THE TRAVELING EXHIBITION “ASIA-EUROPE 2”
Erny Piret, curator of the exhibitions “Asia-Europe”.

The fiber art is plural
The creation is unique
The technique is essential

I created the exhibitions “Asia-Europe” to seal my remarkable friendship with Kakuko Ishii. She generously invited me to participate in different exhibitions organized at Fukuoka. She recommended me numerous artists without imposing them. She was a precious help for the translations to Japanese.

I have taken the charge of the exhibition ASIA-EUROPE II in a new and daring way. I have imposed myself a mission, which is not restricted to a certain theme and works related to this theme. I conceived this exhibition as an artwork in which I invested my personality and sensitivity.

Beyond any doubts it is a perilous yet very exciting venture. My vision of textile and fiber art involves artworks created using the exclusive technique to express their artists, this way making the polychromies accessory.

I present a variety of creations from eleven European countries and Japan – wall hangings, ceiling hangings, ground installations and works on pedestals. The presence of each works in this exhibition was a judicious choice. The aim was the realization of a harmonious whole.

All artists express themselves through the culture of their own country. All of them are internationally renowned. To incite artists to be involved enthusiastically in new creations was a constant concern. Presenting creations, the language of which is the technique, was imperative. Granting to the artists one year of research and reflection was indispensable.Thanks to the fervor of each participant an efficient and friendly collaboration was created.

Some artists elaborated an unexpected development of their art and new horizons have been opened by the works of Kela Cremaschi, Kumiko Kuroda, Mitsuru Kuroki, Hidemasa Sakihama, Françoise Micoud, Yukako Sorai, Marika Szaraz and Erny Piret.

The following other artists joined the exhibition with major creations, the personal concept of which were a result of long-term research: Ken Kagajo, Marian Bijlenga, Hideho Tanaka, Nobuko Hiroi, Antra Augustinova, Kazue Honma, Yoshio Ikezaki, Kakuko Ishii, Yasuko Iyanaga, Rieko Yashiro, Sabine Zeiler, Jeannine De Raeymaecker, Kyoko Ueda, Marie-Noëlle Risack, Malgorzata Lachman, Koko Shimomura, Ito Mitsue, Hisako Sekijima, Hideaki Kizaki,  Pamela Hardesty,Isabel Berglund, Daïga Stalberga, Lydia Hirte, Inge Stahl, Ibolya Hegy, Marialuisa Sponga.

The borders of the countries tend to continuously expand. There are exchanges in all the domains.  All artistic disciplines overlap, mix and complement each other. Textile art “SOFT ART” metamorphoses into solid sculptures and solid materials cut in fine particles become components of the “SOFT ART “.

I wish for the doors of museums to be widely open to all lovers of art. I wish for the visitors to discover our art and to get acquainted with works realized in fibers and in different materials without any constraint and limitation in the creation process.

A relation between a visitor of the museum and works shall be established. This relation is not verbal but immediate and exclusively visual. The logic developed in the concept of the exhibition allows a fluid and immediate reading. In every country, in every place, the perception of the woks is different.  This is a considerable enrichment for the artists.

ERNY PIRET

Travelling International exhibition “ASIA-EUROPE 2“ has been exhibited in the Deutsches Textilmuseum of Krefeld (Germany),  in the Jean Lurçat and Contemporary Tapestry Museum  of Angers (France) and the last stop is in the Janina Monkute-Marks Museum in Kedainiai (Lithuania). It is the last ERNY PIRET curated exhibition. 

“ASIA-EUROPE 2” gives to the visitor the opportunity to admire the diversity of techniques (weaving, plaiting, sewing, embroidery, shibori, printing as well as different textiles and different materials: silk, cotton, wool, linen, rayon, paper, glass, pearly buttons and bamboo. 17 artists from Japan and 17 artists from Europe are presented in Janina Monkute-Marks museum-gallery.

Kakuko ISHII and Rieko YASHIRO  from Japan, Antra AUGUSTINOVICA from Latvia, Inge STAHL from Germany and next project „Asia-Europe 3“ curator, artist Marika SZARAZ from Belgium participated at the exhibition opening.

Exhibition participants:

BELGIUM: Jeannine  De RAEYMAECKER, Marie-Noëlle RISACK, Marika  SZARAZ

DENMARK: Isabel  BERGLUND

FRANCE: Françoise  MICOUD, Erny  PIRET, Daïga  STALBERGA

GERMANY: Lydia  HIRTE, Inge  STAHL, Sabine  ZEILER

HOLLAND: Marian  BIJLENGA

HUNGARY: Ibolya  HEGYI

IRELAND: Pamela  HARDESTY

ITALY: Kela  CREMASCHI, Marialuisa  SPONGA

LATVIA: Antra   AUGUSTINOVICA

POLAND: Malgorzata  LACHMAN

JAPAN: Nobuko HIROI, Kazue HONMA, Yoshio IKEZAKI, Kakuko ISHII, Mitue ITO, Yasuko IYANAGA, Ken KAGAJO, Hideaki KIZAKI, Kumiko KURODA, Mitsuru KUROKI, Hidemasa SAKIHAMA, Hisako SEKIJIMA, Koko SHIMOMURA, Yukako SORAI, Hideho TANAKA, Kyoko UEDA, Rieko YASHIRO.