Origami Museum in Saragossa
In Saragossa we are fortunate to have the most important origami museum outside of Japan, with an impressive permanent collection and pieces from the best folders.
The Origami Museum School in Saragossa, EMOZ is a place dedicated to the promotion, teaching and celebration of the art of origami with a permanent exhibition, temporary exhibitions and practical workshops for children and adults.
What is origami?
Origami is the traditional Japanese art of folding paper to create various figures and shapes without using scissors or glue. The word “origami” comes from the Japanese “ori” (fold) and “kami” (paper), which literally translates to “fold paper.” Over the years, origami has evolved from creating simple models to extremely complex and detailed shapes.
Over the centuries, origami became a form of art and cultural expression.
Origami involves folding a single sheet of paper into a variety of shapes to create objects and figures. Precise techniques and folds are essential to achieve a successful result. Although there are many techniques, two of the most common are the “valley” (downward fold) and the “mountain” (upward fold).
Origami models range from simple ones, such as paper cranes and paper airplanes, to complex three-dimensional animal figures, characters, and objects.
What paper is used in origami?
The paper used in origami is special because it must be strong enough to withstand folding and manipulation, but also flexible enough to create elegant shapes. There are specific papers for origami in a variety of colors and sizes.
Why is the Origami Museum School in Zaragoza?
Worldwide, there are communities of origami enthusiasts who share their creations, techniques and designs. The existence of a folding gathering in Zaragoza since 1944 makes this city ideal for hosting the Origami Museum in Zaragoza.
In 1978, the Zaragozano Group of Origami was renewed and has since then developed multiple popular activities, such as the airplane festivals of the 80s or the delivery of the paper mantle to the Virgin of Pilar in 2007.
One of the Group’s objectives is the organization of international meetings and exhibitions. The most important one took place at the Zaragoza History Center in 2009.
What can you see at the Zaragoza Origami Museum?
At the Origami Museum School you can see its permanent collection, temporary exhibitions, and also take a tour of the history of origami.
Its permanent collection of origami works is considered one of the best in Europe and the world and contains works by great folders such as Akira Yoshizawa, Yoshihide Momotani, Eric Joisel and Vicent Floderer.
The first room is the so-called “historical introduction”, the only one that remains fixed, and it explains the historical evolution of Origami, from the 2nd century BC to the present day with 2,500 pieces donated by the best creators in the world.
Temporary exhibitions can also be seen, since every three months the works on display are renewed and a thematic temporary exhibition is inaugurated. created by local, national and international artists. These exhibits showcase the diversity and creativity in the world of origami, from simple models to intricate and artistic creations.
What origami courses do you offer at EMOZ?
The center has a school to learn the creative possibilities of folding paper, with courses for all levels.
Thus, the Museum organizes successive activities and courses for members and fans of the art of origami: Courses, Workshops and Activities.
What are the benefits of learning origami?
Origami is not only an art, but also an educational and recreational tool. Many teachers use origami to teach mathematical and geometric concepts, as it involves understanding spatial relationships and symmetry.
Where is the Saragossa Origami Museum?
The Origami Saragossa Museum is located on the second floor of the Saragossa History Center, an old convent whose façade is preserved and whose interior, in addition to this museum, houses other temporary exhibitions.
Temporary exhibitions at the Origami Museum in Zaragoza
The Zaragoza Origami Museum has an area reserved for temporary exhibitions in which artists from all over the world exhibit their creations.
Some of these artists have stayed at our hotel and we have had the opportunity to interview them so they can tell us a little more about the art of origami.
Books with Life Exhibition at the Origami Museum of Zaragoza
The temporary exhibition Books with Life is a collection of beautiful and complex copies that display before us a prodigy of origami designed by the most famous paper engineers. Donated by the Giménez Laguardia family, the books present different techniques, but they all have in common that they have mechanical elements that mean that, when opened, they show an unimaginable universe between the pages of a book.
Exhibition at the Origami museum Between Dream and Paper.
One of our favorite places in the city is located in the Zaragoza Story Center. A museum dedicated entirely to the ancient art of origami and which constitutes an international reference. A sensational museum with pieces by the best artists of the discipline that is now opening a temporary exhibition.
Without a doubt the most original museum in the city, it hosts the exhibition Between Dream and Paper until December 8. An exhibition of the work of the Portuguese folder Joao Charrua.
At the Hotel Sauce we had the opportunity to receive him during the assembly of the exhibition. It was a pleasure to meet you in person. We strongly recommend a visit to the Zaragoza Origami Museum. A discipline whose philosophy enchants and inspires us. A truly original and more than interesting museum.
Origami in Saragossa: interview with Jorge Pardo
Saragossa is a city full of museums and exhibitions. The offer is almost unapproachable. Among all of them, there is one very particular, we dare to say that it is the most original museum in the city. We can proudly say that the Saragossa Origami Museum School has one of the best collections in the world and perhaps the most complete outside of Japan.
Our guest in this edition of Interviews is one of the main people responsible for making all of this possible. From the museum headquarters in the Saragossa History Center our guest has our admiration and perplexity. There is some magic in creating those sophisticated figures from flat paper, without cutting or gluing. We are pleased to introduce you to Jorge Pardo.
At what point does one go from making a paper bow tie to pass the time to turning it into such a sophisticated hobby?
It is a process that comes little by little, it can be compared to music, whoever begins to play an instrument cannot aspire to play a great symphony at the beginning, they first have to start with the basics, the notes, learn to read the notes and improve until you can play a complicated work, in origami the same, you start with traditional figures, you have to know how to interpret the diagrams and finally you can fold complex figures.
How much is there technique and how much is imagination in Origami?
To create new origami figures, both are very important, models can be created with a very refined technique, very imaginative models, but the best are when both are combined.
In the world of magic it is really complicated to create a new trick, everything is in the books. In reality, magicians do variations on well-known tricks. Is it like that in origami or is there more room for creativity?
In origami it is something similar, many make variations and interpretations of already known models, but there is also a lot of room for creativity, thousands of new models are created around the world every year.
What other activity do you think is most similar to origami? sculpture, sleight of hand, DIY…?
The different origami techniques can be similar to different activities, Eric Joisel’s models could be similar to sculpture, modular ones to puzzles, tessellations to crochet, wrinkled crimp suits to sewing, Chinese modules to Lego,…
In Saragossa there is a group with a splendid history behind them and a promising present. Are there more groups in other cities or are they a rarity?
In many cities in Spain and in many countries there are numerous groups, although in general they are not as active as ours, in Spain there is none that has as many activities as the Zaragozano Group, the groups that could be closer to ours would be in Japan, there they do carry out many activities and have many partners.
Do you often travel for your hobby?
Lately almost all my trips are related to origami, I have gone to conventions in several cities in Spain (Madrid, Bilbao, Alicante, Santiago, Valencia, Barcelona), several times to Italy, France, England, Peru and at the end of this year I will go to Japan as a guest at the Nagoya convention.
When you travel, you prefer train, plane or private car
It depends on the destination, when the distance exceeds 1,000 km I travel by plane, for trips in Spain or to go to France I usually go by car to be able to carry many figures.
What absurd object cannot be missing in your suitcase?
For me it is not absurd, but when I show my luggage people are usually surprised to see so much paper, a few years ago when I was taking an exhibition to France the French police stopped me, they saw my car full of paper models, they asked me where to go. I was going with all that, I tried to explain to him that I was going to set up an origami exhibition, fortunately he didn’t make me take anything out of the car, and I think it was because he thought it was impossible for someone to invent something like that.
What is the strangest thing that has happened to you in a hotel?
I really like to travel and I have visited many hotels, hostels, student residences around the world and numerous anecdotes have happened to me, in France I found an occupied room, in New York the floor was sticky and it was scary to enter the bathroom, in New York Zeeland I went to a hostel with common rooms where there were a dozen beds and in one of them there was one who snored like an elephant and didn’t let me sleep all night.
It is well known that we all have different breakfasts when we are away from home. What is your typical breakfast like when you are on vacation?
In hotels I usually have more breakfast than usual, I usually adapt to what they put on them, but what is usually not missing is orange juice, cereal, croissant.
What do you miss about Zaragoza when you are out of the city?
I usually adapt very well to changes.
