- One-day pop-up Christmas Market, curated by artists Rio Kobayashi and Flavia Brändle
- Free creative workshops with renowned artists Liang-Jung Chen and Lauren Macdonald
- Liang Jung Chen’s ‘Cascade’ art installation
Rio Kobayashi & Olympia’s Off the Shelf Pavillion
If you like the sound of Christmas activities for creative minds, there’s one place you need to be this festive season. Olympia, London’s newest cultural destination, is hosting a one-day-only pop-up market curated by independent designers, a series of free art workshops, and a specially commissioned art installation this winter as part of the heritage site’s ambitious transformation.
John Hitchcox, Chairman and co-founder, Yoo Capital, the developer behind Olympia, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Londoners this winter so they can start discovering our transformation into London’s newest destination for culture, creativity and innovation.
We’re proud to be bringing incredible creative minds together this festive season, with Rio Kobayashi and Flavia Brändle curating our first ever Christmas market, and unmissable opportunities to create with Liang-Jung Chen and Lauren MacDonald. This is a true indication of what’s to come, and the perfect gift from Olympia to you this Christmas.”
Rio & Friends Designers’ Christmas Market (11am – 3pm, 15 December)
This one-day-only Christmas market designed by London’s tastemakers – artist Rio Kobayashi and industrial designer Flavia Brändle – is set to be unlike any Christmas market you’ve seen before.
With a stellar line up of artistic talent (full list below), Rio & Friends Designers’ Christmas Market will be a treasure trove of handcrafted, one-of-a-kind pieces, perfect to give as interesting gifts this year. Whether you’re on the hunt for last-minute presents or are a lover of all things design, this market is your opportunity to browse through unique pieces handmade by some of London’s most exciting names in art and design.
The designer-made market will be held at the Off the Shelf pavilion at Olympia, a structural marvel created for the London Design Festival by Rio Kobayashi.
With festive drinks and designer stalls in the illuminated pavilion, the market will double as a festive day out to enjoy with friends, family and loved ones. It’s only on for a single day – so save the date if you don’t want to miss out. The full line up will include Rio and Flavia, as well as:
- Amy Tai
- Attua Aparicio
- Hannah Rings
- HATO
- Irenie Cossey
- Jesse Beagley
- Jochen Holz
- Kasia Kempa
- Martino Gamper
- Michael Mariott
- Poetic Pastel
- The Tweed Project
- Will Shannon
Liang-Jung Chen’s ‘Cascade’ (14 November 2024 – 13 January 2025)
Shimmering around the pavilion will be the newest installation from Liang-Jung Chen. Fresh from the 2024 V&A Emerging Designer Commission, and a finalist for the East London Art Prize 2024, Chen is one of the most sought-after young designers in London.
To close out the current year and welcome in the new, Chen has created Cascade, an intricate, site-specific installation that will bring flow and light for the festive season. It will take over Kobayashi’s pavilion from 14 November 2024 to 13 January 2025, free for all to experience.
The installation will be closed from 22 December 2024 to 5 January 2025.
Free art workshops at Olympia (16 & 23 November, 7 December)
As the days get colder and darker, there’s no better time to put your creative muscles to use – and free art workshops at Olympia are the place to find inspiration this winter. Across November and December, renowned artists Liang-Jung Chen and Lauren Macdonald will invite the community to participate in a series of bespoke workshops that showcase their distinctive approaches to art and design.
Saturday 16 November, 11.30am and 1.30pm: Liang-Jung Chen will be leading an Urban Textures Workshop, in which participants can explore with her the raw materials which inspired her commission, through ink rubbing and foil embossing. Dive into Liang’s creative process – and maybe discover your own.
Saturday 23 November and Saturday 7 December, 11am and 1.30pm: textile artist and designer Lauren Macdonald leads a workshop that explores earth pigment paints for wood. Learn about and apply “Swedish flour paints”, all made from natural ingredients, to create your own wooden festive decoration for the home, or to give as a gift.
Full details and booking at the website here.