Story Wear, a zero-waste fashion brand dedicated to creating new life for recycled jeans, and Tomorrow Productions, the art planning team of the Zhongtai Group that has revitalized idle spaces in many cities, have jointly launched the special exhibition "Recreating Stories," which interprets the life of old items from an artistic perspective. They have invited two contemporary Taiwanese artists, Yao Ruizhong and Liu Wenxuan, to create works. The exhibition will be on display in the curatorial space on the 3rd floor of "NOKE Zhongtai Life" in Dazhi Department Store until April 7.
A sustainable and waste-free zero-waste exhibition addresses pollution issues in the fashion industry
"The fashion industry is the second-largest polluter in the world," a fact Story Wear has repeatedly emphasized since its inception. In his opening remarks, founder Chen Guanbai stated that the production of a single garment is linked to issues such as ocean pollution, land destruction, and workers' rights. This exhibition aims to convey this message in a straightforward yet nonchalant manner.
At the opening press conference, artist Feng Shaofeng performed live. In his speech, Feng Shaofeng mentioned his childhood experience of collecting clothes from used clothing factories with his family. He also wore a handmade denim lapel jacket designed by Story Wear for the exhibition, calling on the public to pay attention to the potential for chemical contamination in fabrics. Feng Shaofeng's jacket is made of laser-cut denim stitched with jeans, using recycled fabrics or factory waste, and is 100% handmade. Inside, the jacket features a product "ID card" documenting the maker's identity and the production process, striving for transparency.
Chen Guanbai stated that openness and transparency are crucial elements of zero-waste fashion. She recounted that applying for the UK's "Positive Luxury" certification required not only proving the source of raw materials but also documenting the low-carbon nature of employees' transportation methods, including photographic documentation. It was precisely this dedication and perseverance that made Story Wear the only Taiwanese fashion brand to achieve certification.
The exhibition title changes the word "sustainable" to "wadding," referring to fabric and paper fibers. The latter echoes another frequently used material in Story Wear, "Abacell," leading the public to re-understand the relationship between people and objects from a microscopic perspective. Two contemporary Taiwanese artists, Yao Ruizhong and Liu Wenxuan, were invited to extend the life of objects through stories.
The team put a lot of thought into implementing a zero-waste exhibition. The curtains featuring sustainability issues were crafted from recycled PET bottle fibers by FNG Generation Design, a social enterprise promoting a circular resource integration platform. The booths used to display exhibits were constructed from recycled paper bricks provided by the established paper mill, YFY. Even the hangers were crafted from coffee grounds and rice husks by the local eco-friendly design brand Inside & Outside. Everything visible and tangible was recyclable after the exhibition.
Folding screens transformed into "unplugged" kimono jackets; recycled denim becomes art.
The exhibition is divided into three areas. First up is Story Wear's collaboration with contemporary artist Yao Ruizhong. This marks the first physical exhibition of Yao Ruizhong's large-scale art screen, "Strait Storm." The royal blue brushstrokes of the landscape and waves echo the blue of the denim. Next to the screen, a kimono jacket inspired by "Strait Storm" is displayed. This piece, crafted from leftover fabric from clothing production, is crocheted with knitting needles, completely without an electric sewing machine. It took 15 days to complete and is the only one of its kind in the world.
In addition to the screen, the exhibition also features Yao Ruizhong's silk-screen print "Good Girl - Rabbit", which is part of the 2024 new clothing series created in collaboration between the artist and Story Wear. The pattern of the work has also been made into T-shirts for sale.
Passing the screen, you'll arrive at the artist Liu Wenxuan's exhibition area. She discusses the mounting techniques of ancient scroll paintings. The "mounting cloth" used to frame each ancient painting represents the popular motifs of the era. Her series, "Dialogue," showcases anonymous ink paintings from a flea market, framed with modern fabrics. Liu Wenxuan jokingly describes it as "dressing the paintings in what I consider the most fashionable contemporary clothing."
"Beard Has a Face," debuting at this exhibition, is a work by Liu Wenxuan created to evoke the spirit of Story Wear. "Actually, I first became aware of Story Wear through this collaboration," Liu Wenxuan explains, adding that the work was inspired by a jacket he saw in Chen Guanbai's office.
She used denim from the jacket as mounting fabric, then printed the recycled denim pattern onto paper. Using a mesh spray paint, she meticulously drew the stitching stroke by stroke, finally sculpting the fabric into a curled form, integrating the interwoven paper sculptures with the Stroy Wear-sewn denim. Liu Wenxuan also inserted a crayon into the denim pocket, "because the framer and restorer of this work are the same person," and the crayon symbolizes the mounting's identity card.
This exhibition will be launched on the 3rd floor of the newly opened department store "NOKE Zhongtaile Lifestyle" last year (2023). In addition to the static exhibition of works, three physical activities are also planned, including lectures and DIY courses. Zero-waste recycled products will also be sold on site. For details, please visit the official website of the exhibition for inquiries and registration.
| Story Wear╳Tomorrow Productions "Recreating Stories"
| Exhibition Dates: February 27th - April 7th, 2024
| Exhibition Location: UNCANNY, 3rd Floor, NOKE Zhongtai Le Life
| Address: No. 200, Lequn 3rd Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City
| Official Website: https://reurl.cc/2zkYNO
Source: Environmental Information Centre
