For my next move, I will create a chess board that is so big that anyone heading past Kensington (Olympia) can play for free with beautiful wooden interactive pieces.
That’s exactly what artist Lauren MacDonald is doing, with ‘The London System’ free-to-play chess board landing in Olympia next week. Come January 20the chess set will be unveiled to encourage people to get out and enjoy a game that engages brains at what is often a difficult time of year for many.
With a name that’s derived from chess opening, The London System was designed using wooden pieces from a felled tree in Kensington Park Gardensand is inspired by Off The Shelf; the temporary pavilion commissioned for the London Design Festival in September. The space has been hosting residencies, and MacDonald’s chess pieces make up the third of these, with Londoners able to potter by and play a free game until February 28.
Speaking on The London Systemdesigner Lauren MacDonald said: “Chess is a much-loved game. My hope is that The London System will bring people together to spend time at the pavilion, engaging not just with the game but with each other and their surroundings. As a chess player myself, this project presented an opportunity to combine a game that I love with my design practice, merging traditional chess elements with the pavilion’s innovative design, heritage with modernity.”
Around 12% of adults in the UK are thought to have regular games of chess, with around half of these said to be aged between 18-34 – so we’ll be hoping for the young minds to wipe the floor with their opponents when the wooden pieces of ‘The London System’ open for games!
‘The London System’ chess installation by Lauren MacDonald is landing in Olympia from January 20. You’ll find it just seconds from Kensington (Olympia) station. It will be open for games between 10am-6pm every day until February 28.
