Finnish Glass Biennale Recruits Designer Akira Minagawa as Curator
The renowned Japanese designer Akira Minagawa has been tapped as the curator of the first Finnish Glass Biennale.
A multidisciplinary talent, he is the founder of the design brand minä perhonen, and has collaborated with such companies as Issey Miyake, Muji and Kvadrat, as well as Finnish ones like Artek, Lapuan Kankurit and Iittala. The minimalist favors functionality, nature-inspired touches and true craftsmanship.
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From June 5 to 8, the inaugural Finnish Glass Biennale will be held in an assortment of venues in Riihimäki, Nuutajärvi and Iittala. In addition to orchestrating the main exhibition, and a workshop for young designers, he will create a collection of glass art pieces that will be featured in the biennale.
Having been visiting Scandinavia and its 'excellent glass artists and glass factories' for nearly 40 years, the designer said he has stayed in touch with some of these artists and has observed the transition of their creations and its current state of glass production. 'I hope that this biennale will become a catalyst for a global attention to glass creation, as well as an attention to detail of human handcrafted creations,' he said.
Looking ahead, Minagawa said some of his future plans include creating monuments for urban planning, and also creating artwork in Paris. This fall there will be a new exhibition of his studio minä perhonen's work. 'TSUGU minä perhonen' will run Nov. 22 through Feb. 1 at the Setagaya Art Museum in Tokyo. It will then be staged at several other museums over the next three years. Last year his art and textiles were showcased in 'Design = Memory Akira Minagawa & minä perhonen' at the Nationalmuseum Sweden's museum of art and design.
From Minagawa's perspective, the fields of fashion and glass are very similar in terms of the degree of collaboration between creators and artisans. 'The skills of knowing the process and guiding to creation can be spoken in a similar point of view,' he said.
However, It is becoming more difficult to foster good artisans, engineers and factories, due to an increase in the mass production of products, he said. 'We believe that it is necessary to preserve good material resources and good partnership for future creations.'
His favorite designers include the recently retired Dries Van Noten. He also is a fan of the artists Richard Serra, Roni Horn and Henri Matisse, and the photographers Marc Riboud, Yoshihiko Ueda, and Sebastião Salgado.
All in all, the designer said he wishes that when people are buying clothes, they would 'question whether the clothes are properly manufactured without any issues of human or environmental problems in the production process of materials and manufacturing.' Also, he wishes they would consider 'whether the clothes they own can be used for a long time.'
As for the most influential figure in his life, Minagawa highlighted Viktor Emil Frankl's books for helping him to think about the meaning of human life, especially 'Ein Psychologe erlebt das Konzentrationslage [Man's Search for Meaning].'
With many tasks ahead, Minagawa wishes he had the time to 'go on a long-term journey around the world and take many years to make a work of art.'
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London's V&A Storehouse museum lets visitors get their hands on 5,000 years of creativity
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Supplied 'I want revenge for how I was treated.' Despite this messy history, Crystal's experience with the court was forever imprinted onto her self-image. She hopes to one day launch a safe-space for people to appreciate vampire culture. Medical mystery Crystal's disturbing account is not unlike a scene in a horror movie, where vampires lunge from the shadows and maul victims' necks before sucking on the flowing wine-like liquid. 16 In the movies, vampires lunge and maul victims' necks for their flowing, wine-like liquid. copy photo It's important to note that vampiric crime is rare, and abusers of power are far from unique to the courts. For most members, this community offers a sense of belonging, and some courts are heavily involved with charity causes. Not all 'real vampires' feed on blood. And for those who do, the practice is traditionally safe. So how does it work? 16 Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula. Universal Studios What's known as a 'donor' will willingly offer their blood to a vampire. Both take medical tests and other precautions. Complications are rare. Which is fine. But it begs another question: why? Real vampires claim they feel sick and lethargic if they don't feed on human blood. It balances their energy. 16 Movie poster for 'Dracula 'starring Bela Lugosi. AP Some believe this thirst for blood is a sign of a deeper mental health problem. So is it all a big delusion? When vampires follow a code of silence, it's not easy to say. But that secrecy is well founded. They've learned the hard way their lifestyle inspires revulsion. That's why this community stays in the shadows. Most Australian vampires I contacted for this story declined to take part in it. One local fanged figure you need to know is Jason De Marco, otherwise known as Don Jason. Don Jason runs the Sydney Vampires Meetup Group. He's also an electioneering member of the Liberal Party, bringing new meaning to the idea of a bloodsucking politician. At least this one is honest. In a YouTube video made by married artists Gillie and Marc Schattner, Jason is seen wearing Edwardian-era clothing, surgically-enhanced fangs, and a wide smile. Among the graves of Waverley cemetery, he says Don Jason first knew what he was aged four. 'I was different from other children' Jason said. 'I said I'm going to grow up and be Dracula.' 16 'I said I'm going to grow up and be Dracula,' Don Jason, who runs the Sydney Vampires Meetup Group, said. Gillie and Marc/Youtube He says he drinks exclusively from the razor-sliced thighs of female donors. They don't just consent to this feeding. They're aroused by it. 'They seem to get an orgasm off it every time,' he claimed. 'People can assume we're insane: why do you have this need to drink blood?' 16 'People can assume we're insane: why do you have this need to drink blood?' Don Jason says. Gillie and Marc/Youtube 'The only thing I have to worry about is my innate illness, which was ironically an illness associated with the vampire myth.' 'My vitals can shut down and I look like a corpse. People who had it used to be buried alive.' Marc Schattner said Don Jason suffers from porphyria, a rare blood disorder thought to have inspired early vampire mythology. 16 Marc Schattner said Don Jason suffers from porphyria, a rare blood disorder thought to have inspired early vampire mythology. Gillie and Marc/Youtube 'It can cause symptoms like extreme sensitivity to sunlight, skin blisters, and a reddish-purple discoloration,' he says. Jason is an extreme example. Some people just like vampires for a good old-fashioned doof. 'Not merely an event' The dawn of the vampire ball is misty. Sometime during the rise of Europe's medieval masquerade balls, a darker event emerged in honour of the undead. 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AP He dwells on the sprawling grounds of Bran 'Dracula's' Castle in Romania's Transylvania. With these walls, Bathory drinks donated blood. Sometimes sleeps in a coffin. And channels Vlad the Impaler. 'It's not merely an event' Bathory says. 'It's a portal.' Bathory is the leader of the Ordo Dracul, a vampire court based in Transylvania. And he says more and more Aussies are signing up. 16 Bran Castle towers above Bran commune, in Brasov county. via REUTERS 'New initiates are joining from Australia. Some of my dearest allies come from Melbourne and the Gold Coast,' he said. 'Australia resonates with the old blood.' Bathory believes these vampires thrive in silence. 'Just because we're not loud, doesn't mean we're not present. In our world we prefer to walk the line of shadows.' 16 Bran Castle, also known as Dracula's Castle, in the Carpathian Mountains. REUTERS 'Realise their full potential' The University of Western Sydney's Dr Adam Possamai charted the rise of real vampires in his book Sociology of Religion for Generations X and Y. He believes it's a 'hyper-real religion' – a modern hybrid of religion, philosophy and popular culture that helps people find their identity in a noisy world. 'The vampire is no longer a monster that needs to be destroyed,' he said. 'It's now a superman-type of character that people aspire to become to realise their full potential. 'As society becomes more consumerist, I expect hyper-real religions like vampires to grow. But it's tricky to quantify.' 'Are they people who identify with the image alone? How far do their practices go? And how long will they keep them up?' Though Australian vampire groups have picked up thousands of members on social media, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said in a statement they don't formally recognise vampires. 'Vampires don't describe a stand-alone group in any of the statistical standard classifications used to disseminate Census data,' a spokesperson said. 'The ABS regularly reviews statistical standard classifications and holds public consultations to ensure standard classifications reflect the Australian community.' Until vampires are socially acknowledged, we'll never know how many of them walk among us or what secrets they hold. Nelson Groom is a freelance writer. His novel The Auction is coming soon. Learn more on his Instagram Got a story? Get in touch: nelsonsamuelgroom@
