Chess Set Open Call, Melbourne Design Week 2027

After a standout 2026 exhibition debut, Object Massive looks ahead to 2027, collaborating with Adriana Hanna Of ice to open a call for new chess sets at Melbourne Design Week 2027.

Object Massive and Adriana Hanna Office are inviting designers and artists to submit expressions of interest for a group exhibition of complete, playable chess sets presented as part of Melbourne Design Week 2027. The exhibition is curated by Georgia Smedley of Object Massive, with exhibition design by Adriana Hanna of Adriana Hanna Office. Applications are open now and close on 6 December 2026.

The brief

Each participant will make one complete chess set, playable from the first move to checkmate. Material, form and interpretation of the game are left entirely to the maker.

The curator asks that each set reflect the guiding principles of the maker’s own practice, and to let those principles shape its material, its form and their interpretation of the game.

Collaboration is encouraged between makers. Designers may partner with another designer, an artist or a maker whose skills extend their own.

The premise

For centuries, Chess has been played in libraries, parks, on street corners, grand halls, in cubicles and online, regardless of age, gender, race and rank. Gameplay is largely unbound by language and invites all to sit one-on-one with an opponent of their choice. The exhibition is interested in the distance between that reach and the game’s reputation as a rarefied pursuit.

Designers will work closely with Object Massive to create a playable set for the exhibition and will be supported by exhibition design from Adriana Hanna.

How to apply

The call is open to designers, artists and makers working in Australia [confirm eligibility]. Applicants submit a short form with a description of their practice, an outline of their proposed set and up to [number] images of recent work. Images should be JPEG or PDF files of 10MB or less each.

Apply at objectmassive.com/mdw.

Applications open: 5 October 2026

Applications close: 6 December 2026

About the organisers

Object Massive is a Melbourne creative research and curatorial practice led by Georgia Smedley. It offers design-led writing, curatorial facilitation and creative consultation for studios, designers and cultural organisations. Georgia is Head of Editorial Strategy at Union Magazine and has worked across exhibition-making, design journalism and brand communications, including at the NGV.

Adriana Hanna Office is the independent practice of Adriana Hanna, integrating architecture, interiors and curation. Hanna brings close to twenty years of work across Melbourne’s architectural landscape, including as a Director at Kennedy Nolan, where she delivered residential and commercial projects across scale. Her practice is guided by honesty and longevity, with an approach that is instinctive and exacting and a commitment to real materials, craftsmanship and authenticity.

For more information visit  objectmassive.com/mdw