NowHaus: A celebration of 100 years of Bauhaus for Melbourne Design Week

The exhibition will celebrate of 100 years of Bauhaus design, in a 72-hour interactive exhibition that spotlights the renown interdisciplinary approach Bauhaus pioneered, and redefines its values for today. LCI Melbourne’s NowHaus will feature a live collaboration between artists Neil Chenery, Michelle Mantsio, Mireille Oberholster and Michael Peck, as they combine their practices in conceptual art, visual art, interior design and graphic design. Visitors will also be invited to participate in the 72-hour studio.

The Bauhaus was revolutionary– a school that bridged the gap between the fine arts and the applied arts for the first time. The founder, architect Walter Gropius, had a clear vision for the school. It was to be a place where beauty and practicality were not separate but integral to the design of a product. Its students explored a range of disciplines from advertising to carpentry, book-binding to typography, expanding their mind and ‘breaking the rules’ of conventional design.

NowHaus will activate these conditions of the Bauhaus and address the key question of how its principles influence contemporary art and design practice. This year’s theme is ‘Design Experiments’, diving deep into how design and architecture can positively help shape our future during rapid digitisation and urbanisation. Just as Bauhaus did, NowHaus aims to respond to our current social context and considers how art can support a desire for an alternative future.

NowHaus launches Tuesday 19th March, as a part of Melbourne Design Week 2019. LCI Melbourne encourages participation from all those from design industries and education sectors, who can all contribute to the exhibition in their own way. The experiential and participatory 72-hour period will result in an imagination of our new future.