Sunday, July 21, 2013


Talks in Transit - four sessions held on a RailCorp carriage connecting Object, billed as Australia's leading centre for contemporary design located in Bourke St. Surry Hills, Sydney, with the Powerhouse gallery, approximately one hour away near Liverpool, SW Sydney.
The convenor may be seen here: http://cusp-design.com

The first session, titled Zero Hero vs. The Futurologist, combined Zero-waste crusader Stephen Mushin with futurologist Stuart Candy for a lively inquiry into just whether mankind was in an evolution of revolution process.

The past - present - future continuum was mined for entry points appropriate to 'futurecasting'. Could it not be possible to repurpose the nation's many musuem as 'visionarium' where citizens could gather to ponder 'possible worlds'. The Canadian/US 'Festival of Possible Worlds' shortly to take place squanders perhaps this otherwise potent label where f3 is in the business of encouraging the erection of possible worlds for the future.

Need the setting for pondering these worlds necessarily be static ? Railways in Queensland are giving thought to how best to draw attention to linking assets key to the f3 event to be held in Brisbane September 2014 and we can learn from the Sydney foray.

Designing habitats is a theme dear to Object as it is to Stuard Candy, who has worked with ARUP.
CUSP, Designing into the Next Decade is a team of 'Twelve Australian individuals working on the cusp, exploring the potential of design in our lives'. Several of these have put forward their ideas at the recent TEDx, and one is to appear on the third 'Talks in Transit'.
Object has held 'Termite City' for children which has the young ponder the sophistication of a termite mound and how 'Human cities might be like termite cities one day and we need you to help us design them.'
Termite City is part termite mound, part ancient Roman maze. It’s a massively cool future city designed for kids, and it will be built by kids from thousands of milk crates over four days and decorated with shadow silhouette inhabitants. Think massive lego building, think milk crates on ropes and pulleys, think giant maze, think tiny shadow puppet people, think termites and tunnels, think Termite City.