NGV Design Week: Events at Fitzroy & Co.

What does it mean to have a sense of place? Where does it come from? Is it innate and immutable – the result of a perfect collision between environmental, constructed and human elements? Or can it be generated from ‘nothing’, shaped deliberately and consciously?

We believe that art and design don’t simply occupy space— they activate it, bringing to life the narratives, materials and cultural threads that shape our surroundings. In partnership with Est., we were delighted to bring this belief into two thoughtfully curated events at Melbourne Design Week 2025, hosted at Fitzroy & Co. These gatherings offered a rare glimpse into the rich intersection of local art, lived experience, and built environments — and ask: how might art and design synthesise to craft not just places to dwell, but places to belong?

We invited our audience into the making-of — into how artists worked across the project, why art and design is important to us as residents and creatives.

Fitzroy & Co: Art, Design & Storytelling in Shared Space

Hosted by Est.’s Megan McCormick with WRAP’s Sarah Weston, the event presented a guided walkthrough of the building’s communal and living spaces, highlighting how curated artwork and locally-designed objects activate and narrate the place. The event also included a panel conversation concluding the event featuring First Nations artist and curator Lisa Waup and Peter Hood (Guna / Yorta Yorta) who contributed bespoke works to the project.

Fitzroy & Co: Art, Design & Storytelling in Shared Space

A panel discussion with designers, architects and the WRAP team we explored why story matters in design.