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DESIGN QUARTERLY ISSUE 40 SUMMER 2011
INSIDE WORD DQ Editor Alice Blackwood dq@indesign.com.au Art Direction Deputy Art Director Bronwyn Aalders bronwyn@indesign.com.au
FROM THE PUBLISHER
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Senior Designer Lauren Mickan lauren@indesign.com.au
rom a four-page party picture insert in the back of Indesign magazine, DQ’s travelled a long way. It’s appeal has always been the conversational, news style, the parties pages and colourful imagery. In the current relaunch these elements have matured, with refined content and a strong visual identity to reflect its unique personality and place within the market. As the first magazine to cover the social side of the design scene, DQ has been instrumental in connecting and promoting the local design community. And the development of the magazine has played a large part in the development of the Australasian design industry. We know both will only get stronger, and with the immense support of our advertisers and readership, DQ can confidently step up each quarter to deliver its unique set of content. To celebrate the personality that is DQ magazine, we now bring you DQ in an online format (designquarterly.com.au). This continues the design conversation between each issue, with regular updates, links and images, extra content from the magazine, as well as content unique to the site, in an accessible, interactive format. We encourage you to join DQ online – and take part in the ongoing design dialogue. Raj Nandan – Publisher
Junior Designer Morgan Coyle morgan@indesign.com.au Design Intern Richard Roberts design@indesign.com.au Production Manager Sarah Djemal sarah@indesign.com.au Advertising Traffic Administrator Hannah Kurzke hannah@indesign.com.au Online Communications Rish Raghu rish@indesign.com.au Ramith Verdheneni onlineintern@indesign.com.au Online Account Manager Eunice Ku eunice@indesign.com.au
FROM THE EDITOR
Advertising Enquiries / Online Advertising Enquiries Marie Jakubowicz (61 2) 9368 0150 marie@indesign.com.au – Southern States Richard Burne (61) 423 774 126 richard@indesign.com.au
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elcome to a particularly colourful and visually engaging issue of DQ. I always say January marks new beginnings and I like to think DQ reflects that too. This issue we look back, look forward, and even look up(!) with stories that cross centuries, disciplines, continents and cultural divides. We were lucky enough to meet Giovanna Castiglioni, while she was in Sydney – and what a pleasure it was. Giovanna introduced us to her father, the late Achille Castiglioni, through a series of intimate and revealing narratives. We share this with you, on page 30. Of course the new year is a time for reflection and new progress. And with this in mind we look back on major trade fairs (Cersaie) and festivals (London Design Festival and Unlimited: Designing for Asia Pacific), while gauging the cultural zeitgeist to forecast a new year of trends and developments. You’ll find everything you’ll need to know for the year to come in our Trends Forecast 2011 feature, on page 73. I wasn’t bluffing when I said we look up – because we really do – with artist James Turrell. Turrell is renowned for his awe-inspiring, tongue-tying ‘Skyspaces’: structural wonders which harness light and space to create the most fascinating of optical illusions. Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it! Read on, on page 34. And here I save the best for last, with DQ’s special flip-side section featuring the Australian International Design Awards Yearbook 2010. We’re really pleased to be teaming up with AIDA to present this special annual publication as part of DQ magazine, and it’s our great pleasure to share with you the 2010 Design Award and Design Mark winners, as well as Australian Design Award – James Dyson Award recipients, in AIDA’s official Yearbook for 2010. Alice Blackwood – Editor
Contributing Writers Andrea Lunt, Anne-Maree Sargeant, Ben Morgan, Collette Swindells, Frankie Unsworth, Hande Renshaw, Jackie Hawkins, Kath Dolan, Kristian Aus, KT Doyle, Linda Cheng, Lisa Kappel, Mandi Keighran, Nicky Lobo, Peter Sackett, Siobhan McNabb, Stephanie Madison, Stephen Crafti Publisher/Managing Director Raj Nandan raj@indesign.com.au PA to Publisher Colleen Black colleen@indesign.com.au Cover Image: ‘SAYL’ chair by Yvés Behar for Herman Miller Raj portrait photo: Courtesy of Indesign Alice portrait photo: Mark Gambino Correction DQ39, pg15: The new Frank Gehry building is for the University of Technology, Sydney (rather than the University of Sydney!). Please visit uts.edu.au for more information.
Published under licence by Indesign Publishing Pty Ltd ABN 96 101 789 262 Sydney Head Office L1, 50 Marshall Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 (61 2) 9368 0150, (61 2) 9368 0289 (fax) info@indesign.com.au indesignlive.com Subscriptions subscriptions@indesign.com.au AUSTRALIA $25 (inc GST) 1 year / $50 (inc GST) 2 years INTERNATIONAL $50AUD 1 year / $100AUD 2 years DQ is a wholly owned Australian publication, which is designed and published quarterly in Australia. DQ is available through subscription, at major newsagencies and bookshops nationally. Subscriptions – never miss an issue by subscribing online at indesignlive.com, faxing us at (61 2) 9368 0289, or emailing subscriptions@indesign.com.au. Design Quarterly is a quarterly publication fed by who is doing what in the design industry, championing the personality behind design. It aims to promote and create the next generation of design as well as supporting those designers who are more established. The Editor accepts submissions from writers/photographers/illustrators for editorial consideration. We encourage those working in the design industry to submit news and announcements, so we can keep readers abreast of your new developments. Editorial submissions should be made out to the Editor at the Sydney Head Office. Any digital images should be supplied on CD at 300dpi with a minimum width of 15cm. Please also supply full contact details and captions with images. Contributions are submitted at the sender’s risk, and DQ cannot accept any loss or damage. Please retain duplicates of text and images. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any other means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise. The publishers assume no responsibility for errors or omissions or any consequences of reliance on this publication. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, the publisher or the publication. Magazine Stock At Indesign Publishing we are aware of our responsibility to the environment. When designing DQ, we selected a paper stock produced by Nordland Papier, a company certified under ISO14001 environmental management systems. The paper used to print this publication is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Our printers also adhere to strict policies to prevent unnecessary harm to the environment – including the use of soy-based inks. Print
Online
Events
Editorial Director Paul McGillick editor@indesign.com.au Operations Manager Adele Troeger adele@indesign.com.au Financial Director Kavita Lala kavita@indesign.com.au Accounts Department Gabrielle Regan & Irina Davydova gabrielle@indesign.com.au irina@indesign.com.au Online Editor Ben Morgan ben@indesign.com.au Marketing & Events Kylie Turner kylie@indesign.com.au Angela Raven angela@indesign.com.au Grace Hall grace@indesign.com.au Laura Sue-San laura@indesign.com.au
a Schiavello initiative
DESIGN QUARTERLY ISSUE 40 SUMMER 2011
CONTENTS
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REGULARS 10
OPEN FORUM
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12 NEWS 14
NEWS BITES
18 PRODUCTS 24
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EMERGING TALENT FEATURES 29 PEOPLE Giovanna Castiglioni Henry Pilcher James Turrell Benja Harney Paul Bennett Munkii
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“ Australia is the country that exports ‘lifestyle’ to the rest of
45 EVENTS London Design Festival Lego Architecture Cersaie Unlimited: Designing for the Asia Pacific Quench Design Fringe Furniture Audio Design Museum
the world” Tyler Brûlé, Editor-in-Chief Monocle
INDUSTRY 61 BUSINESS Business Report – Work Resembles Life Yazz Euroluce Abey 73
TRENDS FORECAST 2011
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81 PARTIES Stylecraft Hub Furniture Yazz Designer Rugs Markant Anibou Häfele 94
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ON THE MOVE
96 DIARY
SPECIAL SECTION: FLIP TO THE BACK – AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL DESIGN AWARDS YEARBOOK 2010
diversity is the new paradigm in workplace design climate workclimate.com
a Schiavello initiative
NEWS
01 INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
We meet with Audi designer, Mark Shipard, while he’s back on home soil It seems unlikely that a grand piano could bare any resemblance to an automobile, and yet Audi have tackled the task – with stunning results. From luggage to golf accessories, musical instruments and luxury watches, the Audi Design team take quite a conceptual and reflective approach to their work. Senior Designer and Australian ex-pat, Mark Shipard, works in Audi’s concept studio in Munich, Germany, and describes their approach to creating non-automotive accessories as “quite new”. “We design every piece, thinking about what kind of product we’d like to have.” Audi’s foray into ‘piano-dom’ (with Austrian piano manufacturer Bösendorfer) has really taken them in new directions, the results more about “brand building rather than brand support”, he says. Shipard was well equipped for this meeting of automobiles with musical instruments, having worked worldwide on “hundreds of projects” across household, industrial equipment, sporting goods and even the odd tractor. There is a strong advantage in this, says Shipard, who channels his industry expertise and across-theboard knowledge into the concept design team. The piano was one of the first projects he worked on after joining Audi in 2007. “It was [completed] quite a while ago, but is only recently on the market.” Currently the concept design studio are developing new innovations in the area of ski sports – an industry which Audi is heavily involved in. “We’ve been working with people from our engineering department and the German Ski Association.” The results are “revolutionary”, says Shipard. Visit Audi’s website to see their full range of non-automotive accessories. AUDI 1800 502 834 audi.com.au
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01 “The way we’re doing it is quite new. We design every piece thinking about what kind of product we’d like” Mark Shipard
02 SURFACE DESIGN
Timorous Beasties fill us in on their latest collection with Brintons There’s a touch of whimsy, and a mythical vibe to the new collection from Timorous Beasties (TB) for Brintons. Masters of surface, the TB team, which consists of creative duo Alistair (or Ali) McAuley and Paul Simmons, have really hit the mark, translating their expertise in textile and wallpaper design into flooring. As McAuley says, “The new collection is part of a journey to explore a new direction. After all, we are surface decorators and our skills lend themselves to many different mediums, whether that’s two – or three-dimensional.”
Encompassing seven themes, the new collection follows on from TB’s initial collaboration with Brintons in 2007. “The brief for this latest collection was to progress the work we touched on during that first creative [partnership],” says McAuley. There’s ‘Plantation’, which explores the notion of what is beautiful – and what is not, with devilish, delicately hand-drawn snakes and tobacco flowers. ‘Tree of Life’ is a contemporary take on a TB classic with “beautifully detailed leaf and branch forms that have been overlaid with large concentric circle shapes”. And the list goes on, with spiritual patterns, eye-catching motifs and an interplay of traditionalversus-contemporary forms. In a way TB are working out of their natural comfort zone, but as McAuley says, “I think the more you do out of [that] zone, the more people appreciate your work and feel inspired to work with you. We’re now working in mediums [including] ceramics, glass, stonework and metal.” BRINTONS 1800 332 694 brintons.net TIMOROUS BEASTIES (44 0) 141 959 3331 timorousbeasties.com
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03 INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
We talk chairs with Kasper Salto while he’s in Australia “Design is to take something and make it better.” It’s this belief that informs the work of Danish industrial designer Kasper Salto, in Australia recently to launch his latest piece, the ‘Nap’ chair for Fritz Hansen. A former cabinet-maker, Salto’s creations are more about function than fashion, despite his work gracing designer spaces across the world. “If I should design a chair, then I’m not thinking of any shape, form or style,” he says. “I’m only thinking about how would a chair be good as a tool for sitting, on a daily basis. That’s the only thing that matters in my mind.” Salto’s emphasis on practicality and usability is evident in the design of the stackable ‘Nap’ chair. Lightweight for easy portability, the plastic chair incorporates curved backing to meld with the body and a rippled seat surface to anchor the user and prevent sliding.
04 DESIGN FOR INTERIORS
For Salto, a self-confessed chair buff, his latest design project with the European design company was a rewarding one. “I’m very interested in chairs, when I pass a chair I have to see who made it, when was it made, how well will the material last? I’m always looking at chairs.” However it’s not all about the seat for Salto, who also runs a collaborative studio, Salto & Sigsgaard, with architect and designer Thomas Sigsgaard. Together they have produced the ‘Nosy’ lamp, which was picked up by Light Years, and they’re currently working on a new product... “which isn’t a lamp... that’s the only thing I can say,” hints Salto. ‘Nap’ chair is available in Australia through Corporate Culture. CORPORATE CULTURE (61 2) 9690 0077 corporateculture.com.au
Six designers have been named finalists in Designer Rugs Evolve Awards With more than 850 entrants from across Australia and New Zealand, the inaugural Designer Rugs Evolve Awards 2010/11 proved a hit with industry professionals. Set to become an important fixture on the design calendar, the awards provide an opportunity for designers, architects and artists to have their work featured as part of an elite commercial rug range. Six lucky finalists – Gavin Harris, Emma Elizabeth, Louise McGregor, Lachlan Allen, Edward Wong and Sarah Marriott – have had their winning entries transformed into handmade rugs to feature as part of the new ID Collection 2010/2011. The finalists were chosen by a
panel of industry judges who made their selections based on “overall concept and originality, innovation, residential and commercial viability, and demonstrated understanding of handmade rug construction”, according to Designer Rugs spokesperson Liana Lorenzato. On sale through Designer Rugs showrooms, the ID Collection will also include a special selection of designs from four of the judges, including Matthew Sheargold and Shareen Joel, Stephen Ormandy of Dinosaur Designs and interior stylist Sibella Court. Designs within the collection are limited to an edition of 30 pieces that can be custom sized and coloured to suit residential and commercial interiors. To register for the 2012 Evolve Awards visit the Designer Rugs website. DESIGNER RUGS EVOLVE AWARDS 1300 802 561 designerrugs.com.au/evolve-awards
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02 SLIGHTLY AWKWARD There’s something a bit off-balance about this little guy. With its truncated leg, it can be an ambient table lamp or a directional task lamp, adjustable simply by tipping back. NONLINEAR STUDIO (401) 580 1168 nonlinearstudio.com
03 EQUIS “Simplicity in an intricate world” is the philosophy behind this new outdoor collection. Its name comes from its X-shaped cross structure, providing great structural resistance. MERMELADA ESTUDIO (34) 934 328 202 mermeladaestudio.es
04 NEO The sophisticated yet reserved forms of Omvivo’s ‘Neo’ collection perfectly represents the modern environment. Ideal as a statement piece, or an attractive yet practical choice. OMVIVO (61 3) 9339 8130 omvivo.com
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05 KAMA Created by emerging designer Benjamin Ferriol for EGO Paris, the ultra-modern, aluminium-framed ‘KAMA’ is perfect for a variety of indoor and outdoor settings. CLASSIQUE (61 2) 9331 8826 classique.net.au
01 BUTTER The ‘Butter’ seat is an extension of the original ‘Butter’ stool. Made from recycled plastic milk bottles, it was presented at Saturday in Design last year.
06 LEAN Alex Bradley has designed this multi-functional object for hanging towels and bathrobes. A flexible piece, ‘Lean’ can be easily moved and repositioned. Available as a mirror.
DESIGN BY THEM (61 2) 8005 4805 designbythem.com
EX.T (39) 055 331 700 ex-t.it
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07 HOOP Made from lightweight aluminium with a PVC weave shell, ‘Hoop’ is water and UV-resistant, available in red, black, natural and green. Woolly ‘Hoop’ covers also available. TEMPERATURE DESIGN (61 3) 9419 1447 temperaturedesign.com.au
08 ARABIAN BIRDS This opulent pattern by Florence Broadhurst is printed on the new generation wall covering, OPTILUX. Coloured in spearmint, daffodil, charcoal and china white on champagne and black OPTILUX.
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SIGNATURE PRINTS (61 2) 8338 8400 signatureprints.com.au
09 CURL From Studio Italia Design and Russian designer Dima Loginoff comes this collection with lacquered steel strands woven into light shades. Includes pendant, table, and floor lamp. SPECIAL LIGHTS (61 2) 8399 2411 speciallights.com.au
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10 ARGO Characterised by seductive, sensual curves and sculptural form, this visually appealing collection adds a touch of luxury, sophistication and timelessness to the daily living environment. PHOENIX (61 3) 9780 4200 phoenixtapware.com.au
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11 BRONTE Channelling minimalist design for outdoor use, this dining table and benches is constructed from wide boards of sanded teak. Available at 2,200mm and 2,700mm lengths. ECO OUTDOOR 1300 131 413 ecooutdoor.com.au
12 SAYL Herman Miller presents ‘SAYL’, a new family of seating by Yves Béhar. It features 3D Intelligent™ Suspension Back, the first full-suspension back that is literally frameless. HERMAN MILLER info_au@hermanmiller.com hermanmiller.com.au
13 SUCCESSFUL LIVING It’s finally here! The ‘Successful Living’ collection from Diesel with Moroso features a whole range of divine pieces for the interior, including this ‘Over-dyed’ side chair. 11
HUB FURNITURE (61 3) 9652 1222 hubfurniture.com.au
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SPONSORED WOVEN IMAGE
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WOVEN IMAGE IPAD APPLICATION 01 Woven Image App: Power Search Downloadable High Resolution Swatches 02 Woven Image App: Home Page 03 Woven Image App: Power Search
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Interior finishes distributor Woven Image is engaging with architects and designers on new levels following the introduction of the first commercial textile and vertical finishes app for Apple iPad. In launching the app Woven Image is providing solutions that assist designers, as well as its own sales force, in engaging with Woven Image’s range of products and services whenever and wherever they want. The app, designed and built by Sydney-based Creative Licence Digital, gives greater access and flexibility to their product range. Fast to use and attractively designed, the app’s user interface enables designers to easily search Woven Image’s extensive interior finishes database, filtering by finish application, colour, pattern, and sustainability criteria. Additionally, by using finger touch favourites a user’s personal product preferences can be saved to a colourboard, stored, printed or sent to email. The application will grow with Woven Image and its global customer base. Exciting developments and 3D digital mapping will ensure the
“IT ALLOWS US TO EVOLVE WITH OUR AUDIENCE, BUILD PARTNERSHIPS WITH THEM, MAKING THEIR JOBS EASIER.” continued usage of the app into the future and a healthy life for this innovative investment. “Our new Woven Image App allows us to deliver an application that makes our clients’ and our own global sales force interaction with our products and services more efficient, productive and fun,” says Jasmine Hopcraft, Marketing Manager Woven Image. “It allows us to evolve with our audience, build partnerships with them, making their jobs easier.” Woven Image’s new iPad application is free and available for download via iTunes. WOVEN IMAGE 1800 888 650 wovenimage.com
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PEOPLE MUNKII
designquarterly.com.au
BASIC INSTINCT Keeping things simple has never been as intriguing as in the designs of Munkii. Lisa Kappel learns about finding beauty in the basic.
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unkii was established in 2007 with one clear aim: to create furniture that occupies space in an intelligent way. A quick flick through their latest range of products and it’s obvious this young design studio has already far exceeded its simple objective. Based in Singapore, Munkii ascribes to the belief that “whatever pleases the eye, the heart desires”. It is this mantra that has propelled Munkii into the global arena, producing designs that respond to a basic human instinct, that is, our obsession with beauty and a desire to live in its presence. Leading the creative team is chief designer Jaren Goh, who twice has been honoured with the Red Dot Design Merit Award (2005 and 2008). Goh’s influence sees Munkii developing interesting, contemporary concepts that draw from traditional lines. Their 2011 range focusses on straightforward designs with a distinct voice. Vice President Kelvin Goh explains, “Sometimes the best way to connect two points is the obvious simple line. The team is constantly committed to cutting out the fuss in whatever we choose to produce. We wanted our 2011 range to be unpretentious in its form, yet a deliberate show-stopper.” The range consists of seven pieces, each with individual character, while responding to Munkii’s call for uncomplicated design that speaks volumes. The ‘Strut’ stool series is one example, marrying basic lines with chic curves to create a seat that speaks of the nonchalant sophistication the average woman longs to possess. The inspiration behind this, says Goh was to create a “barstool that oozes feminine appeal.” Exuding an entirely different tone is the ‘Lamp 45’. Designed in collaboration with Lightbuff, ‘Lamp 45’ plays on geometric form, with intriguing results. Made from lasercut aluminium and steel wire mesh, this desk lamp is mounted on a 45-degree angle, enlivening studytime with a little modern-day quirk. With other pieces already on the market and more soon to be launched, Munkii has secured a sturdy name in the industry. Goh explains that while the company still learns from more mature brands, Munkii offers the design arena a unique break. “We bring in a fresh change of air and much needed unexpectedness to the design environment.” It’s clear that whether or not Munkii utilises a basic approach, its influence on design is anything but basic. MUNKII (65) 9710 2777 munkii.com.sg
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“ Sometimes the best way to connect two points is the obvious simple line”
Clockwise from top left » Jaren Goh » ‘Lamp 45’ » ‘Vintage’ bookshelf » ‘Strut’ stools
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EVENTS LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL
FESTIVAL WITH ATTITUDE
“ The Anti-Design Festival was an unpolished, this-isClockwise from top left » Anti-Design Festival, Photo: Susan Smart Photography » Matilda exhibition of Australian design » ‘Quilted Dollar’ by Ed Vince, Photo: Courtesy of Payne Shurvell » ‘A Gust of Wind’ by Paul Cocksedge. Photo: Mark Cocksedge » ‘Rotating Squares’ table by Tom Cecil
what-you-get, fingers-up to the design establishment”
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LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL What: Festival When: 18 – 26 September 2010 Where: London, United Kingdom » londondesignfestival.com
esign festivals can make you laugh or cry. At their best, they showcase experimentation and genuine innovation and leave you hopeful for the future. At their worst, they’re a mundane mishmash of so-so products, restyled bookcases, tables and chairs, seen and done a thousand times before. Thankfully, the 2010 London Design Festival with its 200-plus events, had a rich and varied program that catered for a broad spectrum of interests. It was certainly made richer this year with the addition of The AntiDesign Festival in East London, the brainchild of famed graphic designer Neville Brody. An unpolished, this-is-what-you-get, fingersup-to-the-design-establishment experience, visitors were encouraged to rummage through barely curated work, bring in their portfolio for an honest critique or simply come along and have a go. A stone’s throw away on Brick Lane, TENT and TENT Digital confirmed itself as the most diverse event of the festival. From Alex Randall’s taxidermy ‘Rat Swarm’ lamp to Jung Myung Taek’s sprung metal furniture, many of 2010’s exhibitors combined traditional techniques with new technologies. Nearby, Matilda showcased for the first time in the UK, spotlighting 13 of Australia’s best designers. This inaugural exhibition featured designs ranging from Husque’s recycled macadamia nut bowls to Volker Haug’s ‘Antler’ range of porcelain lighting. Tyler Brûlé (founder of Wallpaper* and Editor-in-Chief at Monocle) described Australia as the country that exported ‘lifestyle’ to the rest of the world. Matilda proved that the Australian environment of infinite space, sky and sea provides a backdrop for design that is simple, authentic and full of hope. Across the Thames, Designersblock delivered a convincing return to form, taking over five floors of the Bargehouse at Oxo Tower Wharf on the South Bank. Imogen Luddy’s laser cut stainless steel ‘Cross Stitch’ table and other interior products used antique lace, doilies and embroidered samplers, digitalising their structures and reproducing them in unexpected ways. Royal College of Art graduate Ani Rao is surely onto a winner with his ‘Kranium’ cycling helmet, laser cut from cardboard. It is four times more impact-absorbent than a conventional helmet, 100 grams lighter, recyclable, cheap to produce, and is custom moulded to your head via a nifty balaclava 3D scan. Its potential for use with community bike schemes in cities across the world is huge. 100%Design celebrated its 16th birthday and brought us a varied bunch, including 14 dedicated
international pavilions (Australia was conspicuous by its absence). The strength of this year’s offering came from those who emphasised risk-taking and possibilities for the future. Tom Cecil’s ‘Rotating Squares’ table was a favourite, drawing crowds to see this 480-millimetre square table rotate to 1.4 times its size through clever manipulation of geometry and hand-stitching of wood with nylon. Equally engaging, his two-metre-long stretched steeltop table was held in place under 30 tonnes of tensioned force by a single ratchet strap. From the useful to the joyful, renowned UK design practice Paul Cocksedge Studio presented ‘A Gust of Wind’, exhibited for one day only at the V&A Museum. Threehundred curvaceous pieces of Corian – perceived to be a heavy material – were transformed into lightweight pieces of paper, seemingly blown into the air by a gust of wind. Equally delightful was ‘Drop’ an oversized coin “which has fallen to earth from a giant’s palm”, an interactive sculpture whose magnetic pull had crowds pouring to South Bank. For every penny given by the public, £1 was donated by sponsors to charity – a fitting end to a festival characterised, refreshingly, by purposefulness and a healthy attitude towards risk. Text by Jackie Hawkins
EVENTS UNLIMITED: DESIGNING FOR THE ASIA PACIFIC
DESIGN WITHOUT LIMITS O
Clockwise from top left » ‘Lightwave’ installation by AnL Studio, Photo: Tobias Titz » One, Part II exhibition » ‘Colony’ by Christina Waterson, part of One, Part II » Make Change exhibition, Photo: Tobias Titz » Background image: ‘Lightwave’ installation by AnL Studio, Photo: Tobias Titz
ctober 2010 was a giant month in Brisbane’s design calendar hosting both the inaugural Design Triennial, Unlimited: Designing for the Asia Pacific (4 – 10 October), and Optimism, ICOGRADA’s Design Week (11 – 17 October) in and around South Bank. Under the creative direction of Ewan McEoin and the theme of ‘opportunity’, Unlimited set out to demonstrate how design and design-led thinking can address the big challenges facing the region: food, water, energy, shelter, health and education. Firmly planting the series of public talks, workshops, a business symposium, master classes, youth events, collaborative projects and exhibitions in the dynamic program were the international and keynote speakers, who collectively sign-posted what is evolving as a local/global movement towards better living through ethical, social and environmental solutions. Addressing these fundamental issues with no-nonsense ‘calls to action’ were humanitarian Bunker Roy, Director of India’s Barefoot College; prolific international architect and co-author of SmartCities and Eco-Warriors, CJ Lim; IDEO’s dynamic, no-frills Chief Creative Officer, Paul Bennett; and innovative thinker, educator and international architect, Sir Peter Cook. These luminaries shared several core beliefs and approaches, but one stood out like a beacon. Without sounding like an ad campaign for Nike or Virgin: nothing will change unless we simply ‘do it’. They emphasised the importance of being persistent, taking a grassroots approach to problems by working upwards through ‘the hierarchy’ to engage real change, and actually talking to people.
As Paul Bennett said, “just ask them and they’ll tell you what they need”. Radical? No. Obvious and effective, yes. Make Change: Design Thinking in Action, the Triennial’s showcase exhibition curated by Fleur Watson (Senior Curator for Unlimited), presented several international case studies, linking seamlessly to Bunker Roy’s address by showing design thinking as problem-solving with humancentred, tangible outcomes. The Unlimited program focussed on facilitating the exchange of ideas by reframing design as a valuable and useful response to urgent needs rather than a product-focussed, aesthetics-driven industry, and this was illustrated in Unlimited Associations, a wider framework of satellite events. It was impossible to be involved in every corner of the daily schedule, but everyone gave it a red-hot crack! Opening the program was the unveiling of a reactive and immersive kinetic lighting installation ‘Lightwave’, by AnL Studio. Temporarily sited at South Bank, this work ignited conversation about contemporary parks as performative public spaces. Pervading the public spaces and collections of the State Library of Queensland (Unlimited’s official hub), the group exhibition ‘Light from Light’, explored the library as a site of enlightenment. Shared by webcam between Brisbane and Shanghai, it supported the Triennial’s commitment to open discourse in the region and the goal of the Unlimited website to continue the conversation online between triennials. The Asia Pacific Design Library was launched at the State Library of Queensland (SLQ) with Kent Gration’s 17-piece bamboo lighting
installation, ‘Constellation’ as the centrepiece. Gration went on to show the work at 100% Design Shanghai 2010, furthering the conversation between Australia and China. Also embracing exchange within the region was the Quench design collective, launching new products on a stopover to Design Tide Tokyo 2010 and sharing skills, contacts and expertise, implicit in design thinking. In the words of Leonard Nimoy: “The more we share, the more we have”. Also collaborating were designers Samantha Parsons, Brian Steendÿk and television chef Ben O’Donohue in ‘Food for Design’, planting the seed of designing sustainability into our everyday lives. ‘One, Part II’, on show at Spiro and Grace Art Rooms, celebrated the role of one-off work in contemporary art with design artefacts pitching the human desire for individuality. Meanwhile, contemporary jeweller Barbara Heath’s ‘Tinsmith: An Ordinary Romance…’ at artisan idea:skill:product highlighted the importance of design in connecting people with their heritage, history and sense of place. Christina Waterson’s ‘Where We Live’ explored a series of working studies on the Brisbane typology of the veranda at Raw Space Gallery, and inhabiting the SLQ foyer were Derlot’s Haus, three ‘little houses’ designed as meeting places and conversation points. On this note it would be fair to say that Unlimited has provided an excellent framework to build upon for the next triennial. Stay tuned and get involved in what happens in between... Text by KT Doyle
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“ Unlimited set out to demonstrate how design and design-led thinking can address the big challenges facing the region”
UNLIMITED: DESIGNING FOR THE ASIA PACIFIC
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What: Festival Where: Brisbane, Queensland When: 4 – 10 October 2010 » unlimitedap.com
UNLIMITED What: Festival Where: Brisbane, Queensland When: 4 – 10 October 2010 » unlimitedap.com
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ANDREA MILLAR Clockwise from top left » ‘Kelly’ chair from Jardan » ‘Las Santas’ lamp by Jaime Hayón for Metalarte, from Space Furniture » ‘Hang’ lamp from Normann Copenhagen » ‘Diana A’ side table by Konstantin Grcic for ClassiCon, from Anibou » ‘Paper Wood’ stool by Drill Design
Andrea Millar sees in the year ahead nostalgia for design classics loved for their longevity as well as uplifting colour and inspiring products handmade with love: knitted lampshades, for example, that give us an instant hit of warm emotion. Add to this experimentation with renewable materials fueled by our concerns about consumer waste and you’ve got four overlapping themes Millar says will shape the challenging year ahead. “I think it’s been a difficult year for design to be honest,” she says. “And I think the next year will also be difficult for design, only because of the ongoing impacts of the global financial crisis. It’s been a very safe year... of licking our wounds and creating products that have an emotional connection with people. I don’t think anybody’s just buying products for the sake of buying a product. So designers
DESIGN EDITOR, HABITUS MAGAZINE
and manufacturers are having to go beyond the call of duty to create an emotional response with people so that it’s an experience worth having.” “Designers have gone about this in different ways,” Millar says. Colour, for example, is being used as “a way of counteracting the seriousness of the times and of life in Europe and America, where a lot of these designs are coming from. Even old classics are reinvented with colour. “If you look at Thonet bentwood chairs, they sell in bright yellow and bright red more than (plain) wood these days. People are happy to play with colour in their own dining rooms. Everything is about connecting emotionally with what’s in your home or what you buy.” Millar says a growing interest in sustainability, naturally durable materials and simple, non-fussy designs born out of genuine need rather than fashion cycles will lead
to less experimentation with new materials in the year ahead – with the exception of renewables. “I don’t see as (many) new materials coming through,” she says. “There was a period a few years ago when technology was driving furniture and design objects, so if somebody in the car industry had invented a new plastic, that then filtered down into interiors with new bowls or new coffee tables. Whereas I don’t think that’s happening at the moment.” With an interest in classic shapes, a focus on natural materials is emerging, including plentiful plantation timbers and plywoods and, for upholstery, wool, felt and cotton. “Nothing fussy and no need to replace quickly,” Millar says.
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Design Quarterly issue 40 OUT 19 JANUARY Click here to subscribe to DQ magazine
PARTIES STYLECRAFT
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01 Ebony Mattschoss, Kate Colligan, Jacob Adams, Hayley Brooks 02 Enjoying the evening 03 Alexis Milligan, Alice Sangster, Rod Waghorn 04– 05 Smiling for the camera 06 The new showroom space 07 Michael Taylor, Thomas Taylor, Brett Thompson, Yianni Taousakis 08 Anna Rogers, Anthony Collins, Richelle Martin 09 Ryan Martin, Pete Gardiner 10 Danielle Stergiou, Amy Kowalczyk 11 Vi Nguyen, Jordan D’Arsie 12 Mandy Primett, Simon Tothill 13 Danielle Feltrin, Natasha Konstandopoulos
STYLECRAFT GOES SOUTH 06
STYLECRAFT What: Adelaide showroom launch Where: Waymouth Street showroom, Adelaide When: October 2010 Guests: A&D community, clients, colleagues & friends Contact: 1300 306 960 » stylecraft.com.au 07
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“ Stylecraft’s new Adelaide showroom, by Woods Bagot Adelaide, opened in a shower of champagne bubbles”
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ADVERTISER INDEX Abey abey.com.au 016
DIARY JANUARY
Bathe bathe.net.au 048 Beclau beclau.com 071 Bevisco bevisco.com.au 068 Blanco blanco-australia.com 043
FEBRUARY
MARCH
Blok Furniture blokfurniture.com.au 050 Blue Sky Design Group blueskycreative.com.au 025 Café Culture cafeculture.com.au 079
EVENTS COMPOSTMODERN 2011 Herbst Theatre & The Academy of Art, San Francisco 22 – 23 January 2011 » compostmodern.org
AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL FURNITURE FAIR & Decoration + Design Sydney Exhibition Centre, Sydney 2 – 4 February 2011 » aiff.net.au
INNOVATE 2011: PROFITABLE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Sydney Harbour Marriott, Sydney 21 – 22 February 2011 » marcusevans.com
SA DESIGNERS’ SATURDAY South Australia February 2011 » dia.org.au
TYPOGRAPHY DAY 2011 National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad 3 – 5 March 2011 » idc.iitb.ac.in/~typo/
HOTEL HOSPITALITY + DESIGN 2011 Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Sydney 14 – 16 March 2011 » hhdexpo.com.au
L’ORÉAL MELBOURNE FASHION FESTIVAL Melbourne 14 – 20 March 2011 » lmff.com.au
careersindesign.com.au 087 Cavalier Bremworth cavbrem.com.au 055 Chairbiz chairbiz.com 089 Classique classique.net.au 082–083 DAL+ Brands dalseating.com.au 066 Diami diami.com.au 097 DQ Blog designquarterly.com.au 024 Dynalite dynalite-online.com 039 Earp Bros earp.com.au 026 Ensson orangebox.com 060 Fashion Group fashiongroup.com.au 064 Forme Bathroom Collection formebathroomcollection.com.au 085 habitusliving.com 076 Herman Miller hermanmiller.com.au 044 Hotbeam hotbeam.com 078 Inlite inlite.com.au 042 InterfaceFLOR interfaceflor.com.au 028
Staging Action
L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival
Australian International Furniture Fair
EXHIBITIONS NEW WORKS BY TOBY MUIR-WILSON Design Centre Tasmania, Launceston Opens 24 January 2011 » designcentre.com.au
STAGING ACTION: PERFORMANCE IN PHOTOGRAPHY SINCE 1960 The Museum of Modern Art, New York 28 January – 9 May 2011 » moma.org
JOHN PAWSON – PLAIN SPACE Design Museum, London Until 30 January 2011 » designmuseum.org plainspace.co.uk
AUDIO DESIGN MUSEUM TOUR Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane Ongoing program
MANSTYLE National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne 11 March – 27 November 2010
SQUINT OPERA Gallery of Australian Design, Canberra 9 February – 12 March 2011
ALEXANDER LOTERSZTAIN Gallery of Australian Design, Canberra 23 March – 25 April 2011
» audiodesignmuseum.com
» gad.org.au
21ST CENTURY: ART IN THE FIRST DECADE Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane Until 25 April 2011
» ngv.vic.gov.au
» gad.org.au
THE GLOBAL AFRICA PROJECT Museum of Arts and Design, New York Until 15 May 2011 » madmuseum.org
» qag.qld.go v.au 21cblog.com
Krost Business Furniture krost.com.au 056 Light Culture lightculture.com.au 051 Living Edge livingedge.com.au IFC–001 Markant Australia markantoffice.com 090 Milano Furniture milanofurniture.com.au 017 Neff sampfordixl.com.au 072 Office Spectrum officespectrum.com.au
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Parisi Bathware parisi.com.au 091
Rim Fabrics rimfabrics.com.au 015 RJ Workspace rj.com.au 033
2011 KITCHEN TOOLS DESIGN COMPETITION Entries close 7 January 2011
LIVING CITY DESIGN COMPETITION Entries close 1 February 2011
D&AD STUDENT AWARDS 2011 Entries close 31 January 2011
AUSTRALIAN INTERIOR DESIGN AWARDS Entries close 4 February 2011
» dandad.org
Klik Systems kliksystems.com.au 065
Radford Furnishings radfordfurnishings.com 077
COMPETITIONS
» whatsbubbling.net
Interstudio interstudio.com.au 014
» ilbi.org
AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL DESIGN AWARDS Applications close 31 March 2011 » designawards.com.au
Sampford IXL sampfordixl.com.au 002–003 Saturday in Design saturdayindesign.com.au 004–005 Schiavello schiavello.com
007, 009
Smeg Appliances smegappliances.com.au 036
» australianinteriordesignawards.com
Staron Solid Surfaces staron.com.au 062
DULUX COLOUR AWARDS Entries close 8 February 2011
Stylecraft stylecraft.com.au 095 Table&Chair tableandchaircompany.com.au 059
» dulux.com.au/colourawards
Technogym Australia technogym.com/au 080 Tsar tsar.com.au 011 University Of Technology Sydney uts.edu.au 093 Woven Image wovenimage.com 027 D&AD Student Awards 2011
Work by Toby Muir-Wilson
Dulux Colour Awards
Yazz yazz.com.au 086