About

Developed from archival research, this exhibition considers material as a carrier of time. The works respond to historical documents, found objects, and site-specific records, transforming archival traces into contemporary design explorations of memory, history, and place.

This design project originates from an ancient London tree that collapsed due to pest infestation.

Xianghi Zhao acquired a section of its wood and used it as a starting point to observe and capture details at a highly microscopic level, attempting to piece together a complete story. Over the past year, they have visited archives and flea markets, uncovering historical traces related to the tree and its surrounding environment, collecting and interpreting the objects they found. Ultimately, they transformed these clues into a series of design works that combine materials such as wood, silver, ceramic, and glass. Through the language of design, they reinterpreted the relationship between materials and humans before they became “materials,” as well as the new connections formed after they were crafted into designed objects.