The decision to engage with these MPavilions for the 2020/2021 season has been made as a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. At a time where artists and designers have been disadvantaged, displaced and disconnected due to the pandemic, MPavilion is adapting its operation to be more accessible to more Melburnians while supporting new needs in the most efficient and sustainable way possible. Driven by this mission to aid creativity in the wider community in a significant way, MPavilion is set to deliver an amplified new program across these locations from November 12, 2020 to March 21, 2021.
“Strengthening our creative communities is at the heart of the Naomi Milgrom Foundation, so it has been natural for us to respond to the pandemic by creating more opportunities for designers and artists this year. By being resourceful and re-using our permanent MPavilion locations, MPavilion will play a meaningful new role in helping to revitalise our neighbourhoods with the work of artists and designers.”
Naomi Milgrom AO, founder of the Naomi Milgrom Foundation.
The powerful new program will aid and boost local creativity through a series of commissions, including the MERGE music commissions, art installations, and graphic and fashion design commissions. Through a call-out for expressions of interest that is bigger than any MPavilion has done before, artists and designers will be given the opportunities and tools they need to break new ground in their practices and continue to grow. With funding of up to AUD 5,000 each available to support selected projects, artists and designers will be asked to respond to the program themes: RE-EMERGE: A Remix (November), IRL: Exploring Social Space (December), PRESERVATION: Propagating Knowledge (January), 1+1: Who are we together? (February), SPACE: Experiments in Time (March).
In addition to Levete’s Collins Street Docklands pavilion, MPavilion 2017 at Monash University designed by Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten/ OMA will be used; as well as MPavilion 2016 by Bijoy Jain at Melbourne Zoo; and MPavilion 2014 by Sean Godsell, now modified at Melbourne’s Hellenic Museum. Coinciding with the 2020 program announcements, the relocation set for Carme Pinós’ pavilion will be revealed in September, along with further details on Glenn Murcutt’s at The University of Melbourne.
The MPavilion 2020 program will endeavour to stimulate audience and artistic engagement with a greater investment in artists, performers and collaborators. Through a range of safe event formats, the program will supplement its physical expansion across the city by also being shared online.
MPavilion is a philanthropic success story that has seen government, business and private sectors collaborate to bring an important new civic space to Melbourne with strong public, industry and educational components. Supported by major partners City of Melbourne, the Victorian State Government through Creative Victoria and Development Victoria, ANZ and RACV, it has received over 630,000 visitors since its inception in 2014.
The MPavilion 2021 architect will be announced in March next year.
