From mushroom leather handbags to seaweed straws and air-purifying paint, the National Gallery of Victoria’s new exhibition is a love letter to the ingenuity of designers reimagining the materials of daily life.
Opening 29 August 2025 at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, the free exhibition celebrates more than 50 Australian and international innovators who are proving that function and regenerative thinking can – and should – coexist.
Waste as a starting point
Much of the work on show begins where most materials end: in the waste stream. Sydney-based Besley & Spresser’s Oyster Terrazzo transforms discarded Sydney Rock Oyster shells from restaurants into terrazzo-like building blocks, while glass artist Matthew Curtis turns obsolete television screens and construction offcuts into architectural glass bricks. In both cases, the result is not just a sustainable alternative but a beautiful, high-performance material with its own distinct narrative.
Bio-materials in textiles
The fashion sector’s over-reliance on extractive materials is challenged by designers who take a slower, smarter approach. TômTex’s leather alternative – made from seafood waste and mycelium – is showcased in pieces by New York designer Allina Liu, highlighting how bio-materials can replace animal and synthetic leathers without sacrificing performance or aesthetics.
Food systems and edible design
The kitchen proves fertile ground for bio-innovation. Melbourne’s Good-Edi produces edible coffee cups from locally sourced grains, designed to be eaten or composted after use.
US-based Loliware offers seaweed-derived straws that biodegrade naturally, while Great Wrap transforms food waste into compostable cling wrap. Each product is a tangible, bite-sized (sometimes literally) intervention in our dependence on single-use plastics.
Healthy homes and healthy air
Regenerative thinking also extends to the air we breathe. Singaporean brand Gush has developed a wall paint that actively removes pollutants, turning an everyday surface into an environmental service. Paired with Other Matter’s plastic-free, reusable signage films – a viable replacement for single-use vinyls.
Also on display is HemPanel, an ingenious system that uses hemp to create a wall system with structural integrity.
All of these innovations hint at how interiors can be designed as active contributors to health and sustainability.
A systems-level shift
What unites the works in Making Good is not just their material innovation but their systems thinking. These products don’t simply replace one material with another; they propose new supply chains, circular lifecycles, and restorative benefits to the environment. As NGV Director Tony Ellwood AM notes, this reflects “a pivotal moment in how designers are conceptualising their work, going beyond function to consider the social and environmental impact of products.”
For anyone curious about where design is heading – or ready to start making good themselves – this exhibition offers a glimpse into a future where materials are grown or salvaged.
