Power of Making
Nora Fok jewellery
This autumn, the V&A and Crafts Council will celebrate the role of making in our lives by presenting an eclectic selection of over 100 exquisitely crafted objects, ranging from a life-size crochet bear to a ceramic eye patch, a fine metal flute to dry stone walling.
Power of Making will be a cabinet of curiosities showing works by both amateurs and leading makers from around the world to present a snapshot of making in our time.
The exhibition will showcase works made using a diverse range of skills and explore how materials can be used in imaginative and spectacular ways, whether for medical innovation, entertainment, social networking or artistic endeavour. Works on display will include moulded shoes by Marloes ten Bhömer, new Saville Row tailoring by Social Suicide, furniture such as a spun metal rotating chair by Thomas Heatherwick to individual handcrafted puppets from the 2009 film Fantastic Mr Fox, a six-necked guitar, bio-implant embroidering to aid surgical implants, a lion-shaped Ghanaian coffin, extreme cake decorations and new technologies such as 3D printing.
Daniel Charny, who is curating the exhibition, said: “This exhibition will celebrate the importance of traditional and time-honoured ways of making but also highlight the extraordinary innovation taking place around the world. We aim to show how the act of making in its various forms, from human expression to practical problem solving, unites us globally. We hope the exhibition will inspire people and cause them to more thoughtfully consider the role of making in their lives, in their society, in commerce and in education.”
Rosy Greenlees, Executive Director, Crafts Council said: “The Crafts Council and V&A partnership is a very fruitful one, enabling the development of ambitious contemporary craft exhibitions that are seen by very significant audiences. Power of Making is our second partnership exhibition and will focus on the universality of making. Over 100 hand-made objects from around the world will reveal the ingenuity of makers and highlight the influence of craft skills in a multitude of settings and across many industries.”
There will be a recently completed work by David Mach, a giant gorilla created of metal coat hangers, which will stand in the V&A’s Grand Entrance, outside the Porter Gallery.
The exhibition will encourage visitors to consider the process of making, not just the results. There will be commissioned documentary footage filmed at individual maker’s studios and factories, to provide an insight into how the knowledge of making is preserved. These will include Watson Bros. Gunmakers, CPP car makers in Coventry, John Lobb shoemakers and Moorfield Hospital’s prosthetic eye maker. There will also be a dedicated ‘Tinker Space’ for demonstrations and a wide
programme of activities for visitors.
People from around the world will be invited to upload short films about making to a dedicated open submission website and a selection of the best entries will be continually screened in the exhibitions making area.
Power of Making comes at a time when the loss of skill is threatening cultural practice and impacting on commercial industries. However, there is also a resurgence of making currently taking place as a means of self expression, social participation and cultural definition. The exhibition will examine and celebrate the expertise, knowledge and innovation demonstrated in objects, supporting the importance of traditional making skills and the drive towards new ways of working.
Power of Making is the second exhibition in the V&A/Crafts Council partnership.
Notes to Editors
This FREE exhibition takes place from 6 September 2011 – 2 January 2012 in the Porter Gallery, the V&A’s gallery for contemporary exhibitions and installations
It is open daily 10.00 – 17.45 and until 22.00 every Friday
About the V&A/ Crafts Council Partnership
Crafts Council is the national development agency for contemporary craft, working with partners across the UK – including the V&A – to help promote craft to the widest possible audience. The Crafts Council’s goal is to make the UK the best place to make, see, collect and learn about contemporary craft. Crafts Council is supported by Arts Council England who work to get great art to everyone by championing, developing and investing in artistic experiences that enrich people’s lives.
Exhibition Publication
There will be an 80-page paperback publication to accompany the exhibition,
designed by the studio practice Oscar & Ewan (£9.99). Contributors will include Daniel Charny, Professor Sir Christopher Frayling, Professor Danny Miller, Science Fiction author Bruce Sterling, Martina Margetts, Ele Carpenter and an interview with Professor Neil Gershenfeld. For further PRESS information, contact Julie Chan on 020 7942 2701 or j.chan@vam.ac.uk.
