Sven Mehzoud

Qualifications attained:

BA Arch (TWI, Winterthur, Switzerland) 1989
BDes ( Victoria University of Wellington) 1996
MDes ( Massey University) 2005

Teaching and research interests:

Sven Mehzoud is lecturing in the spatial arts programmes of the college, specialising in research, spatial representation practices, and design studio for interior and exhibition design as well as scenography. His research focus is on embodied processes of spatial representation of sites such as exhibition and performance spaces but also of museums and art gallery environments. He is further interested in the translation of conceptual design ideas into materials and construction and their development to detail. His practical work is often collaborative and interdisciplinary and lies at the intersection between space, culture and performance. It encompasses interiors fit outs, exhibition and set design, art installations and architecture. Many of these projects have been published and have received numerous citations and awards.

Research Highlights - Practice

Noble, A., Mehzoud, S., Jensen, L. (2005). ADC Art Design Collective: Southern Lights: Antarctic Art Collectables. Jonathan Smart Gallery, Christchurch. This work was carried out as part of the ADC Art Design Collective and investigated Antarctica and art galleries as places of consumption.

Mehzoud, S., Gibson, L., Hannah, D. (2005). World Stage Design 2005, Toronto (WSD 2005): Exhibition design to represent The Heart of PQ03 project. Co-designer of this exhibition that represented The Heart of PQ project, which was selected for inclusion at this international exhibition on theatre arts design in Toronto, Canada.

Mehzoud, S., Gibson, L., Hannah, D., Foster, S. (2004). DisPlay, remembering a performance landscape. An exhibition at the Michael Hirschfeld Gallery, Wellington City Gallery. Principal designer of this project which developed new research into how past live performance events can be represented and transformed through a physical encounter. It specifically investigated how a live event can be re-staged as exhibition. This project received a DINZ Highly Commended Best Award in 2004.

Mehzoud, S. (2004). - A performance landscape of the senses: Presenting the Heart at PQ 03 (TM) .Sensoria Symposium. Festival of Design Education. RMIT School of Architecture and Design , Melbourne.

Hannah, D., Mehzoud, S., Gibson, L. (2002 - 2003). The Heart of PQ: A performance landscape of the senses. Central Exhibition of the Prague Quadrennial 2003, Prague, Czech Republic. Co-designer of this project that consisted of an international exhibition and stage environment for the Prague Quadrennial in 2003 and was produced in collaboration with the Theatre Institute Prague. It received the NZIA Research Award for 2003.

Mehzoud, S. with the Seeyd Theatre Company aka Claw Footed Tomatoes, Wellington (2000 - 2001). Theatre Productions Seeyd and Insalt. Set designer in collaboration with the Seeyd Company, Wellington. Both these productions explored a staunchly collaborative and integrated approach to devising where space, text and dramaturgy evolved conjointly. They received several Chapman Tripp and Wellington Fringe theatre awards for best set design, best new NZ play and best production.

Mehzoud, S., Todd, H. (1998). Fragments: Out of the Dark: Theatre Arts Design Exhibition. School of Architecture and Design, Wellington. Curator and co-designer of this national exhibition of Theatre Arts Design. It surveyed theatre arts design in New Zealand and was part of the New Zealand Festival of the Arts 1998, Visual Arts section in Wellington and the Fuel Festival 2000 in Hamilton.

Research Highlights - Publications

Mehzoud, S. (2003). Disturbing a narrow sense of life: The Installation at the Heart of PQ. In Zupanc Lotker, S. and Squire, D. (Eds). The Heart of PQ Catalogue. (pp43-45) Prague: Theatre Institute Prague.

Hannah, D., Mehzoud, S. (2003) Krajina Predstaveni smyslu. Forum, 2003 (3), 69-70.

Hannah, D., Mehzoud, S., Gibson, L. (2003) Architecture of the Heart of PQ. In Albertova (Ed.), Prague Quadrennial: 2003 (pp.294-295). Prague (CZ): Theatre Institute Prague.

Mehzoud, S. (2003). The Body as a sensing machine. In Parkhurst, R. (Ed.) Three:Two Writing and Research from the College of Design, Fine Arts and Music. (pp. 26-41). Wellington: Massey University.

Mehzoud, S. (2003) Sans-culotte attack on Paris. Architecture New Zealand 2003 (6), 102-103.

Mehzoud, S., Sayle, J. (1998). Fragments: Out of the Dark Theatre Arts Exhibition Catalogue. Wellington: Wellington Polytechnic.

Contact details:

Phone: +64 4 801 2794 ext 6668
Fax: +64 4 801 2799
Email: S.A.Mehzoud@massey.ac.nz
Address: Private Box 756 Wellington