A project based on the approach to woodworking and carving techniques and cultural elements of the Erzgebirge and Seiffen region. The task was to design objects that contain elements of the rich craftsmanship of the region, giving them a new meaning and bringing them to current contexts, from an understanding of their formal and symbolic value.
Alejandro Serna Rodriguez
KUFOS
Language: English
DE 2022
KUFOS
Language: English
DE 2022
KUFOS seeks a new look at the folkloric elements of different regions, with the intention of giving a new context to the artisan tradition of Seiffen/Erzgebirge. Thus, a series of characters with great symbolic value in different cultures were chosen, approaching them from the respect to the tradition and value they possess, in order to bring them closer and promote a cultural exchange through play and interaction. Creating collectible figures with a symbolic and aesthetic value.
Seiffen and Erzgebirge are referents in the tradition of wooden toys and pieces made on a lathe. In addition to its mining tradition, its privileged position on the border with the Czech Republic and other historical contexts gives them a number of elements that are reflected in their toys and figures.
An attempt was made to replicate as closely as possible the original manufacture of these products, in a handcrafted manner, taking some of the elements learned in Seiffen. The use of the lathe and wood show the high level of expertise of these artisans and the pieces they produce.
The concept of KUFOS seeks the interaction of children and not so children with popular cultural elements from different regions giving way to discovery and knowledge through play and imagination. The figures represent stories, myths and legends of the folklore of different cultures with a reinterpretation that seeks to connect with the handcrafted aesthetics of Erzgebirge. It was accompanied by a reading and understanding of these stories in their respective contexts and a design of characters respecting as much as possible the cultures they come from.
