The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) has announced a new August exhibition that will bring together the work of more than 50 Australian and international designers to spotlight products and systems designed to improve the health and wellbeing of people and the environment.
Exhibition curator, and curator of contemporary architecture and design at the NGV Gemma Savio said that the exhibited designers challenge entrenched systems of extraction, production and waste, with products that present innovative approaches to repair and rethink the everyday.
“Making Good: Redesigning the Everyday highlights a global shift in design practice – from minimising harm to actively generating positive impact,” she said.
“The exhibition presents tangible examples of how small design decisions applied at scale can transform entire industries and improve everyday life. It’s about seeing design not only as a problem-solving tool, but as a way of reconfiguring relationships between people, materials, and the environment.”
Savio notes that the exhibition’s focus, which spans fashion, construction, food, wellbeing and social design, extends to innovative building materials and to projects that move the conversation beyond efficiency and toward regenerative and inclusive solutions.
She cites the example of Oyster Terrazzo, developed by Sydney-based architecture practice Besley and Spresser, which combines Sydney Rock Oyster shell waste from local restaurants with white cement, ochres and recycled marble. Savio explains that the new material “intercept[s] local waste streams while also providing ornamentation and narrative.”
Other products featured in the exhibition include a concrete mix made from coffee waste, developed by researchers from RMIT University; Pelagic’s POI Brick, which repurposes ocean plastics into blocks and pavers produced via mobile, decentralised factories; and a paint formula developed by Singaporean brand Gush that rids the air of pollutants.
Hotel Optimismo – a project from Melbourne-based Finding Infinity – is also included in the lineup. The project conceives of a high-rise, built from carbon sequestering materials, which generates energy, recycles waste and supports community life. In a similar vein, RetroFITting by RMIT Floppy Lab uses solar textiles to retrofit existing buildings for energy production, shade and support urban habitat.
Deputy vice-chancellor of design and social context, and vice president at RMIT University, professor Tim Marshall said, “Making Good showcases forward-thinking design that will inspire creativity, spark conversations and most importantly, drive change towards a more regenerative future.”
“We hope visitors leave with a renewed sense of optimism about the role design can play in shaping a better future,” Savio added.
The exhibition is set open from 29 August until 1 February 2026 at NGV Australia. Presented in partnership with Futures Partner, RMIT, the NGV will host a full-day symposium on opening day, which will feature panel discussions between exhibitors and designers.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
