Sydney-based designer Tom Fereday describes his upcoming Melbourne Design Week show, Arum, as ‘quiet and atmostpheric’.
Set in the moody Oratory at the Abbotsford Convent, Arum will see around 50 cast glass sculptures and objects set on plinths, catching light and allowing the beauty of the raw materials to tell the story. The sculptural pieces range from small functional pieces to larger scale works.
“As a studio, we try to celebrate natural materials,” Fereday explains. “It’s a quiet approach to design, letting the material be what’s celebrated, and not taking away too much from that.”
“For this show, I’m celebrating cast glass, and the beauty of glass,” he says.
Subtle audio elements and place-responsive lighting will contribute to a more immersive, sensory experience.
Fereday is no stranger to Melbourne Design Week, having exhibited consistently over the past six to seven years. For him, the festival’s strength lies not only in its program, but in the spaces it activates across the city.
“Melbourne is fantastic because of the beautiful spaces in which you can present shows,” he says. “These offsite exhibitions are a way to celebrate the buildings as much as the work.”
Fereday was immediately drawn to the Abbotsford Convent as an exhibition space.
“I always love to exhibit in a space that’s not just a white box,” Fereday says. “The historic architecture of the Convent will bring a new dimension to my show.”
During Melbourne Design Week, multiple exhibitions will unfold across the Convent, meaning Arum sits within a broader ecosystem of design voices and approaches.
“Having so many exhibitions here creates a kind of collective,” he reflects. “It brings together very different aesthetics and interpretations of space.”
Arum
14 — 17 May | Oratory
18 — 24 May | Mural Hall