Loewe's tea is hot in Milan
At 'Loewe Teapots,' 25 artists present their unique approach to the teapot
Spanish fashion house Loewe asked 25 architects, artists and designers from around the world to reimagine the traditions of teapot making, presenting each sculptural take on the humble vessel at this year's Milan Design Week.
The commissioned works are on display at the Palazzo Citterio in Milan through sunday. The six-day presentation includes a hand-made teapot by Korean architect Cho Min-suk, created in collaboration with ceramist Chae Min-woo.
'We are all familiar with a teapot and its key elements — the container with a lid, handle and spout. For Loewe, Cho has created a prototype conceived as a simplified, singular form, challenging the traditional teapot, while still fully functioning as intended,' Cho wrote of the work on the social media account of his architecture firm, Mass Studies.
'When not in use, the teapot can be placed upside down, revealing an abstract form,' he added.
Other participating artists and designers include American ceramist Dan McCarthy, Chinese architect Wang Shu, American artist Walter Price, Japanese ceramist Takayuki Sakiyama and Spanish architect Patricia Urquiola.
'Using traditional mediums, including porcelain and stoneware, and a variety of glazes and innovative textures, each artist takes a unique approach,' the foundation said on the exhibition.
The 'Loewe Teapots' exhibition, curated by Jonathan Anderson, is accompanied by a collection of homeware, including teapots made by Spanish artisans.
The Loewe Foundation has been awarding craft prizes since 2016 to recognize contemporary craft artists. Korean craft artist Jeong Da-hye won the craft prize in 2022, becoming the first Korean artist to do so.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
4 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Different layers of motifs, puzzles bring stylish take on 65-year-old female killer
'The Old Woman with the Knife' and its film adaptation offer diverging visions of aging, violence and redemption "The Old Woman with the Knife" by Gu Byeong-mo follows a female assassin nearing the end of her career — a striking and compelling premise that has proven irresistible for adaptation. The hardboiled Korean action-thriller novel, originally published in 2018, was reimagined as a musical last year and its film adaptation premiered at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival. It follows the story of Hornclaw (played by Lee Hye-young), a 65-year-old assassin whose age is beginning to catch up with her, and Bullfight (Kim Sung-cheol), an enigmatic young man who trails her with unclear motives. Her line of work, already dangerous, grows more precarious as she ages, and the world around her begins to see her as obsolete. 'She's like the legendary gunman whose hands have started to shake,' said director Min Kyu-dong at a press conference. 'Then a hotheaded newcomer shows up and challenges her to a duel. When she refuses, he starts firing wildly to provoke a confrontation.' Both the novel and the film center their narratives on this aging killer. But while the book turns inward, delving into the psychological weight of growing old — questions of powerlessness and the meaning of existence — the film leans outward, embracing visual spectacle through action-packed confrontations, tense chases and uneasy alliances. At its best, the film is not a retelling, but a divergent reflection of the same story — like a puzzle assembled from the same pieces, yet arranged into an entirely different picture. Bullfight and Hornclaw: Rivalries in two registers One of the starkest differences between the novel and the film lies in the characterization of Bullfight. In the film, his backstory is clearer and more emotionally grounded, hinting at a traumatic event that not only fuels his obsession with defeating Hornclaw but also his desperate need to leave a mark on her life. For the film to work, Bullfight's world had to be as robust as Hornclaw's, according to the director. "What could have pushed a young man to seek out a showdown with an aging killer? Perhaps a traumatic event, powerful enough to upend his entire life, is what drives him," said Min. 'With a novel, if something doesn't make sense, you can close the book and come back later. In a film, the moment passes, and if you don't understand, the rest of the story might not land.' The novel resists clarity. Bullfight's motivations remain ambiguous, his feelings toward Hornclaw unreadable. Gu has consistently declined to offer any clarification since the novel's release. 'It's the part readers are most curious about,' she said. 'But if I give a clear answer, the mystery disappears. I want readers to sit with their own questions.' Power struggle Another key divergence appears in the portrayal of the fictional company. In the novel, the shadowy organization of contract killing is referred to only vaguely as 'the agency." Both Hornclaw and her former partner and mentor, Ryoo (Kim Moo-yul), recognize the moral compromise inherent in their line of work, fully aware that their so-called 'clean-up' jobs are, in the end, acts of unforgivable violence. In the film, the moral framing is more ambiguous — even somewhat palatable. Hornclaw describes her work as a kind of sacred duty, targeting only those whose crimes seem to warrant death. There are boundaries, rules that govern her actions. The agency's director, Son (Kim Kang-woo), harbors ambitions to modernize it and ultimately edge Hornclaw out. Their conflict deepens as Son aligns with the newcomer, advocating for new ethics and methods within the agency. This clash reflects not only generational tensions but also a clash over justice, efficiency and the value of human life, leaving the aging Hornclaw increasingly sidelined and dismissed. Moral ambiguity Similar to the ethics of the agency that Hornclaw clings to, the film portrays her as a figure holding onto some sense of justice and righteousness, with her first love, Ryoo, also lingering as a sacred yet mysterious presence in her past. For example, Hornclaw's first murder is deliberately ambiguous in the film. The novel, however, offers a harsher, more unsettling interpretation: Ryoo intentionally abandons the young Hornclaw in a dangerous situation, out of a need to take care of the offender. Far from heroes, the novel suggests that neither Hornclaw nor Ryoo was innocent or virtuous. The novel devotes considerable space to Hornclaw's troubled history: her years of drifting from place to place, during which she was driven to steal not out of necessity but recklessness, her fraught relationship with Ryoo, and her child (omitted entirely from the film). This portrayal adds a layer of moral ambiguity and emotional complexity to the story. Many symbolic motifs — existence and disappearance, wounds, loss and recovery, salvation and violence — are intricately woven into the book. The film, likewise, is layered with motifs and puzzles. According to the director, even something as simple as a car's license plate hides a code. 'I hope that discovering these subtle details will be a small but rewarding pleasure for the audience and book fans alike," said Min "The Old Woman with the Knife" novel is available in English, translated by Chi-Young Kim, as well as in several other languages in 13 countries. hwangdh@
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
Annual Culture Communication Forum to crown winners of sustainable K-Style contest
International gathering showcases finalists with creative takes on Korean tradition The Corea Image Communication Institute will hold its 16th annual Culture Communication Forum on Thursday at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, wrapping up a monthslong global contest centered on "sustainable K-style." The event will bring together senior diplomatic and business leaders for a ceremony recognizing the competition's finalists and winners. KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung will deliver opening remarks, with congratulatory messages from Italian Ambassador Emilia Gatto and Japanese Ambassador Koichi Mizushima. EU Ambassador Maria Castillo Fernandez will join around 10 other ambassadors in attendance. Corporate attendees include Seo Jung-ho, chair of the Ambassador Hotel Group; Cho Jung-il, chair of The Hanok Heritage; and Sean Blakeley, chair of the British Chamber of Commerce in Korea and Honorary Ambassador of Foreign Investment Promotion for Korea. Franz Hotten, president of Pernod Ricard Korea, will also attend alongside some 60 guests. The forum's centerpiece will be a live vote to determine the winners among 12 finalists, selected from entries submitted between March 20 and May 30. Participants submitted ideas for reimagining Korean cultural traditions through a sustainability lens, exploring how K-style can evolve for future generations across music, cuisine, film and fashion. Finalists will present their entries, ranging from video clips to spoken presentations in Korean, during Thursday's event. The video competition features long- and short-form categories, each with four finalists. The grand prize winner in the long-form category will receive a prize package worth 3 million won (around $2,213), including 1 million won in cash. The short-form winner will receive a 2 million won package, with 700,000 won in cash. For the Korean speech segment, contestants from the United States, Spain, China, France and Egypt will compete for the grand prize. Each will deliver a three-minute speech on sustainable K-style, with the winners determined by real-time audience voting. The top prize is valued at 3 million won, including 1.5 million won in cash. The forum begins with registration at 4:40 p.m., followed by the main program at 5 p.m. A special pansori performance by French artist Mapo Lor will round out the ceremony. Founded in 2003 and officially registered with the Foreign Ministry, CICI promotes Korea's global image through cultural exchange. Since 2010, its annual CCF has served as a global platform for dialogue among cultural and diplomatic leaders.
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
Korea celebrates first National Gugak Day, with diverse festival
'Gugak is core pillar of K-culture', says Minister Yu In-chon South Korea officially marked its first-ever National Gugak Day on June 5 with a series of cultural events designed to spotlight the continued relevance of traditional Korean music. Declared by Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yu In-chon during a commemorative ceremony at Gyeongbokgung, the new national day aims to bridge the past and present by raising public interest in gugak and activating the gugak-centered cultural industry. 'To promote gugak, revitalize its cultural industries, and elevate public awareness, we declare June 5 as National Gugak Day,' said the minister in his speech. 'With the enactment of the Gugak Promotion Act and the inaugural celebration today, I believe we've reached a significant milestone in the history of gugak.' He continued, 'Gugak has accompanied our lives for centuries, present at every moment of joy, sorrow and celebration. It has been preserved and developed across generations, arriving here today. Its growing global popularity as a core pillar of K-culture is thanks to the dedication of those who have quietly upheld its traditions.' Yu, now serving his second term as culture minister, also took a personal moment during the ceremony, noting that this would likely be his final official appearance before stepping down following the recent change in government. 'This may be the last time I address you at an official event like this. My heart is full of gratitude and emotion,' he said. June 5 was chosen for National Gugak Day to commemorate the first official record of yeominrak, meaning 'music enjoyed by the people,' which appeared in the Annals of King Sejong on this date in 1447. The day encapsulates the ethos of shared cultural heritage and aims to invite all citizens to appreciate and participate in Korea's traditional performing arts. To mark National Gugak Day and the broader Gugak Week running from June 5 to 30, a wide array of cultural events is taking place across the country. At Gyeongbokgung Palace's Geunjeongjeon Hall, audiences can experience a commemorative performance titled "Sound of the Heavens, Music of King Sejong (Sejongjo Hoerye-yeon)," while Gwanghwamun Square hosts the Yeominrak Grand Festival, featuring street parades of traditional nongak from six different regions, special performances, and interactive activities. Beyond Seoul, performances, educational programs, hands-on workshops, academic symposia, and conferences are being organized by regional gugak centers and cultural foundations nationwide, offering opportunities for the public to engage with Korea's traditional music heritage.
