Not Natural + SCI-FI:Mythologies Transformed

Across two consecutive exhibitions at the Science Gallery Melbourne, the wall becomes both a conceptual device and a material constant.
Taking on the theme of Not Natural, which investigated the growing tension between natural and artificial systems, Sibling interrogates an essential architectural element: the wall. But here, the wall is not what it seems. A wall appears upon entry to the gallery. Upon approach the wall reveals three rooms each with distinct characteristics: wet black, clinical white and fleshy red. A wall becomes rooms. Passing through this wall of rooms, more artworks unfold – tied together by the hue of 'hot lips' red. Looking back, the wall dissolves into a run of curtains and openings.

Following Not Natural, SCI-FI: Mythologies Transformed explored alternative futures through the lens of Asian and First Nations women artists and collectives. The exhibition design responds by creating a series of zones, or alternative worlds, between walls that mirror the curatorial themes. These walls are created with three wall types: curtains (solid and translucent), PVC strips (translucent) and plywood-clad steel-framed walls (solid) that obscure views, and movement between worlds. LED strips trace the base of the walls, suggesting otherworldliness - as do rooms that are hidden within the walls themselves.

In both exhibitions, the design embraces reuse. Existing materials from the gallery’s library and infrastructure are employed wherever possible. The
moveable wall system, originally created by Smart Design Studio, is redeployed across both exhibitions for efficiency. Curtains are reused from earlier
exhibitions and shared between shows. The design also contributes to the gallery’s evolving kit-of-parts: new floor-mounted screen stands, created by
Studio Tops, are introduced alongside re-usable LED strip lighting.