The Design Museum in London circumvented coronavirus closures last week by opening an artist-designed supermarket. Public museums and galleries are currently closed until May 17 in the UK. But the government has allowed non-essential shops and businesses — including commercial galleries — to reopen. In reaction, the arts sector has expressed outrage at the prolonged closures of public cultural institutions. London’s Design Museum, instead, found an ingenious way to welcome visitors by rebranding as a grocery store.
From Museum to Supermarket
With just under a month before the UK’s public museums and galleries will be able to open their doors again, London’s Design Museum decided to commission an artist-designed pop-up store to sidestep the coronavirus restrictions. For five days, between April 21-25, the museum transformed its gift shop into an eye-catching supermarket. It sold basic goods like pasta, tea bags and toilet roll. Prices were in line with high street supermarkets, with washing-up liquid costing £2 or coffee at £3.50.
However, the household staples were only available in limited editions of 1,500. In addition, a group of ten up-and-coming artists designed all the labeling and packaging. Jessica Warby designed the washing-up liquid, for example, while Kentaro Okawara created the tin of kidney beans. Bags for fruit and vegetables and even the stickers were the design of Isadora Lima. The products were also available to purchase online.
Creativity Is Essential
The museum mini-market is more than a brazen way of avoiding COVID restrictions, however. Design Museum director Tim Marlow told The Art Newspaper, “It’s proper retail and it comes under the banner that all creativity is essential. It’s about the all-important and pervasive nature of design and creativity and how it informs all areas of our life.” The store portrays the message that creativity is as vital to our lives as the essential goods we buy on the weekly supermarket run.
Artist Camille Walala headed the project. Born in France and based in London, Walala is noted for her vibrant, bold-patterned refacing of buildings and interiors. The Design Museum supermarket also features her characteristic tribal pop patterns in bright colors in the interior decoration.
The initial idea and the funding, however, came from Bombay Sapphire gin. Their financing of the project has permitted the ten emerging artists involved to receive a “proper fee” for their work, as Marlow explained. A Bombay Sapphire gin was also available in the store. The bottle was the design of Ruff Mercy and cost £28.
Raising Funds for Emerging Artists
Profits from the grocery store and its collectible packaging will be put towards the Design Museum’s Emerging Artist’s Fund. This aims to allow artists at the beginning of their careers to access the museum’s exhibitions, events and talks for free.
The Design Museum’s pop-up store proved to be a great success, with Josephine Chanter, the museum’s Director of Audiences posting, “We are hugely grateful to everyone who has supported the museum so far by buying these everyday artworks online and in the SUPERMARKET shop installation. The online shop has now temporarily sold out of the essential items, but we will shortly be offering limited edition prints by the artists so you can still enjoy their creativity and support emerging artists and designers.”
