Kintsugi is a traditional Japanese repair art in which broken pieces are joined back together with urushi lacquer, and the cracks are deliberately highlighted with gold powder. Visible connections emerge from the breaking points, which carry on the story of an object.
Ayaka Nabeshima and Birgit Depenbrock explain the technique and philosophy, and why mindful work is at the heart of kintsugi. Working together with the hands creates space for exchange and new connections.
The edited shards and personal thoughts of the participants become part of the exhibition and make the shared process visible for further visitors. Over three appointments, a joint kintsugi object is created in this way. From many individual contributions, a new whole grows step by step.