To celebrate 10 years of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), Curtin University Library launched Library Illuminates: A Path to Sustainability—an interactive exhibition designed to spark dialogue and inspire action around global sustainability. Creative Spaces was commissioned to bring this vision to life, working closely with Curtin Library and students to deliver an exhibition experience that aligns with the university’s sustainability goals and engages a broad audience.
Our design challenge was to present complex topics like climate action, equity, education, health, and innovation in a way that was accessible, visually engaging, and solutions-focused. Through a combination of digital media, interactive installations, and curated artefacts from the John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library and John Curtin Gallery, the exhibition encourages practical responses to global issues—while helping to reduce climate anxiety.
True to Curtin’s values and our own commitment to sustainable practice, Creative Spaces employed an environmentally conscious approach to design and fabrication. We sourced and repurposed materials wherever possible, including empty water containers collected from across the campus, donated corks from sustainability hub REmida, recycled textile substrates supplied by Upparel, and experimental materials developed for low-waste exhibition applications. Every design decision was made with sustainability in mind.
The result is a vibrant, future-focused exhibition that not only tells the story of progress toward the UNSDGs but also embodies the very principles it promotes. As a lasting example of sustainability in action, this project reinforces Curtin’s leadership in environmentally responsible design and education, while demonstrating the power of creative interpretation to engage, inform and inspire.
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Photos taken by Aaron Brown Photographer.
