The Future is Here

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: Watson, together with Kate Rhodes (RMIT), curated the exhibition 'The Future is Here (TFIH),' a traveling exhibition produced by London's Design Museum. When in Melbourne, it included a selection of research projects by local researchers and practitioners. RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION: Watson's curatorial role involved the selection of works and development of new content, which were discussed and assessed together with partner organisation The Design Musem. Her curatorial direction contributed to the overall narrative of 'The Future is Here,' which was to demonstrate the importance of speculation and prototyping to innovation and design, with the goal to transform the way we design, make and consume objects. This project demonstrates Watson's ongoing investigation into curatorial practice specifically in architecture and design, in the context of local practice. RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE: The significance of Watson's curatorial project is evident from her collaboration with a traveling exhibition from the prestigious Design Museum, in association with Alex Newson and working with projects produced by internationally-renowned artists and designers. The Melbourne exhibition received extensive media reviews: Architecture Australia, Australian Design Review, Manuscript, Fairfax Media and InDesign magazine.