Design the World You Want: Harnessing Collectible and Speculative Design at Melbourne Design Week 2023

Over the past week, we've been in Melbourne, immersed in the annual Melbourne Design Week. Now in its seventh year, this 11-day event, presented by the National Gallery of Victoria in partnership with Creative Victoria, is a dynamic fusion of exhibitions, workshops, tours, and discussions examining various design aspects. It's always an invigorating week for our industry, providing a fantastic opportunity to showcase new work, reconnect with friends, and reflect on the challenges and triumphs of working in design.

Considering the vast array of highlights, we've decided to share a glimpse of our top 10 projects that beautifully encapsulate the themes of community, people, and place. Congratulations to everyone involved this year, and a special thanks to Simone LeAmon and Ewan McEoin's for their continued support of our sector.

TAIT: 30 Years of Design and Manufacturing in Australia

Throughout my career, I've witnessed the growth of TAIT, Australia's leading contemporary design house for outdoor living. I now know Gordon and Susie personally, and their authentic approach to Australian manufacturing and continued investment in Australian design inspires a blossoming studio like SKEEHAN.

This year, TAIT presented an exhibition celebrating its 30th anniversary. Curated by Marsha Golemac, the exhibition stirred interaction and curiosity, allowing visitors to explore TAIT's rich history working with Australian designers and craftspeople renowned for their extraordinary skills. Guests could witness firsthand the evolution of TAIT's design and manufacturing processes over the past 30 years, a journey marked by pushing the boundaries of contemporary design and sustainability.

The exhibition showcased early works and insights, traced unexpected paths, and culminated in a sneak peek into TAIT's future with the launch of a new collection. The local project produced a captivating video capturing the story here.

Metamorphic Table Collection by Alexander Lotersztain

On Thursday night, we attended the Melbourne Design Fair. This meticulously curated space by Simone LeAmon was at the epicentre of Melbourne Design Week's program, featuring numerous designers, markets, discussions, and installations. Among the highlights were designer Alexander Lotersztain's new Metamorphic collection, a striking fusion of natural marbles and the iconic camouflage pattern. Inspired by metamorphic rock formation and camouflage pattern history, Lotersztain has created a limited-edition series of tables reflecting the organic patterns found in metamorphic rocks. His collection includes marbles from across the globe, each telling a unique story of origin and formation, paying homage to the natural processes responsible for these stunning stones.?

Jordan Fleming: Looking at me, Looking at you.

Another highlight at the Fair was the work of Jordan Fleming, a designer known for placing people at the heart of all her projects. Since establishing her design practice in 2018, Fleming has become known for her playful, wonky aesthetic, utilising tactile materials such as plaster, pigment, timber, and metal.

Her installation, 'Looking at Me Looking at You,' engaged audiences with a unique exploration of eye contact, a critical aspect of human interaction. Fleming's surreal, semi-human sculptures resonated with the awkwardness of making eye contact with a stranger, embodying the theme of "design the world you want" by inspiring personal introspection and communication.

Her works, beautifully photographed by Alice Hutchison, are also displayed at Modern Times.?

TRANSCENDENCE by Ross Gardam

Ross Gardam Studio showcased new works TRANSCENDENCE, a unique curation of luminaire designs that experiment with the enchantment of illuminated glass. Each meticulously crafted piece carries a distinct personality, revealing different aesthetics under the influence of light. The exhibition was a testament to Gardam's extensive work with lighting design and glass, showcasing his innovative engineering and refined geometric sensitivity.

A standout was the colossal cast desk lamp Colant, creating an illusion of moving glass. Ross Gardam's work with TRANSCENDENCE undoubtedly pushed the boundaries of luminaire designs, taking us on a journey beyond the ordinary.?

VERSA: Transformative Collaboration by Tom Fereday & Charlie White

Held at the historic Meat Market Stables, VERSA emerges as a unique collaborative series of installations from designers Tom Fereday and Charlie White. VERSA, generously supported by Eco Outdoor, Mudd and Cult, ingeniously repurposes end-of-life materials, redefining our perceptions of their inherent value. The duo presents an intriguing mix of furniture and architectural elements, weaving a narrative of innovation birthed from constraint. Echoing the venue's legendary atmosphere, the VERSA opening did not disappoint.

1 hr Exhibition, Friends and Associates

I'm a bit biased about this show, and we will be sharing a full project in our journal…Dale Hardiman and myself presented our shortest exhibition to date for Friends and Associates in the heart of Fitzroy, a pre-renovated concrete warehouse space transformed into a gallery for an hour, hosting the 1-Hour. This temporary group exhibition invited creatives to bring any object that could serve as a seat, encouraging the audience to think outside the box and engage with the temporary nature of the exhibition. We were overwhelmed by the response and appreciated everyone who presented the work and stayed for the full 60 minutes. A personal thank you to Myf Doughty for co-curating with Dale and the team at SKEEHAN for getting the program over the line.?

HARD: Curated by Calum Hurley

HARD is a significant and poignant exhibition that took place in Fitzroy. This exhibition explores queer arts and design across Australia through the repurposing of found materials, also known as 'hard rubbish'. The works displayed represent the interplay between queer lives, their city environments, and their communities, embodying resilience and resourcefulness. The exhibition also raises critical questions about queer design, its form, and the cultural contexts that birth it. Furthermore, it provides a much-needed platform for queer voices within the predominantly heteronormative landscape of the design week. Calum is an incurably generous and supportive contributor to Australian design; based in Adelaide, Calum regularly contributes huge extensive, meaningful exhibitions MDW and sports to the F&A program. Congratulations on delivering another powerful exhibition and being so open and generous to the design community.?

Kurunpa Kunpu: Tanya Singer, Errol Evans andTrent Jansen

"Kurunpa Kunpu" is an exciting project presented at Melbourne Design Week 2023, resulting from a 3-year cross-cultural collaboration between Tanya Singer, Errol Evans, and Trent Jansen. The project began in Railway Bore, South Australia, where the designers embarked on a journey to understand each other's relationships with their cultural traditions, family, and community.

The collection responds to the climate change threat faced by their remote communities. It uses striking motifs of drying, cracked earth and protection, symbolising the precarious state of the Earth's ecosystem. This work invites us to reflect on our shared environmental responsibilities and the importance of reestablishing connections between community, culture, and Country.

The showcase includes distinctive pieces like "Manta Pilti | Dry Sand" and "Kutitji | Shield Chair", designed using American hardwood species. The material choice adds visual contrast and promotes environmentally responsible design practices.

The "Kurunpa Kunpu" collection will be exhibited at multiple venues, including the Fremantle Arts Centre and Artbank Melbourne. Supported by various institutions, including The American Hardwood Export Council and The Australian Government, this project stands as a testament to the transformative power of design in articulating global issues.

An essential component of the "Kurunpa Kunpu" project's successful realisation is the role played by Chris Nicholson at Mast Furniture in the design development and production. With his seasoned expertise in furniture craftsmanship, Nicholson has brought the vision of Singer, Evans, and Jansen to life.

Nicholson's contribution lies not just in producing the physical objects but also in his understanding and respect for the cultural narratives embodied in each piece. His ability to translate the raw emotive power and environmental themes from concept to tangible form has significantly enhanced the project's impact.

With Mast Furniture's well-established reputation for quality and detail, each piece in the "Kurunpa Kunpu" collection carries an assurance of superior craftsmanship. Nicholson's contribution has undeniably played a pivotal role in materialising this project, underscoring the intersection of design, culture, and environmental responsibility.

Futures Collective Exhibition

This year, Futures Collective continued its tradition of showcasing creators and makers at Melbourne Design Week 2023. The exhibition was held within the exquisite heritage walls of Villa Alba Museum, Kew, where the collective showcased four design initiatives that encapsulated the spirit of designing with transparency, collaboration, and process in mind. Curated by Marlo Lyda, Co-participants included Innate Collection, (NO THINGS) MATTERS, YSG x TAPPETI, Eco Outdoor, and Scott Livesey Galleries, each bringing unique perspectives to the exhibition.

Innate Collection focused on creating dialogues with national and international designers, interpreting the Australian landscape and lifestyle through its creations. For MDW23, Innate launched LS, a unique bath and towel collection that reflected the works of celebrated Australian artist Luke Sciberras, highlighting the collaboration with skilled textile artists Fiona Spence-Lyda and Wanda Jelimini.

(NO THINGS) MATTERS presented a thought-provoking question to a selection of designer-makers: 'What MATTERS to you?' The exploration of 'process' as a key instigator for new design possibilities resulted in a tactile cornucopia of material samples, tools, experimental forms, and visual documentation.?

YSG x TAPPETI collaboration resulted in Real Majik, an extraordinary rug collection reflecting Yasmin Ghomein's interior design sensibilities. Artworks from Scott Livesey Galleries complemented the vibrant celebration of colour and texture.?

Eco Outdoor, a long-term advocate for the raw beauty of nature, showcased the elegant Arc Chair designed in partnership with Sydney-based designer Tom Fereday. Paying homage to the character of raw aluminium, the Arc Chair embodied the power of collaborative design and material transparency. Eco Outdoor was also proud to sponsor MATTERS, an emerging collective platform advocating for time and intention in the design process.?

Dowel Jones: Dancing under the water

One of the striking highlights of Melbourne Design Week 2023 was the project titled 'Dancing Under The Water,' marking the first collaboration between Ethiopian-Norwegian artist Olana Janfa and Australian design brand Dowel Jones. This unique collection comprises eight pieces created by Dowel Jones, born from factory timber offcuts that come together to form an imaginative canvas for Janfa’s expressive art. These works breathe new life into the remnants of coffee tables, stool legs, and chair components, offering a three-dimensional surface for Janfa's colourful and poignant paintings.

Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Olana Janfa moved to Norway during his teenage years and then relocated to Australia in 2015. Making Melbourne his home, Janfa utilises his art to forge a deeper connection with his roots. His canvas serves as a conduit for his thoughts, experiences, humour, and, most importantly, his identity.

In stark contrast to the simplicity of his materials, Janfa's vibrant strokes imbue the offcuts with a depth of expression that transcends their mundane origin. Every piece is an exploration of his journey and a testament to his evolving perspectives as an artist navigating different cultures and experiences.

Dowel Jones, founded by Adam Lynch and Dale Hardiman in 2014, is an Australian design brand renowned for working with local manufacturers.?

OIG?LL PROJECTS

One exhibition that stood as a defining highlight of Melbourne Design Week 2023 was presented by OIG?LL PROJECTS. This innovative collective brought together some of the most prolific names and studios in Australia, each leading in their field, to present a carefully curated selection of works that reinterpreted the fundamentals of Australian design.?

Exhibitors included: VOLKER HAUG STUDIO, BRUD STUDIO, OLIVIA BOSSY, STUDIO HENRY WILSON, LAKER, DANIEL POOLE, BRAHMAN PERERA, CORDON SALON, ANDREW HUSTWAITE, ANNA VARENDORFF, BMDO, MICHAEL GITTINGS STUDIO, DENHOLM.

OIG?LL PROJECTS managed to bridge the divide between the conceptual and functional seamlessly. The showcased works responded to the present moment, acutely tuned to how we live now, while presenting creative and inspiring visions for inhabiting the modern home. This mix of design innovation and practicality perfectly encapsulated the spirit of Melbourne Design Week, embodying the event's core theme, ‘Design the world that you want.’

The works on display offered a compelling exploration of contemporary design, presenting these objects in a liveable context and highlighting their importance as essential components of any relevant design collection.?

Jessica Murtagh: Modern Relics?

Early career artist and designer Jessica Murtagh presented a fascinating exhibition that encapsulated the spirit of Melbourne Design Week. Murtagh specialises in creating striking blown glass vessels, using her art to bridge the gap between the ancient and the contemporary. Drawing inspiration from ancient Athenian ceramic amphoras, which often showcased scenes from daily life, she ingeniously adapts this historical motif to a modern context.

Murtagh's vessels, characterised by their blue interior and white powdered glass exterior, are captivating not only because of their dual-tone aesthetic but also due to the detailed illustrations that cover their exteriors. Murtagh meticulously hand carves and engraves her pieces using an ancient glass technique known as cameo glass. These complex illustrations provide a 360-degree narrative, reflecting modern life themes that are intimately familiar and globally significant.

Ranging from scenes depicting the social and economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia to the trials and tribulations of online dating and to vignettes of domestic and everyday life, Murtagh's designs provide a contemporary echo of ancient storytelling traditions.?

That's a wrap on MDW this year; we will share more projects on our website journal and Instagram. As always, this week brings out diverse projects, collaborations, and explorations into design principles and possibilities. This week stands as a testament to the creativity and innovation in the design community in Australia.?

A special appreciation goes out to the curators and program directors Simone LeAmon, Ewan McEoin, Timothy Moore and the team at the NGV. Their vision and tireless efforts created a platform for designers, educators, thinkers, and businesses to share ideas, showcase new work, and contemplate design's role in our complex world.