Grapevine’s DesignMarch Picks: The Events You’d Be Stupid To Miss

There’s a lot going on during this year’s DesignMarch, but you shouldn’t be overwhelmed. Here are some not-to-miss events and exhibitions. Have fun.

Nectar & Ambrosia
March 29th-31st, Nordic House
Though the title might reference ‘Jane Eyre’, this exhibit is fully inspired by Japanese zen gardens. Made by USEE Studios—the duo of Halla Hákonardóttir and Helga Björg Kjerúlf—it’s composed of clothing, flowers and other objects designed to help you slow your mind and body down into a primitive state of meditation. Intricate, delicate and conciliating, florals and pastels take centre stage. Along with USEE Studios’ display, experimental artist Thomas Pausz will premiere ‘Non Flowers for a Hoverfly’, an installation inspired by the world of bees. How does this Queen-led species experience the world?

Denim on Denim on Denim on Denim
March 27th-31th, NORR11
The days of double denim might be firmly behind us, but the future’s still bright for the fabric. ‘Denim on Denim on Denim on Denim’ doubles, or rather quadruples, down on the 90’s style trend and delivers us a collection of rugs created from recycled denim products. The material comes from the Red Cross, utilising the products the organisation was unable to sell, and breathes new life into that which was at one time discarded. The work seeks to highlight the issue of textile waste, a few thousand tonnes of which is produced by Icelanders on a yearly basis.

Life On Mars: Designing A New World For Earthlings
March 29th, 10:00, Reykjavík University, Free!
Architect Michael Morris, the co-founder of Space Exploration Architecture (SEArch+), designer and anthropologist Karl Aspelund, and former NASA-employee Ari Kristinn Jónsson, who took part in the Mars Exploration Rover mission, dive deep into our future on Mars. Is our destiny on the red planet merely a pipe dream, or the inevitable future of our species? What would the mechanics of that world be?

Cornered Compositions
March 28th, 18:00, Ráðhús Reykjavík
You might have tried to suppress memories of your years of teenage awkwardness, but designer Helga Lára will bring ‘em back in full force. Exploring those traumatic times through the medium of fashion, she has created a collection that aims to analyse the spatial qualities of that fateful feeling. Using rods to hold up draped fabric, her pieces transform models into living sculptures. The corner, which has always been a safe haven for the awkward, is turned into the point of focus. A nightmare, for sure, but one that you can’t miss.

Multisensory Lab
March 28th-31st, Ráðhús Reykjavík
Our five senses are something we use on a daily basis. We rely on them to feed us information about the world around us and how we should react to it. But what if we told you there were not only ways that your senses can be fooled, but that they were capable of lying to you altogether? The Multisensory Lab seeks to answer these questions and complicate your worldly experience. Come explore your own senses, how they work, interact, and how they can be triggered in spellbinding ways.