DETAILS
Free, booking required
Modus Forma Office
1/120 Cambridge Street, Collingwood VIC, Australia
Past, Present and Future brings together designers, architects and researchers to explore the diverse legacies shaping Australian design — from the enduring knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to the creative influences of migrant and contemporary practices.
The exhibition and accompanying talks reveal how these cultural narratives continue to inform new approaches to material innovation, circular design and technological care. Showcasing projects across a range of scales — from crafted objects to buildings and large-scale infrastructure — the program highlights the breadth of design’s influence in shaping how we live and connect to place.
By celebrating the dialogue between tradition and experimentation, Past, Present and Future foregrounds design’s power to heal, replenish and reconnect people and Country. It invites audiences to reflect on how Australia’s layered design history can inspire more inclusive, sustainable and regenerative futures, imagining the next chapter of Australian design as one that honours its past while shaping a better tomorrow.
Participants
Modus Forma
Modus Forma is an architecture and design studio based in Melbourne/Naarm. The practice operates at the intersection of infrastructure, culture and technology, exploring how large-scale systems can be reimagined as civic and sculptural experiences. Working fluidly across digital and physical worlds, Modus Forma investigates the expressive potential of materials, data and form. Their process merges parametric precision with narrative design thinking, producing work that is both technically rigorous and emotionally charged. Through an ever-evolving dialogue between art, architecture and urbanism, the studio seeks to challenge convention and expand the possibilities of contemporary design practice.
Karl 'Winda' Telfer
Karl 'Winda' Telfer is a Kaurna man from the Adelaide Plains region of South Australia. Born into a family of strong cultural heritage, who are actively involved in politics, and have always fought for social justice and human rights for Aboriginal people, Karl continues the legacy by integrating his culture with the arts.
Ella Saddington
Ella is an experimental designer, researcher and artist currently based in Melbourne/Naarm. Her practice explores the intersection of craft, material culture and design, focusing on reactivating pre-industrial techniques within contemporary contexts. Through her studio, Cordon Salon, she investigates the tacit knowledge embedded in traditional craftsmanship, blending historical research with material experimentation to create objects that are both functional and deeply resonant.
Kaylee Anderson
Kaylee is an Aboriginal woman from Wiradjuri, Yorta Yorta/Bangerang Countries in New South Wales and Victoria and the director of Indigenuity Lab. With more than twenty years' experience spanning health, social justice, architecture, urban design and major infrastructure, her practice works at the intersection of cultural wisdom and strategic delivery to create enduring partnerships that produce lasting community impact, elevate cultural wisdom and protect Country.