Jessie French’s exhibition, Material Conditions: Systems Beneath Surfaces, examines the industrial systems embedded within the materials that shape our inhabited spaces and their resultant environmental and ethical consequences.
Established systems, optimised for efficiency, low cost, and standardisation, dictate how physical resources are produced, circulated, and utilised in our daily environments. Many of these materials rely on chemical additives including binders, stabilisers and coatings to enable their rapid manufacturing. While engineered for efficiency and durability, these materials are often impossible to repair or reintegrate into recycling or reuse cycles once they degrade. Over time, these industrial systems have normalised the widespread use of materials that compromise human health and ecological stability.
In an era defined by environmental crisis and geopolitical tension over natural resources, French positions material design as a critical cultural and environmental inquiry. By presenting functional materials as cultural artifacts, Material Conditions invites us to look beyond the surface and consider the infrastructures, responsibilities, and possibilities embedded within the substances that surround us.
Image: Photo by Marnie Hawson
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.
