Miraculous Models: A series of cross-disciplinary conversations
Models ignite the imagination, reveal knowledges and spawn curiosity. They are used in mathematics and the sciences, art and architecture, to explore complex ideas and to make them tangible. They can be experimental or explanatory, tactile or object-based. Models have been a valued part of the education process since the late-19th century. Their role has evolved with technological developments, and today they take on new forms, materials, processes and operate across the digital and the physical realm.
In this series of conversations we discuss models from the historic to contemporary, exploring their application from research to practice, and discuss their creative potential and aesthetic appeal. All talks are moderated by Kate Goodwin.
About the moderator
Kate Goodwin is a curator, writer and educator working across the arts and spatial practice. She is an Adjunct Professor (Architecture) at the University of Sydney, member of the Tin Sheds Gallery advisory board and co-founder of the event platform ‘Architecture Amplified’. She was Head of Architecture at the Royal Academy of Arts in London (2003-2021) where she curated ground-breaking exhibitions, including Sensing Spaces: Architecture Reimagined and Renzo Piano. She was awarded a Royal Institute of British Architects Honorary Fellowship in 2016.
KC Wong
KC Wong is the Deputy Head of School and the Director for Aeronautical Engineering within the AMME School. He is a pioneering Uncrewed Aircraft Systems researcher in Australia and has a strong passion for enhancing skills for the next generation of engineers through his development of unique Experiential Learning opportunities. As part of his PhD project, he produced a model in the mid-1980s that was a precursor to drone development in Australia, that is on display in the Micro:Macro exhibition.
Dagmar Reinhardt
Dagmar Reinhardt is an architect, researcher and Associate Professor at the School of Architecture, Design and Planning, The University of Sydney. As a practising architect, her built works, competitions and installations have received numerous recognitions and awards. Reinhardt’s research focuses on human-centric design at the nexus of acoustics, robotics and accessibility, with recent research projects exploring the range of human robotic collaboration; the Museum of Touch blind and low vision, and tactile playgrounds for blind children and adults for which she has 2 ARC grants.
Andrew Southwood-Jones
is an architecturally trained creative maker and founder of KinkFab, an innovative model-making studio established as digital fabrication technologies became more accessible. KinkFab has redefined how architectural models are produced, merging traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge techniques. Their models are recognised for their precision and innovation, housed in institutions such as the Art Gallery of NSW, the National Gallery of Australia, and the Powerhouse Museum.
Dr Paul Donnelly
Dr Paul Donnelly is Deputy Director, Chau Chak Wing Museum and lead curator of the exhibition Micro:Macro. Prior to working at the Chau Chak Wing Museum, he was a curator of decorative arts and design at the Powerhouse Museum (Museum of Applied Art and Sciences) where his curatorial responsibilities expanded across many collections including numismatics, ceramics, furniture, and design. Concurrent with his museum career, he continued his archaeological research at University of Sydney excavations including Pella in Jordan and as a co-director of the Zagora Archaeological Project on Andros, Greece. Paul is an honorary associate of the Department of Archaeology, and a founding member and vice president of the Near Eastern Archaeology Foundation and a governor of the Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens, both at the University of Sydney.
David Lawrey and Jaki Middleton
David Lawrey and Jaki Middleton are artists living and working on Gadigal/Wangal land. Working primarily in sculpture and installation, they are best known for their integration of optical and kinetic elements to create dreamlike scenes that challenge perception.
Collaborating since 2005, both are graduates of Sydney College of the Arts. Awarded the Hazelhurst Art on Paper Award in 2023, they have exhibited widely, including at the Museum of Arts and Design, NY, USA; FACT Liverpool, UK; and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. Lawrey & Middleton are represented by Gallery 9 in Sydney.