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Biennale Talks

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Threads of Mindful Innovation

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Thursday 08 Jun 2023    13:00 - 14:00

Somerset House

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In today's fast-paced and demanding world, the importance of promoting mindfulness, celebrating neurodiversity and improving mental health cannot be overstated. Recognising this need is the groundbreaking collaborative project, Music-Mind-Textile, brought to you by the Inner Peace pavilion which threads together multidisciplinary explorations of material innovation and neuroaesthetics to create a more peaceful inner world.

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How can we design inclusive environments using smart textiles, data science and brain research to transform lives and promote a more compassionate society? Join leading experts in neuroscience and art therapy from the Royal College of Art and Foster + Partners as they discuss the potential therapeutic benefits of combining innovative music and textile design. 

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The Inner Peace pavilion aims to harness the unique therapeutic qualities of music and textiles to create a transformative experience that benefits individuals of all backgrounds, fosters personal well-being and empowers neurodiverse individuals.

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Chair: Victoria Broackes, Director, London Design Biennale.

 

““ This is an ambitious collaborative project that brings together many sensory experiences and values from our creative industries. In doing so, this expands our understanding of each of the constituent disciplines.”
 
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Anne Toomey
Project curation advisor 
Head of Textiles Programme, Royal College of Art

“Science and art are often regarded as distinct – either a person can’t be serious about both or an interest in one must relate somehow to work in the other. In reality, many scientists participate in and produce art at all levels and in every medium. This installation is an incredible art and science fusion! This installation give us a glimpse into the many ways science and art intersect.”
 

Irene Gallou

 

Senior Partner, Head of Specialist Modelling Group (SMG) Foster+Partners

“Amelia’s installation for the London Design Biennale 2023 at Somerset house, demonstrates the power of interdisciplinary and collaborative innovation to not only impress with its ingenuity, but inspire our imagination. This collaboration between a highly experienced and gifted textile designer, studying at the Royal College of Art, the Royal College of Music, neuroscientists and Foster + Partners, has resulted in a totally immersive installation in the historic Nelson Stair. Amelia has created a soft sculpture entitled "Music-Mind-Textile” which interweaves music, and light in to create a 10 metre shimmering waterfall of organza, lit by thousands of glass threads, and backed by four layers of a Jacquard fabric which filters, refracts and reflects the light in endless patterns. The application of these tactile, interactive and visually striking textiles and the complex software platform that powers it is not limited only to the world of the arts. It has far reaching implications for architects, interior designers, and fashion designers seeking to create calming, reflective spaces for self-reflection as well as personal and collective expression.”
 
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Dr. Nick de Leon
Executive Education and Knowledge Exchange Lead, School of Design, Royal College of Art
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