Meeting Joan Sallas and Lots of Paper

Last Friday was the last time we attended the Vienna Design Week. And what a glorious finale it was! After work we rushed to the Project Space of the "Kunsthalle am Karlsplatz" to attend a lecture of Joan Sallas. The lecture took place in the Project Space which served as a workshop for paper designers during the Vienna Design Week.

I am glad I brought my camera. Since they did not start on time, there was still time to take a close look at another designer's work:


Similar to the Design Night at the Museum of Applied Arts a few days earlier I did not really get it what it was about. But, in contrast to the Design Night I enjoyed this visit:



Did I already tell you I LOVE paper? My love for paper is probably one reason I started scrapping cards this summer, age 38. :-)

Here you can see the rear of the room, where the lecture was held. First guests are already seated.

They are collecting confettis, punched from office paper or any kind of paper. Donations are welcome.

I could not help but just enjoy what I saw.

Then they sort the confettis, create groups and families and finally ...

... archive the confettis. The project is calles "Confetti Hotel"

Then Joan Sallas entered the stage. He started with his analysis of Mona Lisa's folded sleeves.
The reason the lecture took place in the paper-workshop is this: Folded napkins always had their origin in folded paper, prototypes and studies. Joan is of course also a master of Origami!

This was science!

I had no idea that the Renaissance and Baroque were "folding times."

We have never heard of him until the Design Week. He is known for his unique folding skills. Little was known about the techniques. Only drawings remained from the ancient times since a folded napkin is something ephemeral by nature.

Here you can see a table cloth! Really, no kidding!!
The stage were actually pallets.

We asked Joan how one could serve a plate on such a table, he explained it to us: They folded mountains and but them on the table. Then the guests arrived, admired the folded creation and it was flattened so the dinner could be served.

And they also folded birds, fish, lions and many more sculptures out of napkins. Since the dresses were really voluminous back then, they needed large napkins. About 4 x 3 feet large. You can fold quite something out of this size.

One reason they started folding was also because the large napkin looked like a bed-sheet when layed on the plate in front of you. So they turned the huge napkin into something everyone would admire. And the reason all those pieces of art were white? Was simply to proof it is clean and "safe" to use.

WHOEVER PLANS TO VISIT VIENNA UNTIL JANUARY 23 must visit this exhibition:
Folded Beauty. Joan Sallas folded many pieces of art which are exhibited there.

Meanwhile other things are going on in Vienna, like the completion of a construction site. I pictured it in April here.

Vienna finally got a bit of this Omote-Sando feeling! Trees and structured facades.

Since the posting went down the not-so-shallow-route, I end with this picture, showing how Viennese like to spend their free time:

Reading!

Next time I will show you some mountains in the south of Vienna.