AVALANCHE
LOCATION: London, UK
COLLABORATION: LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL and V&A MUSEUM
PROJECT TYPE: Design Festival Installation
AVALANCHE's temporary installation debuted at the Victoria & Albert Museum for the London Design Festival in September 2019. Reflecting on this momentous achievement is a short documentary commemorating the highly experiential exhibit.
Conspicuously located on the landing of the British Gallery at the V&A, the exterior exhibit highlighted Matthew’s contemporary design ethos in the classically historic space, making it impossible to ignore. From within, it was a hybrid between an interactive reflection chamber and an artistic metaphor representing a skewed sense of scale and reality. More specifically, it was Matthew’s interpretation of a suspended moment where visitors are caught in an avalanche and faced with a mindful revelation of their mortality.
Originally hailing from eastern Canada, Matthew McCormick moved to the majestic west coast for its epic mountain range - something he has watched change dramatically over the last few years due to metamorphic changes in the weather conditions. While the desire for the Avalanche exhibit was to elicit an emotional response to a real issue on our planet, it also reflected on Matthew’s loss as an avid backcountry snowboarder.
“I’ve been a long-time advocate for the outdoors and have come to know backcountry snowboarding terrain well, but more recently become more sensitive to the substantial shifts in snowpack due to environmental flux. Having recently experienced the death of a friend to an avalanche on a mountain he rode almost every day – a place which did not have a single reported snow incident in its history – became a true eye-opener in becoming more weather aware. The inspiration behind Avalanche at the V&A combines my newfound awareness of avalanche survival and the truth behind the devastation in experiencing it. It is a poetic metaphor meant to offer visitors a moment to take a pause between the darkness and light – even if for a brief moment - and reflect on the limited opportunities we are afforded to make impactful personal decisions, specifically when it comes to our planet.”
“AVALANCHE IS A POETIC METAPHOR MEANT TO OFFER VISITORS A MOMENT TO TAKE A PAUSE BETWEEN THE DARKNESS AND LIGHT – EVEN IF FOR A BRIEF MOMENT - AND REFLECT ON THE LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES WE ARE AFFORDED TO MAKE IMPACTFUL PERSONAL DECISIONS, SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO OUR PLANET.”
On entering, small groups of visitors found a lowly lit, deceptively reflective space that brought a sense of entrapment and confusion around the uncertain pathway. Urged to navigate a series of mirrored glass barriers that inherently lead each participant into an abyss of heightened darkness and compression, they were subject to a highly personal experience in finding an escape route and the grandiose power of the encounter. At this heightened sense of consciousness, self-reflection was imminent at every corner.
To achieve a feeling of isolation and distress experienced when trapped in an avalanche, many high-gloss surfaces were positioned in a progressively constrictive sequence to create the illusion of tangible restriction, layered with mirroring. Avalanche was constructed using Barrisol® - a versatile and sustainable material that can be stretched and moulded to infinite precision. An internal Barrisol® wall was fully backlit using Osram’s LED strips, creating a dramatic contrast from the surrounding darkness. Support for the design and installation was provided by Barrisol Welch and Osram, with further support by the High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom and the Government of Canada.
The installation highlights dematerialization and minimalism due to Matthew’s design ethos and his response to climate change. More specifically, he examines a means to link art in a way that shapes public memory, responsibility, and action: “We recognize that a critical mass is required to instigate societal change when it comes to the shifts in our environment. However, this collective awareness has to start with the individual.”
