Watched by Heaven, Tied to Earth
Origin Studios created Watched by Heaven, Tied to Earth at the Bata Shoe Museum, completing the exhibition design, interior space planning, furniture and cabinetry design, graphic design, artifact placement, and design styling. The show exhibits a collection of Chinese children’s footwear and garments from the museum’s permanent collection, as well as some on loan from a private collection. Common among many of the shoe designs are animal talismans, intended to summon protection. These ornate elements provided a powerful basis for our design inspiration.
Collaborating with the curator and cultural consultants, our designers developed graphics and textures from an array of traditions within Chinese history. The resulting, rich and distinctive visual language honoured Daoism, traditional garden design, feng shui, Buddhism, the Chinese animal zodiac, and Chinese vernacular design and architecture. The look and feel of the exhibition effectively combined the mysticism of the Chinese spiritual tradition with the festivity characteristic of the culture’s celebrations.
Awards
This exhibit won a prestigious Design Exchange award in 2006 in the category of Interiors Design: Temporary or Portable.
Details
Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto, ON, 2006
Exhibit Design
Exhibit Space: 3,200 sq. ft.