Material Matters sets the agenda for 2023
The remainder of 2023 is set to be busy for Material Matters as organiser Delizia Media announces the first details of the annual trade fair in London, a new international thought-leadership partnership, and the latest series of the critically acclaimed podcast.
After last year's hugely successful debut, the Material Matters fair will return to Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf during the London Design Festival. The fair, which runs from 20-23 September (Wednesday to Saturday), will bring together world-leading brands, designers, makers, and innovators to investigate and celebrate the importance of materials and their ability to shape our lives.
However, before that, the platform will go international as Material Matters collaborates in the first edition of the Materials of Tomorrow symposium, presented by SPACE10 and 3daysofdesign. Hosted at Copenhagen Contemporary in Refshaleøen on 8 June, the half-day event aims to radically rethink material systems to design more sustainable and healthy homes. It is a headline event as part of this year's 3daysofdesign festival in the Danish capital.
Today also sees the launch of the 15th series of the Material Matters with Grant Gibson podcast. Since its inception in 2019, the show has secured more than 420,000 downloads from 132 different countries, making it one of the leading podcasts in its field. The new season starts with the brilliant potter and writer Julian Stair explaining why he has used cremated ashes in some of his latest pieces.
The fair remains the cornerstone of the Material Matters' year. It returns with a refreshed exhibitor line-up and a new headline sponsor: lighting specialist Bert Frank. The UK manufacturer produces beautiful lighting to order from its base in Birmingham, using traditional methods and materials paired with the latest technology. 'We're delighted to support Material Matters, a platform that provides informed insight into the importance of materials and sustainable choices in design and architecture. The lifeblood of Bert Frank has always been our thoughtful use of materials, a deep understanding of British craft and engineering, and an unwavering commitment to quality. We will unveil several exciting product launches at the show, and we could think of no better partnership to celebrate our 10th anniversary with,' says Bert Frank co-founder Adam Yeats.
Material Matters is committed to illustrating the importance of material intelligence and application across design, architecture and making. The Bargehouse, a unique central London venue, provides an unadorned but magnificent former factory setting, and each floor of the venue serves a slightly different purpose:
The ground floor – a dramatic, high-ceilinged space – will house a site-specific installation alongside a bespoke registration desk made from recycled materials and produced in partnership with Smile Plastics.
Floor one is devoted to innovators and experimentalists – brands and designers at the cutting edge of materials. Exhibitors to look out for include New York-based biomaterials company bioMATTERS and Silklab, also based in the USA. Both are reimagining natural materials through advanced technology.
Floor two is the show's learning space, inviting visitors to take a 'deep dive' into a handful of materials. It addresses the show's central question: how will materials shape our future? There will be returning exhibitors, such as recycled aluminium giant Hydro in a space created by Norwegian designer Lars Beller Fjetland. The clean-tech start-up company, The Tyre Collective, will also demonstrate their process for capturing and re-constituting rubber from tyres.
Floor three is dedicated to market-ready cleverly designed products, featuring a circular-design approach and innovative materials. It will play host to a wide range of companies, makers and manufacturers, with a significant area curated by the Milan-based platform Isola with a selection of designers from their international community.
Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf - home of Material Matters 2023
The fourth and top floor is a spectacular 50-metre-long loft that will contain the event's talk space as well as designers, makers and smaller manufacturers working in various materials. The line-up will include HagenHinderdael, Mixed Metals, BC Joshua, andSolidwool, which all featured last year. They'll sit alongside brands new to the event, such as Novavita Design, Ana Bridgewater, also known as Abalon, The Wicker Story, Goldfinger, Planq, Regular Concrete, and Yair Neuman, with others to follow.
Meanwhile, the Wood Awards exhibition will showcase the buildings, furniture and products shortlisted for the Wood Awards 2023 at gallery@oxo, adjacent to Bargehouse. Featuring exceptional wood-centric work from some of the most interesting contemporary architects, designers and makers in the UK, the shortlist will provide a window into how timber can transform and enrich our lives and contribute to positive change in the built environment.
Material Matters is the anchor event within the Bankside Design District, and forms the most significant part of the LDF programme within the established design hub of Oxo Tower Wharf. Alongside these important destinations, Deliza Media is working with a range of stakeholders to develop and promote this year's fair, including a newly assembled Ambassador group to advise and help steer the platform. Members include architect Andrew Waugh (Waugh Thistleton), Charlotte McCarthy (Head of Interiors, Heatherwick Studio), gallery owner Sarah Myerscough, designer Sofia Hagen, Jonathan Hagos (director of architecture practice, Freehaus) and Matt Davies, Director of Sustainability at The Furniture Practice - Material Matters’ official furniture partner.
'We were thrilled with the success of our debut as a fair last year,' says co-founder William Knight. 'It provided us with a fantastic base on which we're building another stand-out show, complemented with high-quality content that is relevant and timely. This year's fair promises to be stronger again, with exhibitors working in materials that range from milk, coffee, waste textiles and rubber particles to recycled aluminium and concrete, via paper and porcelain.'
Bello bench by Beller and Hydro (Image credit: Magnus Nordstrand)
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Material Matters Fair
An official trade event within the London Design Festival, the fair will take place at:
Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf Barge House Street London SE1 9PH
Wednesday 20 - Saturday 23 September 2023
Opening hours: 10am-6pm
Visitor registration for trade is open: Google ‘Eventbrite Material Matters 2023’ or click this link to register
Banner Image: Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf - home of Material Matters 2023