Artists often experiment with mediums to flex their creative muscles and push the boundaries of their art. For installation artist and designer Vibhor Sogani, this is a way of life. His most recent showcase was at the London Design Biennale 2025, which took place in June at the iconic Somerset House building. However, instead of creating an object or installation, he went against the grain to share his design story with a short cinematic film.
Titled ‘Silent Subtext – The Art of Vibhor Sogani’, it was displayed at the India Pavilion of the Biennale. Describing the work as a “quiet, reflective piece”, Sogani invites viewers into his world, his unique use of materials, and his inherent design philosophy layered with emotional depth. The film was made in response to the theme of the Biennale this year – Surface Reflections. He explains, “The film explores how surfaces and their perception and meaning come together in my art, particularly through the use of stainless steel as a living, responsive material.” Sogani is best known for expansive projects like the distinctive steel orbs called ‘Sprouts’ that mark New Delhi’s parks amidst flyovers, the metal tree in Ahmedabad known as Kalpavriksha, and his works in Amsterdam including Deepam, which consists of special metal diyas adorning lakes to mark the nation’s 750 years, and Pool of Dreams.
This film explores his artistic mindset, which is Indian in spirit but resonates around the globe. The artist joins the Sunday Guardian for an exclusive chat about participating in the London Design Biennale, his film and more. Excerpts from an edited interview:
Q. Why did you decide to make a film as your entry to the biennale?
A. As an artist, my work has primarily been rooted in materiality, but its essence lies in the unseen. Using the medium of film allowed me to collapse time, space and narrative into a few frames, to express the intangible aspects of design that I have always explored through new concepts. ‘Silent Subtext’ became a cinematic experience and exploration. It is not a departure from my work but a continuation of it, distilled and unbound by dimension. It also allowed me to speak about the subtleties that play a critical part in my way of thinking and my approach, as I work towards the transformation of the intangible imagery or thought to a tangible form.
Q: Tell us about your journey in the field of design.
A. I studied Industrial Design at the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad. However, even within that framework, my instinct has always been artistic. I was drawn less to utility and more to emotion. NID gave me structure, but it also gave me the freedom to question concepts. Over time, my work naturally transitioned from product design to installation art, from creating objects to designing experiences. What began as a design education became the foundation for a lifelong exploration of light, scale, material and meaning.
Q. How does your film speak to the theme of this year’s London Design Biennale?
A. The theme of this year’s London Design Biennale, ‘Surface Reflections’, invites artists and designers to examine how layers of identity, memory and culture are expressed, and often concealed, through what we choose to show on the surface. It asks us to look deeper: at what lies beneath form, material and presentation. My film, ‘Silent Subtext’, was created in direct response to this. The title itself speaks to the unseen, the emotional undercurrents, the thoughts we carry but rarely express. I wanted to explore that quieter, more internal world. So, in many ways, the film not only responds to the theme but also exists within it. It’s an invitation to look beyond the visible and engage with the subtle, often unspoken layers that define who we are.
Q. What were the challenges of exploring this new artistic medium?
A. The real challenge was in condensing my work and thoughts into just six minutes. My work is usually experienced over time, through scale, space and changing light. It’s not something that can be easily transported or shown in its entirety. But that is also what made the film so rewarding. It allowed me to bring together elements of my work that would otherwise never exist in the same frame. You can’t move a 40-feet installation across cities, but in film, you can create a visual dialogue between them. It became a way for me to offer a more nuanced view of my works – to show not just the scale but the thought behind it. So, while the format was limiting in some ways, it also opened up a new kind of access, both for me as the artist and for the viewer.
Q. How has the film been received?
A. I was at the Biennale for only a few days, so I didn’t have the chance to gather much direct feedback. That said, the film managed to intrigue viewers, even in a setting as dynamic and crowded as the Biennale, where multiple experiences vie for attention. People stayed through the entire film and walked away with a sense of discovery, having experienced something different and thought-provoking. When I was spotted around the venue, several visitors recognized me and came up to share their thoughts. Many were curious, and the conversations often veered toward the diversity of my practice, the way ideas had been translated into form, the role of material and scale, and how the context shifts the way the work is read. The lighting especially caught people’s attention — not just as a technique but as an integral part of the artistic language. Representing the India Pavilion at the London Design Biennale came with the responsibility of speaking to a larger, more universal narrative. Knowing that the work managed to resonate in that space is deeply meaningful to me.
Q. Are you planning to showcase it anywhere else?
A. One of the strengths of this medium is its versatility, it lends itself to being showcased across a diverse range of platforms. So, I do plan to present it at a few more forums in the future.
Q. How would you describe your design philosophy?
A. For me, design transcends the mere object. It’s a vessel for emotion. I harness the interplay of materials, scale, light and shadow as tools to give form to the intangible. I am especially fascinated by how these elements can create thresholds between the seen and the felt, guiding the viewer toward an internal experience. My approach is rooted in the conviction that less is often more. There is a profound discipline in restraint, in letting the material speak and in valuing the surrounding space as much as the creation itself. Whether a grand public installation or an intimate light object, each piece I design is intended to invite a moment of quiet contemplation, encouraging viewers to look inward rather than just at the physical art.
Noor Anand Chawla pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www. nooranandchawla.com
