Masters of Origami

Until September 30, the Japanese art of folding paper blossoms in Austria. In Salzburg’s Hangar-7 the exhibition “Masters of Origami” gathered together not only outstanding works of art, but also the masters themselves.

“You learn things about the world through origami,” says Michael LaFosse, one of the most sought-after artists in the international origami scene, “things that you could never learn in any other way.”
Living proof of this statement had been assembled for the exhibition Masters of Origami at Hangar-7 in Salzburg. Until September 30, works of art as well as their creators transported visitors into the realm of the two millennia-old art of Japanese paper folding. Fifty of the world’s leading origami experts displayed their works in the unique home of the Flying Bulls – among them renowned masters such as Joseph Wu (CAN), Koshiro Hatori (JAP) and Michael LaFosse (USA). LaFosse is a specialist in geometric forms and classical figures. “Each time is a journey for me as well, to discover what can be developed out of a seemingly limited piece of paper.”

Evolution over Thousands of Years

The foundation of origami is a square sheet of paper measuring 15 centimetres on a side, from which all kinds of figures can be folded. And this has been so for nearly two thousand years: the history of paper folding can be traced back to approximately 110 AD, the time when paper was being discovered in China. The first instructions for the famous paper crane originate in the 17th century. The word “origami” (derived from “oru”, Japanese for folding, and “kami”, Japanese for paper) was first integrated into the Japanese language in 1880. Today, origami is no longer confined to just paper. The art of folding has also been incorporated and realized in fashion, architecture and design–often in astonishing ways.
Especially noteworthy is origami’s development to the point of inspiring scientists as we enter the second millennium. Intricately folded molecules are analysed according to the principles of this folding art. Medical researchers have developed an “origami stent graft” technology, through which blocked arteries can be reopened. And as of recently, the folding art is even being set to music: the Israeli origami master Paul Jackson has composed, with the inspiration of the exhibition in Hangar-7, the first musical score based on origami.

Oru Kami with the Masters

Masters of Origami in Salzburg documented the entire spectrum of the folding art. In addition to the regular exhibit, there were three special exhibits with the themes The History of Origami, Paper and Folding Techniques and The Scientific Relevance of Origami. Furthermore, visitors had the opportunity to learn from the great masters themselves. The exhibition was complemented by four workshops led by origami masters Paul Jackson, Michael LaFosse, Miri Golan from Israel and Robert J. Lang from the USA.