Material & Culture: Exploring craft and identity at the Rotterdam Design Biennale

Materials & Tradition is an exhibition for the inaugural Rotterdam Design Biennale curated by Adelaide-based designer Bolaji Teniola. On the crux of Materials & Tradition is the Biennale’s idea of What’s Actual Is Unfamiliar. Eight Adelaide-based Australian creatives and one duo — Takeshi Iue, Nat Penney, Lotte Schwerdtfeger, Keulemans & Hashimoto, Gretal Ferguson, Carly Tarkari Dodd, Alexandra Hirst, and Bolaji Teniola himself — are launched to the design group in Rotterdam. From ceramic, timber, numerous metals, glass, stone and textiles, Tenoila asks, ‘What does your alternative of supplies say about you?’ We’re invited to contemplate how they are often an extension of tradition by an surprising methodology.

Emma-Kate Wilson: Hello Bolaji, thanks for the interview all the way in which from Rotterdam. To start out, when did you first give you the concept for Materials & Tradition, and might you inform us extra about the way it follows on out of your earlier exhibition Reflections Of Residence?

Bolaji Teniola: I’ve needed to observe up Reflections Of Residence by some means, both by providing members the chance to debate their works in relation to the theme as a method of capping off that chapter. Or by shifting focus to a brand new theme underpinned by the essence of Reflections Of Residence, which was to research the connection or affect between our inventive apply and our dwelling, heritage or tradition. So the sensation was there, but it surely didn’t have a reputation. When the chance to take part within the Rotterdam Design Biennale got here up, I had the prospect to workshop these ideas and produce my focus to Materials & Tradition. Admittedly, each, I consider, have loads of scope to delve deeper, as a result of it seems like I’m simply scratching the floor.

EKW: Has there been any variations within the supply of the exhibitions or new belongings you’ve found within the curation of each reveals?

BT: The 2 greatest variations have been the discount within the quantity of members between every present. So from 18 all the way down to eight, and naturally, specializing in Australian creatives reasonably than a mix of worldwide and nationwide abilities. However the visible language, by way of the graphics, has been carried over to take care of that connection, and each are underpinned by a thematic or query. The place Reflections Of Residence was responding to the query, ‘What does the concept of dwelling imply to you?’ Materials & Tradition responds to the query, ‘What does your alternative of fabric say about you?’

EKW: How did the exhibition with the Rotterdam Design Biennale come about?

BT: I accomplished an internship fairly a number of years in the past in Eindhoven, Netherlands, the place I made robust connections with numerous the those who I interned with and linked with whereas there. We’re nonetheless good pals to today—which has been incredible for a lot of causes. After that internship, I moved to Rotterdam and lived there briefly earlier than returning to Australia. So quick ahead to late 2024, a very good pal of mine from these Eindhoven days kindly shared the open name with me for the Design Biennale and inspired me to use. The Biennale has been an ideal alternative to reconnect with outdated pals and the town of Rotterdam. It’s form of a full circle second!

EKW: Why did you solely resolve to work with Adelaide artists?

BT: For me, it was a no brainer to concentrate on Adelaide-based artists and designers as a result of there’s a lot expertise and variety of talent inside Adelaide and its inventive group. Having spent three and a bit years in Adelaide, I now have a greater understanding and appreciation of the expertise on this metropolis. I felt that it could even be a very good one-to-one change between Adelaide and Rotterdam as a side of the Biennale was to spotlight the inventive group of Rotterdam. So why not spotlight the inventive group of Adelaide? As well as, given the tight timeframe I needed to convey this present collectively, it solely made sense to suppose domestically to behave globally.

EKW: Are you able to inform me extra concerning the artworks for the exhibition – how do they “both improve, problem or subvert the standard prospects of their chosen materials”?

BT: The choice of mediums is various with distinctive items produced from ceramic, timber, numerous metals, glass, stone and textiles. In my view, every bit does a fairly good job of enhancing using its medium by the execution of method and course of. When seen collectively, the items provide visible unity as their pure, nearly natural qualities unify them, whether or not in type or materials use, however upon nearer inspection, every holds its personal tales and which means.

EKW: Are you able to provide some examples of artworks and the way they do that? I’d additionally love to listen to about your work within the exhibition.

BT: Gretel Ferguson’s Sew sequence challenges the entrenched gender roles inside craft and society whereas paying homage to these earlier than by combining the historically masculine craft of silversmithing with hand stitching. Though the metallic parts are important to the work, it’s truly the silk threads that maintain the metallic parts collectively, making it structural and ornamental. And, in Gretel’s phrases, the right analogy for ladies in any society.

Man Keulemans and Kyoko Hashimoto’s Carbon Circumstances subverts the notion of coal, which is seen economically and politically as a commodity. Hashimoto and Keulemans suggest that coal needs to be modified within the public creativeness to replicate its geological story inside the historical past of the earth. Via the topologies of jewelry and jewelry containers, coal can convey a preciousness and an obligation to care, expressing efficient qualities as an historical sedimentary rock, tens of millions of years outdated, linked to the evolution of timber and the greening of the world.

And I’m displaying my Athos lamp which was considered one of three lamps first produced for Melbourne Design Week 2023. It’s made from walnut timber shavings layered and mixed with a do-it-yourself adhesive over a rudimentary mould to create its type. It showcases a option to upcycle what is often seen as a waste materials within the timber shavings. It’s fairly attention-grabbing to see how persons are reacting to it right here!

EKW: The works do all play into the Biennale’s transient of ‘What’s Actual Is Unfamiliar’ very properly. I’m positive it have to be nice to be in Rotterdam for the Biennale. I’m curious to listen to how the 2 locations (worlds aside!) could encourage your apply?

BT: I’ve been extremely lucky to include journey as a part of my apply. I consider it’s essential for me to journey as a result of it all the time helps to get out of my bubble and join with inventive communities past those I do know. This additionally opens up extra alternatives and probabilities to develop and develop as a designer.

EKW: And eventually, what are your ideas on the way forward for design and supplies?

BT: Since I’m within the eye of the storm, I largely have incoherent ideas, but it surely seems like an thrilling time. There appears to be a need to maneuver away from the greenwashing connotations of sustainable design and as an alternative embrace and concentrate on resourceful and environment friendly methods of working with supplies, in addition to imbuing them with a narrative or which means in a method that connects with folks; enhancing the intrinsic worth of our mediums. Hopefully it helps construct additional appreciation for the finite sources we now have. Nonetheless, there’s nonetheless a protracted option to go!

Materials & Tradition is on present on the Rotterdam Design Biennale from February 20 to March 2.