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Baëlf’s rebellious personality is evident in our experimental fashion artworks, often characterized by avant-garde forms and whimsical details. The Baëlf aesthetic is often futuristic and always pushing the boundaries in both visuals and techniques. Our aspiration is to show how technology can be a medium for design, a fresh way to think as much about aesthetics and culture as it is about production and performance. We also dream of enhancing the functions of fashion accessories and define new meanings through the use of technology in our future collections.
A Commission by The National Museum of Singapore (NMS)
Kindly supported by Fillamentum (Czech Republic) and Global Link Accessories (Hong Kong)
About:
Baëlf was engaged by NMS to reintepret costumes worn by Wayang (aka Chinese Opera) performers, using 3D printing technologies. Inspired by the archival collections of The National Museum and local street performances, our wearable art pieces are created by juxtaposing traditional Wayang elements with futuristic structures generated with the help of algorithmic design tools , to reveal futuristic pieces with impressive spatial complexity and textural expression.
Background:
Chinese opera has its origins in Shang dynasty rituals in China but has evolved over time to become an established, stylized dramatic art form in many parts of Asia. Chinese opera was brought to Singapore by the Chinese immigrants and was referred to locally as Chinese ‘wayang’, the latter being a Malay term that denotes a theatrical or dramatic performance. It was especially popular from the 1880s to the 1930s, as it was an affordable source of entertainment for the masses. Wealthy Chinese families were also known to be patrons of opera troupes, engaging them for private performances in their residences. Typically, Chinese operas were performed on makeshift stages near temples or in temple compounds as they served as a form of entertainment to the gods and were thus essential to the religious festivities. Performances were also staged in opera theatres. They were constructed as early as the 1880s and largely clustered in the Chinatown district. The popularity of Chinese operas waned drastically from the 1950s with the advent of film and television. Nevertheless, they remain an integral part of Singapore’s cultural landscape today.
The Characters:
Each of the main traditional opera roles carries corresponding traits, identity, and temperament.
Read more here: https://www.baelfdesign.com/anthropology-of-cultural-dementia-2
