Connect the Dots: a journey through curiosity and campus

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Connect the Dots: a journey through curiosity and campus

Bright yellow dots now splash across RMIT’s City North precinct, inviting students and staff to explore the campus in new and unexpected ways.

Led by artist and current RMIT Master of Architecture student Sophie Stavrakis, Connect the Dots draws on her experience navigating campus routines and rediscovering its spaces in her final year.

Sophie Stavrakis, artist behind Connect the Dots and current RMIT Master of Architecture student.

Sophie Stavrakis, artist behind Connect the Dots and current RMIT Master of Architecture student.

Exploring architecture through play, purpose and perspective

Sophie’s creative journey began early, shaped by a love of sandbox games like Minecraft and The Sims. These games became a gateway to architecture, offering a sense of freedom and creation that she later pursued through study. “When I came across architecture at around nine years old, the idea that I could essentially do in real life what I loved doing in games locked me into architecture,” she says.

Her time at RMIT helped refine that passion. “RMIT architecture encourages critical thinking, as well as thinking from so many different angles,” she explains. “It’s deepened my appreciation for that same sense of curiosity and discovery that first drew me to architecture as a child.”

A splash of yellow and a spark of inspiration

The concept for Connect the Dots emerged from a moment of unexpected beauty. Sophie recalls encountering a bright yellow puddle of paint outside the Design Hub. “Yellow footsteps trailed on the ground, almost like physical memories of their presence,” she says. The footprints made her reflect on the unseen stories of those who shared the space.

This accidental disruption became a metaphor for the lives and journeys unfolding across the campus. “The yellow of the dots is a direct reference to this event,” Sophie explains. “I wanted to find a way to get people a little more curious about their time at uni… the everyday can be made interesting with a little bit of curiosity.”

Yellow paint puddle Sophie Stavrakis noted outside RMIT's Design Hub that sparked inspriation for her Connect the Dots artwork.

Sophie Stavrakis yellow dot artwork being installed on the RMIT Design Hub's walls

Celebrating stories through shared footprints

The yellow dots scattered across the precinct feature stories from fellow artists commissioned alongside Sophie. “I wanted to shed light on their contribution to RMIT’s north,” she says, describing the dots as a physical memory and celebration of artistry. She credits Jinghua Qian for capturing these stories: “They did such a fantastic job at conveying the inspiration behind each one.”

Rethinking routine and rediscovering campus

Sophie only began exploring more of the campus in her final year. “Connect the Dots speaks to the habitual habits that students and staff tend to find themselves in,” she says. The work encourages stepping outside routine, even briefly, to discover something new. “Curiosity is another beautiful thing… it, too, is simply human nature.”

Poeple engage with Connect the Dots installation at RMIT Melbourne city campus

Inviting curiosity and connection

Through Connect the Dots, Sophie hopes students and staff will feel inspired to take new paths. “Whether it’s on their way to class or heading home, perhaps they’ll take a different route than usual and discover something they never would have,” she says. “I hope people come away with a renewed sense of curiosity in even the tiniest crevices of life.”

Sophie Stavrakis - Connect the Dots artwork featured on the RMIT Design Hub

Looking ahead

Sophie is currently pursuing her Master of Architecture, with plans to graduate in 2027. She’s excited about contributing to public and government-driven projects. “I’m super excited to start my career and one day contribute to making Melbourne a beautiful, ecologically friendly and awesome place to live.”

Photo credit: Ashish Narwade

29 October 2025

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

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