Selfridges have joined the art of shopping trends with an adorable 'Pandamonium' art project for the WWF.
The project takes the WWF's panda collection boxes that have been sitting in waiting rooms and post offices since the ‘60s - designed for spare change but also great for distracting toddlers with prodding fingers - nearly as exciting as the black dog with a handle you could pretend to ride - and gives them to leading British artists such as Tracy Emin, Peter Blake, and Rachael Whiteread to redesign and create 'art'.
The Londonist sums it up nicely by saying, "We can't think of a recent art exhibition that ticks as many boxes marked 'awesome' as this one."
The pandas have been created to raise awareness of WWF's work in tackling climate change, and as a bit of a goodbye to the Panda boxes that made up a strange part of most peoples' childhoods. To me, they remind me of a hazy time when I was young and Enid Blyton was really cool.
It's another 'shop gallery' style exhibition so be prepared for half of the display to look suspiciously like a gift shop, but there's some great designs regardless of where it's displayed.
My favourite designs are pretty predictable ones - I'm a massive fan of the mini Pandas with motion sensors that turn on their bases, following you around the room – and really, who wouldn’t be a fan of that?
I also enjoyed the Panda confused about whether the WWF are an environmental organisation or a wrestling federation is exceptionally cute, as well as the panda made into a giant cacophony of 'art' - even better was when I noticed the telescope pointed at it for close-ups.
Whilst the full 120 redesigned Pandas aren't on show, the selection that are there are lovely.
The exhibition is open until Wednesday 28th October, after which the Pandas are to be auctioned off, (email pandamonium AT wwf DOT org DOT uk if you want to attend the auction).
So if you can make it to Selfridges this week I advise you to go to the grandly named "Concept Store". They also have a tall building full of stylish clothes which are worth a visit too.
Image of Jason Bruges' Panda Army via © Stonehouse Photographic / WWF-UK