In December, Hermès held a lecture at Tokyo University of the Arts to introduce the activities of the Hermès Foundation. The lecture was aimed at students at the university, as the foundation supports young artists. Approximately 200 students attended to hear from Pierre-Alexis Dumas, chairman of the foundation, who had come to Japan. The lecture introduced two projects: "Artists in Residence" and "Hermès Editeur." "Artists in Residence" is a project launched in 2010 to support young artists. It connects artists with Hermès workshops throughout France that produce crystal glass, leather goods, and textiles. Participants enter the workshops, experience the techniques, and create their own works. Four artists are selected each year, and lectures showcased works such as Elizabeth S. Clark's leather rings, Atsunobu Kohira's glass works, and Gabriel Chiari's textile pieces, accompanied by photographs.
In 2013, a total of 16 students completed the program, producing 16 pieces. That summer, Hermès held an exhibition of these works, "Condensation," at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris. The exhibition will travel to the Ginza Maison Hermès Forum in March of this year. The venue will be reconfigured and presented in a new way. "It was a great initiative," said Dumas. "We're starting a new four-year program with a second course."
The following project, "Hermès Editor," brings artists together with Hermès to create the brand's signature silk scarf. Not only will the resulting artwork be a work of art, but it will also be sold in limited quantities in Hermès boutiques. The first "Hermès Editor" lecture featured a presentation on Josef Albers' "Homage to the Square." Albers, who taught at the Bauhaus design school in Germany and Yale University in the United States, is known for his square works composed of color blocks. Hermès scarves are also known as "carrés" (squares). The prints on the scarves are layered using silkscreen printing, but the designs are bordered to prevent color bleeding. However, this project eliminated the border and sought to reproduce Albers's work exactly as it was. "This would not have been possible using conventional techniques, but our skilled artisans recalled old printing techniques and were able to recreate the work," Dumas emphasized. Other Hermès Editor projects presented included "Photo-souvenirs au carre - Carré: Album of Memories" by Daniel Buren and "Colors of Shadows," a collaboration with photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto.
After the lecture, a social gathering was held, and students took advantage of this rare opportunity to gather around Mr. Dumas and ask him enthusiastic questions.
