Huashan 1914 “Ordinary. Beauty” Exhibition – Where Daily Life Meets Aesthetic Taste

 

Huashan 1914 Cultural and Creative Industrial Park is a microcosm of Taiwan’s liquor industry, witnessing the history of alcohol monopolies from the Japanese colonial period to the Nationalist government era. Closely tied to people's daily lives, it holds unique historical and industrial significance in modern Taiwan. In July this year, Huashan reopened the “Red Brick Hexagonal Courtyard” and launched its first-ever exhibition—“Ordinary. Beauty.” This marks a symbolic starting point, themed around “uniquely Taiwanese, one of a kind” cultural and creative talents and works, presenting the viewpoint that the more local, the more internationally appealing.

 

The exhibits in “Ordinary. Beauty” focus on everyday objects commonly found in life. Through the lens of curation, the showcase does not emphasize brand stories or design awards. Instead, it gathers ordinary household items stacked in hardware stores, grocery shops, or even supermarkets. These items may lack dazzling brand names or be masterpieces by renowned designers. The emphasis is on the storytelling quality of the objects themselves, showcasing a simple beauty born from functional design refined through the passage of time. Rather than presenting a curatorial philosophy, the exhibition serves as a reminder of a certain attitude toward life, shining a spotlight directly on these everyday objects. It encourages viewers to see them from a fresh perspective and recognize that these unassuming, ordinary items can be just as beautiful as those designed by famous names.

 

 

Viewing this exhibition is like encountering aesthetic taste unexpectedly in daily life, allowing people to better understand and connect with the omnipresence of “Ordinary. Beauty.” We share the beauty we’ve worked hard to uncover or stumbled upon by chance, hoping everyone can embark on their own journey of discovering “Ordinary. Beauty” in their daily routines.

 

Beyond offering an emotionally moving experience, the exhibition also enriches life experiences. In addition to displaying everyday objects collected from across Taiwan that embody the essence of “Ordinary. Beauty,” Huashan has also invited the VVG (Very Very Good) team to curate and launch a limited-time concept store for the exhibition: “VVG at Home X Ordinary. Beauty.”

 

The limited-time concept store will be open for one month, selling “Ordinary. Beauty” everyday items from Japan, Hong Kong, Denmark, Germany, and other countries, as well as Taiwan-original products enhanced through design. It highlights how, despite differences in Eastern and Western lifestyles and the variety of everyday objects, they all share the same sincere and simple “Ordinary. Beauty” essence.