Dazzling Vienna exhibit finds beauty in napkins FEATURE 09/12/2010

Dazzling Vienna exhibit finds beauty in napkins

FEATURE

09/12/2010
VIENNA — It is a dazzling array of birds

, fans and intricate structures, all made simply from folded linen: A lost Renaissance art that has been revived for a Vienna exhibit called “Folded Beauty.”

But the new show at the Imperial Furniture Collection isn’t really about napkins. And to be honest, it isn’t really an exhibit either, says the artist behind it, more of a life-sized research project.

Joan Sallas, 47, a Catalan master of folding techniques, spent three months folding 200 meters (656 feet) of linen into more than 100 objects for the show.

All are copies of 16th- and 17th-century originals, but his only guides were old engravings and documents describing imperial and royal banquets.

So his work was akin to deciphering a coded message, Sallas explained at a preview of the show, which opened Wednesday and runs until January 23..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100912com8.html