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Tactile Dialogues

15-25 May 2025

Living in an increasingly digital world marked by mass production and overconsumption, the exhibition Tactile Dialogues challenges us to reconsider the role of physical objects and foster moments of human connection.

Curated and directed by Ryan Fernandes & Made by Morgen, Tactile Dialogues was originally created as a showcase part of Melbourne Design Week Program.

Within Made By Morgen's Melbourne showroom, Tactile Dialogues invites us to slow down and reconnect with the physical, the handmade, and the deeply human.

A rich and tactile experience through a combination of materials, including textiles, wood, wool, metal, leather, glass, and paper. It serves as a platform for experimentation by local artists and makers, who draw on traditional techniques to create contemporary forms that bridge past, present, and future.

Tactile Dialogues explores the ties that bind us to physical spaces and community, celebrating the power of craft to comfort, surprise, and inspire joy. Each work prompts us to reflect on how materials are sourced, processed, and reconsidered through the act of making, repair, and transformation.

The exhibition unfolds through a series of interconnected spaces, with each object in conversation with the next.

Meet the Makers

Meet the Team

Nick McDonald and Anaïs Molé from Made By Morgen (@madebymorgen) & Ryan Fernandes (@ryanfernandesdesign).

Photography by Lillie Thompson(@lillie_thompson)

Interior Designer
Ryan is an interior designer with a dedicated focus on furniture, art, and objects. He continues to build a repertoire of iconic designs, combining a keen eye for what people crave in their homes with a commitment to creating timeless spaces.
Follow Ryan on Instagram @ryanfernandesdesign

Furniture and Design
Nick McDonald, Founder and director and Anaïs Molé, Studio Manager.
Made by Morgen is refined yet boundless, conscious furniture design. We emphasise a products ability to age and embody a story.
With inspiration from mid-century Scandinavian design, we work by hand to create refreshing, unique and individualised pieces for people, places and spaces. We maintain traditional workmanship and quality, sourcing materials that support this standard.
Follow Made By Morgen on Instagram @madebymorgen

Melbourne Design Week is Australia’s largest and leading annual design festival and takes place from 15–25 May 2025.
The 2025 program spans 11 days of 350+ events, exhibitions, talks, and installations throughout metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria• Melbourne Design Week is a vital platform for emerging and established creative practitioners, offering the Australian design community and audiences the opportunity to engage with a diverse program of talks, tours, exhibitions, installations, and workshops.
Melbourne Design Week is an initiative of the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria and is curated and delivered by the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). Visit designweek.melbourne from 15 April to view the full program.
Subscribe to NGV eNews for all Melbourne Design Week updates.