LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL: MOTHER GODDESS OF THE THREE REALMS

Open from 16 – 24 September, Mother Goddess of the Three Realms: Cross-Encounters, Joining Threads is an immersive exhibition led by Wax Atelier (London) in collaboration with the Blue H’mong craftswomen of Pa Co village (Mai Chau), and Kilomet 109 (Hanoi).


Image: Viet Nam x WAX Atelier flowers. Photo by Yesenia Thibault-Picazo.

Celebrating the rich tapestry of UK and Viet Nam cross-cultural craft and shared heritage, the exhibition takes shape through the lens of the Mother Goddess – an ancient Vietnamese tradition of worship of female deities seen as protectors of nature. Staged at Centre 151, an independent charity and cultural centre in Hackney, the theatrical installation will be set across three spaces – the garden, the tea house and theatre – representing the realms of forest, water and heaven.


Image: Mother Goddess Rope. Image above: Blue Hmong Craftswomen. Photo by Benjamin Reich.

Curated by Company, Place and supported by the British Council, the exhibition offers a dynamic exploration of the rich tapestry of shared Viet Nam-UK craft heritage and knowledge as part of the British Council’s UK/Viet Nam Season 23. Staged at Centre 151 in Hackney, an independent charity and cultural centre supporting the Vietnamese, Laos and Cambodian communities in London, the installation takes shape through the lens of the Mother Goddess - an ancient Vietnamese tradition of worship of female deities and mother spirits seen as protectors of nature.


Image: Braided Tassels by Blue Hmong. Photo by Yesenia Thibault-Picazo.

Guests will enter through the Garden, the symbolic Forest Realm, where a display of practical and ceremonial objects and interventions set amongst the flora and fauna of the surrounding sanctuary can be enjoyed. The fluid journey extends into the Tea Room, or Water Realm, which features a striking display of objects, models and prototypes crafted with rope, as well as braiding stations which engage guests in the process of making. Finally visitors will enter Centre 151’s theatre, or Heavenly realm, which is the site of an immersive sensory installation and film screenings.

The London Design Festival project is the culmination of an extended residency undertaken by the three creative groups in Hanoi earlier this year, where they first began exploring the theme of shared heritage through the lens of the Mother Goddess rituals and beliefs. The residency resulted in a series of collaborative artworks and objects crafted from a shared material palette of Hemp, Natural Dyes, and Beeswax; and a short artistic film directed by Rocio Chacon which will be screened throughout the week.


Image: Silk Fibres Kilomet 109. Photo by Yesenia Thibault-Picazo.

Collaborative artworks courtesy of the three creative groups will feature alongside a series of works including special site specific interventions from Liang-Jung Chen of Hardware Archives and bespoke ropes and trimmings from Brian Turner Trimmings.

Following the inaugural presentation of the project across London Design Festival, the exhibition will then travel to Hanoi, where it will be exhibited at the Temple of Literature, a cultural landmark and now major creative space, during Vietnam Design Week from 23-29 September 2023.


Image: Braided Paper Rope by Blue Hmong. Photo by Yesenia Thibault-Picazo.

The space will be open from 16 - 24 September as part of Shoreditch Design Triangle during the London Design Festival. A dedicated materials and maker space will play host to a dynamic programme of interactive events throughout the festival and guests will be encouraged to take tea in the garden and stay for Centre 151 ‘s VLC Pho Club on Wednesday and Saturday lunchtimes.

London Design Festival is taking place from 16 - 24 September 2023.

See the full programme and find out more here:
www.londondesignfestival.com
@l_d_f_official

For more details visit:
waxatelier.com
@wax_atelier