CONVERSATIONS

February 20 2026, 2:30 pm - 3:15 pm

Conversation on Design | Collecting with Conscience

The Bubble
The Melbourne Art Fair CONVERSATIONS Space

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Collecting with Conscience: Power, Privilege and the Politics of Collecting

A new generation of collectors is reshaping the landscape by insisting on greater transparency around diversity, sustainability, and ethical practice. Their expectations are reframing not only how objects are valued but how institutions and markets position themselves.

In this conversation, gallerists, curators and advisors explore how social activism and ethically driven collecting are influencing decision-making, expanding visibility for underrepresented artists and designers, and redefining what responsible stewardship looks like in the decades ahead.

Moderator:
Neil Hugh Kenna (Founder & Director, NHO)

Speakers:
Nicole Durling (Executive Director, Craft Victoria)
Brahman Perera (Interior Designer, Brahman Perera)
Mayatili Marika (General Manager, Agency Projects)

The Design Conversations Program is curated by Neil Hugh Kenna (Founder & Director, NHO) for the inaugural edition of FUTUREOBJEKT, Melbourne Art Fair’s collectible design salon.

To attend this talk, please ensure you’ve purchased your Melbourne Art Fair ticket

Image: Locki Humphrey, Oxide. 2025, prickly pear leather, aluminium, tasmianian Oak. Courtesy Craft Victoria.

Conversation on Design | Collecting with Conscience

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