ABSTRACT
The exhibition broadly investigated mending as material intervention and metaphor, and as a call to action. The material focus of the exhibition rested in textile practices, with thread presented as an elemental binding unit, and sewing as a literal and metaphorical method of suturing, as the connective and restorative tissue linking the past to the present and future. Well-used, well-loved, and well-maintained objects harbor traces of personal narratives that speak to these emerging designers and artists as important markers of history, emotional investment, and endurance. The kintsugi repair thus challenges often-held assumptions regarding material objects by showing their aging process as a positive turn, instead of deterioration, and a springboard for engagement, creativity, and imagination, as well as an opportunity for us to participate in their lives. The objects and processes are presented through photography, videos, installations, performances, publications, blogs. The broken pieces symbolize the scars left by this natural disaster and the act of repair a process of healing.
