‘Life is monotonous. We are often wrapped up in our thoughts as we move from place to place. We can become blind to the environments and objects we interact with. NEON was founded to elevate the everyday.’

NEON is Mark Nixon and Viliina Koivisto. They work together from their studio in Margate creating fantastical architecture, art and design. Their projects are often large, sometimes very large, and invite people to interact with them, to touch, to feel, to listen, to see.

I first met Mark & Viliina when I was working with UK channel ITV on a project to have a different artist create an artwork based on their logo every week. I loved the artwork they produced — you can watch it below — and I really enjoyed their way of thinking.

In this conversation we talk about their mission to elevate the everyday, how they function both as a professional duo, and as a couple; they tell me the stories behind their projects, with tales of classroom collaborations, Ethiopia, Uganda and the power of secrets, and they let me in on how they manage to keep a steady stream of commissions.

Also available to listen to on iTunes, Spotify and Soundcloud.