Design | Materiality | Collaboration | Product

MDW: Design | Materiality | Collaboration | Product

Join Glassblower Ruth Allen and Woodworker Adam Markowitz as they open the doors on their ongoing collaboration investigating the intersection of two millenia-old craft traditions of Glass and Wood. The fire hot, dynamic dance of blown glass collides with the considered, “measure-twice" and combustible medium of wood. As fires rage across continents, there is an eerie urgency in the combustion of these two mediums brought together.

Held at Ruth Allen | Glass Epicentre in Coburg North, the event will include a live glass-blowing demonstration. Watch as the glass flows, bends and ignites the purposefully crafted timber, forever joining these two specific pieces of glass and wood. On display will be further prototypes and experiments of this ongoing and evolving collaborative effort.

The demonstration will be held alongside a discussion, exploring the collaborative process. Ruth Allen, renowned glass artist and Adam Markowitz, award-winning architect and furniture designer/maker will delve into the process, potential and challenges discovered within this innovative fusion of two traditional crafts. Their conversation will explore themes of sustainability, materiality, and the role of skilled artisanry in addressing today’s environmental and social challenges.

The Glass Epicentre, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for glass, wood, metal, and ceramics, is more than just a workspace—it is a hub for collaboration and preservation of traditional techniques and knowledge.

Geared towards designers, architects, artists, and art enthusiasts, this event combines discussion and demonstration, celebration of craftsmanship, inclusion, and the enduring relevance of hand skills in contemporary design discourse. By engaging with the work of Allen and Markowitz, attendees will gain insight into the inner workings of collaborative design, making and the skill harnessed by the radical merging of traditional techniques.

Location: 10 Hossack Ave

Host or Publisher Ruth Allen | Glass Epicentre