Rigg Design Prize NGV
As the Australian design industry’s most sought-after accolade, the National Gallery of Victoria’s Rigg Design Prize invited Arent&Pyke to participate in its 2018 iteration, alongside Amber Road, Danielle Brustman, Flack Studio, David Hicks, Hecker Guthrie, Martyn Thompson Studio, Richards Stanisich, Scott Weston and Sibella Court. Signalling a milestone for the studio entering its second decade, Arent&Pyke’s Rigg Design 2018 installation was recognised for excellence in contemporary design practice, reflecting the newly vibrant design culture of Australia.
- Location
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
- Photography
Felix Forest and Shannon McGrath
- Contributors
Dinesen / Simple Studio / Tigger Hall / Gary Galego / Ascraft / Boyac / Eco Outdoor / Lisa Cooper
Our installation, entitled ‘Home: Feast, Bathe, Rest’ explores what we consider to be the essential functions of a contemporary domestic interior. To replenish (feast); restore (bathe); and retreat (rest). Our response is a conceptual interior where the focus is on conjuring the emotions of these spaces. The NGV’s triennial Rigg Design Prize focused on interior design, and studios were asked to communicate how their practice could be embedded with societal values, ideas and stories, with the theme Domestic Living. Our entry Feast, Bathe, Rest could be intuitively understood as a home; a physicality of soulful wellbeing.
An aperture slices through dark green walls to reveal an opulent ochre-hued linen curtain. As it weaves through the space, the curtain drapes in small pools on pale wide floorboards of Douglas Fir. A soft spotlight falls onto a rough-hewn block of solid stone. The light catches the polished surface where the stone has been carved away to form a bowl-shaped vessel. Behind this piece is a more refined structure. The same stone has been worked to a smooth finish, its edges mitered, almost precise. A surface of brass reflects the form of a black crystal sculpture sitting quietly and powerfully on top
Arent&Pyke acknowledges the traditional custodians of this land. We pay our respects to them, their culture and traditions. We recognise their connection to the land and honour their elders, both past and present.