Origami Deutschland Convention – Bonn (May 2026)
Our first international origami convention experience.
This year, my father (Nigel) and I decided to visit Germany, to attend Origami Deutschland's convention in Bonn. My reason for attending was two-fold; one, because it would be my first international convention, and two, because Evan Zodl was one of the three special guests. The other special guests were Svenja Windt (Germany) and Steve De Clercq (Belgium). I've long admired Evan's work, and this seemed like an opportunity too good to miss.
I have to admit, I was a little apprehensive that the language barrier might be an issue... though I shouldn't have worried. All presentations were given in both German and English. I only attended one class that was taught in German, by Carmen Sprung, but she translated where necessary, and there was a very helpful attendee, who also made sure that Evan and I didn't get lost at any point.
Flower Tessellation – Evan Zodl
Unlike a BOS convention, the proceedings started with a welcome, and a somewhat tricky opening fold, on the Friday afternoon, followed by much informal folding afterwards. With 250 attendees, there were 11 concurrent streams of classes on Saturday! Additionally, there was a presentation ceremony on Saturday evening, where the Origami Competition winner was announced, and everyone was formally thanked for their role in making the convention happen. There were 48 teachers throughout the weekend, and each received a pack of hand selected papers as a thank you. I thought this was especially nice, as it ensured that almost everyone was present... all too often, when the thank yous are done at the closing, many people have already left, anxious to get on the road, especially if they have long journeys ahead.
Oh, and I almost forgot, upon registration, all folding participants also received a cotton tote bag, printed with the convention logo, containing all sorts of goodies; three 'der Falter' magazines, a 200+ page model collection, and sample papers from three different paper vendors, including some absolutely beautiful handmade paper from Gerard Paperworks. Unfortunately, Julia Schönhuber from Papierdesign was unable to attend, but arrangements were made beforehand, for people to pre-order papers. I placed an order from Miyabi, for €94 of paper, that I'm very much looking forward to folding with. In addition to the absolutely gorgeous handmade papers on offer, and the dazzling array of papers from Miyabi, there were also many foreign language books, so I treated myself to one of these as well.
One Last Smile – Steve De Clercq
A particular highlight for me, was attending a demonstration given by John Gerard, showing how he makes paper. The depth of knowledge and passion he has for paper making is absolutely fascinating. Many of his tools are handmade, and he is one of the few workshops left in Germany, that still makes paper by hand.
Similar to Kents Hill Park, the venue, GSI Bonn, has everything all on one site, accommodation, folding rooms and a bar/restaurant. All food is inclusive of the convention fee, so it saves worrying about where to eat, and allows for a fully immersive folding experience. Being gluten intolerant, I was a little concerned, but again, I needn't have worried... the food was plentiful, with clear allergen information given in German, English and French, for all menu items, plus a salad bar at lunch and dinner. Additionally, at the Friday and Saturday afternoon coffee breaks, a huge array of both sweet and savoury pastries/desserts were available, with everyone able to choose two. Again, there were plenty of options for those with dietary restrictions, including gluten and dairy intolerances, and I'm sure other dietary requirements would have been catered for.
Between Earth and Flight – Johannes Jammers
In addition to the class where I taught Brian Beitel's Thunderous (star) I attended all three of Evan's classes and one by Carmen Sprung.
Words can't do justice to the phenomenal display of models in the exhibition, and it'd be impossible for me to choose just one model to talk about. So, I've selected two; Evan Zodl's Flower Tessellation, and Steve De Clercq's One Last Smile. Evan's Flower Tessellation has been on my 'to-fold' list for more years than I care to admit... Evan had folded it this time, using a piece of Nicholas Terry's blue/green Shadow Thai. I think that the subtle texture of the paper, and variation in colour across the piece, really helps to elevate an already beautiful tessellation. I'm not often drawn to figurative folds, as geometric is more my thing, that said, Steve's One Last Smile caught my eye, because of how expressive the folding is. What makes this portrait all the more poignant is its story... Steve explains how towards the end of his mother's life, she didn't communicate, or show any emotions, and that it was whilst showing her one of his masks, that she smiled again.
Evan Zodl & Edward Holmes – Sunburst Stars
Earlier, I mentioned the Origami Competition, this year, the theme was 'Botanical Garden'. Models were brought by attendees and could also be posted in advance, with one entry being submitted by a young lad, Cheng-Bang, from Thailand. Each model was numbered, and attendees were invited to vote on their favourite three folds, placing their votes into a ballot box, before the votes were counted. The winning entry, 'Between Earth and Flight' is a bonsai tree, whose leaves are dozens of tiny paper cranes!
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Jens Boll, and everyone else on the Origami Deutschland board, for making this such an enjoyable, and memorable experience. If you're undecided about whether you should attend an international convention, then I highly recommend it!