Achievement Exhibition of Tsinghua BMW Innovation Center for ICH Safeguarding

We contemplate the present and recall the past with emotion to revitalize Hainan culture. This is a chance encounter with coconut scented sea breeze, and a perfect mix of traditional craft and modern technique. Traditional intangible cultural heritage (ICH) techniques from Hainan are combined with modern process design and popular aesthetic to form a freehand brushwork painting that integrates ancient and modern elements. 

On September 15, 2020, the "Achievement Exhibition of Tsinghua BMW Innovation Center for ICH Safeguarding kicked off at Yingzhibao Theater in Beijing, with works submitted jointly by experts of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University (AADTHU) and five ICH inheritors from Hainan. 

Project overview

Since 2016, for the purpose of the "BMW China Culture Journey", we have annually selected ICH inheritors to participate in research and training at the Tsinghua BMW Innovation Center for ICH Safeguarding, building a bridge for "intangible cultural heritage into modern life". In 2019, the Tsinghua BMW Innovation Center for ICH Safeguarding was newly upgraded, and AADTHU, BMW China Automotive Trading Ltd., BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd., and Tsinghua (Qingdao) Academy of Arts and Science Innovation Research (TASA) co-organized and co-opened the "2019 Training Class of Tsinghua BMW Innovation Center for ICH Safeguarding", further improving the inheritors' artistic vision and cultural creativity. 

Exhibition

090201❏ Photos of the Achievement Exhibition of Tsinghua BMW Innovation Center for ICH Safeguarding

090202❏ Photos of the Achievement Exhibition of Tsinghua BMW Innovation Center for ICH Safeguarding

090202❏ Photos of the Achievement Exhibition of Tsinghua BMW Innovation Center for ICH Safeguarding

 

Participating teams and their works

Harmony and Fusion

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Advisor: WANG Yue
AADTHU's associate professor 
Doctoral candidate supervisor Director of KOPENHAGEN FUR Design Laboratory of AADTHU

 

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ICH inheritor: FU Linzao
National inheritor representative
Traditional Li textile craft

Traditional Li textile craft stresses the integration of weather conditions, geographical conditions, workmanship, and materials. Heaven and earth co-exist, cotton and linen are mixed by weaving and dyeing, and human value is highlighted in the process. This is the so-called "harmony between man and nature". Through combining ethnic culture with urban civilization and traditional dyeing and weaving with modern design, the Harmony and Fusion has a cultural charm beyond spatio-temporal restriction. It is mainly in blue and white colors. There is the "harmonious coexistence" between simple but elegant cotton and linen and magnificent pearl embroidery, between compact textile and fluffy tassel, and between the blue and white background and oriental cultural elements. The Harmony and Fusion contains all in blue and white background, implies five skandhas with textile craft, reflects karma with pearl embroidery, and fosters entelechy in the transformation of design and Li brocade. 

090205❏ Harmony and Fusion, a brocade work of Li nationality

090205❏  Harmony and Fusion, a brocade work of Li nationality

090205❏  Harmony and Fusion, a brocade work of Li nationality

 

Phoenix Courtship

 

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Advisor: SHEN Wei
AADTHU's associate professor 
Bachelor of Arts
Master supervisor

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ICH inheritor: HUANG Cuihua
Provisional inheritor representative
Traditional Li textile craft 

Li brocade has existed for a long time and is famous for its beautiful colors, novel patterns and excellent workmanship since the Song Dynasty. For Li brocade, there is a variety of patterns that mainly reflect social production and life, love and marriage, folk activities, and legendary auspicious or good things of Li nationality. The inspiration for the pattern of Phoenix Courtship originates from the Chinese fan palm, an indigenous plant in Hainan. It's artistically processed into the modern-style artistic pattern, which is coupled with traditional Li brocade craft and applied to ornamental and practical bed and table flags. In doing so, the traditional craft is integrated into modern home life. 

090205 ❏ Phoenix Courtship, a brocade work of Li nationality

090205❏ Phoenix Courtship, a brocade work of Li nationality

090205❏ Phoenix Courtship, a brocade work of Li nationality

 

Cradle Narrative: Datura 

 

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Advisor: MO Zhi 
AADTHU's assistant professor
Former Curator Assistant of the Art Gallery of AADTHU

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ICH inheritor: HUANG Liqiong 
Provisional inheritor representative
Traditional Li textile craft 

Li brocade is a kind of ritual textile that is generally inextricably linked to women. The Cradle Narrative: Datura was designed to highlight women's special position in nurturing kids. It's mainly in dark red color, in response to the "parent" and "primitive instinct". The figures, flowers, grasses, cows, and horses in Li brocade form the "world" understood and constructed by mothers and influence their children. These patterns are also the most sincere and simplest words used to describe the world early in man's history. 

090205❏ Cradle Narrative: Datura, a brocade work of Li nationality

090205❏ Cradle Narrative: Datura, a brocade work of Li nationality

090205❏ Cradle Narrative: Datura, a brocade work of Li nationality

090205❏ Cradle Narrative: Datura, a brocade work of Li nationality

 

Floating Lotus

 

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Advisor: YUE Song 
AADTHU's associate professor 
Dual Master's Degree 
Deputy Head of Student Working Group of the Party Committee of AADTHU

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ICH inheritor: FENG Zengchao 
Provisional inheritor representative 
Technique: Dongpo bamboo hat production technique 

 

The work was produced based on traditional Hainan Dongpo bamboo hat weaving craft and in combination with modern living space. For design and creation, it's a decorative product of bamboo waving series, and its inspiration originated from the form of floating lotus in nature. This work doesn't take on the uniform forms of traditionally woven bamboo products, and instead shows a multi-layered and rich display effect by means of several traditional bamboo waving techniques and in a modern, combined and well-proportioned manner. 

090205❏  Floating Lotus, a woven bamboo work

090205❏  Floating Lotus, a woven bamboo work

090205❏  Floating Lotus, a woven bamboo work

 

Rise of Clouds · Fall of Tides

 

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Advisor: WANG Yinan
AADTHU's associate professor 
Master supervisor 
Person in charge of Metal Welding Laboratory of AADTHU

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ICH inheritor: WU Mingju
Provisional inheritor representative
Hainan coconut carving technique 

 

This work is based on traditional coconut carving technique and embedded with modern sculpture creation ideas. It demonstrates an active integration of the inheritance of traditional techniques and the creation of modern arts, as well as a move to try a brand-new artistic expression form of coconut carving. There is a unique natural material used in the creation — coconut shell. The coconut shells were arranged and structured well to create this modern coconut carving work with a higher ornamental value. 

090205❏  Rise of Clouds · Fall of Tides, a coconut carving work

090205❏  Rise of Clouds · Fall of Tides, a coconut carving work

090205❏  Rise of Clouds · Fall of Tides, a coconut carving work

 

Historically, no arts have developed beyond history and no works have been created outside current context. In the future, AADTHU, BMW, and TASA will continue to exploring infinite possibilities of intangible cultural heritage preservation and modern innovation.