Now Open: Collect 2018

At Zetteler, we are perfectionists. Planning is vital to what we do and many months go into perfecting every last detail. That said, we are also human and being human we are riddled with impatience. Counting down the days to Collect 2018 has been a tricky task.

The wait is finally over! For the next four glorious days, Collect 2018 fills the Saatchi Gallery top to toe with innovative and experimental work spanning modern craft practice. The showcase, organised by Crafts Council, gathers 40 of the world’s most prestigious galleries under one roof to exhibit the work of more than 400 artists. Needless to say, Collect is the UK’s largest showcase of global craft.

But with so much to see, hear and do, how do you possibly keep track? Below we have broken down the various happenings into bite-size chunks to help you do just that. Read up so you don’t miss out!

Collect Open

Collect Open shines a light on individual makers, providing them with a platform to break away from the usual constraints of their practice and experiment with new materials and methodologies. The result? Exceptional new works at a much larger scale. The 2018 iteration of the programme presents the work of 14 makers that have been selected by designer Jay Osgerby. Makers include Forest + Found, Katrin Spranger and Hannah Robson.

Collect Talks

An assortment of talks – taking place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday – will see leading international voices from the worlds of craft, design, art, architecture and fashion explore the evolving role of craft in society. Speakers include Sebastian Cox, Phoebe Cummings, Piet Stockmans, Ineke Hans and Peter Ting. | Swot up on the full programme here.

Collect Spotlights

Now in its second year, the Collect Spotlights programme gives selected galleries the opportunity to showcase experiment-driven work by individual artists. Featured galleries for 2018 are:

— Designer Bookbinders, presenting works by bookbinder Annette Friedrich that are inspired by the writings of Virginia Woolf

— Jaggedart, showcasing the work of porcelain installation artist Valeria Nascimento

— Ting-Ying, presenting the work of ceramics and glass duo Vezzini and Chen

— Vessel Gallery, showcasing the material innovation of glass sculptor Elliot Walker

— Tansey Contemporary, highlighting the large-scale organic assemblages of Florida-based Ron Adler

The Important Stuff

Collect 2018 opens its doors on Thursday 22 February to the public at 12pm and runs until Sunday 25 February.

On Thursday, the show will remain open until 7pm and on Friday we’re treating you to a special late night opening. Not only will Collect remain open until 9pm, but you can also catch luthier Alex Bishop discuss the processes and philosophy behind his guitar making with Crafts magazine Editor Grant Gibson. Bishop will also play a number of his instruments throughout the evening.

On Saturday and Sunday Collect opens at 11am (allowing you plenty of time to indulge in your gluttonous weekend morning rituals beforehand) and runs until 6pm.

Collect takes place at the Saatchi Gallery on King’s Road in London. Tickets are available via Eventbrite costing £20 and £14 for concessions.