Design Curating, Exhibition & Graphic Design
for Catherine Griffiths: SOLO IN [ ] SPACE
that is the first solo show of one of the most eminent New Zealand designers Catherine Griffiths in China.
为新西兰最著名的设计师之一凯瑟琳·格里菲斯在中国策划的首次个展，并为展览进行了设计写作与编辑、展览设计、展览系列视觉推广设计。
"Through the process of communicating back and forth with each other and putting together the exhibition, I have gained a more complete understanding of Griffiths' design practice. When I go through her work yet again, two sentences written by one of my favourite writers “Mu Xin” had come to mind: “I embrace splendor because I appreciate the simplicity in plainness” and “All that could be done was to return to nature after a long journey.” I want to borrow these words that, to me, best describes Griffiths' character and the tone of voice in her work. Most of her work may not have the immediate stimulating quality to directly catch people’s eyes.
However, It is about her enthusiasm for intensive thinking and the endless demands on details. While there's something magnificent about the dialectic process and the exquisite craftsmanship in her finished works, there's also something simple yet essential about her precise exploration towards the essence of typography. All the “discreet elegance” constructed by these asks the audience to ‘taste’ with heart, and to return to nature. This is also why we invited Griffiths to show her thoughts and process in this exhibition, whether they are complete or fragmented. This show blurs the space between “public” and “private”; “showroom” and “work site”. It has become the most sincere invitation from Griffiths herself.
In the process of curating this exhibition, so many expressions and words were circling in my mind and yet none of them can compare to this final space of the show itself and the excitement I had as I finally introduce Griffiths and her work to you. Just as what Griffiths said after creating her iconic work–Wellington Writers Walk, “Suddenly I’d leapt off the printed page and into the landscape–in front of everyone.” You are experiencing the “sense of presence” through this unconventional exhibition space, integrated exhibition design, unfiltered thoughts and creative process, along with the upcoming exhibition brochure which included archives. This “sense of presence” may be all the poetry that I want you to read about Griffiths.
SOLO IN [ ] SPACE. I hope it’s able to trigger your solo, or tutti. Pure, powerful, and poetic. "
However, It is about her enthusiasm for intensive thinking and the endless demands on details. While there's something magnificent about the dialectic process and the exquisite craftsmanship in her finished works, there's also something simple yet essential about her precise exploration towards the essence of typography. All the “discreet elegance” constructed by these asks the audience to ‘taste’ with heart, and to return to nature. This is also why we invited Griffiths to show her thoughts and process in this exhibition, whether they are complete or fragmented. This show blurs the space between “public” and “private”; “showroom” and “work site”. It has become the most sincere invitation from Griffiths herself.
In the process of curating this exhibition, so many expressions and words were circling in my mind and yet none of them can compare to this final space of the show itself and the excitement I had as I finally introduce Griffiths and her work to you. Just as what Griffiths said after creating her iconic work–Wellington Writers Walk, “Suddenly I’d leapt off the printed page and into the landscape–in front of everyone.” You are experiencing the “sense of presence” through this unconventional exhibition space, integrated exhibition design, unfiltered thoughts and creative process, along with the upcoming exhibition brochure which included archives. This “sense of presence” may be all the poetry that I want you to read about Griffiths.
SOLO IN [ ] SPACE. I hope it’s able to trigger your solo, or tutti. Pure, powerful, and poetic. "
“经过这一系列的交流与接触，对格里菲斯的设计实践亦拥有了越来越完整的认识，再看时，脑海中不知怎的就自然的浮现了木心先生的两句文字“因为喜欢朴素，所以喜欢华丽”以及“能做的事情就只是长途跋涉后的归真反璞”。这可能是两句想要借用来，去描述格里菲斯的个人气质以及她的作品样貌的合适且准确的言语了。她的多数作品可能并非直接拥有抓人眼球的刺激，但她对庞杂思考投入的充沛精力以及对细节毫无倦怠的苛求，俨然是长途跋涉的修行；繁复的辩证过程和成品中精致的工艺，是谓华丽；化繁为简，精确的，对文字设计本质的探寻，是谓朴素；而这全部的全部所构建的“谨慎的优雅”，足以用“品味”二字去要求观众，返璞归真了。这也是为什么在这场展览中，相较于设计的成品，我们更邀请格里菲斯去展示她的思考与过程，无论是完整的，抑或是碎片化的。这个模糊了公共与私有、展场与工作现场的最终呈现，也成为来自格里菲斯本人最真诚的邀请。
策划这场展览的过程中，脑海中本涌动出太多的想要说的言语，可是，又有怎样的言语能够比这场展览最终的样貌更能描述我想企图向大家介绍的格里菲斯呢？正像格里菲斯在创作完她的标志性作品《惠灵顿作家之路（Wellington Writers Walk）》后所说，“突然间，我从传统的印刷文字场域中，跳脱出来，进入空间与景观，站在了所有人面前”。而你们，将看到的是我们通过这个非常规的展览场地、完整的展示营造、穿插的创作过程揭示，以及即将推出的有着“过程档案”意味的展览手册，一同所构建的“在场感”。而这个“在场感”可能即是我希望你们阅读的关于格里菲斯的全部诗意。
场域间的独奏，希望引发出你的独奏，亦以此独奏向你们发出合奏的邀请，平静的，有力的，诗意的。”
策划这场展览的过程中，脑海中本涌动出太多的想要说的言语，可是，又有怎样的言语能够比这场展览最终的样貌更能描述我想企图向大家介绍的格里菲斯呢？正像格里菲斯在创作完她的标志性作品《惠灵顿作家之路（Wellington Writers Walk）》后所说，“突然间，我从传统的印刷文字场域中，跳脱出来，进入空间与景观，站在了所有人面前”。而你们，将看到的是我们通过这个非常规的展览场地、完整的展示营造、穿插的创作过程揭示，以及即将推出的有着“过程档案”意味的展览手册，一同所构建的“在场感”。而这个“在场感”可能即是我希望你们阅读的关于格里菲斯的全部诗意。
场域间的独奏，希望引发出你的独奏，亦以此独奏向你们发出合奏的邀请，平静的，有力的，诗意的。”
原文及更多内容请浏览 https://duanzhihua.design/SOLO-IN-SPACE
