Artists from more than 45 countries are participating in this year’s 9th Biennale Internationale Design Saint-Etienne, a world event created in 1998.

This year’s theme is “The Experiences of Beauty,” and will take place in Saint-Etienne, France from March 12, 2015 to April 12, 2015. This year, Seoul

(Korea Pavilion) has been invited as a sister city in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, and will present more than 140 works created through

collaborative efforts of 30 artisans and designers in a 400-square meter Korea Pavilion under the theme, “Vitality 2015: Beyond Craft & Design” in the

only invited exhibition.

This exhibition presents craftsmanship in a new light through design, giving visitors a unique experience of Korean traditional elements and beauty

with works that aim to bring crafts closer into people’s everyday lives. These works are significant in that they attempt to bring together the tradition

(Korean traditional cultural elements, techniques, and designs) and modern designs, ideas, and production techniques. This exhibition was conceptualized

by the Biennale’s invited curator Kyung Ran CHOI(Dean of Graduate School of Techno Design in Kookmin University) and organized by the Oriental

Culture and Design Center (OCDC) of Kookmin University. In particular, works include ‘Poltrona di Proust Korea,’ a product of creative collaboration

between world renowned designer Alessandro Mendini of Italy and jogakbo(patchwork) craftsman Kang Keum-seong, and also works created in

collaboration by world famous American architect Daniel Libeskind and Korea’s woodcraft master Yang Byeong-yong.

The works on exhibit were created by 30 craftsmen and designers selected nationwide who participated in the C X D(Craft by Design) Program,

which focuses on humanities education for rediscovery of traditional culture,  training to develop new ideas based on understanding of users, and collaboration.

C X D (Craft by Design) is a program jointly organized by the Regional Traditional Culture Division(Director: Lee Eun-bok) of the Ministry of Culture, Sports,

and Tourism and the Oriental Culture & Design Center (OCDC) of Kookmin University. The program’s goals are development of traditional culture-based fusion

products and expert training and to discover the values of Korean tradition as a brand for international market based on world-class design and high usability,

ultimately contributing to establish design identity.

The exhibition in particular includes 10 excellent works from the ‘Development of Traditional Culture-based Fusion Product and Training Project,’ an industry-academia collaboration project between Kookmin University and the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism organized through C X D (Craft by Design). The collaboration between craftsmen and designers, overcoming their fields’ boundaries and very timely for a new era, were quite meaningful and important meeting of the two, and at the same time quite challenging. Its significance lies in that the old and the new were brought together to synthesize their meanings and values, to build a foundation for a new world of world-class traditional crafts and new designs.

1) Event: Biennale Internationale Design Saint-Etienne 2015

2) Exhibition: Vitality 2015: Beyond Craft & Design

3) Dates: March 12, 2015 – April 12, 2015 

4) Biennale Invited Curator: Kyung Ran CHOI(Dean of Graduate School of Techno Design in Kookmin University)

5) Organized by: Oriental Culture & Design Center (OCDC), Kookmin University

6) Support Provided by:
   Korea Ministry of Culture and Tourism
   Korea Craft & Design Foundation
   Seoul Metropolitan Government
   Seoul Design Foundation
   Centre Culturel Coréen à Paris
   Institut Français de République de Corée

2) 전시 제목: Biennale International Design Saint-etienne:
             Vitality 2015 : Beyond Craft & Design