Taiwan made its first appearance at art fair Design Miami/Basel in June with a pavilion lauded as one of the fair's top eight must-see highlights by Time Inc. publication Wallpaper*.
Curated by the National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute (NTCRI), the Taiwan pavilion took inspiration from the form and hues of colorful paper lanterns that adorn traditional temples. It was part of the art fair's Curio Program, which intersperses cabinets of curiosity among core galleries to offer inventive snapshots of today's design landscape.
In the June 14 article "Design Miami/ Basel 2018: the Wallpaper* highlights," the Taiwan pavilion was listed among eight lounges and galleries curated by designers and architects from Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the Netherlands.
The pavilion design greatly complimented its display — a stunning selection of crafts from "A New Layer II: Crafting Identities / Design Stories from Taiwan," a NTCRI program which transforms traditional Taiwanese craftsmanship products into contemporary design objects and furniture.
Belgium-based curator Lise Coirier served as art director of "A New Layer II," in which seven designers based in France, Germany, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, and Switzerland worked with artisans in Taiwan to produce collectable design with a Taiwanese flair:
- The New Koji by Anton Alvarez (Sweden-Chile) & Zhong-Zheng Chen + Chi-Li Hsiao (Taiwan)
- The Bridge Bamboo Bench by Sebastian Herkner (Germany) & Ming-An Wu (Taiwan)
- The Bamboo Chair by Jin Kuramoto (Japan) & Jian Cheng Lin (Taiwan)
- The Cong Collection by Julie Richoz (Switzerland/France) & Chin-Mei Huang (Taiwan)
- The Clay Table by Wonmin Park (South Korea) & Wen-Yi Kung + Chin-Mei Huang (Taiwan)
- The Fruit Tower by BCXSY – Boaz Cohen & Sayaka Yamamoto (Israel/Netherlands – Japan) & Zhong Jian-Fu + Wen-Yi Kung (Taiwan)
- The Neolithic Collection by Jin Kuramoto (Japan) & Zhong Jian-Fu + Clay+art & craft co. (Taiwan)
More information on the ongoing collaboration among international designers and Taiwanese artisans can be found on the program's Instagram account @anewlayertaiwan.