Local Additions to the Exhibition in Berlin

02/26/2018

In Berlin the core of the exhibition has been joined by three local additions curated by professor Barbara Schmidt from Weissensee Kunsthochschule Berlin.

Bröhan-Museum in Berlin Charlottenburg. (c) Minerva Juolahti

The exhibition opened at the Bröhan-Museum in Berlin on Sunday January 28th 2018. The core of the exhibition and the local additions take up almost all of the third floor of the museum. The core of the exhibition is placed in a big hall and the local additions together with the Future Lights winners are located in three smaller rooms. The three local additions are the results of two experimental ceramics courses organised at the Weissensee Kunsthochschule Berlin, final thesis projects of the students of the school and a local architectural ceramics adaption. The themes of the local additions are well linked with the themes of the core of the Shaping the Future exhibition. Several of the students who present their works in the additional part have also works in the core of the exhibition.

The final thesis work of Maximilian Bellinghausen: “Plating and Processes” 2017. (c) Minerva Juolahti

Experimental Courses at Weissensee Kunsthochschule Berlin

In one of the smaller rooms two project courses carried out at the Weissensee Kunsthochschule Berlin are presented. The first project took place in winter term 2015/2016 with the headline “table tools”. The project concentrated on the role of ceramics in the preparation and consumption of food. During the course the students tried to answer the question: How does it influence the food and drink related design if the design is developed from the point of view of the physical properties of food, the food preparation techniques and the sensory perceptions during consumption? The works are from Lilith Habisreutinger, Janis Gildein, Maximilian Bellinghausen, Henrik Hjort, Alexandre Bailly and Simon Ertl.

The results of the course “table tools” 2015/2016. (c) Minerva Juolahti

The other project “Clay-Stones-Earth” took place in summer term 2017 and it concentrated on local materials and their use in ceramics and building. Berlin is located in the state of Brandenburg which is usually considered low in raw materials. The local materials – lignite, wood, sand and clay – have nevertheless been important in the building of the city of Berlin and in the future they might be able to offer ways to develop a more sustainable building culture. This was one of the themes of this course that was an interdisciplinary laboratory for sustainable design. In some of the outcomes of the course 3D printing in ceramics has played an integral role. This section has works from Tau Pibernat, Cindy Valdez, Ursula Jarero, Robin Hoske, Joy Weinberger, Adèle Le Houerf, Anton Richter, Benjamin Gladki, Rahel Jacob, Nils Jünke and Tanguy Fraiture.

Some of the works of the project “Clay-Stones-Earth” 2017. (c) Minerva Juolahti

The themes of these two project courses link intriguingly with three of the key themes of the core exhibition: food design, local materials and new technologies. These themes were also present at the experimental Kahla workshop in April 2016 at the Kahla Porcelain factory, where several of the works of the core of the Shaping the Future exhibition were initiated or even produced.

Cindy Veldez: “Maximiliana” 2017. (c) Minerva Juolahti

Design and Experiment – Final Thesis Projects

Next to the room of the two experimental courses of Weissensee Kunshochschule Berlin there is a room that presents the final thesis projects of seven students of the school. The works were developed under the study perspective Design and Experiment and they investigate the potential of ceramics material for vessels and tools for the preparation, consumption and for a deeper sensory perception of food. Through the works the students also examine the potential of different industrial, artisan and digital production methods – such as ceramic 3D printing – as well as experiment with materials, surfaces and processes.

The final thesis project of Maria Braun: “Univessels” 2017. (c) Minerva Juolahti

In this section Babette Wiezorek, Dawei Yang, Laura Görs, Qianyu Zhu, Sarah Bräuner, Maria Braun and Maximilian Bellinghausen present their final thesis projects. These works also link well to the works of the core of the Shaping the Future exhibition, they share for example the themes of food design and new technologies.

Babette Wiezorek and Dawei Yang: “Additive Addicted” 2017. (c) Minerva Juolahti

Architectural Ceramics to Improve Concert Hall Acoustics

Next to the works of the Future Lights in Ceramics winners a fragment of a ceramic architectural adaption hangs on the wall. This ceramic structure was designed to improve the acoustic features of the hall of Berlin State Opera, when it was renovated. The whole structure is placed on the ceiling of the opera hall and it consists of approx. 250 square meters of open diamond lattice made out of CPBP (Chemically Bonded Photosphate Ceramics). The structure is designed by the architects of the HG Merz architecture firm and is a great example of how ceramics can be used to create new adaptions for architecture.

HG Merz (GER) 2015: Mock-up of the Reverberation Gallery, Berlin State Opera, Unter den Linden (scale 1:1). (c) Minerva Juolahti

Clay Pit Workshop organised at Aalto University, Espoo, Finland

02/19/2018

On Tuesday February 13th 2018 the interactive Clay Pit workshop was organised for the first time at Aalto University in Finland. The workshop has been developed as a part of the European Ceramics and its Dimensions project.

Shaping the Future co-ordinator Priska Falin presenting the workshop for the participants. (c) Minerva Juolahti

Creating a Place for Play and Learning with Clay

The objective of the Clay Pit workshop concept is to create a place for play and learning with ceramics: The participants explore with the material in its various stages of transition using oversized tools and different spaces and surfaces. The workshop was held at the sculpture workshop on the snowy Otaniemi campus for a group of 15 students and staff members from the course Silicate – Form, glaze and surface structure from University of Art and Design Offenbach. The participants enjoyed the possibility to throw themselves into a process of experimentation with the material without having to think about the outcome or results.

Clay Pit participants experimenting with the different stages of the transition of ceramics. (c) Minerva Juolahti

The Clay Pit was first launched during the British Ceramics Biennial (BCB) festival 2017 in Stoke-on-Trent where it hosted over 4000 participants. The workshop has been developed in a cooperation between community and engagement programme manager Dena Bagi from BCB and Ceramics and its Dimensions: Shaping the Future co-ordinator doctoral candidate Priska Falin from Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture (Aalto ARTS), Department of Design. They also recreated the workshop at Aalto.

New Master’s Programme in Contemporary Design at Aalto

The visit of the course from University of Art and Design Offenbach was hosted by a new Aalto ARTS design master’s programme called Contemporary Design. The new programme combines the experimental processes of analog and digital design and its first students will start in autumn 2018.

The Clay Pit participants discussing their experiences of the workshop. (c) Minerva Juolahti

The idea of the three-day-visit of the group from Offenbach was to exchange ideas on the experimental ways of teaching design. Professor Maarit Mäkelä and lecturer Anna van der Lei presented their work and the new design master’s programme for the guests. Professor Markus Holzbach from University of Art and Design Offenbach gave a presentation about his work in teaching visualization and material research at the university. The Clay Pit workshop offered a wonderful opportunity for the guests to work with an experimental ceramics process as a part of their visit.

The Clay Pit Workshop as a Research Project

One aim of the Clay Pit workshop is to look at the material’s qualities and how they are used as well the experiences of the participants on how they connect with the material. Data has been collected from the workshop experiences and the Clay Pit concept has been developed further. A paper that discusses the workshop will be presented at the Restating Clay conference in the Centre of Ceramic Art (CoCA) at York Art Gallery (UK) in March 2018. The Clay Pit workshop has been shortlisted for Best Family Event award of the Arts Council of England.

Some of the experiments of the Clay Pit workshop. (c) Minerva Juolahti

For more information:

The Clay Pit workshop at the BCB festival 2017
Aalto ARTS Master’s programme in Contemporary Design

Future Lights in Ceramics – Competition 2018 – Apply by 31/03/2018

02/07/2018

The Future Lights competition is a great opportunity for people at an early stage in their career in ceramics to show their work internationally and create new networks! The winners get the change to participate in workshops and show their works e.g. at the Ambiente fair in Frankfurt. This years theme of the Future Lights competition is Go Green – Ceramics and the Environment. The applications should be sent by March 31st 2018!

European Ceramics Competition - Future Lights 2018 - Poster-1 — The work of Ahryun Lee, one of the winners of last years competition.

Future Lights in Ceramics – the competition

Future Lights is an annual competition for people at an early stage in their career with ceramics. The aim of the competition is to support people in their careers, to encourage cross-disciplinary learning and approaches and to promote ceramics to younger audiences. The competition is a part of the European Ceramics and its Dimensions project and it is run by Porzellanikon and co-organised by Staffordshire University, the Design and Craft Council of Ireland and the British Ceramics Biennial. So far three competitions have been organised, see the winners on the artist page.

The Theme 2018: Go green – Ceramics and the Environment

In 2018, the Future Lights theme is: Go green – Ceramics and the Environment. This year the judges want to discover talented early career professionals who are exploring questions of sustainability, ecology and resource-saving in both production and use. Read more about the theme here. The following aspects are important in the judgemental process: relevant experience and expertise, the quality of the work evidenced, how well the work responses to the theme and the ability of the applicant to be an ambassador for European ceramics and to inspire others.

The Future Lights in Ceramics – Applicants

The applicants can be e.g. artists, artisans, designers, historians, art historians, museum curators or researchers who work with ceramics. There is no age limit but applicants should have completed their main full-time studies within the last five years and they must be resident in EU or associated states. Applicants should have expertise, experience or innovative ideas that respond to the theme. Applications will be shortlisted and 18 finalists will be invited to present their work to a panel of judges at Kilkenny Castle (UK) in September 2018. The finalists get the chance to visit Ceramics Ireland’s International Festival at Thomastown.

The Future Lights in Ceramics – Winners

6 competition winners will be invited to attend a workshop where participants collaborate across disciplines and develop new work. They are also invited to showcase their work at high profile events across Europe through the wider Ceramics and its Dimensions project. Since summer 2017 the Future Light in Ceramics winners have for example been traveling around Europe with the Ceramics and its Dimensions: Shaping the Future exhibition. In February 2019, the winners will exhibit their work at Ambiente fair, the world’s most important consumer goods trade fair that is attended by more than 134,000 trade visitors from over 150 countries.

The application process

Applications must be submitted in English by March 31st 2018. The following information has to be sent with WeTransfer to jana.goebel(at)porzellanikon.org:

Personal details: Name, address, email address, website, social media links
A brief biography in the 3rd person (50 words)
Personal CV
A statement about your work e.g. artist’s statement (100 words)
A response to this year’s theme (250 words)
Why you think you’d be a good ambassador for ceramics (250 words)
Up to 5 photos of your work (printing size at a maximum 21 x 29,7 cm), published articles or research papers
Confirmation that you have read the Terms & Conditions

All 8 items should be included in ONE pdf file in the order given above and named as follows: Surname_First Name_FLapplication_2019 (e. g. Goebel_Jana_FLapplication_2019.pdf)

If you have any access or support needs, please get in touch with Jana Göbel from Porzellanikon (jana.goebel(at)porzellanikon.org / +49 9287 91800 614).

Porzellanikon will contact all applicants in July 2018 to inform them of the outcome of their application.

The Jury

The jury is chaired by Wilhelm Siemen, the director of Porzellanikon, and comprises representatives from partners in the Ceramics and its Dimensions project.

Iain Cartwright, British Ceramics Biennial
Franz Chen, Franz Porcelain, Taiwan
Dr. Jaume Coll Conesa, Museo Nacional de Cerámica y Artes Suntuarias “González Martí”
Dr. Biljana Djordjević, National Museum Belgrade
Assistant Professor Dr. Mateja Kos, Narodni muzej Slovenije
Nathalie Lautenbacher, Aalto University
Kai Lobjakas, Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design, Tallinn
Gus Mableson, Design & Crafts Council of Ireland
Professor Barbara Schmidt, Kunsthochschule Berlin
John Tynan, Design and Crafts Council of Ireland
Professor David Sanderson, Staffordshire University
Rachel Dickson, Ulster University

More Information!

For more information go to: futurelights.ceramicsanditsdimensions.eu

Contact person / Aalto University: Priska Falin (priska.falin(at)aalto.fi)

Contact person / Porzellanikon: Jana Göbel: jana.goebel(at)porzellanikon.org

Future Lights on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CandIDUK/

Future Lights on Twitter: @CeramicsProject

Exhibition opening in Berlin, Germany

02/05/2018

The Ceramics and its Dimensions: Shaping the Future exhibition opened on Sunday January 28th for the fifth time, this time at the Bröhan-Museum in Berlin.

Opening guests at the Bröhan-Museum. (c) Minerva Juolahti

Opening at Bröhan-Museum

The exhibition opening attracted plenty of local people interested in ceramics and design. The director of Bröhan-Museum Dr Tobias Hoffman started the opening speeches by welcomed the guests to the museum. Professor Barbara Schmidt from Weissensee Kunsthochschule Berlin presented in her speech the different themes and the local additions of the exhibition. Wilhelm Siemen, the director of Porzellanikon and the leader of Ceramics and its Dimensions, ended the speeches by speaking about the importance of European co-operation.

Professor Barbara Schmidt speaking at the opening. (c) Minerva Juolahti

The fifth venue of the around Europe touring exhibition is at the Bröhan-Museum that is located in the quarter of Charlottenburg, Berlin, right next to the Charlottenburg castle. The museum is concentrated on art nouveau, art deco, and functionalism. On its ca. 1000 square meters the museum shows permanent exhibitions that are selected from its large collection of art nouveau, art deco, and the art of the Berlin Secession. At the same time the museum seeks to explore the more contemporary perspective on art and design with changing exhibitions.

Wilhelm Siemen, the director of Porzellanikon, speaking at the opening. (c) Minerva Juolahti

Exhibition and its Local Additions

The Ceramics and its Dimensions: Shaping the Future exhibition and the local additions have taken over almost all of the third floor of the Bröhan-Museum. The core of the exhibition has been placed in a larger white hall and the exhibition layout has once again been modified in a creative new way. The walls of the hall are covered with vitrines and in the middle of the room there are four isles of exhibition works. The vitrines contain mainly the works initiated and/or made at the experimental Kahla workshop in April 2016.

Bröhan-Museum is located next to the Charlottenburg castle (on the right). (c) Minerva Juolahti

In Berlin the exhibition has also been joined by three local additions curated by Barbara Schmidt from the Weissensee Kunsthochschule Berlin: The final thesis projects of the students of the school, the results of two experimental ceramics courses and an interesting architectural ceramics adaption. Weissensee is one of the four partners of the Ceramics and its Dimensions: Shaping the Future sub-project. The Future Lights in Ceramics winners of 2016 and 2017 have traveled with the Shaping the Future exhibition since Portadown (NI) last summer and Berlin is the third venue where they are on display next to the exhibition. In Berlin they have been joined by the recent winners of 2018. The exhibition will be open at the Bröhan-Museum until April 22nd and during that time a Round Table discussion with local ceramists will be held.

Local media has been interested in the exhibition. (c) Minerva Juolahti

Tour Continues to Ljubljana and Prague

Before Berlin the exhibition was part of the British Ceramics Biennial in Stoke-on-Trent (UK), where it attracted around 17 000 visitors last autumn. During the festival also the Clay Pit workshop, a collaborative project between British Ceramics Biennial, Ceramics and its Dimensions project and Aalto University, was organised, attracting over 4 000 visitors. After Berlin the Ceramics and its Dimensions: Shaping the Future exhibition will travel to Ljubljana (Slovenia) and later this year to Prague (Czech Republic).