This comprehensive exhibition is dedicated to the development of modern artistic ceramics in Germany and on an international scale from the middle of the last century to the present day. All the highly significant exhibits are taken from the museum's own collection. In recent years the museum's collection of studio ceramics has been vastly enriched by major bequests from collectors and artists both in Germany and from abroad.
In the winter of 2008/2009 the GRASSI Museum of Applied Art presented "THE VESSEL / SCULPTURE. German and International Ceramics since 1946" as its first major exhibition after the conversion work on the building was completed. The title of the exhibition - which applies to the same extent to the current follow-up show - highlights the importance of the development of artistically relevant studio ceramics.
Since the 1960s, in particular, the intrinsic aesthetic value of the vessels involved has become increasingly dominant, often being superimposed on their functional purpose or even eliminating it altogether. At the same time there has been parallel growth in awareness of the expressive feel and the surface nuances of ceramic vessels, as well as of the many and varied possibilities offered by ceramic sculpture. In the case of many pieces the effect on the eye and on the senses is more significant than their utilitarian role.
The focus is on studio ceramics as an artistic genre which is equal to painting, sculpture and in some respects even architecture. Thanks to bequests received by the museum, the first successful exhibition of 2008/2009 was already in a position to use the museum's own resources for the most part. The accompanying catalogue in book form quickly sold out in bookshops and has since come to be regarded as a standard reference work on the subject. At the same time, the exhibition and the publication of the catalogue revealed any remaining gaps in the GRASSI collection. The response of a number of collectors and artists was to donate further works to the museum.
Opening times and address
GRASSI Museum für Angewandte Kunst,
Johannisplatz 5-11
04103 Leipzig,
www.grassimuseum.de
Opening times:
Tuesday - Sunday and public holidays 10 - 18 hrs, closed on Mondays
Admission: 8 €, reduced rate 6 € or 4 €