Futurecity Founder Mark Davy reviews 12 years of Futurecity and a life in the arts / Pentagram London / Thursday, 17th October 2019
Under Mark Davy’s leadership Futurecity has delivered major public art commissions, brokered multi-disciplinary collaborations and provided cultural and placemaking strategies for clients around the world. Join us as he reflects on the influence of life as an artist in residence at the Architectural Association, a failed assistant to Bridget Riley, a practising artist, an art school lecturer and a researcher.
Futurecity’s ground-breaking work has placed the arts centre stage commissioning over 200 artists for multi-disciplinary projects including Richard Wilson RA’s ‘Slipstream’ at Heathrow T2; the Crossrail ‘Culture Line’ art commissioning strategy; the FuturePace ‘Gallery Without Walls’ initiative, which promoted immersive, interactive and technology-based arts; a creative district strategy for Wembley Park; and assembling the winning team for the ‘Illuminated River‘ project competition with US artist Leo Villareal.
Pentagram is the world’s largest independently-owned design studio. Founded in 1972, with 24 partners in 4 offices, their work encompasses graphics and identity, architecture and interiors, products and packaging, exhibitions and installations. Futurecity has worked together with Pentagram on several projects, including “The Self-Playing Instrument of Water“, a collaborative artwork with Harry Pearce, poet Alice Oswald and Millimetre, and “The Mountain” by Karel Martens, a ground-breaking signage and wayfinding graphic installation at the new Cancer Centre at Guy’s Hospital.