In October 2015, Novofibre joined over 1,000 designers and artists for one of the most exciting design events in China. Every year the China Institute of Interior Design (CIID) hosts an “Open Exhibit” showcasing the world’s best creative talent and cutting edge design products. Novofibre worked with renowned artist and designer Lin Xueming to create an incredibly innovative, thought provoking and visually stunning exhibition for this year’s event.

Held in Lanzhou, China, the 2015 Open Exhibit theme was entitled “Crossing Boundaries”. Participants were asked to interpret the theme using the cultural and environmental landscapes of the historic Lanzhou region as inspiration. Novofibre’s installation, entitled “Yu”, was completed using Novofibre’s Oriented Structural Straw Boards to create an immersive environment that evokes both traditional Chinese Tangram puzzles and the surrounding mountainous landscape of Lanzhou.

By integrating both the Chinese understanding of puzzles as a tool to build interpretation skills and intelligence, alongside the visual and structural environmental elements of the installation inherent in the mountainous topography and OSSB panels, Lin Xueming’s design implores viewers to reflect on humanity’s simultaneous responsibility to and reliance on the earth.  Through “Yu”, visitors are nudged toward crossing the “boundaries” that prevent them from understanding, engaging with, and making active choices that foster a healthy, sustainable world for the next generation.

Head Curator and Designer of the work, Lin Xueming, stated, “The project is made entirely from Novofibre natural wheat straw boards and highlights the texture and soft golden luster of the wheat. In addition to the positive health and environmental aspects of the product, the material itself is excellent to work with from a design standpoint… The installation is a reflection on modern home design, luxury and waste, while also functioning as a call for public awareness about the effects our built environments have on human and environmental health. Our hope is that through this awareness, consumers will begin to take concrete steps to protect the next generation as well as our Earth.”