Making It Matters follows the process of making from concept and research to design and fabrication, as well as the social networks that link each step. By delving into the inspirations, techniques, and impacts behind the selected works, the exhibition helps us understand our own roles in processes of making and their relation to our daily lives.

This exhibition mostly draws upon the diverse works of the M+ Collections. The artists, designers, and architects featured include John Cage, Harold Cohen, Julie & Jesse, John Maeda, Raffaella della Olga, Anna Ridler, Ki Saigon, Fujimori Terunobu, Jay Sae Jung Oh, Stanley Wong, and Võ Trọng Nghĩa Architects. It follows the process of making from concept and research to design and fabrication, as well as the social networks that link each step. By delving into the inspirations, techniques, and impacts behind the selected works, the exhibition helps us understand our own roles in processes of making and their relation to our daily lives.

The exhibition also looks at responsible design, material innovation, and creative reuse strategies adopted by innovative makers exploring alternative modes of thinking. These ideas are situated within wider historical and sociopolitical contexts across four thematic sections.

‘Ceramics: A Story of Shifting Values’ explores the complex and layered history of ceramics and focuses on how one material can shift greatly in value and perception over time. ‘Material Potential’ highlights how makers experiment with a variety of materials, including neon, resin, and bamboo, discovering new processes, methods, and forms along the way. ‘The Hand and the Machine’ examines how the development of computing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning revolutionised the making process. ‘Actions and Consequences’ traces how consumerism came to shape contemporary society by demanding mass production, synthetic materials and low-paid labour.