The hand is the window on to the mind-Immanuel Kant
Richard Sennett quotes the German philosopher?s dictum in his thought-provoking book, The Crafstman. It states our hands and minds are connected and we can find satisfaction by indulging in the act of physical making. He harks back to Denis Diderot?s Encyclop?die, famous for representing the thought of the Enlightenment. Sennett validates Diderot?s argument that manual labour is as necessary as mental labour to have a balanced and fulfilled life. But in an age of cheap mass-produced goods, can we even dare to dream that accessible craftsmanship can one day become a reality? Probably not. Should we make an effort to use our ?intelligent hands? to turn an exercise into the art of creation? Should we just continue consuming crafted industrial objects instead??
Since the Industrial Revolution, the tangible space that craftsmen and craftsmanship used to occupy in a society has experienced a thousand deaths. One would have to agree that it is too late to resuscitate a craft-based economy. It is also unrealistic in this globalised world. However, can we think of retrieving even a semblance of that lost heritage? Can we try making our products in a conscientious and responsible manner?
Singular.es, an exhibition of 21st century Spanish crafts, is a confluence of tradition and contemporaneity with utility. It also tries to strike a balance between craftsmanship and industrial influence. Lala de Dios, curator of Singular.es says, ?Craft changes, transforms and is reborn in response to the changes caused by industrialisation. It occupies a new place in society. It passes from the mass production of goods to becoming a part of cultural and creative industries. These industries are associated with values such as sustainability, and experimentation with materials and processes. Technological revolution and globalisation are posing new challenges for crafts, while providing it with very valuable tools for growth and development.??
All the products at the exhibition have been created incorporating traditional techniques with an equal importance given to innovation. While this may seem paradoxical, all the crafts employed resonate within Spanish culture. The products are culturally relatable and viable as innovative products. This ensures the crafts are not lost, preserving their essence in the process. ?The great dilemma for an artisan when approaching creative practice is striking the balance between tradition and innovation; this cocktail is always present in crafts, although in variable doses. One of the historical paradoxes crafts entail?a congenital one, perhaps?is that despite its status as the guardian of a tradition?s legacy, it is also the spearhead of technological progress. It is a progress that? again paradoxically?has brought it practically to the edge of extinction at a time in which production has become industrial,? rues Dios.?
Walter Benjamin argues, ?the uniqueness of a work of art is inseparable from its being imbedded in the fabric of tradition?. Therefore, if an object is a blend of tradition and innovation, will it be detached from ?the sphere of tradition?, will it still maintain an ?aura?? He goes on to say that this tradition itself is thoroughly alive and extremely changeable. ?It is significant that the existence of the work of art with reference to its ?aura? is never entirely separated from its ritual function.?
Singular.es has objects which have managed to capture that inherent ?ritual function? of art. Arteblanc SL?s Circles carpet is one of the objects that has imbibed the spirit of innovation and tradition while working towards preserving a thousand-year-old craft?the esparto grass technique. Woven with the traditional esparto grass and creatively imbued with a contemporary design, it has given this unique cultural identity a paradigm shift. Another example is Ana Garc?a and Rocio Lozano?s Uno ?a simple dress made of cotton, designed in the traditional Spanish Lagartera technique. It aims to ?preserve and perfect sewing and embroidery techniques that are not frequently being handed down nowadays?. Apart from contemporary design and quality, sustainability is also one of the aspects underlined in this collection.
Milano Chair by Alberto Carvajal is an exquisitely carved chair made of recycled iron beams and stainless steel.
Project Singular.es was born not just to promote Spanish crafts abroad, but also to develop interest in the country?s cultural heritage. It has traditional crafts groups like the experts in Lagartera embroidery, world renowned jewellery designer Ram?n Puig, fashion designer Kima Guitart and other rising talents. With products ranging from textiles and furniture to jewellery and accessories, Singular.es has a unique compilation of a large variety of crafts of Spain in keeping with its age-old tradition. This Iberian Peninsula is not just about bull fights, films, Cervantes, Dali and Picasso.?
Promoted by the foundation of Spanish crafts, Fundesarte, with the help from the Spanish minister of education, culture and Instituto Cervantes, the exhibition has travelled to Paris, Morocco and now a stopover in India to arouse the interest of Indians in Spanish crafts. The exhibition is on at Instituto Cervantes, New Delhi till October 14.