Every Archive Vol.1 _ Ritus : Order and Respect
Opening:18th September, 6 - 8pm
Exhibition Runs: 18th - 23rd September: 10 - 5:30pm
Gallery 1 | Free Entry
The programme includes live performances, workshops, and talks, inviting audiences to engage with the objects and rituals on display.
Ritual in Progress — London Design Festival
From eating and cleansing to socialising and mourning, repeated gestures across generations have solidified into deep ritual structures. Ritual in Progress by Every Archive invites reflection on how such acts endure today—and how objects embody and renew the rituals of everyday life.
Ritual in Progress presents the ongoing practice of Every Archive as an archival-assemblage platform—an initiative that uses object-based research as methodology and cultural transmission as its guiding path. As the physical extension of our inaugural print publication RITUS - order and respect, the exhibition constructs a dynamic ritualistic space that weaves together personal spirituality, collective ceremonial structures, and the subtle rhythms of daily life. Through this spatial intervention, the exhibition unfolds a multi-layered narrative on the contemporary expressions of ritus—order, form, and reverence.
Featuring over thirty ceremonial objects by Chinese artists and brands, the exhibition brings together a diverse array of forms—from ritual vessels, incense holders, and sacred lighting objects to tea sets, incense mushrooms, Tibetan carpets, and ceramic tools. These objects serve not only as aesthetic artefacts or functional designs but also as spiritual agents—vessels of intention, memory, and transformation. Each piece is accompanied by a detailed cultural dossier, documenting its material qualities, artisanal techniques, historical origins, and trajectories of use. Together, they reveal a new lens through which to understand the role of objects as mediators between people, things, and meaning. As its title suggests, Ritual in Progress will transform the exhibition space into an evolving site of ritual formation. A series of parallel events—including live performances, academic forum, and cross-disciplinary workshops—will invite audiences to engage actively with the objects, gestures, and spaces on view. In doing so, the exhibition extends an invitation: to find new anchor points in a world in flux, and to cultivate rituals that speak to the present moment.
Coinciding with the exhibition is the launch of Every Archive’s debut print issue RITUS, a publication that spans earth to sky, material to spirit. It offers a microcosmic yet expansive exploration of the cultural intersections between China and the wider world, as well as a platform for the innovative expression of ritual forms through contemporary design. Through research, interviews, literary essays, and artistic reinterpretations, the magazine forms a complete archival chain—linking fieldwork with curatorial production, and object analysis with narrative imagination.
We believe true rituals are not confined to sacred halls or historic scripts; they are embedded in the quiet persistence of daily gestures, and in the repeated interactions we have with the material world. In that spirit, Every Archive seeks to reconnect people with the deeper cultural meanings embedded in the objects around them.
Every Archive is a multifaceted platform integrating material archiving, cultural research, and brand collaboration. Our mission is to reframe and revitalise Chinese material culture and design within a global contemporary context.
We welcome you to join us in this journey—into the layered rituals that lie between object and life.
For more exhibition details and programming updates, please follow Every Archive on our official website and Instagram @every.archive
Every Archive
Every Archive is a cultural agency and curatorial platform operating between London and Shanghai. Founded by a collective of designers and researchers, we explore the evolving narratives of Chinese material culture through design, publication, and exhibition.
Our practice bridges academic inquiry with creative production, connecting Chinese and British scholars, artists, and institutions. Structured as an independent studio, we operate with the long-term vision of becoming a non-profit cultural institution.
In September of 2025, we will launch the first edition of our bilingual magazine, featuring 18 brands and over 30 artifacts, alongside our debut exhibition during London Design Festival. Through field research, editorial work, and object-based storytelling, Every Archive repositions art, design, humanity research and curatorial practice as a tool for cultural dialogue and transnational collaboration.
The Programme
