Matthew Talbot - Mixed Media & Experiential Design
As a designer, I am passionate about empowering artists to confidently share their ideas and stories with the world. As the design landscape evolves rapidly each year, I believe now is the perfect time to start integrating my skills in photography and design and help bring those stories to life.
Initially, I think of potential and connection; the land bringing life and ideas, popping up between ocean waves of disagreement and struggle. The potential of using our vitality and space to build bridges between us and not drown in our difference or isolation. And to take that idea further, I see the potential that the ocean between the islands has; nourishing and fuelling our ideas rather than surface level conflict on the waves. I recognise that is probably a deep interpretation, but I believe it is relevant and important for our island in particular. Design has this amazing ability to create solutions and connection in places and people that were once apart, just like islands are connected via transport, infrastructure and internet.
"With the theme, Islands of Design, I think I would explore how creativity flourishes in isolation. From literal islands to the figurative "islands" of independent thought that shape our world."
In the pop-up I would put small, self-contained zones, each an "island" representing a distinct design ecosystem: local craftsmanship, digital innovation, sustainable experimentation, or speculative futures. Visitors can then navigate between the islands, discovering how geography, culture, and constraint breed invention and how they can all connect.
If we're considering what I would put in this pop up of my own work, it would be my recent degree show project, Fragmented Memories, which explores memory and place through light projection photography cast on sculptural metal panels. The project explores my memories of family, moving home and living in Belfast, through photos and digital work with complimentary poetry to navigate and provide more context in the space. It was designed with reflection at the centre, literally and figuratively, and interestingly, I think it works well with the pop up's theme.
I would love to see Belfast on the world stage for a lot more in this sector, in my lifetime alone it has started to blossom out of its past and it's great to see the likes of TV and film production not only taking place here but setting up a base for the future, and I would love to see that across all areas of our design and arts because I believe we have something unique and diverse here that deserves exposure.
