NGV reimagines the everyday in new design exhibition

From edible coffee cups and seaweed straws to leather made from mushrooms and seafood waste, the National Gallery of Victoria’s latest exhibition is shining a spotlight on how design can transform daily life for the better.

Now open at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Making Good: Redesigning the Everyday brings together more than 50 Australian and international designers who are rethinking the products and systems we use every day. The exhibition, which runs until February 1, 2026, with free entry, explores how design can improve human health and wellbeing while also addressing urgent environmental challenges.

Visitors will encounter a striking mix of innovations across industries. In building and construction, Canberra glass artist Matthew Curtis has created architectural blocks from recycled TV screens and waste float-glass, while Sydney studio Besley & Spresser turns discarded oyster shells into terrazzo-like surfaces. Singaporean paint brand Gush has developed a formula that purifies the air, and Melbourne’s Other Matter offers a recyclable signage film designed to replace single-use vinyl.

Healthcare and wellbeing are also central themes. Highlights include Hoopsy’s plastic-free pregnancy tests, Modi Bodi’s First Period Kit, and Melbourne label Bed Intentions, which has created a microbiome-safe water-based lubricant enriched with prebiotics. In global health, OOXii Global’s Vision Kit offers an affordable, portable solution to eye testing and eyewear in low-access regions, while the Light Phone III provides a minimalist alternative to modern smartphones.

The exhibition also responds to consumer concerns around fast fashion. UK-based Petit Pli has engineered children’s clothing that grows with its wearer, reducing textile waste. New York designer Allina Liu presents garments crafted from TômTex, a mushroom – and seafood waste – derived leather substitute, while Kiki Grammatopoulos’ running shoes scatter seeds with every step, supporting urban rewilding.

Food innovation adds another dimension. Melbourne-based Good-Edi produces edible coffee cups from locally sourced grains, while US company Loliware offers biodegradable seaweed straws and Great Wrap presents compostable cling film made from food waste.

NGV director Tony Ellwood AM said the exhibition captured a critical moment for contemporary design.

“The innovations presented in Making Good reflect a pivotal moment in how designers are conceptualising their work, going beyond function to consider the social and environmental impact of products,” he said.

RMIT’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor design and social context Professor Tim Marshall added: “Making Good showcases forward-thinking design that will inspire creativity, spark conversations and most importantly, drive change towards a more regenerative future.”

By reimagining the most ordinary objects – from clothing to coffee cups – Making Good offers a glimpse into how design can create healthier, more sustainable ways of living. For Melbourne audiences, it’s both a provocation and an invitation: to see the everyday differently, and to imagine a future designed for good.

ngv.vic.gov.au •