Over four days, Melbourne Art Fair brings together leading Australian and international galleries, Indigenous art centres, designers and collectors in one concentrated moment. The 19th edition reaffirmed the Fair’s role as a central meeting point for contemporary art in the region

 

This year felt particularly significant with the introduction of FUTUREOBJEKT, a new collectible design salon embedded within the Fair.

 

Conceived as a focused platform for contemporary design and crafted objects, it brought furniture, lighting and material experimentation into direct dialogue with painting, sculpture and installation. For us, that intersection is important. Art sharpens our eye. It informs how we think about material, tone, composition and restraint. Collectible design, in turn, reinforces the idea that objects within a space can hold narrative and presence.

Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert | Rive Roshan

 

We were drawn to the work of Rive Roshan, presented by Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert. Rive Roshan, the Amsterdam-based duo of Reinder Bussink and Roxane Bollaert, explore perception and light through layered photographic techniques and glass overlays. Their shimmering wall works evoked horizons and reflections — liminal moments before sunrise and after sunset — with surfaces that felt both atmospheric and precise.

 

Rive Roshan Instagram
Gallery Website

Ames Yavuz | Reko Rennie

 

At Ames Yavuz, we spent time with Reko Rennie’s Camofleur series. Rennie, a Kamilaroi artist, is known for exploring identity, camouflage and power through a distinctive geometric language. Camofleur continues this exploration with bold patterning and layered colour, works that are direct and graphic yet conceptually grounded in cultural history

 

Gallery Instagram
Artist Website.

Australian Tapestry Workshop

 

The presentation by Australian Tapestry Workshop offered a reminder of the enduring relevance of tapestry as a medium. The Workshop, which has translated contemporary artworks into tapestry for five decades, presented works in dialogue with its 50th anniversary exhibition ‘Threaded Narratives’

 

We were particularly struck by pieces by Emily Ferretti and Maree Clarke. Both felt like fragments of larger narratives — detailed, textural works that invited closer inspection and rewarded time.

 

Australian Tapestry Workshop Instagram
Emily Ferretti Instagram
Maree Clarke Instagram

FUTUREOBJEKT | Don Cameron

 

Within FUTUREOBJEKT, Don Cameron created one of the most memorable presentations of the Fair. His booth combined historic design pieces, his own translation works and paintings by Hendrik Duijn into a tightly curated environment. The effect was immersive. Amidst the bustle of the Fair, he succeeded in creating his own contained world — measured, confident and deeply considered. We felt momentarily transported. His timber coffee table, in particular, demonstrated how a single piece can anchor a room while still feeling sculptural.

 

Studio Instagram

FUTUREOBJEKT | Dalton Stewart and Annie Paxton

 

Another highlight within FUTUREOBJEKT was the presentation by Dalton Stewart and Annie Paxton. Their collaborative practice explores material contrast and elemental form. A series of small lamps crafted from cored basalt stone and stainless steel stood out for their clarity and restraint. The weight and texture of the basalt, precisely bored and paired with refined steel elements, created a compelling dialogue between raw and machined. They are modest in scale yet materially powerful — pieces we could easily imagine sitting comfortably within our own projects.

 

Gallery Website

Broached Commissions

 

The VIP Lounge by Broached Commissions provided a different kind of experience. Conceived as a living archive of women artists engaging with botanical subject matter across centuries the space brought together historical works, contemporary pieces and floral installations grown from seed by Hattie Molloy. From Barbara Regina Dietzsch’s 18th-century botanical studies to works by Patricia Piccinini and Claudia Martinez Garay, the lounge was layered yet grounded — a calm, tactile environment within the intensity of the Fair.

 

Studio Instagram

As architects, we attend Melbourne Art Fair to stay engaged — with artists, galleries, materials and ideas. These experiences feed directly into how we approach our projects, from the art we propose for a home to the way we consider object, light and composition within a space.

 

We look forward to sharing more of our creative influences, the galleries we frequent, and creating opportunities to connect more closely with you, our community.