CMAG opens new gallery space with colourful focus on Aussie design and architect Alastair Swayn in Light, Colour, Humanity

In a bid to be more connected with the outside world, the museum has taken over the space once held by Mr Wei's restaurant, to not only expand its gallery space but keeping the large windows so that parts of the exhibition can be viewed from London Circuit and Civic Square.

The first exhibition to take over the space is the Swayn Gallery of Australian Design 2023 showcase: Light, Colour, Humanity - The Legacy of Alastair Swayn.

Swayn was one of Canberra's leading architects and a lover of all things associated with Australian design. He was also Canberra's inaugural government architect from 2010 to 2016.

Curated by Ian Wong from Monash University, the exhibition showcases how Swayn's architecture reflected light, colour and humanity. When it comes to the theme of light, the exhibition is filled with photos taken by John Gollings of significant projects by Swayn. There are also elements which light up and can be seen from Civic Square at night.

"This space is very different to our more traditional galleries within Canberra Museum and this signifies that we're changing in terms of what we're doing. A lot more active engagement with the outside world," Canberra Museum and Gallery acting director Anna Wong said.

"With this inaugural exhibition ... it was a really lovely fit, because it's a celebration of Alastair Swayn's architecture and legacy. And what Ian was keen to do was to express some of the design principles that were the basis of Alastair's work."

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When it comes to the exhibition's theme of colour, various large cubes house a range of Australian-designed objects from the Ian Wong Collection.

The Australian designs include Decor tableware, pedestrian crossing buttons, the humble esky and the Dolphin torch. Along with some of Australia's best functional design objects, the exhibition also showcases Canberra-centric objects including the iconic F!NK jug designed and manufactured by the late Robert Foster and the yellow stack hat designed by Bryon Fitzpatrick.

"Alastair introduced the concept of colour to architecture, in a city where a lot of buildings are beige and grey and light was also central to its design," Dr Wong said.

"And Ian is a strong supporter of Australian design, so Ian has also brought in his own collection of Australian design objects, so if you look through some of the cubes, you will see some wonderful objects which he has colour coded.

"They're everyday objects that have changed our everyday lives, all by Australian industrial designers.

"Things that we might not have realised, were great Aussie designs that have changed the world in a way."

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