24 October 2005

Look Who’s Talking

Pecha Kucha Nights at the ICA

Pecha Kucha is:

a) a Hungarian liqueur made with peaches.

b) the latest Brazilian testicle wax.

c) an event that showcases the ideas of some really clever people.

If you guessed ‘C’, you must be one of them.

Pecha Kucha (which means ‘chit chat’ in Japanese) is a semi-regular event that brings creative types together to share their thoughts with anyone who fancies hearing them. Founded in Tokyo (of course), Pecha Kucha has been bought to London by Icon editor Marcus Fairs and design curator Max Fraser.

The format is simple: get a group of successful architects/designers/artists together. Ask each to discuss their latest project/inspiration/holiday with twenty visuals, for twenty seconds per image. Each presentation lasts six minutes and forty seconds precisely. No droning on, no deathly Q&A sessions.

You’ll hear up to sixteen speakers a night, including luminaries like Ron Arad (furniture designer and architect), Michael Johnson (graphic designer) and The Future Laboratory (trend forecasters).

The tenner entry fee gets you a glass of wine, lots of new ideas and all the networking you can muster.

Superfluous body waxing not included.

Pecha Kucha, ICA, The Mall, SW1 (020 7930 3647). Next event will be 26 October. For more information, go to icon-magazine.co.uk.