Audio Design Museum Launch

The streets of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are being transformed into giant gallery spaces with the launch of a new project by Object: Australian Centre for Craft and Design.

Object, based in Sydney, has worked with independent curators, local designers and Queensland’s design organisation artisan – idea:skill:product to create two Brisbane guided audio tours that lead listeners on a trail of the best design and creativity.

The tours take in the Fortitude Valley, West End & South Brisbane areas. You can download the tours to your MP3 player at the Audio Design website to discover all the other wonderful places featured on the tours.

The Brisbane tours are presented in partnership with artisan through Creative Sparks, a joint initiative of Brisbane City Council and the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.

On Thursday 7 Oct as part of a huge week of design related events around Brisbane, artisan launched the Audio Design Museum. Formally launched by Councilor Geraldine Knapp, Chair of Creative Communities, a dedicated group of Queensland design supporters attended the launch event at the artisan gallery and were delighted to be immersed in the beautiful Barbara Heath exhibition.

After a glass of champagne and some really good conversation a small group of design devotees did the short walk down to James Street to the first venue on our tour, the Francis Leon shop. Thanks to Jo and Cat for a lovely talk about fashion and business in their beautiful retail studio. Tinh was pattern cutting in the studio and Thuong was machining which exposed us to a serious fashion studio in action.

It was then a couple steps to the next venue FIO, a stunning new jewellery gallery recently setup and run by Matt Dwyer. He invited us to access the back of house work space that he teaches his gold and silversmithing classes from. This was a truly unique experience and one that will not be forgotten. 

We then walked around the corner to Chester Street which is the location of Jason Bird’s Objx shop. Jason and his team often collaborate with other Queensland designers with the resulting works being celebrations of both savvy contemporary design and wild colours. Jason also showed us a new chair design that he and his team where working on.

The tour then returned to Brunswick Street and the last stop on our list the fabulous Fallow store. After finding our way up and into Cameron House we approached the black door with a deer horn handle and just knew that we were in for a treat. After being welcomed by the lovely Khatra we discovered a treasure trove of a shop. At Fallow you will find the most desirable of fashion, jewellery and collectable objects all in shades of white, black or gray! 

We then headed back to artisan for the launch of Barbara Heath’s new exhibition Tinsmith: An Ordinary Romance, which was the perfect way to end an afternoon of design discovery around the Fortitude Valley precinct.