To celebrate the opening of Messums ORG’s 5th annual ceramic Season, Contemporary Danish Ceramic, artists, writers and curators discussed the history of ceramic in Denmark and the innovative artists making with clay today.
The symposium began with an informal gathering in the exhibition space and the opportunity for discussion and conversation with the artists around themes in the exhibition and the works on display. This was followed by a curator-led tour of Contemporary Danish Ceramic introducing the exhibition’s themes. In the afternoon the symposium continued in the tithe barn with talks by international ceramic experts and museum professionals grounding Danish ceramics in the wider European context of art, craft and design, and investigating the breadth of ceramic practice in Denmark including major porcelain manufacturers and key artists. The day finished with talks from select exhibiting artists considering the future of Danish making with clay.
On the day:
10.00 Arrival
In the Long Gallery
10:30 Meet and mingle with the exhibiting artists
In the barn
11:30 Curator’s Talk by Natalie Baerselman le Gros. Natalie will discuss the themes and ideas present in the exhibition Contemporary Danish Ceramics and the different artists exhibited.
12:00 Performance by Annelie Stokke Grimwade. Annelie’s performance entitled Webbers – Crafting Awareness is an interactive performance piece born from her ceramic research. It encourages participants to engage with issues they may not initially feel connected to. Through the act of reciting curated quotes, the piece highlights the realities of cobalt mining and the green transition, inviting reflection on the contradictions between sustainability narratives and the exploitative practices of resource extraction.
12:30 Lunch
In the barn
14:00 Danish Ceramic and Design by Paul Greenhalgh. Paul’s talk will elaborate on the wider context of ceramic in the Danish and Scandinavian design continuum
14:30 Artist talk by Lotte Westphael. Lotte will present her artistic ideas and career.
15:00 Talk by Martin Bodilsen-Kaldahl. Martin will present two artist-led curatorial projects in Denmark, celebrating ceramic artists and their work through exhibitions and events, including the Copenhagen Ceramics collective and the Peachcorner Gallery.
15:30 Artist talk by Morton Løbner Espersen. Morten will present his artistic ideas and career.
16:00 End
Ceramics Symposium was supported by
