Client

Overview

“Bright Young Things Take Hackney” was the second competition launched by Avery Dennison/Mactac-Europe, in collaboration with Artsthread, as an ongoing initiative to discover emerging art and design talent. Entrants were asked to create a high-impact, large-scale display to revitalize exterior retail walls at Hackney Walk, London's new “luxury fashion village.” The winning design by artist Linea Matei was inspired by the diversity and multiculturalism of the Hackney community, which she expressed in a large-scale mural with bright colors to spread energy, love and connection.

Goals

The goal of the competition was to give young artists and designers a chance to showcase their work on a huge, architectural canvas, where their ideas could connect with millions of people, while promoting Mactac-Europe's architectural and design graphic products. The competition aimed to transform exterior walls in a new retail village, setting the tone for the creative and inclusive environment that it strives to build there as well as celebrate and dramatically showcase the creativity enabled by innovative design materials.

Process

Launched in December 2017, "Bright Young Things Take Hackney" was open to 2016/2017 graduate artists and designers and to students studying art and design in Europe. During the first phase, over 300 submissions were received and judged by a panel of established designers and retail professionals. During the second phase, the finalists were brought to London to work with teams from Mactac and the Hackney Walk. During special workshops, the finalists spent time in Hackney to familiarize themselves with the area and the context in which their work should be designed and got hands-on experience with the materials and products they would be working with. Finalists also benefited from from working with design, print and installation partners, gaining insights into the practical aspects of graphic design. The winning design was installed and unveiled in September 2018.