IMAGINE THE ‘IM’POSSIBILITIES: BAMBOO
BAMBOO will present the work of ten artisans from Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong, whose practices will run from 26 September through to 31 December 2020.
An extension of Crafts on Peel’s inaugural exhibition, IMAGINE THE ‘IM’POSSIBILITIES: BAMBOO, stems from long-term research into contemporary bamboo craftsmanship in Asia. Co-curated by Penelope Luk, Creative Director of Crafts on Peel and Benjamin Wang, Contemporary Artisan from Taiwan, the exhibition takes visitors on an interactive journey divided into three key sections that explore the utilitarian elements, contemporary aesthetics and traditional craftsmanship of bamboo. Each section draws attention to the texture, form and natural qualities of bamboo, as well as the processes and historical context that have shaped our engagement with the material over thousands of years.
Crafts on Peel’s first thematic exhibition
celebrates the reinvention of traditional bamboo crafts
“The exhibition is the result of extensive research trips and studies which continue Crafts on Peel’s exploration of Hong Kong’s traditional bamboo craftsmanship, and which reinterpret the connections between traditional craftsmanship and contemporary lifestyle. We are glad to continue to provide a platform for collaborations not only across generations but also across regions and cultures”.
Penelope Luk, Creative Director of Crafts on Peel and Co-curator.
BAMBOO will present the work of ten artisans from Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong, whose practices will run from 26 September through to 31 December 2020.
An extension of Crafts on Peel’s inaugural exhibition, IMAGINE THE ‘IM’POSSIBILITIES: BAMBOO, stems from long-term research into contemporary bamboo craftsmanship in Asia. Co-curated by Penelope Luk, Creative Director of Crafts on Peel and Benjamin Wang, Contemporary Artisan from Taiwan, the exhibition takes visitors on an interactive journey divided into three key sections that explore the utilitarian elements, contemporary aesthetics and traditional craftsmanship of bamboo. Each section draws attention to the texture, form and natural qualities of bamboo, as well as the processes and historical context that have shaped our engagement with the material over thousands of years.
The exhibition opens with a section titled, Assimilate into the Environment, which traces the development and history of bamboo crafts for practical purposes, and how these have adapted to specific environments and cultural settings. Bamboo’s utilitarian nature comes to the fore in contemporary iterations of historical agricultural tools, for example, Benjamin Wang’s Lamp, assembled by a fruit tray, a duck feeding bowl and a chicken cage, which highlight the practicality and wisdom embedded in once everyday items, passed from generation to generation. The curatorial narrative continues with The Pursuit of Elegance, a section in the exhibition dedicated to showcasing how lifestyles and values developed during China’s Song Dynasty elevated bamboo ware from items of primarily rustic purpose to crafted objects of aesthetic value. Hong Kong contemporary artisan, Ting For Chun’s Tea Funnel and Hexagonal Chrysanthemum Pattern Coaster, and Moonlight Gardenia by contemporary artisan from Taiwan, Chen Yung Sheng, celebrate the development of finely-made bamboo vessels embodied in the traditional rituals of tea ceremony, incense appreciation and flower arrangement. The third section, The Beauty of Daily Objects, echoes the concept of ‘Beauty in usage’ by Japanese philosopher Yanagi Sōetsu, first articulated in the 1920s which upholds a belief that the aesthetic value of craft lies in its practicality. Japanese contemporary artisan Tamotsu Nishimoto’s Teppachi Morikago and Takezaiku Basket focus on ‘achieving beauty in life at the moment of usage’ and combining art with functionality.
A collaborative series of unique bamboo crafts by Cheung Foon & Jinno Neko, Chan Lok Choi & Dylan Kwok, and Tuck Chong Sum Kee & Lawrence Ting, will continue from the inaugural exhibition. They allow the public to revisit touchpoints of relationship between traditional craftsmanship and the modern world, and explore how traditional crafts and techniques can be reinterpreted and perpetuated in a contemporary artistic context.
“Embodying a spirit of purity and infinite creative possibility, bamboo is a material with an elaborate living culture across Asia that transcends countries, cultures and history. Linked by this shared cultural heritage, the artisans presented at Crafts on Peel articulate a unique exchange of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary aesthetics that immerse the viewer in the infinite possibilities and creativity of ‘bamboo’”. Benjamin Wang, Co-curator and Contemporary Artisan.
Crafts on Peel: Address: 11 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 11 am – 6 pm; Close on Sunday to Monday and Public Holiday
Note: To minimize the risk of COVID-19 spreading in the community, the opening hours of Crafts on Peel and the number of visitors will be limited according to the latest social distancing policy from the Hong Kong Government.
For more information, please visit: https://www.craftsonpeel.com/
Public Enquiries: hello@craftsonpeel.com / (852) 2510 0637
Odunpazari Modern Museum (OMM)
A major new museum designed by world-renowned architects Kengo Kuma and Associates, will open in Eskişehir, north west Turkey, in June 2019. The museum will provide a new home for a significant collection of modern and contemporary art which has been brought together by Erol Tabanca, an art collector, architect and businessman. OMM Founded by Erol Tabanca, an art collector and will welcome international audiences to discover its significant collection of modern and contemporary art spanning the 1950s to the present day.
With its distinctive stacked timber design by Kengo Kuma and Associates (KKAA), the 4,500m2 building draws inspiration from Odunpazari’s traditional Ottoman wooden cantilevered houses that are synonymous with the district, and pays homage to the town’s history as a thriving wood market.
Along with several other city museums in the surrounding area, OMM will create a museum square and public meeting place in the town. Split over three floors, visitors will journey through a variety of exhibition spaces, with the large spaces at ground level echoing the rhythm and scale of the surrounding townscape, and the smaller rooms on the upper levels providing a home for smaller-scale artworks. At the centre, a skylit atrium will allow natural light to permeate throughout the building.
Yuki Ikeguchi, Partner leading the project, and Kengo Kuma, Founder of Kengo Kuma and Associates, said: “At the heart of this project was a desire to create a link between people and art. We wanted the building to carry the history and memory of the town, to resonate both on a human scale and with the unique streetscape of Odunpazari, which passing through is a special experience in itself. We very much look forward to seeing the public enjoy and interact with the building.”
“We are delighted to announce that the museum will open in June and look forward to opening our doors”, said Erol Tabanca, founder of OMM. “It is my privilege to give this museum and open up the collection to visitors all over the world to enjoy. OMM will stand as a new landmark that reconnects the town with its history, and as a progressive cultural development for Eskişehir and the Central Anatolian region at large.”
Curated by Turkish curator, Haldun Dostoğlu, the museum’s inaugural exhibition will showcase a selection of around 200 works by 60 leading artists from Turkey including Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu, Canan Tolon, Erol Akyavaş, İlhan Koman, Ramazan Bayrakoğlu, Sinan Demirtaş and Tayfun Erdoğmuş. The exhibition will continue up to the present day with a new site-specific commission by Japanese bamboo artist, Tanabe Chikuunsai IV. His intricate installation, crafted from woven bamboo, will interact with and complement the architecture of the building.
Curator, Haldun Dostoğlu, said: “When curating OMM’s inaugural exhibition, I was inspired by three truths: Eskisehir will gain its first modern art museum, Erol Tabanca will fulfil his dream of sharing his art collection with the public, and this wonderful collection - much of which has been behind closed doors for a number of years - will be showcased in its entirety for the first time.”
The collection has been brought together by Erol Tabanca over a period of 15 years and features more than a thousand works of art spanning the 1950s to the present day, championing pioneering twentieth-century figures as well as the next generation of contemporary artists. The collection features works by acclaimed artists from Turkey such as Burhan Doğançay, Canan Tolon, Azade Köker, Nejad Melih Devrim, Erol Akyavaş, Haluk Akakçe, Taner Ceylan, İnci Eviner, Gülsün Karamustafa and Erdağ Aksel, alongside international names including Peter Zimmerman, Jaume Plensa, Marc Quinn, Robert Longo, Aron Demetz, Julian Opie, Sarah Morris, Stephan Kaluza, Hans Op De Beeck, Massimo Giannoni, Seon Ghi Bahk, Alfred Haberpointner. OMM’s multidisciplinary exhibitions – many of which will be produced in collaboration with leading curators and creatives – and permanent galleries will be complemented by a dynamic public programme, offering seminars, artist talks and workshops.