Nietzsche once mentioned that the essence of getting drunk is completely self-lost or self-abandoned. He believed that the spirit of Dionysus1 came from the Dionysia. The main thing that humans would do during the festival is to liberate their upmost primitive impulses and desires. When people are facing the pain or horror, apart from seeking the power in Apollo’s dream world, they also go to the world of Dionysus2 to forget themselves.
The joys and sorrows in our earthly lives come from the rational suppression and judgment, therefore, “getting drunk” is the medium for us to escape and liberate.
How did the ancient Japanese live? BOROボロ: When the fishermen and the peasants wore out their cloth, they would make patches on it. With the accumulation it generally became very soft. Passing down by generations, it kept your warm and was frequently used during their workday or daily lives. This is the best trace of life and a precious legacy left by the ancestors in the era of resource shortage.
Nowadays, mountain-like garbage generated by the reality of mass production-consumption eroded the environment we lived in. The contempt of human to the nature, the broke of the even, and those deterioration of the ecological environment will go back to ourselves eventually.
BORO is not only a warning to us in the era of fasting consumption, but also a cultural heritage which cherishes the trace of time. Hard to abandon, is the wisdom of the ancients.
We see that ZARA, H&M, UNIQLO or the other similar brands are popular all over the world. The unhealthy consumption patterns guided by the fast fashion trend was not only brought bad influence to the ecological environment, but also led to the phenomenon of unified customs in all different cities or their appearances. Submissive aesthetics or the prevalence of plastic surgery and cosmetic make more peoples’ faces became analogous and no-personality.
Vintage custom of Japan is a unique culture system, overturning the stereotype that the culture of vintage custom was exclusive of the western culture. In recent years, some vintage custom stores emerged in Shanghai, and its popularity is he outcomes of the expression of people’s pursuit of individualism and their emotions in clothes selection. Between the wildly expensive luxury goods and the repeat of fast fashion of modern brands, vintage custom FURUGI solved this problem, and BORO is one of them in a larger scale.
Nowadays, more people started to pay attention to BORO. The adoption of BORO of major fashion or cultural magazines reflects an introspection of modern people’s lifestyle.
Alongside the exhibition there are silver jewelries by Kudo Shoji. If the silver is not frequently used in the daily life, it will be discolored and blackened. Only it worn for a long time will the comfort and color will be maintained. However, nowadays we may have so much, therefore we can’t cherish an object simply like our ancients, or build up a unique emotional connection toward them or to our humans.
Kudo’s sculptures and jewelries are interlinked; both materials and shapes were all derived from life and restored to life at last. They are the lasting things for the future generations.
BORO’s “softness” counters with the silver’s “hardness” at the same time and in the same space, let’s think about the time accumulation, and indulge in the “realm of ecstasy “through this medium.
Spring, here you are.
Written by Shun at Zhu Jiajiao Studio
1 Dionysian spirit: Nietzsche believed that the Greeks pray to the spirit of Dionysus to resolve their horror of fate. The art world of Dionysus can be the state of “getting drunk”. The essence of drunkenness is complete self-lost and abandonment. The utmost performance of it is losing the distinct individual boundaries and melts into the colorful reality, therefore forgetting the terrible and suspicious existence of survival and unveils a horror life. At this time Nietzsche used art as antidote for survival rather than the stimulant.
2 Dionysus: The wine god of Greek mythology, whose temples were all over Greece. Festival of Dionysus ceremony was held during the spring and autumn in every year, the Greeks forgot the horror abyss of the goddess of fate throughout intoxication and joys.
