Juxtaposing Craft is an exhibition which brings together historical and contemporary objects from the Nordic countries and Japan. By looking at the collections of the National Museums of World Culture in Stockholm, a group of invited designers, artists and artisans has looked for new perspectives into our material culture.
Water Rituals is one part this exhibition by collaborative design project 1+1+1 (comprising Hugdetta from Iceland, Aalto+Aalto from Finland and Petra Lilja from Sweden). In this project they invited and worked together with Japanese designer Aoi Yoshizawa to examine the cultural heritage and artefacts of their respective countries’ rituals relating to water. By studying water in relation to both humans and non-human species, the designers have tried to imagine a future in which we all cohabit the earth in reciprocity.
By juxtaposing the past to the present , the Nordic countries with Japan, theoretical thinking with hands-on practice, and industrial production with craft-making, the designers and thgeir collaborators have created new artefacts such as cleaning stones, lanterns, bathrobes, drinking ladles, vessels and tools for collecting water and processing herbs.
These works were made for a specific site near Husavik in northern Iceland. This is also wehere 1+1+1 designed pools and a warm sand bed, to be experienced in close connection with the natural Icelandic landscape of hills, creeks and geothermal water.
The exhibition is ongoing at Östasiatiska Museet in Stockholm until the end of 2023. The exhibition is curated by Anna Senno and Rebecca Ahlstedt. https://www.ostasiatiskamuseet.se/en/exhibitions/juxtaposing-craft/