IOTA21 Day 2 Conference + John Curtin Gallery－Shermy=Share with Me 六寶媽日誌

John Curtin Gallery IOTA21 version

Previous on 前情提要: IOTA21 Day 1 Conference + Opening Night

Day 2 Conference was held at Curtin University. Lucky I set off really early, as I had no idea I would lost myself in the vast campground for a good half an hour. First, the destination building on the map at the campground was not logical; I spent a good 5 minutes to finally find it on the map. Second, there’s construction going on so I couldn’t go straight pass. After a good run and checking on different maps on site, I finally got there! Education Building 501! I think I will remember you for the rest of my life!

會議第二天在Curtin大學舉辦。還好我有提早出門，心裡的憧憬是能在校園漫步優雅進場，誰知道會變成在校園裡迷路超過半小時並加上無限狂奔！到底怎麼回事？首先，校園地圖上建築物所在的位置實在不合邏輯，當所有建築物的編號都物以類聚，就一個501建築圍繞在編號為2開頭的建築物之中！我花了五分鐘才找著！另外，由於校內某些地段正在興建，導致我必須繞路，都繞到外環道去了。經過不斷的奔跑和查看無數個校內地圖，我總算抵達目的地了！好一個501教育所，我餘生都記住你的位置了！

The campground map. While the building 501 was surrounded by 2xx buildings. Took me ages to find it! 校園地圖。建築501被2xx建築所環繞，讓我找了好久！

John Curtin University surroundings 大學校景

Day 2 Conference was a whole day pack with new ideas and knowledge. There were so many subjects going on, we can only choose one or another. I kicked of my day with Dr Anne Farren’s sustainable fashion topic, and was really amaze how technology had took us these days. Dr Farren showed her concern for the environment, as there were more cloths end up in the landfill than we could imagine. I learned about zero waste patterns and LOOP system, a whole system that can shred unwanted fabrics and spin into yarn, then make it into ONE new cloth in a whole day, yes, just one! Another thing surprised me was using mushroom fibre (Mylo) to make cloth. Wow! I was totally blown away by Dr Farren’s presentation. This kind of fashion (even with technology sense patch design on the cloths) truly breaks my whole concept about clothing on human beings.

(Click here for Dr Anne Farren’s eye-opening presentation: Crafting sustainable practice in fashion. on Vimeo)

第二天的會議充滿了知識與新知。有許多主題共時進行著，我們只能二選一。第一場，我參與了Dr Anne Farren關於時尚與永續性的主題，非常訝異當今科技所能做到的地步。Dr Farren表示了她對環境議題的關切，因為整體來說，最終進入垃圾掩埋場裡的衣服比我們想像的還要多。我學到了「零廢棄模板」這個用詞，和LOOP system，一個能在一天之內將不要的布料切碎、紡成毛線球、並製作成一件全新的衣裳的系統，是的！一天就只能做一件！另一個有趣的議題，是利用香菇纖維(稱為Mylo)所做的布料。Dr Farren的講座真的讓我大開眼界。這種時尚(包含了能穿在身上的科技感觸服裝等等)完全的打破我對人類著衣的概念。

(請點這裡查看能令你大開眼界Dr Farren的投影片：Crafting sustainable practice in fashion. on Vimeo)

Followed by Ms Jessica Priemus’s self-narrating weaving, I could feel myself slowly getting to know the beauty of weaving. I love how Jessica expressing herself with different weaving experiments through rhythm, contrast, exaggerated scale, gradient and imperfection. She explained her theory really well and showed us lots of interesting result pictures. What a great way to observe a weaving process and practice on hand.

接著，換Ms Jessica Priemus的自述編織。我可以感受到自己慢慢地體會到了編織的美。我很喜歡Jessica用韻律、比較、誇張比例、色澤層次與不完美這五項要素呈現在自己的編織實驗上。她把她的畢業論文用淺顯易懂的方式解說，並配上有趣的成品圖給我們觀看。能以這樣的觀點去觀察編織學問並實際手織且發展出自己的一套理論，真的很不簡單！

Nice morning tea. Yummy scone and quiche! 好吃的早茶奶油斯康與鹹蛋塔

Next, I was inspired by Dr Annette Nykiel and Dr Nien Schwartz’s project which focuses on women’s body and mind wellness and emphasized on the power of getting together especially after COVID hit. I’ve always want to bring people together, especially mums, to let them have a bit of “me time” to just be themselves disregard all the other roles they’ve been playing. The slow making project of craft and art “We Must Get Together Sometime” had put a seed of hope inside my heart.

接下來，由Dr Annette Nykiel 和 Dr Nien Schwartz’s著重在女性身心健康並強調聚集的力量，尤其在COVID發生過後。我一直想把人們聚起來，尤其是母親們，讓她們能有一點屬於自我的時間，完全地做自己，不論在生活中她們需要扮演什麼不同的角色。手工藝的慢調計畫「有空必相聚」在我心裡種下了一棵希望的種子。

Then, Mrs. Valerie Shaw’s presentation “The Power of Recycled Object” was something really amazed us all. Through the concern of environment, the power of using recycle object and make into art, unfold some ugly truth behind the politic in art sector, to her personal traumatic story. Valerie kept her surprise in the end. While she showing us on the power point “A Dress for Karly Emma,” she started to shake and became very emotional. Then she told us, this dress was inspired by her 18 month old granddaughter, who was “held up by her hair with a knife at her throat during a home invading...she survived.” And then she revealed to us that the young girl who’s helping with her power point in front that day was actually her granddaughter!

爾後，Mrs. Valerie Shaw的演講「回收物品的力量」，讓我們所有人都感到驚訝。從關心環境議題、使用回收物製作成藝術品的力量、揭露政治在藝術界裡的醜陋事實，一直到她本人具創傷的親身故事。Valerie把一個驚喜一直留到演講的最後。當她在PPT上放給大家看她的作品「給Karly Emma的洋裝」時，她開始顫抖，呼吸急促，被情緒衝擊到無法言語，接著她告訴我們，這件洋裝的靈感來自她當時只有18個月大的孫女，被人「一手抓住頭髮、一手用刀架在頸上，在房屋入侵時…她存活下來了」。然後她揭示，那位一直在前頭幫忙她用投影片的年輕女孩，就是她的孫女。

I couldn’t tell you how much goose bump I had all in the sudden and tears just keep rolling down my cheeks in a way I couldn’t resist it. Even recall that moment and writing all this down right now, I can still feel Valerie’s emotions flow through and can’t help myself crying. What an amazing story and what a miracle and surprise we all witness! Totally touch my heart. Make sure you do check on Valerie’s amazing recycled artwork here, especially the story of “A Dress for Karly Emma” at 14:25: The Power of the Recycled Object. on Vimeo

聽到這裡，我整個人起雞皮疙瘩！眼淚開始不由自主地流下。儘管現在在寫這篇文章做記錄，我仍能感受到Valerie當時的情感，心頭一酸，眼淚又忍不住冒了出來。我們眾人當時目睹了這一個奇蹟，多麼令人感到驚訝不已的故事啊！完全感動到我了。請務必前往觀賞Valerie出人意表的回收物藝術創作品，尤其去聽14:25分她描述的「給Karly Emma的洋裝」故事The Power of the Recycled Object. on Vimeo

Exhibition “Curiosity & Ritual of the Every Day”

Lunch break, I seize the chance to see the exhibition “Curiosity & Ritual of the Every Day” at John Curtin Gallery, which just across the road. Visiting gallery was like having a recharge for ideas. Not just the artwork itself, but how the space in the building was used, and how the setup was done as well. There was mirror being used to reflect the artwork above, there was lighting cast on the art work to show the beauty of the weaving piece. Light and shadow play such important role of art displaying. I’m learning something new every day!

午餐休息時間，我利用機會到馬路對面的John Curtin展覽館參觀「每日的好奇&儀式」展覽。參觀展覽館就好像在給腦子充上點子的電力。不只是觀賞藝術品本身的創作，而是包含了一個展覽館如何運用既有的空間作展出，以及設置是如何完成的。我看到利用鏡子反射出頭上的展物，用光打在編織藝術品上，讓編織藝術以光影的形式呈現另類之美。光和影在展覽中扮演了非常重要的腳色，我真的是每天都學習到不同的新事物啊！

Display of artworks using light and shadow. Down left: I took this photo from the reflection of the mirror which displays the art work hanging up above. 利用光和影來展現藝術品，左下：我從展示的鏡子中，拍攝高高懸在上頭的藝術作品

Another highlight for me was to know there’s only one building wearing cloth and getting change every year in the whole wide world, the Kaaba in Saudi Arabia. Mrs Nada Basahih showed us a short video of a group of men sewing, weaving, printing, and crafting on Kaaba’s cloth, Kiswa, a black cloth with golden sacred embroider on it. It was a stereotype while thinking of weaving and sewing, as most cloth related craft you will straight link to women but not men. The video of the making process of Kiswa had totally changed our point of view. It was very powerful to see and know somewhere in the world there’s a group of men were doing all this and bring all the men crafting together. (Watch Nada’s presentation and Kiswa making video here: Crafting the Kaaba Kiswa’s: Context and Traditional Practices. on Vimeo)

另一個值得一提的新知，是我認識了世上唯一一個需要穿衣服、並且每年都要換新衣的建築Kaaba，位於沙烏地阿拉伯。Mrs Nada Basahih放了一段影片給我們看，影片中由眾多男性們一起手縫、編織、印製和創作Kaaba要穿的衣物—Kiswa，一個全黑並配上用金線織縫的神聖刺繡文字圖案。對於縫製與編織，既有的觀感都會直接聯想到女性身上，所以能看到一群男人一起製造Kiswa的影片，真的會讓人完全改觀。知道世界上有一群男人們正聚在一起、一同製作編織布料這件事，是非常有影響力的。(請點此觀看Nada的演講與Kiswa的製作影片Crafting the Kaaba Kiswa’s: Context and Traditional Practices. on Vimeo)

I finished my last session in the discussion of technology v.s tradition practice. It was a really good subject especially we all experience the big change COVID had brought us. It made you think and want to dig deep to the core and meaning of crafting, the power of connection and how we adapt in the world. In the end, we all very surprised by one of the assistant student who sum up the whole day discussion with such deep insight while we all thought he’s just a technician helping out all the technology problem we face that day. He really amazed me.

我選擇了科技與手創的討論最為我的對後一場課。在我們多數人經歷了COVID帶來的改變後，我認為這是一個非常值得探討的議題。你會去深思、挖掘手工藝背後的核心和意義何在，連結的力量為何？而我們又是如何接受這樣的改變？最後，我們都很驚訝，一個我們一直以為只是來幫忙處理網路、電腦連接的學生助手，竟然能在做總結時，完美的表達出富有深度與內涵的評論，他真的嚇到我們了！

Look back to all these knowledge and insight that I’ve gained during the conference, I feel so thankful for all the people who make IOTA21 happen. It worth every cent to be there. And I want to thank Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund again to make all this possible.

回頭觀看在會議中我所學到的新知與見解，我真的很感謝有那麼一群人的努力，讓IOTA21會議能進行。錢花得很值得。而我也要再次感謝澳洲政府的偏區藝文基金，讓我有這個機會能全程免費參與。

Reflect on my question wrote on first IOTA21 post: “if for a certain thing, we all could have our opinion express through colours and put together on the fabric and display, what would the final artwork looks like?” and guess what? I found the perfect answer while visiting Curtin University. Look at the photo below.

回到我第一篇在IOTA21提出的疑問：「如果我們對同一件事的意見與詮釋，能以顏色的形象顯現並拼湊展示，那看起來會是什麼模樣呢？」你知道嗎？結果我在拜訪Curtin大學時，就找到了最佳解答。請看下圖。

Graduation garland display in “gradient” in Curtin University 校園畢業生們的緞帶

I also visited the kid’s art gallery just around the education building and found some ideas and able to apply them to my community. These add-ons from visiting a new place are always something unexpected and just as valuable as attending the conference itself.

我也順道參觀了在教育建築轉角旁的兒童藝術展覽館，汲取了不少的創意點子，並應用在社區的兒童手工藝上。這個因為拜訪新環境而擁有了意想不到的附加點子贈品，和親自參與會議本身可是一樣的寶貴啊！