Progressive Permanence is a show done in collaboration with Christopher Farr, producers of custom handmade rugs, presenting archival works alongside emerging artists and designers for London Design Festival and Shoreditch Design Week 2026. With a shared cross-generational sensibility, the collaboration occupies the intersection of fine art, craft and design - exploring the tension between material intelligence and progressive thinking.

The installation is located at the Christopher Farr Shoreditch Studio, where the in-house design team develops custom rugs, in the heart of Spitalfields.

“PROGRESSIVE PERMANENCE features works by four of our collaborators: Carsten in der Elst, Lewis Kemmenoe, LS GOMMA and Tessa Silva, exhibited alongside historical textile designs from Anni Albers, Gary Hume, Gunta Stölzl, Louise Bourgeois and Romeo Gigli. Conceived as a curatorial exercise, Max Radford Gallery has selected works from the Christopher Farr archive and paired them with pieces from our own collection - works that have been exhibited internationally but may not have yet seen the light of day in our home city.
In the never-ending search for the new, contemporary art and design too often receive just one “unveiling” before stepping out of the limelight. As a platform, we are committed to continually promoting the creatives we work with. We believe these works will be the masterpieces of the future and, much like the design classics of the 20th century, they deserve to be visited and revisited to fully appreciate their beauty.” - Max Radford