Hang it all: Show time in the shop window

London – Retail theatre, as opposed to retail therapy, takes centre stage in the new window displays at London department store Selfridges.

Brighton artist Kyle Bean has created ‘The law of conservation of mass’, five installations that demonstrate five sets of objects and materials in a state of equilibrium. In one window, a cardboard box has been modified to become a chair. In another, five volumes of fairy tales are transformed into a fairytale castle. Each of Bean’s creations, hung on oversized weighing scales, demonstrate the scientific theory that matter cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.

The displays are one response to the call for retailers to go beyond product. As experts such as design consultant Jane Withers have said, retail spaces should inspire engagement and exploration instead.