One · Craft and Art - FROOTS docu

The participants in this exhibition are 14 outstanding artists from Israel, Germany, New Zealand, Italy, Ireland, Denmark and the United States. All the artists actively and fully involved in the preparation of the exhibition, from the development and presentation of exhibition themes to the creation of their artworks. They offered their generous support to FROOTS Gallery, unreservedly investing their valuable time and sending their extraordinary works of art from around the world.

 

Stepping into the exhibition hall, you will find yourself exposed to artworks of different materials and types, including contemporary jewelry, porcelain and ceramics, mosaics, origami, painting and installation. These works are traditionally divided into separate categories, namely craft and fine art. By contrast, in our gallery, they are exhibited side by side. We made a conscious choice to cross traditional boundaries, offering artists broader venues for expressing their creativity. Shitao, a famous painter and art critic of the Qing Dynasty, once put forward the idea of “One Stroke” (一画 Yi Hua): “Oneness is the origin of all existence, and the root of all natural phenomena”; “No matter how much ink we use, we all begin with it and end with it.” Nowadays, the pursuit of Oneness is no longer confined to the ink and paper that Shitao alluded to. Instead, the infinite variety of other materials and techniques has become the medium for the artists to seek unity. Therefore, in this exhibition, FROOTS Gallery does not define categories, as artists from different fields come together under the same roof, on the one united stage that we have created for them.

 

We bring you FROOTS documenta in tribute to Kassel documenta. Kassel documenta was founded in 1955 by the artist, teacher and curator Arnold Bode in Kassel, Germany. In each of its successive exhibitions, documenta has highlighted the latest developments in the field of art, aiming to introduce society to contemporary art. Hence, it is known as “the laboratory of art education” and “the visitors' school”. Coined by Bode, the word documenta derives from the Latin word documentum, which can be split into docere (Latin for teach) and mens (Latin for intellect). FROOTS Gallery uses this title to express our determination to pursuit the original goals of Bode's documenta.

 

David Hockney, a famous British artist, once said, “I believe that art can help make the world a better place.” But the joy that art brings to people is different from that of an amusement park. Only when we truly watch, feel, and study art, can it realize its potential of connecting the artist and the audience with the universal One.

 

Since our first exhibition in 2014, FROOTS Gallery has learnt much about itself, its artists, and its public. We are proud to present the fruits that have been harvested over the past several years. During the hundred-day exhibition of Froots documenta we plan to hold a series of educational activities. We invite you to study and contemplate art with us. Together we will employ art to make the world a better place.

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