Lights down, doors open.
Two packed opening nights for RE:BORN. An overwhelming energy carried through the space - conversation, themed tablescape, and the coming together of so many collaborators, makers and friends. After two years of dialogue, experimentation and reimagining with Romance Was Born, sharing this project with our community felt incredibly special. RE:BORN is less an exhibition, more a living atmosphere. Thank you to everyone who showed up, connected and made these nights unforgettable -and most importantly Artbank Melbourne for the trust and for welcoming us into your home.
Photography by Cinzia Ubaldi
Event GALLERY.
The exhibition was launched across two opening nights, welcoming more than 400 guests into the immersive world of RE:BORN. Designed as an extension of the exhibition itself, every element contributed to a carefully orchestrated atmosphere of discovery and exchange. At its centre sat 4 metre a custom table designed by Cultivated and with a recycled plastic base by Defy Design, which created the perfect canvas for a bespoke tablescape created exclusively for RE:BORN by Together Nourished and Undressed.
Acting as a complete sensory environment, the opening nights also included custom sound design by Naarm-based producer Noah McShanag-Munn, that continues throughout the exhibition's extended run, and a film installation documenting the dialogue between Cultivated and Romance Was Born. The moving image work reveals the transformation of overlooked furniture through restoration, making and artistic intervention, offering visitors an intimate insight into the processes behind the project. More than an exhibition, RE:BORN became a living atmosphere - one shaped by conversation, collaboration and a shared belief in the potential of the overlooked.
In response to the overwhelming support, RE:BORN will remain open at Artbank Melbourne until 25 July 2026. We warmly welcome visitors for private viewings throughout the extended exhibition period. Whether you're experiencing it for the first time or returning for a second look, we invite you to spend time with the works, the stories they carry, and the possibilities they reveal.
Presented and Curated by Cultivated with Romance Was Born
Hosted by Artbank, featuring works from the Artbank Collection
Exhibition Design by Studio x Us
Facilitated by Cult Design
Supported by:
Instyle and LoomTex
Interiaura Merchants of Fine Drapery and Upholstery
TSAR Carpets
Yeend Studio
Wild Heather Australia
Defy Design
Oslek Coatings
As part of Melbourne Design Week 2026, an initiative of the Victorian Government in collaboration with the NGV.
