Michal Hanula
Each spring, Munich hosts a large Craft Fair, a prestigious event focused on contemporary craft, design, and applied arts. Last year, Michal Hanula participated in one of the four major exhibitions entitled EXEMPLA. The section had a common theme, “Craft in Motion” and contained pieces from international participants which presented “motion” of different materials and resulting uses. This included pieces from the realm of traditional crafts to toys and hi-tech technology. The theme of the exhibit appealed to a wide range of participants and brought about many examples of current applications used in craft design. Interesting were the mechanical toys produced by two designers from the UK (Robert Race and Ian McKay). These two artists create toys that are not primarily intended for children’s play but are more sculptural or decorative works. The toys operate with witty movement on simple principles: cranks, rods, reels, weights, cords, and the like, with combination of movement and jokes. All the parts are active and the composition as a whole evokes an amused smile on one’s face.