You'll see Caren Elliss, Takeshi Iue, Peter Walker, Studio-Gram, Williams Burton Leopardi, Enoki and a swathe of JamFactory furniture studio associates.

Adelaide Modern at the JamFactory in October will be a significant survey of past, present and future furniture design.

The concept has arisen out of conversations and collaboration between JamFactory and the University of South Australia’s School of Art, Architecture and Design and invites six contemporary designers; Caren Elliss, Takeshi Iue, Peter Walker, studio-gram, Williams Burton Leopardi, and Enoki, and six teams of JamFactory Furniture Studio Associates and University of South Australia design students to respond to six pieces of mid-century furniture produced by six South Australian manufacturers; T.H. Brown & Sons, Leo Conci & Sons, ER Noblett and Sons, FLER Co & Staff, Macrob, and Kerby.

With its early twentieth century origins in the Bauhaus in Germany, De Stijl in The Netherlands and Scandinavian design, modernism took longer to become established in Australia compared with Europe and the USA.

Modernism is why everyone loves Danish design.

However modernism has roots in Adelaide too. Post-war population increases (yeah – baby boom but also migration policies) drove new home builds in the state and the modernist furniture makers such as T.H. Brown & Sons, Leo Conci & Sons, ER Noblett and Sons, FLER Co & Staff, Macrob and Kerby all helped fill up these new homes with new tables, chairs and cabinets. The design style was said to match the “optimism of the time”.

Adelaide Modern is yet more proof of Adelaide’s continuing maturity in the realm of design and the growing diversity of contemporary as well as future design practictioners.