Open Call for the Exhibition Unanchored Crafting at London Craft Week 2025

The traditional reliance on local materials for crafting is gradually diminishing under the influence of global migration. Artists now have the opportunity to explore the crafting technologies of other cultures through traveling, while also sourcing materials from the farthest corners of the globe via international trade. As a result, creativity is grounded in a much wider range of information, with the concept of "anchoring" becoming a thing of the past. Today, Compared to a fixed space-time, the context of crafting begins turning towards a random journey.

At the same time, objects now move across regions at an unprecedented speed. This causes unfamiliar cultures to scatter in fragmented forms throughout modern life, where they are then deconstructed, reassembled, and rapidly iterated. Creolisation has replaced multiculturalism as the new universalism, with translation, digital imagery, and imagination becoming common approaches of communication and understanding.

In the upcoming exhibition Unanchored Crafting, the artists rooted in different countries will showcase their works from 2023-2025.  In the space provided by Alsolike Gallery, bamboo weaving coexists with minimalist metal structures, rough cowhide wraps around delicate silverware... These unfamiliar images will reveal how artists are exploring personal exploration within the new culture landscape.

Open Call Deadline: April 13, 2025

Exhibition Dates: May 12 - May 18, 2025

Venue: Alsolike Gallery, 16 Chance Street, London, E2 7JB

Curator: Xuan Xu, Yating Xie

Curatorial Coordinator: Wanqian Zhang

Programme Director: Yiru Zhang

Organiser: Alsolike Gallery

Academic Advisor: Chong Shi

Academic Support: Jewerly and Metal Studio @Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, Shanghai University