A weekly digital and biannual print publication telling interconnected stories from the worlds of arts, design, technology, health, food and the environment. 

 

Featured Stories

 
 
 
 
 

Matters Journal × Monash University

Materials Engineering Tomorrow

 
 
 
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Stories

Featured
Reground: Turning Waste Into A Resource
Environment, Business
Reground: Turning Waste Into A Resource
Environment, Business
Environment, Business
Money Talks: The Collective Power of Personal Impact
Design, Impact
Money Talks: The Collective Power of Personal Impact
Design, Impact
Design, Impact
What Is A Social Entrepreneur?
Impact, Business
What Is A Social Entrepreneur?
Impact, Business
Impact, Business
Indigenous Foods: Swallowing Our History
Food, Environment
Indigenous Foods: Swallowing Our History
Food, Environment
Food, Environment
Anna Glansén: The Future of Biodegradable Food Packaging
Food, Design
Anna Glansén: The Future of Biodegradable Food Packaging
Food, Design
Food, Design
Someone Please: Hearing The Men On Manus
Arts, Design
Someone Please: Hearing The Men On Manus
Arts, Design
Arts, Design
Artificial Intelligence Helping Us Work Smarter
Technology, Environment
Artificial Intelligence Helping Us Work Smarter
Technology, Environment
Technology, Environment
How Virtual Reality Can Help Children Fighting Cancer
Health, Technology
How Virtual Reality Can Help Children Fighting Cancer
Health, Technology
Health, Technology
Ethical Fashion...the Brands Changing the Industry
Arts, Health
Ethical Fashion...the Brands Changing the Industry
Arts, Health
Arts, Health
Art with Heart: Open Canvas
Arts, Health
Art with Heart: Open Canvas
Arts, Health
Arts, Health
The Future of 3D Printing Is Clear
Technology, Environment
The Future of 3D Printing Is Clear
Technology, Environment
Technology, Environment
In the Flesh: Can Synthetic Animal Protein Make the Cut?
Food, Environment
In the Flesh: Can Synthetic Animal Protein Make the Cut?
Food, Environment
Food, Environment
 
 

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We were lucky enough to attend Ronnie van Hout's fun and personal lecture for Uncommon Knowledge at the @acca_melbourne last month about his lifelong obsession with UFO's. For Ronnie, the alien is a poignant symbol for the artist and he declares himself the son of one. "That man on the left is my father. He was an alien. It said so on his passport," joked Ronnie, pointing at a family photo to begin the lecture. Ronnie's humour, humble nature and incredible insight leads him to create art that hits a very particular nerve. Pictured above is Sitting Figure II (2016) that featured in the recent Hyper Real exhibition at the @nationalgalleryaus. It's a depiction of a stand-up comic, off-stage and somewhat dejected; a child's body with a man's head and hands. Ronnie asks us to contemplate what it says about society when artists become outsiders and are pushed to the periphery. . . Hear Ronnie speak next month at RMIT (July 20th) about his inspiration and practise. It promises to be a weird and wonderful lecture. Tickets are free. Head over to the "event" section on our website for more info.
"Firstly, our ethos is to turn waste into a resource and we really want mindset and behaviour to follow that change." - Kaitlin Reid, co-director of @_reground . . This week we speak to Kaitlin Reid from Reground. Reground are diverting over 5 tonnes of coffee waste from landfill to community and household gardens throughout Melbourne each week. Not only does this improve soil health and worm wellbeing, composting coffee stops it turning into methane and contributing to our emission problem. But what Reground are trying to do is so much more than recycle coffee. They are a part of a growing number of purpose driven businesses that are trying to revolutionise the way in which we think and act, especially when it comes to being environmentally conscious. . Find the full interview on our website (link in bio) . Photos by @tshillier
‘We often say that we'd like to work ourselves out of a job. For us it's about it not being an option for cafes, restaurant owners and individuals to throw their organic waste into landfill.’ - Kaitlin Reid, co-director of @_reground . . @_reground convert coffee waste into a useful and sustainable resource. Did you know that if coffee grounds are put in landfill it is starved of oxygen, undergoes anaerobic digestion and turns into methane? Alternatively, if it's added to a compost not only does it aerate and thus not emit methane, but worms absolutely froth it. Reground are working hard to not only educate people about food waste but are leading us towards a circular economy, where we take responsibility for our waste and behave more consciously. We sat down with Kaitlin, co-director of Reground, and discussed everything from street corner compost bins to permaculture in Columbia. ☕ Reground: Turning Waste Into A Resource A Conversation This Thursday (21/06) ☕ (Photo by @tshillier)
Minimalism in the 'Atrium House' by @thamvidegard, with photography by @akeeson on Gotland island in the Baltic Sea.
“Each of us has tremendous influence, and we can influence the way the world is shaped. We can do it with our work, with our actions and with our dollars.” - Simon Griffiths, co-founder of Who Gives A Crap (@whogivesacraptp). . . An increasing number of businesses are popping up that have positive social impact embedded within the way they operate. Whether they donate 50% of their profits, like @whogivesacraptp, or 100%, like @thankyouaus, to programs that achieve impact, businesses hold great potential to bring about large-scale change. We speak to Simon Griffiths (@whogviesacraptp), Wesley Rodricks (@thankyouaus) and Mindy Leow (@bcorpanz), about how companies are creating products that give the power back to consumers. Read the full article via our website. . Illustration by Ken Smith.
Keeping the ball rolling on the discussion about making positive impact, later this week we speak to Simon Griffiths, co-founder of @whogivesacraptp, Mindy Leow from @bcorpanz and Wesley Rodricks from @thankyouaus. Around the world, we're seeing a growing number of social enterprises and for-profit companies with impact at the core of their constitution. The cultural shift in social impact at the moment is often led by consumers demanding that businesses redefine their purpose. More and more people are looking to business, rather than governmental bodies, to actualise positive change. We unpack the role that business plays in initiating this positive impact. Sign up to our weekly newsletter to read it first when it drops (link in bio). . . Illustration by Ken Smith
@thesocialstudio is a social enterprise that are dedicated to improving the lives of young Australians who come from a refugee or migrant background and who may have experienced barriers to accessing education and/or securing employment. By providing TAFE level training, work experience, volunteer opportunities and employment in fashion, manufacturing and retail, The Social Studio creates education and employment opportunities and pathways. . . The Social Studio are looking for donations to cap off an incredible year of great work. Please head over to their website (http://www.thesocialstudio.org), learn about the empowering work they do and consider giving even the smallest donation. They also accept donations like fabric and sewing machines too!
Located on the Isle of Eigg off Scotland’s west coast, "Sweeney’s Bothy" was created in 2013 by the @bothyproject team in collaboration with artist Alec Finlay. The contemporary mono-pitched, off-grid dream offers spectacular views across the sea to the nearby Isle of Rum. In Scotland, a bothy is the word used to describe the abandoned, unmapped, mysterious cabins used by overnight hikers and adventurers. The Bothy Project offers remote, off-grid artist residency spaces throughout Scotland, for artists to hire. They've also just launched their social enterprise, @bothystores, which hopes to bring their pre-fab, multi-use, self contained cabins to more of Scotland's wilderness. . Photos by @johnny_barrington
"Getting clear on who you are and how you operate can be more useful than picking up someone else’s flag." - Will Dayble, founder of the Fitzroy Academy. . . This week we ask Will Dayble, who lectures at the Fitzroy Academy and the University of Melbourne on social impact, what a social enterprise actually is and how you choose the model that's right for you. If you're a little confused at to what a social enterprise is or need some guidance over how best to make positive impact, Will's got some some rock solid advice. Not one for formalities, Will leaves the lingo at the door and tells it like it is. His take on social entrepreneurship is refreshing and it'll help you regain focus and clarity over your role in making the world a little better. Don't go grabbing someone else's theory about how you should make impact, go out and create your own possibilities. . Full article over on our website (link in bio)
 
 
 
 
 

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