From David Hockney to James Dyson, some of the world’s best-known artists and designers have studied or taught at the Royal College of Art. Now the RCA has launched a new exhibition about its 175-year history.

I visited the free show yesterday and was amazed at the breadth of work on display, from a real Porsche designed by RCA graduate Matthias Kulla, to David Hockney paintings from the 1960s, sculptures by Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, and a boat designed by James Dyson while he was still a student at the college.

I liked Gavin Turk’s blue plaque stating “Gavin Turk, Sculptor worked here”, which he famously exhibited in an empty studio for his degree show, and Tracey Emin’s The Perfect Place to Grow, a shed on stilts with a peephole that visitors are encouraged to look through.

Two of the most memorable artworks were a big cat made from coat hangers by David Mach (pictured above) and a sculpture made from plastic dolls’ heads joined together at the neck by Jake and Dinos Chapman.

I left feeling inspired and excited by the creative buzz at the RCA, and almost wishing that I could become a student again.

The Perfect Place to Grow: 175 Years of the Royal College of Art is on until 3 January

Sports vs Design will explore the design innovations that have helped athletes to break records, and also look at cases where sports bodies have tried to limit the effects of new equipment.

The exhibition will celebrate both the function and beauty of sports design, featuring the work of designers, artists and photographers.

Sports vs Design is at the Design Museum from 18 July to 18 November 2012

I took the opportunity to tour the Former Commonwealth Institute in Holland Park, regarded by English Heritage as the second most important modern building in London after The Royal Festival Hall.

Displaying artefacts and information from across the Commonwealth, I remember the building primarily for its lifelike Inuit and skidoo, as seen aged eight. A few decades on, and now lacking its many exhibits, the building’s entire structure is visible, and it is a revelation.

Opened in 1962, the structure is made up of a large central hall topped by a concrete “hyperbolic paraboloid” roof – think of a piece of paper suspended from two diagonal corners, and you get the rough idea. Two galleried floors wrap around a central marble platform, all atmospherically lit by modest skylights and the finest in 1960s pendants.

The building has stood empty since its closure in 2002, but is set to be revitalised thanks to the ambitious relocation plans of The Design Museum, currently based in Shad Thames.

Architect Rem Koolhaas will transform the space, with exhibition and educational areas, a 200-seater auditorium, restaurant and shop. Sadly the building will be closed to the public until then – so paraboloid fans will just have to wait!

Full Design Museum plans for the Commonwealth Institute are being finalised and submitted for planning approval in the next few months, and the new museum will open in 2014. Open House London 2012 is scheduled for 22 and 23 September.

What did you see at this year’s Open House London? Why not add your pictures to the Visit London flickr pool.

You might not have heard of veteran product designer Kenneth Grange but you’ll almost certainly be familiar with his designs.

These include Intercity 125 trains, rural post boxes, London black taxis, Wilkinson Protector razors, Parker pens and Kenwood food mixers.

A new retrospective at London’s Design Museum gives an insight into the development of Grange’s products over the past 50 years.

The exhibition includes drawings, photos, prototypes and finished products. Some of the most fascinating designs were never produced, including a proposed Channel Tunnel train.

I was amazed by the scope of Grange’s work, and the number of items designed by him that have become part of my daily life.

Once you’ve visited the show, you’ll never use a razor, jump into a taxi or pick up a pen again without thinking about all the work that’s gone into designing it.

Kenneth Grange: Making Britain Modern is at the Design Museum until 30 October 2011

Ever fancied relaxing on the floor of the V&A and contemplating the artworks? That’s exactly what visitors will be encouraged to do during this year’s London Design Festival.

French design duo the Bouroullec Brothers will cover the museum’s Raphael Gallery with a coloured foam and textile installation.

“It’s a really huge installation,” said Erwan Bouroullec. “I was born in the countryside so it’s a textile field. It’s quite soft so people will walk and lie on it.”

Other highlights of the festival include:

• A dramatic new installation at the entrance to the V&A
• Power of Making, a V&A and Crafts Council exhibition aiming to bring visitors closer to the process of making things
• Reddress, an enormous dress made from 550m of fabric, which will be worn by a performer and fit an audience of 238 people inside its folds
• A workshop where you’ll be able to create your own prints designed by Israeli illustrator Noma Bar using a giant hole punch
• A Swarovski crystal installation by John Pawson in a tower of St Paul’s Cathedral that’s is normally closed to the public

In total, there are expected to be around 250 events across London. “Every year we try to be different and better and more inspiring,” said festival director Ben Evans.

London Design Festival runs from 17 to 25 September. For more details visit www.londondesignfestival.com

This amazing installation will be on show from tomorrow at the Design Museum, as part of the Brit Insurance Designs of the Year 2011 exhibition.

The digital wall takes a photo of your face, which then appears when you “throw” virtual paint at the wall. Originally designed for Nokia, the concept could be used anywhere from conferences to schools, according to designers Greyworld.

The Design Museum exhibition features some of the most interesting designs from the past year, including fashion, cars, architecture, furniture and even London’s “Boris bikes“.

Brit Insurance Designs of the Year is at the Design Museum from 16 February to 7 August 2011

Last night, London’s design world descended on the Barbican for the opening of Ron Arad‘s new exhibition, Restless. I joined hundreds of Ã¼ber-cool design types for a look around the London-based designer’s work.

If you thought a chair was just a chair, think again. Arad’s chairs come in all shapes and sizes, from a giant thumb print to a reclaimed car seat.

There’s also a large round bookcase rolling up and down on rails (complete with books), and a beautiful crystal chandelier that displays messages sent from mobile phones. (Apparently it’s the only chandelier with its own phone number.)

The exhibition brings together more than 120 items designed by Arad over the past 30 years.

On the upper floor, key pieces like Rover Chair, 1981, which helped launch Arad’s career, are displayed next to giant LED screens with dramatic effect.

On the lower floor, the show gets interactive, and you can play on Arad’s designer ping pong tables, and try out some of his chairs.

Arad’s work is both stylish and fun, and I’d definitely recommend a visit to the Barbican show. One thing’s for sure – you’ll never look at chairs in the same way again!

Ron Arad: Restless is at the Barbican Art Gallery until 16 May

From floating teabags to sparkling sculptures, the weird and wonderful world of kinetic art arrived in London today with the opening of the Kinetica Art Fair.

The only fair dedicated to moving, robotic, sound, light and time-based art in the UK, Kinetica is a fascinating place to visit. I had a look around some of the amazing exhibits.

Near the entrance was the Hungarian Cultural Centre stand, with an elegant moving sculpture by István Haraszy, a 75-year-old former locksmith turned artist. Apparently, generations of Hungarian artists have been fascinated by the possibility of fusing art and technology.

Next I bumped into Alex Eisenberg of body›data›space, who enthused about the collective’s research into robots and avatars. They’re currently exploring how young people will work and play with virtual life in 10 to 15 years time.

(There’s a panel discussion on 6 February at 11am if you want to find out more.)

At a nearby stand was a group of students from Thames Valley University, with their light and water projection inspired by the 2012 Olympics. Five coloured circles of light pulsated to the sound of a heart beat. Student Sally Potterfield told me the work “represents everything that goes into the Olympic performance”.

Passing Kathy Taylor’s teabag suspended in mid-air, circling around a silver teapot, I stepped into a room containing two amazing light sculptures: Ocean of Light by Squidsoup and Homos Luminosos by Roseline De Thélin. The glittering lights and holographic figures made me feel as though I’d stepped into another world.

Finally, I met Robin McGinley from Interactive Agents, who was encouraging visitors to play with his Hydro-Acoustic Big Bang Filter, an instrument made from glowing, liquid-filled tubes. Activated by people’s hands, the liquid in the tubes moved up and down and the machine emitted a strange sound.

McGinley explained that it was the noise of the big bang moulded into a sound stream. “You’re playing the sound of the big bang. That’s not bad, is it, for a Thursday?”

Kinetica Art Fair is at Ambika P3 until 7 February 2010.

Using abandoned everyday items, British artist and designer Stuart Haygarth has created some of the most gorgeous art on show in London at the moment.

We are used to seeing recycled materials in art these days, but I don’t think anyone could be prepared for the beauty that Haygarth has created out of smashed car wing mirrors gathered from some of London’s more treacherous roads. The Rotherhithe Tunnel to name one. The most stunning piece is a hanging mirror ball made from 350 smashed mirrors attached to a mirrored sphere.

Haygarth is known for his fascination with spectacles and has created a series of urchin lights and an amazing chandelier made out of tinted optical lenses. The urchin lights are extraordinary and took years of collecting from markets and car boot sales. Apparently the artist collected so many old pairs of spectacles he had to rent extra storage and spent many weeks measuring and configuring them.

We also found the works using hundreds of retro ceramic cats and dogs particularly alluring.  Found is showing at the Haunch of Venison gallery until the end of January 2010.

The Design Museum today announced a wide-ranging schedule of exhibitions for 2010, covering all aspects of design, from architecture and products to photography and fashion.

The first new show, Sustainable Futures – Can Design Save the World?, opens on 31 March, showcasing designs that could help us live more sustainable lives in the future.

(If you’re interested in sustainable design, don’t miss the Royal College of Art’s current exhibition, Sunny Memories, where you can see prototypes of new solar powered products - from a glowing bench to a mobile charger for homeless people.)

Back at the Design Museum, an exhibition of photos by David Adjaye also opens on 31 March, documenting the architect’s journey through Africa, and celebrating the continent’s rich diversity of culture, buildings and urban landscape.

Next up is Illustrated Fashion, opening on 23 June, which features some of the world’s most recognised fashion drawings, including work by Chanel, Dior, Comme des Garcons and Victor & Rolf. The original drawings will be displayed alongside key garments from couture houses.

Then on 22 September, British architect John Pawson  - whose commissions include the Cistercian Monastery of Novy Dvur in Bohemia, Calvin Klein’s flagship store in Manhattan, and the Sackler Crossing at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – gets a chance to show his work.

Although the contents of Pawson’s exhibition are still to be confirmed, you can expect touchable exhibits, walk-in buildings, large-scale photos of architecture, and a biographical account of how Pawson lives in his own home.

Finally, two of the Design Museum’s regular shows return next year.

Brit Insurance Designs of the Year opens on 17 February. Around 100 designs shortlisted for the prestigious prize will be on display at the museum, arranged in seven categories: architecture, transport, graphics, interactive, product, furniture and fashion.

And from now until March 2010, the Designers in Residence scheme continues, with emerging designers invited to take over an area of the museum.

With a possible move to a new location at London’s Commonwealth Institute in 2013, and a packed year ahead, these are exciting times for the Design Museum.