London – The Design Museum has opened an artist-led supermarket to address the importance of creativity in our daily lives.
Seizing on the fact that non-essential retail has re-opened in the UK, the pop-up Supermarket promotes the message that creativity should be as accessible to the public as groceries. Created in collaboration with artist Camille Walala and gin brand Bombay Sapphire, the colourful store features repackaged ‘essentials’ such as tea, coffee, bread and toilet paper, each featuring limited-edition label artworks designed by a group of emerging artists.
‘Our high streets, museums and galleries have been hit hard by the pandemic; this is an opportunity to get people back to enjoying our cultural institutions safely and creatively,’ says Tim Marlow, director and CEO of The Design Museum. Proceeds from the supermarket's sales will go to the museum’s Emerging Designer Access Fund – a scheme that enables burgeoning design talent to access its events and exhibitions free of charge.
This installation is an example of how an institution affected by the pandemic can take cues from – or playfully subvert – other sectors. For more, explore LS:N Global’s Inter-covid Roadmap.