In 2024, Australian designer Tom Fereday presents Aver, a solo exhibition at Oigåll Projects during Melbourne Design Week. Fereday's work, recognized for its precise engagement with materials, demonstrates his ongoing inquiry into the relationship between form, function, and materiality.
Aver highlights the interplay between recycled glass, raw and recycled aluminum, and finished furniture pieces, with an emphasis on tactile experience rather than mere visual observation. Fereday’s practice revolves around simplifying design processes to reveal the inherent qualities of each material. This approach is evident in pieces like the Cor light, where a travertine block is reduced to a hollow core, revealing a subtle yet functional light source. His Cove Lounge similarly exemplifies this philosophy, with a metal frame that integrates seamlessly into a curved backrest, demonstrating Fereday's attention to both engineering detail and aesthetic restraint. The pieces on display in Aver extend this philosophy into new areas, incorporating experimental uses of recycled materials while maintaining a focus on form and usability.
Aver brings together Fereday’s explorations with recycled and raw materials, including aluminum and glass, juxtaposed with functional objects and early design prototypes. By presenting these materials in both raw and refined states, the exhibition encourages a closer examination of the transformation processes involved. Fereday’s intention is not merely to showcase completed designs, but to explore how materiality itself can shape the design process.
A central feature of the exhibition is a collaboration with audio brand Pitt & Giblin, where Fereday’s sculptural approach to audio equipment is on full display. The cube-shaped, sandblasted aluminum speaker challenges conventional expectations of material use in audio design, merging industrial aesthetics with high-performance sound engineering. This piece, along with other sound-based works, underscores Fereday's exploration of how design can transcend the visual, inviting interaction through both touch and sound.
Oigåll Projects, established in 2021, is an independent gallery in Fitzroy dedicated to fostering experimental design and contemporary art. The space allows designers like Fereday to engage with their work in an immersive environment. Directed by Andy Kelly and Mitchell Zurek, the gallery’s installations are developed collaboratively to reflect the narrative of each project, with a focus on creating spaces that prompt reflection and interaction. Aver follows this ethos, acting as an incubator for new approaches to material and design.
