Festival Review
Hi Everyone, (I wrote this last week, but a bad cold has stopped me using doing much work until now, and I forgot to post it.) Now that the origami Festival has finished, and Miri and I have had some sleep, bought some fresh bread and remembered we have a little boy, we can reflect on what happened. Although the Festival finished on Tuesday 5th, the exhibition remained in the Beit Kahana Museum until Sunday morning (unadvertised), somehow attracting 200 more visitors. Firstly – and most importantly -- the thank yous: - thank you to the people who contributed their excellent models to the exhibition - thank you to the people who helped to fold the 2 big dinosaurs - thank you to the people who folded decorations for the large and miniature Sukahs - thank you to the people who helped to set up the exhibition - thank you to the people who came during the Festival to teach, to fold and to help Without the contributions and hard work of many people, there would not have been a Festival. It was the biggest origami event in Israel and the Origami Center sends a big 'THANK YOU' to everyone who helped. Most of all, I want to thank Miri for her vision and very hard work to make the Festival happen, and to thank the Museum for Israeli Art, Ramat Gan, for providing excellent facilities. During the 4 days of the Festival (one day of which received almost no publicity), about 1,600 people visited. Many people stayed for a few hours. To our surprise and delight, many people came from all over Israel to Ramat Gan, just to see the origami festival (we know this because for a few hours, we asked people at the entrance gate where they had come from). This was not a local festival for the people of Ramat Gan, but a national event. The number of visitors was undoubtedly increased by our appearances on 'Odetta' (!), the Channel 10 News, plus national advertising and street banners. The exhibition received much praise and detailed attention from visitors. Exhibits in the Israeli room that received the most attention included Gilad Naor's miniature models, Rosana's modulars; the big dinosaur (and particularly the photos of sweaty people making it!) and the miniature Sukah. The Museum staff were amazed how much the exhibition interested not just the adults, but also the many children who came – I guess they are used to children being bored looking at 'boring' paintings! Despite constant polite requests to people not to touch the models, they were touched hundreds of times, though interestingly, they were never damaged. Exhibits in the International room which received the most attention included Eric Joisel's Masks and his Hedgehog. There were also a few original models on display from Akira Yoshizawa. Yoshizawa's models were undoubtedly the most beautiful exhibits in the whole exhibition, and it saddens me how little attention they received. I guess he makes it look too easy. An important function of an exhibition is for the exhibitors to look at the exhibition and to ask questions of what you see -- what have you learnt about your own work, what do you like or not like in other work, what is unexpected, etc? If you learn nothing about your work when it is carefully exhibited, the exhibition has little purpose, except to satisfy your ego. I hope that you will use the exhibition as a learning experience, so that next time your work is exhibited, it will look even better – better choice of models, better folded, better paper, better finishing and better presentation. I know a few people were upset that their work was not included in the exhibition, and I am sorry for that. But, any exhibition – like the Olympic Games – must have a Qualifying Standard, and all work in the exhibition must be better than that Standard. A public exhibition is not the same as a Convention, where you can show what you want. Everything MUST be top quality AND look good next to other exhibits near to it, otherwise everything in the room looks bad. I think a few people didn't understand how and why a public exhibition should be different to a Convention, and I hope that their visit to the exhibition helped them to understand that difference, and so helps to improve their work.. Outside in the garden, a team of teachers from the Origami Center were kept busy teaching Sukah decorations. It was pleasing to see whole families sitting together, helping each other with what they were making – a beautiful sight. May families would sit for a few hours, making one decoration after another from the kits provided. Overall, the Festival was a big success. The Origami Center and the Museum have learnt much from the experience, so that next time we are crazy enough to organize another Festival, it will be even better! Again, thank you to everyone involved for helping to make Israel's biggest ever origami event such a success. Paul and Miri
Hi Everyone, (I wrote this last week, but a bad cold has stopped me using doing much work until now, and I forgot to post it.) Now that the origami Festival has finished, and Miri and I have had some sleep, bought some fresh bread and remembered we have a little boy, we can reflect on what happened. Although the Festival finished on Tuesday 5th, the exhibition remained in the Beit Kahana Museum until Sunday morning (unadvertised), somehow attracting 200 more visitors. Firstly – and most importantly -- the thank yous: - thank you to the people who contributed their excellent models to the exhibition - thank you to the people who helped to fold the 2 big dinosaurs - thank you to the people who folded decorations for the large and miniature Sukahs - thank you to the people who helped to set up the exhibition - thank you to the people who came during the Festival to teach, to fold and to help Without the contributions and hard work of many people, there would not have been a Festival. It was the biggest origami event in Israel and the Origami Center sends a big 'THANK YOU' to everyone who helped. Most of all, I want to thank Miri for her vision and very hard work to make the Festival happen, and to thank the Museum for Israeli Art, Ramat Gan, for providing excellent facilities. During the 4 days of the Festival (one day of which received almost no publicity), about 1,600 people visited. Many people stayed for a few hours. To our surprise and delight, many people came from all over Israel to Ramat Gan, just to see the origami festival (we know this because for a few hours, we asked people at the entrance gate where they had come from). This was not a local festival for the people of Ramat Gan, but a national event. The number of visitors was undoubtedly increased by our appearances on 'Odetta' (!), the Channel 10 News, plus national advertising and street banners. The exhibition received much praise and detailed attention from visitors. Exhibits in the Israeli room that received the most attention included Gilad Naor's miniature models, Rosana's modulars; the big dinosaur (and particularly the photos of sweaty people making it!) and the miniature Sukah. The Museum staff were amazed how much the exhibition interested not just the adults, but also the many children who came – I guess they are used to children being bored looking at 'boring' paintings! Despite constant polite requests to people not to touch the models, they were touched hundreds of times, though interestingly, they were never damaged. Exhibits in the International room which received the most attention included Eric Joisel's Masks and his Hedgehog. There were also a few original models on display from Akira Yoshizawa. Yoshizawa's models were undoubtedly the most beautiful exhibits in the whole exhibition, and it saddens me how little attention they received. I guess he makes it look too easy. An important function of an exhibition is for the exhibitors to look at the exhibition and to ask questions of what you see -- what have you learnt about your own work, what do you like or not like in other work, what is unexpected, etc? If you learn nothing about your work when it is carefully exhibited, the exhibition has little purpose, except to satisfy your ego. I hope that you will use the exhibition as a learning experience, so that next time your work is exhibited, it will look even better – better choice of models, better folded, better paper, better finishing and better presentation. I know a few people were upset that their work was not included in the exhibition, and I am sorry for that. But, any exhibition – like the Olympic Games – must have a Qualifying Standard, and all work in the exhibition must be better than that Standard. A public exhibition is not the same as a Convention, where you can show what you want. Everything MUST be top quality AND look good next to other exhibits near to it, otherwise everything in the room looks bad. I think a few people didn't understand how and why a public exhibition should be different to a Convention, and I hope that their visit to the exhibition helped them to understand that difference, and so helps to improve their work.. Outside in the garden, a team of teachers from the Origami Center were kept busy teaching Sukah decorations. It was pleasing to see whole families sitting together, helping each other with what they were making – a beautiful sight. May families would sit for a few hours, making one decoration after another from the kits provided. Overall, the Festival was a big success. The Origami Center and the Museum have learnt much from the experience, so that next time we are crazy enough to organize another Festival, it will be even better! Again, thank you to everyone involved for helping to make Israel's biggest ever origami event such a success. Paul and Miri