crafthaus2024-03-29T07:30:23ZWendy McAllisterhttps://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/WendyMcAllisterhttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/357601521?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://crafthaus.ning.com/forum/topic/listForContributor?groupUrl=2013-beijing-international-jewelry-art-biennial&user=9a6gnrmea032&feed=yes&xn_auth=noPart 5 - Beijing Design Week and The Great Wall of Chinatag:crafthaus.ning.com,2014-03-31:2104389:Topic:4646292014-03-31T16:26:53.503ZWendy McAllisterhttps://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/WendyMcAllister
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058556605?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058556605?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"></img></a></p>
<p><span>My last post about my trip to China focusses on the events that took place after the exhibition and conference concluded. With Design Week just underway, I headed out in the morning with Ruudt Peters and Jamie Bennett. Our destination was Dashilar, a well known “Hutong” or village in the heart of Beijing, and one of the main areas for Design Week events and…</span></p>
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<p><span>My last post about my trip to China focusses on the events that took place after the exhibition and conference concluded. With Design Week just underway, I headed out in the morning with Ruudt Peters and Jamie Bennett. Our destination was Dashilar, a well known “Hutong” or village in the heart of Beijing, and one of the main areas for Design Week events and exhibitions. After locating the narrow passage that lead into Dashilar, the first stop was at Ubi Gallery.</span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058560667?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058560667?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
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<p><span>The gallery itself is bright, clean and well organized, in addition to being well situated in a vibrant traditional Beijing neighborhood. While the people of Dashilar may not be Ubi’s target clientele, the gallery feels like it belongs and as if it has always been there. We were greeted by Machtelt Schelling and offered a proper European coffee while we began to peruse the work on display. My eye was immediately caught by a shelf displaying a number of egg shaped brooches by Noon Passama. Each piece perfectly coated with colorful automotive paint and glistening in the sunlight. After sifting through the levels of drawers in the showcases, I found myself standing in front of a wall panel decorated with a selection of digital flower brooches by Heng Lee. We ended our visit at Ubi and Jamie and I moved on, leaving Ruudt and Machtelt to talk shop.</span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058556634?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058556634?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>From there we ventured on, alley by alley, stopping at essentially anything that looked interesting. Many of the exhibitions in Dashilar were focussed on the Design Week theme of “Smart Cities” and design based planning and development. The “Hutong” became an ideal and culturally relevant focal point, as they are the last remaining zones of old Beijing that have yet to undergo gentrification. There is much debate surrounding whether to modernize the Hutong way of life, preserving culture, or demolish them completely, paving way for condominiums and high-rise architecture. The reality is, with a population of almost 35 million people, it is hard to justify the Hutong’s inefficient use of space. However, based on some of the architectural concepts being exhibited in Dashilar, a solution may be on the horizon.<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058554719?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058554719?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>After days of hustle and bustle, the three of us enjoyed meandering around Dashilar for quite some time. It wasn’t until we realized that we had been pleasantly walking in circles that we decided it was time to head over to our next Design Week zones, Art Area D-798 and D-751. After a taxi ride and a quiet lunch on a restaurant patio, we set out to explore the repurposed industrial zone, now brimming with permanent galleries, shops and pop-up exhibitions. Jamie and I headed in one direction, and Ruudt in another on his way to do an interview. With the day ticking away, it seemed as though we had arrived in a completely new city, and with a Design Week map in hand, we tried to make sense of what we should try to see. Planning proved to be a complete waste of time, and Jamie and I found ourselves unable to take more than a few steps without finding somewhere new to check out.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058555622?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058555622?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058554193?profile=original" target="_self"></a></p>
<p><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058553513?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058553513?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a>At a certain point Jamie returned to the city center and Ruudt and I made plans to reconnect somewhere in D-751 and find a glass of wine to enjoy. Little did I know that the location Ruudt had selected was the opening night party at the Swarovski Digital Crystal exhibition. I arrived to find the opening speeches in progress, and Ruudt and I procured seats at the back of the room. After words from the collaborating artists and Nina Swarovski, the exhibition was officially opened and Ruudt and I walked through with the first group. While there were several pieces that did not seem to belong, the exhibition was very interesting and Swarovski continued to assert itself as a leader in both technological and artistic accomplishments. To experience the exhibition, one was guided through a series ramps and walkways, leading from one chamber to another. The only light in the exhibition space was the light generated from the installations and projections in each chamber. Ruudt and I both commented that it was probably strategic not to serve wine at the reception beforehand.</span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058555471?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058555471?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058553070?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058553070?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a>I couldn’t have imagined what would happen next, and after leaving the Digital Crystal space, Ruudt and I found ourselves standing in front of the Dutch Design Pavilion where coincidentally the VIP party was just getting started. Ruudt being the Dutch celebrity that he is, managed to get us on the list and badges around our necks within all of five minutes. With what little energy we had left at that point in the evening, we entered the party and proceeded to the open bar to acquire the glass of wine we had sought out initially.<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058558010?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058558010?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></span>It was quite a scene in there. Dutch design and Dutch designers were everywhere. I was delighted to see some of Marcel Wanders’ extruded carbon fibre chairs. The design is based on ‘balloon animals’, and the chairs are incredibly light weight. I had the pleasure of meeting Marcel who happened to be standing by his chairs at that moment. I snapped a photo as he picked one up with a single hand effortlessly.</p>
<p><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058554889?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058554889?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></span></p>
<p><span>Complete with DJ and dancing, the party continued to pick up steam. At one point, Ruudt and I found ourselves in a booth dedicated to defiling the image of a noted architect who had prepared stacks of his own laminated image, along with easels and permanent markers. I added an eyepatch and some “pirate-esque” dental work, while Ruudt produced one of his blind drawings for the makeover. It was shortly thereafter we realized we had had enough for one day and proceeded to the nearest taxi stand.</span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058555489?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058555489?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><span>I spent most of the following day with Jamie exploring Beijing. Beijing is the kind of city that probably takes multiple visits in order to familiarize ones self with the layout. We met near Tiananmen Square and walked around a pedestrian zone before heading into the square itself. From there we walked over to the National Gallery and spent the afternoon looking at a small sliver of the permanent collection. Chinese history is long and well documented, and this was on display in full force at the Gallery.</span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058555054?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058555054?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><span>After returning to our respective hotels to rest up before dinner, Jamie and I met back up for what would be my favorite dinner of the trip. Jamie had made plans with a former student of his from Taiwan, Lynn, and her boyfriend Patrick, to meet us for dinner. I was tasked with selecting the restaurant, and I used this as my opportunity to refer to CNN Travel’s list of top spots to eat in the city. I chose a restaurant called Ding Ding Xiang, known for their Mongolian hotpot and chic decor. I had little to no previous experience with hotpot, but was attracted to the fresh ingredients and social dynamic of the hotpot methodology. It turned out to be a great choice and the four of us dined in great company. The food was fantastic, and I would recommend to anyone going to Beijing that this spot is worth trying. <a href="http://www.dingdingxiang.com.cn">www.dingdingxiang.com.cn</a></span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058558429?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058558429?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><span>Over the course of dinner, Jamie and I began to concoct our plan to leave the city the next day and visit The Great Wall of China. After reading through a few of my travel books, I chose Mitianyu as our destination. There are roughly five Great Wall sites reachable from Beijing within two hours by car. With some assistance from my hotel concierge, I arranged for a driver to pick us up and take us there and back. When Jamie arrived at my hotel in the morning we set out with our driver for the day. The road to Mitianyu took us from Beijing’s periphery, through industrial towns, farmland and fishing villages, until we finally began to ascend into the mountains. As we came around a final sharp turn, the Great Wall became visible, snaking along the ridge top of the mountains like a spine.</span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058555683?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058555683?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058558651?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058558651?profile=original" width="685" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><span>We parked the car, and the diver assured us that he would be there when returned, and would wait as long as we liked. A steep and stepped incline, littered with vendors selling souvenirs, led the way to the cable car that transported visitors up to the Wall. You really can’t possibly imagine the sheer scale of the wall until you are actually on it. </span></p>
<p><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058554552?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058554552?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058556195?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058556195?profile=original" width="685" class="align-full"/></a>Looking out in either direction, the wall appears to continue forever from one peak to the next. The walking surface is far from flat, nor is it level in any way. The grade shifts from one side to the other, curving and twisting along like a roller coaster. Watch towers are dotted along the way, and at your own risk, it is permissible to climb them. I continued walking for quite a distance and along the way realized how lucky we were to be there on a day essentially free of tourists.</span></p>
<p><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058555232?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058555232?profile=original" width="685" class="align-full"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058555428?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058555428?profile=original" width="685" class="align-full"/></a>I found myself doing what I expect most visitors try to avoid, capturing pictures <i>with</i> people in them. At the point at which we felt we had spent enough time on the mountain, we took the cable car back down, picking up a couple of souvenirs from the vendors on the steps, and found our driver.</span></p>
<p><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058555016?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058555016?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></span></p>
<p><span>I had one more day in Beijing that I spent on my own in an area called Sanlitun. While making some notes in a coffee shop that afternoon, I began to realize how much my trip and experience had been impacted by the people I had been surrounded by. Beyond making new friends and contacts though, the community dynamic that I participated in was both personally and professionally inspiring. I live in relative isolation, socially and geographically, and find that my interactions with other artists, jewelers, or creatives in general, takes place at these types of events. It really reinforced my appreciation of collective projects, group interplay, and the power of chemistry between people in general. I certainly look forward to the next opportunity I have to be surrounded by such an amazing and talented group of people, and I'm already thinking about my next trip to China.</span></p>
<p><span>Additional photos from the exhibition, conference, and design week can be found on my Facebook page in the photo albums.</span></p>
<p><span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/atelierhg">www.facebook.com/atelierhg</a></span></p>
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<p></p> Part 4 - Beijing Excursionstag:crafthaus.ning.com,2014-02-21:2104389:Topic:4586212014-02-21T18:06:33.071ZWendy McAllisterhttps://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/WendyMcAllister
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058537469?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058537469?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"></img></a></p>
<p><span>Beijing is an amazing city that has been undergoing tremendous growth since its successful bid for the 2008 Olympic Games. You can almost watch it happening before your eyes. It is by far the largest city I have ever visited, and home to a staggering population of approximately 17.5 million people, equivalent </span>to half of the entire population of Canada. …</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058537469?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058537469?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><span>Beijing is an amazing city that has been undergoing tremendous growth since its successful bid for the 2008 Olympic Games. You can almost watch it happening before your eyes. It is by far the largest city I have ever visited, and home to a staggering population of approximately 17.5 million people, equivalent </span>to half of the entire population of Canada. Modern architecture can be found throughout the city, but much of the historical architecture of China’s centuries old political centre remain. In addition you can still find numerous Hutong or ‘neighborhood villages’ dotted throughout Beijing, that have yet to experience modern development.</p>
<p><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058538006?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058538006?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></span></p>
<p><span>With the exhibition opening and conference wrapped up, our remaining activities included several excursions arranged by our hosts. The first of these excursions was to the brand new jewelry department at BIFT. I was truly blown away by the facilities and spent the entire afternoon on campus with Laurent-Max De Cock touring the various labs and talking to the students. As I mentioned previously, Max was directly involved in the design of the new labs and he guided me from one bright space to another as if it was his own.<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058540761?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058540761?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></span></p>
<p><span>The various labs included facilities dedicated to enameling, silver smithing, soldering and annealing, benchwork, and even a lab just for rolling mills. The enameling facility was particularly interesting and featured state of the art digital equipment for enameling on metal. Every room was equipped with drainage troughs to allow regular rinsing of the floor, a clever way to control metal waste.<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058542192?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058542192?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></span></p>
<p><span>It should have been no surprise that the labs were as well appointed with equipment as they were considering much of the machinery and hand tools on the market today is manufactured in China. Over the years machinery and equipment produced in China has improved dramatically. In fact many of the tools that grace the pages of our supply catalogues and websites are coming from China, as commonly if not more so, than India and Pakistan. Truth be told, the Chinese products have far surpassed the qualities of the aforementioned South Asian producers.</span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058540920?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058540920?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><span>I was pleased to see an enormous smithing lab, which is becoming less and less common in metal departments. One of the teachers in smithing program is the very talented Gao Wei. I spent some time with Gao Wei over the course the previous few days and now had the pleasure of speaking with him in his element, with several of his students. Gao Wei was also a participant in the jewelry exhibition, but here at the school I was treated to seeing some of his smithed tea pots, which he forms spout and all from a single piece of heavy gauge silver sheet.</span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058542593?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058542593?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><span>Students are expected to learn how to produce their own hammers and stakes, and Gao Wei was eager to show me the collection he has amassed over the years. He knew based on my work that I would appreciate it as much as he does, and we spent some time talking about his favorite forming stakes and hammers.</span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058541782?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058541782?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><span>The next morning we set out on our second excursion to the Forbidden City, the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty until the end of the Qing Dynasty. <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058541124?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058541124?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a>The Forbidden city, a sprawling estate of enormous proportions, is now home to the Palace Museum and numerous gardens, squares, and a variety of buildings, many of which were home to Emperors and their respective families and servants.</span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058538147?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058538147?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058541090?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058542265?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><span>The collection of the Palace Museum includes ceramics, paintings, furniture, jade and bronze-ware, and of course jewelry. There were certainly some incredible pieces on display and the level of attention to detail was impressive to say the least. All of the pieces in the jewelry collection seemed to serve a purpose beyond just ornamentation. Carved stone was a common element and was used for ornate wax stamps, archer’s rings, or carved boxes and vessels.</span></p>
<p><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058541686?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058541686?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></span></p>
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<p><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058541919?profile=original" target="_self"></a></span></p>
<p><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058541919?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058541919?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></span></p>
<p><span>Our next stop that afternoon was at the Museum of Ethnic Costumes, located on the BIFT campus. It is the first museum in China specializing in the ethnic costumes of the various groups that inhabit the country. Housing over 10,000 pieces of costume, accessories, fabric, wax printing, and embroidery, the collection serves BIFT as a research and teaching center, in addition to being a public museum.</span></p>
<p><span>After a long day I returned to the China Millennium Monument to see the jewelry exhibition again, before attending the Opening Ceremony and cocktail reception for Beijing Design Week. </span></p>
<p><span>Part 5 will focus on Beijing Design Week and My adventures with Ruudt Peters and Jamie Bennett.</span></p>
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<p></p> Part 3 - The Conferencetag:crafthaus.ning.com,2014-02-10:2104389:Topic:4569212014-02-10T14:49:37.102ZWendy McAllisterhttps://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/WendyMcAllister
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058533988?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058533988?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"></img></a></p>
<p><span>The Biennale had a conference component, comprised of a lecture series, a round table discussion, and several scheduled cultural excursions. In the afternoon following the exhibition opening, the conference began with presentations from nine of the artists in the exhibition, and Marie-Jose Van den Hout, owner of Galerie Marzee.…</span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058533988?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058533988?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><span>The Biennale had a conference component, comprised of a lecture series, a round table discussion, and several scheduled cultural excursions. In the afternoon following the exhibition opening, the conference began with presentations from nine of the artists in the exhibition, and Marie-Jose Van den Hout, owner of Galerie Marzee.</span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058536511?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058536511?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058534292?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058534292?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a>Following along with the theme of “Identity”, many of the presentations focussed on the artists themselves and the emotions and experiences they convey through their work. Ruudt Peters spoke about several of his projects over the years, and his personal interest in “alchemy and transformation”. Ruudt also talked about his interest in Chinese culture and the work he produced during and after his 3 month trip to China the previous year. Antje Brauer described how living in the rural setting of northern Germany has influenced the direction and esthetic of her work.</p>
<p><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058535677?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058535677?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></span></p>
<p>Ramon Puig Cuyas spoke about his desire as a child to be an explorer and an astronomer, but lacked the skills in math and science to excel in those subjects in school, and how he has achieved a sense of those experiences through the fantastical pieces he has created over the years. I connected personally with Ramon’s presentation, and had a clearer picture of him as an artist and of his message. While my work is nothing like Ramon’s, I feel the same need to map things and create order or direction, but in an entirely different way. I too have had dreams of being an astro-physicist or an astronomer, and search for those experiences through my research and work. </p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058536448?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058536448?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>Marie-Jose Van den Hout gave an interesting lecture about the history and activities of Galerie Marzee. For Marie, who runs the largest contemporary jewelry gallery in the world, this new access to academic jewellery departments in China means a new pond to fish from, and a well stocked pond at that. Its no secret that the China Academy of Fine Art and the China Academy of Art have been churning out talent in this field for some time. Until now, these artists have primarily been discovered while working in graduate programs abroad. Direct access to the Chinese programs that are sending these artists abroad is sure to mean many more Chinese artists in galleries in the West over the coming years.</p>
<p>Laurent-Max De Cock, spoke about his involvement in the upbringing of these jewellery departments over the past decade. Hailing from Belgium, and a professor at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, Max has been traveling to China to teach, and has acted as a liaison for the HRD (Antwerp’s Diamond High Council) in China. He has been a consultant for BIFT aiding in the recent expansion of the Metal Arts Department and construction of a brand new facility to house the jewellery studios. I was shocked at how sophisticated these new labs are, and spent an afternoon there with Max and a group of his students.</p>
<p><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058532378?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058532378?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></span></p>
<p>Jamie Bennet gave the final presentation of the day and spoke in detail about the evolution of his work with enamel, and gave some background on his journey as a jewellery artist and educator. Jamie is the director of the Jewelry Department at SUNY New Paltz and a renowned enamelist.</p>
<p>Our day concluded with a group dinner at a family style restaurant. Seated around circular tables, we were treated to a traditional Beijing meal of Peking duck and enjoyed the company of our gracious hosts from the various institutions that organized the event.</p>
<p><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058536228?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058536228?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></span></p>
<p><span>Above, left to right: <span>Laurent-Max de Cock, Zhan Binghong (Dean of BIFT School of Art and Design), Ruudt Peters, Ezra Satok-Wolman, Ramon Puig Cuyas, Yu-Jin Cho</span></span></p>
<p><span>The next morning our activities began with the Round Table Discussion at BIFT. We assembled in a boardroom to discuss the development of “Jewelry Culture” in China, and how to further elevate the educational model in China’s institutions. One of the big questions that came from the Dean of BIFT was, “How can China ensure the success of more jewelry artists”?. This may seem like a simple question, but the reality is, China now has a huge number of graduates each year coming out of jewelry programs who want to be “jewelry artists”, rather than jewelers. The country has invested tremendously in large jewelry programs at Art and Design Institutions, as has been the trend in the West over the last two decades. Many of these students earn Masters degrees and PhDs, and want assurances that there will be a place for them in the jewelry world. But even with all of this commitment to the Chinese Jewelry Arts, the reality is, its not that simple. Ubi Gallery, the brainchild of Machtelt Schelling a Dutch woman with the vision to establish China’s first art jewelry gallery, opened just last year in Beijing. But with a surplus of talent and only one or two venues in the country, China has been exporting their artists work to an already saturated market in the West, as they have done previously in many other industries. </span></p>
<p><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058531448?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058531448?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></span></p>
<p>I raised the point that the success of art jewelry in the West has been largely due to a highly functional infrastructure, founded on societies and organizations, social networks and communities, schools and Universities, exhibitions and fairs, and both public and private collections in museums and galleries. Aside from Ubi Gallery, China has none of that currently. China needs to begin to build a National platform for their artists and designers, consisting of grant programs, design competitions, and events to educate the public about jewelry, in addition to the aforementioned elements.</p>
<p>There was no defined response to the Dean’s question, but what was established was that China needed to look within their own borders for answers, and establish an identity independent of their blossoming presence within the scenes in Europe and North America. Jamie Bennett had an interesting point to make with respect to how and why artists become successful and chalked it up to three defining factors; talent, determination, and luck. I have to agree with Jamie whole heartedly. Talent is no longer enough on its own to ensure success as an artist. At the end of the day it really does come down to a balance of all three, and those who can put that package together are almost sure to succeed. Having a degree sure doesn’t hurt either these days.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058531459?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058531459?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>The European representatives were quick to point out that Western influence is overly common in China’s new jewelry, and in order to achieve a connection with the public, elements of Chinese identity need to be tapped by artists looking to build an audience domestically. Max summed it up best by saying “creativity must come from the inside out, not the outside in”. Jewelry artists in China currently have no choice but to look to Klimt02, Crafthaus, Art Jewelry Forum, and Schmuck for insight into what is happening in the jewelry world. This brings me back to the previous point I put forth, which was that without a platform and community of their own, China’s art jewelry scene will only exist abroad. </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058535898?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058535898?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><span>The round table discussion wasn’t entirely about praising the West however. Ruudt made several comments regarding fundamental problems within Europe’s educational system, and cited a general decline in quality within the field. I would agree with this too, and I spoke about witnessing this first hand while studying in Europe. Technique was being diluted in many school programs, and was slowly being removed from curriculums as the alternative materials trend took off. Jewelry schools became “contemporary jewelry schools” and emphasis was shifted from developing skills to developing concepts. Having trained as a goldsmith, who over the years has attempted to perfect a number of techniques to employ in my work, I spoke about my own experiences developing what I called a “tool box” of techniques, and how it has helped me in accomplishing goals and overcoming challenges in my own work. For example, if an artist has an idea or a vision for a piece, but doesn’t have the ability to produce that vision, it will inevitably be discarded. The reality is, when an artist has the ability to draw from a range of skills, the ideas and work they produce will be their best work.</span></p>
<p><span>Jewelry programs in China on the other hand have students spend two years learning foundation in a classroom before ever entering a studio or laboratory. By the time they actually start to produce physical pieces of jewelry in their third year, they know what they want to make and the mechanics of how to make it. As current trends become old and new ones emerge, China is surely poised to be a major player in all aspects of jewelry, domestically and abroad. Galleries in the West are already representing a huge number of artists from Asia, and there aren’t new galleries popping up in the current economy. Over the coming decade artists and manufacturers will have to vie for their place in the market, whether in boutiques and galleries, department stores, or online, and a resurgence of quality is inevitable. You just wont survive otherwise.</span></p>
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<p>In Parts 4 and 5 I will discuss our group adventures and Beijing Design Week...</p>
<p></p> Part 2 - Additional Imagestag:crafthaus.ning.com,2014-02-03:2104389:Topic:4556642014-02-03T14:02:06.614ZWendy McAllisterhttps://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/WendyMcAllister
<p>Additional selected images from the 2013 Beijing International Jewelry Art Exhibition. The first four images are pieces from Chinese artists, including Jie Sun, a Chinese artist living and working in Amsterdam (and fellow Crafthauser) -</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058526267?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058526267?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"></img></a></p>
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<p>The Inner Rotunda, World Art Museum, China Millenium Monument, Beijing…</p>
<p>Additional selected images from the 2013 Beijing International Jewelry Art Exhibition. The first four images are pieces from Chinese artists, including Jie Sun, a Chinese artist living and working in Amsterdam (and fellow Crafthauser) -</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058526267?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058526267?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
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<p>The Inner Rotunda, World Art Museum, China Millenium Monument, Beijing<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058529618?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058529618?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
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<p>Above: Li Zhonghao (China)<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058530946?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058530946?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
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<p>Above: Kuo I-Hsuan (Taiwan, China)<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058526511?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058526511?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
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<p>Above: Jie Sun (China, The Netherlands)</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058530046?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058530046?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
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<p>Above: Bai Jingyi (China)<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058527879?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058527879?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
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<p>Above: Ela Bauer (The Netherlands)<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058529956?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058529956?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
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<p>Above: Jamie Bennett (USA) </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058525125?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058525125?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
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<p>Above: Elizabeth Bone (UK)<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058530898?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058530898?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
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<p>Above: Yong Joo Kim (Korea)<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058531026?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058531026?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
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<p>Above: Chen Ying-Hsiu (Taiwan, China)<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058528208?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058528208?profile=original" width="500" class="align-full"/></a>In the next post I'll discuss the conference, followed by my "Beijing Design Week adventures" with Ruudt Peters and Jamie Bennett...</p>
<p></p> Part 2 - The Exhibitiontag:crafthaus.ning.com,2014-01-31:2104389:Topic:4553532014-01-31T21:56:37.368ZWendy McAllisterhttps://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/WendyMcAllister
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058527265?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058527265?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="461"></img></a></p>
<p>I would like to start Part 2 by addressing some of the basic questions that people have had regarding traveling to, and exhibiting in China. First of all, everything about this trip was complicated, period. Being a seasoned traveller, and having lived in a foreign country for an extended period of time, I wasn't expecting anything on this trip to be easy. The…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058527265?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="461" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058527265?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="461" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>I would like to start Part 2 by addressing some of the basic questions that people have had regarding traveling to, and exhibiting in China. First of all, everything about this trip was complicated, period. Being a seasoned traveller, and having lived in a foreign country for an extended period of time, I wasn't expecting anything on this trip to be easy. The jewelry exhibition had one set of challenges, while organizing an itinerary for Beijing Design Week (BJDW) presented another set of challenges all together. With respect to transporting my pieces, anyone who has had experience with importing and exporting jewelry knows how complicated it can be in one’s native language, let alone in a completely foreign one. That was just one facet of the planning required. Information in general was scarce or just plain incorrect, dates changed with little notice, visas were required, and there was no room for error. All things considered however, if invited to go again, I would in a heartbeat. The reality is, with all of my preconceived ideas or worries about China, all of the stress involved in the planning, all of the risks weighed, my experience was so rich in every aspect, that the rest of the aforementioned issues have been eclipsed.</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058526950?profile=original" target="_self"></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058526950?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="445" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058526950?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="445" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>The Biennale was comprised of two components, the exhibition and the conference, both of which focussed on the theme "Identity". I arrived in China the day before the exhibition was scheduled to open and had made arrangements before my departure to deliver my pieces to the museum that afternoon. Even with a driver arranged through the hotel, and hours to spare, I learned some important lessons that day, the first of which was that traffic in Beijing is a beast not to be taken lightly. </p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058526487?profile=original" target="_self"></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058526487?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="471" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058527652?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="471" class="align-full"/></a>The first scheduled event was the opening ceremony of the exhibition, which took place the following morning. I arrived at the museum where the group of exhibiting artists in attendance were having tea and congregating before the opening ceremony. While there were a few artists present for the opening who did not stay for the rest of the program, many would remain and travel together over the course of the days to follow. With the event organizers, media, government officials, and a large group of students present, the ceremony kicked off with speeches given by faculty members from BIFT (Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology), and ended with final words from Laurent-Max De Cock, who officially opened the exhibition in English. The group spent the next two hours meandering through the massive exhibition space, and there was an obvious charge of excitement that could be felt from everyone in attendance.<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058530725?profile=original" target="_self"></a><br/> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058530725?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="446" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058530725?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="446" class="align-full"/></a>The massive rotunda was split into East and West wings, dividing the work of the artists from those hemispheres respectively. I was familiar with the majority of the "Western" work in the exhibition, but the jewelry was predominantly from the "East". A diverse range of working styles was on display, and as with many other industries, trades, and various branches of art and craft, the Chinese proved to be highly skilled technicians. As I previously mentioned, "modern" jewelry is relatively new in China, and therefore school departments are also relatively new. "Identity" proved an appropriate theme, as much of the work was obviously influenced by "Western" jewelry and historal jewelry trends. This should come as no surprise, as globalization is impacting art everywhere, but I will go into that a little deeper in the next section when I discuss the conference. <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058530491?profile=original" target="_self"></a><br/> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058530491?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="470" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058530491?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="470" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>Above: Lucie Houdkova (Czech Republic) - Material: Plastic ribbons, epoxy, silver.</p>
<p>There is no doubt that China will be a major player in all of the branches of jewelry making and design, but they still lack the organizations, communities, and infrastructure needed to catch up with the "West", and perhaps decades before they catch up with the European establishment. Beyond the work itself, I was truly impressed with the professors and instructors I met and spent time with there. Most of these individuals left China to study abroad well before the jewelry trend kicked off, and have dedicated themselves now to educating the jewelry artists and makers of the future. </p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058530810?profile=original" target="_self"></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058530810?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="473" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058530810?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="473" class="align-full"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058526274?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="461" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058526274?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="461" class="align-full"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058528870?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="461" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058528870?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="461" class="align-full"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058526204?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="461" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058526204?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="461" class="align-full"/></a><span>Ruudt Peters and Annelies Planteijdt, admiring Ruudt's showcase (above).<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058526204?profile=original" target="_self"><br/></a></span> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058526372?profile=original" target="_self"></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058526372?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="461" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058526372?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="461" class="align-full"/></a>Above: Birgit Laken (The Netherlands) - Material: Melamine. </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058528238?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="446" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058528238?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="446" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>Above: Zoe Robertson (UK) - Material: Flock fibre, freeform dye, plastic, rubber.</p>
<p>My overall impression was quite positive, however I do have two criticisms of the exhibition itself, both of which could be easily addressed by the organizers in the next edition. The first, and foremost is that there was an overwhelming amount of work on display. This made it difficult to really take in everything there. The second was that the lighting used in the showcases was essentially too powerful for the small spaces they were illuminating. On the bright side, the powerful showcase lights were fantastic for taking photographs, and created some great shadow effects and reflections in the plexiglass cases.<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058528971?profile=original" target="_self"></a><br/> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058528971?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="471" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058528971?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="471" class="align-full"/></a>Above: Felieke van der Leest (Norway) - Material: Textile, gold, plastic animals,cubic zirkonia.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058530686?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="461" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058530686?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="461" class="align-full"/></a>I'll end by mentioning that China wasn't the only country showcasing work from the "East". Taiwan has also been a big producer of talented jewelry artists, as I'm sure many of you have noticed. I had the privilege of purchasing a piece from one of my favourite new artists, Heng Lee (pictured below), while visiting the Ubi Gallery in Beijing. Heng's work is but one example of the brilliance coming out of Taiwan. <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058527147?profile=original" target="_self"></a><br/> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058527147?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058527147?profile=original" width="257" class="align-left" height="339"/></a></p>
<p>For anyone interested in seeing more photographs from the exhibition, please feel free to visit my Facebook page where I have created a folder called "Beijing Exhibition" containing approximately 75 images. It is a public page so you don't need to have an account or log in. </p>
<p><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.facebook.com/atelierhg">www.facebook.com/atelierhg</a></p>
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<p>Part 3 will focus on the Conference, which was comprised of a lecture series and "Round Table" discussion at BIFT.</p>
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<p>Thank you all for joining the group and taking the time to read this!<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058526539?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="461" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058526539?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="461" class="align-full"/></a>Above, brooch on Left: Antje Brauer (Germany) - Material: Titanium, gold, steel.<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058529675?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="461" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058529675?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="461" class="align-full"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058529701?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="461" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058529701?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="461" class="align-full"/></a></p>
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