Happy to share that my work will be part of Vienna Design Week with an installation presenting a selection of works produced during this’s School of Phyto-centred Design organised by the Kunstgewerbemuseum Dresden. ROOM FOR CHANGE is an invitation to change perspective, question harmful agricultural practices, and look at plants as allies for militant and poetic design scenarios. Showcasing material experiments, fashion items, products, performances as well as videos and photos, the installation highlights the design and narrative potential of plants and reveals stories of interdependence, empowerment, resilience, but also exploitation, overconsumption, and colonization.
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Other featured works by: Archeomaterico, Deborah Tina, Sahrajajarmikhayat, Anojish Kariano, Jaqueline Lobodda, Chi.makes.jewelry, Sujia Wang, morgennacht (art direction by Emma Bruschi) Kareem Goshan, Katoy Design, Benedikt Trojer (art direction by Fernando Laposse) / Natalia Milla / Katharina Ursula Mludek, Katrin Schwarz, Julia Sulikowska.
Special thanks to Thomas Geisler for inviting us, and to Jasmin Schauer for the smooth coordination.
📍 Festival Headquarters in the Prater 2. Laufbergergasse 12, Vienna
22.09.2023, 11am-8pm
23.09.2023, 11am–10pm
24.09.–01.10.2023, 11am–8pm
Join us and meet the designers on 26.09.2023 at the Festival Headquarters
💬 “End of Design” conference (4–7pm)
🍹 “Room for Change” cocktail party (7–10pm)
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Image credit:
01 – Mah Meri girls get ready for dancing for tourists”, Carey Island, Bemboun Village, Carey Island, Malaysia, 1990, Jean Gaumy.*
02-03 – Leonie Hochstrasser
*This project is a non-commercial project. The pictures used are for educational and research purposes only.
#FollowThePlant #PlantFever #TheSchoolOfPhytocentredDesign #SchoolOfUtopias #designworkshops #designcampus2023 #DesignInstallation #DesignCurating
ALMANAC – DESIGNERS’ PERSPECTIVE ON THE RESOURCES OF THE CHARENTES REGION
Exhibition, Countercurrent research project
Fondation d'entreprise Martell, FR
June 30–Dec 31, 2023
The Almanac exhibition is the inaugural research project of Fondation d’entreprise Martell, which, since its inception five years ago, is now evolving into a research and experimentation platform for art and design, as well as a space for raising awareness and learning – with a focus on living things.
This experimental initiative, which takes the form of an exhibition, residencies, encounters, and a living archive laboratory, emerged from a reflection on how a foundation located in a context that is rural yet industrial, prosperous yet remote, can establish itself as an agent for local dynamism and activate new potential for collective transformation. It soon became clear that the first step, before taking any action, would require the compilation of an inventory of the region’s resources and issues.
A team of designers was assigned with an investigative mission involving a wide range of local contacts (institutions, businesses, professional networks, and residents of Charente and Charente-Maritime), to identify local resources – natural and industrial, tangible and intangible.
The team led by Olivier Peyricot with Lola Carrel, Valentin Patis, and Mathilde Pellé, established an investigative methodology before embarking on the collection and analysis work.
The subjective view resulting from their observations is presented on the second floor of the Foundation. It offers an immersion into the collected samples, enabling visitors to rediscover significant materials and neglected deposits, living techniques, and forgotten know-how.
This multi-faceted and contributory project explores the processes of production and interdependence in order to better position itself as a tool and catalyst for transition, enabling the development of unique creative practices that bring about change. The aim is to create new imaginaries and chart new ways for building a resilient and equitable future.
DESIGN FOR CHANGE – RETREAT
Workshop/teach + talk
Eindhoven, NL
July 13–14, 2023
New Order of Fashion (NOoF) invites (aspiring) fashion design professionals to join us for an invigorating week-long programme exploring the knowledge and skills we need for a better fashion future!
The ‘Design for Change’ retreat addresses the contemporary issues fashion faces: on climate, environment, production, consumption, and wellbeing for people. Through a combination of theory and hands-on exercises, we’ll examine the various paths that can be taken to a cleaner, smarter and more caring fashion future.
Together with a stellar line up of international speakers, experts and workshop hosts, we will collectively investigate the overarching goal of sustainable and circular fashion design. The program includes topics and methodologies such as systemic thinking, local regeneration, material understanding & value, crafts, remake and repair skills, and building resilient communities.
ROOTED CRAFT
Research and design residency
Loulé, PT
May 25–June 17, 2023
futurprimitiv is very proud to have received a grant from the European Union. Over the next 3 weeks, i will be participating on a research project, ‘Rooted Craft’ in Loulé, initiated by Origem Comum and supported by Loulé Criativo.
‘Rooted Craft’ is a research project that explores rural crafts with a new approach to weaving techniques that were once a thriving economic activity for agricultural and transportation of goods, as well as for domestic use. With the scarcity of natural resources and environmental awareness, there is a resurgence of artisanal production, recovering ancestral technologies.
The resulting products answer the demand for more ecological consumption choices. With that in mind, this project looks to form new hybrid understandings of weaving, through know-how exchange and transfer and weaving archetypes research to open new possibilities for new applications. In result of these rich archives, they will be integrated in the ‘Situated Practices’ exhibition.
The results of the residency ⭢
50 TWINES EXPERIMENT
Workshop / Teaching
Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin, DE
May 9–10, 2023
50 Twines Experiment [50TwExp] is a 2-day workshop and an ongoing research project exploring endless possibilities of hand-constructions and applications with combinations of materials and techniques experimentation.
The earliest twines were made by twisting, untwisting and braiding lengths of plant fiber. Twine is most commonly used in textiles and basketry. The invention of twine is at least as important as the development of stone tools for early humans. Archaeologists have called the development of twine, which can be made stronger and longer than its component fibers, “the string revolution”. Twine has a long history, with 32,000 year-old (flax fiber) twine discovered within a western Asian cave. Today, twine is industrially produced and an overlooked craft.
Students were encouraged to work collectively and intuitively to create fifty pieces of twine experiments in two days. These twine experiments, made in a short period of time, and using different experimental construction methods, will also be functional as a surface or for new applications.
This workshop is organized under the program of greenlab. Initiated in 2010, the interdisciplinary greenlab at Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin links university projects with practice-oriented research and industry with the aim of inspiring and developing innovative concepts for sustainable and environmentally friendly products and services. In this research-oriented collaboration, sustainable design methods and strategies are to be applied to develop and implement new concepts and answers to ecological, social and cultural questions.
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GreenDesign 12.0 — Verflechtungen
Supervision by Prof. Barbara Schmidt and Prof. Dr. Zane Berzina. Workshop concept and teaching by Evey Kwong.
[1] Victoria Fechtner, Undergraduate Textile and Surface Design
[2] Bar Esh and Melissa Kurt, Undergraduate Textile and Surface Design
[3] Inyeong Song, Undergraduate Textile and Surface Design
[4] Katharina Sauter, Undergraduate Product Design
BASKETCLUB – A CELEBRATION OF FUTURE CRAFTS
Exhibition, 🌞 Salone del Mobile 🍭 🚲🔌🕯️ 🎭 ❄️🙋♂️
Alcova – Viale Molise 62, Milan
April 17–23, 2023
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We invite you to a celebration of 3 years of Basketclub during Salone del Mobile with a showcase of our highlights and the launch of a new book!
Basketclub was founded by Adrianus Kundert and Jamie Wolfond in 2020 as an Instagram-based initiative. The collective comprises crafty designers and artisans who respond to a monthly brief containing nothing but an emoji by weaving a “basket”. The finished baskets are photographed and shared online, showcasing a range of technical, aesthetic, conceptual, playful, political, and historical approaches from designers worldwide.
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SALONE DEL MOBILE ’23
To celebrate the creative outcomes generated by Basketclub over the past three years, we present to you the highlights of our initiative in 80 baskets from 8 countries. These baskets demonstrate the beauty of experimentation and craftsmanship in today's creative professions.
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This exhibition is funded by Stimuleringsfonds and much supported by our basketclub members.
BASKETCLUB BOOK
Press and editorial
In conjunction with this occasion, we are launching a Basketclub book which catalogues over 300 baskets for Basketclub and includes 3 essays about contemporary basketry. The book embodies Basketclub's unique strength in bridging digital and analogue visual cultures and can be purchased on site as a physical object.
The book, designed by Koos Breen, and edited by Adrianus Kundert has 312 full color pages with images of all the basketry projects and includes essays by Ed van Hinte, Adrian Madlener and Lois Walpole.
IBAN BASKETRY
Material culture research
Kapuas Hulu, West Borneo
Mar 20–Apr 1, 2023
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There is so much to digest after departing from the recent Iban village I was at for a short 2-week trip. Often case, how one relates to the other is a lot to do with own’s past, upbringing and worldviews. One of the most significant things I’ve learnt from this research is how weaving has crossed my understanding on people, place and nature. It can be a manifestation of personal (and communal) journey with mythical meaning which opens another spectrum of how weaving could be understood.
I hope to be able to write more on these from my daily oral conversations with the local weavers, and with the support from researcher Hardiyanti.
#materialculture #basketry #wovencommunities #ibanculture #dayak #traditionalcustom #oralculture
THE QUARTER CRAN
Wickerwork research
Material: Willow and hazel
“Baskets such as the quarter crans represented time and money to the carrier. The crans were baskets used to weigh and carry herring. Their measure has its origin in Scotland. The very word crann in Gaelic can mean a ‘measure for fresh herring’. Their size was regulated and standardized by government decree as a legal measure. From all points of view, it was very important that they were of a consistent size, or fishermen might be paid too little, or too much for their catch.”
The willows in between are bounded by waling and fitching. The weaving process is significant in the way the base and the border are all one bit of the willow. Short lengths of willow were used in the base so that, after it has been woven, the new lengths would be added and become the uprights and then form the top border of the basket.
To be precisely made, they had to be made by trained basket-makers. This cran shown in pictures is made by me based on the measurement from the great English basket-maker Colin Manthorpe with guidance from German basket-maker Rainer Groth. Rainer was fortunate to have met, acquainted and have acquired a cran from Colin before his passing.
#traditionalbasket #materialculture
Far right pictures and historical depiction © Woven Communities
U-JOINTS — A TAXONOMY OF CONNECTIONS
Writing
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Essay “In the beginning was the loop. The anthropology of basketry in Borneo.”
by Evey Kwong
The volume looks at human history through its details, and invites us to see design and architecture in new ways. Comprehensive and interdisciplinary, U-JOINTS is a collective project that brings together the voices and viewpoints of more than 120 authors. Together they “tell” design and architecture in the form of stories, essays, interviews, statements, visits to factories, reportage, facts and figures and, not least, a vast taxonomy of joints. Photo portfolios examine how joints are produced, illustrate their diverse uses, or simply show the inherent yet often overlooked beauty of connections in the man-made world.
Editors: Andrea Caputo, Anniina Koivu
Editorial team: Margherita Banchi, Marta Pezzoli
Senior researcher: Eleonora Castellarin
Design: Graphic Thought Facility
Printed and bound by: Musumeci Spa
Publisher: SYNC-SYNC Editions
Printed in Italy © U-Joints, Milan 2022
ISBN 979-12-210-0342-0
TUB SHAPE LOG / TURF BASKET
Wickerwork research
Material: Willow
51 (w) x 55cm (h)
I enjoy making country baskets rather than professionally made baskets for the reason of its puristic beauty and the humble tradition. There are many groundwork in country baskets to learn only with techniques themselves applied to their functionalities.
The form is inspired by Joe Hogan’s own turf basket from his traditional baskets archive.
Why is this a traditional basket since many willow techniques were widely used by basketmakers?
Because of the use of thick uprights, the base often warped, necessitating the use of a foot (a protective border underneath the basket that kept the base from touching the ground). A foot adds enormously to the length of time a basket will last and this technique was kept alive in Ireland by traditional rather than professional basketmakers.
#traditionalbasket #materialculture
EGMONDSE DRAAGMAND
Wickerwork research
Material: Willow
40 (w) x 32 (l) x 41cm (h)
“The Egmond carrier basket is typically made of brown and white willow, woven in a block pattern. It is a traditional basket used in the Egmond area until after the Second World War. The fishermen in Egmond called such a basket ‘Dreegmand’ (carrier basket) and they used it for all kinds of transport, including for beachcombing. In the past, the basket was also used to transport fish and shrimp.
‘Dreegmanden’ were made in three sizes, made by Alkmaar basket makers. The small sizes were used by the women and children to pick blackberries in the dunes. The farmers in Egmond within the dune area also used the carrier basket, under the name ‘kriel’. Remarkably, in Scotland the name ‘creel’ is known, but for a completely different type of basket.” ~ “van Wild naar Mand” by Piet-Hein Spieringhs
My version of the basket is improvised with a common oval base and curved body form. The original form is slightly conical with a Dutch-style base attached with a foot.
#traditionalbasket #ruralcraft
BASKETCLUB / BRIEF 🙋♂️
Commission for Basketclub x HAY
Material: Felt balls, Linden splint and spruce wood plate
RICE SEED BASKET
Found object: Rice seed basket made of rattan, poran bamboo potentially dyed with plant sap, wood stripe (unknown)
Findspot: Chiang Dao
Acquired: Jeanny Bouwen
Museum Europäischer Kulturen
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
24.05.22–26.05.24
Read more ⭢
For the past years, I have been working and learning from/with basket weavers. My works contribute to the section of ‘People’, featuring my woven connections to the European and Bornean artisans, enablers and craft revivalists. My work is an important step for me, on a personal level, in connecting to the People, the Place and Self. Among my collaborators whose works will be featured are from Serfenta, Margrit Linder and Carlos Fontales Ortíz.
Curators: Sofia Botvinnik and Judith Schühle
#exhibition
The whisk brooms from my crafts research has found its new home in the Berlin State Museum collection. In conjunction to the upcoming exhibition All Hands On: Basketry, the brooms will be showcased along with the impressions of my past learning experiences with Carlos Fontales (ES), Serfenta (PL), Margrit Linder (CH) and in Borneo.
#craftsresearch
From left to right: Brooms techniques found from Habkern, Uri and Murcia. Made by Evey Kwong.
© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum Europäischer Kulturen, Christian Krug
During the pandemic, i contributed an essay on cycloid interlacing / looping for a book, U-JOINTS – Taxonomy of Connections. Finally, after years of uncertainties, the book will be launched this Summer.
Synopsis: The book is an encyclopedic publication that looks at human history through its details, and invites readers to see their built environment in whole new ways. Weighing in at more than 900 pages, this is the most far-reaching book ever published on the topic of joints. Comprehensive and interdisciplinary, the book features technical information about joinery as well as stories and commentaries.
The heart of the book is a vast taxonomy of more than 1300 joints, organized into six main chapters: Basic fasteners, Mechanical joints, Knits and Knots, Wood joints, Adhesives, and Fused joints.
The book was compiled by a team of more than 50 authors, photographers, illustrators, researchers, experts, scholars, scientists and story tellers, enthusiasts, users, designers, architects, artists, writers and critics and makers. Together we hope to bring the many fascinating facets of joints to life.
Simultaneous to the book launch, U-JOINTS has invited members of Basketclub to be part of Fiskars Village Art & Design Biennale this summer, May 22 – Sept 4 2022. 🌳
Above exhibiting object: How to wrap five eggs. Material: Bell wires.
#taxonomy #weavingtechnique
SLANTED/ENCHANTED
Exhibition
Erin Stump Projects, Toronto
Jan 21, 2023
Kicking off 2022 with my second international group show, Slanted/Enchanted, an exhibition that celebrates improvised production methods.
While preparing for this exhibition, I learned about the value of my medium of practice and the importance of continuous creative experimentation. To me, it is a challenge to unlearn, (re)invent and transform what I’ve learned the last years from my teachers.
Here is to a lifetime journey of learning and explorations!⚡️
This event takes place in conjunction to the Design Week Toronto.
#reinterpreting #traditionalobjects
Organisation by Jamie Wolfond and Rebecca Collins
📸 by Sean Davidson
Graphic design by Soleil Singh
BASKETCLUB / BRIEF 🕯
Play
A series of improvised torches using available and found plant materials. Going back before the invention of candles, the earliest form of artificial lighting used to illuminate an area were campfires or torches. Although it is convenient for us to acquire candles today, we often forget we are surrounded by materials which could be improvised to light up fire.
1. Torch made of damar gum wrapped in palm leaves.
2. Torch made of resin, bamboo leaves tied with raffia.
3. Torch composed of Zacaton roots soaked in fat or wax.
#materiality #lettherebelight #functionalobjects #resiliency #plantfibre #materialculture
HOW&WOW BASK IT!–FIVE SELECTED WORKS EXHIBITED
Exhibition
An initiative of Crafts Council Nederland in collaboration with Adrianus Kundert, designer and co-founder of Basketclub.
HOW&WOW BASK IT! – or ‘treasure it’ – will transport you into the world of basketry and reveal the numerous aspects of three dimensional weaving: the specific characteristics, creative techniques, new implementations, cultural exchange and nature conservation. Basket weaving is a 3D-construction technique allowing the maker to create a three dimensional shape using their own hands and just a few tools. The craft, and also its importance, have undergone changes through time. Few people realise that all woven baskets, furniture and accessories are still made by hand, including those sold by the well-known retail chains. Lack of appreciation for this time consuming technique has resulted in it now rarely being practiced in the western world. It is particularly important to focus on the unique characteristics of hand made products in the current era of globalisation, digitalisation and robotics. Craftsmanship is satisfying work, makers are in control of what they produce and are able to express their individuality. It is no surprise that the online community Basketclub arose during the pandemic.
Participants: Adrianus Kundert, Amandine David, Anaïs Godefroy, Bertjan Pot, Carole Baijings, Chris Kabel, Christopher Specce, Clara von Zweigbergk, dach&zephir, Earnest Studio, Emma Cogné, Esmé Hofman, Esther van Schuylenbergh, Evey Kwong, Fango, Garth Roberts, GREATMINOR, Hella Jongerius, Hsiao Fong, Ief Spincemaille, Ineke van der Sommen, Jamie Wolfond, Joris van Tubergen, Léa Mazy, Lenny Stöpp, Lois Walpole, LouCruard, Mae Engelgeer & Ames, Mandenmakerij de Mythe, Michael Schoner, Nathalie Miebach, Nationaal Vlechtmuseum Noordwolde, Rebecca Collins, Rein Reitsma, Renaud Defrancesco & Anne Bertoncini, Rik van Veen, Rob van Hernen, Samy Rio, SCMP DESIGN OFFICE, Sebastian Herkner, Shigeki Fujishiro, Simone Post, Studio Satël, Tamara Orjola, Thomas van der Sman and Yuki Hidano.
Team Crafts Council Nederland: Marion Poortvliet, Willemien Ippel & Guusje Heesakkers
Curator: Adrianus Kundert
Graphic design: Daniël Maarlevel
Photo credit: Fan Liao
HOW&WOW BASK IT! is financially made possible by Creative Industries Fund NL, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds and Dedon.
BASKETCLUB x CRAFTS COUNCIL NEDERLAND / BRIEF 🔌
Play
Material: Bell wires
How to wrap 5 eggs (haywirely), quoting the renowned Hideyuki Oka’s traditional Japanese packaging book.
Occasionally, I like doing things that are against my will, for example the Macramé knots. I often like playing with the limits of plasticity / elasticity of a material against a technique, in this case Macramé is usually implemented on soft materials.
As a result, my woven ode to Japanese packaging.
#newmaterials #newfunction
Play
Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes, as well as in the performing arts and for entertainment. A replicated mask becomes mere decorative effort and somewhat feels senseless unless it serves a culturally represented purpose. While making this mask, i began contemplating possibilities of introducing new forms which have not been represented by a particular culture. Can a new form and function (in this case a performative hand fan) be invented while keeping the use of natural materials?
View more works here.
#newfunction #performative #handfan
Play
Inspired by the Japanese kagome weaving which bamboo is typically used for plaits construction, new material such as bronze wires are used to bind and sew the the rim and plaits together. The stripes are split with an improvised lo-tech device constructed with repurposed plywoods.
Works from all participants can be seen here.
#newmaterial #hexagonalplaiting
Play
A reinterpretation of Bornean burden basket (Bekang) using cycloid open weave (Kerawang).
Traditionally, the basket is made using rattan. Cycloid is a technique I’ve been documenting and analyzing since my research trip in Borneo in 2020.
While contemplating the reinterpretation, I question the feasibility of the original material (rattan), fitting to the functional roots. I felt it was not appropriate to reconstruct any artifact without prior deeper consideration on the material culture origin and its use.
The basket is made out of curiosity with how far the technique could be expanded with its boundaries with the use of new materials and at the same time new technical parameters.
#newmaterials #materialculture #cycloidinterlacing #looping #borneo
Found knowledge
Image credit to British Museum: Bekang Dechur by Kelabit ethnic group
Quad node weaving, compressable. Form inspired by Alison Martin’s work.
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#lattice #knot #geometry
Found knowledge
While looking at these unique rice containers, i’ve figured that human evolution has hinted teaching is not essential for people to learn to make effective tools. The results counter established views about how human tools and technologies come to improve from generation to generation and point to an explanation for the extraordinary success of humans as a species. Although teaching is useful, it is not essential for cultural progress because people can use reasoning and reverse engineering of existing items to work out how to make tools.
The capacity to improve the efficacy of tools and technologies from generation to generation, known as cumulative culture, is unique to humans and has driven our ecological success. It has enabled us to inhabit the toughest and most remote regions on Earth and even have a permanent base in space. The way in which our cumulative culture has boomed compared to other species however remains a mystery.
While a knowledgeable teacher clearly brings important advantages, allowing students to independently create and design is more the crucial.
1 - Doll made of palm leaf, origin: Maluku, Indonesia
2 - Bottle made of rattan, origin: Madang, Papua New Guinea
3 - Pouch made of reed, origin: Palugama, Sri Lanka
4 - Bird-shaped pouch made of rush by Kenyah, origin: Sarawak
5 - Bottle made of palm leaf by Kenyah, origin: Sarawak
6 - Pouch made of palm leaf, origin: Rambah, Sumatra
Credit images to British Museum
Play
Further play with square, pentagon and hexagonal construction of knots with Maori windmill knots. All materials thanks to Forces in Translation.
Forces in Translation works in the intersection of basketry, mathematics and anthropology. It is a Royal Society/Apex funded project, based in the UK.
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Having so much fun making this! A further exploration with paper loops. This technique is inspired by Alison Martin's works.
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#knots #coiling #fibonacci #geometry
Play
My first entry as a contribution to the club. Basketclub is an incredible group of designers and artists who use basket weaving techniques to experiment with materials and contexts.
Second image from the left, top: The Trustees of the British Museum. Snow goggles made by the Inuit / 1613699853, bottom: L.T. Burwash / Library and Archives Canada / PA-099362
Crafts Research
The origin of this technique derives from the Bornean ‘Bekang Kerawang’, a burden basket typically used for carrying agricultural harvest and game. As a presumption, this technique is introduced based on the needs to construct a rigid (non-organic in form) quadrilateral plane, suited to use them as frames to construct a cuboid container.
Currently, a guest researcher at Forces in Translation: Basketry, Math, Anthropology
Found knowledge
“Angkat Rumah” (lifting houses) was a form of physical relocation that was a common tradition practiced in kampungs as houses predominately consisted of wood. The structure of the house which is built with pillars makes it easy to be carried around. Depending on the size of the house, bamboo sticks are tied to the beam of the house to help lift it.
In the Malay and Filipino language there’s even its own term, ‘gotong royong’ and ‘bayanihan’, meaning the “community spirit”.
This tradition also fostered a sense of community, and originated when villagers wanted to move closer to their friends and family. Due to the increase of brick houses, it became easier to demolish than relocate. Therefore, this tradition has declined in popularity and is rarely practiced today.
Found knowledge
The Spreewalders are sometimes superstitious and also practical. So it shows here with the wooden whisk. When the Christmas tree stands in the room for a long time, the wood of the trunk hardens and dries. Whorls were now carved from the ends of the sacred tree by shortening the branches and sawing off the whisk stick to the desired length. A new kitchen mixer is ready. Traditionally, these whorls were made to over 1 meter long.
Source CC-BY-NC-SA @ Museum des Landkreises Oberspreewald-Lausitz
Found knowledge
These are Marshall Islands stick charts and they were made using the midrib of coconut fronds. The Marshall Islands are located in the Pacific Ocean within a region of islands known as Micronesia. Historically, the Malayo-Polynesian seafaring population from this part of the world used the stick chart as a kind of navigational device. But what the map visualises are not contours of land surface. Instead, the curving intersecting lines, supported by a skeletal framework, represent major ocean swells as well as how the location of islands, represented here with seashells, would change those wave patterns. Unlike how we rely on our Google map or Waze while driving on the road today, the charts were not used or consulted during a voyage. Instead, the information was memorised before embarking on a journey by an expert sailor who was trained to sense how the outrigger canoe would roll over the swell. Kinda like how Google map was used, well, before the advent of smartphones.
Crafts Research
Weaving origin: Portugal
Material: Esparto
Length of cord: 6m
Found knowledge
Animals can be hypnotised in direct relation to their ability to concentrate their attention. While there seem to be no obvious reason for doing this, other than sheer entertainment value, the technique is in fact useful for farmers who need to slaughter a chicken, but do not have assistance at hand. It has also been said that the birds being relaxed beforehand, make more tender, tasty meat.
Found knowledge
With special knotted cords, data were stored until the 20th century on the Japanese Ryukyu Islands. With rice straw, nodes were arranged according to a certain system and represent quantities in the decimal system. This made it easy to record information without knowing the characters.
A similar method is also known by the Inca Empire. There, the cords (Quipu) were used for records in the administration, with which religious, chronological and statistical data were stored. For bookkeeping, especially the understanding of the individual calculation steps and to make sense for the intermediate results.
Artefact from Okinawa, 1930
Suquamish basket maker, Ed Carriere explaining and performing the lost art of clam basketmaking.
A non-traditional woven sculpture teaching method by Artist Nathalie Miebach based on weather data collection.
Found knowledge
“One layer of salt, one layer of fish.
All fish overlap and intertwine with each other.
According to tradition, fish heads are placed counterclockwise.
This is to show respect to customers.”
Found knowledge
The Matagi tribes are traditional winter hunters of the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. Because of the geographical conditions, the tribes had to hunt for survival. Their lifes are sustained through hunting, firing fields, and making wooden and basketry objects.
With the introduction of guns in the 20th century, the need for group hunting for bear has diminished, leading to a decline in Matagi culture.
Found knowledge
These muzzles would be fitted to cattle to prevent grazing when crossing fields with crops. The bentwood model is a particularly well made and pleasing object and probably less irritating for the cow or bull to wear than the rope one.
Explore book: The Hard Life by Jasper Morrison
Found knowledge
Japanese chopstick rests
Source: Takayuki Shimizu
Found knowledge
The photos are a fascinating account of the lives of indigenous ‘Marsh Arabs’, whose lives in the marshes of Iraq were devastated by large scale draining of their homeland by Saddam Hussein in the 1990s. After the fall of the regime the arid marshes were re-flooded when people broke through the embankments holding back the water. The return of the plants, animals and community to this unique landscape speaks of the resilience of people and environment to respond and be restored after ecological destruction and crisis.
First constructed in the marshes of what is now southern Iraq over 5,000 years ago, the ‘mudhif‘, the huge parabolic arched construction, is a unique local meeting place constructed entirely of reeds, straw and other natural materials.
Listen to this
The sape' is a traditional lute of the Orang Ulu. These indigenous ethnic are mainly the “Kayan” and “Kenyah” groups who settle near the rivers of Central Borneo. They are known for their traditional musical instrument, jatung utang (wooden xylophone), sape' (a type of guitar), sape' bio (single stringed bass), lutong (a four- to six-string bamboo tube zither) and keringut (nose flute).
Listen to Matthew Ngau Jau
Found knowledge
We study material folk-cultures not to know the future but to widen our horizons, to understand that our present situation is neither natural nor inevitable, and that we consequently have many more possibilities before us than we imagine.
The film was captured in Ethiopia by Gordon Clarke of the Institute of Nomadic Architecture.
Link
Found knowledge
Extremely fascinating functional artifact:
Insect cage made in cycad leaf
via aguni archive
Found knowledge
“The world of our experience is, indeed, continually and endlessly coming into being around us as we weave. If it has a surface, it is like the surface of the basket: it has no ‘inside’ or ‘outside’. Mind is not above, nor nature below; rather, if we ask where mind is, it is in the weave of the surface itself. And it is within this weave that our projects of making, whatever they may be, are formulated and come to fruition. Only if we are capable of weaving, only then can we make.” — Tim Ingold
Listen to the sounds:
The Growth of Artifacts by Yannick Dauby
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The blog post section claims no possession for the materials use, nor for the purpose of commercial use. Some of the contents are either depicted with the knowledge of the owner, or without, due to the unaccessible origin of the information. If you are the owner of the content, and forbid sharing, please do not hesitate to contact me. In any case, your content will always be credited, direct or indirectly.
LATEST NEWS
Happy to share that my work will be part of Vienna Design Week with an installation presenting a selection of works produced during this’s School of Phyto-centred Design organised by the Kunstgewerbemuseum Dresden. ROOM FOR CHANGE is an invitation to change perspective, question harmful agricultural practices, and look at plants as allies for militant and poetic design scenarios. Showcasing material experiments, fashion items, products, performances as well as videos and photos, the installation highlights the design and narrative potential of plants and reveals stories of interdependence, empowerment, resilience, but also exploitation, overconsumption, and colonization.
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Other featured works by: Archeomaterico, Deborah Tina, Sahrajajarmikhayat, Anojish Kariano, Jaqueline Lobodda, Chi.makes.jewelry, Sujia Wang, morgennacht (art direction by Emma Bruschi) Kareem Goshan, Katoy Design, Benedikt Trojer (art direction by Fernando Laposse) / Natalia Milla / Katharina Ursula Mludek, Katrin Schwarz, Julia Sulikowska.
Special thanks to Thomas Geisler for inviting us, and to Jasmin Schauer for the smooth coordination.
📍 Festival Headquarters in the Prater 2. Laufbergergasse 12, Vienna
22.09.2023, 11am-8pm
23.09.2023, 11am–10pm
24.09.–01.10.2023, 11am–8pm
Join us and meet the designers on 26.09.2023 at the Festival Headquarters
💬 “End of Design” conference (4–7pm)
🍹 “Room for Change” cocktail party (7–10pm)
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Image credit:
01 – Mah Meri girls get ready for dancing for tourists”, Carey Island, Bemboun Village, Carey Island, Malaysia, 1990, Jean Gaumy.*
02-03 – Leonie Hochstrasser
*This project is a non-commercial project. The pictures used are for educational and research purposes only.
#FollowThePlant #PlantFever #TheSchoolOfPhytocentredDesign #SchoolOfUtopias #designworkshops #designcampus2023 #DesignInstallation #DesignCurating
ALMANAC – DESIGNERS’ PERSPECTIVE ON THE RESOURCES OF THE CHARENTES REGION
Exhibition, Countercurrent research project
Fondation d'entreprise Martell, FR
June 30–Dec 31, 2023
The Almanac exhibition is the inaugural research project of Fondation d’entreprise Martell, which, since its inception five years ago, is now evolving into a research and experimentation platform for art and design, as well as a space for raising awareness and learning – with a focus on living things.
This experimental initiative, which takes the form of an exhibition, residencies, encounters, and a living archive laboratory, emerged from a reflection on how a foundation located in a context that is rural yet industrial, prosperous yet remote, can establish itself as an agent for local dynamism and activate new potential for collective transformation. It soon became clear that the first step, before taking any action, would require the compilation of an inventory of the region’s resources and issues.
A team of designers was assigned with an investigative mission involving a wide range of local contacts (institutions, businesses, professional networks, and residents of Charente and Charente-Maritime), to identify local resources – natural and industrial, tangible and intangible.
The team led by Olivier Peyricot with Lola Carrel, Valentin Patis, and Mathilde Pellé, established an investigative methodology before embarking on the collection and analysis work.
The subjective view resulting from their observations is presented on the second floor of the Foundation. It offers an immersion into the collected samples, enabling visitors to rediscover significant materials and neglected deposits, living techniques, and forgotten know-how.
This multi-faceted and contributory project explores the processes of production and interdependence in order to better position itself as a tool and catalyst for transition, enabling the development of unique creative practices that bring about change. The aim is to create new imaginaries and chart new ways for building a resilient and equitable future.
DESIGN FOR CHANGE – RETREAT
Workshop/teach + talk
Eindhoven, NL
July 13–14, 2023
New Order of Fashion (NOoF) invites (aspiring) fashion design professionals to join us for an invigorating week-long programme exploring the knowledge and skills we need for a better fashion future!
The ‘Design for Change’ retreat addresses the contemporary issues fashion faces: on climate, environment, production, consumption, and wellbeing for people. Through a combination of theory and hands-on exercises, we’ll examine the various paths that can be taken to a cleaner, smarter and more caring fashion future.
Together with a stellar line up of international speakers, experts and workshop hosts, we will collectively investigate the overarching goal of sustainable and circular fashion design. The program includes topics and methodologies such as systemic thinking, local regeneration, material understanding & value, crafts, remake and repair skills, and building resilient communities.
ROOTED CRAFT
Research and design residency
Loulé, PT
May 25–June 17, 2023
futurprimitiv is very proud to have received a grant from the European Union. Over the next 3 weeks, i will be participating on a research project, ‘Rooted Craft’ in Loulé, initiated by Origem Comum and supported by Loulé Criativo.
‘Rooted Craft’ is a research project that explores rural crafts with a new approach to weaving techniques that were once a thriving economic activity for agricultural and transportation of goods, as well as for domestic use. With the scarcity of natural resources and environmental awareness, there is a resurgence of artisanal production, recovering ancestral technologies.
The resulting products answer the demand for more ecological consumption choices. With that in mind, this project looks to form new hybrid understandings of weaving, through know-how exchange and transfer and weaving archetypes research to open new possibilities for new applications. In result of these rich archives, they will be integrated in the ‘Situated Practices’ exhibition.
50 TWINES EXPERIMENT
Workshop / Teaching
Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin, DE
May 9–10, 2023
50 Twines Experiment [50TwExp] is a 2-day workshop and an ongoing research project exploring endless possibilities of hand-constructions and applications with combinations of materials and techniques experimentation.
The earliest twines were made by twisting, untwisting and braiding lengths of plant fiber. Twine is most commonly used in textiles and basketry. The invention of twine is at least as important as the development of stone tools for early humans. Archaeologists have called the development of twine, which can be made stronger and longer than its component fibers, “the string revolution”. Twine has a long history, with 32,000 year-old (flax fiber) twine discovered within a western Asian cave. Today, twine is industrially produced and an overlooked craft.
Students were encouraged to work collectively and intuitively to create fifty pieces of twine experiments in two days. These twine experiments, made in a short period of time, and using different experimental construction methods, will also be functional as a surface or for new applications.
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This workshop is organized under the program of greenlab. Initiated in 2010, the interdisciplinary greenlab at weißensee kunsthochschule berlin links university projects with practice-oriented research and industry with the aim of inspiring and developing innovative concepts for sustainable and environmentally friendly products and services. In this research-oriented collaboration, sustainable design methods and strategies are to be applied to develop and implement new concepts and answers to ecological, social and cultural questions.
GreenDesign 12.0 — Verflechtungen
Supervision by Prof. Barbara Schmidt and Prof. Dr. Zane Berzina. Workshop concept and teaching by Evey Kwong.
[1] Victoria Fechtner, Undergraduate Textile and Surface Design
[2] Bar Esh and Melissa Kurt, Undergraduate Textile and Surface Design
[3] Inyeong Song, Undergraduate Textile and Surface Design
[4] Katharina Sauter, Undergraduate Product Design
BASKETCLUB – A CELEBRATION OF FUTURE CRAFTS
Exhibition, 🌞 Salone del Mobile 🍭 🚲🔌🕯️ 🎭 ❄️🙋♂️
Alcova – Viale Molise 62, Milan
Apr 17–23, 2023
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We invite you to a celebration of 3 years of Basketclub during Salone del Mobile with a showcase of our highlights and the launch of a new book!
Basketclub was founded by Adrianus Kundert and Jamie Wolfond in 2020 as an Instagram-based initiative. The collective comprises crafty designers and artisans who respond to a monthly brief containing nothing but an emoji by weaving a “basket”. The finished baskets are photographed and shared online, showcasing a range of technical, aesthetic, conceptual, playful, political, and historical approaches from designers worldwide.
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SALONE DEL MOBILE ’23
To celebrate the creative outcomes generated by Basketclub over the past three years, we present to you the highlights of our initiative in 80 baskets from 8 countries. These baskets demonstrate the beauty of experimentation and craftsmanship in today's creative professions.
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This exhibition is funded by Stimuleringsfonds and much supported by our basketclub members.
BASKETCLUB BOOK
Press and editorial
In conjunction with this occasion, we are launching a Basketclub book which catalogues over 300 baskets for Basketclub and includes 3 essays about contemporary basketry. The book embodies Basketclub's unique strength in bridging digital and analogue visual cultures and can be purchased on site as a physical object.
The book, designed by Koos Breen, and edited by Adrianus Kundert has 312 full color pages with images of all the basketry projects and includes essays by Ed van Hinte, Adrian Madlener and Lois Walpole.
IBAN BASKETRY
Material culture research
Kapuas Hulu, West Borneo
Mar 20–Apr 1, 2023
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There is so much to digest after departing from the recent Iban village I was at for a short 2-week trip. Often case, how one relates to the other is a lot to do with own’s past, upbringing and worldviews. One of the most significant things I’ve learnt from this research is how weaving has crossed my understanding on people, place and nature. It can be a manifestation of personal (and communal) journey with mythical meaning which opens another spectrum of how weaving could be understood.
I hope to be able to write more on these from my daily oral conversations with the local weavers, and with the support from researcher Hardiyanti.
#materialculture #basketry #wovencommunities #ibanculture #dayak #traditionalcustom #oralculture
Wickerwork Research
Material: Willow and hazel
“Baskets such as the quarter crans represented time and money to the carrier. The crans were baskets used to weigh and carry herring. Their measure has its origin in Scotland. The very word crann in Gaelic can mean a ‘measure for fresh herring’. Their size was regulated and standardized by government decree as a legal measure. From all points of view, it was very important that they were of a consistent size, or fishermen might be paid too little, or too much for their catch.”
The willows in between are bounded by waling and fitching. The weaving process is significant in the way the base and the border are all one bit of the willow. Short lengths of willow were used in the base so that, after it has been woven, the new lengths would be added and become the uprights and then form the top border of the basket.
To be precisely made, they had to be made by trained basket-makers. This cran shown in pictures is made by me based on the measurement from the great English basket-maker Colin Manthorpe with guidance from German basket-maker Rainer Groth. Rainer was fortunate to have met, acquainted and have acquired a cran from Colin before his passing.
#traditionalbasket #materialculture
Far right pictures and historical depiction © Woven Communities
Writing and research
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Essay “In the beginning was the loop. The anthropology of basketry in Borneo.”
by Evey Kwong
The volume looks at human history through its details, and invites us to see design and architecture in new ways. Comprehensive and interdisciplinary, U-JOINTS is a collective project that brings together the voices and viewpoints of more than 120 authors. Together they “tell” design and architecture in the form of stories, essays, interviews, statements, visits to factories, reportage, facts and figures and, not least, a vast taxonomy of joints. Photo portfolios examine how joints are produced, illustrate their diverse uses, or simply show the inherent yet often overlooked beauty of connections in the man-made world.
Editors: Andrea Caputo, Anniina Koivu
Editorial team: Margherita Banchi, Marta Pezzoli
Senior researcher: Eleonora Castellarin
Design: Graphic Thought Facility
Printed and bound by: Musumeci Spa
Publisher: SYNC-SYNC Editions
Printed in Italy © U-Joints, Milan 2022
ISBN 979-12-210-0342-0
Wickerwork Research
Material: Willow and hemp
“The Egmond carrier basket is typically made of brown and white willow, woven in a block pattern. It is a traditional basket used in the Egmond area until after the Second World War. The fishermen in Egmond called such a basket ‘Dreegmand’ (carrier basket) and they used it for all kinds of transport, including for beachcombing. In the past, the basket was also used to transport fish and shrimp.
‘Dreegmanden’ were made in three sizes, made by Alkmaar basket makers. The small sizes were used by the women and children to pick blackberries in the dunes. The farmers in Egmond within the dune area also used the carrier basket, under the name ‘kriel’. Remarkably, in Scotland the name ‘creel’ is known, but for a completely different type of basket.” ~ “van Wild naar Mand” by Piet-Hein Spieringhs
My version of the basket is improvised with a common oval base and curved body form. The original form is slightly conical with a Dutch-style base attached with a foot.
Scale: 40 (w) x 32 (l) x 41cm (h)
#traditionalbasket #ruralcraft
Wickerwork Research
Material: Willow
I enjoy making country baskets rather than professionally made baskets for the reason of its puristic beauty and the humble tradition. There are many groundwork in country baskets to learn only with techniques themselves applied to their functionalities.
The form is inspired by Joe Hogan’s own turf basket from his traditional baskets archive.
Why is this a traditional basket since many willow techniques were widely used by basketmakers?
Because of the use of thick uprights, the base often warped, necessitating the use of a foot (a protective border underneath the basket that kept the base from touching the ground). A foot adds enormously to the length of time a basket will last and this technique was kept alive in Ireland by traditional rather than professional basketmakers.
Scale: 51 (w) x 55cm (h)
#traditionalbasketry #materialculture
BASKETCLUB / BRIEF 🙋♂️
Commission for Basketclub x HAY
Material: Felt balls, Linden splint and spruce wood plate
RICE SEED BASKET
Found object: Rice seed basket made of rattan, poran bamboo potentially dyed with plant sap, wood stripe (unknown)
Findspot: Chiang Dao
Acquired: Jeanny Bouwen
Exhibition
Museum Europäischer Kulturen
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
24.05.22–26.05.24
Read more ⭢
For the past years, I have been working and learning from/with basket weavers. My works contribute to the section of ‘People’, featuring my woven connections to the European and Bornean artisans, enablers and craft revivalists. My work is an important step for me, on a personal level, in connecting to the People, the Place and Self. Among my collaborators whose works will be featured are from Serfenta, Margrit Linder and Carlos Fontales Ortíz.
Curators: Sofia Botvinnik and Judith Schühle
#exhibition
The whisk brooms from my crafts research has found its new home in the Berlin State Museum collection. In conjunction to the upcoming exhibition All Hands On: Basketry, the brooms will be showcased along with the impressions of my past learning experiences with Carlos Fontales (ES), Serfenta (PL), Margrit Linder (CH) and in Borneo.
From left to right: Brooms techniques found from Habkern, Uri and Murcia. Made by Evey Kwong.
© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum Europäischer Kulturen, Christian Krug
Exhibition
During the pandemic, i contributed an essay on cycloid interlacing / looping for a book, U-JOINTS – Taxonomy of Connections. Finally, after years of uncertainties, the book will be launched this Summer.
Synopsis: The book is an encyclopedic publication that looks at human history through its details, and invites readers to see their built environment in whole new ways. Weighing in at more than 900 pages, this is the most far-reaching book ever published on the topic of joints. Comprehensive and interdisciplinary, the book features technical information about joinery as well as stories and commentaries.
The heart of the book is a vast taxonomy of more than 1300 joints, organized into six main chapters: Basic fasteners, Mechanical joints, Knits and Knots, Wood joints, Adhesives, and Fused joints.
The book was compiled by a team of more than 50 authors, photographers, illustrators, researchers, experts, scholars, scientists and story tellers, enthusiasts, users, designers, architects, artists, writers and critics and makers. Together we hope to bring the many fascinating facets of joints to life.
#taxonomy #weavingtechnique
Above exhibiting object: How to wrap five eggs. Material: Bell wires.
Simultaneous to the book launch, U-JOINTS has invited members of Basketclub to be part of Fiskars Village Art & Design Biennale this summer, May 22 – Sept 4 2022. 🌳
Exhibition
Kicking off 2022 with my second international group show, Slanted/Enchanted, an exhibition that celebrates improvised production methods.
While preparing for this exhibition, I learned about the value of my medium of practice and the importance of continuous creative experimentation. To me, it is a challenge to unlearn, (re)invent and transform what I’ve learned the last years from my teachers.
Here is to a lifetime journey of learning and explorations!
This event takes place in conjunction to the Design Week Toronto.
#reinterpreting #traditionalobjects
Organisation thanks to Jamie Wolfond and Rebecca Collins, 📸 Sean Davidson and graphic design by Soleil Singh.
Play
A series of improvised torches using available and found plant materials. Going back before the invention of candles, the earliest form of artificial lighting used to illuminate an area were campfires or torches. Although it is convenient for us to acquire candles today, we often forget we are surrounded by materials which could be improvised to light up fire.
1. Torch made of damar gum wrapped in palm leaves
2. Torch made of resin, bamboo leaves tied with raffia
3. Torch composed of Zacaton roots soaked in fat or wax
#materiality #lettherebelight #functionalobjects #resiliency #plantfibre #materialculture
Exhibition
An initiative of Crafts Council Nederland in collaboration with Adrianus Kundert, designer and co-founder of Basketclub.
HOW&WOW BASK IT! – or ‘treasure it’ – will transport you into the world of basketry and reveal the numerous aspects of three dimensional weaving: the specific characteristics, creative techniques, new implementations, cultural exchange and nature conservation. Basket weaving is a 3D-construction technique allowing the maker to create a three dimensional shape using their own hands and just a few tools. The craft, and also its importance, have undergone changes through time. Few people realise that all woven baskets, furniture and accessories are still made by hand, including those sold by the well-known retail chains. Lack of appreciation for this time consuming technique has resulted in it now rarely being practiced in the western world. It is particularly important to focus on the unique characteristics of hand made products in the current era of globalisation, digitalisation and robotics. Craftsmanship is satisfying work, makers are in control of what they produce and are able to express their individuality. It is no surprise that the online community Basketclub arose during the pandemic.
Participants: Adrianus Kundert, Amandine David, Anaïs Godefroy, Bertjan Pot, Carole Baijings, Chris Kabel, Christopher Specce, Clara von Zweigbergk, dach&zephir, Earnest Studio, Emma Cogné, Esmé Hofman, Esther van Schuylenbergh, Evey Kwong, Fango, Garth Roberts, GREATMINOR, Hella Jongerius, Hsiao Fong, Ief Spincemaille, Ineke van der Sommen, Jamie Wolfond, Joris van Tubergen, Léa Mazy, Lenny Stöpp, Lois Walpole, LouCruard, Mae Engelgeer & Ames, Mandenmakerij de Mythe, Michael Schoner, Nathalie Miebach, Nationaal Vlechtmuseum Noordwolde, Rebecca Collins, Rein Reitsma, Renaud Defrancesco & Anne Bertoncini, Rik van Veen, Rob van Hernen, Samy Rio, SCMP DESIGN OFFICE, Sebastian Herkner, Shigeki Fujishiro, Simone Post, Studio Satël, Tamara Orjola, Thomas van der Sman and Yuki Hidano.
Team Crafts Council Nederland: Marion Poortvliet, Willemien Ippel & Guusje Heesakkers
Curator: Adrianus Kundert
Graphic design: Daniël Maarlevel
Photo credit: Fan Liao
HOW&WOW BASK IT! is financially made possible by Creative Industries Fund NL, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds and Dedon.
Play
Material: Bell wires
How to wrap 5 eggs (haywirely), quoting the renowned Hideyuki Oka’s traditional Japanese packaging book.
Occasionally, I like doing things that are against my will, for example the Macramé knots. I often like playing with the limits of plasticity / elasticity of a material against a technique, in this case Macramé is usually implemented on soft materials.
As a result, my woven ode to Japanese packaging.
#newmaterials #newfunction
Play
Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes, as well as in the performing arts and for entertainment. A replicated mask becomes mere decorative effort and somewhat feels senseless unless it serves a culturally represented purpose. While making this mask, i began contemplating possibilities of introducing new forms which have not been represented by a particular culture. Can a new form and function (in this case a performative hand fan) be invented while keeping the use of natural materials?
View more works here.
#newfunction #performative #handfan
Play
Inspired by the Japanese kagome weaving which bamboo is typically used for plaits construction, new material such as bronze wires are used to bind and sew the the rim and plaits together. The stripes are split with an improvised lo-tech device constructed with repurposed plywoods.
Works from all participants can be seen here.
#newmaterial #hexagonalplaiting
Play
A reinterpretation of Bornean burden basket (Bekang) using cycloid open weave( Kerawang).
Traditionally, the basket is made using rattan. Cycloid is a technique I’ve been documenting and analyzing since my research trip in Borneo in 2020.
While contemplating the reinterpretation, I question the feasibility of the original material (rattan), fitting to the functional roots. I felt it was not appropriate to reconstruct any artifact without prior deeper consideration on the material culture origin and its use.
The basket is made out of curiosity with how far the technique could be expanded with its boundaries with the use of new materials and at the same time new technical parameters.
#newmaterials #materialculture #cycloidinterlacing #looping #borneo
Crafts Research
Image credit to British Museum: Bekang Dechur by Kelabit ethnic group
Play
Further play with square, pentagon and hexagonal construction of knots with Maori windmill knots. All materials thanks to Forces in Translation.
Forces in Translation works in the intersection of basketry, mathematics and anthropology. It is a Royal Society/Apex funded project, based in the UK.
While looking at these unique rice containers, i’ve figured that human evolution has hinted teaching is not essential for people to learn to make effective tools. The results counter established views about how human tools and technologies come to improve from generation to generation and point to an explanation for the extraordinary success of humans as a species. Although teaching is useful, it is not essential for cultural progress because people can use reasoning and reverse engineering of existing items to work out how to make tools.
The capacity to improve the efficacy of tools and technologies from generation to generation, known as cumulative culture, is unique to humans and has driven our ecological success. It has enabled us to inhabit the toughest and most remote regions on Earth and even have a permanent base in space. The way in which our cumulative culture has boomed compared to other species however remains a mystery.
While a knowledgeable teacher clearly brings important advantages, allowing students to independently create and design is more the crucial.
1 - Doll made of palm leaf, origin: Maluku, Indonesia
2 - Bottle made of rattan, origin: Madang, Papua New Guinea
3 - Pouch made of reed, origin: Palugama, Sri Lanka
4 - Bird-shaped pouch made of rush by Kenyah, origin: Sarawak
5 - Bottle made of palm leaf by Kenyah, origin: Sarawak
6 - Pouch made of palm leaf, origin: Rambah, Sumatra
Images extracted from British Museum
Play
Having so much fun making this! A further exploration with paper loops. This technique is inspired by Alison Martin's works.
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#knots #coiling #fibonacci #geometry
Play
My first entry as a contribution to the club. Basketclub is an incredible group of designers and artists who use basket weaving techniques to experiment with materials and contexts.
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Second image from the left, top: The Trustees of the British Museum. Snow goggles made by the Inuit / 1613699853, bottom: L.T. Burwash / Library and Archives Canada / PA-099362
Research
The origin of this technique derives from the Bornean ‘Bekang Kerawang’, a burden basket typically used for carrying agricultural harvest and game. As a presumption, this technique is introduced based on the needs to construct a rigid (non-organic in form) quadrilateral plane, suited to use them as frames to construct a cuboid container.
Currently, a guest researcher at Forces in Translation: Basketry, Math, Anthropology
Quad node weaving, compressable. Technique from Alison Martin.
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#lattice #knot #geometry
Found knowledge
“Angkat Rumah” (lifting houses) was a form of physical relocation that was a common tradition practiced in kampungs as houses predominately consisted of wood. The structure of the house which is built with pillars makes it easy to be carried around. Depending on the size of the house, bamboo sticks are tied to the beam of the house to help lift it.
In the Malay and Filipino language there’s even its own term, ‘gotong royong’ and ‘bayanihan’, meaning the “community spirit”.
This tradition also fostered a sense of community, and originated when villagers wanted to move closer to their friends and family. Due to the increase of brick houses, it became easier to demolish than relocate. Therefore, this tradition has declined in popularity and is rarely practiced today.
Found knowledge
The Spreewalders are sometimes superstitious and also practical. So it shows here with the wooden whisk. When the Christmas tree stands in the room for a long time, the wood of the trunk hardens and dries. Whorls were now carved from the ends of the sacred tree by shortening the branches and sawing off the whisk stick to the desired length. A new kitchen mixer is ready. Traditionally, these whorls were made to over 1 meter long. Source CC-BY-NC-SA @ Museum des Landkreises Oberspreewald-Lausitz
Found knowledge
These are Marshall Islands stick charts and they were made using the midrib of coconut fronds. The Marshall Islands are located in the Pacific Ocean within a region of islands known as Micronesia. Historically, the Malayo-Polynesian seafaring population from this part of the world used the stick chart as a kind of navigational device. But what the map visualises are not contours of land surface. Instead, the curving intersecting lines, supported by a skeletal framework, represent major ocean swells as well as how the location of islands, represented here with seashells, would change those wave patterns. Unlike how we rely on our Google map or Waze while driving on the road today, the charts were not used or consulted during a voyage. Instead, the information was memorised before embarking on a journey by an expert sailor who was trained to sense how the outrigger canoe would roll over the swell. Kinda like how Google map was used, well, before the advent of smartphones.
Found knowledge
Crafts Research
Weaving origin: Portugal
Material: Esparto
Length of cord: 6m
Found knowledge
Link
Pictures credit to Penn Museum
Found knowledge
Animals can be hypnotised in direct relation to their ability to concentrate their attention. While there seem to be no obvious reason for doing this, other than sheer entertainment value, the technique is in fact useful for farmers who need to slaughter a chicken, but do not have assistance at hand. It has also been said that the birds being relaxed beforehand, make more tender, tasty meat.
Found knowledge
With special knotted cords, data were stored until the 20th century on the Japanese Ryukyu Islands. With rice straw, nodes were arranged according to a certain system and represent quantities in the decimal system. This made it easy to record information without knowing the characters.
A similar method is also known by the Inca Empire. There, the cords (Quipu) were used for records in the administration, with which religious, chronological and statistical data were stored. For bookkeeping, especially the understanding of the individual calculation steps and to make sense for the intermediate results.
Artefact from Okinawa, 1930
Suquamish basket maker, Ed Carriere explaining and performing the lost art of clam basket making.
A non-traditional woven sculpture teaching method by Artist Nathalie Miebach based on weather data collection.
Found knowledge
“One layer of salt, one layer of fish.
All fish overlap and intertwine with each other.
According to tradition, fish heads are placed counterclockwise.
This is to show respect to customers.”
Found knowledge
The Matagi tribes are traditional winter hunters of the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. Because of the geographical conditions, the tribes had to hunt for survival. Their lifes are sustained through hunting, firing fields, and making wooden and basketry objects.
With the introduction of guns in the 20th century, the need for group hunting for bear has diminished, leading to a decline in Matagi culture.
Found knowledge
These muzzles would be fitted to cattle to prevent grazing when crossing fields with crops. The bentwood model is a particularly well made and pleasing object and probably less irritating for the cow or bull to wear than the rope one.
Explore book: The Hard Life by Jasper Morrison
Found knowledge
Japanese chopstick rests
Source: Takayuki Shimizu
Found knowledge
The photos are a fascinating account of the lives of indigenous ‘Marsh Arabs’, whose lives in the marshes of Iraq were devastated by large scale draining of their homeland by Saddam Hussein in the 1990s. After the fall of the regime the arid marshes were re-flooded when people broke through the embankments holding back the water. The return of the plants, animals and community to this unique landscape speaks of the resilience of people and environment to respond and be restored after ecological destruction and crisis.
First constructed in the marshes of what is now southern Iraq over 5,000 years ago, the ‘mudhif‘, the huge parabolic arched construction, is a unique local meeting place constructed entirely of reeds, straw and other natural materials.
Listen to this
The sape' is a traditional lute of the Orang Ulu. These indigenous ethnic are mainly the “Kayan” and “Kenyah” groups who settle near the rivers of Central Borneo. They are known for their traditional musical instrument, jatung utang (wooden xylophone), sape' (a type of guitar), sape' bio (single stringed bass), lutong (a four- to six-string bamboo tube zither) and keringut (nose flute).
Listen to Matthew Ngau Jau
Found knowledge
We study material folk-cultures not to know the future but to widen our horizons, to understand that our present situation is neither natural nor inevitable, and that we consequently have many more possibilities before us than we imagine.
The film was captured in Ethiopia by Gordon Clarke of the Institute of Nomadic Architecture.
Link
Found knowledge
Extremely fascinating functional artifact:
Insect cage made in cycad leaf
via aguni archive
Found knowledge
“The world of our experience is, indeed, continually and endlessly coming into being around us as we weave. If it has a surface, it is like the surface of the basket: it has no ‘inside’ or ‘outside’. Mind is not above, nor nature below; rather, if we ask where mind is, it is in the weave of the surface itself. And it is within this weave that our projects of making, whatever they may be, are formulated and come to fruition. Only if we are capable of weaving, only then can we make.” — Tim Ingold
Listen to the sounds:
The Growth of Artifacts by Yannick Dauby
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The blog post section claims no possession for the materials use, nor for the purpose of commercial use. Some of the contents are either depicted with the knowledge of the owner, or without, due to the unaccessible origin of the information. If you are the owner of the content, and forbid sharing, please do not hesitate to contact me. In any case, your content will always be credited, direct or indirectly.