An exhibition showcasing 24 experimental chairs fabricated in response to the theme of 'Availability'

On show from 1 December ‘Availability’ invites designers to respond to the theme by designing and fabricating a chair. Adapting proprietary components, reinventing existing systems and exploring ‘off-the-shelf’ materials. Emphasis is placed upon on how available materials can be reimagined and used in inventive ways. Low-tech assembly of high-tech or vice versa, recycled, waste, bio and readily available materials requiring minimal intervention and customisation.

@alt.material’s Ben Edwards and Nancy Beka, at Studio Edwards comment:

"In a world where we encounter a shortage of resources and ever-changing social conditions, the lifespan of design must be reinvestigated and expanded to consider a wider range of materials and fabrication techniques. ‘Availability’ aims to connect designers with traditional technologies to engage with and consider the environmental impact of every project.

“How might we employ new approaches to fabrication with consideration to life-cycle, future functionality and environmental footprint? Why mine something native and diminishing when we can reuse, re-appropriate and reconfigure pre–existing components, materials and systems?"

alt.material is an experimental design collective established in 2018 by Nancy Beka and Ben Edwards of Studio Edwards. Created as an outlet for design thinking through the exploration of materiality and fabrication techniques.

Inviting designers to produce works that specifically respond to a thematic line of enquiry—a word that describes a material property. Previous exhibition themes have included ‘plasticity’, ‘elasticity’, ‘ductility’, ‘ingenuity’ and ‘community’. More recently there has been deviation from material investigation due to the circumstances of lockdown, prompting an immediate need to bring people together though digital discourse. Exhibiting works within high street shopfronts due to the limitations of public gatherings.

Top left to right: Chairs by Darcy Zelenko, BCDO, Object Density, Locki Humphrey, Skeehan Studio, and Bolaji Teniola.

Participating Designers include:

Adam Cornish
Adrian Fernandez
AND Studio
BCDO
Bolaji Teniola
Darcy Zelenko
Dean Norton & Jordan Fleming
Elise Cakebread
Fomu
Geoz Design
Hung Hin Chan & Shimroth John Thomas
James McNab
Joel Priestland
Locki Humphrey
Marissa Lindquist & Michael Chapman
MOUND & Alex Goss 
Object Density
Rene Linssen
Sarah Mair
SIMULAA
Skeehan Studio
Studio Edwards

Works will be available for purchase via the Instagram auction @alt.material.

The exhibition runs from 1-8 December at the Microluxe space, 28 Johnston Street, Fitzroy from 10-6pm daily.

For more information