2024 | Exhibition, Book & AR-App
How can traditional crafts inspire and evolve in a contemporary context? Washi Futurism explores this question with a focus on Sekishu Washi, a Japanese paper unique to the Iwami area in Japan. Renowned for its long fibers and simple beauty, this material offers fascinating possibilities for design and architecture. During their 2023 field trip to visit Sekishu Washi paper artisans, the design duos Cream on Chrome and Craft Portrait (Pauline Agustoni and Satomi Minoshima) behind this project grew aware of a deeper significance of the craft: By upholding production methods that date back over 1500 years, the family run workshops ‘Kubota’ and ‘Nishita’ have kept a balance with the natural and social environment.
Hybrid Sample Book
In order to bring across the diverse facets of the craft, the book “Washi Futurism” is of hybrid nature: Fourteen original Sekishu Washi samples reveal their fascinating qualities, followed by testimonies of the artisans, essays by local experts, design applications and hands-on instructions. Some pages are equipped with visual triggers for readers to scan using an the Augmented Reality app “Washi AR” for mobile phones, which will reveal their digital layer: Essays and photographs are elevated through audiovisual elements, such as immersive 360º image series that allow the reader to “step inside” the paper workshops for example.
The exhibition “Washi Futurism” at Nieuwe Instituut Rotterdam puts a spotlight on current developments and experimental routes of washi, alongside showcasing the paper’s properties and rich history. Visitors can dive into the cosmos of this special paper by viewing a floating, luminous paper installation, experiencing close-up videos of material tests, gaining insights into the production steps, and by exploring the paper’s texture and pliability with their own hands.
The limited edition of the book including a corresponding AR application for iOS can be purchased at NAI book store (ground floor Nieuwe Instituut Rotterdam) or directly from us (order here).
Pricing: EUR 78.- (incl. VAT excl. shipping)
This project is supported by Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Japan and CBK Rotterdam.
Photos: Aad Hoogendoorn
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