FOREST
Presented by Halcyon Lake
Exhibition dates. 16 - 27 March, 2022
Opening Reception : Thur 27 March 2022, 6:00 - 8.30pm.
This event is part of Melbourne Design Week 2022, an initiative of the Victorian Government in collaboration with the NGV.
FOREST
Presented by Halcyon Lake
Forest showcases the hand-woven work of Iranian rug maker Edelgrund through an evocative, visual and tactile experience. Conceptually designed by Italian designer Paolo Giordano and the late Chinese product designer Ouwen Mori, the installation was originally presented during Milan Design Week 2021 at Palazzo Litta. Giordano and Mori’s exploration of original Edelgrund designs is expressed through a series of eighteen suspended tapestries, revealing the intricacies of the weaving process and a design language of infinite possibilities.
Edelgrund’s rugs are crafted in the homes of a small community of female artisans located in Alasht, a village in the Mazandaran province of Iran. Following time-honoured traditions, narrow wooden looms are used to weave panels about 40-50cm wide which are then carefully sewn together to create the desired rug size. The woven panels act as what Edelgrund describe as ‘a minimalist alphabet’ – a modular system from which endless design combinations are possible, just as the letters of an alphabet can coalesce in an infinite vocabulary of words.
Forest presents a new perspective on a very familiar object. Deconstructed and stripped from its usual function, the rug becomes an abstract work of art hanging in a space, allowing its handmade nature to come forward. The exhibition explores the relationship between traditional craftsmanship, contemporary design and sustainable practices, highlighting the importance of preserving inherited knowledge as a means to create designs with historical, cultural and technical value.
PARTICIPANTS
Edelgrund
Edelgrund was founded in 2013 by a collective of Iranian rug makers and designers based in Hamburg, Germany. Together, they have over three generations of experience in the rug trade, sharing a deep knowledge of traditional weaving techniques and materials specific to the remote regions of Iran.
Paolo Giordano
Paolo Giordano graduated in architecture from the Politecnico di Milano. From there he went on to became a photographer. In the nineteen eighties he collaborated with lifestyle magazines with creative images and acclaimed photomontages. Subsequently he worked for design and architecture magazines such as Abitare, Casa Vogue and Elle Decor. This work took him to India in the mid 90’s where he was fascinated by the high quality artisan work to be seen everywhere. It led him to found I+I, a collection of contemporary design produced by skilled craftspeople in India. He is currently working in the world of design as well as art photography.
Ouwen Mori
Ouwen Mori worked at the intersection of Graphic and Product design. Upon graduation, she interned as a design assistant for Alessandro Mendini Studio and was collaborating with studio Paolo Giordano for I + I collection in Milan.
Exhibition view
