Samuel Ross is set to take on the role of Artistic Director of the London Design Biennale in 2025.
The landmark event, which takes place at Somerset House every two years, will be curated by Ross and will be filled with work by international designers. Outputs and concepts will differ – but each project will work towards a theme set by Ross himself.
Alongside his appointment, London Design Biennale revealed that the theme chosen by Ross for 2025 will be "Surface Reflections". This will manfiest in an exploration of the self, and how our histories and life's journeys influence the people we become and the worlds we create.
“The elder and child versions of ourselves, in spirit, harvest experiences pooled from the same well,” says Ross. “The time between each visit to the well does not distort the composition of the water. A different reflection, or means of extraction, may occur over time, due to the compound's characteristics. Generations of design-thinkers portray similar behaviours."
Ross, who is the founder of A-COLD-WALL* and SR_A SR_A, as well as the Black British Artists Grants Programme, will devise a programme that brings works by industry-leading figures to the central London landmark. In addition, he will be debuting a series of new large-scale sculptural works in the courtyard – marking his first major UK installation.
"London’s consistent spirit of experimentation and palpable artistic culture remain a fresh forum for global thinking," Ross says. "Taking part in the 2025 London Design Biennale as Artistic Director is an honour, I look forward to collaborating with each practitioner, ideally fuelling a spirit of experimentation, blurring the edges of where design meets art."
Ross follows in the footsteps of 2023's artistic director Aric Chen, who invited participants to explore how design can be the facilitator for working together under complex circumstances.
London Design Biennale 2025 is set to take place from June 5 to 29.
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