New Project Re-Imagination, November 2024 Call for Expressions of Interest

The Barn and its community of buyers and sellers work tirelessly to keep goods in circulation and out of land fill, but some things struggle to find a new home. Simone and Dierdre from our team are collaborating on Re-Imagination, a project showcasing creative remaking of these ‘orphaned’ objects so they have new purpose now and into the future. We’ve seen fabulous reinventions at the Barn, and want to challenge, support and showcase creative makers from Canberra and the region. 

We are calling for expressions of interest to adopt one of our orphans and reimagine it for new and emerging needs. Could that beat up antique piano be remade into the exquisite ivory-inlaid cased phone charging stations, striking mirror-backed bar or gaming console storage unit supporting today’s at-home entertainment? How might it be used to speculate on the future forms and tools of music making and engagement? 

We believe this project addresses a global challenge that needs a huge range of ideas, skills and solutions. We need artists and designers, tradies and tinkerers, artisans and hobbyists, students and experienced creatives. We will help connect orphaned objects and makers, promote their work in progress, and showcase the results in an exhibition and auction during the Craft & Design Canberra Festival in November. The auction poses the questions: How has the value of the orphaned object changed through its reinvention? Will it now find a new home?

Got an idea, want help finding an orphan, or want to know more about auctions?  We’d love to talk with you! Get in touch at [email protected]. Stay in touch with the project through Instagram @the_auction_barn or @dierdre_pearce and Facebook. Find out more on our website 

WHAT KINDS OF OBJECTS CAN I REPURPOSE?

We are thinking of repurposing in a broad sense, from adapting an existing object to taking it apart into components or materials and then using these to create something new. There are different approaches to take, including:

Practical adaptation e.g. convert an armoire into a pantry

Inclusive redesign e.g. convert tools so they can be used by people with a wider range of physical capacities

Reusing materials e.g. build a new piece of furniture, using timber from vintage furniture

Fine and decorative arts e.g. use mismatched crockery to create mosaic panels

Speculative design e.g. create an object that does not have a use right now, but which exemplifies a use which could arise in the future from changes in a society  or environment, such as changes in the way we work, environmental change, or changes due to an increasingly aging population

We’re keen to focus on objects that aren’t sought after even though they’re in good condition and were once considered valuable. You can see such wallflowers in our Past Auctions catalogues, by selecting and ‘Filtering’ a catalogue by Price: Low-High: https://theauctionbarn.com.au/past-auctions/. We can also meet up at The Barn to talk through the kinds of objects we’d love to see supported, and may be able to link you up with suitable objects at low or no cost.

If you already repurpose objects you may have some work in progress that is suitable; get in touch so we can talk about how the work might fit the project. As the main purpose of the project is to showcase the creativity of the people doing the work of reinvention, you must have been involved in the reinvention process; repurposed objects bought elsewhere will not be included in this auction. Instead they can be placed at our other General Auctions or Antiques, Vintage & Collectables Auctions.

WHAT ELSE SHOULD I BEAR IN MIND WHEN PLANNING MY PROJECT?

Perhaps the biggest thing to consider is that auctions are designed to sell your work, as well as share it with an audience! This means that its important to think about what your audience might want or need, as well as to think about your ideas and creative process. 

While the majority of The Auction Barn audience is based in Canberra and nearby regional NSW, we have significant audiences based in Sydney, Melbourne and coastal NSW, as well as regular buyers from all around Australia. We operate an in-house postal service, and many buyers make use of speciality shipping, including for furniture. Most buyers are purchasing for their own homes, for investment properties, for their place of business, or for resale.

Some things to consider:

If it is intended to be used, is it safe to use? 

For example, if it is electric it will need to be tested and tagged by a qualified electrician. A piece of furniture with a glass top needs to use tempered safety glass. 

How well made is your object? 

In deciding on value, the audience will be looking at how well the object has been designed and constructed as well as whether they can envisage using or enjoying the object in their home.

How easy is your object to look after? 

Is it especially large or fragile, or a strange shape, which could make it difficult to transport or display? Materials which might deteriorate or be difficult to keep clean can also affect the viewer’s estimation of its value.

Is there an audience AND a market for your object?

Can you find evidence that your object could satisfy a need or want in the audience, so that they don’t just look at it but want to buy it? Talking with people, looking online, learning and thinking about changing needs or tastes can help you fine tune your project. 

HOW WILL THE EXHIBITION AND AUCTION PROCESS WORK?

We will be exhibiting the final objects in a showroom at The Auction Barn, and as part of an online catalogue on our website, in the first two weeks in November. All objects for the exhibition and auction must be delivered by the 28th of October so they can be photographed, catalogued and installed. We need to stay in touch with you to make sure we understand what is needed to best present and care for your works. 

During the exhibition and auction, registered bidders can bid up to the close of bids at the end of the auction. Auctions work on the principle of finding a fair market price, the price at which goods may be freely exchanged ‘at arm’s length’ (i.e. facilitated by an auctioneer) between a willing seller and a willing buyer. As part of preparing for auction, we can work with participants to find a reserve below which the object does not sell. More information about our auctions is available on our Sellers page https://theauctionbarn.com.au/page/sellers-guide/

HOW DO I SIGN UP TO PARTICIPATE, OR TO FIND OUT MORE?

Email us [email protected] and we’ll be in touch! Or, drop by The Auction Barn and talk to Simone or Dierdre, by 31st August 2024.