together over 40 world-leading brands, designers, makers and organisations to celebrate the importance of materials and their ability to shape our lives. It will provide a platform for inspiration for architects, designers, interior design professionals and design-savvy members of the public.

Material Matters 2022 will take place across five floors of the iconic Bargehouse at Oxo Tower Wharf, an unadorned but magnificent former factory setting, and feature a wide range of exhibits: from a site-specific installation from leading gallery Ruup & Form, featuring work from textile artists Beatrice Mayfield and other multidisciplinary artists, to displays by innovators and experimentalists whose practice is at the cutting edge of materials. On the top floor, a stupendous 50-metre long loft will host the fair’s talk space, with a programme curated by Grant Gibson, and cafe, as well as designers and makers working in a range of materials, from the innovative to the more traditional.

Exhibitors include Studio ARP, which designs products from orange peel, as well as artist and bio-designer Zena Holloway, who uses grass roots to create an array of extraordinary artefacts. There will also be an installation by designer and artist Stuart Haygarth, renowned for his work with waste.

Material Matters 2022 will also feature a marketplace where architects and designers can specify products – exhibitors to look out for include two of Scandinavia’s leading design companies, Fora Form and Ragnars – as well as a learning space that invites visitors to take a deep dive into a fistful of materials. It sets out to address how materials will shape our future, featuring exhibitors such as the global aluminium manufacturer, Hydro.