Travelling Apothecary

16 September 2006, British Library Piazza, London

This one day extravaganza saw nine stalls hosted by a selection of the UKs most talented and innovative designers interpreting the idea of the travelling apothecary. Stalls peddled cures for modern-day ailments in the best Wild West medicine-show tradition. Ailments treated include 'network addiction', 'litter guilt', 'fantasy flings' and 'home makeovers'.

Nine stalls offered a mix of live music, take-home goodies, unusual remedies and bottled tonics.

Dr Bettler?s Network Addiction Herbal Drink	Dr Bettler's Network Addiction Herbal Drink Are you addicted to your network? Is your brain getting fried by constant exposure to microwaves from mobile phones and other modern appliances? The remedy is simple: Dr Bettler's Special Network Addiction Herbal Drink, custom made to suit your level of addiction. Stallholder biography: Graphic designer Alexandre Bettler studied at ECAL in Switzerland before completing an MA in Communication Art and Design in 2005 at the Royal College of Art. His work has a strong relationship to everyday life and to the small elements that surround us. Bettler is currently working on a large-scale project about bread, using it as a means for communication. He lives and works in London.
Pigdog	Daniel Charny's World-Famous Litter Guilt© Do you suffer from Litter Guilt©? Symptoms include growing piles of plastic in the hallway, old newspapers languishing in forgotten corners, and empty tin cans left on the draining board for days on end. Professor Charny offers his world famous remedy in the form of the ultimate recycling mascot - The Golden Pigdog. Stallholder biography: Daniel Charny is a London-based designer, tutor and curator. He has taught design in higher education over 12 years and is currently a senior tutor the Royal College of Art MA Design Products course. Charny's personal design studio work has been exhibited internationally in museums and galleries, among them the Victoria & Albert Museum; Internos, Milan; the Israel Museum Jerusalem; Galerie Haute Definition, Paris; Takumi Studio, Gifu, Japan; and Trico, Tokyo. Charny is Directing Curator of The Aram Gallery, currently the only design-dedicated gallery in London.
Señor Eslava?s ?Oh Maria Keep My Data Safe!?	Señor Eslava's 'Oh Maria Keep My Data Safe!' Constantly worried about your computer crashing and losing all your data? As computers become the new religion, 'Oh Maria Keep My Data Safe!' offers salvation in the form of a USB Virgin to plug into your computer as a lucky charm for your digital data. Stallholder biography: Luis Eslava studied graphic and product design at the ESDI CEU, Valencia, before moving to Madrid in 2000 to study web and multimedia design at the European Institute of Design. He worked for Camper before coming to London to study at the Royal College of Art. After graduating in 2005, Eslava set up his own design studio in London. Eslava's work has been exhibited in galleries and exhibitions in Valencia, London, Lisbon, Milan, Tokyo and Peking.
	Dr Franke's 'Traces of an Imaginary Affair' inoculation against passionless relationships Does your relationship lack the intensity that keeps the flames of passion alive? Is your partner no longer obsessed with you? The surgery of Dr Franke is now offering a bespoke inoculation service, providing the perfect remedy for people who don't have the time to make their partners jealous. Stallholder biography: Björn Franke received a degree in industrial design from the Muthesius-Hochschule in Germany and worked as design and brand consultant before studying product design at the Royal College of Art. His work investigates how people explore, express and control their emotions, obsessions and fears through objects and technology. His work has been exhibited in London, Berlin and Düsseldorf, and has been published in magazines and books worldwide. He currently lives in London.
Sweet Tooth	Lohmann and Grundmann's Sweet Tooth Extraction Are you addicted to sweets and can't control the cravings? German specialists Dr Julia Lohmann and Professor Gero Grundmann have found the root cause of your affliction. They will cure you instantly, non-invasively and painlessly, using the latest technological breakthrough from their secluded laboratory in the Harz Mountains. Stallholder biography: Happily Ever After is Leah Harrison and Sara Carneholm. They met at the Royal College of Art, where they began to build a graphic design partnership with a creative heart as well as mind. Their work is driven by their belief in the power of design and communication to inspire and do good. They work with various organisations, including the Design Museum, Metal Culture, the Royal College of Art, the NHS, the English National Opera, Somewhere.org, Groundwork and New Cross Gate NDC (New Deal for Communities). Their clients describe them as "determined, fearless, sensitive artists and great fun to work with". They say: not much, because they don't like to show off.
Happily Ever After?s DIRTY SECRET vaccination	Happily Ever After's DIRTY SECRET vaccination Is your celebrity obsession becoming unmanageable? Do you find yourself glued to 'Heat' magazine when you only popped out for a pint of milk? Stop it now! Come along to HEA's health centre and get yourself vaccinated. After a short, sharp shock and some intensive art therapy they'll supply you with a charm to ward off the effects of celebrityitis forever. Stallholder biography: Crispin Jones is a designer based in London. He graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2000 and since then he has divided his time between working in a partnership with Dominic Robson (www.robsonandjones.com) and producing critical design projects. He has exhibited his work internationally - notably at the CG Arts Festival in Japan and DAF Tokyo (both in 2003) and at the Prix Ars Electronica in Linz in 2002. He has taught at several design schools including Interaction Design Institute of Ivrea, Central Saint Martins College and the RCA. He maintains a website of his work at www.mr-jones.org.
Electic Lady	Mr Crispin Jones's Electric Lady Cure Is your life blighted by the shame of Ikea-mania? Do you crave cheap chairs? Seek solace in simple sofas? Or dream of bookcases called Billy? If so, then Mr Jones of London offers you a cure, a chance for a fresh start. His patented failsafe diagnostic machine and Electric Lady Cure will put an end your vile desires quickly and permanently. Stallholder biography: Studio Bec is the London-based multidisciplinary design office of Royal College of Art graduates Julia Lohmann and Gero Grundmann. Julia's work sits on the threshold between art and design and has been exhibited internationally. Gero designs and translates for the cultural, corporate and nonprofit sector in Britain and abroad. Both lecture at a number of UK design schools, and organise art and design events as well as performances.
	Labaratory thomas.matthews presents 'Re-Mail' Is junk mail ruining your life? Are bills the only correspondence that come through your letterbox, leaving you feeling unloved and insecure? The laboratories of thomas.matthews have devised an instant cure to relieve junk-mail induced feelings of anxiety and loneliness, helping you save the planet in the process. Stallholder biography: thomas.matthews is a communication design agency established in 1997 by Sophie Thomas and Kristine Matthews, who have a passion for using their design skills to tackle difficult and often ethical issues in innovative and contemporary ways. They have designed for exhibitions and museums, signage, print, websites and brand development. Their clients have included ActionAid, The Architecture Foundation, Battersea Arts Centre, the British Council, English Heritage and the National Maritime Museum.
Ivory anatomical model of a pregnant female with removable parts. Possibly German 17th century	Rev. William Warren and the Prints of Whales Reverend William Warren and his amazing Prints of Whales band will be entertaining you with their special brand of traditional bluegrass music. In between songs, Rev. Warren will be preaching against the evil ways of such false gods as design magazine stylists and home makeover shows. His solution? Buy a coffin! Stallholder biography: William Warren runs a furniture and product design consultancy in London that works with manufacturers, distributors and retailers. He specialises in schools furniture and domestic belongings, and his clients have included Habitat, Purves and Purves, the Design Council and Trico in Tokyo. He teaches at a number of design colleges, including Goldsmiths College and Kingston University London, and has exhibited with the British Council, the Geffrye Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.