材料的叙事
跟吃有关的事可以无穷大，也可以细碎微小，这个展览就与材料密切相关。材料是基础，由材料特性出发，其实际功能是对器具物理属性的一重制约。比如对烹饪器皿、用餐器物的开发和设计，这些物件存在的意义，在于满足人们的使用需求，同时也满足日常生活中审美的需求。这两方面的考量是设计师们始终需要面对的课题。
本次展览中，很多设计师的着眼点是怎样与传统生产制作工艺展开对话，让老手艺融入新生活。关于老手艺是不是夕阳余晖，它们会在哪个时刻迎接自己的宿命，这类问题我无法作答。我们想在此刻探讨的是，老手艺有没有可能融于当代工业生产的大背景，并在日常生活中寻找一个合适的机会转身归来。有情怀是件美好的事，还有，对生活的热情。
从关注中国人饮食习惯和当代生活方式的角度，我筹备策划系列跟食物和器具相关的展览，每次集中探讨一个话题。以食物这个命题发散出去，从不同材质领域出发，将设计具象成实际使用的器具。选择怎样的器物和环境，不仅定义用餐方式，也将塑造我们的生活形态和趣味。
Material Narrative
Culinary culture can be an immense topic, and simultaneously it can be broken down into many constituent components. This exhibition revolves around the materials that are used to perform the act of eating by using the physical materials as the foundation. Their natural forms restrict the physical construction of the utensils. For example, in the development and design of cooking utensils and tableware, one not only needs to fulfill the practical requirements of the utensil as a tool, but also to consider the aesthetics of daily life. This is the significance of these objects. And it is also an ongoing subject matter for the designers to incorporate both of these criteria into their designs.
In this exhibition, many of the designers engage in a dialogue with traditional crafts, looking to integrate traditional methods into contemporary life. Whether traditional craftsmanship has passed its sunset, or when they might terminally atrophy, I cannot answer. What I would like to discuss right now is if there is a place for traditional crafts within the production lines of contemporary society that will allow them to return to our daily life at the appropriate moment. It’s beneficial to have ambitions as well as passion for life.
With a focus on Chinese culinary customs and contemporary life style, I intend to produce a series of exhibitions related to food and utensils, discussing one topic at a time. From the initial proposition of food, examining different materials from different fields, and the materialization of designs into functioning utensils. The type of utensils and environment we choose, not only define the manner in which we eat, but also shape the form of our life and its pleasures.
