Australia's top architecture commission is back with a five-month festival set to take over the Queen Victoria Gardens.
Thanks to MPavilion, summer days at Queen Victoria Gardens are always filled with some unexpected yet delightful event. The series has been keeping us entertained for 10 years now, and in honour of its first decade, it has filled out its 2023/2024 program with a massive assortment of installations, performances, workshops, community projects and so much more.
Kicking off on October 16, MPavilion 10 will host a three-part design festival dedicated to themes related to this year’s designer: the legendary Tadao Ando. The programming will focus on Memories and Place, Craftsmanship and A Blank Canvas.
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
“We are proud to mark this decade of MPavilion with an expanse of free events across the 133 days of the season, from early morning into evening,” says Naomi Milgrom AC, commissioner of MPavilion.
“The architects, artists, designers and thinkers with whom we are collaborating reflect the creativity, diversity and vibrancy found in Melbourne, a local and global centre of design. We can’t wait for locals and visitors alike to experience Tadao Ando’s iconic MPavilion design as they join us for events during our milestone season.”
The opening week is jam-packed with activities: a performance of the tenth song of the Womenjika Song Cycle, a contemporary dance featuring seagull puppets designed by Alpha60, an edible art project featuring grey-coloured ice cream by artist João Loureiro and Piccolina and the debut of a collaborative quilting project.
MPavilion has also commissioned a ton of brand-new projects for this season. The artists and creators will take inspiration from the Japanese-style design of the architecture and allow it to influence their work.
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Minako Asai
- Food
- Nov to Dec 2023
Expanding the horizons of design, Japanese wagashi maker Minako Asai will introduce visitors to the beloved Japanese sweets. Asai’s edible creations are works of art inspired by nature through the seasons.
Michael Gentle
- Writing
- Nov to Dec 2023
Nyoongar man, writer and curator Michael Gentle will describe the ephemeral and unearth the invisible. Stationed at MPavilion 10 for the duration of his commission, he will conjure a written record of what the pavilion entails. Adopting with an iterative approach, Michael’s work will be presented in a physical format at MPavilion 10 and be shared digitally to a wider audience.
Polyglot Theatre
- Children’s activity
- Jan 2024
Expanding on a long-standing collaboration with Polyglot Theatre, MPavilion has commissioned the company to create a family-friendly installation. With FLOAT, Polyglot Theatre will invite children aged 3–8 years and their families to make boats using leaves, then float them in the pavilion’s reflecting pool. A live musician will improvise as the boats bob and drift.
Ilianna Ginnis
- Unity Lab
- Jan 2024
Ilianna Ginnis will bring her activism, creativity and research to MPavilion with a week-long program creating rich experiences for non-verbal communicators. The program will feature family-friendly installations, workshops and an all-inclusive party.
Qaymi Arts and Craft
- Craft and Design
- Feb 2024
Qaymi Arts and Craft will bring their ancestral Somali weaving techniques to MPavilion and invite audiences to co-create a collaborative artwork during a week-long workshop. The result will be a large-scale installation comprised of natural materials such as grass, bamboo and recycled fabric sourced in Melbourne.
Yoko Ozawa
- Craft and Design
- Mar 2024
Japanese ceramicist Yoko Ozawa will create an in-situ installation that seeks to adapt the Zen garden to the Australian context. The installation will change daily during the week-long residency and connect with the Queen Victoria Gardens surrounding the pavilion.
John Gollings
- Photography
- Mar 2024
Australia’s most respected architectural photographer and MPavilion 10 commissioned artist John Gollings AM will share his worldview, leading two unique workshops – at dusk and dawn – on the craft, using the pavilion as a model. He will also produce a series of images of MPavilion, capturing the design for perpetuity.
To browse the entire MPavilion 10 program, head here.
