At Piadina, a 24-foot rope installation by SF-based artist Windy Chien, is a nod to the California craft-form, as well as to SLO’s significant relationship to both agricultural and coastal life. Windy brings aesthetics to the intersection of function, science, and history to illuminate what’s most fascinating about knots: the journey of the line. The piece entitled Circuit Boards are inspired by electronics parts, Massimo Vignelli’s New York City subway map, and Diana Vreeland’s maxim that “the eye has to travel.”
Windy Chien is best known for her 2016 work, The Year of Knots, in which she learned a new knot every day for a year. Her work ranges in size from a knot that can fit in the palm of a child’s hand to majestic, room-sized installations. Following long careers at Apple and as owner of legendary music shop Aquarius Records, she launched her studio in 2015. Select clients include IBM, the National Geographic Society, and the Kering Group, and her work has been covered by Wired, The New York Times and Martha Stewart. Windy’s book about her work was published by Abrams in 2019.