During the last weekend of the exhibition, MelbourneNOW invites you to “Make Space”.
Ever wanted to walk through your dream home before you build it? At MelbourneNOW you can immerse yourself in a full-scale environment that you can move, change and re-imagine. Consider your kitchen. Is it a place for quick meal prep? Is it the central social space of your home? Does your kitchen bench function as your workspace as well? How about a mobile kitchen that can be placed anywhere within your home – would that change the way you use your space?
“We believe that you can’t invent the future without prototyping it.” says Michael Trudgeon, Design Director at Crowd Productions. “Building something helps you understand what you are imagining. Think about it as having a conversation with your idea. As designers and architects we are always challenging people to try new ideas, and we found a fast and flexible way to build spaces so people could step inside these new ideas and test them.”
Crowd Productions, a transdisciplinary design practice specialising in prototyping and scenarios to create strategic design outcomes, is teaming up with HeathWallace, digital user experience designers, for the MelbourneNOW Design Residency. They invite you to come play, create, experiment and re-imagine a kitchen and other spaces with cardboard boxes. Like giant lego, this becomes a way to explore how we will live in the future.
Activities will include drawing, modelling, and maybe even some performance! All the tools will be provided, just bring yourself, your friends and family, and your curiosity. You can engage with the space individually, or together with those around you; there’s no rules!
The design team will be on hand to help visitors with the activities, listening and watching with interest to understand how everyone engages with the environment and the ideas as they move through the space.
“This residency is a fantastic opportunity for the public to physically experience and “test drive” a space they create themselves with minimal props.” says HeathWallace Australia’s managing director, Fiona Meighan. “Part of the fun is being able to physically step into your imagination in a way you could never do by drawing or writing.”
At the end of each day the installation will be photographed and packed down, ready for a new day of exploration and reformation. The event will be photographed and recorded (with consent) and everyone will be encouraged to share their photos and experiences to help continue the discussion amongst their communities.
Melbourne NOW Design Residency presented by Crowd Productions and HeathWallace. Grollo Equiset Garden, National Gallery of Victoria International, St Kilda Road, 20-23 March.
Crowd Productions
Dr Michael Trudgeon
Adelle Lin
HeathWallce