For Artists

Registrations for Fringe Furniture are now open!

In a world of uncertainties, it’s nice to know a chair is a chair, right? Except… what if that chair is also a lamp? Oh boy.

Now in its 34th year, Fringe Furniture showcases the very best experimental, emerging and market-ready design – beautifully crafted objects from some of our brightest furniture makers, sculptors, ceramicists, industrial designers, and big-thinkers. But Fringe Furniture isn’t just about drool-worthy design (though it is that too) – it’s an invitation to artists to re-imagine the familiar and make the future now; to re-think where we sit, how we sit and what we sit on. The future might be uncertain, but one thing you can be sure of: it’ll look rad. Returning to its home at the Abbotsford Convent, Fringe Furniture is one of the longest-running design events in Australia, and it kicks off this Melbourne Fringe Festival with a bang.

Fringe Furniture is an open-access event, meaning that anyone can register to exhibit work. This open-access policy results in established and emerging designers coming together, with a combination of experimental and functional works and the presentation of fresh ideas alongside refined forms. The breadth of talent and skill that Fringe Furniture attracts can genuinely be considered a barometer for the city’s vibrant and cutting-edge design community.

Got a fresh idea in the works? Register it at Fringe Furniture in 2020.

What kind of work can I submit to Fringe Furniture?

While we’d love to see as many pieces as possible created in response to the provocation, Bettermorphosis, Fringe Furniture is also open to new or existing works that have nothing to do with this theme.

Fringe Furniture is as much about showcasing the most innovative and up-and-coming work as it is about exploring and pushing the boundaries about what we mean by “furniture”. Show us your experimental forms and materials, your non-functional or functional objects, your wearable and ephemeral works. If you want to know if your art works or fits with our exhibition, give us a buzz.

Fringe Furniture is also open to pieces that can be displayed in outdoor spaces. If you can withstand the elements outside of Abbotsford Convent, more power to you!

Registration Fees

$95 Concession
$115 Full

Female-identifying designers are eligible for a 14.5% Fringe Furniture for Gender Equality discount: Click here to read more

Do you need some help covering your rego fee?

The Ralph Mclean Microgrants for Fringe Furniture program offers free registrations for artists and designers who are facing structural disadvantage: Click here to apply

For more info check out our super helpful:  Fringe Furniture Registration Kit 2020

Ready to go? Complete our online Registration form: Click here to register

Fringe Furniture 33, Melbourne Fringe Festival 2019. Photo by Tanya Voltchanskaya

Key dates:

Other Fringey Furniturey Opportunities

Want some more reasons to participate in Fringe Furniture? Here are a couple:

• Fringe Furniture Awards Program (click here to read about prizes and selection criteria!)
• Fringe Furniture Mentorship Program (see Registration Info Pack)
• Fringe Furniture Artist-led Tours and Tactile Tours (see Registration Info Pack)