The Temple of Trash

Lei Gallery

Discipline:

Exhibition | Art

Location:

Taichung, Taiwan

Year:

2020 - 2021

Description:

Why
The Temple of Trash probes the clash between sustainability and “dirty” materials, challenging waste perceptions by transforming discards into extraordinary designs. It’s a bold push to prove DIY upcycling can turn the overlooked into art.

Brief
This ongoing series, a collaboration with Minofmeer and Taiwanese studios like Woodtomdoit, Studio Gimp, and YIDACNC, crafts functional art to stretch material limits and spotlight sustainable innovation.

Approach
Blending traditional and experimental craft, we fused industrial waste—luffa, bamboo, metals—with unconventional techniques. The Trash Mascots, a quirky upcycled duo, welcome visitors, embodying the project’s playful, inventive ethos.

Outcome
The series transcends art, delivering functional pieces that redefine waste’s value. It’s a striking cultural nod to sustainability, blurring design and art through collaborative ingenuity.

Challenges
Second-rate materials brought surprises—early structural flaws and uneven looks demanded creative fixes, pushing us to test and refine assembly methods relentlessly.

Insights
Assuming waste would easily upscale underestimated its quirks—I’d prioritize durability tests earlier next time. The process showed sustainability fuels opportunity, reshaping how we view craft and trash.

Product Details
Dimensions: Various
Material: Luffa, rush grass, bamboo, marble, polyester, nylon, styrofoam, various metals

Process

The Temple of Trash project started during Taiwan’s strict COVID lockdowns, forcing four teams—Minofmeer, Woodtomdoit, Studio Gimp, and YIDACNC—to plan online. Each brought their own process to turn waste into art, but Minofmeer drove coordination. Initial meetings via video hashed out the goal: upcycle junk into functional pieces. Designers shared sketches and material lists—luffa, bamboo, metals—brainstorming how to stretch limits while stuck apart.

Each studio prototyped independently, testing trash like styrofoam and nylon for strength and form. Minofmeer tracked progress, syncing efforts through shared docs and calls. The Trash Mascots, a duo of quirky figures, emerged as a joint idea—built from scraps, refined via feedback. Lockdowns slowed physical tests, so we leaned on photos and videos to tweak designs, like fixing weak joints in early models.

Minofmeer scouted galleries online, locking in a space as restrictions eased. Final assembly blended each team’s work—some hand-stitched, some machined—into a cohesive lineup. Setup and promotion fell to Minofmeer, coordinating logistics and pushing the sustainability angle. Testing showed flaws like uneven finishes, but quick fixes ensured the pieces held up, proving waste could shine through remote grit and teamwork.