Dave Clark and Tyson Stenglein founded Space Between in 2010. Previously, the pair had been working as a graphic designer and professional AFL footballer, respectively – a fittingly eclectic variety for a creative studio that refuses to let itself be pigeon-holed in one corner of art or design.
“The team is a mix of creatives – a real cross-section,” explains Clark. “It’s got graphic design as its core, and then art direction, industrial designers… some of it is directed towards digital, some more spatial. And we tend to work solving problems with brands, right through to store concepts, and delivery of fit-outs and interiors. We approach things at the studio through a brand engagement lens.”
The studio has worked with Nike, for example, across multiple facets of their retail presence in Australia over the past eleven years – from store pop-ups to activations and online campaigns. Space Between also works with brands ranging across retail and hospitality sectors.
That’s just the studio though. This is also an operation with its own concept gallery, At The Above: “We always wanted to find a second space that could be an extension beyond the studio,” says Clark, with that dream becoming a reality in 2018. “[The gallery] is where we can work with local designers and local artists to flesh out concepts across fashion, art, design and the full gamut. Really, we don’t over-schedule it – we curate it more as a project and then the studio works backwards with the artist or the brand to develop a concept that we execute in that space. It’s always different and it’s always fresh… we explore new ways of bringing concepts to life.”
The multifaceted operation, though not totally unique, offers something different in a design industry that too often finds itself siloed into over-specialised niches. “We were inspired to [add the gallery space] to keep us young, connected and relevant in order to service our clients. It’s obviously evolved from there to become a standalone concept in its own right,” says Clark.
Taking a step back to see the bigger picture, it’s clear that ‘Space Between’ is a totally appropriate name. After all, if there’s a defining feature of the studio and gallery, it’s probably the ability to straddle various parts of design, art, fashion, branding and so on. As Clark notes, “it’s blurry – where we love to play is in that intersection,” all while focusing on the underlying concept in any given project.
Outside the gallery and studio spaces, the project work is strikingly diverse. Clark draws attention to previous work such as a Nike pop-up in Guildford, Western Sydney that celebrated the 25th anniversary of the TN sneaker. It involved converting a milk bar into a store at the front and a museum at the back, showcasing and curating objects in there from around the world. “For a studio like Space Between and what we’re trying to achieve with At The Above, it’s about that intersection of the overarching concept and then being able to find that milk bar, for example, to design and fit it out,” he adds.
More recently, At The Above has hosted Mental Athletic magazine out of Milan, acclaimed photographer Roger Deckker, and has an ongoing project with ultramarathoner and author Josh Lynott around running and poetry well underway.
As for the future, the path remains clear – building on the same model and being driven by the creative aspect of the work. “The focus is definitely on where that crossover is and where those lines blur – I guess that’s where we want to remain. At The Above continues to develop as a concept, and Space Between is able to curate and be responsible for delivering concepts at the intersection of studio and gallery. Continuing to blur that line even further is our focus,” concludes Clark.
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