Object Therapy: Guy Keulemans collaborating with Hotel Hotel

UNSW Art & Design lecturer Dr. Guy Keulemans is collaborating with a team of social entrepreneurs at Canberra's innovative Hotel Hotel on research and design project titled Object Therapy.

Object Therapy seeks to 'creatively repair' broken objects offered by volunteers. Participants are invited to contribute a damaged or broken household object (textiles, homewares, sentimental objects, furniture, electric goods); to discuss the object with one of the Fix and Make design researchers; and to ‘let go’ of that object and offer it to be repaired as the designer reimagines it. The object may come back fixed or it’s appearance and function may change and return as something entirely different.

The project aims to help us rethink our consumption patterns and re-evaluate the broken objects that surround us. Often repaired objects are perceived as being of less value. Object Therapy seeks to challenge this, celebrating repair as a creative process that can add value.

Participating artists and designer makers include:

• Dr. Guy Keulemans – multi-disciplinary designer, Sydney. (Graduate and Lecturer UNSW Art & Design)
• Henry Wilson – product designer, Sydney. (Lecturer UNSW Art & Design)
• Naomi Taplin – ceramicist, Sydney. (Graduate UNSW Art & Design)
• Trent Jansen – furniture designer, Sydney. (Graduate UNSW Art & Design)
• Rohan Nicol – gold and silversmith, Canberra.
• Niklavs Rubenis – furniture maker, Canberra.
• Dale Hardiman – product designer, Melbourne.

Submissions for 'broken objects' are now open. Participants will be invited to bring their broken objects to Hotel Hotel on Saturday June 25 to be interviewed by a design researcher. The designer will creatively repair the broken object, which will be shown in an exhibition at Hotel Hotel on Thursday 29 September.

The submission deadline is Sunday 5 June, 2016 at 5pm. More information and an entry form can be found here.