In a postmodern world, apparel design is no longer just one part of the manufacturing process; it can now be considered a creative art form with the body as its subject and fabric as its medium that communicates the ideas and observations on life of the designer. Through this lens, items of apparel can be seen as works of contemporary art, a condensation of the contemporary culture, prevailing ideas, and lifestyles of our times. The ARC’TERYX × Greater Goods collections are just such works of art. Looking afresh at ARC’TERYX’s practice of refashioning recycled garments, UK design studio Greater Goods breathes new life into used apparel items by deconstructing and remaking them into unique works of collage art. What underpins the project is not just designer Jaimus Tailor’s new take on recycled materials in an age of surplus, but also the founding of REBIRD as the result of the high-end outdoor apparel brand ARC'TERTYX’s thinking on environmental protection and sustainable development. Through REBIRD's systematized framework for sustainable development, ARC’TERYX is reshaping the relationship between humans and nature, in search for a mode of symbiotic coexistence.

A platform for the ongoing exploration of contemporary art’s integration and intervention in everyday life, UCCA Lab under UCCA Group has joined ARC’TERYX to present the REBIRD Sustainability Art Exhibition. Set in an unconventional exhibition space and inspired by REBIRD's advocacy for sustainability through recycling, UCCA commissioned designer Shen Ruofan to use reclaimed materials and the language of design to transform a retail outlet into a space for art that becomes a vehicle for culture and ideas, in an effort to explore the relationship between REBIRD and contemporary designers and materials and to inspire a multidimensional viewing experience and reflections on art. The exhibition is divided into two main sections. The first section centers on REBIRD’s portable archive presented in the home of ARC’TERYX, where visitors will be able to experience and learn about the spiritual core of REBIRD through the archival materials and videos on display. Located inside the Veilance store, the gallery titled "Nothing into Something” showcases the 2022 ARC’TERYX × Greater Goods collection. Visitors may enjoy a fresh look at each item from a unique perspective within the site-specific experience of the space, feeling their visual appeal and cultural value through the senses.

As a dialogue between art and design, and between fabrics and construction materials, the REBIRD Sustainability Art Exhibition is an opportunity for visitors to re-examine apparel and the world from a new perspective. We hope that the work of Greater Goods will reveal to us a microcosm of our present and answers as to how we might make our way towards a sustainable future. This exhibition is co-curated by Cheng Jing and Liu Xueli from UCCA Lab.