Hidden in plain sight – a new exhibition of design objects by curators Dale Hardiman and Tom Skeehan of Friends & Associates was exhibited amongst the books at Bookshop by Uro in Collingwood as part of Melbourne Design Week.
Before visiting Bookshop by Uro in Collingwood last week, I felt I knew it, having done an online book launch with Mat Ward during lockdown, despite having never been in person. Walking in, my eyes scanned the shelves and I vaguely wondered where the exhibition was, before asking for Mat. It was only after we had said hello that he pointed out one of the exhibits – the Tome portable lamp by Charlie White, an artist who creates works out of second-hand materials.
Then Mat pointed to another work – Mill clock by Coco Flip, which was right in front of me, and it was only then that I realised that there were small objects dotted throughout the shop, each one raised by a slim mint-green plinth about the size and shape of a coffee-table book. And, as I continued to scan the shelves and tables, each one seemed to pop out at me, making itself visible against the piles of books surrounding it.
Souvenir is a collaboration between Friends & Associates and Bookshop by Uro, and includes 10 works by Australian designers and artists, with each work available for sale either in store or online.
The works are one offs, varied in material and use, with a lamp, a clock, vases, coasters, incense and candle holders, and door stops. Each is like a little treasure, reflecting the interests and expertise of the designers as well as some experimentations with new forms and materials.
Alterfact Studio’s work with 3D printing ceramics has resulted in a set of porcelain coasters, Damien Wright has created a door stop out of a piece of 10,000-year-old red gum timber, and the Shareholder Fantasy Vase is a cheeky work by Dale Hardiman and Mark Dineen commemorating a vase project in the form of a mug with the word VASE written in large letters.
Continuing on past Melbourne Design Week, the curators will replace each item with a new piece as they are bought in a rolling format. Although it is small, Souvenir, and exhibitions like it, show the drive of independent designers to do something new and creative, and take us along for the ride – a valuable thing in a world filled with objects made by corporations.
Works are by: Alterfact Studio, Andrew Carvolth, Charlie White, Coco Flip, Dale Hardiman & Mark Dineen, Damien Wright, Studio ROU & Carman Skeehan, Ross Gardam, Skeehan Studio and Tom Fereday.
More on Souvenir by Friends & Associates
More on Bookshop by Uro
One of my favourite MDW exhibitions of this year – I bought the Lucid Door stop (that’s an object glistening back at me from my book shelves) and two of Andrew Carvolth’s cast wax/aluminium candle holders-coasters!
Wouldn’t it be great if the affordable design is a category continues to grow?
Oh how great! Yes – small means low risk for the designer and affordable for the buyer – win win!