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The human experience has always included the creation and appreciation of art.
Different types of art are often used in different ways because of the varying feelings they evoke. Sculpture is bold and noticeable, and in that sense, it is often used as pronunciation or declaration of form. The engaging thing is how each individual views art and sculpture in a diverse gaze.
From April 6, the National Gallery of Zimbabwe will hold the Fair Danish Design Exhibition which is a collaborative project between Danish Design and Zimbabwe stone Art.
The exhibition features Fair Trade designers and artists from the Chitungwiza Arts Centre with the help of House by the Sea.
The design products are a demonstration of a prolific cultural exchange between related professionals beyond tradition, geography, nationality and cultural references, which this project has contributed to.
The project is part of a larger effort to maximise the interaction between Fair Trade practitioners such as Danish Design, and manufacturers of functional art with the intent of helping manufacturers upgrade through product and concept development.
The Fair Danish Design Project was launched to contribute to Chitungwiza Art Centre’s efforts and wishes to reach new consumer demographics by upgrading new production methods and conceiving contemporary relevant functional design products.
The designers Pil Bredahl and Henriette Melchiorsen from the design group “Fair Trade Designers”; in collaboration with Fair Trade Denmark and the Danish company House By the Sea, initiated support for producers of stone sculptures at Chitungwiza Arts Centre.
Chitungwiza Arts Centre is a well-known association of Sculptors which is an approved Fair Trade producer and comprises of approximately 150 craftsmen and artists.
Stone sculpture produced there is motivated by traditional Shona lore and myth. The resultant work is popular all over the world. The sculptors have a well-developed reputation in executing appealing sculpture, but have seen sales dwindle due to global economic constraints.
The design group, Fair Trade Designers worked over the period of a week in Zimbabwe,
where they collaborated with a group of 20 sculptors to develop new products in a bid to introduce new, innovative products and production methods.
Fair Trade Designers introduced the concept of Danish Design to the sculptors, and gave the sculptors an introduction to the Danish market for design and lifestyle products.
Part of the materials provided during the workshop were housing and design publications, which were deliberated thoroughly by the sculptors.
Through the workshop, producers received insight into what Danish design is, what style and what products are deemed attractive in the Scandinavian market, and how the products are exposed and marketed.
The final insight was understanding the requirements of the market for both design, quality and delivery.
Some of the products from Project Fair Danish Design, Zimbabwe are at present showcased, in the new Design Museum Denmark and others are to be exhibited at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe. The exhibition will run from the April 7 until May 9 2016.
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