Melbourne Art Fair announces FUTUREOBJEKT exhibitors and inaugural NGV Design Commission

Melbourne Art Fair has announced the full exhibitor lineup for the launch of FUTUREOBJEKT, a new collectible design salon that will debut at the 2026 Fair. Melbourne Art Fair has also named Melbourne-based artist and designer Anna Varendorff as the recipient of the inaugural Melbourne Art Fair x National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) Design Commission, signalling a significant expansion of the Fair’s commitment to contemporary design.

Conceived as a curated platform for ambitious ideas in design, architecture and object-making, FUTUREOBJEKT brings together 20 leading studios, galleries and practitioners. Designed as a fair-within-a-fair, the new salon introduces a dedicated exhibition space, bespoke booth architecture and a central Design Lounge that will anchor the program across the Fair’s 600-square-metre design precinct.

Melbourne Art Fair CEO Mary Wenholz said the introduction of FUTUREOBJEKT reflects growing interest in collectible design and the need for a consistent national showcase. “Australia is known for punching well above its weight when it comes to exceptional design talent,” Wenholz said. “As the global market for collectible design continues to expand, our aim is to create opportunities for this talent to be celebrated at home while strengthening the connection between the design and art sectors.”

The inaugural exhibitor list spans established and emerging voices across Australia and abroad. Highlights include a limited-edition Murano glass lighting collection from Volker Haug Studio; rare vintage design and new works from Don Cameron; a focused selection of pieces by Paris-based designer Joris Poggioli, presented by Mobilia; and a debut presentation by Studio Gardner featuring works by Jumandie Seys, Pauline Esparon and Studio Utte. Lighting studio CHRISTOPHER BOOTS will present new interpretations of well-known works, while Craft Victoria brings forward experimental projects investigating material innovation by Isabel Avendano-Hazbun, Claire Ellis and Locki Humphrey. A collaborative booth from Cordon Salon, Rosanna Ceravolo, Jordan Fleming and Marta Figueiredo will serve as a collective expression of emerging Australian design.

Andy Kelly, Director of Collectible Design at Melbourne Art Fair, said the initiative reflects a growing appetite among both designers and audiences. “FUTUREOBJEKT has been born out of a collective itch to celebrate Australian design and recognise the momentum our talent is gaining both at home and overseas. People want design that’s ambitious and confident. There’s a real hunger for this new platform.”

The full list of FUTUREOBJEKT exhibitors includes: Adam Cornish; Alta Forma; Agency Projects; Agglomerati; Adam Goodrum; Beci Orpin & Softer Studio; CHRISTOPHER BOOTS; Cordon Salon, Rosanna Ceravolo, Jordan Fleming & Marta Figueiredo; Craft Victoria; Dalton Stewart and Annie Paxton; Don Cameron; denHolm; Mobilia; OIGÅLL Projects; OKO OLO & Charlie White; Sozou Studio; Studio Gardner; Tom Fereday; Volker Haug Studio; and Zachary Frankel

In partnership with the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Art Fair has introduced a new MAF x NGV Design Commission to support the creation of a major work to be premiered at the 2026 Fair before joining the NGV Collection. The inaugural recipient, Anna Varendorff, works across metalsmithing, sculpture, lighting and object design, with a practice characterised by tubular forms, pared-back geometries and an emphasis on material clarity.

For the commission, Varendorff will create her largest installation to date, comprising ceiling-suspended aluminium U-shaped lights and vases paired with monumental floor vessels. “The commission has given me a chance to create work at a scale that I wouldn’t normally have the ability to,” Varendorff said. “It’s an opportunity to expand my ideas and amplify the final experience of the work.”

The commission is funded by the Victorian Foundation for Living Australian Artists.

Broached Commissions will curate the Fair’s 2026 VIP Lounge, presenting an environment centred on floral art by women artists, from eighteenth-century botanical studies to contemporary and AI-generated interpretations of flora. The lounge will integrate living floral installations by Hattie Molloy with sculptural furniture by K5 and an ambient soundscape composed by artist k8 mo55.

The space will function as a reflective environment within the Fair, highlighting historical and contemporary perspectives on nature through works by artists including Claudia Martinez Garay, Barbara Regina Dietzsch, Maria Fernanda Cardoso, Fiona Hall, Bianka Rafaella, Sofia Crespo, Patricia Piccinini, Imogen Cunningham, Ana Mendieta and Yanyun Chen. Works will be available for purchase from participating galleries including Sullivan+Strumpf, Flowers Gallery, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Arader Galleries and the Broached collection.

Designer and Fair Ambassador Brahman Perera will create the inaugural Champagne Bollinger Bar, conceived as a sculptural spatial intervention that mediates between architecture and social exchange. The bar will offer visitors a moment of pause within the Fair’s wider program.

Melbourne Art Fair runs 19–22 February 2026. For tickets and further information, visit melbourneartfair.com.au/tickets.

Image: Studio Don Cameron, Oblique Coffee Table (Walnut), 2022