Ceramics and its Dimensions was a four years long (2014 – 2018) European project  led by the porcelain museum Porzellanikon (Selb, Germany) and Ceramics and its Dimensions: Shaping the Future (Module 6) formed one of its ten modules (sub-projects). The sub-project concentrated on exploring the future possibilities of ceramics and design and consisted of an experimental student workshop, a touring exhibition and a related publication. The sub-project was led by Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Department of Design.

In the spring 2016 the Ceramics and its Dimensions: Shaping the Future sub-project conducted a student workshop at the KAHLA porcelain factory in Germany. Partly based on the workshop the Ceramics and its Dimensions: Shaping the Future touring exhibition started its journey in Fiskars, Finland in November 2016. Besides Fiskars, the exhibition toured through six different cities in Europe during two years.

The other European partner institutions of the Ceramics and its Dimensions: Shaping the Future sub-project were University of Ulster, Belfast campus (Northern Ireland), Kunsthochschule Berlin Weißensee (Germany) and The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (Copenhagen, Denmark).

Ceramics and its Dimensions project had partner institutions in eleven different countries in Europe and the project was co-funded through the Creative Europe programme of the EU. Inside Aalto University the Ceramics and its Dimensions: Shaping the Future was led by Maarit Mäkelä, associate professor of practice-led research and the leader of the Empirica research group at Aalto. More information about Aalto University’s involvement in the Ceramics and its Dimensions project on Empirica webpage.

Ceramics and its Dimensions
Sub-projects: 

Module 1: Symposium – Ceramics between change and challenge – between past and present
Module 2: European cultural lifestyle in ceramics – from baroque until today
Module 3: Architectural Ceramics in Europe
Module 4: Prop Ceramics and its relevance in feature films, advertising materials and photographs
Module 5: Ceramics – what it means to me (Talking Heads Interviews)
Module 6: Shaping the Future – Ceramic development and tomorrow’s design
Module 7: Education & audience development program
Module 8: Future Lights in Ceramics
Module 9: Communication / House of Ceramics
Module 10: (Final) Congress

Read more on the Ceramics and its Dimensions project.