Space That Holds Us | MDW25

Step into a “Space That Holds Us” - where design nurtures the mind, body, and spirit.

TUES | THURS | FRI : 10 AM – 4 PM

SAT 17TH : 10 AM – 2 PM

We invite you to explore the profound relationship between environment, mindfulness and well-being through immersive experiences that awaken, restore, and inspire. Through sensory design, positive art, materiality, and interactive experiences, K5 Furniture reimagines space as a catalyst for well-being, connection, and longevity by examining how environments shape physical and mental health.

Visitors will embark on a journey through material exploration, engaging with design’s potential to heal and rejuvenate. An introspective space will reveal the tactile richness of materials and encourages a slower and more mindful engagement with art and design. Explore positive art by Vipoo Srivilasa, deepen your senses with our new felt rug collection, and experience our neurotechnology meditation pod.

Join us for two important conversations on designing the future - with artificial intelligence versus design thinking, and the art of wellbeing – how positive mindsets can improve our lives.

You can also participate in a private mediation or breathe work session in the Lotus Pod.

We celebrate contemporary sculptural art with work by Vipoo Srivilasa, Jasper Knight, Peter Watson and Nusra Latef Qureshi.

Monday 19th of May
5:00 pm to 8:00 pm | Panel starts at 6 pm

How are we using design thinking and artificial intelligence to improve wellbeing in society?

Panel: Dr Lisa Dethridge, Mark O’Dwyer, Caecilia Potter, Mond Qu and Peter Watson

With housing affordability driving compact living, flexible working conditions and the transition to a circular economy, how are design processes evolving to provide better physical spaces and places? Can artificial intelligence (AI) be utilised ethically as a design tool to improve living for all people? Will AI integrate or consume design thinking and drive less humanistic design outcomes? We ask key designers working in related design fields what opportunities they see for design and AI.

Wednesday 21st of May
5:00 pm to 7:30 pm | Panel starts at 6 pm

How do we design our individual lives for a better collective future? Join us in conversation with this fascinating panel of individuals aligned in their pursuit of a mindful life.

Panel: Vipoo Srivilasa, Isabel Duncan, Nusra Qureshi and Moderated by Suzette Jackson

This panel brings together leaders in positive art, design, mindfulness, and psychology to explore how intentional choices—whether in the spaces we create, the materials we use, or the awareness we cultivate—shape our collective future. Panellists will share their unique perspectives on integrating well-being, sustainability, and creativity into daily life, offering insights that bridge personal practice with broader societal transformation.

AVAILABLE TO EXPERIENCE AT THE EXHIBITION

Space That Holds Us presented by K5 Furniture brings you our latest product release, the Lotus Meditation Pod by Openseed. OpenSeed meditation pods are designed to provide moments of calm in the workplace and other high-traffic locations. By integrating sound, guided meditations, essential oils and lighting, facilitating access to higher states of awareness, where creativity flows and productivity peaks.

Visit our showroom over Melbourne Design Week to experience the Lotus Meditation Pod for yourself.

Meet the Panellists

Designing the Future

We ask key designers working in related design fields what opportunities they see for design and AI.

**Mond Qu -Designer, Artist**
Mond Qu is a designer who explores the intersection of technology, design, and society, with work spanning deep material research, immersive experiences, interactive artworks, and large-scale speculations that challenge conventional narratives. Working across research and practice, Mond is committed to using design and technology as tools to enhance both human and planetary wellbeing.
He is the founder of United Make, an experimental think-tank and multi-disciplinary studio that pushes the frontiers of design through the act of making. Recent projects include AI-driven explorations of art and systems for Google, future manufacturing solutions for Melbourne's timber industry through digitalisation, and an augmented reality artwork with Snapchat for Sculptures by the Sea.

**Peter Watson - Automotive Design Sculptor / Artist**
With over 40 years in automotive design, Peter has achieved success designing cars for companies such as Porsche, BMW, Audi, Bugatti, and VW. Peter is also a mixed media sculptor, often working with discarded materials and found objects. He draws inspiration from contemporary architecture as well as classic sculptors, such as Hepworth, Brancusi and Noguchi, as well as and has an eagerness to experiment with new materials. Peter has shown at various Melbourne galleries over the last 15 years, with individual and group shows.

Dr Lisa Dethridge - Responsible Artificial Intelligence Designer, author, media producer

Lisa Dethridge specializes in online global collaborations working for Telecom Australia Business Development; the United Nations Development Program in New York; NASA Space Centre in Houston and currently advises the Australian Internet Domain Authority (auDA).

As a multimedia artist, she has exhibited in New York's Pratt Institute; Dublin Science Museum and Australian galleries.

Dethridge has produced media for web, film, television, theatre, radio, print, telecoms and virtual environments in Australia, and globally. She supervises research across Industrial Design and Innovation Strategy; Games, Robotics, Multiverse and Virtual Environments, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Media at RMIT University and industry partners.

**Mark O’Dwyer, Director / Architect, H20 Architects**
Mark O’Dwyer has extensive project experience managing varied projects of H2o including Master planning, Architecture and Project Management. He is particularly skilled at managing large projects, with fast timelines, divergent stakeholders and outside parties. These skills have most recently been utilised in his work with Swinburne University on the Advanced Technology Centre and with the University of Adelaide on their highly specialised Plant Accelerator Facility.

Caecilia Potter is the CEO of VensoGrow, an AI-driven agtech startup transforming seed-applied technologies through its patented BreezeCoat™ platform— the first technology to enable cutting edge RNA and beneficial microbes as sustainable alternatives to traditional chemical crop treatments that can harm both pollinators and human health.
With a multidisciplinary background spanning engineering, marketing, interior design, and IT systems development, Caecilia previously founded Atticus & Milo, an award-winning interior design studio, and was National Marketing Manager at J B Were.
A graduate of AICD, Wade Institute's Venture Capital Catalyst and a Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership alumnus, she is also an active angel investor, backing clever, purpose-driven innovations. Caecilia prefers to focus on AI’s positive, transformative potential rather than dystopian narratives, believing in the power of AI and deep tech to shape a regenerative future —where innovation is not only scalable and ethical, but also capable of sparking wonder and changing our lives for the better.

The Art of Wellbeing

Join us in conversation with this fascinating panel of individuals aligned in their pursuit of wellbeing.

**Isabel Duncan – Wellbeing Manager | Registered Psychologist | Mental Health Advocate**
For Isabel, mental fitness is as essential as physical fitness, and her goal is to equip individuals with the tools they need to build resilience, strengthen general mental health and create well workplaces.
As a General Registered Psychologist, Isabel is passionate about fostering mental fitness and wellbeing through evidence-based strategies. With expertise in individual and group counselling, she specialises in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), drug and alcohol rehabilitation and workplace wellbeing initiatives.

**Vipoo Srivilasa – Artist**
Vipoo Srivilasa, a Thai-born Australian artist based in Melbourne, is recognised as a prominent figure in contemporary ceramics. Vipoo will be exhibiting his art in the ‘Space that holds us’ exhibition and participating in a panel discussion on ‘The art of wellbeing’ at K5 Furniture.
With over two decades of experience, Vipoo’s work explores themes of home, migration, and spirituality, creating spaces where struggles are acknowledged, and hope is celebrated. Vipoo creates accessible, positive, and beautiful work, inviting audiences to connect while uncovering deeper narratives.

**Nusra Latef Qureshi - Artist**
Nusra is deeply engaged in public programs, workshops and lectures that highlight art’s restorative power. Her recent work explores the role of creativity in fostering wellbeing, such as a Creative Victoria-funded project on art’s impact post-lockdown.
Her practice has developed through an in-depth study of conventional South Asian painting techniques. Her work ranges from small, highly detailed paintings to large scale digital prints that engage with the visual histories of South Asian region and Australian culture. Born in Pakistan, Nusra lives and works in Naarm/ Melbourne.

**Moderator: Suzette Jackson – K5 Circular Economy Lead, Designer and Artist**
Suzette is an interior designer with over 30 years industry experience in Australian architecture and design practices, She has lectured at the University of Melbourne, and Deakin University, and worked with the Green Building council of Australia, Bioregional Australia and the Living Future Institute of Australia.
Jackson works in painting, printmaking and ceramics, exhibiting in group and solo shows in Australia. Having recently returned from a ceramic’s residency in Greece, Jackson is researching ancient ceramic forms and sustainable practices.

Erna WalshApril 17, 2025