Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award

Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award at Melbourne Museum - nice low-tech exhibition design featuring ply-wood trestle tables at various heights and product information displayed 'pin-board' style on the walls...

It's been open a few weeks now, but on the weekend I finally got around to visiting the Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award and Design Now! (National graduate design exhibition) at the Melbourne Museum in Carlton.

The Bombay Sapphire Design Award exhibition showcases the best contemporary functional design produced in Australia each year. Selected works by each of the 10 finalists are exhibited, including their actual submission piece for the award... this means there was a lot of product on show that wasn't exactly new... but you know... that's forgivable. :)

It wasn't a large exhibition, but there was some fantastic stuff to see.... familiar sights included Anthony Dann's Paper Tiger (Mitsy?) stools, Nick's Rennie's Squash bowls and Dimple tableware, as well as Bernabeifreeman's Totem Light - which was much more beautiful in actuality than it appears in pictures. Less familiar exhibits included Stefan Lie's Demicube Shelf (2007), and Edward Wong's fantastic 3 o'Clock, 9 o' Clock Chair (2007) - my favourite piece hands down.

Stefan Lie's Demicube Shelf (2007) - a lacquered MDF shelving system that comprises 5 different sized half boxes. These box-shapes either attach to a wall or to each other to form a freestanding unit. A nice, innovative take on a familiar idea.

Bernabeifreeman's Totem Light (2007) uses a new sustainable hemp-product with resin-like qualities. The smooth, translucent finish of the material encases defines cut-crystal patterns within.

Edward Wong's 3 o'Clock, 9 o' Clock Chair (2007) incorporates a collapsible flap that transforms the posture of the chair from 3 o'Clock to 9 o 'Clock. Cute name, slick product.

Tomorrow I'll follow this up with images from the graduate exhibition Design Now!

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