The Powerhouse today announced two new exhibitions launching September 2020; Design for Life, which explores the role of design in medicine and Hybrid an exhibition investigating the future home.

Opening on 12 September, Hybrid aims to interrogate the contemporary urban condition and explore the role of the home in 2030. The Powerhouse, in collaboration with Creative Director and writer Stephen Todd, has commissioned nine 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 the most pressing issues of our time. The selected designers, including Amsterdam based Rive Roshan and acclaimed Australian designers Adam Goodrum, Trent Jansen and Elliat Rich, have responded to issues such as the global pandemic, air quality, bush fires, rising temperatures and wellbeing to premiere new objects ranging from a contemporary home shrine, a space to refocus and de-stress, a responsive light source that brings the experiences of nature into the home, a table and stool from recycled plastic to artefacts developed from the objects left behind by loved ones.

Design for Life explores the central role of design in the health and medical sector and celebrates the intersection between science and design, showcasing design innovation in the creation of medical equipment, devices and tools that save and improve the quality of human life. Drawing on the Museum’s rich collection of medical and scientific material from the late 1800s to present day, the exhibition will bring together over 200 objects from the collection with the latest in medical and scientific product design.

Image: Half-piece reusable respirator. Made by 3M Australia, 1997-2000. Photographed by Ryan Hernandez, MAAS.