Hi Architecture & Design family, I hope you are well and have a great start of the week so far.
I was at the Wellington airport several days ago as I had to board a connecting flight to Auckland and then on our way to Argentina. Because the first flight was very important to get us in time for the international flight, we didn’t want any unexpected thing to happen. So my partner and I decided to go to the airport early. This was great as I had a chance to walk around and explore some interesting parts of this airport.
The Wellington airport is quite small as it is only used for domestic flights. There is not much to do while waiting so the best thing I can do here is to share with you about the cool artworks that are on display. The first one is some beautiful garments from the world of wearable art collection. For those who don’t know, the world of wearable Art Awards show is New Zealand’s largest theatrical production. I heard this show is amazing and the ticket isn’t cheap. That’s why I was so thrilled to see some of the artworks in the airport. When I read about each piece, I could understand why. The amount of time and effort that was put in on each piece of garment is enormous.
Spirit Bone by Guo Xiaotong - Weta Workshop Emerging Designer Award Winner
For example, this piece of art is called Spirit Bone which is made of nearly 2000 individual plastic components. According to the designer, Guo Xiaotong, it took her two months to craft this stylised exoskeleton. I really like how she explains her inspiration for this work “Bone remains firm and immortal, long after the spirit leaves the body”. What a way to explain this glorious dress, well suited to it.
236 Maiden Lane by Lynn Christiansen, Wearable Technology Award Winner
Another one that I like is 236 Maiden Lane which is an asymmetrical fantasy castle dress, made from thousands of individual pieces of felt by Lynn Christiansen from the United States. With this artwork, she won the wearable technology Award winner in 2018. For me, it is quite interesting to look at the castle when the model wears it on the runway. It’s like they bring the whole castle with them. How fun it is to do that. Looking at the dress, I wonder how difficult it is for the designer to work out the differing circumferences and geometries to get everything work beautifully in this dress and for an actual model to wear it.
Inkling by Gill Saunders - Creature Carnival Section Winner
What do you think of this one? When I saw this, I immediately thought about mother nature. It’s like each part of the dress could tell a different story whether it’s a story of a happy bird, or a beautiful fish, a strange animal that I don’t know the name of or plants and flowers. Through a quick glance, it is a bit scary and too busy for the eyes at first. But when looking closer, it brings me joy as I can see a beautiful and colourful world that we are living in. This artwork is created by Gill Saunders through her inspiration with tattoos and the way she sees it as a living diary of one’s life.
And last but not least the impressive eagle model from the Lords of the Ring, created by Weta Workshop. If you don’t know about them, check out this article from my visit here. My images don’t do enough justice as it is not able to show how amazing they are. Their sizes are massive and when you stand beneath them, you will understand what I mean.
One thing I notice is an effort to create green space in the airport. I didn’t notice it before but this time I saw a beautiful and lively fig tree near the displayed artworks. At first, I thought it was not real and had to touch it to confirm. Until I saw some fig fruits then I knew the tree is real. It is a comfort space to sit while waiting for flights. I love it.
I was writing this article while I was on my way to Argentina. It was not easy for me to finish this short article as our travel plan had changed a lot. Flights cancelled then delayed. At first, I thought it was a quick one for me to do; however, it was not. But I am happy to be able to finish this article and share it with you. Thank you for stopping by and reading my post. Have a lovely start of your week.
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