VESKI in the Community

Exhibitions

AGIdeas International Design Week 2007

AGIdeas International Design Week is now one of the largest and most well respected design events in the world. In 2007, 3,300 designers - students, lecturers and professionals from all states of Australia, from New Zealand, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, Abu Dhabi, the UK, Mexico and the USA descended upon Melbourne’s premier art centre for the AGIdeas International Design Week 2007.

VESKI supported the attendance of Mr Masaaki Kanai, Senior Managing Director of Ryohin Keikaku Co Ltd. who owns the MUJI brand, (Japan) at this year’s AGIdeas forum.

Mr Kanai presented at a business breakfast at Hamer Hall to over 250 business leaders and at the main forum to over 3000 representatives of the Victorian Design Community. This was an unique opportunity to hear first hand how MUJI found a point of difference and how MUJI went on to open 285 stores in Japan as well as stores in Europe, the United States and Asia.

Mr Kanai has been responsible for a new strategy for the merchandise development, inducing talented product designers from overseas to collaborate with the MUJI Team.

Two design students were given the unique opportunity to attend the three day design festival of AGIdeas 2007.

Sponsored by VESKI, Ms Deanna German, a second year Communication Design student of Swinburne University, and Mr Kareem Obeid of Monash University were able to participate in and be inspired by an array of high calibre speakers of AGIdeas 2007.

"AGIdeas 2007 was mind blowing, the speakers were amazing and the work spoke for itself, I left Day 1 full of inspiration and with a hunger for design. Days 2 and 3 were both equally fantastic and engaging.

Chip Kidd really knew how to work the stage and humor the audience, hence he was one of my most remembered speakers from the event.  However, I really appreciated the works of the other highly skilled designers.

I really can't thank you and the team at VESKI enough for the 'sponsor pass' you gave me. AGIdeas 2007 will definitely be remembered, so thank you for the opportunity of allowing me to go and experience one of the most prestigious and creative events of the year."

Ms Deanna German - recipient of a VESKI sponsored pass.

To read more about the AGIdeas International Design Week, please click here.

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VESKI Represented at New Trends Exhibition

On the 20th June 2007 The Honourable Justin Madden, State Minister for Planning, launched the New Trends of Architecture in Europe and Asia-Pacific 2006-2007 exhibition at the award winning, ARM designed, RMIT Gallery, Storey Hall, Melbourne. 

Minister Madden was welcomed by the Vice Chancellor of RMIT University, Prof Margaret Gardner in the presence of the Melbourne Patron State Government Architect and VESKI Board Member Mr John Denton.

The Australian Curator and Advisor for the exhibition is VESKI Design Sub Committee Member Mr Leon van Schaik, RMIT Innovation Professor of Architecture.

Funding via a VESKI Award allowed Sean Godsell to represent Australia as an exhibiting architect, he also hosted a visit for the overseas architects to his new project at Glenburn House.

Students from the 3 schools of Architecture - RMIT, Melbourne University and Deakin University were invited to a half day tour of the exhibition conducted by Sean Godsell, these tours were conducted over three days.  During the exhibition’s stay at the RMIT Gallery, there was also an open and closed forum as part of the broader community program, taking the form of one public and one peer related lecture.

To read more about the exhibtion and the exhibitors, please click here.

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The City of Milan 2005 Award for Young Foreign Designers - Exhibition

Melbourne and Milan celebrated their new sister city relationship in 2005, with a competition to select and discover young foreign designers and invite one to spend a part of their professional training in Milan.

The City of Milan 2005 Award for Young Foreign Designers had been launched in 2003 by the City of Milan and the Milan Chamber of Commerce. In 2005, Melbourne became the invited international city and the City of Melbourne invited over 60 emerging designers from around Australia to submit work for the Award. They were asked to produce a design project that allowed visitors to take part in and explore the city’s life, understand its urban network and overcome the superficial layers which form the so-called Milan system.

From the pool of work, 17 pieces were chosen to be part of The City of Milan 2005 Award for Young Foreign Designers. VESKI Board Director, Mr John Denton, and Design Sub-Committee member, Mr Garry Emery, were members of the Australian judging panel. An exhibition of the selected 17 works was displayed at the world renowned Triennale di Milano design gallery at the same time as the Milan International Furniture Fair, the "Salone del Mobile".

Melbourne designer, Linda Jukic, was awarded an invitation by a panel of Milanese judges to spend three months immersed in the design world of Milan. Her project called See For Yourself was a set of tickets which showed both Milan’s permanent and seasonal cultural life. The idea was to sell packets of tickets and random stickers at information centres, booksellers and newsagents and encourage visitors to collect more tickets and discover more of Milan.

VESKI was a major sponsor of the event, providing financial assistance to return the exhibition from Milan and showcase the work of designers at the BMW Edge at Federation Square during Melbourne Design Week in July 2005.

VESKI also ran a highly successful schools program in conjunction with the event.

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New Trends in Architecture in Europe and Asia Pacific 2004-05

Victorian architect Kerstin Thompson was the first Australian invited to take part in the New Trends in Architecture in Europe and Asia Pacific, a touring exhibition organised by the Rei Front Art Gallery Japan to showcase new, younger innovative architects. The exhibition opened in Lille France, then travelled to Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Cork before it opened in Melbourne at the RMIT Gallery in August 2005, and continued on to Pusan, Korea.

Kerstin Thompson’s reinterpretations of inner city housing, sound barriers and technology estates joined the work of 20 young innovative architects. The exhibition explored many examples of structures for the modern urban environment from temporary housing to public buildings, domestic housing to scapes and furniture.

VESKI provided financial support to allow Kerstin to show her work and travel with the exhibition before it returned to Melbourne, where she conducted highly successful public and professional symposiums.

For more information visit please click here.

Kerstin Thompson is Principal of Kerstin Thompson Architects Pty Ltd Architectural & Urban Design projects, Adjunct Professor and Lecturer in Design at School of Architecture, RMIT and a member of the RAIA Victorian Chapter Awards Taskforce.

She is a Contributing Editor of Architecture Australia, a writer and lecturer with close links with schools of architecture and professional institutes in Australia and overseas. She plays an active role not only within the profession, but also in promoting quality design in the wider community - such as with regards to the improvement of Victoria’s planning system and as Creative Director for the 2005 RAIA National Conference.

Some of her projects include:

• Pod H QV Development including creche, car park and commercial space, Melbourne;
• Visitors’ Centre for Australian Garden at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne;
• Mixed use development - 29 dwellings and commercial space - for Gore Street, Fitzroy;
• Waitangi Precinct – Invited International competition – art gallery, residential, commercial, retail, landscape – to Wellington’s waterfront, New Zealand;
• Library and food technology building, St Margaret’s School, Berwick.

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