01_ Transformative Repair × ADC Live Auction

2nd June – 10th June 2022
Artist talk: 4th June
Auction: 9th June

On Thursday evening June 9, 2022 the Australian Design Centre (ADC) will host a ground-breaking design event, an auction of creatively repaired broken objects provided by notable climate change activists, creatives and champions of design from Sydney and the Illawarra.

A selection of emerging and leading Australian artists, designers and craftspeople were specially commissioned to reinterpret these objects using innovative approaches to repair and reuse.

In partnership with the ADC, the University of South Australia, the University of New South Wales and JamFactory Craft and Design, and funded by the Australian Research Council, this project develops and tests new models for the sustainable use of materials and products, establishing new opportunities for consumers, collectors and the public to thoughtfully and beautifully repair their broken things.

From June 2 to 10, 2022 this exciting and eclectic mix of objects will be on display at the Australian Design Centre on 101—115 William Street, Darlinghurst, in Sydney. On June 9, 2022 works for sale will be auctioned by Andrew Shapiro, Sydney’s noted auctioneer with 30 years of experience across collectible design and decorative arts.

Download the digital catalogue for estimates and details.

Transformative Repair x Australian Design Centre - Interviews

Contributors include:

Sally Dan-Cuthbert × Liz Williamson

Master weaver Liz Williamson and collaborator Tulla Carson were tasked with the challenge of restoring two extraordinary ’Plan-o-spider’ chairs owned by Sydney gallerist Sally Dan-Cuthbert. These chairs, designed in France by Hoffer and manufactured by Plan in the 1950s, presented a range of technical challenges. With the assistance of Nicole Robins and Chris Hitch, Liz and Tulla built on their provenance and stretched the boundaries of restoration with new materials and a colour palette that brings these once disintegrating chairs into the 21st century. Williamson then used the scrap elastic from the old webbing to create a series of elegant weavings, challenging the expectations of what can be done with waste.

Hugo Gruzman × Kyoko Hashimoto

Contemporary jeweller Kyoko Hashimoto repairs and transforms two broken model aeroplanes from musician Hugo Gruzman of Flight Facilities, one of them being a scale model of a Cessna 310 belonging to Hugo’s grandfather, air-sea rescue inventor Laurie Gruzman, a formative influence on the name and concept of Hugo’s band. In collaboration with Australian-born, Texas-based visual artist Ebony Fleur, a 3D animated version of the model aeroplane in flight was also created and minted as an NFT. Rounding off her transformative repairs, Kyoko transformed the second model, a Qantas 747, the “Queen of Skies”, into the zenith of jewellery typologies: a crown.

Edra & The Campana Brothers × Adam Goodrum

Leading Australian furniture designer Adam Goodrum obtained a magnificent but damaged aluminium lamp, designed by the Campana Brothers and provided to the project by Italian furniture manufacturer Edra. In a deft poetic move, Adam chose to transition the lamp from a pendant to floor standing lamp using only the existing aluminium components. With studio assistant Xavier Tafft, Adam slowly and painstakingly disassembled and reassembled hundreds of aluminium components to manifest this transformation.

Tim Flannery × Illiam Nargoodah

Nyikina artist and craftsman Illiam Nargoodah, hailing from Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia, received a broken axe from scientist, explorer and conservationist Tim Flannery. Through creative application of his metal working skills, Illiam transformed the axe into a poetic visual narrative or tableau vivant, expressing the power and agency of the axe as an instrument of production. Illiam also used a small off cut from this metalsmithing, to create a replica miniature axe as a gift for Tim.

Yael Stone × David Caon

Leading Australian industrial designer David Caon repairs and transforms a broken Vespa motor scooter donated by actor and climate change activist Yael Stone. With a focus on functional and aesthetic requirements, David updates the scooter through mechanical and styling changes to deliver a sophisticated contribution to the custom and modding genres of automotive design.

Bianca Spender × Lucy Mcrae

World renowned science fiction artist and body architect Lucy McRae received a box of unsalable garments from fashion designer Bianca Spender. Combining the garments with a well-used Knoll chaise lounge designed by Richard Schultz in 1966 that was found on craigslist in Los Angeles, Lucy creates a striking addition to her iconic survival/compression series of artworks.

01_ Transformative Repair × ADC Live Auction

2nd June – 10th June 2022
Artist talk: 4th June
Auction: 9th June

On Thursday evening June 9, 2022 the Australian Design Centre (ADC) will host a ground-breaking design event, an auction of creatively repaired broken objects provided by notable climate change activists, creatives and champions of design from Sydney and the Illawarra.

A selection of emerging and leading Australian artists, designers and craftspeople were specially commissioned to reinterpret these objects using innovative approaches to repair and reuse.

In partnership with the ADC, the University of South Australia, the University of New South Wales and JamFactory Craft and Design, and funded by the Australian Research Council, this project develops and tests new models for the sustainable use of materials and products, establishing new opportunities for consumers, collectors and the public to thoughtfully and beautifully repair their broken things.

From June 2 to 10, 2022 this exciting and eclectic mix of objects will be on display at the Australian Design Centre on 101—115 William Street, Darlinghurst, in Sydney. On June 9, 2022 works for sale will be auctioned by Andrew Shapiro, Sydney’s noted auctioneer with 30 years of experience across collectible design and decorative arts.

Download the digital catalogue for estimates and details.

To be a part of the experience, register below and find out more.

Auction Registration

Contributors include:

Sally Dan-Cuthbert × Liz Williamson

Master weaver Liz Williamson and collaborator Tulla Carson were tasked with the challenge of restoring two extraordinary ’Plan-o-spider’ chairs owned by Sydney gallerist Sally Dan-Cuthbert. These chairs, designed in France by Hoffer and manufactured by Plan in the 1950s, presented a range of technical challenges. With the assistance of Nicole Robins and Chris Hitch, Liz and Tulla built on their provenance and stretched the boundaries of restoration with new materials and a colour palette that brings these once disintegrating chairs into the 21st century. Williamson then used the scrap elastic from the old webbing to create a series of elegant weavings, challenging the expectations of what can be done with waste.

Hugo Gruzman × Kyoko Hashimoto

Contemporary jeweller Kyoko Hashimoto repairs and transforms two broken model aeroplanes from musician Hugo Gruzman of Flight Facilities, one of them being a scale model of a Cessna 310 belonging to Hugo’s grandfather, air-sea rescue inventor Laurie Gruzman, a formative influence on the name and concept of Hugo’s band. In collaboration with Australian-born, Texas-based visual artist Ebony Fleur, a 3D animated version of the model aeroplane in flight was also created and minted as an NFT. Rounding off her transformative repairs, Kyoko transformed the second model, a Qantas 747, the “Queen of Skies”, into the zenith of jewellery typologies: a crown.

Tim Flannery × Illiam Nargoodah

Nyikina artist and craftsman Illiam Nargoodah, hailing from Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia, received a broken axe from scientist, explorer and conservationist Tim Flannery. Through creative application of his metal working skills, Illiam transformed the axe into a poetic visual narrative or tableau vivant, expressing the power and agency of the axe as an instrument of production. Illiam also used a small off cut from this metalsmithing, to create a replica miniature axe as a gift for Tim.

Edra & The Campana Brothers × Adam Goodrum

Leading Australian furniture designer Adam Goodrum obtained a magnificent but damaged aluminium lamp, designed by the Campana Brothers and provided to the project by Italian furniture manufacturer Edra. In a deft poetic move, Adam chose to transition the lamp from a pendant to floor standing lamp using only the existing aluminium components. With studio assistant Xavier Tafft, Adam slowly and painstakingly disassembled and reassembled hundreds of aluminium components to manifest this transformation.

Yael Stone × David Caon

Leading Australian industrial designer David Caon repairs and transforms a broken Vespa motor scooter donated by actor and climate change activist Yael Stone. With a focus on functional and aesthetic requirements, David updates the scooter through mechanical and styling changes to deliver a sophisticated contribution to the custom and modding genres of automotive design.

Bianca Spender × Lucy Mcrae

World renowned science fiction artist and body architect Lucy McRae received a box of unsalable garments from fashion designer Bianca Spender. Combining the garments with a well-used Knoll chaise lounge designed by Richard Schultz in 1966 that was found on craigslist in Los Angeles, Lucy creates a striking addition to her iconic survival/compression series of artworks.

Transformative Repair is a UniSA led Australian Research Council project funded by the Australian Government in collaboration with the following organisations:

The Transformative Repair team would like to acknowledge the First Nations custodians of the lands upon which the project was conducted.