Entering its 3rd edition, Arts KL-Melbourne was one of the most anticipated Malaysian art event in Melbourne where all visitors and guests got to understand better and admire Malaysian art, in fact some of the collectors had the opportunities to own Malaysian art. Furthermore it was a good branding strategy for Malaysia as the event also encouraged other potential business opportunities and discussions through art and culture.
About 250 invited guests attended the official opening with the theme Discover Malaysia Art, declared open by the Guest of Honor, Mr Felix Wong, President of the Australia Malaysia Business Council Victoria. Other VIPs included City Councillor at City of Melbourne Cr Ken Ong, Member of Parliament of Australia Michael Sukkar MP, Patron of Multicultural Arts Victoria Jason Yeap OAM and MATRADE was represented by Director Wan Latiff and Australia Trade Commissioner Noor Hayati.
This year the Arts KL-Melbourne project has reached another milestone by having 2 Australian parties, namely the Australia Malaysia Business Council Victoria and Jasper Hotel signing a Memorandum Of Understanding to further explore and promote Malaysian art in Australia.
This is made possible through the initiative of MATRADE adopting the Malaysian art and fashion as soft export, making it possible to provide an important platform for the Malaysia creative industry to globalize.
The exhibition was held in SpACE@Collins, a prominent space strategically located in the heart of Melbourne, perfectly situated in the infamous Collins Street and within walking distance from the National Gallery of Victoria, Federation Square and Flinders Street railway station.
Sydney designer Adam Goodrum is the winner of the national Rigg Design Prize for 2015 with his work entitled ‘Unfolding’, a series of translucent folding house structures, overlaid with dichroic film, which reflect a luminous array of colourful images across the gallery walls. This is Australia’s most prestigious accolade for contemporary furniture and object design award with a prize money of $30,000 to an Australian design practitioner.
This year’s judges were two of the biggest names in international contemporary design, Gijs Bakker (Co-Founder, Droog Design) and Wava Carpenter (Former Curator, Design Miami). Revealing a picture of contemporary Australian design that is independent, original, and expressive of present-day issues and values, the Rigg Design Prize 2015 invited seven designers to exhibit bodies of work that communicated their practice and ideas. The exhibition of all seven designers’ works opens at the National Gallery Victoria from 18 September to 7 February 2016.
悉尼设计师 Adam Goodrum 成为维多利亚国家美术馆2015年理格设计奖优胜得主。他的作品 “Unfolding”,
Adam Goodrum grew up in Western Australia then moved to Sydney to study Industrial Design. Today Adam is focusing on furniture, product and interior design and his work unifies functionality with aesthetic.
“My design philosophy is curios, hands on, fun and rigorous. To me design is creating functional products with personality. Elements such as mechanisms, movement and geometry fascinate me.”
Adam Goodrum 在西澳成长,过后迁移到悉尼学习工业设计。Adam 的聚焦重点是家具、产品及室内设计,他的作品特质是结合功能与美感。
Designer Adam Goodrum, winner of the Rigg Design Prize 2015 in front of his luminous work Unfolding.
DANIEL TO & EMMA AISTON
Daniel To and Emma Aiston are an Adelaide based design duo that are rapidly becoming super stars internationally. Starting their practice in 2008 they have products produced in France, Denmark and USA and have been part of Wallpaper magazine’s Wallpaper Handmade three times and are frequent exhibitors in New York, Paris, Tokyo, London and Berlin.
Daniel To 和 Emma Aiston 是目前驻扎澳大利亚阿德莱德的设计组合,他们迅速崛起成为国际超级明星。2008 年他们在法国、丹麦和美国开始设计制作产品,参与墙纸杂志与壁纸手工制作,并且在纽约、巴黎、东京,伦敦与柏林频繁参展。
Daniel To and Emma Aiston (designers) at their exhibition for Rigg Design prize.
BRODIE NEILL
Examples of Brodie Neill’s material driven masterpieces such as his ‘E-turn’ bench for Kundalini (2007), his limited edition ‘Remix’ bench (2008) and his ‘Reverb’ chair shown above, formed part of the exhibition of his work along with much more recent designs for his newish brand Made in Ratio such as last years ‘Alpha’ chair and the magnificent ‘Cowrie’ rocker from Made in Ratio Collection 2.
自 2007 年开始,设计师 Brodie Neill’s 取材自昆达里尼 (瑜伽式) 的“E转向”板凳被誉为杰作,随后还有限量版的 “混音”和他的“混响”椅子概念,而形成的部分作品展览及近期的设计,包括去年的作品“恒生”,还有壮观的“玛瑙贝椅” ,都是 Made in Ratio 的收藏系列二。
Brodie Neill (designer) in front of his presentation
KATE ROHDE
At 35 Rohde is one of the younger Rigg finalists. A graduate of the Victorian College of Arts in 2001 Rohde set up her own studio a year later and has consistently exhibited since. Rohde describes her work as “shiny, loud, colourful and unashamedly decorative. I’m compelled and repulsed in equal measures by the fantastical environments I make.” The work itself is executed in various synthetic polymers and resins built up into a mesmerising tableau of furniture, vessels and ornaments.
Designer and maker Kate Rohde created a kaleidoscopic and exuberant reimagining of a Baroque-inspired dining room for the Award.
RUSSEL KOSKELA AND SASHA TITCHKOSKY
Russell Koskela and Sasha Titchkosky formed Koskela in 2000 and operate their design studio across corporate and domestic sectors creating entire interior solutions along with individual lighting and furniture products. Koskela has recently added new objects to the line up – the ‘Hoodie’ covered desk, a new range of lights that add a slick spun metal canopy component to the woven outcome and a modular meeting place made up of timber seats and supports with woven panels.
Designers Russel Koskela and Sasha Titchkosky present a display of pieces created as part of a collaboration between their studio and traditional Yolngu weavers from Elcho Island Arts in Arnhem Land.
JANOS KORBAN & STEFANIE FLAUBERT
Janos Korban and Stefanie Flaubert started their studio in 1993 while working in Germany on lightweight architecture and exhibition design but formerly founded their practice back in Sydney in 1995. Working out of their studio and workshop in Alexandria, the pair produce to both public and private commission while also creating a small range of production pieces.
Designer Stefanie Flaubert and metalworker Janos Korban of Korban Flaubert stand next to their work Iron in the soul (Sculptural bench)
KHAI LIEW
Khai Liew is an Adelaide based former restorer, turned fine woodworker and designer. Of Chinese Malay origin, after several decades of working as a restorer of the highest calibre, working on projects for private customers and museums both locally and abroad, Liew launched his design career at the ripe old age of 44. Liew is constantly reinventing the fertile ground that exists between Scandinavian, Asian and Colonial European furniture.
UAG spring cocktail in the Aston Martin showroom was all about class and style where about 100 guests were invited to celebrate the unveiling of the latest beyond contemporary luxury magazine EZ Australia featuring the talented and beautiful Nicole Chow on the cover.
The evening was reinforced with three state-of-the-art red, white and black Aston Martin in the Trivett Motor Showroom accompanied by a perfect combination of tasty finger food appetizers and free flow of fine champagne. It was definitely the perfect cocktail for one of Melbourne’s trusted developers – United Asia Group – to kick start spring. Among the guests were Simon Gary, Dug Pomeroy, Sam Matarazzo, Jac Phillips, Brett Rogers, Ivan Lam, Christopher Hope, Stephen McCulloch, Deborah Grey, Paul Webber, Kristian Dewsnap, Chris Petinarias, Helen Reizer, Ch’ng and host Nicole Chow with family Tony Battersby, Jenson and Ben Tan.
伴随着在 Trivett 汽车展厅内充满艺术感的红、白和黑的阿斯顿.马丁名车,加上精致的开胃菜与香槟完美结合,这也是深获信赖的 UAG 集团启动春季的酒会活动。当晚的嘉宾包括 Simon Gary, Dug Pomeroy, Sam Matarazzo, Jac Phillips, Brett Rogers, Ivan Lam, Christopher Hope, Stephen McCulloch, Deborah Grey, Paul Webber, Kristian Dewsnap, Chris Petinarias, Helen Reizer, Ch’ng, 主人 Nicole Chow与 Tony Battersby 一家,Jenson 与 Ben Tan。
SPOTTED Ben Tan
The cover of EZ Australia with Nicole Chow was one of the best covers. The main characters were a sophisticated yet beautiful lady accompanied by a cute white Terrier sitting in front of paintings depicting the great migration in Africa. These paintings were actually painted by the young and talented Ben Tan who is an artist and an avid photographer that has travelled to Tanzania and Kenya. Ben was also the Assistant Stills Photographer working alongside world famous celebrity photographer Dennys Ilic in the movie entitled Selection produced by Deborah Gray.
Nicole Chow 作为封面人物的御智澳大利亚是最佳封套之一。美丽的女士身旁伴随着可爱小猎犬坐在一幅描绘非洲旷野风光的画前。而这些作品实际上是由才华横溢的 Ben Tan 所绘,作为艺术家和狂热摄影师,Ben Tan 在往坦桑尼亚和肯尼亚旅行时以画笔记录了令人难忘的画面。Ben 同时担任世界著名摄影大师 Dennys Ilic 的助理摄影师,后者现正参与 Deborah Gray 监制的电影 “Selection” 的制作。