craft ecosphere: NTCRI's neo-taiwanese craftsmanship online exhibition

national taiwan craft research and development institute (NTCRI) has united craft with art, design, and technology to evolve the foremost into the contemporary and to meet global trends. with the COVID-19 pandemic halting many international exhibitions, NTCRI continues to showcase taiwanese craftsmanship at the maison & objet and more (MOM) platform — an online exhibition for contemporary craftsmanship. together with guest curator ben chiu, NTCRI curator linna lin highlights the fusion of materials and making, local creators and international collaborators in their neo-taiwanese craftsmanship / le néo-artisanat taïwanais exhibition.

the collection of craft designs presented online on the MOM platform
all images courtesy of national taiwan craft research and development institute

‘how to interpret the personal feelings of craft creators into a language that the public can understand is the most important goal of every exhibit,’ states ben chiu, guest curator of the NTCRI’s neo-taiwanese craftsmanship / le néo-artisanat taïwanais exhibition.

in the highly competition nature of the online exhibitions like MOM, the curator plays an effective role as interpreter between brand and public as well as the selection of objects on display. when searching for the exhibition name, ben chiu was inspired by the increasing overlap of craftsmanship and daily life. he was also moved by the ‘beyond the new’ manifesto published at salone del mobile 2015, as the industry sought for a more valuable ideal of design. in the end, linna lin and ben jointly developed the ‘semi-cooked’ concept, which faithfully conveys the experimental spirit and diverse aspects of contemporary taiwanese craftsmanship. the motto also lends itself to a metaphor for a solid foundation that is still full of possibilities. it reflects a stage of making when creativity flourishes the most.

the ‘craftsmanship bicycle project’, commissioned by AOI.CYCLE, made from metal and wood

the transdisciplinary aspect of the online exhibition enables NTCRI to showcase a combination of different industries as well as disciplines within design. it continues to explore the state of life, if you will. metal and wood crafting, ceramics, the circular economy, and even the cycling industry are explored as they seek to understand how craft manifests into our lives. they also reflect a cross-border, matchmaking environment through their projects, which had positive impacts throughout. for designers, collaborating with craft creators can increase opportunities to explore with with material. for craft creators, the collaboration can bring new associations as well as the interest in pushing the limits of their material and craft.

‘only by increasing the difficulty on the existing fundamentals [of crafting] can the quality of the craft be continuously improved,’ adds ben chiu.

‘freedom’, ‘grey’, and ‘swing like dream’ products

the infusion of different industries is highlighted in several key projects. to start, ‘swing like dream’ by kuo-hua chu sets an orchestra of fuchsia installations to react to visitors to play pleasant sounds. it combines walnut wood at the base, maple in the long stems, cypress as the flower spikes, and three other types of wood to form its interactive-ness. tzu-hsien yang fabricated the rattan-faced wooden bench ‘TYLC’. the furniture piece can transform into a translucent porch screen when turned upright. ‘flip chair’ by kuan-cheng chen of KUAN design studio distinguishes a curving wooden form, realized thanks to the use of a digital parametric application. the ‘grey’ bench by chan-wei hsu builds upon the designer’s minimal design approach to challenge the notion of single-function furniture. made from a white oak structure, movable shelves sit under the seat with five brass rails that hang plants from. last but not least, the ‘craftsmanship bicycle project’, commissioned by AOI.CYCLE, embraces the use of metal and wood in an elegant, functional model.

‘swing like dream’ screen made of walnut, maple, and hinoki

the exquisite craftsmanship of the NTCRI is clearly on show at the online MOM exhibition of neo-taiwanese craftsmanship / le néo-artisanat taïwanais, but it also highlights the potential future of their craft and even new possibilities. a collaboration between the campana brothers and chi-hsiang yeh – the ‘wave’ lounge chair – explores the technique of taiwanese bamboo craftsmanship. it represents the concept of ‘semi-cooked’. as the exhibition continues to promote multi-directional cooperation within different disciplines, the craft creators continue to push boundaries, innovate and link together with more players in the industry. the exhibition continues to strive to co-create a new craft ecosphere.

the ‘commotion in the back garden’ metal containers