gathering: from domestic craft to contemporary processes

gathering: from domestic craft to contemporary processes
‘chair wear’ by studio bernotat
photo by marlee sleeuwits

gathering: from domestic craft to contemporary processes
design museum holon, israel
on now until october 25th, 2014 

‘gathering’ investigates the work of contemporary designers, who while recalling traditional domestic crafts – baking, draping, felting, folding, layering, needlework, pleating, quilting, ribboning, smocking, wrapping – in the development of their various projects, apply new technologies and techniques to reinvent and completely transform their actions.

curated by li edelkoort and philip fimmano, the exhibition responds to the commercialization of products, in combination with the virtualization of society, by bringing forth experimental and feasible work that speaks to the humanization of the making process, and the contextualization of a more responsible lifestyle.

‘the coiling collection’ by raw-edges design
image courtesy of galila’s collection
see more about this project on designboom here

on show at the design museum holon, ‘gathering’ celebrates production and manufacturing possibilities, and how crafts of the past can inform and reinvigorate today’s creative processes, lending body and beauty to furniture; or perhaps giving form and volume to lighting structures.

‘zieharsofika’ by meike harde
see more about this project on designboom here

‘we are an unstitched society suffering from a lasting socio-economic crisis that has made us ferociously protective and egocentric. it is time for mending and gathering, thus restoring the fabric of society: picking up the pieces and bringing them together in a patchwork of possibilities; a quilt of substance, able to absorb shock and fear.

here, we see traditional crafts are mirrored by the layering and weaving of different entities and characters into a single product; the entwining of one material with another gives colour to the human condition. flexible three-dimensional patterns develop enlightenment, adding dimension to the future. the pleating and folding of matter into sharper form brings innovative architecture to life and helps design plan for society.

whether it refers to gathering friends or gathering a garment, the correlation between material transformation and social congregation is fascinating. indeed, it may well be that gathering will shape our culture for the decades to come – creating flexible forms through restraining processes.’ – li edelkoort on the show’s context

‘poli’ by producks (gil sheffi and yoav avinoam)
photo by shachar fleischmann
see more about this project on designboom here

‘yellow warbler’ (COD – craft oriented design) by rami tareef
photo by oded antman
see more about this project on designboom here

‘cabbage’ chair by nendo
photo by itay benit

‘fracture bench’ by itay ohaly

‘primo blanco’ by ayala serfaty
photo by albi serfaty

‘miss maple lamp’ by elisa strozyk
see elisa strozyk’s simlarly designed ‘wood carpet’ on designboom here

‘132 5. ISSEY MIYAKE’ is highlighted in the li edelkoort-curated design museum holon exhibition
photo by hiroshi iwasaki

a highlight of ‘gathering: from domestic craft to contemporary process’ is the world’s first survey of the ground-breaking ‘132 5. ISSEY MIYAKE‘ collection by the japanese fashion designer and his reality lab. displayed in the lower gallery of the museum, the showcase of the creative’s textile development shows how the series evolves from the concept of ‘a piece of cloth’, into sculptural garments.

the garments lie flat like a piece of fabric, but expand into sculptural, wearable works of art
photo by hiroshi iwasaki

‘132 5. ISSEY MIYAKE’ has been recognized for its application of pop-up methodologies and ecological awareness. together, miyake’s reality lab, computer scientist jun mitani, along with textile engineer manabut kikuchi and technical engineer sachiko yamamoto, developed the collection from mathematical algorithms, converting them into 3D models before translating them into multi-dimensional garments. expanding on the geometries and methods used to produce the wearable pieces, miyake created ‘IN-EI’, a set of lighting using the same folding and pleating systems as his clothing collection. produced by artemide, the lamps are made from recycled polyester products and fibers, also showcased in ‘gathering’. in its entirety the overview of ‘132 5. ISSEY MIYAKE’ provides visitors with a multi-media installation that is comprised of garments, animations and a documentary film.

a ‘132 5. ISSEY MIYAKE’ piece in its flattened state
photo by hiroshi iwasaki

galit gaon, chief curator of design museum holon, comments:
‘gathering reinstitutes the economic, environmental, and social responsibilities of artisans and designers. within this gesture, curators li edelkoort and philip fimmano expertly expand the current discourse about our future, examining the movement of contemporary design, its processing methods and the ways in which materials are used to create the new.’

slow structural evolution…
photo by hiroshi iwasaki

the structure of  ‘132 5. ISSEY MIYAKE’ collection is based on mathematical algorithms
photo by hiroshi iwasaki

photo by hiroshi iwasaki

a ‘132 5. ISSEY MIYAKE’ dress in its expansion
photo by hiroshi iwasaki

animation of the garments which make-up the 2013 ‘132 5. ISSEY MIYAKE’ collection
video courtesy of issey miyake

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GATHERING is made possible through the kind support of Chaim Katzman, in loving
memory of his late wife Dr. Shulamit Katzman. Dr. Shulamit Katzman joined the
Design Museum Holon Board of Trustees at its inception. Thanks to her unwavering
passion and generous support, the museum has quickly established itself as one of the
world’s most recognised museums of design and culture. Design Museum Holon is
grateful to Dr. Katzman’s family and will strive to carry on her legacy of dedication,
kindness, love, and generosity.
GATHERING is also supported by Japan Foundation and The Embassy of Japan in
Israel and by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Israel.