Global Handmade Networks

Collaborative Networks and Industrial Chain Integration among Global Handmade Enthusiasts

Key Contributor: Jiangyun Shan

Image Credit:Sanlin Zhanqi Club in Shanghai China

Overview

This is a groundbreaking global collaborative art and social experimental project. It invites individuals from diverse educational backgrounds and life experiences worldwide to collectively create a unique artwork imbued with the imprints of globalization.

Through a meticulously designed “drifting” mechanism, core art carriers (such as specially crafted small wooden boards and modules containing embedded electronic systems) are passed sequentially across various global locations. Participants at each stop contribute by freely creating within a defined area or completing specific tasks – whether it’s expressing themselves artistically using unique materials sourced from their local environment, or performing precise soldering on the electronic system.

This project extends beyond just the final art piece. It is a profound exploration and presentation of several core themes:

• The Resilience and Fragility of Global Collaboration: We embrace the inherent randomness, interruptions, and even “failures” that may occur during the process. These are considered integral parts of the project’s narrative, serving to reflect upon the true nature of trust, contracts, and individual connections within globalized networks.
• The Multifaceted Value of Individual Contribution: By deliberately involving participants from varied backgrounds (from top-tier PhD engineers to vocational school students), the project aims to challenge traditional perceptions and affirm the inherent value and significance of every skill set and every unique individual within the global collaborative network.
• The Interweaving of Physical and Digital: The final artwork will seamlessly integrate physical elements (such as cloisonné-style creations, handcrafted fly-lines) with interactive digital technology (like microcontroller-controlled sound and light visuals). This offers viewers an immersive, multi-sensory experience, making the “presence” of distant creators tangible and immediate.
• An Academic Field Practice of Tangible Cultural Goods: This project also serves as an ongoing academic field practice. Through a materialized art form, it aims to deeply examine the complex relationships within cultural creation, production networks, and the status of individuals in the context of globalization.

“Collaborative Networks and Industrial Chain Integration among Global Handmade Enthusiasts” seeks to use the language of art to portray a networked world that simultaneously embodies centralized coordination and spontaneous order. We believe that every connection and every contribution, even if imperfect, collectively weaves a grand tapestry of human collaboration and shared value.

Project Status:

The official project recruitment website are designing , and we are currently in the global participant recruitment and network-building phase. We look forward to embarking on this journey of discovery and uncertainty with you.