Presented by the Design Institute of Australia (DIA) during Sydney Deign Week and moderated by industrial designer Nila Rezaei, this discussion explores the work of four local designers, artists and writers who place materials at the core of their practice. Whether it’s by exploring the properties of marble as a poetic device, implementing regenerative solutions at the nexus of biology and design, or finding sustainable and ethical ways of engaging with materiality, all hope to leave a lasting positive impact.
This event is for design professionals, researchers, sustainability advocates, cultural enthusiasts, and those interested in the transformative power of design in shaping our material, cultural, and technological futures.
Panel
Alia Parker is an experimental textile and fashion designer and researcher investigating the nexus of biology and design to provoke more sustainable and ethical ways of engaging with materiality. Working with non-human organisms and materials, such as fungi and post-
consumer waste, Parker uses collaborative methodologies to produce innovative outcomes.
Alex Seton is an award-winning artist who uses sculpture, photography, video and installation to examine problematic concepts. Best known for marble carving, Seton explores the material’s properties as poetic device.
Marlo Lyda’s practice embodies a harmonious blend of creativity, resourcefulness and purpose.
Demonstrating an innate ability to coax delicate yet functional objects from disregarded resources, Lyda’s work provokes a profound reassessment of the intrinsic value embedded in overlooked ‘waste’ materials.
Penny Craswell is a Sydney-based writer. She is the author of Design Lives Here: Australian
Interiors, furniture and lighting (2020) and Reclaimed: New homes from old materials (2022).
Craswell runs the notable blog The Design Writer, which showcases exceptional architecture, interiors, furniture, object design and art from an ethical standpoint.
Venue
Golden Age Bar
80 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills
Date & Time
5 - 6:30 pm, Saturday 23 September
Tickets
$10 + GST + BF
Image: Alex Seton, detail of 'Half 2013 Statuario Marble.