creative nation

it's a busy weekend for the right-brains of the east coast… this saturday the city of brisbane will not only host one of the nations only full blue skies, it will also showcase the states best-known creatives at the Renegade Market.  Head to fortitude valley between the hours of 10 and 3 to pocket a piece of creative goodness.

further south, VIVID Sydney is in full swing.  you have until june 9 to admire the enormous (and free!) Good Design Showcase in martin place… a carefully curated selection of the the best in cutting-edge design and innovation from around the globe.

for those of us on the isle, the Design Centre Tas launches its Winter In Design program with it's usual belly and soul warming finesse.  Tapas, tunes and a tipple are on offer… as are a few 50x50 boxes in which you may submerse your noggin for full exploration of the senses.  hmm.. curious?  drinks will be poured from 6pm this friday.

So… what's happening in the west??

WORKSHOPPED 13

"how can design be future proofed for a disposable society?"

it's the question that's seen fifty home-grown bright sparks weild hammer and pixel to bring you fifty innovative responses at Workshopped13.  honoured to be asked for our input, we saw no better time to debut our new 'mod tech meets ancient craft' pendant - Pod Luxe.

emulating the success of the designers they foster, Workshopped kicked off in 2001 as a hobby, with 5 designers and an opening night figure of 400.  ok, so thats not a bad crowd, but...  zip forward to o-twelve and we have the single largest event on the australian product design calendar, with a history of 200 designers, and over half million names on the visitors book.

Workshopped13 is free (yep, save your coins for all the goods you'll soon be adding to your wish lists), and runs from august 15 - 25 at sydneys supa centa moore park.

photo: chris crerar

imagine, collab, create

the conflux of rolodexes and blackberries will be audible in brisbanes fortitude valley, next wednesday, as we hobnob with the cream of queenslands design industries. renowned for their exclusive networking events for the architecture and interior design community, The Arc Agency are set transform brisbanes Judith Wright Centre with a careful edit of covetables, canapé and creative conversation. setting the mood will be a dazzling array of our finest grandeliers, courtesy of our date, and sleek brisbane stockist, Lumen-8.

rsvps are essential, so head to The Arc website pronto.

portrait sitting

merely one of the many brilliant creations to emerge from last months Salone Internazionale del Mobile (aka Milan Furniture Fair) was this ingenious range of baroque chairs by japanese design studio, YOY.  sure to tick boxes for both apartment dwellers and those with a penchant for Heston-esque dinner parties, YOY's 'Canvas' collection is actually just some cleverly inked elastic bound to a wood and aluminium frame.  now, whilst the comfort factor is questionable, you are most definitely assured of a good conversations starter.

launch love

2:15 to spare?  encapsulated in this two minute reel are the sensory highlights of Design Tasmania's Autumn Launch Party.  of course, you can skip to 1:17 for a gander at the luminous pod luxe pendants, but we highly recommend a full viewing so as to appreciate the splendid sampling of local artistry, and rather awe-inspiring craftsmanship of wood turner, Brad Moss.  better yet… pop over to The Design Tasmania Centre and soak up this superb showcase in person.

ten days of cuir bouilli

with all the fuss made over tassies gourmet nosh, we thought we'd step into the kitchen and see if we could infuse our pendants with some of that culinary magic. intrigued? on the boil since 2012, our new lumières are set for their big reveal next month, at australias only state-wide international arts fest, Ten Days on the Island...

first, circle march 14 - 20.  DOTs interactive Objects in Place, at hobarts waterside pavilion, explores the design of public spaces and features new works from a shortlist of fifteen very fine jewellers, ceramicists, furniture makers, lighting designers (ahem!) and more.

next, head north to launcestons Design Centre Tasmania, for a behind-the-scenes peek at how technology shapes the process and informs the final product of some of tassies top designers.  Think.Make.Change.  runs from march 8 to may 26, but if you like your design with a side of food, wine and music (err… anyone who didn't put their hand up?), then make sure you're there on march 15 for their autumn launch party.

of course, our bitty selection's not all that's on offer (we're just a little biased) - so grab your festival planner here and go exploring!

dot.prototype

underway on the south of the isle is prototype - exhibiting right brain creations from the up 'n' comers of Designed Objects Tasmania, aka DOT.  it's a worthy looksee for not only buyers and admirers, but also those behind the scenes and passionate about keeping it local... the core aim to "offer tangible proposals and provide attainable opportunities to link tasmanian designers, manufacturers, architects and specifiers".  though we've taken a pass on this one in favor of polishing our prototypes for paris (so soon.. eep!), there are still many admirable contenders to marvel.  prototype opens tonight and runs at 146 ArtSpace, north hobart 'til the 6th of sep.

the circuit

this weekend we're donning our spectators badges and heading over the bass to soak up some coffee and inspiration at the bevy of trade shows melbourne has on offer.  first stop: decoration + design for an "unrivalled range of soft furnishings, outdoor decoration, artwork, homewares, objet d’arts, lighting, interior accessories and much more".  also crammed into the melbourne exhibition centre is furnitex - australias largest furniture and furnishings trade fair.  but of course we'll be spending most of our time lingering over the shoulders of our competition at d+d's lightsource - a showcase of cutting edge lighting solutions from around the globe.

last stop on the circuit is design:made:trade at the majestic royal exhibition building in carlton.  tasmania's design island posse is well rep'd with fifteen local makers amongst ninety odd of australias best furniture, fashion, textile, graphic and industrial design brands. 

we'll be peppering the blog with visuals from our design degustation so don't forget to 'like' us on facebook to get the goods (or at least some pretty pictures) from these exclusive trade only events.  oh and for our friends in adelaide - though we will be absent this time (sniff!), support a maker (or three) and get your gloves on covetable home and body wares at Bowerbird Bazaar from tomorrow 'til sunday.  happy shopping!
photo: tobias titz for design:made:trade

maison et objet

after 6 weeks of holding our breaths for a decision can somebody please pass the brown paper bags? the grandeliers are going to paris! beaming into maison et objet this 7-11 september.

blueprint for the biennale

advocates of the avant-garde, the ingenious Gerard Reinmuth (of tassie based, multi award winning architectural firm terroir) and Anthony Burke (associate professor and head of the school of architecture at UTS) will be the provocateurs of some serious bricks and mortar banter next year.   from t-square toting students to revered draftsmen,  the world of architecture will unite at the 2012 venice architecture biennale, now also considered to be the most important event on he international architecture calendar.  presiding over the aussie corner, Burke and Reinmuth are taking a 'real world' look at contemporary architecture and the innovative practices that are thoughtfully taking this country's landscape into the future.  from the mouth of Burke, it's "an exhibition designed to challenge traditionally held beliefs about what architecture can be, and celebrate new opportunities for architects working in non-traditional ways".  if you can't hop a plane to venezia come september, get the goods on this duo and their 'formations' here.
photo: David Burns

exploring cows in design

now in its eleventh year, WORKSHOPPED has become a permanent and widely anticipated ehxibition during Sydney Design. co-presented with the Powerhouse Museum, Workshopped 11 showcases 52 designers from across Australia...including 8 from Tas. exploring the influence of chaos in design...yep, i thought it said ‘cows’ in design but i managed to be picked...phew; go see at Hill Street Design Precinct, Surry Hills from august 4 – 11.

melbourne fringe festival

melbourne’s longest-running and most popular arts festival has supported and presented some 50,000 artists to more than 2,000,000 people at hundreds of venues across melbourne and victoria, since 1982. and this year it's PLUS ONE. me. as the urban sprawl continues its inexorable outward creep, Fringe Furniture looks at the encounters between the city and its others. through Fringe Furniture 2010, the spirit of a landscape fast disappearing will be rediscovered thru the theme; the city has a face and the country has a soul. ff's new home is the substation, newport. move in from sept 22 - oct 10.

rainy days

jemima and bec are firing up their pocket gallery at salamanca arts centre with two exhibition openings. both showings will be covetable and affordable. 'rainy days' features scads of mini ready-to-hang works (10cm x 10cm) in varied mediums. then crave one-off finger ornaments in 'a winter's ring'. get on to cube + rebecca roth gallery for july 14 opening. but scurry cos finishes july 29. o, btw, I have 2 works in 'rainy days' - sneaky pieces of my digital wallpapers.

here and there

At last the Grandeliers are aligning! They'll be illuminating space at Melbourne's design:made:trade, Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton Gardens from Wednesday July 14 til Sunday 19. And the New Gallery, University of Tas's Newnham Campus from Thursday July 15 to August 29

oz's most easterly point

I was recently in Australia's easterly most point to pocket lots of vitamin D before our winter set in. so i was lucky enough to see Byron Bay's artsCape biennial 2010. an environmental thrust themed all sculptures featured in Clarke's Beach Reserve. Thumbs up to some verily witty work.
http://artscapebiennial.org
Australian creator of the sometimes maligned (i love) 'silver shish kebab', Bert Flugelman took part...as did Japanese sculptor Keizo Ushio - he rocks! o, ok, that was a bad bad pun...so google his workings of jumbo pepples. and and thumbs up to the Byron markets...ah, i wish...

objects of design

Roll up! From July 12 to August 30, the University of Tasmania's NEW Gallery (on the Newnham campus) hosts an exhibition showcasing work of emerging Tasmanian designers. Titled 'Objects of Design', the event promises to blend talent from varying design fields that demonstrate an interest in materials, form and concept. (Could be crowded!) An opportunity to further advance the Grandeliers and for interested visitors to support original creative talent.

cube swings the grandeliers

In march the 24/7 rebecca roth and jemima boyer unwrapped their jewel-box gallery, cube + rebecca roth, in salamanca arts centre. as well as bec and jemima's sought after jewellery, the street front gallery features covetable art from aussie talents. so good lucken, m'ladies and thanx for swinging my grandelier in the window. also check out my petite version illuminating the corner.

henry and tom jones - no relation

Mortified to admit (so why write this?) that I strayed to tom jones' concert. That ole progenitor of the sex bomb appeared in a halo of grey curls and fronted towering digital flames...which gave me an idea. Nup, not to throw the requisite knickers on stage but to use interactive lights in my upcoming installation at the very old, very beautiful Henry Jones Art Hotel, Hobart. Thanks to a serendipitous meeting with its art curator Christine Scott in December, the Grandeliers are lighting up the second floor hallways at the end of April. So, no more concerts with warblers in their twilight years...I've much soldering to make my lighting installation sparkle. www.thehenryjones.com/