From 20 June to 4 August students from the Royal College of Art (RCA), the world’s leading art and design university, will present RCA2024, a series of exhibitions, events and activities exploring innovative and boundary-pushing art and design projects. Alongside exhibitions showcasing student work, there will be a variety of workshops, readings, performances, screenings, panel talks and lectures from students and alumni which are free and open to the public.
With exhibited works exploring themes including sustainability, AI, identity, innovative technology and inclusivity, RCA2024 will highlight some of the world’s most pressing issues along with the latest art and design innovations.
The School of Arts & Humanities postgraduate exhibitions and events will take place at the RCA Battersea campus from 20 June – 23 June. Highlights of student work include:
Adjani Ossakkèh Okpu–Egbe (MA Contemporary Art Practice), awardee of the RCA’s Sir Frank Bowling Scholarship, presents abstract semi-figurative work which incorporates autobiographical content, unpredictable materials and symbolisms like fish, vine bearing lemons and fantastical beasts he refers to as ‘manimals’.
Tak Hei Tam (MA Jewellery & Metal) is interested in spatial relationships and objects that can change the perception of our surroundings. Gathering facades from the area of Queen’s Gate, SW7, and inputting them into generative AI, he has created tangible artefacts from ‘fake’ generated images, resonating the mechanism of generative AI with how we develop a sense of place and memories.
From 12 – 14 July (Part 1), and 19 – 21 July (Part 2), the School of Design postgraduate exhibitions and events will take place at the RCA Battersea campus. Highlights from the exhibition include:
Bo Gyeom Kim’s (MA Design Products) conceptual design work envisions a dystopian future shaped by excessive plastic production and pollution. In ‘Water Purifier’ he resists the plastic coverings of products by revealing the inherent beauty of the underlying materials and mechanisms.
Sustainability and materiality are central to Sofía Barbé’s (MA Textiles) textile practice, crafting joyful creatures from natural fibres like coconut, wool, and mycelium (fungi). Her series of soft sculptures inspired by the concept of Nature Play encourages us to reconnect with nature.
The School of Architecture postgraduate exhibitions and events will take place at the Truman Brewery from 12–14 July. Highlights include:
Sam Joseph’s (MA Interior Design) interior designs create an empowering environment for survivors of domestic abuse, exploring the re-use of a factory as a transitional home, community education centre, and gallery, to advocate for societal change on violence against women.
The Festival of Communication, a series of events and exhibitions from the School of Communication, will take place on selected dates between 17 July and 4 August at RCA White City and the surrounding area, as well as at Outernet London. Highlight projects include:
Polina Ami Kosele (MA Digital Direction) illuminates the mental load carried by mothers-to-be in the context of today’s geopolitical, societal, and environmental landscape. Inspired by the notion of pregnancy as a journey, Polina’s visuals leverage an airport x-ray conveyor belt with bags symbolic of the mother’s womb, with contents reflecting the concerns of expectant mothers.
Inga Ziemele (MA Visual Communication) known for her bold anthropomorphic vector characters is expanding her practice with 3D and physical object making. Her project materialises and visualises the feelings of anxiety through character illustration and gaming references.
The official schedule of exhibitions, events and activities from the RCA’s School of Arts & Humanities, School of Design, School of Architecture, and School of Communication can be accessed here. A selection of works from RCA2024 graduating students will be available for purchase through RCA Sales, a special sales platform, which will be open from 5pm on Wednesday 19 June until 10am on Monday 5 August.