The Design Series | Is BEAUTY DEAD?

Join Kevin Finn and Elizabeth Farrelly for a very special in-conversation event as they consider the place of beauty and creativity in our future as we tackle climate change, inequality, urban development and the post-pandemic world.

Presenting insights from a local and national perspective, this valuable conversation will deep dive into the most pressing issues our cities and regions face today, and the ways in which beauty and creativity might be part of the solution rather than an optional extra.

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS

Elizabeth Farrelly is a columnist, essayist, novelist, critic and speaker. Trained in architecture, science and philosophy, she is fascinated by how humans engage with nature to make culture. Over thirty years her Sydney Morning Herald column on urbanism, planning, planting, climate, politics and public art has seen city-making go from back-page news to headline material. With a PhD in Sydney urbanism, Farrelly has been Assistant Editor of the Architectural Review in London, a City of Sydney Councillor, Associate Professor (Practice) in the Australian Graduate School of Urbanism at the University of NSW and inaugural chair of the Australia Award for Urban Design. The author of several books, including Three Houses – a 1993 monograph on renowned architect Glenn Murcutt and Blubberland; the dangers of happiness (2007) – she is a Walkley-shortlisted journalist, critic and essayist. Elizabeth is currently building a passive off-grid dwelling in rural NSW. Her latest book is Killing Sydney; the fight for a city’s soul (2021).

Kevin Finn is an author, advisor and internationally recognised designer. He began his career in Dublin with Averill Brophy Associates (now called Amp Visual), the studio that has designed all of U2’s album covers. Following this, for seven years he was Joint Creative Director of Saatchi Design, Sydney, part of the Saatchi & Saatchi global network. In 2007, he launched his independent design practice TheSumOf in remote Kununurra, Western Australia, working with local and regional Aboriginal businesses, while also redesigning the identity for SBS—the world’s most multicultural broadcaster. Currently based in Brisbane, he has since designed the identity and visual language for Edward de Bono’s life’s work and continues to help some of the world’s leading thinkers and businesses to be better understood. For over fifteen years, he actively explored the intersection of design with social, cultural, political and economic issues through his independent publication Open Manifesto. He was also the inaugural TEDxBrisbane speaker and has spoken extensively around the world, often being called on to host events and panel discussions. His book Brand Principles: How to be a 21st Century Brand was published in 2022. Finn lives and works on Turrbul and Jagera Country, and acknowledges Australia’s First Peoples as the original knowledge holders of this Country, paying respect to Elders, both past and present.

The Design Series is presented by SunCentral and the MET in partnership with key industry groups AIA, AILA, EA, PIA and SCCA. The Design Series has been created to deliver thought provoking content and facilitate connections across key industry groups from the Arts, Architecture, Digital, Engineering, Environment, Landscape and Planning Sectors.