Beauty of Korean craft to be presented at Milan Design Week 2021

The beauty of Korean craftsmanship will be showcased during the Milan Design Week 2021, the world’s largest design and craftwork fair, which will take place from Sept. 5 to 10 across Milan, Italy.

The Korean exhibition will be held under the theme of “All About Attitude,” directed by Kang Jae-young, presenting 126 craftwork pieces by 21 Korean artisans. The craftwork will encompass those created with glass, metals, ceramics, wood, and Korean lacquer. 

The theme explores the attitude in craftsmanship that seeks a horizontal and equal relationship between numerous agents involved in craft-making, including humans, materials and the environment. 

"We wanted to show the Korean craftsmanship’s ethics that respects and embraces things other than humans. We wanted to explore the horizontal relationship with other objects related to craftworks particularly in the pandemic time, moving away from crafts for humans,” Kang said.

The Korean exhibition aims to show the need to respect various objects and life that have been treated as lifeless materials amid the escalating environmental crisis. The exhibition comprises three sections -- “All About Earthbound,” “All about Companion,” and “All about Posture.”

It is the ninth straight year that Korea is holding an exhibition at the annual design fair in Italy, organized by the Korea Craft and Design Foundation and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The Korean exhibition will be presented at the Palazzo Litta, also known as Palazzo Arese-Litta, a Baroque structure that was built in the 17th century and served as a cultural center.

With the press opening on Sept. 4, virtual exhibition spaces will be unveiled to the general public through the website of Mosca Partners, the organizer of the Milan Design Week 2021. Marking the 60th anniversary this year, this year’s design fair is held in a hybrid format with some craftwork already having debuted online from July.

By Park Yuna (yunapark@heraldcorp.com)