What the 2008 edition proposes

5 exhibitions-competitions...

Crespi Bonsai Cup: dedicated to experts and collectors of bonsais who will take part with their masterpieces.
Crespi Shohin Cup: dedicated to experts and collectors of bonsais of small sizes who will take part with their best trees.
Enthusiasts' Exhibition: dedicated to all bonsai amateurs.
Crespi Suiseki Cup: dedicated to all collectors of suisekis, the wonderful landscape stones.
Crespi Pot Cup: dedicated to collectors of pots and pot masters.

A new exhibition…

“Bonsai on telephone cards”: during the event an exhibition of Chinese and Japanese telephone cards with bonsai as main theme can be appreciated. Given by Lorenzo Sonzini.

Shows ● Lectures ● Demonstrations ● Courses

Demonstrations of advanced bonsai techniques at the Crespi Cup. Famous Japanese and Chinese masters will work on old trees, using special, advanced formation techniques. They will also give workshops on bonsai for all bonsai amateurs. The Crespi Cup will welcome as special guests Mr. Ebihara, one of the most renown Japanese bonsai artists, for the first time in Europe, and Mr. Wong, one of the most important experts in bonsai penjing (Chinese miniature landscapes) of the Lingnan school.

Lecture on suiseki: Martin Pauli, well known expert in the field, will help you to better understand the fascinating landscape stones.

Japanese cooking. "Art in cooking" are the most suitable words to describe the refined cuisine of Japan, where over the food quality it is important its presentation: "dishes should be first appreciated with eyes“. Historical background and then virtues and main characteristics of Japanese food, as even how to present it, will be the main subjects of the lecture. Michiyo Murakami will give demonstration of sushi preparation.
Chinese calligraphy or shūfà was the first art practised by Chinese scholars and maybe it is the art that better expresses the philosophical and aesthetical conceptions of those ones, who played also an important role in the art of painting. Chinese calligraphy is an art based on self consciousness, breath and sense of space.
Washi paper (wa - Japanese, shi - paper), was introduced to Japan from China around the XVII century; it is a kind of paper manually made through the working of different species of plants like Kozo (Morus genre), Matsumata and Gampi (Daphne genre).
Tea ceremony is one of the well known and appreciated traditional zen arts. It is an antique art, that implies a peculiar ritual. Through the ritual ceremony man satisfies his need of inner peace, expressed by the words “the peace in a cup of tea”.
Yuzen is a decorative art used on kimono fabrics, that traces back to the XVII century and to the Japanese Yuzensai Miyazaki. It consists in using starch from the steam cooking of rice on the pattern lines, to paint with different colours put near to each other without blurring the colours. 
Sakè is a Japanese traditional drink, slightly alcoholic, appeared in the III century b.C. It comes from the rice fermentation and it is normally tasted warm or lukewarm. The preparation methods have been handing down from father to son since centuries and require a work process of 6 weeks.
Raku is a Japanese technique, recently introduced in Western countries. In comparison with other kinds of Japanese ceramics in raku technique the artist uses only his/her hands, and this allows a very free expression of his/her creativity. The raku decorative effects, with its metal glares and craquelé, and the special procedure (pottery is taken out of the oven when it is still incandescent) make the technique very attractive.
Origami is the Japanese art of folding paper. Its origin is related with the Shintoist religion, that gave to the paper a sacred value. Nowadays the evolved technique uses few well combined foldings to create very complex subjects.
Tai Chi Ch'uan is a martial art for self-defence, which is part of the traditional Chinese school of Kung Fu. Through its slowly executed movements, flowing harmoniously, the Tai Chi Ch'uan gives flexibility and elasticity to your body, self consciousness and concentration to your mind. 
Qi Gong  is a Chinese art, which has been handing down from father to son since thousands of years and has its roots in the Taoist tradition. It consists of various exercises of progressive difficulty you should execute while controlling body (still or moving), breath, thoughts and emotions.
TuiNa is an antique art, which allows to regain or maintain the physical and psychical well-being. It is a complete, natural method, which doesn’t require any special instrument. The simple instruments used by the TuiNa operator are his/her hands, fingers and elbows.

Guest

The master Ebihara Shigeo “It is said that a bonsai is a work of art, but in fact it is not so common to find a bonsai tree, which succeeds in arousing the admired and deep feeling you can feel when you appreciate a masterpiece. A bonsai can express the beauty of the nature, but not the beauty of the art. If a bonsai is a man’s creation, the artist should express the beauty of the art through the tree, otherwise the artist’s essence is lost.” With these words Ebihara expresses his own concept of art and of bonsai as an art form. Bonsai is not a mere imitation of the nature, it is expression of his author’s being and knowledge.
The techniques, skilfully developed and refined according to the species’ requirements, are no more than a mean that allows the author to express his deep knowledge of the mechanisms of the plant physiology and his observations about nature, processed by his artistic sensitiveness.
In this way, according to Ebihara’s thought, bonsai enters by full right in the sphere of the art.

The master Wong Tsau Shing is an advanced expert and enthusiast in Lingnan school of penjing. He was attracted by the art of Lingnan penjing when young and began to learn how to treat artistic pot plants at his age of 17. In 1970, he enrolled member of the Guangchou Penjing Association and member of the Hong Kong Penjing and Art-stone Society in 1993.
For the purpose of giving his learners and students better conditions, soil lands, rise up their enthusiasm in penjing and getting harvest of artistic creations of each own, Mr. Wong had been developing a large nursery of 60,000 sq.ft. and named it “Hong Kong Penzhongyi Zhi Jia” (that means home for the artistic pot plants of Hong Kong).
On January 2007, he grouped up a crew of penjing enthusiasts and established the Institute of Lingnan Penjing, Hong Kong which is a non profit organization. He is the Chairman and honourable consultant of the Institute. Also Mr. Wong has been appointed as honourable consultant by the Hong Kong Bonsai International.

Mr Pauli Martin has got a long experience of  studies and realizations in many artistic fields. For his personal interest he studied various traditional Japanese arts and crafts and realized works of goldsmith, metal works, graphic design etc., frequently exhibited at National and International exhibitions. Since 1990 he has been studying the art of suiseki, mainly under Matsuura Arishige, president of the Nippon Suiseki Association (Tokyo, Japan).  Thanks to his artistic sensitiveness and his universal concept of art he is very appreciated at international level: he gives lectures in Europe, Asia, United States and writes articles about suiseki on national and international magazines.

Home   Presentation   What proposes   Program   Information