Shows
MPavilionMTalks—BLAKitecture: HomeAn interactive yarn with the creative team behind 'Home' as they prepare for the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale.
Celebrate the opportunities of understanding and shared perspectives on what ‘home’ means with Bradley Kerr and the 2025 Creative Directors of the Venice Architecture Biennale's Australian Pavilion as they share insights on their exhibition HOME. HOME will present an immersive, culturally rich experience grounded in Indigenous Knowledge systems and architectural innovation.
“HOME is a generous and timely offering to the Venice Architecture Biennale that will welcome visitors as active contributors and participants.
Through design, enlivened public conversations, cultural practice and ceremony, we will facilitate a shared an...
2025-01-3115 min
MPavilionMTalks—MPavilion Live with Being Biracial PodcastA pond-side podcast about biracial belonging in the arts, recorded live.
Maria Birch-Morunga is a Māori/Pakehā facilitator and craft queen. Kate Robinson is an Iranian/Australian family violence lawyer and artist. Together, they’re two biracial women who are endlessly fascinated by the juggling of cultures, identities, and family gossip that can come with being mixed-race. Their podcast Being Biracial is filled with heartfelt and funny interviews with guests discussing the dualities of living across multiple cultures. And now they’re bringing the pod to MPavilion for a special live recording.
Joining them for a chat is MPavilion Season...
2025-01-311h 31
MPavilionMTalks—The Making of MPavilion 10Join MPavilion founder and commissioner Naomi Milgrom AC to discuss the process of building the structure with esteemed Australian architect Sean Godsell – Principal of Sean Godsell Architects and Executive Architect of MPavilion 10 in Australia – and the thinkers behind the construction of the pavilion, Project Manager Harry Wynn Pope and Technical Director of AECOM, Nigel Burdon.
Hosted by Australian architect and presenter of Grand Designs Australia, Peter Maddison, the talk will explore the extraordinary story behind MPavilion 10. This building, designed by Tadao Ando, marks the tenth anniversary of the iconic architectural commission and is the first of its kind in Australia.
2023-12-221h 02
MPavilionMTalks—EmAGN X SONA: Unearthing The UnseenTune into an evening at MPavilion that delved into the power of unseen architecture through post occupancy evaluation. What is the potential to improve or diminish lives, to create community or sow division—and the obligation of the architect, if any, to inform it?
Join us SONA (Student Organised Network for Architecture) and EmAGN (Emerging Architects and Graduates Network) as we highlighted the potential lessons learned from post occupancy, under the roof of MPavilion.
Explore the works of budding architecture students and graduates, and sit with us as we invite different collaborators and industry professionals in a conversation—looking at what...
2023-04-141h 01
MPavilionMTalks—BLAKitecture: Challenging the SystemArchitecture operates within colonial systems. These systems are often at odds with caring for Country practices, genuine participatory design practices and equity of opportunity.
If you trace the systems back to their core, the problem is often a misalignment in the values that govern decision making. Some work has been done to align Aboriginal and Western systems more closely, but it is by no means perfect, and we certainly aren’t done. While one might find themselves thinking ‘just burn it all down and start again’ when confronted with their scale and deeply ingrained nature… If we don’t continue evolving b...
2023-03-231h 15
MPavilionMTalks—Floppy ArchitectureTune in to a keynote lecture, presented by Dr Leanne Zilka of ZILKA Studios, as she explained her research and practice on ‘Floppy Architecture’. The premise of ‘Floppy Architecture’ is focussed on light weight fabric-based structures that look at techniques embedded in fashion and textile design in order to develop novel approaches to the fabrication of architectural elements.
The combination of practice and research has produced installations, architectural projects, and been published nationally and internationally, most recently in a book titled Floppy Logic by international publisher, Actar.
Leanne’s specialist knowledge and approach to fabric-based structures has assisted in the realisatio...
2023-03-2345 min
MPavilionMTalks—The Making of MPavilionTune in to a special evening at MPavilion as we brought together the brilliant minds behind the MPavilion 2022 design, fabrication and build, in conversation with the founder and commissioner of the MPavilion project Naomi Milgrom AC.
Hosted by architect and Grand Designs Australia host Peter Maddison, the stellar panel lineup featured all(zone) design director Rachaporn Choochuey, architect and founder of ZILKA studios Leanne Zilka, AECOM engineer Nigel Burdon, director of TENSYS Peter Lim and Graduate Design Engineer at Oasis Tension Structures Chloe Dang.
They discussed all(zone)’s design for the 9th MPavilion, their intentions behind the project, and ne...
2023-03-2346 min
MPavilionMTalks—BLAKitecture: Material AgencyThe selection of materials for application in the built environment contributes to the commodification of Country.
If we reframe our approach to design with an understanding that Country is not solely a material entity, but a living entity—with a past, a present and future—we can be better placed to design buildings that heal Country.
Tune in for a discussion that explores how the materials we select shape our spaces, have the ability to embed culture and knowledge, and contribute to a regenerative model of Australian architecture.
MPavilion’s sixth annual BLAKitecture forum aims to centralise Indigenous voices in conver...
2023-03-071h 12
MPavilionMTalks—BLAKitecture: KinshipAs permanent visitors, working in professions that reshape Country, what if every person on a team shared the responsibility to look after Country by following a kinship to Country model? What would be the benefits and the potential pitfalls? Where would the line need to be drawn between appropriate and appropriation?
MPavilion’s sixth annual BLAKitecture forum aims to centralise Indigenous voices in conversations about architecture, the representation of histories, and the present and future states of our built environments. Blakitecture is curated by MPavilion’s program consultant Sarah Lynn Rees.
2022-12-2253 min
MPavilionLiving Cities Forum 2022—Mae-ling Lokko, Xu Tiantian and Joseph Grima in conversationDan Hill curates a discussion with Mae-Ling Lokko, Xu Tiantian and Joseph Grima to discuss the commonalities between them and their work in more detail. After delving into the specifics of the highly-localised nature of Mae-Ling’s and Tiantian’s work,the panellists turn to a broader discussion around whether a local response can contribute to a global response. Questioning how we can factor externalities into the design process to ensure that the idea of stewardship is ingrained in projects, they discuss where responsibilities lie and how we can get more people to pay attention to our global problems.
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The...
2022-08-2535 min
MPavilionLiving Cities Forum 2022—Material Flows—Keynote by Joseph GrimaJoseph Grima takes a step back, literally, to show us an image of the earth taken from the Apollo 17 space shuttle. This is the moment when we realise that we operate within a finite, closed ecosystem while coming to terms with the fact that our economies depend on exponential growth. Discussing the historical, entrenched views humans have towards the environment – notably dominated by our economic framework – Joseph unpacks the ways in which this world view was created, how it evolved, and why it is flawed. Finishing with a provocation, Joseph asks us to question whether environmental depletion is necessary and what...
2022-08-2554 min
MPavilionLiving Cities Forum 2022—Material Flows—Keynote by Xu TiantianIntroducing us to the concept of ‘architectural acupuncture’ Xu Tiantian presents four projects in rural China, where small projects have created big opportunities for revitalising rural villages. Each project is vastly different, an outcome of the highly-localised approach to design using traditional materials and building techniques. In this way, materials and their production are a cultural expression and each of Xu Tiantian’s projects seeks to restore cultural heritage, preserving tradition and history as a resource with which to revitalise local villages. Demonstrating how architecture acupuncture can make use of limited funds to create low-tech systems for public buildings, Xu Tianti...
2022-08-2528 min
MPavilionLiving Cities Forum 2022—Material Flows—Keynote by Mae-ling LokkoHow can dealing with waste become less of a punishment and more of an opportunity? Sharing her work in Ghana, Mae-Ling Lokko explores three key material flows, involving the land, the plate and the building. Using coconut husks and mycelium – a type of fungus used to compost food waste – as examples of alternative building products, Mae-Ling demonstrates a transformational pathway in which agricultural and food waste materials can present new opportunities within a bio-economy. Through her exploration of these material flows she pays careful attention to the humans involved and their potential to disrupt or enhance these processes. Mae-Ling also pres...
2022-08-2542 min
MPavilionLiving Cities Forum 2022—Dave Wandin, Indy Johar, Jane Mah Hutton & Vo Trong Nghia, in conversationIn this summative discussion, Mel Dodds is joined by Dave Wandin, Indy Johar, Jane Mah Hutton and Vo Trong Nghia, as together they crystalise the common themes throughout the morning’s presentations. Emphasising our need to examine our relationship to materials, panellists discussed how to re-orient our focus from ideas of ownership towards ideas of material stewardship and responsibility towards the land. Although the scale of both the projects and the ideas presented differed greatly between speakers, they all discuss how the greatest challenge is in the conflict we currently have in our relationship with the environment.
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The Living Ci...
2022-08-2551 min
MPavilionLiving Cities Forum 2022—Material Flows—Keynote by Vo Trong NghiaVo Trong Nghia’s approach to architecture embodies mindfulness towards materials which demonstrates the possibilities of thoughtful, considered designs. Join Vo Trong Nghia as he presents a series of projects created by his practice – each one a powerful testament to his belief that we need more greenery in our cities for the health of our urban environments, as well as our own. Building predominantly in Vietnam, Vo Trong uses familiar materials such as stone and bamboo in his designs, to create an immediate and direct relationship with the sourcing and production of materials. While this certainly keeps construction processes simple, his...
2022-08-2542 min
MPavilionLiving Cities Forum 2022—Material Flows—Keynote by Jane Mah HuttonHave you ever paused to consider where all the materials around us come from, and what will happen to them? Walking us through her recent book – Reciprocal Landscapes – Jane Mah Hutton shares her research tracing the origins, labour practices and regimes required to bring five key materials to the streets of Manhattan. Guano fertilizer, granite, steel, trees and wood provide examples of how material flows can be disrupted by humans, and how we have become alienated from our materials, the places they come from and the people involved in making or providing them. Ultimately Jane invites us to consider: how can...
2022-08-2524 min
MPavilionLiving Cities Forum 2022—Material Flows—Keynote by Indy JoharClimate change is a symptom of the failure of our systems: systems in which humans have constructed a theory of dominion and viewed the planet as an infinite resource to be exploited. In a fast-paced and provocative talk, Indy Johar presents a worrying overview of the climate crisis and global systems which have resulted in a fundamental transition in the way we relate to the world around us. But don’t be alarmed, Indy presents a range of opportunities and provocations to help create a ‘planetary civilisation’ in which resources are valued differently, new governance models emerge, and principles of owners...
2022-08-2550 min
MPavilionLiving Cities Forum 2022—Material Flows—Keynote by Dave WandinIf we can re-conceptualise material flows as flows of energy – from the land, during use, and back to Country – we open the door to a conscientious stewardship of materials by acknowledging that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. After welcoming us to Country, Uncle Dave Wandin discusses how the financial cost of material acquisition ignores the ecological costs of material consumption. Following a discussion of circular ecology – an alternative method for valuing our global environment – Dave urges us to consider our personal responsibility to the environment and the energy that we borrow and use. The stage is set for the...
2022-08-2524 min
MPavilionMTalks—BLAKitecture Indigenising Curriculum: Listen FirstFor the entirety of the period architecture and design have been part of university curriculums, Indigenous culture and heritage, First Nations perspectives and understandings of Country have been largely absent—or if present viewed through an anthropological lens rather than as a living culture. In recent times it has become clear this is not good enough. Yet with already packed curriculums where do we start? This yarn brings together three academics and practitioners to share their experiences and the work they are doing in relation to Indigenising curriculum.
MPavilion’s fifth annual BLAKitecture forum aimed to centralise Indigenous voices in conv...
2022-05-261h 54
MPavilionMTalks—BLAKitecture: Mob, Medals and MediaIn Australia, there is a growing interest in a collaborative design process that engages First Nations communities, Elders, consultants and designers. With the continued momentum of Indigenous engagement through design and beyond, how are we representing and acknowledging Indigenous voices in architectural projects after completion, in publications and in awards programs?
This discussion explores the progressive inclusivity of Indigenous voices across these two public platforms that promote and value “Australian” architecture.
MPavilion’s fifth annual BLAKitecture forum centralises Indigenous voices in conversations about architecture, the representation of histories, and the present and future states of our built environments. BLAKitecture is curate...
2022-05-041h 26MPavilionMTalks—BLAKitecture: Planning with CountryThe built environment industry is exploring how Country, community and culture can be embedded into their project outcomes.
It is imperative that we first listen to Traditional Custodians and knowledge holders to inform how we plan with Country, which forms the basis of this discussion.
MPavilion’s fifth annual BLAKitecture forum centralises Indigenous voices in conversations about architecture, the representation of histories, and the present and future states of our built environments. BLAKitecture is curated by MPavilion’s program consultant Sarah Lynn Rees.
2022-05-041h 53
MPavilionMTalks—BLAKitecture: Answers to Questions You Were too Afriad to AskLearning environments are supposed to be safe spaces in which students can feel they are uninhibited to ask anything and hopefully achieve a level of cultural competency previous generations of architects could only dream of. But, are you curious about how and why Indigenising the curriculum sometimes feels like there are persistent questions you never get to ask?
This discussion was an open invitation to ask questions you’ve been too afraid to ask.
MPavilion’s fifth annual BLAKitecture forum aimed to centralise Indigenous voices in conversations about architecture, the representation of histories, and the present and future states of our...
2022-05-042h 04
MPavilionMTalks—MAP studio and Naomi Milgrom AC in conversation, hosted by Peter MaddisonTo celebrate the launch of MPavilion 2021, MPavilion 2021 architects Francesco Magnani and Traudy Pelzel of MAP studio (Venice) will be in conversation with MPavilion founder Naomi Milgrom AC, hosted by architect and much-loved host of Grand Designs Australia Peter Maddison.
The talk will explore the minds, design and extraordinary story behind MPavilion 2021—the pavilion that will defy all pandemic setbacks to become the seventh iteration of Melbourne’s favourite cultural laboratory.
2021-11-2244 min
MPavilionMTalks—BLAKitecture: Pulse CheckThe years continue on, but has the conversation?
This yarn between Maori and Aboriginal Australian built environment practitioners reflects on how—or if—the 'Indigenous Architecture' conversation has changed in recent years, and considers what conversations need to happen now, and in the future.
MPavilion’s fourth annual BLAKitecture forum brings together Indigenous built environment practitioners on the Yaluk-ut Weelam land of the Boon Wurrung people. The forum aims to centralise Indigenous voices in conversations about architecture, the representation of histories, the present state and the future of our built environments.
BLAKitecture 2020/21 was curated by MPavilion’s program consultant Sarah Lynn Ree
2021-08-091h 22
MPavilionMTalks—BLAKitecture - Co:Design? Collaboration? Consultation?What do our environments become if we consider the act of design to be less about responding to the rights of humans, and more about responding to our collective obligation to care for Country? This yarn explores the responsibilities we all share as humans that temporarily inhabit Country, and how these might influence the way we design.
MPavilion’s fourth annual BLAKitecture forum brought together Indigenous built environment practitioners on the Yaluk-ut Weelam land of the Boon Wurrung people. The forum aims to centralise Indigenous voices in conversations about architecture, the representation of histories, the present state and the future of...
2021-06-161h 31MPavilionMTalks—BLAKitecture: Design ObligationsWhat do our environments become if we consider the act of design to be less about responding to the rights of humans, and more about responding to our collective obligation to care for Country? This yarn explores the responsibilities we all share as humans that temporarily inhabit Country, and how these might influence the way we design.
MPavilion’s fourth annual BLAKitecture forum brings together Indigenous built environment practitioners on the Yaluk-ut Weelam land of the Boon Wurrung people. The forum aims to centralise Indigenous voices in conversations about architecture, the representation of histories, the present state and the future of...
2021-06-161h 09MPavilionMTalks—BLAKitecture - With(out) EngagementWhile there is still much work to be done on improving design processes so that they centre the voices of the Traditional Owners, not every project has the capacity to engage. So, when we can't engage, what can we do to ensure we are working in alignment with Country and its values? In conversation with Parbin-ata Carolyn Briggs, senior Elder of the Boon Wurrung People, this talk explores what we can still do for Country when we can't engage.
MPavilion’s fourth annual BLAKitecture forum brings together Indigenous built environment practitioners on the Yaluk-ut Weelam land of the Boon Wurrung pe...
2021-06-1642 min
MPavilionMTalks—Uptown: Reinventing the CityWorking with MPavilion’s MRelay format, the curators of UPTOWN present an actioned-packed session of speakers primed to discuss the role of artists and designers in Melbourne’s future. UPTOWN co-curators, Fiona Scanlan and Robert Buckingham, join forces with MPavilion and Turning Circle Collective to explore how artists and designers have contributed to the cultural and economic life of Melbourne in the past and how they can help Melbourne regain its mojo.
'UPTOWN: An art exhibition for out city' was devised to reactivate the city centre and unite retailers, visual artists, property owners and the City of Melbourne. The exhibition (15 Dece...
2021-05-282h 57
MPavilionMTalks - BLAKitecture: With(out) EngagementWhile there is still much work to be done on improving design processes so that they centre the voices of the Traditional Owners, not every project has the capacity to engage. So, when we can’t engage, what can we do to ensure we are working in alignment with Country and its values? In conversation with Parbin-ata Carolyn Briggs, senior Elder of the Boon Wurrung People, this talk explores what we can still do for Country when we can’t engage.
MPavilion’s fourth annual BLAKitecture forum brings together Indigenous built environment practitioners on the Yaluk-ut Weelam land of the Boon W...
2021-01-2042 min
MPavilionMERGE MixtapeDue to the renewed lockdown restrictions, Open House Melbourne, MPavilion and Melbourne Music Week will be postponing the announced MERGE performances originally scheduled for Saturday 25th July until the end of August. All artists involved will remain engaged in the project which we look forward to immensely once we are able to recommence. The rescheduled performance date will be announced in early August.
In the meantime please enjoy this mixtape, showcasing the five MERGE artists and why we are so excited to be working with them.
Tracklist:
Tempo - IJALE
Slow Dance pt2 - Mara
II - The Opals
Moon...
2020-07-2450 min
MPavilionMTalks—Right Angle presents 'The Place Debate'The suburbs are no place to raise a child.
Does it really take a village to raise a child? How about a city, or a suburb?
On March 5, Right Angle Studio brought together some of Melbourne’s great minds to flesh these ideas out in front of a live audience. The inaugural Place Debate pits the city against the suburbs as two teams respond to the idea that ‘the suburbs are no place to raise a child’. The evening at MPavilion was moderated by the Strategy and Insights Director at Right Angle Studio, Barrie Barton, but we’ll mostly be listenin...
2020-07-161h 15
MPavilionMMeets—Honey Fingers presents 'Sparrows in the Supermarket'Poetry and beekeeping finally came together in this wonderful event, seeing creative beekeeping practice Honey Fingers debut his poetry anthology—titled Sparrows in the Supermarket—with selected readings and a honey-themed grazing table.
Honey Fingers is more than an urban beekeeping network—beekeeping is a wonderful and often mindful look into the natural world that exists in our urban environment. Beekeeping cultivates quiet observations of biological systems, the human community that lives in urban spaces, the technologies we use to share these observations, and the feelings that get caught up in all of this. In keeping with MPavilion’s theme for Marc...
2020-07-0718 min
MPavilionMMeets—AsiaTOPA Takeover: Virtually IntimateListen back to this artist talk with Yen Chou, Artistic Director of VM Studio + Very Theatre (狠主流 & 狠劇場) and Edwin Kemp Attrill, Artistic Director of ActNow Theatre about merging their artistic practices for Virtual Intimacy.
The Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts—or Asia TOPA—settles into MPavilion for an action-packed month-long residency from Thursday 20 February to Sunday 15 March. Each day of the residency, talented and multidisciplinary guests from Asia TOPA’s international roster of artists will give a lunchtime performance at MPavilion, from 12.30–1.30pm.
Asia TOPA is a joint initiative of the Sidney Myer Fund and Arts Centre Melbourne with support from the Australian and V...
2020-07-0757 min
MPavilionMMeets—Technology-driven approaches in healthcare architecture and designThis podcast from early 2020 explores the potential of technology-driven approaches to drive innovation in the area of healthcare architecture, design and research. Virtual Reality (VR) is an emerging and rapidly developing technology that can be used as a powerful method to engage end-users in healthcare and design projects. It is well suited for projects aiming to design human-centered spaces, which contribute to positive outcomes and user experience. The topics for this session are drawn from the New and Optimised Virtual Environments Living Lab (NOVELL) project led by Professor Julie Bernhardt at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health. This...
2020-07-0717 min
MPavilionMMeets—Asia TOPA Takeover: BYO Lunch ConversationsBring your lunch and your curiosity and listen back to this picnic conversation. Facilitated by Singapore-born artist Jamie Lewis, and joined by table hosts from a range of artistic, cultural and professional backgrounds, prod at the boundaries of the multiplicity of the ‘Asian-Australian’ narrative.
The Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts—or Asia TOPA—settles into MPavilion for an action-packed month-long residency from Thursday 20 February to Sunday 15 March. Each day of the residency, talented and multidisciplinary guests from Asia TOPA’s international roster of artists will give a lunchtime performance at MPavilion, from 12.30–1.30pm.
2020-03-2054 min
MPavilionMTalks—Wednesday Assembly with Lauren Taylor And Simon WinklerFor the final instalment of the Wednesday Assembly series, we were joined by South Sudanese Australian musician Ajak Kwai, broadcaster, producer and writer Namila Benson, and Dr Vicki Couzens. Simon, Ajak and Namila discuss MPavilion’s March theme — Knowledge: Shared Learning, Shared Power.
Lauren Taylor and Simon Winkler, hosts of 3RRR’s Breaking & Entering, record a special podcast each month, with guests including inventive artists, musicians and creatives. Over four nights throughout the season, Lauren and Simon and their guests dig into 2019 program themes: Australian Design: Identity & Cultural Collaboration; Connection: Instruments of Harmonious Living; Unplugged: Energy Without Electricity; Earth: A Place...
2020-03-2052 min
MPavilionMMeets—Asia TOPA Takeover: The Dynamics Of TasteListen back to this talk with Takao Kawaguchi, Linda Sastradipradja and Amaara Raheem in conversation with Dr Philipa Rothfield and Dr Priya Srinivasan. This conversation interrogates the politics of taste; in particular the politics of arts ecologies that define questions of aesthetic value and the systems that support them. In particular, they ask what it means to be a practitioner of “traditional” art forms in a landscape that privileges “the contemporary” and how taste can be thought to be hegemonic. Which art forms are seen, funded, showcased, valued and supported is ever-changing and exposes the trends of the time, but more so...
2020-03-2057 min
MPavilionMMeets—Asia TOPA Takeover: À Ố LÀNG PHỐJoin us for this talk with Show Director Tuan Le and Musical Director Nhat Ly in relation to À Ố LÀNG PHỐ.
The Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts—or Asia TOPA—settles into MPavilion for an action-packed month-long residency from Thursday 20 February to Sunday 15 March. Each day of the residency, talented and multidisciplinary guests from Asia TOPA’s international roster of artists will give a lunchtime performance at MPavilion, from 12.30–1.30pm.
Asia TOPA is a joint initiative of the Sidney Myer Fund and Arts Centre Melbourne with support from the Australian and Victorian governments. With major seed funding from the Sidney Myer Fund, Art...
2020-03-1053 min
MPavilionMMeets—Asia TOPA Takeover: Bumi Bajra Komunitas from 'Seen and Unseen'Revist this talk, with an interactive exploration of the processes of the young Balinese performers of Bumi Bajra, featured in The Seen and Unseen.
In partnership with Performing Lines.
The Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts—or Asia TOPA—settles into MPavilion for an action-packed month-long residency from Thursday 20 February to Sunday 15 March. Each day of the residency, talented and multidisciplinary guests from Asia TOPA’s international roster of artists will give a lunchtime performance at MPavilion, from 12.30–1.30pm.
Asia TOPA is a joint initiative of the Sidney Myer Fund and Arts Centre Melbourne with support from the Australian and Victorian governme...
2020-03-1018 min
MPavilionMMeets—Asia TOPA Takeover: Benjamin Law on 'Torch the Place'Revisit Michelle Lim Davidson and Diana Lin in conversation with Benjamin Law exploring his new work Torch the Place, focusing on the representation of Asian-Australian characters on stage.
In partnership with Melbourne Theatre Company.
The Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts—or Asia TOPA—settles into MPavilion for an action-packed month-long residency from Thursday 20 February to Sunday 15 March. Each day of the residency, talented and multidisciplinary guests from Asia TOPA’s international roster of artists will give a lunchtime performance at MPavilion, from 12.30–1.30pm.
Asia TOPA is a joint initiative of the Sidney Myer Fund and Arts Centre Melbourne with support from the...
2020-03-1058 min
MPavilionMMeets—Asia TOPA Takeover: Kamila Andini and Adena JacobsListen back to this talk with director Kamila Andini and dramaturg Adena Jacobs on the intercultural artistic collaboration for The Seen and Unseen Theatre/Dance production.
In partnership with Performing Lines.
The Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts—or Asia TOPA—settles into MPavilion for an action-packed month-long residency from Thursday 20 February to Sunday 15 March. Each day of the residency, talented and multidisciplinary guests from Asia TOPA’s international roster of artists will give a lunchtime performance at MPavilion, from 12.30–1.30pm.
Asia TOPA is a joint initiative of the Sidney Myer Fund and Arts Centre Melbourne with support from the Australian and Vict...
2020-03-1056 min
MPavilionMMeets—BLAKitecture: Speculative ReciprocityListen back to this forum speculating on alternative models of reciprocity that could facilitate community empowerment and procurement; debating the pros and cons and imagining a future where this is commonplace.
MPavilion’s third annual BLAKitecture forum brings together Indigenous built environment practitioners on the Yaluk-ut Weelam land of the Boon Wurrung people. The forum aims to centralise Indigenous voices in conversations about architecture, the representation of histories, the present state and the future of our built environments. BLAKitecture 2019/20 is co-curated by MPavilion’s program consultant Sarah Lynn Rees and Jack Mitchell.
2020-02-211h 07
MPavilionMMeets—MPavilion Book Club with the Conversation: The OverstoryIn February we welcomed the razor-sharp team from The Conversation for a very special MPavilion Book Club session. Listen back to this podcast to hear from Arts + Culture editor Suzy Freeman-Greene as she leads a discussion about the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner, Richard Powers’ grand novel The Overstory, joined by Kathryn Williams, professor of environmental psychology at the School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences at the University of Melbourne.
The Conversation is an independent source of news and views, sourced from the academic and research community and delivered direct to the public. Its team of professional editors work with un...
2020-02-1758 min
MPavilionMTalks—BLAKitecture Deep ListeningWhen asked what needs to change in order for the process of architecture to be more meaningful and respectful of Indigenous peoples, a common answer is time. Time to undertake proper engagement processes. This forum will explore the concept of deep listening and what it means for the built environment.
MPavilion’s third annual BLAKitecture forum brings together Indigenous built environment practitioners on the Yaluk-ut Weelam land of the Boon Wurrung people. The forum aims to centralise Indigenous voices in conversations about architecture, the representation of histories, the present state and the future of our built environments. BLAKitecture 2019/20 is co-curated by...
2020-01-2855 min
MPavilionMMeets—MPavilion Book Club with The Wheeler CentreRevisit the second MPavilion book club of the season, with thoughts from Cher Tan, Jaclyn Crupi, Bridget Caldwell, Chris Somerville and Justine Hyde, who’ll each reflect on one of the five shortlisted titles: Act of Grace by Anna Krien, Damascus by Christos Tsiolkas, Simpson Returns by Wayne Macauley, The House of Youssef by Yumna Kassab and The Yield by Tara June Winch.
2020-01-2855 min
MPavilionMTalks—BLAKitecture StorytellingRevisit this MTalks exploring storytelling processes and speculating about how architecture, a form of storytelling in itself, can contribute to and work in harmony with Indigenous understandings of Country. Our interpretation of the world we live in is communicated through stories and narratives. We can’t separate ourselves from these stories in the same way we can from data and science. This process of storytelling engenders empathy and equality with everything in our environment.
MPavilion’s third annual BLAKitecture forum brings together Indigenous built environment practitioners on the Yaluk-ut Weelam land of the Boon Wurrung people. The forum aims to cent...
2020-01-281h 16
MPavilionMTalks—BLAKitecture Cultural ProtocolsCross-cultural design often requires a set of protocols to maintain respect throughout the design process. What are these protocols from Indigenous perspective and how can they be embedded in the way we create the built environment?
MPavilion’s third annual BLAKitecture forum brings together Indigenous built environment practitioners on the Yaluk-ut Weelam land of the Boon Wurrung people. The forum aimed to centralise Indigenous voices in conversations about architecture, the representation of histories, the present state and the future of our built environments.
BLAKitecture 2019/20 is co-curated by MPavilion’s program consultant Sarah Lynn Rees and Jack Mitchell.
2019-12-1356 min
MPavilionMTalks—Glenn Murcutt AO And Naomi Milgrom AO In Conversation With Peter MaddisonListen to host Peter Maddison in conversation with Glenn Murcutt AO and Naomi Milgrom AO (founder of the Naomi Milgrom Foundation which commissions each year’s MPavilion)as they discuss Glenn's design for the 2019 edition of MPavilion, his illustrious fifty-year practice, and his most recent and forthcoming projects.
2019-12-1059 min
MPavilionGlenn Murcutt AO with Triple R's Lauren Taylor & Simon WinklerIn this special presentation podcast for our MPavilion 2019 season, architect Glenn Murcutt AO spoke with Triple R broadcasters Lauren Taylor and Simon Winkler while sitting inside his newly completed pavilion. Glenn explains in poetic detail his design for the 2019 edition of MPavilion. We hear how the surrounding park breathes into this seasonal structure, and how all his works are is in deep dialogue with their environment. We also learn more about the origins of his keen observational skills and work ethic, instilled in childhood.
2019-11-1339 min
MPavilionMTalks—BLAKitecture Indigenising Education Part 2What does Indigenising education mean in the built environment? Should we learn about the Indigenous built environment and, if so, what should we learn, and when, how, why and from whom? Hear from current students, graduates, practitioners and educators about the past, present and possibilities for the future of education and its representation of Indigenous perspectives and realities.
MPavilion’s second annual BLAKitecture forum brought together Indigenous built environment practitioners on the Yaluk-ut Weelam land of the Boon Wurrung people. The 2018 forum aimed to centralise Indigenous voices in conversations about architecture, the representation of histories, the present state and the fu...
2019-09-1034 min
MPavilionMTalks—BLAKitecture Indigenising Education Part 1What does Indigenising education mean in the built environment? Should we learn about the Indigenous built environment and, if so, what should we learn, and when, how, why and from whom? Hear from current students, graduates, practitioners and educators about the past, present and possibilities for the future of education and its representation of Indigenous perspectives and realities.
MPavilion’s second annual BLAKitecture forum brought together Indigenous built environment practitioners on the Yaluk-ut Weelam land of the Boon Wurrung people. The 2018 forum aimed to centralise Indigenous voices in conversations about architecture, the representation of histories, the present state and the fu...
2019-09-101h 00
MPavilionMTalks—Melbourne Festival Presents 'The Land on Which We Stand'Many individuals, groups and institutions in Australia now incorporate an acknowledgement of country into official proceedings—a recognition of the Traditional Owners of the land in which people gather, and events take place. But what does that actually mean in practice?
In so many ways, architecture and urbanism are invested in ideas of land, and historical conceptions of ownership—be it through force or other means. So, to kick off MPavilion’s 2018 season, we sought to take some time out and think Critically about Country: the levels of meaning, understanding, occupation and use of land.
Participants in this chat included Melbou...
2019-09-0358 min
MPavilionMTalks—BLAKitecture: Looking Backwards Looking ForwardsAs a wrap-up to the BLAKitecture 2018/19 series, speakers across the fields of architecture, planning, archaeology and design contemplated the good, bag, ugly and inspiring aspects of the season's themes, exploring where the conversation and action should head next.
MPavilion’s second annual BLAKitecture forum brought together Indigenous built environment practitioners on the Yaluk-ut Weelam land of the Boon Wurrung people. The forum aimed to centralise Indigenous voices in conversations about architecture, the representation of histories, the present state and the future of our built environments. BLAKitecture is curated by MPavilion’s program consultant Sarah Lynn Rees.
2019-08-201h 22
MPavilionPublic Art Field Guide 3.1: Intro & MPavilionPublic Art Field Guide 3.1: Intro & MPavilion by MPavilion
2019-05-2112 min
MPavilionPublic Art Field Guide 1.1: Intro & MPavilionPublic Art Field Guide 1.1: Intro & MPavilion by MPavilion
2019-05-2104 min
MPavilionMTalks—BLAKitecture: Indigenising ProcurementRevisit a conversation exploring how existing project procurement models can work for both Indigenous communities and built environment practitioners. How can we modify the models to work more significantly with Indigenous protocols, narratives, communities and Traditional Owners to achieve better partnerships, collaborations, processes and outcomes?
MPavilion’s second annual BLAKitecture forum brought together Indigenous built environment practitioners on the Yaluk-ut Weelam land of the Boon Wurrung people.
The forum aimed to centralise Indigenous voices in conversations about architecture, the representation of histories, the present state and the future of our built environments. BLAKitecture 2018 was curated by MPavilion’s program consultant Sara...
2019-05-071h 17
MPavilionMTalks—Assemble Papers Symposium: What would an Open City Look Like?Following the release of Assemble Papers's print edition (#10: ‘Housing’, available all season at MPavilion 2018), the AP team (editor Jana Perkovic with Eugenia Lim, Cat McGauran and Vlad Doudakliev) hosted a series of panel sessions exploring the intersection between the way we experience, design and plan for a lively and equitable city.
Panel three: What would an open city look like?
What would an open city look like? How will we grow old together? Who has the right to the city—and how can this right be more equally shared and distributed in future? From embedding Indigenous knowledge, culture and connection to pla...
2019-04-231h 04
MPavilionMTalks—BLAKitecture: Women's BusinessWhat does it mean to be a woman working in the Indigenous design space? This discussion, the first of our BLAKitecture series, explored the moments of celebration, the challenges, the questions and the answers from the perspective of established Indigenous women practitioners to students across the fields of architecture, landscape, interiors and research.
MPavilion’s second annual BLAKitecture forum brought together Indigenous built environment practitioners on the Yaluk-ut Weelam land of the Boon Wurrung people. The forum aimed to centralise Indigenous voices in conversations about architecture, the representation of histories, the present state and the future of our built environments. BL...
2019-02-191h 37
MPavilionMTalks—Changing Architecture for a Changing CityEvery year, MPavilion takes a new form as a different architect responds to the changing face of Melbourne. This continual movement of space and meaning reflects growing international recognition—epitomised in the work of our 2018 architect, Barcelona’s Carme Pinós—that urban environments are increasingly dynamic. Victorian-era institutional buildings in our own city demonstrate that in the past, architecture emphasised solidity and permanence, whatever the reality of its inhabitants.
Now, designers across the globe are using temporary interventions such as pavilions and installations to disrupt this often false social immovability. Focusing on Pinós’s MPavilion design and the evolution...
2019-02-1240 min
MPavilionMMeets—MTC At MPavilion: Lila Neugebauer in conversation Chris MeadEnjoy a rare treat from Melbourne Theatre Company at MPavilion over three summer evenings as MTC presents a series exploring different facets of modern theatre practice. Hear play-readings of new Australian dramatic works commissioned by MTC and enjoy a discussion of the theatrical process with special international guest director Lila Neugebauer. Here they discussed the warp and weft of theatre, its role in shaping the future, and how it works both here and overseas. Make new discoveries and see how flashes of inspiration play an important part in the development of new and exciting theatre that speaks to the problems...
2019-02-0549 min
MPavilionMTalks—BLAKitecture: MemorialisationWe live in cities and towns that reflect the denial of Indigenous histories and perspectives, but momentum around this issue is building. What role can design play in addressing the lack of memorials and visibility to the memories and legacy of the frontier wars in Australia? What are the challenges around this for both non-Indigenous and Indigenous designers?
MPavilion’s second annual BLAKitecture forum brought together Indigenous built environment practitioners on the Yaluk-ut Weelam land of the Boon Wurrung people. The forum aimed to centralise Indigenous voices in conversations about architecture, the representation of histories, the present state and the fu...
2019-01-291h 40
MPavilionMTalks—Carme Pinos, Virginia Trioli and Naomi Milgrom AO in conversationCarme Pinós is a major influence on global architecture through her sharp and poetic designs and humanistic design philosophy, leading urgent conversations about public architecture, social housing and urban refurbishment.
She joined journalist and author Virginia Trioli in conversation with Naomi Milgrom AO, founder of the Naomi Milgrom Foundation, the organisation that commissions the architect of each MPavilion. The trio talks all things urban design, leadership and the creative journey of 2018's stunning MPavilion.
Based in Barcelona, Pinós established Estudio Carme Pinós in 1991 following early international recognition for her work with the late Enric Miralles. Distinctive projects suc...
2018-11-2956 min
MPavilionMTalks—Chapter Music presents Australian Queer Music HistoryQueer music in Australia is arguably louder and prouder in 2018 than it has ever been—but this modern strength and visibility did not grow out of a vacuum. From singular artists in the ’50s and ’60s to women’s music groups in the ’70s, plus dance hedonism in the ’80s, ’90s and beyond, Australia has a long and rich—but often neglected—history of openly queer music.
This panel discussion at MPavilion is a vibrant reflection on Australian LGBTQIA+ musical expression across the decades, featuring renowned political singer and Federal Circuit Court of Australia judge Judy Small; Clitoris Band and Sheila musician Gr...
2018-02-271h 27
MPavilionMTalks—MPavilion: Behind the scenesMPavilion 2017 attracted international acclaim as one of the top civic spaces in the world today. Designed by Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten of OMA, MPavilion 2017 was named by Wallpaper* as one of the top buildings that shaped culture in 2017. In an interview with Dezeen, Rem Koolhaas said, “We are happy that MPavilion can perform as a theatre of debate around the city and its development, and contribute to the ongoing civic discourse of Melbourne.”
In this exclusive behind-the-scenes event, we shared the details behind MPavilion 2017 from the perspective of its many key collaborators, including: Paul Jones (OMA), Tony Isaacson (Kane Cons...
2018-02-251h 02
MPavilionMTalks—Politics Of Space: Keg de Souza • 4 February 2018Australian artist Keg De Souza creates site- and situation-specific projects with people. With an emphasis on knowledge exchange, Keg’s investigation of social and spatial environments is influenced by her formal training in architecture and experiences of radical spaces through squatting and organising.
Keg’s work on an alternative mapping project of Shepparton was formed as part of the MPavilion 2017 regional program in collaboration with Shepparton Art Museum (SAM). At this insightful talk at MPavilion, Keg appeared in conversation with SAM director Rebecca Coates and MPavilion’s own Brendan McCleary, discussing her processes and outcomes, and reflecting upon her recent work i...
2018-02-2552 min
MPavilionMTalks—On insect hotels and beehives in the city: An urban ecology discussion • 18 January 2018Beekeeper and artist Nic Dowse is joined by artist Zhu Ohmu, both of multi-disciplinary Honey Fingers Collective, for an MTalks that explores our human relationship with nature.
This discussion explores how urban beekeeping—and making things like insect hotels, swarm traps, possum boxes and bee hives—can teach us new ways to think about non-human beings, urban ecologies, urban food webs and the city-versus-nature divide. Nic and Zhu will guide us through the notions that getting involved in activities like insect hotels can give us a sneak peek into the complex entanglements of humans and ecologies in the twenty-first century. Spec...
2018-01-2952 min
MPavilionMTalks—An interactive artist talk with Soft Baroque • 17 January 2018In January 2018, Soft Baroque—a.k.a. London-based creative duo Saša Štucin and Nicholas Gardner—brought their tentacular manipulations of interior design, furniture design and visual art to MPavilion with Foamy Feeling, an installation created specifically for Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten / OMA’s amphitheatre-inspired MPavilion 2017.
In this one-off artist talk, Saša and Nicholas appeared in conversation with MPavilion’s Jessie French, ruminating on the origins of their collaboration, their delicate navigation of the conceptual and the pragmatic, and the humour and sense of play that underscores their multi-pronged practice. They also shared the process behind the Foamy Feeling ins...
2018-01-2924 min
MPavilionMTalks—PROCESS Arch ^ Up debate: does Melbourne need Starchitecture? • 6 December 2017With the long-held title of ‘world’s most liveable city’, Melbourne regularly attracts international interest as an economically viable space for exploration. In the eighties and nineties, an appetite for the international architectural elite drew the likes of I.M. Pei and Kisho Kurokawa to Melbourne. More recently, OMA—and its research arm, AMO—turned its attention towards Australia, describing it as the next frontier of architectural opportunity and possibility. In Melbourne, we’re fortunate to possess a vibrant local design community, proud of its pursuits of innovation and excellence—but for whom the question of Melbourne’s evolving identity also generates i...
2017-12-191h 22
MPavilionMTalks—Friday night debate: Australian Institute Architects on affordable housing • 24 November 2017New for MPavilion 2017: Friday night debates. We put leading and emerging minds in architecture behind the microphones and pit them head-to-head in a series of debates on architecture.
On this Friday night, a six-person panel of established architects considers a critical issue in Australia today: affordable housing. The proposition posits: Is affordable housing just for the middle class? How can existing development methods and alternative housing options offer solutions to this zeitgeist dilemma?
Over the course of an hour, our group of architects will state their perspectives on a series of propositions. Will our architects go toe-to-toe or unanimously agree...
2017-12-111h 02
MPavilionMTalks—Zaha Hadid Architects' Patrik Schumacher in conversation with Jill Garner • 4 November 2017Zaha Hadid Architects principal Patrik Schumacher has been headlined as many things, including ‘the world’s most provocative architect’. A true believer in innovation, Patrik is not someone who shies away from engaging in challenging conversations on some of the most urgent issues of our generation. He notoriously created a worldwide outcry following his keynote address at the World Architecture Festival in November 2016, where he presented a controversial ‘urban policy manifesto’ to initiate a critical discourse on the future of cities.
Standing by our belief that the MPavilion stage is a place for discussion and debate, Patrik Schumacher joins us at MPavili...
2017-11-1059 min
MPavilionMMeets—A stage for new parenthood: houses—part two • October 16 2017Having a baby changes your perception of the city. Suddenly things become less accessible: trams are difficult to lift a pram into, there’s no space in your favourite cafe to change a nappy and events happen at night while you soothe your baby to sleep—and so the trials of new parenthood are mostly screened off from public view.
Collaborative duo Guest, Riggs will invert this private spectacle and take us with them by turning MPavilion 2017 into a public performance of the banalities of new parenthood, where the rotating grandstand of Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten’s amphitheatre-style structure will r...
2017-10-2739 min
MPavilionMMeets—A stage for new parenthood: house—part one • 16 October 2017Having a baby changes your perception of the city. Suddenly things become less accessible: trams are difficult to lift a pram into, there’s no space in your favourite cafe to change a nappy and events happen at night while you soothe your baby to sleep—and so the trials of new parenthood are mostly screened off from public view.
Collaborative duo Guest, Riggs will invert this private spectacle and take us with them by turning MPavilion 2017 into a public performance of the banalities of new parenthood, where the rotating grandstand of Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten’s amphitheatre-style structure will r...
2017-10-2750 min
MPavilionMMeets—RMIT Interior Design presents ‘Interiorizt Experiments'—Part two • 13 October 2017PART TWO
“‘?interior’ is a question posed in a continually changing and dynamic outside and as such invites the potential for the new. This is one reason why there is a z rather than an s in this interiorizt and interiorization. The use of z in words can be described as “an active s”; shaped like a lightning strike, a z brings energy and movement to a word, its reading and meaning. While interiorizt practice includes interiorists it cannot become equated with interiorism as the z is like a bolt of the blue.”
— ‘interiorizt’ by Suzie Attiwill in The Handbook of Interior Archit...
2017-10-2341 min
MPavilionMMeets—RMIT Interior Design presents ‘Interiorizt Experiments'—Part one • 13 October 2017“‘?interior’ is a question posed in a continually changing and dynamic outside and as such invites the potential for the new. This is one reason why there is a z rather than an s in this interiorizt and interiorization. The use of z in words can be described as “an active s”; shaped like a lightning strike, a z brings energy and movement to a word, its reading and meaning. While interiorizt practice includes interiorists it cannot become equated with interiorism as the z is like a bolt of the blue.”
— ‘interiorizt’ by Suzie Attiwill in The Handbook of Interior Architecture and D...
2017-10-2313 min
MPavilionMTalks—'Contemporary City, Traditional Forms' with Monique Webber • 7 October 2017OMA / Rem Koolhaas & David Giannoten’s MPavilion 2017 reinvents the ancient amphitheatre for 21st-century Australia. In this dynamic reimagining, MPavilion becomes a platform for exploring interactions in today’s society. The design is conceptual spolia—defined as ‘the reinterpretation of earlier forms and imagery in a new context’—at its contemporary best. But MPavilion 2017 is not the first example of this approach in the city. Melbourne is filled with buildings that refer to the past as a way to respond to the present. Not only is it arranged on a Roman-grid plan, Melbourne’s urban environment transplants classical forms and ideals into a new con...
2017-10-1048 min
MPavilionMTalks—Virginia Trioli with Rem Koolhaas, David Gianotten and Naomi Milgrom • 4 October 2017In an MPavilion opening day tradition, we kick off our season with a very special MTalks event. Remember MTalks? It’s all about putting leading minds behind the mic to investigate new ideas. Join MPavilion 2017 architects Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten of OMA; founder and patron of MPavilion, Naomi Milgrom; and our host, leading Australian journalist, author and broadcaster, Virginia Trioli, for our first MTalks ‘in conversation’ this season.
Together they’ll discuss their now favourite topic: MPavilion 2017. Specifically, their hopes and dreams for the project, the intentions and provocations in the design, and new ideas on architecture and design you best...
2017-10-1057 min
MPavilionMTalks—Morning Stories: N'arweet Carolyn Briggs in conversation • 8 October 2017Join us on MPavilion’s first weekend in action to meet N’arweet (Elder) Carolyn Briggs, who this year is an integral part of our program with a rotating selection of her ‘Morning Stories’ broadcast over MPavilion’s speakers each morning at 9am.
A descendant of the First People of Melbourne, the Yalukit Willam clan of the Boon Wurrung, Carolyn established the Boon Wurrung Foundation in 2005, and has conducted significant work in cultural research—including the restoration of the Boon Wurrung language and the promotion and maintenance of Boon Wurrung culture and heritage.
Come down to MPavilion on this Sunday afternoon to...
2017-10-1047 min
MPavilionMTalks—Global [Sub]Urbanism—Asia, Australia And Creating [Sub]urban Cultures • Tue 8 Nov 2016In an era of ‘planetary urbanisation’ the making and moving of urban cultures becomes a global process, but also one firmly embedded in place. Creating the 21st century city requires new ways to understand culture, place and sustainability at a time defined by dynamic flows of people and ideas.
Taking cues from Bijoy Jain’s MPavilion 2016, this MTalks panel featured the shining lights of Australian academia on urbanism and kicks-off our November program that focuses on creative cities, urbanism and culture. This panel chat covered critical issues and ideas for contemporary urban change in an urbanising South Asia, and, at the same t...
2017-01-151h 03
MPavilionMProjects—Liquid Architecture Anne-James Chaton's 'Testimonies' Live Performance • Sat 29 Oct 2016Liquid Architecture and MPavilion presented French sound poet and conceptualist Anne-James Chaton’s Testimonies, a new performance that extends his long-term interest in linguistic experimentation, phonetic rhythms, loops, repetitions and reverberations into new relational and conversational territories focused on world events.
Drawing textual material out of one-on-one encounters with visitors to MPavilion that took place in late October, this performance was the culmination of the works created from each unique meeting, and explores the texture of words and the shape of texts via the personal and intimate materials from the general public.
2016-11-031h 21
MPavilionMTalks—From Mumbai To Melbourne—MPavilion 2016 Design And Build Process • 11 Oct 2016At the heart of Bijoy Jain and Studio Mumbai’s ethos is the concept of lore, defined as “a body of traditional knowledge passed on by word of mouth”. It follows that, in the creation of MPavilion, lore was heartily practiced when the MPavilion building team travelled to India to learn Studio Mumbai’s methods. This MTalk was a panel talk with the hands-on crew behind MPavilion’s build. Tony Isaacson from Kane Constructions, Helen Wellman from Tract Consultants, Sam Redston from Flot&Jet, lighting designer Ben Cobham from Bluebottle and senior structural engineer John Noel from ARUP engineering sat down to sp...
2016-10-261h 10
MPavilionMTalks—Bijoy Jain, Naomi Milgrom and Peter Maddison in Conversation • 6 Oct 2016What does it take to commission and put together an event like MPavilion? How does the design process unfurl? What does the handmade architecture movement propose for the future of architecture? For our first MTalks event for MPavilion 2016/17 we revisited the process that has born Bijoy Jain’s stunning design—from brief, to Studio Mumbai’s unique creative process, to build. Join MPavilion 2016/17 architect Bijoy Jain and MPavilion’s patron Naomi Milgrom along with Peter Maddison as host, presenter of Grand Designs Australia and renowned architect in his own right, as they sat down and had a chat about all things M...
2016-10-1745 min
MPavilionMTalks—Bijoy Jain—Architecture and Lore • 26 Jul 2016The word ‘lore’ refers to a body of knowledge, especially of a traditional nature, typically passed on by word of mouth. So, how does the concept of lore relate to architecture? At this Melbourne School of Design and MPavilion lecture, celebrated Indian architect Bijoy Jain discussed how the concept of lore is central to his practice and philosophy.
The founder of sustainable architecture firm Studio Mumbai, Jain studied and worked in architecture in the United States before returning to India in 1995 to establish his practice. Jain has won many awards for his work, including the Grande Medaille d’Or from the Ac...
2016-08-0256 min
MPavilionMTalks—Building With Advanced Materials • 29 Oct 2015Opposites attract in the wild, in romance and—evidently—in architecture. Join Toby Whitfield (CEO of ShapeShift, our evening’s presenters) and Richard Blythe (dean of RMIT’s School of Architecture and Design) as they discuss the fascinating history of how architects and designers make use of composite building materials in their work.
How do you choose the right fibre and resin for a 34-storey skyscraper facade? What material will help a high-tech pavilion—specifically, the one we’re sitting in—respond to the weather? Just like a dressmaker or tailor, architects approach the merging of composites through the orientation of the fibre...
2016-06-1445 min
MPavilionMTalks—Consortium 1—Art and Unwaged Labour • 20 Oct 2015Consortium: A series of conversations within a series of talks—presented by a coalition of partners who support emerging and experimental art and design practices in Melbourne and beyond. This first Consortium of the 2015/16 season brought Next Wave, Gertrude Contemporary, West Space, RMIT Design Hub and MPavilion got together to consort on invisible hands.
The panel—including artists Anastasia Klose, Lou Hubbard and Liang Luscombe, writer and artist Aurelia Guo, and writer and feminist Eva Birch—asks: What kinds of emotional, affective and otherwise-hidden forms of unwaged labour hold up the art industry? To whom is this work relegated? What’s the re...
2016-06-141h 13
MPavilionMMeets—Make Meet with Natalie Jeremijenko • 18 Oct 2015When you think of the bustling sidewalks of New York City, walls of lush greenery do not immediately come to mind. But environmental artist Natalie Jeremijenko wants to challenge ideas about ‘normal’ cityscapes—through her Agbags project. Agbags are vertical urban farms that practically aim to promote environmental health and, more broadly, get people thinking about architecture’s intersection with the natural environment. In New York, Natalie created a wall of these soil-filled bags suspended in air as part of a project by NYU’s Environmental Health Clinic. At MPavilion, join Natalie as she teaches you to make your own Agbag, and...
2016-06-101h 41
MPavilionMTalks—The Making Of MPavilion 2015 with Jessie French and Sam Redston • 8 Dec 2015“How could we create the feeling, the experience, the sensation of a tree canopy, but in a completely abstract way, with man-made materials?” In an interview for Architectural Review, Amanda Levete talked about some of the thinking and collaboration that went into AL_A’s MPavilion design. Here's the first of three lunchtime conversations about this year’s MPavilion construction, and the unique puzzles faced along the way.
Key players from the brief-to-build team—including MPavilion’s Robert Buckingham, Jessie French and Sam Redston, Arup’s Brendon McNiven, Kane Constructions’ Tony Isaacson and landscape designer Paul Bangay (who lent his green thumbs to...
2016-02-2225 min
MPavilionMTalks—The Making of MPavilion 2015 with Robert Buckingham and Brendon McNiven • 1 Dec 2015How did engineers from Arup tackle the design challenge of seamlessly incorporating sound and light into the 2015 MPavilion?
Key players from the brief-to-build team Robert Buckingham of MPavilion and Arup’s Brendon McNiven talked us through their material, technological and botanical decisions, offering us a behind-the-scenes look at everything that goes into designing, building and wiring up a high-tech, weather-responsive and modular temporary structure.
2016-02-1625 min
MPavilionMTalks—The Making of MPavilion 2015 w Robert Buckingham, Tony Isaacson, Paul Bangay • 15 Dec 2015“How could we create the feeling, the experience, the sensation of a tree canopy, but in a completely abstract way, with man-made materials?” In an interview for Architectural Review, Amanda Levete talked about some of the thinking and collaboration that went into AL_A’s MPavilion design. The third and final installment of MTalks in a trilogy of lunchtime conversations about this year’s MPavilion construction, and the unique puzzles faced along the way.
Key players from the brief-to-build team—included MPavilion’s Robert Buckingham, Jessie French and Sam Redston, Arup’s Brendon McNiven, Kane Constructions’ Tony Isaacson and landscape designer Paul Ba...
2016-02-1631 min
MPavilionMTalks—MPavilion / Art Monthly writing award presentation • 28 Oct 2015Launch time! In 2015, MPavilion teamed up with Art Monthly Australia and the National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) to create a new annual award supporting critical writing. Australian essayists were invited to submit a proposal for a piece exploring the relationship between art and design today. The inaugural recipient was Dr Julia Jones, who received $3,000 to develop her proposed essay for publication in Art Monthly Australia.
Listen back to join judge—and editor Michael Fitzgerald—for a triple-barrel event:
- The 2015 award presentation
- A reading by Dr Jones
- The launch of Art Monthly Australia’s November issue.
Happy...
2016-02-1532 min
MPavilionMTalks—ASSP presents 'Stories of Art and Performativity' • 13 Oct 2015The VCA’s Art, Social and Spatial Practice (ASSP) research cluster brings its salon-style Food for Thought series to MPavilion—and expands it. Hosted by Performing Mobilities’ James Oliver and Mick Douglas, this pop-up forum with Brooklyn-based artist Marshall Weber and Sydney-based “anarchitect” Keg de Souza will investigate the potential of both the material and social production of art as object, performance, spatial practice or relational experience. Where and how do public conversation, artistic practice and research intersect? Come along and help fill MPavilion to the petals with lively conversation—or healthy art debate.
2015-12-1747 min
MPavilionMTalks—25XDesign launch with Ben Evans and Tom Uglow • 7 Oct 2015Join London Design Festival director Ben Evans and Google Creative Lab director Tom Uglow for the launch of 25XDesign. Conceived by Ben and developed by Google’s Creative Lab, it’s an interactive digital event created to celebrate design and place.
MPavilion’s 2015 architect Amanda Levete has contributed her 25 Melbourne design inspirations—from Ugo Rondinone’s ‘Our Magic Hour’ in South Yarra to Walter Burley Griffin’s imposing Newman College façade and Napier Waller’s 1933 Newspaper House mosaic—to be displayed and experienced in 360 degrees. Whether you’re in the gardens, at your desk, winging over some far-flung ocean or wandering the city—y...
2015-12-1633 min
MPavilionMTalks—Amanda Levete, Martin Roth and Naomi Milgrom in Conversation • 6 Oct 2015What goes into commissioning and designing a contemporary cultural space? How should we be thinking about innovation in this context? What are the opportunities that come intertwined with a brief to design a temporary building? Our first MTalks event traces the evolution of MPavilion in its second iteration—from brief to build. Hear from MPavilion’s patron Naomi Milgrom, whose foundation initiated the commissions; acclaimed architect Amanda Levete, whose London-based practice designed our 2015/16 MPavilion; and Victoria and Albert Museum director Martin Roth, who has been working with Amanda’s studio—AL_A—on the museum’s anticipated subterranean extension and new courtyar
2015-12-1651 min
MPavilionMTalks—MSD presents: ‘Rethinking the strip: High streets, hinterlands and vacancy’ • 25 Nov 2014Melbourne School of Design (MSD) presents an MTalks session in collaboration with Tract Consulting. During October 2014, Tract’s national practice ran a design forum called ‘Rethinking the strip’ that focused on the challenges facing traditional strip-shopping precincts. Tract adopted a shop for the month of October and invited an MSD design studio—including architects, landscape architects and urban design students—to test ideas and exchange thoughts on the future of a declining retail strip. This follow-up forum at MPavilion explores issues of increased vacancy on our high streets.
http://www.mpavilion.org/program/mtalks-melbourne-school-of-design
2015-03-141h 15
MPavilionMTalks—ACMI and MPavilion present ‘Yang Fudong: Filmscapes’ • 2 Dec 2014On the eve of Chinese artist Yang Fudong’s solo exhibition at ACMI, MPavilion presented a prelude discussion about his stylised usage of architectural motifs. The discussion, moderated by MPavilion senior curator Natalie King, also investigated the proliferation and design agendas of new museums in China. Guest speakers include Li Ning, curator of the Academic & Research Department at the Shanghai Art Museum, and Claire Roberts, historian of Chinese art and senior lecturer of Art History at the University of Adelaide.
http://www.mpavilion.org/program/mtalks-acmi-presents-a-discussion-about-the-yang-fudong-filmscapes-exhibition-and-new-museums-in-china
2015-03-1457 min
MPavilionMTalks—MoMA Director Glenn D. Lowry in conversation with Edmund Capon • 30 Oct 2014In 1932, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) established the world’s first curatorial department devoted to architecture and design. Director Glenn D. Lowry pioneered and presided over the museum’s 2004 renovation, designed by the Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi, and is currently overseeing the ambitious expansion and redevelopment that is set for completion in 2018. Lowry spoke at MPavilion in October 2014 about design’s role in the museum, and was joined in conversation by Edmund Capon, chair of the Australian Institute of Architects Foundation and former director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
http://www.mpavilion.org/program/moma-director-glenn-d-lowry-in-conversation-with-edmund-capon
2014-12-011h 20
MPavilionMTalks—DIS-cour.se presents ‘Distraction and recognition’ • 28 Oct 2014Presented by DIS-cour.se, this discussion looks at the themes prevalent in the film Cathedrals of Culture—a screening collaboration between ACMI and MPavilion in November 2014—and will deliberate on the narrative that is created by our interaction with spaces we know all too well. This panel—of multidisciplinary artist Callum Morton, architects Aaron Roberts and Kristin Green, and visual artist Marnie Edmiston—focuses on how the perception of our environment is often only a thin veil of the real space.
http://www.mpavilion.org/program/mtalks-cathedrals-of-culture-dis-cour-se-presents-distraction-and-recognition
2014-11-0356 min
MPavilionMTalks—Melbourne Festival presents ‘John Truscott: a creative Melburnian’ • 22 Oct 2014Who was John Truscott? The multi-talented theatre designer, festival director and Academy Award-winning film designer was instrumental in creating the vibrant, celebratory public art culture Melburnians enjoy today. He was also responsible for the much-loved Botanica event in the Queen Victoria Gardens—the site of MPavilion.
Truscott's skills, achievements and legacy are fuel for lively discussion in this Q&A panel discussion that features contributions from those who knew him well—designer Ken Cato, landscape designer Paul Bangay, Australian Galleries' Stuart Purves, artistic director of White Night Melbourne, Andrew Walsh, and Martin Carlson, Chair of the John Truscott Design Foundation.
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2014-11-0350 min
MPavilionMTalks—Sean Godsell with Josephine Ridge • 14 Oct 2014Sean Godsell, architect of the inaugural MPavilion, in conversation with Melbourne Festival creative director Josephine Ridge. Hear how Sean’s pavilion was inspired by pragmatic design responses to the Australian landscape—as well as outback sheds and verandas—and how his versatile and welcoming design echoes the way plants respond to the sun. This flair for flexibility and sustainability is a hallmark of Sean’s architectural practice, visible in previous works such as the ‘breathable’ photovoltaic skin of his RMIT Design Hub, and his award-winning Future Shack.
http://www.mpavilion.org/program/mtalks-melbourne-festival-sean-godsell-with-josephine-ridge
2014-11-031h 02
MPavilionMTalks—Naomi Milgrom, Sean Godsell and Julia Peyton-Jones • 7 Oct 2014What does it take to commission an architectural pavilion and create it from scratch? This talk traces the vision behind MPavilion, from its initial concept and funding to its innovative design. Hear from MPavilion’s patron Naomi Milgrom—whose foundation helped make it a reality—alongside acclaimed architect Sean Godsell, who designed the inaugural 2014/15 pavilion, and Serpentine Galleries director Julia Peyton-Jones, who conceived a similar architectural pavilion commission program in London in 2000. They appear in conversation with MPavilion creative director Robert Buckingham and senior curator Natalie King.
http://www.mpavilion.org/program/mtalks-naomi-milgrom-sean-godsell-and-julia-peyton-jones
2014-11-031h 03
MPavilionMMeets—DIS-cour.se pres. ‘Psychogeographical: A Melbourne dérive’ self-guided walk • 7 Oct 2014‘Psychogeographical: A Melbourne dérive’ is a self-guided audio exploration; a trip on which to discover the unknown stories of familiar places. Created by DIS-cour.se in collaboration with a group of Melbourne-based emerging writers, the tour is designed to flow on from ACMI’s ‘Cathedrals of Culture’ screenings. It takes the form of a narrated audio stream complemented by a psychogeographical map—offering an ‘urban dérive’ between ACMI and MPavilion. Also known as an “unplanned journey through a landscape”, this particular dérive invites you to experience a well-known stretch of Melbourne via a new, multi-dimensional narrative. Pick up a map at MPavilion o...
2014-10-2817 min