Today MPavilion has announced its free program taking place in the Queen Victoria Gardens at the ninth MPavilion, designed by all(zone), from Thursday 8 December 2022 – Thursday 6 April 2023.
The program will feature more than 250 events exploring the three program themes: Under One Roof (December); Material Lab (January and February); and Unseen Design (March and April).
The MMusic program is a particular standout for us, here are some of the highlights – all free – coming to the Victoria Gardens over the coming months:
MPavillion’s MMusic program highlights
The opening weekend (9-11 December 2022) will kick off with a Crown Ruler party featuring John Gómez (UK/Tangent), Nick The Record (UK/Tangent) and Dita (IND/Potato Head). John Gómez and Nick The Record are some of the UK’s most prolific audiophiles, whose goal is to bring beautiful music to people through a repertoire that spans disco, boogie, leftfield-electronica and beyond. Dita is currently one of Indonesia’s hottest exports, her eclectic style jumps between styles including 90’s house, acid house and breaks.
Throughout December will also see the return of DJ 101 with DJ Sarah, a program for aspiring female-identifying, trans, and non-binary talent looking to break into the dance music scene. Aiming to take absolute beginners to gig-ready DJs, this six-week workshop covers the basics of DJing, digging for music, working with CDJs, beatmatching, and the ins and outs of the industry.
For one night only on 25 February 2023, MPavilion ventures into the realms of underground techno and hard dance, with a lineup of local emerging artists curated by Rude Baby. Acts will include Sydney-based producer PTWIGGS, whose gothic, experimental soundscapes draw on industrial noise and ’90s trance for an immersive techno experience, and SUS1ER, who brings his heavy hard dance rhythms over from Perth.
Electric Dreams 24 March 2023: Join us for an evening of synth-pop revival and underground electronic music made for dancing. A live performance by homegrown duo Syzygy, who bring a raw, DIY grit to new wave music and 80’s synths as they explore themes around balance, power and structure. Joining them will be a guest band and a DJ set from their label It Records—who have an eight-year track record of highlighting Melbourne’s most interesting and eclectic underground electronic music.
You can also join Cavello Nero on 31 March 2023 for an evening of lively atmospheric tunes as the sun sets and the night takes over. Opening on a lighter, approaching vibe, we will go on a journey across time—ending with a frenetic, all-encompassing circus. Expect DJ sets and a live performance timed to sunset, that encapsulates the many shapes and forms of the dance floor.
A closing party on Thursday 6 April 2023 featuring the diverse, eclectic sounds of Melbourne’s very own infamous Strictly Vinyl party, thrown by DJ Jimmy James and DJ JNETT.
MPavillion’s architectural and design events
Melbourne- based Lebanese designer Safa El Samad has created a utilitarian-inspired uniform for MPavilion staff, drawing on her experience as a multidisciplinary artist, fashion designer and aspiring architect.
The 2022 chair design commission was awarded to Re-pete by University of Canberra trio Sam Tomkins, Iain [Max] Maxwell and Ben Ennis-Butler for their lightweight, zero-waste stool produced from robotically extruded recyclable plastic.
MPavilion Food Truck
In exciting firsts this season, the MPavilion Food Truck will be a permanent feature in the Queen Victoria Gardens, making MPavilion the place to picnic this summer. The pop-up restaurant will feature mouth-watering culinary collaborations, including a special partnership with Parcs on 15-18 December and 30 March-2 April. Inspired by the fishing net layer of all(zone)’s MPavilion 2022 design, Parcs chef DennisYong has created a ‘bootleg fish & chip’ themed menu that draws on the ferment & wine bar’s sustainable ethos. To cap off the new food offering, MPavilion has collaborated with local Preston brewery Tall Boy & Moose to create the MPavilion Pale Ale with a summer- inspired label designed by Los Angeles/Melbourne-based graphic designer Anita Shao.
MPavillion Thai Festival
MPavilion will launch with the Thai Festival on Saturday 10 December, presented in partnership with the Thai Embassy. The celebration of Thai culture, architecture and design will commemorate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and Thailand. Activities include a lantern-making workshop, a monk blessing with monks of Buddha Bodhivana Monastery, traditional Thai long drum dance performances, and contemporary Thai dance with Chef Nartchanok Jansri (Good Thaimes) in the MPavilion Food Truck serving up a selection of tasty Thai dishes.
BLAKitecture
MPavilion’s annual Indigenous design forum BLAKitecture, which began in 2017 to promote
First Nations voices, leadership and practice, returns for its sixth year. The three-part series of conversations across December, February and March will focus on Kinship, Material Agency and the Barriers of Bureaucracy. In March, the Melbourne Theatre Company brings its First Peoples Young Artists Program to MPavilion, sharing performance work developed with Palawa playwright Nathan Maynard. The program is an opportunity for emerging creatives as they seek to examine what a de- colonised world looks like in the current design of society.
Material Lab
The January and February program will see the MPavilion transform into a Material Lab, exploring 50 different materials. Highlights during the school holidays include; Mother Earth Textile Collective, exploring Indigenous Latin American symbolism through textile art; How long is a piece of string?, a workshop and interactive installation facilitated by 100 Story Building; and Feast by Polyglot Theatre, an installation that lets children play with materials other than food to make truly delicious, and sometimes really horrible, culinary creations.
Unseen Design
Closing out the season, the March and April program will shine a light on Unseen Design. Events include; Would you kiss a robot? Exploring the future of sex, a conversation exploring how design impacts our most intimate moments and how technology could catalyse connection; Mixed media: the craft of belonging, a hands-on collage workshop facilitated by Being Biracial podcast hosts Kate Robinson and Maria Birch-Morunga; and Gender and home design: Creating private spaces by and for women, a panel conversation hosted by Nightingale Housing on the important subtleties of creating spaces that improve the lives of women and girls.
View the full schedule of events, discussions and collaborations from the 2022 MPavilion program here.