Tuesday, February 25, 2014

CUSP: Install at JamFactory- by Cynthia Colli of Object: Australian Design Centre

I’m sitting here today planning day 4 of the install of CUSP: Designing into the Next Decade at JamFactory in South Australia and reflecting on the past three days of the install. I’m happy to say that all is looking good – in fact, doubly good because CUSP will be showing in two locations at the same time! CUSP‘s South Australian leg of the national tour is split over two venues, the iconic JamFactory in Adelaide and JamFactory’s new and beautiful sister gallery and store in Seppeltsfield Winery, in the Barossa Valley. We’re excited that the CUSP experience will now reach two geographically separated audiences, and for those keenly interested in cutting-edge design thinking, offers an experience that has you travelling to two great South Australian locales.
Planning this split has taken the Object: Australian Design Centre and JamFactory teams months of planning. You would think, much like I did, that the simultaneous installation of a 300sqm exhibition over two venues that are close to an hour away from each other in five days may present a hiccup or two, but the opposite has been true in this instance. I’m really impressed by the teamwork here and seeing the ability and drive of every one of our crew to get CUSP up and ready for viewing come February.
CUSP, being the ever-evolving entity that it is, has developed some great advancements to some of its exhibits. As this national program will always be on the very ‘cusp’ of design, no showing on the tour will be the same as the previous one. It’s so interesting to see the designer’s works and design theory change, grow, develop. For example, Stephen Mushin, industrial designer with the creative and ecological mind like a Tardis, now presents his thought experiments in colour! When visiting, make sure that you take some good time to thoroughly follow the whacky, but all theoretically sound, ecological ‘futures’ that are possible when you think outside the box. Mari Velonaki presents the latest culmination of the immense research project that she and the social robotics team at University of New South Wales have undertaken. MaterialByProduct have again brought the beauty and the further deepening of meaning in fashion design to the JamFactory Adelaide gallery, with two new artisanal and production garments. Get close and personal with the garments and their stories, feel them, see their handwork and printing, and follow them on their journey via social media.
Adelaide and Seppeltsfield are wonderful places, with welcoming people, highly skilled artisans, vast, earthy landscapes and a buzzing design community. I, and the whole Object team, hope that you find yourself travelling to see one half of CUSP and continuing the journey through to it’s sister showing too.
CUSP is a touring exhibition from Object Australian Design Centre and is at JamFactory until 26 April.
CUSP Opening at Seppeltsfield

CUSP Opening at Seppeltsfield

CUSP at JamFactory Adelaide

CUSP at JamFactory Adelaide

CUSP at JamFactory Adelaide

CUSP at JamFactory Adelaide

CUSP at JamFactory Adelaide

CUSP at JamFactory Adelaide

CUSP at JamFactory Adelaide

CUSP at JamFactory Adelaide

CUSP at JamFactory Adelaide