Taking Shape: Design and Sustainability

22 May

Art Exhibition

Abbotsford, Victoria

Curation
Project Management
Installation
Documentation
Private Art Collection
EST.
Sora Interior Architecture and Design

Presented as part of Melbourne Design Week, Taking Shape brought together more than twenty Australian artists and designers in a major exhibition exploring sustainability, experimentation and the evolving role of design in contemporary life.

Curated by WRAP with the support of Est. and exhibition design by LiFE and Sora Interior Architecture and Design, the exhibition transformed Park House in Richmond into a platform for creative inquiry, bringing together practitioners working across art, furniture, textiles, objects, lighting and material experimentation. Through a diverse range of works, Taking Shapeexamined how artists and designers are responding to the environmental, social and cultural challenges of our time through innovative approaches to making.

At the heart of the exhibition was a shared interest in sustainability—not simply as an outcome, but as a methodology. Artists and designers explored circular design principles, repurposed materials, traditional craft practices and emerging modes of production, challenging audiences to reconsider the lifecycle of objects and the relationship between materiality, function and responsibility.

The exhibition featured works by established and emerging practitioners, each bringing a unique perspective to contemporary Australian design. From furniture and collectible design to textiles, sculpture and spatial interventions, the works demonstrated the breadth and diversity of creative practice currently shaping Australia's art and design landscape. Together, they revealed a sector actively experimenting with new materials, new processes and new ways of thinking about how we live, make and connect.

For WRAP, Taking Shape represented an extension of our broader curatorial philosophy: creating opportunities for artists and designers to engage audiences in meaningful conversations about place, culture, sustainability and the future. Through thoughtful curation, the exhibition brought together a collection of voices united by a commitment to innovation, craft and creative exploration.

Our role encompassed exhibition curation, artist engagement, project coordination, exhibition development and delivery. Working closely with Est., participating artists and the exhibition design team at Sora, WRAP guided the project from concept through to installation, creating a cohesive exhibition experience that celebrated contemporary Australian design while fostering dialogue around the future of making.

As part of Melbourne Design Week, Australia's leading annual celebration of design, Taking Shape contributed to a broader conversation about the role of creativity in shaping more sustainable, thoughtful and connected futures. The exhibition demonstrated how artists and designers continue to challenge conventions, reimagine materials and create new possibilities for the way we inhabit and experience the world around us.