The V&A South Kensington Madejski Garden has been transformed this autumn by Alicja Patanowska’s installation, ‘The Ripple Effect’, drawing thousands of visitors during the London Design Festival 2025. The ceramic work, comprising of 2,000 handmade tiles, was newly commissioned by the V&A and supported by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and the Polish Cultural Institute, presented a powerful reflection on the hidden consequences of copper mining, addressing current environmental challenges.
‘The Ripple Effect’, Majeski Gardens V&A, credit Peter Kelleher for the V&A
Visitors engaged with the flowing, field-like plateau of tiles, pausing to sit, reflect, and interact with its unique textures and central fountain water feature. ‘The Ripple Effect’ reflects on how every act of natural resource extraction carries environmental and social consequences. The copper mining yield of just 0.4% is symbolised by eight copper-coloured tiles scattered among 2,000 blue ones. The striking palette, achieved by incorporating industrial waste into the clay, has sparked conversations about resource extraction, recycling, and our collective responsibility as consumers.
‘Seeing so many people engage with ‘The Ripple Effect’ has been deeply moving,’ says artist Alicja Patanowska. ‘My hope is to spark a moment of reflection on the impact of our choices and our connection to the earth and to one another. I am hugely grateful for the conversations this work has inspired and believe even small acts of awareness can ripple outward, shaping a more thoughtful relationship with our world’.
Visitors responded to the installation’s evocative, tactile aesthetic and thought-provoking environmental message. Complementing the display were ‘5Rhythms movement meditation’ workshops where the public explored their connection to earth and water through guided dance and movement.
‘The Ripple Effect’, Majeski Gardens V&A Alicja Patanowska, artist, credit Alka Murat
‘Seeing visitors engage with ‘The Ripple Effect’ has been truly inspiring’, says Carrie Chan, V&A Contemporary Programme Curator, ‘Alicja’s installation transformed the Madejski Garden into a space for reflection, conversation, and connection reminding us of the role craft and design can play in shaping our awareness of environmental responsibility and care’.
The project forms part of the UK/Poland Season 2025, a diverse programme of over 100 multi-artform events in 40 locations, celebrating creative collaboration and cultural dialogue between the two countries.
‘The Ripple Effect’ exemplifies the power of partnership and the importance of addressing urgent global issues through art,’ says Paulina Latham, Head of Visual Arts and Music at the Polish Cultural Institute London, ‘Celebrating our shared values of innovation and sustainability we are proud to have supported an installation that so eloquently bridges cultures and inspires positive changes’.
As part of the UK/Poland Season 2025, ‘The Ripple Effect’ is co-organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, British Council and Polish Cultural Institute in London and supported by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Poland. It celebrates the shared values of innovation, creativity and cultural dialogue and will be on view in the Madejski Garden, V&A South Kensington until the end of Frieze Art Fair (20 October 2025).
- Open daily10.00 – 17.45 | Friday: 10.00 – 22.00 | Closes 19 October’25 | Free to attend
- V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road,London, SW7 2RL
- Alicija Patanowska – The Ripple Effect – Display at V&A South Kensington · V&A
Please find Images here: PRESS PACK
Photo credit: Alka Murat and Peter Kelleher for the V&A
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