Explore more ideas about how to preserve a culture, and how to re-project a momentary scene.
ICOM News on Museums and Intangible Heritage
15 October 2017
ICOM, Newsletter of the International Council of Museum
vol. 57
2004> no.4
Available as digital copy on ICOM website or from Goldsmiths library Q069.5MUS
O Young Lee, Former Minister of Culture, government of Korea, Honorary Professor, Ewha Womans University, Rep. of Korea
This specific issue talked about intangible culture and how human has only started to raise awareness about protecting it a decade ago. Lots of information has been lost and forgotten. Museum only holds physical objects and it was compared to the process of painting a piece of artwork and the final finished piece. Museums may have a hold of some of the completed masterpieces, but often the process of making them, the notion, was lost.
O Young Lee mentioned in his article about Kyopan, a japanese printing company which "replicated cultural assets in digital form but not through a 3D camera." (Page 6) and the result was realistic but still different from the real thing. Note this publication was printed 13 years ago, so technology must have evolved and advanced since then. I had a browse through the internet but have been unable to locate this company and what exactly it has produced in the past as mentioned by O Young Lee. I'm keen on looking further into this project and finding what are the existing technology available for intangible cultural preservation.
The closest result I found about Kyopan, but no evidence showing correlation between the two: http://www.kyopan3.com/contact/
Some quotes from Lee's writing:
“In Africa they say that when an old man dies, a museum disappears with him. The elders are living museums. However...we do not consider them to be cultural assets.
People are now so used to the exhibitions put on by museums that they are more interested in the objects contained in the display cabinets than in the minds of the people who created the objects.
The museum now functions as an oxygen mask for local cultures which are slowly suffocating to death. ”
Some facts from the article:
- 1970s UNESCO started to list historical monuments and sites around the world and preserve them
- 1990s UNESCO started to take an interest in intangible cultural assets, initial in the form of a recommendation
- 1993 at the 142nd Executive Board of UNESCO, the Living Human Treasures systems of Korea attracted attention and member countries were recommended to adopt a similar system
- 1998 at the 155th Executive Board of UNESCO, the first "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" were adopted.
- October 2002 in Shanghai, ICOMASPAC (Asia Pacific) discussed intangible heritage and globalisation. The "Shanghai Charter", a guideline for museums, extended ways of preserving intangible cultural assets.
Museums act as a vessel to preserve and exhibit. However, when tangible objects and cultural properties were added to the collection, they were taken out of its "historical contacts" and "original birthplace", which puts an end to their "further evolution". This diminished the possibility and opportunities for them to interact with living people.
Maybe there's a way to update the existing museum standards, what if visitors get to interact with ALL of the objects being exhibited behind the glass? What if each of them holds a story behind? Can museums become libraries but instead of books, visitors can borrow physical objects and interact with them in a Dimensional way? Learning from touching, smelling, responding instead of pure reading?
Cropped Hoodie from Recycled Materials
15th October 2017
Some ideas for making a cropped hoodie using recycled materials. Ideally it also has the water-proof quality. The fabric can be natural in colour and texture as my drawing will be printed on top. The material I have in mind, as least for the inner layer, takes inspiration from Crumpled City Maps, 100% waterproof, super light and soft, hard to tear and can be easily reshaped.
Crumpled City Map from Palomar Designed by Pizzolorusso
Image from: https://www.palomarweb.com/product/crumpled-city/
Material used for making the map: Dupont™ Tyvek®
Links to Dupont™ Tyvek® products:
DuPont™ Tyvek® Classic Xpert Hooded Coverall
http://www.cleanroomshop.com/clothing-gloves-accessories/disposable-clothing/dupont-tyvek-garments.html?gclid=CjwKEAjwjozPBRCqoubWiKPBkCgSJADrFM5g3ratzx2pv_-mmgRjri1xZsH1rwn4efKlTNSMoIpRJBoCOrXw_wcB
From website:
“The Tyvek® Xpert Coverall features exceptional design & comfort, protecting both the wearer and the process.
Extra liquid & particulate protection
Cleanroom hooded coverall
Suggested Type 5-6 coverall
Significantly less leakage than conventional stitched seams
Size: S - 3XL
Model CHF5”
Price: £6.7
----
*Printing on Tyek: http://www.dupont.com/products-and-services/packaging-materials-solutions/industrial-packaging/articles/printing-with-tyvek.html
Below are some UK suppliers for sustainable fabrics:
Blog Posts About Recycled Polyester:
https://theswatchbook.offsetwarehouse.com/2017/02/15/volcom-sustainable-swimwear-made-fishing-nets/
https://theswatchbook.offsetwarehouse.com/2015/01/29/what-is-recycled-polyester/
https://www.offsetwarehouse.com/resources/types-of-eco-fabric/recycled-polyester.html
And counter arguments about why NOT to use this material:
http://ohganix.com/recycled-polyester-clothing/
Context Report 2017-18 Brief
12 October 2017 JK
Visual Documentation as a framework.
It's a space for exploration.
How much relevance between the report and studio practice? What's its relationship to practice? How do you decide what to write?
- It touches your practice
- It acts as a reflection of Y1 and Y2
- Intuition. It writes about your subconsciousness.
- Current affairs. We live in an interesting era of time. The world is angry and distorted. Write about our weird observations.
Structure (See Handbook)
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Review of Context (eg. literature, media, art)
- Methodology (the techniques you have used and your rationale for using them)
- Substantive Chapter
- Substantive Chapter
- Substantive Chapter
- Conclusion (Summarizing your arguments) the material covered as well as the implications of your report to design as well as other relevant domains
- Appendix
7000 words +/- 10%
This is almost equivalent to a junior lecture. An just over an hour lecture about your project, about your personal practice and explorations.
Don't make it like a report! It's not a report!
Show your struggles, failures, how your mind works
-> write 250 words every day.
It's not a diary, not an opinion piece. It's an investigation.
Never accept anything that's 'true'
challenge it
a structured argument or exploration
a designed artefact
- The Designed Object: 2 physical copies, 1 digital copy
Deadline: Friday 19th January 2018
annotated visual material: use imagery
ensure the fluency between text & image being used.
This is the research bit that supports you until your degree show.
eg. previous year student wrote about women who spit. Her project is about alcoholic beverages from spit.
!!Check Plagiarism
!!Quote sources
Citation & Referencing
Resources:
- UoL Libraries: e.g. Senate House
- Scounol
- British Library
- Oxford & Cambridge (holds a copy of every published book with IBAN)
- Imperial (technology & media)
- Welcome Collection (body, human)
- Archives
Referencing
- https://www.zotero.org/
- always keep a note of the page
- double commas "for empirical or what people say"
- single commas to 'draw attention' or 'to problematise'
- use quotes for clarification
Re-writing sentences, shift the structure and create a flow of content.
- Extra Writing Practice Sessions
- Juliet Sprake 15th November 2017
- Matt Ward 6th December 2017
Options:
- Use camera, film as primary research
- use primary or secondary sources
- hand-bound
- graphic communication of ideas. really graphic stuff
- include objects as visual communication
- notion of layers. printing on different types of paper. interact with readers
- text is not a linear form!
TARGET LIST
1. IDENTIFY ONE PERSON
Vivian Song - A moving village during Beijing Design Week 2017
Wholis Design Fest
Have a conversation with Vivian about what she did at the design week, why she did it and how she did it.
"59 days experiment of literally building up a pop up village"
Photo published and belongs to Vivian Song, taken by 安林.
(For research purpose only, I do not own or have the right to distribute the contents. Not for public use.)
“A pop-up community is being tested and built by visitors. The whole program will serve as an academy of social design and innovation.”
Link: https://news.cgtn.com/news/7855544d78597a6333566d54/share_p.html?from=groupmessage&isappinstalled=0
2. IDENTIFY ONE PLACE, SPACE OR SITE
Intelligentsia Gallery by Cruz Garcia Frankowski
Live At Project
Image from Intelligentsia Gallery
“Live At is not a regular exhibition. It is a group project. In Live At to solely show is not the goal. The exhibition will take different forms in order to construct new conditions. Live At aims at exploring the relationship between art and social reality, art and space, art and the audience, art and the commonplace.
Guest curated by Xia Yanguo, the exhibition invites more than thirty international artists to create 24-hour shows. Live At is not a simple objectification of art. Live At aims at engaging with the public establishing new relationships between the artist and the audience. ”
Link: http://intelligentsiagallery.com/Live-At
The space is so tiny, tucked away in a hutong next to a stinky public toilet. But the experience was so real. A flow of works and new ideas being continuously carried out, being created, finished, critiqued, reflected and reviewed. Inclusively engaging viewers and makers to generate conversations between each other.
3. IDENTIFY ONE SUBSTANCE OR MATERIAL
Sand. Sand has the solid quality but at the same time contains fluidity within. It can be sculpted and re-sculpted into new things.
Mirage in dessert. Watch Geralds Game by Steven King.
Is it psychological or is it illusion?
4. IDENTIFY ONE OBJECT OR ARTEFACT
Jiao Zi. Tool for transportation before horses and cars. Modern day transportation has four wheels on each side of the vehicle replacing four labour forces.
5. IDENTIFY ONE PRIMARY INSPIRATIONAL TEXT
Lost Horizon (1937)
Image Source: http://dfordoom-movieramblings.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/lost-horizon-1937.html
Link to the idea of a momentary presentation or imagery, something that when you return it might or might not be there anymore.
- Intangible culture, how to preserve it, traditions, things that can't be obtained as an object in a museum collection.
- Illusion of photographs
- bermuda triangle
How True is Western Media's Portrayal of War and Violence
How much truth is spoken in those headlining stories and how many words have been used to amplify or dramatize a story? Can we peel through the facade and peak inside the room to see what's really going on in there? I guess any opinions can be subjective. History is subjective. Only the winners would survive to write the story.
Here's a video I saw on facebook filmed by a girl escaping from Syria. Comments are extremely controversial, some accused this to be fake. However, it corresponds to the images taken by Russian documentary photographer Sergey Ponomarev at the refugee camp, at the war zone, at the border of Greece, shown at Imperial War Museum as part of the Syria: A Conflict Explored exhibition.
Homs, Syria, 14 June 2014
© Sergey Ponomarev for the New York Times
Homeless children play in the ruins of Homs after Opposition forces left the area. During the siege, children were left to fend for themselves when their parents went missing or were caught on the wrong side of newly established checkpoints.
Damascus, Syria, 24 August 2013
© Sergey Ponomarev
A cyclist watches a fire caused by the explosion of a mortar shell during fighting between Government and Opposition forces near the Old City of Damascus.
It shook me. The messages I gathered through those visual presentations. It gave me a silent warning of how little I know about this situation. Those people are just like us, me you our family and our friends. But they are suffering because they were born in the wrong place.
Below are some images taken during my visit to the Imperial War Museum.
A man looking out from his window for a seemingly peaceful moment. The front line with open fire was only a block away.
A man returned to his home with his wife to collect their belongings and anything that hasn't been destroyed by the bomb.
In Homs, a new shopping mall was built just before the city fell into violence and conflict. The mall never had the chance to open its business.
Syria's third biggest city, Homs.
Decorating a Concept Room for Mother! Screening
Throw back to LFW SS18, I worked on a concept area for The Apartment as part of their Mother! film screening event. It was such an amazing and intense experience that when I look back on it I'm surprised that it actually happened.
Dying flowers, living moss, frog prince...
Step 1: Bunching Up
Clock was ticking, there was only 3 hours before people from Paramount Pictures arrive to view the space and we were still in the initial stage of preparation: bunching up flowers and leaves with duck tape and fish wires. This took exceptionally long because each bunch requires a minimum of 3 branches of green and tape needs to be hidden under the leaves.
Step 2: Hanging things from the Ceiling
Fish wire was applied to the pipes and tubes on the ceiling to create a platform for hanging bunches and the artwork. The poster itself was too heavy to be taped up so we had to drew holes on the sides and tie wires through.
Step 3: Applying Moss and Rocks
The venue was not risk there wooden floor so we were asked to put moss, pebbles and rocks on top of something else. Luckily we also ordered artificial grass as the base layer. The moss were so fresh that it stung our hands. Ants were crawling under the boxes and a frog jumped out. The room smelled of nature.
Step 4: The Final Touch
The final touch was ivy leaves. They are not real, but they are good enough to fill up the empty slots. We decided to turn off the lights in the reception room behind and tape up the windows with black fabrics. Unfortunately the smoke machine liquid did not arrive in time to make a debut. Would've been more mysterious and spooky I guess.
Oh, and Paramount Pictures gave us a chocolate heart as present!
Museums, Collecting Idas and Objects
Date Created: 21 August 2017
Design Museum
A collection of objects throughout the history which shows how civilization has progressed through tools and how it has reflected back on the tools being invented.
V&A
A traditional institution with an extensive collection of object from day to day items to weapons and helmets. Re-projecting life through the timeline of each cultural background.
The Louvre
Grand collection of objects with a luxurious backdrop. A landmark for Paris, France.
Natural History Museum
To be continued.
Tea House Project Research Plans
Setting areas of research in contribution towards a more comprehensive business plan.
- New and Old Payment Methods
- Location
- Competitors with similar setup
- Target Market
- Accessibility
- Food allergy and dietary requirement
- Selling Points
- Music and Atmosphere
- Opening Hours
- Running costs and employment
- Patterns for Interior Decorations
- Sourcing Tea and Tea-ware from China, UK and Abroad, Importation Tax
- Setting Price Range
Draft Elements
Table setup/ Seating Space
Hosting a Feast
A space being created in the morning that dies at the end of the day. A micro exhibition that doesn't limit the theme or medium and welcomes all creative minds.
South East Makers Club
Date Created: 23rd September 2017
As part of this year's London Design Festival's Deptford Edition, Aldworth James & Bond ran a free furniture making workshop in their new Deptford space.
Location
The space is located under a railway arch in Deptford with outdoor working area as well as different indoor sections: laser cutting, metal fabrication, CNC, Design and Finish. They also have a very friendly dog who walks around casually as we sand down our furniture piece, which makes me worry a bit about her respiratory system after breathing in all that dust without a dog mask.
Railway Arch tucked away in Deptford, not far from the Highstreet
AJ & B Team explaining the CNC Process
Stool Making Workshop
The workshop itself was very simple and straight forward. CNC cut out wooden chair with nail-free PVC aided assembly. Lots of sanding. Gears were very new and staff were friendly and patient. It's a perfect choice for beginner level makers but for anyone who has a little bit more knowledge in wood workshops might found it a bit basic. At least we came home with some free new stools.
Naomi making her Stool
Finish
The furniture piece were taken home for completing the finish. I've had a few ideas on how to do this.
- Patterns: Patterned chair top with orange paint covering the rest
- Plain background with Black Outlines: Inspired by Chinese based Dutch designer Henny van Nistelrooy's Mazha chair
- Tiles: Black and white/coloured tile patterns
Morrocan Tile Patterns
Photo by Zzvet/iStock / Getty Images
Metro Tiles
Photo by matdesign24/iStock / Getty Images
Mazha
Mazha (马扎), a classic chinese stool, is a specific folding stool that has been central to the Beijing's inner city impromptu social gatherings through generations. Now we have taken this element as base to create an ongoing joyful exploration of patterns and colours combining the traditional furniture with contemporary design.
Materials:
Ash wood & various textiles
Dimensions:
H36 x D26 x W32 cm
Image from www.studiohvn.com/
ReUse Space
Build. Knock down. Rebuild.
Sitting on the ashes of what was once there.
Tea House Project Initiation
Date Created: 10 September 2017
An idea came along with preserving culture. A Chinese Tea House.
It flashed through my mind when I was sipping my oolong in a beautifully presented tea house in Shanghai, China. The waitress came into the private glass room in the centre of a fish pond, dressed up in traditional costume and performed tea ceremony in front of me. And my thought was, it will be nice if I can find somewhere like this in London.
After some VPNing and Googling, my browser told me the only two equivalents are neither authentic nor affordable. So I thought, maybe I can create one myself. A pop-up to show Londoners how it's done in China, the proper way.
China's Factory Shutdowns
News are out about China shutting down thousands of factories as part of their new environment protection policies. Let's have a look on what this means.
Pros and Cons
Who's benefiting from this?
Reduced air pollution and raised awareness for environmental protection. Chinese citizens are definitely benefiting from this new policy with factories pausing its production lines, less
Who are the victims?
Is your trade deal safe? It may be obvious that those factory owners who are in the middle of completing their latest deals will have to find a way to finish their business before going broke. But China leaves no time for them to do that finishing touch. There's absolutely zero tolerance to all-night-ups when they say no one works whilst a factory is under inspection. No information was given until a family friend told us he received a government warning letter after trying to catch up on the progress of their latest, and potentially the last deal. The letter stated if they return to work during this period of time again, the owner will be arrested. And by saying "this period of time", it most likely meant forever. This abrupt notice not only gave my family friend an almost-heart attack, but also left their clients in the west waiting and worrying, what more can they do?
Photo taken during factory visit in Shanghai
So what's behind the factory shutdowns? If it's really an environmental concern then why only shutting down privately run business but not state owned factories? Here are some brave guesses of what might be the reasons behind:
- China wants to rebrand itself and change its image of world's factory to a more technology advantaged, service based country
- China is strategically responding to and preparing for the potential US trade war
- The country no longer needs production and manufactory abilities for survival
- Factory based economy is on the down run, China wishes to protect state-run business by shutting down private factories and eliminate competitors
We don't know what's really happening there, let's hope for the best for those factory owners who has deals on hand and waked up into a nightmare.
Related topic: Foreign business exiting China and moving their factories to South Asian countries such as Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia.
Photo taken during factory visit in Shanghai
Hyperlink:
China “EPA” crackdown shuts down tens of thousands of factories… with no end in sight
Asicentral: Factory Production Disrupted Throughout China; North American Suppliers Affected
NYTimes: Nearly 14,000 Companies in China Violate Pollution Rules
Jacob Yount: China Factory Closures for Pollution Review
http://jacobyount.com/china-factory-closures-pollution-review/
Foreign Affairs: China's Factory Shutdowns
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/gallerys/2017-05-10/chinas-factory-shutdowns
China in Western Eyes, Culture Under Filtered Glasses I: Food
Date Created: 31 September 2017
From clothing to furniture, our daily and household items may consist of 99% Chinese blood, but how much do you really know about China beyond that? Can we see the Chinese culture through our thoughtfully manufactured and assembled Apple or faux fur coat or bedside table?
Western ideas of Chinese culture are perfected and often blurred into other south eastern asian culture due to lack of understanding and distance.
In London, it is possible to dine in high profile and enjoy an authentic Chinese cuisine in $$$ restaurants on OpenTable. However, we see takeaway places often serve Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese all at once. It is even less known that different geographical locations in China caused a hugely varied style in the food we eat.
Fortune cookies are hard to buy in China, Kong Pao Chicken and Sweet and Sour aren't the go-to's on a meal out. Salt and Pepper is only known to be street food. What else do we not know about the real China?
"Made in China"
Fortune Cookies Photo by LeventKonuk/iStock / Getty Images
Shift in Economy and Foreign Investors Exiting Chinese Market
Date Created: 31 September 2017
Foreign business exiting China and moving their factories to South Asian countries such as Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia.
Back in the 70s, China was very welcoming to foreign companies offering them all sorts of tax discounts and corporate benefits. The government saw it as an opportunity and easy path to develop the country without having to invest hugely into the business themselves. Panasonic was the first foreign company that established their factory in China, in 1979. But after 37 years of production they decided to stop all their TV production lines and leave the country. Similar situations apply to Sony, BestBuy, Marks & Spender, L'Oreal, Revlon and more. Nike and Adidas became the latest additions. What's the reason behind those corporates to give up China? Increase in cost is one of the concerns, less urge from the country to rely on foreign business to support its already mature economic strength could well be the main reason behind. As a result, Chinese government are gradually withdrawing benefits designed for foreign investors and cooperates.
China is know to be manipulating and suppressing it's currency to maximize its chance of winning bids in factory deals. However, it is inevitable to have a raise in production costs over the years. On the other hand, the country has been developing so rapidly over the recent decades, the economic growth allowed some of the citizens to enjoy first class lifestyle in sync with the rest of the world. Having these factors in mind it is difficult to continue lowering the currency strength without consequences. As once the manufacturer of the world, it is not hard to spot the game changing evidence in budget stores like H&M and Primark's. "Made in Romania", "Made in Thailand", "Made in Cambodia"... has replaced the one and only "Made in China" tags that once dominated the retail market in western world.
From clothing to furniture, your daily and household items may consist of 99% Chinese blood, but how much do you really know about China beyond that? Can you see the Chinese culture through your thoughtfully manufactured and assembled Apple or faux fur coat or bedside table? Read more about western ideas of Chinese culture.
Hyperlink:
A Signal to upcoming changes in "Made in China"? (CN)
http://sydc.sina.com.cn/zhuanti/qygc09/index.shtml
Why do foreign companies close its factories and shops in China? (CN)
Have a conversation with myself
Date Created: 30 August 2017
Who are you?
I'm a designer. No, a design student.
What's the difference anyway? Does it matter?
I guess the difference is, one is still learning.
Or,
Both are.
Is that so?
Does a designer not need to learn anymore?
Incorrect. All human beings need to learn.
Constant learning means constant evolving, means there's always something new to learn.
So, who are you?
I am you. I am yourself.
No, it can't be. My thoughts are mine but they have millions of identities. Each strand live and die within that specific thoughts. After that, it dies and fades away. Leaving only the significant words echoing in the background. So no, I can't be you, and you can't be me.
We are different, me in the present moment is different from the me a second ago. I have been through evolution, and you were left in the past, forgotten.
So where are you in the future? Can you also talk to your future self?
Can I, or will I? Why would I want to do that?
To predict the future.
No, future cannot be predicted. We make the future. We are the maker and creator of what's going to happen. If we already knew, then that's not going to work.
Intangible Cultural Heritage
Date Created: 19 August 2017
The topic has been on my mind for quite a few months now. Travelling to one place, thinking about how it looked like back in the days, what was it like then, the people, the custom, the language, the look, how has time worn off these places and helped to shape whatever it is left today, now, at the present moment. Can we do something to preserve the memory, or find back what has been lost? is there a way to replicate the scene and bring it back to life?
Past, present and future. These three points surround our days and nights. Only that future becomes present and fades away with the past eventually.