Collectible design has become a thriving market, with dedicated galleries, fairs, auction houses, and design platforms specialising in the acquisition, commissioning and sale of these unique pieces. Join NGV Hugh D.T. Williamson Curator, Contemporary Design and Architecture, Simone LeAmon as she leads a discussion that explores the culture of contemporary design, from the aesthetic and conceptual considerations undertaken in the studio to the representation and presentation of works by commercial galleries and institutions.

This talk will take place in the VIP Lounge designed by Oigåll Projects, Melbourne Art Fair.

Moderator: Simone LeAmon, The Hugh D.T. Williamson Curator, Contemporary Design and Architecture, National Gallery of Victoria
Speakers: Andy Kelly, Designer and Co-founder, Oigåll Projects and Brud Studia; Pascale Gomes-McNabb, Interior Designer and Director, PGMD; Anna Varendorff, Artist, Designer and Educator; Sally Dan-Cuthbert, Director, Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert

Simone LeAmon is the inaugural Hugh D.T Williamson Curator of Contemporary Design and Architecture at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne (NGV). A curator, designer, artist, and educator for near to three decades, she is Adjunct Professor in the School of Design and Social Context, RMIT University, and is the recipient of the 2021 Good Designs Australia, Women in Design Award, for her life-long passion and unwavering dedication to the design profession in Australia. Championing the importance of design and creativity, and the work of our creative communities, LeAmon’s field of influence extends beyond our shores. Her accumulated activities have brought her global recognition and significantly, fostered vital understanding of the contemporary design scene in Australia in view of a broad international audience. In 2022 and 2023, she led the curatorial program for the Melbourne Design Fair presented by NGV in partnership with the Melbourne Art Foundation.

Andy Kelly is a co-founder of Oigåll Projects, an independent commercial gallery in Fitzroy, offering artists and designers a space to exhibit experimental design, contemporary art and objects in an immersive setting. Established in 2021 with Brud Studia collaborator Mitchell Zurek, the project is buoyed by a ‘explorative’ spirit – a tender reference to the attitudes of its namesake.
Brud Studia is a design studio producing one-of-a-kind and limited-edition furniture and objects. Combining primitive construction methods with contemporary and digital design techniques, Brud Studia creates conceptual pieces with a Brutalist aesthetic.

With a bold take on design, Pascale Gomes-McNabb is influenced by the exploration of architecture, art, travel, food, nature and culture. An ex-restaurateur, she has created some of Australia’s most respected, award-winning establishments including, Cumulus Inc., Cutler & Co (her own places) and for others; Penfolds’ Magill Estate Restaurant and Stokehouse among others. Her work encompasses commercial to residential interior landscapes, furniture, objects, jewellery and lighting, creating holistic environments that merge art and design to deliver visually engaging, intuitive, and thought provoking yet intensely functional and comfortable nuanced designs.

Anna Varendorff is an artist, designer and educator working in Melbourne, Australia. Her practice engages with sculpture, installation, object design and jewellery. She has exhibited in Australia and internationally since 2004, including at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA), and in Milan for Salone del Mobile in 2017, 2018 and 2019. She has created large public works for Brisbane City Council and various private clients. In 2016, Anna founded the design studio, ACV studio. ACV studio has received local and international acclaim, including being the winner of a 2018 Wallpaper* designer of the year award for the work Glass Half Full Vase.

Sally Dan-Cuthbert has worked in the art and design industry for over 35 years as an esteemed advisor, curator, art specialist, and, most recently, launching Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert in August 2019.

Dan-Cuthbert has built up important relationships with artists, curators, galleries and collectors, which has kept her at the top of her profession. She was previously employed by Christie’s, Australia and continues to operate as an industry-respected independent art advisor. Her clients range from private collectors to corporations with noteworthy collections. Dan-Cuthbert works closely with artists, designers, architects and collectors to facilitate meaningful exchanges and thoughtful collecting practices.

Sally Dan-Cuthbert has worked on advisory committees and with not-for-profit arts organisations. She is regularly invited onto projects as mentor, judge and panellist and is a longstanding benefactor of public galleries, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney; Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney; Art Gallery of South Australia and, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, as well as the Adelaide Biennial and the Biennale of Sydney.

To attend this talk, purchase your ticket to Melbourne Art Fair here.