London-based Turkish-born designer and artist Melek Zeynep Bulut unveils her latest work, Duo, at the 2024 edition of the London Design Festival. The installation, located in the Painted Hall at Greenwich’s historic Old Royal Naval College, marks another bold exploration by Melek into the realms of perception, space, and sensory experience. Known for her distinctive approach that melds art, design, and architecture, Melek’s creative process is informed by her synesthesia — a condition that causes sensory crossovers, such as tasting colours or feeling sounds — allowing her to discern sensory fields that she translates into tangible works.

The impressive suspended structure takes the form of a rectangular prism, evocative of ancient architectural thresholds. Set within the cavernous and richly adorned Painted Hall, a space originally designed by Sir James Thornhill in the 18th century, Duo responds to its historical context with an avant-garde interpretation of duality and oppositional forces—such as centre and periphery, inside and outside, night and day, time and space, or simply, two people in conversation. The installation employs an interdependent system of magnets, sensors, perception-altering surfaces, and acoustic reflectors that respond dynamically to the presence of visitors.