On view at the Powerhouse Museum through February 28, Hybrid is a new exhibition interrogating the contemporary urban condition and exploring the role of the home in 2030. The exhibition showcases new commissions from nine design studios responding to the pressing issues of our time and exploring the needs of the future home.
In collaboration with Creative Director and writer Stephen Todd, the Powerhouse has commissioned the design studios to work with researchers and practitioners from alternative industries to create a series of furniture and objects exploring the rapidly changing global landscape and responding to issues such as the COVID-19 global pandemic, air quality, bush fires, rising temperatures and wellbeing.
"The way we live and how we perceive and experience our homes is being radically altered," Todd commented. "The primary role of the home in the 21st century is to be a sanctuary, a respite from the clamour of daily life, the ultimate refuge in these times of crisis. For the Hybrid commission, we asked creatives outside of the field of design to create domestic artefacts for our future."
"The global pandemic and resulting restrictions have compelled people around the world to spend more time than ever at home," added Powerhouse Museum Chief Executive, Lisa Havilah. "How we view and interact with our homes has changed significantly as a result and this new exhibition explores what this means for us now and the future."
Photography: Jessica Maurer