| From Lausanne to Beijing by Carol Westfall | | Print | |
From Lausanne to Beijing, Fifth International Fiber Art Biennale & International Fiber Art Symposium
China’s Gold Medal Winners, Zhang Haidong and Wang Meng’s work entitled “Melting” measured 480 cm x 240 cm x 2cm and was worked in wood, paper, metal and silk threads. These events were held in two enormous galleries at Tsinghua University and in the ballroom of the A. C. Embassy Hotel in Beijing November 25 and 26, 2008. Over 300 artists participated from around the globe. The Fiber Art Committee of China seeks to exhibit the most innovative and exciting new ideas and thinking in the global field of fiber art. In addition, the symposium seeks to further explore and exchange these novel ways of working between eastern and western artists and to promote mutual cooperation between universities and art colleges, entrepreneurs, artists and the academic world at large. The intent is to advance Chinese Fiber Art and art education through the visual and the oral communication which the exhibit and the seminar provide. Simply based on the number of participants at both events in 2009, it is clear that the growth has been more than four fold since the first of these exhibitions and seminars was held in 2000. Something quite wonderful is happening here!
The USA’s Gold Medal Winner, Lia Cook, exhibited “A-maze Doll”which was woven on a TC-1 loom in cotton and rayon. The work measures 53cm x 80cm.
An impressive Organizing Committee and Jury works with Curator and Secretary General Lin Lecheng to select and show the best works available. The Jury for this current exhibition consisted of : Annika Ekdahl (Sweden) Jane Przbysz (USA) Cho Yeryung Korea) Joan Schulze (USA) Chung Kyungyeun (Korea) Liu Jude (China) Deng Lin (China) Lv Pintian (China) Fukumoto Shigeki (Japan) Nancy Kozikowski (USA) Fukumoto Shihoko (Japan) Ni Yuehong (China) Hiroko Watanabe (Japan) Shigeo Kubota (Japan) Zhang Fuye (China) 
 For the 2008 exhibition, Gold Medal Winners were Lia Cook (USA) and the team of Zhang Haidong and Wang Meng (China). Among the Bronze Medal Winners was Maximo Laura of Peru. Louise Louise Lemieux Bérubé (Canada), and Tetsuo Fujimoto (Japan) were two of the Silver Medal Winners. There were many artists who received citations of Excellence – too many to attempt to have them come to the podium during the ceremony so the certificates were delivered later. The artist and one of the jury members, Joan Schulze, has been very active in promoting this event in the USA and other areas of the world like Australia. Joan has also done a great deal of work in China itself, traveling and educating the students about the field of fiber art in sometimes very remote districts.  Most of the participating artists came early in order to oversee the hanging of their works and to see some of China while they were there. Our accommodations were overseen by a young woman, Mei Wang, who cared for us with extraordinary skill and great patience. Nothing fazed this dedicated young lady! We wanted to pack her up and bring her home with us. Mei directed us to go a few blocks down from the hotel where we would find several restaurants for lunch and dinner. Breakfast was part of the hotel package which cost each of us a most affordable $50 per day. The hotel was near a convenience store, bank, pharmacy, large traditional Chinese market as well as many restaurants. All were within easy walking distance. At 2:00 p.m. on November 25, the formal opening of the 5th International Fiber Art Biennale took place in the large galleries at Tsinghua University. Dignitaries and those persons most responsible for hosting the exhibition and symposium as well as the medal winners were introduced to a large audience of students, faculty and other interested individuals. Beautiful catalogues were given out to all the participants. A huge banquet table laden with wines and delicious hors d’ oeuvres awaited the crowd. Soon, buses arrived to transport the artists and dignitaries to a sumptuous dinner at the restaurant Chateau Glory International – Summit Club on the outskirts of Beijing.
 Japan’s Tetsuo Fujimoto won a Silver Medal for his work entitled “Work ’03-V”. This work measures 19.5 cm x 315 cm x 167 cm and is comprised of hemp cloth, polyester thread and reactive dyes. The next morning, Tsinghua University provided more buses to take us all out to visit the Bird’s Nest – the marvelous 2008 Olympic stadium and also what some of us referred to as the “bubble wrap” building where the Olympic water sports were held. Later that same day, we all took part in the Fiber Art Symposium which was held in the ballroom of the A.C. Embassy hotel. We then were treated to yet another sumptuous banquet dinner, this time in the same room where the symposium had been held. As many people were scheduled to begin to leave the next morning and knowing we might not see one another again, gave the dinner a bit of a “sorry to have it end” feeling but it also provided a perfect climax to the festivities.
 Some of the selected artists in Shanghai with Professor Lin Lecheng (far right). From left are Joan Schulze (USA), Germany’s Bernhard G. Lehmnnn and Canada’s Louise Lemieux Bérubé The next day several specially selected artists joined Professor Lin Lecheng on a flight to Shanghai where their work was shown in another exhibition entitled “The Shanghai Itinerant Exhibition” which will tour China for a year. The first presentation of this tour took place in Shanghai at the newly opened Interior Design Centre know as “Furniture”, from November 28th to December 6th. The General Manager of this complex has simulated home interiors, at a gallery level, in order to present each textile work in a “life style” setup : one in a living room, another in a bedroom, or a dining room, etc. This presentation was unique and very interesting. It looked very real. During the evening, after a banquet, invited artists were asked to give a short talk on ‘how, for them, art is important in life”. Many journalists (both paper and television) were present and interviewed the artists. We congratulate the Chinese as they revive the revered tradition of the Lausanne Biennale and we trust that this event will not only continue but grow, in scope and scale. Louise Lemieux Bérubé and Carol Westfall |
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