not much of an update, but something

by | Apr 7, 2011 | Uncategorized


The following is via Designboom

our friends at hong kong-based architectural firm map office are sending out a call to bring attention to the disappearance of contemporary chinese artist ai weiwei. last sunday, april 3rd, 2011, ai weiwei and his friend wan tao were stopped and detained by police authorities, from boarding a flight from beijing airport. they were then escorted away

since then, there has been no word as to their whereabouts until now. a statement was released this afternoon from a state-run global times newspaper breaking china’s media silence on the situation, stating that ai weiwei has no respect for the laws of his country, and that he is on the verge of pushing the limits of legal tolerance. for this, ai weiwei’s behaviour will be evaluated and he will pay a price for his actions.

the artist is best known for his political activism revolving around the earthquake that hit china’s sichuan province in 2008. since then he has faced physical abuse from authorities, his new studio was recently demolished and his name and work has been censored throughout china among other events and incidents.

you may read more about the detainment of ai weiwei by jerome cohen here.

ai weiwei’s work ‘sunflower seeds‘ is currently on show at the tate modern in london.
in may his ‘cirlce of animals / zodiac heads‘ world tour will begin in the grand army play near central park in new york.

*** Update thanks to Lori Buff:
A petition has been started to ask congress to request Weiwei’s release. To see and sign the petion, click here: http://www.change.org/petitions/free-chinese-artistactivist-ai-weiwei?share_id=irQHuRxLko&pe=pce

It’ll just take a minute!

Once you’re done, please ask your friends to sign the petition as well. Grassroots movements succeed because people like you are willing to spread the word!

A Bit of Clay on the Skin: New Ceramic Jewelry

by | Apr 4, 2011 | Uncategorized


via Brigitte Martin on Crafthaus
A Bit of Clay on the Skin: New Ceramic Jewelry explores the manifold appeal of ceramics, especially porcelain, in jewelry. Organized by the Fondation d’Entreprise Bernardaud and curated by the renowned German-born goldsmith and jewelry artist Monika Brugger, the exhibition showcases the versatility and allure of the medium, which can be modeled or cast, used alone or with metal, wood, and stone, and vary in color and texture. Best known as the stuff of the luxurious and the mundane, of fine tableware and technical equipment, when used in jewelry, porcelain sparks the visual and physical sensations to become an object of desire. The exhibition showcases the scope and ingenuity of the more than one hundred works on view and features the work of 18 cutting-edge jewelry artists, including creations by such notables as Peter Hoogeboom, Evert Nijland, Ted Noten (The Netherlands), Gésine Hackenberg (Germany), Marie Pendariès (Spain), and Shu-Lin Wu (Taiwan). While some make reference to traditional jewelry in materials and symbolism, others altogether redefine it in substance, form, and matter.For more info please visit Crafthaus