Treasures in textiles
MILL6 Foundation in Hong Kong presents “TECHSTYLE Series 2.0”, the second in a series that explores the significance of textiles in contemporary society.
The event features a two-day discussion forum on December 9 and 10 and the first retrospective exhibition of internationally acclaimed textile artist Junichi Arai from December 11 to February 28.
The 2017 discussion forum will be titled “Fabpublic – Talking about Textile, Community and Public Space”. Internationally renowned artists, designers, textile specialists, curators, scholars and cultural practitioners from a wide range of disciplines and expertise will gather in Hong Kong to discuss the role of the community within contemporary living, exploring the value and impact that textiles, and their related production, can bring to traditional “brick and mortar” neighbourhoods. Speakers will also engage in and learn about the challenges in energising and reactivating communities through art and textiles
Keynote speakers include Spanish designer Alvaro Catalan de Ocon, founder of PET Lamp, an upcycling anthropological project accentuating preservation of craft knowledge and tradition; and Dutch designer Petra Blaisse, founder of Inside Outside, who works at the intersection of architecture, interior design, textiles and urban landscaping, including collaborations with Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Piper Auditorium Harvard University and Shenzhen Stock Exchange.
The discussion forum will take place at Lu Guan Qiu Lecture Theatre inside the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. It will be conducted in English. Seats are limited and registration must be completed by November 28.
The second part is the first retrospective exhibition of the textile Japanese master Junichi Arai (1932 – 2017) in Hong Kong. Titled “Self-Organisation: Junichi Arai’s Textile Anthology”, this is dedicated to honouring and presenting Arai’s lifelong efforts and achievements. The venue is the Fashion Gallery at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Deploying traditional textile-making techniques into experimental production processes, Arai is known for creating pieces that combine contemporary Western technologies with Eastern methodologies. The quality of Arai’s avant-garde craftsmanship has been recognised and led to significant collaborations with Issey Miyake and Rei Kawakubo (Comme des Garçons) among others.
Find out more at www.Mill6.org.hk.
