The World of Small Things : An Exhibition of Craft Diplomacy

Swamp (papyrus) grass jewellery, 2009. Made in collaboration between German jeweller Martina Dempf and Rwandan artistans Dafan Mukantabashwa, Virginie Uwizeyimana, Pelagie Nyirahabineza, Alphonsine Urayeneza and Valentine Nyirakimonyo. Photography: Sebastian Ahlers

From outside Australia, from places we sometimes fear, come ingenious and finely crafted objects. And from inside Australia, objects are being designed and made for the growing markets in India and China.

The world is turning inside out. The global financial crisis has set the world in flux, enabling new relations between rich and poor countries. The collapse of an over-leveraged financial market helps us appreciate the immediacy of hand-crafted objects. These 'small things' bypass the rarefied world of brands and the politics of trade restrictions. New craft-design collaborations herald an era of partnership between rich and poor countries, urgently needed for the success of the Kyoto Protocol.

Underneath the complex web of international relations is a free flow of precious things; objects from Palestinian refugee camps in Southern Lebanon, the Kashmir, Iran, India, Mexico, Philippines, East Timor, Rwanda and Papua New Guinea.

How much does the origin of an object contribute to its value? Can craft connect cultures in ways that formal diplomacy can't? What are we purchasing when we buy an object made by a community that we support morally? These are questions that designer-makers of the world pose for us today.

Participants include Cheryl Adam, Souad Amin, Jonathan Baskett, Cath Braid, Janet deBoos, Martina Dempf, Carole Douglas, Hlengiwe Dube, Judy Frater, Cathy Kata, Karl Millard, Asfaneh Modiramani, Sara Niner and Sara Thorn. Curated by Kevin Murray.

The World of Small Things is part of 2009 State of Design Festival’s public and cultural program, Design for Everyone.

Opening Thursday 18 June, 6-8pm. Artist talk 5:30pm.

FORUM: Diplomacy at the Bench, a forum about developing products for a new world order
Including the launch of 'After the Missionaries', an issue of Artlink exploring the new relations between artists in rich and poor countries.
Date Saturday 20 June, 2-4pm at Craft Victoria
Cost Free, but bookings essential on 03 9650 7775

Click here to read what curator Kevin Murray has to say about The World of Small Things.

Resources and further reading
The World of Small Things Artist Biographies (click to download)
Craft Unbound - continuing the exploration of new developments in contemporary craft, particularly relating to the movement 'poor craft'.
Lava Lava Innovations - Bilum wear, office attire, tailored - Company that markets PNG bilum wear.
Bilum ware on Pasifik Nau - Coverage of bilum art in a site about contemporary art from Papua New Guinea.
Desert Traditions - textile tour and exhibitions of Kutch - Carole Douglas website.
Designer Accessories - Eco Fashion - Pure Design works with award winning artists and designers, representing the very best in sustainable design.
Rwanda Art - A union for the promotion of Rwandan arts and crafts. It presents a large range of craft products. All of them are hand-made, based exclusively on natural materials.
WorldWeave - Sara Thorn's site for textiles made in India.
The CraftsMatch Project Website - CraftsMatch Project aims at reinforcing the capacity of the Asian crafts SMEs to access new markets and encouraging the development of new Asian-European crafts business partnerships between Asian crafts communities and Asian and European trade professionals.
African Art Centre - Organisation based in Durban that specialises in craft from KwaZulu-Natal.
GreenWood: Sustainable Forest Enterprise - GreenWood trains artisans to make high-quality wood products, adding value to forest resources and creating incentives to protect biodiversity.
Edric Ong - The creative teams of architect-designer Edric Ong and his associates have been pioneering new designs with traditional artists of Sarawak in the area of textiles, basketry, fibers, ceramics, wood and stone.
Jordan River Foundation - The Foundation started its economic empowerment efforts by focusing on the improvement of status of women in underprivileged areas through three Income-Generating Handicraft projects.
Association for the Development of Palestinian Camps - Founded in 1969 by group of Lebanese and Palestinian women who saw necessity of preserving Palestinian embroidery.
DESIGN 21: Social Design Network - Inspires social activism through design by connecting people who want to explore ways design can positively impact our many worlds and who want to create change here, now.
Jonathan Adler - Website of designer Jonathan Adler.
Worldvision Chile
Juana de Arco - Buenos Aires - Fashion and craft shop in fashionable Palermo that remixes artisan techniques such as the Nanduti from Paraguay.
Polly&Me - Cath Braid from Caravana working in the frontier province in Pakistan.
Designers without Borders - Delivers technology, instruction, and design consulting to schools and select non-profits in Africa.
Caravana - Australian designers working with textile artisans in North Pakistan.
KALA RAKSHA Preservation of traditional arts - A grassroots social enterprise, dedicated to preservation of traditional arts.
Oxfam Australia - For a just world without poverty - Oxfam Trading are one of the leading retailers of world craft.
The Paradox of Traditional Development - Reflections on a recent workshop in Valparaiso.
World Crafts Council International - A network of craft organisations representing the broad spectrum of crafts across the world.