Ben Hughes, Blueprint
There has been much debate in recent years concerning the emergence of an authentic language for contemporary Asian design. At Milan this year, the Yii exhibition of Taiwanese craft design stood out as having a strong sense of identity and relevance to Asian design's relationship with the rest of the world.
Housed in the Triennale, and curated by Gijs Bakker (co-founder of Dutch design pioneers Droog), the work of Yii has been developed through a group of 15 contemporary professional designers working with 20 traditional craftsmen, under the direction of the Taiwan Craft Research Institute.
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Among the beautifully made pieces were a carved driftwood and lacquer cabinet designed by Po-Ching Liao, a series of brick vessels from the Brick Plan collection by designer Rock Wang (shown above and below), bamboo stools designed by Yu-Jui Chou, and a re-imagining of a low-cost IKEA lamp as a heavenly, gilded temple roof by Jian-an Su.
At the birth of the Tiger economies, when the majority of production was for export, a distinct language wasn't considered important. Now that so much of the world's material culture is not only created but also consumed in the region it has become a concern for many designers and companies.
Two vases by Wang. The Brick Plan products by Rock Wang use standard red bricks, which are one of the symbols of Taiwanese culture. Starting with a solid block of red brick, Wang uses industrial tools to carve out the form of his products. The pieces are given a perfect, smooth finish and the difference between brick and cement is imperceptible to the touch.
Of course the unpicking of visual styles is made almost impossible by the difficulty of translating each relevant context, history, culture and the transference of influence that has taken place for hundreds of years. Indeed, so much of this is clouded by misinterpretation and ambiguity that it becomes very hard to achieve any clarity, let alone novelty. This is not helped by the fact that what we think of as Western design was so heavily influenced by Japanese craft well before the pioneer modernists picked up the themes of elemental form and truth to materials in Industrial Design.
Contemporary designers in Asia who have adopted professional models from the West tend to be in touch with markets and manufacturing processes, but are increasingly removed from the traditional skills of their region. An authentic contemporary voice needs to come from both. The scarcity of genuine design explorations that incorporate a sense of craft tradition is what made the Yii exhibition so compelling.
Cocoon plan sofa
Two cocoon-shaped forms made from woven bamboo are combined by Rock Wang to create a sofa. In another version, Wang let silk worms nest on the piece to create a natural, silky surface
Having visited the Institute recently, I had seen and been impressed by some of the work, but this exhibition really made an impact with the range of processes, the clarity of thinking and the exceptional detailing. It is not clear what Bakker's Creative Director role involved exactly, but we are told that he was so fascinated by the local culture that he wanted to give it a central position in the project, consciously avoiding participation of any Western designers. This is definitely one of the strengths of the project and has contributed to a coherent, contemporary image, despite the range of disciplines involved. What emerges is undoubtedly 'Taiwanese' in spirit. The brick pieces, for instance, relate to the period in the island's turbulent history when, for a short time in the 17th century, it was a Dutch colony. The settlers brought with them the technology for firing bricks, of which these bright red examples are so familiar on the island. Many of the works make reference to sacred and temple architecture, where so many of the remaining craft skills reside.
Bamboo Barstool
To create this piece, Yu-Jui Chou split three bamboo trunks at the top, weaving the resultant strips into a seat. It is part of a series that uses bamboo weaving to create precise forms
The output of Yii doesn't indicate that we will be seeing PCs made out of brick or ceramic mobile phones in the near future. I hope not, anyway. But an exhibition like this does help to put these traditional techniques in perspective, and may generate enthusiasm for their potential among a younger audience both in Taiwan and abroad. For those designers involved in the project, it has given them a direct, tangible link to the island's heritage, which could not be learned through reading, or even looking.
Ikea plus Tertial
Designer Pili Wu brings ornate Taiwanese detailing to standard domestic. The lampshade has a transparent porcelain cover, with a pattern portraying a mythical battle of tigers and dragons.
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Finally, a simple system of slats and screws was chosen for the assembly of the pavilion that allowed for a flexible and invisible connection. Additional bracings were placed in the upper part of the boxes to generate the required stiffness of the modules. The structural load transfer was realised by concrete-lined boxes at the three base points that served as foundation for the pavilion.
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