The Conran Shop x It’s Nice That: Meet Me in the Metaverse

As part of the London Design Festival 2022, The Conran Shop is partnering with the art and design publication It’s Nice That to present Meet Me in the Metaverse. An immersive installation taking over The Conran Shop’s Chelsea location, Meet Me in the Metaverse will see the digital and physical collide in a playful exploration of design’s role in this intriguing new world. Collaborating with a global group of future-facing digital artists, the installation will feature curated items from The Conran Shop – but not quite in the display you might expect. As well as their original iconic forms, this explorative installation will showcase pieces reimagined by digital artists into never-before-seen objects. Visitors will see The Conran Shop’s windows transformed into an experiential digital landscape, before heading inside for an immersive motion-led experience. Meet Me in the Metaverse aims to not only spotlight the original craft of each item featured, but invigorate design-conscious audiences to become inspired by upcoming possibilities. Creating their responses by investigating the history, materiality, and function of their item, each artist will utilise the world-building capabilities of digital art to create a conceptual rethinking of the product at hand. Audiences can expect to see reimagined work by the likes of Poul Kjærholm, Pierre Paulin exclusives, New Designers-winning originals, and more. Whether it be an iconic mid-century lounge chair, a modular sofa designed by an up-and-coming talent, or the classic, humble coat stand, Meet Me in the Metaverse will see The Conran Shop’s AW22 collection visualised in a new digital realm. Curating a mix of established and emerging digital talent, Meet Me in the Metaverse will feature works by six digitally focused artists. Visitors will see The Conran Shop’s products transformed by the maximalist VR sculpting duo YONK from The Hague, the New Delhi-based visual artist and designer Khyati Trehan, the Parisian 3D art director Laurent Allard, the CGI and AR design duo MORBO, the London-based visual artists Chris Golden and Christie Christie, and the Brazilian graphic designer and art director Pedro Veneziano. This range of digitally investigative talent was curated by The Conran Shop in collaboration with It’s Nice That, an award-winning publication that supports and champions creativity in all its forms. Today, artists and designers of all mediums and disciplines are exploring the opportunities of digital art. In turn, metaverse experiences, where 3D virtual worlds can provide social connection and discussion, could offer an experimental playground for the design industry. As the home of iconic designs and future classics, The Conran Shop’s London Design Festival installation will not only see contemporary design reimagined, but encourage thought-provoking discussions on its future. Opening as part of the London Design Festival on 22nd August, the installation will be open to visitors through to October 2022. Whether you’re a design traditionalist or a virtual art experience enthusiast, The Conran Shop invites all to meet in the Metaverse.