Breakout sessions

THE GLOBAL TAXI SERVICE OF THE PORTUGUESE

In current understandings of world history, the age of Europe began with the great explorer Vasco da Gama leaving from Portugal to further the trade in spice and exports from “the East”. The historian Christopher Harding speaks of “the global taxi service of the Portuguese”; they provided the ships which enabled Europe to benefit from the developments in the rest of the world and eventually to create empires. In the late 15th century the Portuguese were the dominant nation in Europe controlling exploration and the discovery of new markets and of “new worlds” (though these “new worlds” were already known by some).

In this series of short presentations by IAC members, the Committee wishes to provide a series of vignettes (blinks of the eye), that will illuminate the explorations that are occurring now and inform us of both old and new knowledge transmitted in the digital age.

The four themes framing the presentation are:

• NEW LANDS
• OLD WORLDS – NEW WORLD
• LOCAL AND GLOBAL
• EXPLORATION

Avi Ambesury

(Australia)

LOCAL AND GLOBAL

Title: “The Self-Reconciliation Project”

The idea for ‘The Self-Reconciliation Project’ came to Avi Amesbury from researching 100 years of her family’s history, from their arrival in Australia to the birth of her mother. As one of the first settler families to arrive in Western Australia’s wheat belt, Amesbury’s family was given free land while the Noongar Ballardong people of the area were persecuted and driven out. As a descendant, the project examines her own ‘white’ past and her journey of self reconciliation.

Kay Aplin

(UK)

NEW LANDS

Title: “Architectural Ceramics – Responding to Place”

From the perspective of her personal practice of architectural ceramics, Kay Aplin presents how, over the course of 3 decades, her public art works have responded to place thematically, utilising the tile as a basic form. Expanding upon this, she will trace her own journey from the starting point of an education in Public Art and Design to a fine art practice making tile-based installations and the creation of her gesamtkunstwerk, The Ceramic House, a living showcase of her architectural ceramics practice. In each scenario, the work is site-specific and ‘place’, in local and global contexts, is key.

Shlomit Bauman (Benyamini Contemporary Ceramics Center)

(Israel)

OLD WORLDS – NEW WORLDS

Title: “XYZT: Material Investigations”

For several years now, planning with 3D software, scanning and printing has become common for artists and designers. The exhibition XYZT was the result of a cooperative project between the Benyamini Ceramics Center and the Computational Archaeological Laboratory of the Hebrew University and deals with the different uses of similar technological tools in the two fields of knowledge: while archaeologists learn about the different facets of human society through the material cultural remains, artists and designers create contemporary material culture.

Sharbani Das Gupta

(United States)

LOCAL AND GLOBAL

Title: “Common Ground, Indian Ceramics Triennale 2024”

Three members from the Indian Ceramics Triennale curatorial team, Sharbani Das Gupta, Anjani Khanna and Madhvi Subrahmanian present a documentary of the recent 2nd edition of the ICT ‘Common Ground’. Metaphorically and literally, the show explored the ground on which we meet. Though we are separated by privilege, politics, and access to knowledge, and the ground on which we walk is uneven, we remain bound by a common humanity, and a common future. The art crossed mediums and disciplines, hand-made and technological, ancient and modern expression. It was a space for dialogue and multiplicity, and investigated what it means to make with clay today. As much a journey for the curators as the artists, this film documents the experience and shares the exuberance and generosity of the artists.

Norma Grinberg

(Brazil)

LOCAL AND GLOBAL

Title: “Perpetual Movement”

The presentation revisits Norma Grinberg’s exhibition, which aims to contribute to human rights education, to promote respect for diversity and human dignity. It is an opportunity to reflect on the situation of individuals, refugees, minorities and gender in the world, through the installation composed of sculptural works in a poetic, sensitive and contemporary language.

Holly Hanessian

(USA)

LOCAL AND GLOBAL

Title: “The New Ceramic Locavore”

Agriculture and clay materials travel thousands of miles before they reach us. The carbon footprint of moving our food and clay materials from multiple global points to the final distribution point is enormous. Ceramic artists are starting to see environmental value in mining wild clay locally. This idea has grown expansively like the farm to table movement. Holly Hanessian presents on how global and local economies affect our environment and looks at how the social and political history of importing the exotic (porcelain from great distances) fulfilled cultural desires, while treating regionally mined earthenware with lesser value.

Yanze JIANG

(China)

NEW LANDS

Title: “Chinese shan shui Culture and its Influence in Contemporary Ceramic Art”

In this presentation, Yanze JIANG talks about her studio practice, the inspiration she got from her experiences working in ceramic factories, as well as the influence of traditional Chinese Shan-shui culture. The concept of Shan-shui is never really mountains and rivers in China, but is more about a strong philosophical spirit and the expression of cosmology. Through her work, she conveys the paradoxical relationship between the development of city/modern life and the preservation of natural environment/traditional value and esthetic. Has the ancient Chinese principle of the supposed harmony between mankind and nature been irrevocably shattered? How does the traditional Chinese Shan-shui culture influence people’s concept, aesthetic and value in modern life?

Stéphanie Le Follic-Hadida

(France)

NEW LANDS

Title: “Ceramics and Science: IAC Geology Missions”

Are presented here two current projects under the banner of “Geology Missions” and the actors and IAC members making them possible. In Lebanon, an effort to give a voice to artists who are prevented from expressing themselves artistically and to offset Lebanon’s economic and social instability has led to prospecting for local clay and transforming into usable clay for Lebanese artists. In Benin, a project of collecting, transforming and finding ways of firing sustainably is underway. These missions are made possible thanks to the efforts of Expédit Ago, Avi Amesbury, Shooli Azadeh, Doug Casebeer, Robert Harrison, King Houndekpinkou, Jacques Kaufmann, Stéphanie Le Follic-Hadida, Haloren Mellendorf, Samar Mogharbel, Charles & Adrian Müller, Rita de Nigris, Joao Rolaca, Katherin L. Ross, Nicole Seisler, Hitomi Shibata and Guangzhen Zhou.

Boo Yun Lee

(Republic of Korea)

EXPLORATION

Title: “Epochal Reforms and Exploration of Joseon White Porcelain in Korea”

In this presentation, Professor Boo Yun Lee follows the emergence and development of Joseon white porcelain in Korea, from 1392 until the modern times. From a reformed government ideology, through a Pottery War, Joseon white porcelain has a rich history spanning many centuries.

Lihong LI

(China)

LOCAL AND GLOBAL

Title: “My POP”

Li Lihong discusses his recent works in the form of POP advertising in promotional materials. The medium of Chinese ceramics is combined with traditional ceramic painting and the styling of international brand logos to reflect the dialectical thinking of globalisation and nationalisation in the contemporary world. The concept of “globalisation” carries a sense of uncertainty. The new cultural conflict has made the issue of ethnic and cultural mixing more acute. What is emphasised here is the dialectical effect of the collision between local culture and global culture. When tradition needs to be updated, it is inevitable that there will be pain, and this pain is the sign of the arrival of modernity.

Nelson Lim

(Singapore)

OLD WORLDS – NEW WORLDS

Title: “Construction of Memories”

In his practice, Nelson Lim explore the fusion of ancient clay and industrial materials, symbolising the tension between tradition and progress. Through meticulous experimentation, he manipulates these materials, reflecting on our evolving relationship with technology and the enduring power of craftsmanship. As AI enters the artistic realm, he ponders its impact on traditional techniques and the essence of artistic expression.

Langmin LIN

(China)

EXPLORATION

Title: “Porcelain Gene: An Exploration of Methodology for Ceramic Art Creation”

“Porcelain gene” originates from the excess materials produced in the traditional porcelain making process, which are often abandoned by producers as ineffective substances. With the effective guidance of artists, these primitive materials can be transformed into an open “porcelain gene”. Unlike the ceramic components pre-designed by artists or the combination of these components, the “porcelain gene” creative methodology is closer to the natural essence of ceramics. Its randomness and richness promote a more diverse artistic expression of ceramics. At the same time, the creative methodology also contributes to the sustainable utilisation of clay.

Martin McWilliam

(Germany)

OLD WORLDS – NEW WORLDS

Title: “The Vessel and the Space – Ceramic Interventions by Martin McWilliam in the Historic Museum Oldenburg”

A conversation between Martin McWilliam and Dr Anna Heinze, Deputy Director of the County Museum for Art and Culture Oldenburg, relates the challenges and successes of setting up McWilliam’s recent exhibition. Given the rapid changes in times and an increasingly experience-oriented society, museums face a need to continually rethink and reinvent themselves. With this in mind, Heinze and McWilliam thought of a new experience for ceramic lovers, bringing together local history and contemporary art.

Mirta Morigi

(Italy)

LOCAL AND GLOBAL

Title: “Fiftieth anniversary of Mirta Morigi Ceramiche”

Mirta Morigi tells the story of her home: Faenza, kown to the world as a centre for ceramics in Europe; from the city’s influence on her education, through her successes, up to the recent natural disaster that struck Faenza, Morigi shares the complex journey. Located at the foot of the Tuscan-Romagnol Apennines, surrounded by clay gullies which provided the raw material, Faenza has a long history of ceramics dating all the way back to the 13th century. In May 2023, the Faenza was flooded and the rain dissolved the gullies and brought masses of clay into the city and what was just a motto “Habemus tesaurus in vasis fictilibus” became an unimaginable reality.

Samuel Nortey

(Ghana)

LOCAL AND GLOBAL

Title: “The Colonial Art Legacy and Influence in Present Ghana”

Before the arrival of the Europeans, the people of the Gold Coast (now Ghana) had unique skills, techniques, and purposes in producing their artworks. These artworks were useful and inextricably intertwined in their daily activities. When the British colonised the Gold Coast, they took interest in the formal education of the people and introduced an art curriculum for their training. That art curriculum was very mechanical, striving towards industrialisation with no room for creativity, something that the Indigenous people were practicing but needed mastering. This presentation looks at art in the Gold Coast and its role among the people, the introduction of formal art education, and developments thereafter.

Amélie Proulx

(Canada)

NEW LANDS

Title: “The Expansion of my Library of Raw Materials”

Hands that collect, manipulate, display, assemble, hold: so many evocations of the gestures that permitted this vast project to take form. Throughout her recent research, Amélie Proulx meticulously collected hundreds of rocks and minerals to integrate them into her porcelain and explore the possibilities of firing them. With the use of websites archiving former prospections and mining sites in Québec (Canada), she travelled across the province to find alternative raw materials to incorporate in her work. This project started with the premise to work with more local materials and become more self-sufficient and less dependent on raw-material suppliers. It turned into a project in which many different rocks that she had collected became both new raw materials at the foundation of her latest body of work and the focus of that work, as well.

Jerónimo Sainz de Agüero

(Mexico)

EXPLORATION

Title: “Queering Clay/Ceramics”

“To queer” pottery has become an every day common approach to respond, confront, think and create outside the cis-heternormative rules and structures that sustain Design, Art, Trade and many other Systems related with pottery. In this lecture, Jerónimo Sainz de Agüero presents several creations regarding pottery and/or Clay/Ceramic artworks that explore some way of queering clay/ceramics in Mexico. The presentation briefly covers some of the main ideas regarding “to queer” pottery and the distinctions with an LGBTQIA+ approach to clay. Not all LGBTQIA+ identities make queer pottery, and not all queer pottery has been made by LGBTQIA+ identities.

Judith Schwartz

(USA)

OLD WORLDS – NEW WORLDS

Title: “Old World New World: MoCA-NY and Ceramic World Destinations”

In this presentation, Judith Schwartz introduces a new inter-global communication platform for the ceramic community. Old World New World represents the innovative format that MoCA/NY has created– it is a dynamic map, a living network that showcases the diverse tapestry of who we are as creators and appreciators of ceramic art. From contemporary studios to ancient landmarks, we celebrate this rich artistic expression throughout history and around the world. The presentation amplifies artists whose work focuses on themes such as colonisation and identity politics and paints a vivid picture of the global ceramic landscape. Old World New World allows for a discussion of how locality, history, tradition, culture, and context inform current ceramic artists’ work and foster cultural exchange. It is a dialogue between past and present, recalling the old world and summoning the new; propelling us into the future.

Aurelija Seilienė (Panevėžys Civic Art Gallery)

(Lithuania)

OLD WORLDS – NEW WORLDS

Title: “Open Windows: Expanding the World of Panevėžys International Ceramic Symposiums”

This presentation discusses the upcoming Panevėžys International Ceramic Symposium, themed “Open Windows”, focusing on its significance as a platform for exploration into new artistic territories. A historical overview of the symposium, its thematic alignment with the year 2025, the featured collection, ancillary symposium events, and a call for participation will be outlined. Since its inception in 1989, the Symposium has been a stalwart in the global ceramic art landscape, attracting 186 artists from 37 countries. The 2025 edition endeavours to put a spotlight on ceramic art from unexplored regions, shedding light on how indigenous traditions intersect with the contemporary global milieu.

Anne-Brit Soma Reienes

(Norway)

NEW LANDS

Title: “Sensing possibilities”

Sensing possibilities is a performative, artistic research-project based on the plasticity of clay and what this plasticity does, conducted by Anne-Brit Soma Reienes, ceramic artist, researcher and teacher. This artistic research entangles material, pedagogy, and bodily knowledge, as the artist uses a performative method to open new perspectives on how children are exposed to clay in Norwegian kindergartens. By introducing clay as a way of being present together, this method contributes to a new clay-paradigm that has a process-based focus. This aligns with children’s ways of being in the world.

Annika Teder

(Estonia)

ENVIRONMENT

Title: “Inspiration”

This presentation is captured in this one message: “When corals die, the colours die, the fish die, the oceans die: NATURE IS ON EDGE.” The world is one entity; everything is connected to everything else. On the island of Saaremaa in Estonia, the dolomite cliffs show remains of ancient reefs with distinctive fossil fauna. These reefs are marine ecosystems from Silurian period over 400 million years ago… Coral reefs are now endangered due to the changes in the water temperature and salinity content, pollution and over-fishing. Changes in the earth’ s sensitive ecosystem impact all of us. If the coral reefs perish, the remaining ecosystem will also be in danger. The composition presented in this presentation is a symbolic coral reef . This sculptural coral form grows out of the dialogue between the medium of clay and the artist’s hand.

Adil Writer

(India)

OLD WORLDS – NEW WORLDS

Title: “A CLAY CONNECT ~ A Film by Adil Writer”

Adil Writer’s presentation connects archival videos and images, along with new, live footage of his long-standing collaboration with a traditional local potter, Palanisamy. As stories of traditional pottery are fused with contemporary ceramics, Writer’s lecture takes the audience on a “Cool Tour” of southern India, encompassing international anagama workshops at the iconic Golden Bridge Pottery in Pondicherry. Writer then leads us to Palanisamy’s pottery village, to a century old Iyennar horse shrine, and finally to the Muthu temple complex with its thousands of brick-clay-cement figurines. Connecting these many landmarks will be stories of loss of artisanal skills in the 21st century, and how plastic and cement are nudging aside traditional clay skillsets.

Naho Yamashita

(Japan)

NEW LANDS

Title: “Joint research with the ceramics industry using 3D modelling at Ishoken (Tajimi City Ceramic Design and Technical Center Japan)”

Ishoken is located in the Mino ware production area of Tajimi, the centre of the Japanese ceramics industry and host of the International Ceramics Competition Mino. There are four production areas in Tajimi, where the tableware industry and the tile industry coexist. In recent years, Ishoken has introduced 3D modelling equipment, such as 3D printers and 3D scanners, and is actively promoting design support for the city’s ceramic industry. In this lecture, Naho Yamashita will describe how 3D modelling is being introduced into the respective ceramic industries and connecting two industries that have never interacted before.