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August 27, 2019
The awesome beauty of gemstone inclusions is brought to life in a new multi-sensory spatial installation by designer Dan Tobin Smith, The Experience Machine and Gemfields.
Taking place at the Collins Music Hall as part of London Design Festival 2019, the VOID installation focuses on — as singer John Legend would say — the “perfect imperfections” seen in Mozambican rubies and Zambian emeralds. Captured under extreme magnification, the gems’ tiny inclusions become abstract, galaxy-like structures frozen in time.
The rubies and emeralds featured in the installation were sourced by Gemfields, a leading purveyor of responsibly sourced gemstones.
Visitors will become part of an immersive experience, as large-scale projections showcase the colorful one-of-a-kind formations inside gemstones and map the blurring boundaries between nature and design.
On Tuesday, September 17, gemologist and jewelry specialist Joanna Hardy and VOID designer Smith will host a master class, which will include an intimate group walk through the VOID installation. The class will cover the history of gemstones and the attributes that make them unique. Smith will discuss his passion for inclusions and explain in detail the process of filming and projecting the gems within the installation.
The installation considers the concept of containment and relative scale, employing spatial design to explore the natural borders formed within these unique mineral arrangements. By translating moving image into a contained physical form and scoring the experience with harmonized layers of the human voice by female electronic drone choir NYX, visitors are invited to enter within the portrait of a gemstone’s natural inclusion.
The installation will run from September 14 – 22, 2019. There is no entry fee and no advanced booking is required.
Credits: Images courtesy of Gemfields 2019.
