MPavilion Commissions

From the seats you sit on to the uniforms that adorn our team, every aspect of MPavilion involves people coming together in creative collaboration.

Since 2014, the Naomi Milgrom Foundation has commissioned extraordinary architects, artists and designers to create unique pieces for each MPavilion – elevating their careers and enhancing visitor experiences. In celebration of our milestone decade, this year’s MPavilion program will be anchored by 10 creative commissions spanning art, design, fashion, food, literature and music.

Speaking at MPavilion 5, Sir Nicholas Serota (Chair of Arts Council England) said ‘MPavilion is part of the phenomenon of encouraging people to be participants rather than simply an audience.’ We can’t wait to see you interacting with our 10 Commissions in the Gardens this summer.

MPavilion 8 Chair Commission: ‘The Dancer’ by Nüüd studio, photograph by Gavin Green.

Chair

Circle|Square by Davidov Architects has been selected by Tadao Ando for this year’s Chair Commission. The MPavilion 10 architect chose it from nearly 100 submissions – an MPavilion record.

Chair Commissions

*MPavilion 10 Chair Commission: Circle|Square by Davidov Architects, photograph by Eve Wilson for The Design Files.*

UnifoRm

Daphne Mohajer va Pesaran and Jake Nakashima-Edwards of DNJ Paper have been commissioned to create the MPavilion 10 Uniform from linen and washi paper.

Uniform Commissions

*MPavilion 10 Uniform Commission: DNJ Paper, photograph by Marie-Luise Skibbe.*

MUSIC

Created by Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO, the Wominjeka Song Cycle opens every MPavilion – welcoming it as a place for imagining a better future together.

Music Commissions

*MPavilion 10 Music Commission: Wominjeka Song Cycle, photograph by Casey Horsfield.*

Unity Lab

Unity Lab, curated by Ilianna Ginnis, a researcher at Monash University and an architectural designer, has a profound mission: to raise awareness and advocate for individuals who communicate non-verbally and have intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Photography

John Gollings holds a Master in Architecture from RMIT University and an Honorary Fellowship of the Australian Institute of Architects. He works in the Asia-Pacific region as an architectural photographer. Much of his work involves long-term cultural projects, especially in India, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Libya and New Guinea.

Writing

Michael Gentle is a curator and writer in Naarm/Melbourne, currently working at the State Library of Victoria and ArtsHub.

Food

Come learn more about the art of making wagashi—intricate Japanese sweets made from ingredients like adzuki beans and rice pastes—in this demonstration. Traditionally served with green tea, wagashi designs often reflect the seasons, landscapes and moods.

Art

Come FLOAT through your hands and through your imagination. Polyglot Theatre invites children from three- to eight-years-old and their families to create boats from leaves and float them into the reflection pool within the pavilion. Listen to a live musician respond to the creative energy in the space as the boats bob and drift.

*MPavilion 10 Float Commission: Polyglot Theatre, photograph by Darren Gill, courtesy of Polyglot Theatre*

CRAFT

Come experience an aqal: the Somali name for a hut, or a home. An aqal is a thatched structure that nomadic Somali people lived in as they moved around Somalia in search of greener pastures. Made from natural grasses and tree branches as well as recycled materials, it represents home, family, and togetherness.

*MPavilion 10 Qaymi Commission: Muhubo Sulieman*

Ceramics

The installation at MPavilion will illustrate this everyday celestial event, with visitors able to experience natural phenomena—shadows, breeze, sunlight and rain—entering the space throughout the day and interacting with the installation. Every morning, Yoko will sweep the stone floor and rearrange the installation to develop the landscape.