Melbourne Design Week 2021

Sometimes to find out what we want, we look to the opposite to understand what we don’t want. This exhibit presents 13 ideas on a world we don’t want by leading Australian creatives, to speculate on a future we do want.

Contributors; Alterfact, Andrew Carvolth, Andrew Simpson, James Walsh, Dale Hardiman, Stephen Royce, Damien Wright, Flack Studio, Foolscap Studio, Liam Fleming, Guy Keulemans, Kyoko Hashimoto, Marta Figueiredo, Jonathon Griggs, Nicole Lawrence, Thomas Coward, Sam Tomkins, Daniel Licastro, Seljak Brand and Tom Henty.

Film // iHuman

Directed by Tonje Hessen Schei | 2019 | Norway | 27th March & 5th April

 A.I. and machine learning is a world filled with speculation, expectation and question. Much of it rests on thinking about our own human frailties of abuse, power, control and greed and our own expectation of what these machines could and should do.

This great looking documentary explores what some of its protagonists at the front of AI cite as a new form of life emerging. These engineers, roboticists, philosophers and designers all agree that discussions around the area is just about one of the most important of our time – it may be the greatest thing to happen to us or our biggest mistake.

Through the views and voices of these expertise and thinkers, iHuman presents a powerful examination of where AI is heading, who may be doing the steering and why. Along the way it presents some simply jaw-dropping real-world examples of capability and use being acquired by militaries, governments, corporations and tech companies.

Talk // All Electric Cities

All Electric Cities | Presented by Hip v Hype | 30th March 2021

The future of our cities is electric. How can we embed renewable energy into our public infrastructure, transport, residential and commercial activities to support more healthy, environmentally sustainable and climate resilient communities?

The panel will discuss the benefits of all electric cities in achieving our Paris emissions reduction targets and the tools we have to accomplish this through strategic planning, design, technology and public advocacy.   

Zoom Event // You’re Being Called To Regenerate Our Planet : What’s Your Vision

Visioning Forward | Presented by Coalition of Everyone, The Futurenow Project and Regen Melbourne | 31st March

We invite you to imagine and experience your vision of the world you long for.

If now isn’t the time for us to be taking bold leaping moonshots of imagination, and large gulps of active hope towards a regenerative world and a thriving present/future, then when is?

We invite you to come to a very special visioning event where you will be guided to dream and experience the world you long for. A present/future that you sense all species are calling on us to co-create. What does it feel like, smell like, look like? How are we living?

Virtual Exhibition // The Things We Made Next

Online and Melbourne Street Exhibition | Presented by The Things We Did Next | 26th March – 05th April

How can designers orient their practice towards care and community? How do they work when the traditional designer-client relationship is disrupted? Can designers democratise their practice and embody interconnectedness?

In 2020, 250 future-building participants came together with 40 artists, thinkers and provocateurs for Assembly for the Future to envision, describe and explore the year 2029 from which 50 Dispatches from the Future were generated.

The Things We Made Next is a virtual and poster exhibition on the streets of Melbourne featuring the work of five commissioned works from established and emerging designers.

Workshop // Back To The Drawing Board: Reimagine Where We Live

Workshop | Presented by Planners Declare | 31st March

An inclusive workshop for any interested in visioning for our future, identifying the steps to get there, and guiding our advocacy projects to revolutionise the urban planning industry.

Melbourne Design Week 2021 runs from 26th March – 05th April 2021.