Ceramics and its Dimensions, 2014–18

Shaping the Future

The European project: Ceramics and its Dimensions

Ceramics and its Dimensions was an international project concentrated on exploring the changes that have occurred in European ceramic traditions during the last three hundred years. Aalto University led one of the ten modules (sub-projects). The sub-project was called Shaping the Future and it concentrated on asking questions about the future of ceramics.

The Ceramics and its Dimensions project was conducted between 2014-2018 and had partner institutions in eleven different countries in Europe. The Porzellanikon Porcelain Museum in Selb, Germany was the leading partner of the project. The project was co-funded through the Creative Europe program, the European Commission framework program for support to the culture and audiovisual sectors.

Download the project brochure.

Our Sub-project at the Aalto University: 
Shaping the Future — Ceramic development and tomorrow’s design

Ceramics and its Dimensions: Shaping the Future sub-project explored the future of ceramics. The sub-project consisted of a student workshop conducted at the KAHLA porcelain factory in Germany in April 2016 and Ceramics and its Dimensions: Shaping the Future touring exhibition partly based on the workshop. To go along with the exhibition, the Ceramics and its Dimensions: Shaping the Future publication was published together with the first opening of the exhibition in Fiskars (Finland). The publication offers various perspectives to the future of ceramics and consists of articles, workshop texts, exhibition catalogue and photographs.

In the KAHLA workshop students and teachers from the sub-project’s partner institutions were invited to explore the ceramics with modern technology e.g. 3D printing and to create visions of the future of ceramics in Europe. The prototypes of the workshop create the basis of the Ceramics and its Dimensions: Shaping the Future exhibition. In addition to Finland the exhibition toured through Selb, Belfast, Stoke-on-Trent, Berlin, Ljubljana and the last exhibition was held in Prague in the end of 2018. The partner institutions of the sub-project were University of Ulster (Northern Ireland), Kunsthochschule Berlin Weißensee (Germany) and The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (Denmark).

Besides the sub-project Shaping the Future, Aalto University has also strongly participated in the activities of the sub-projects 4 (Prop ceramics), 5 (Talking Heads), 8 (Future Lights in Ceramics) and 9 (Communication). The sub-projects are listed below.

Read more on the Ceramics and its Dimensions: Shaping the Future sub-project: futureceramics.aalto.fi or follow the sub-project on Facebook.

Read more on the Ceramics and its Dimensions project: ceramicsanditsdimensions.eu

Project partners

Ceramics and its Dimensions: Shaping the Future sub-project (Module 6) – partner institutions:

• Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Department of Design, Helsinki, Finland (the leading partner of the module)

• Kunsthochschule Berlin Weißensee, Berlin, Germany

• University of Ulster, Belfast campus, Belfast, Northern Ireland

• The Royal Danish Academy of Art, Copenhagen, Denmark (an invited partner outside of the project)

Ceramics and its Dimensions project – leading partner:

• Porzellanikon – Staatliches Museum für Porzellan, Hohenberg a.d. Eger, Selb Germany

Ceramics and its Dimensions project – other partners:

Czech Republic: Uměleckoprúmyslove Museum V Praze, Praha, Czech Republic

Estonia: Eesti Tarbekunsti- ja Disainimuuseum, Tallinn, Estonia

Finland: Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Department of Design, Helsinki, Finland

Germany:

• Kunsthochschule Berlin Weißensee, Berlin, Germany

• Technische Universität Ilmenau, Fachgebiet Medien und Kommunikationsmanagement, Ilmenau, Germany

Ireland: Design and Crafts Council of Ireland Ltd., Kilkenny City, Ireland

Italy: Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche, Faenza, Italy

Latvia:

• Rīgas pašvaldības kultūras iestāžu apvienības Rīgas Porcelāna Muzejs, Riga, Latvia

• Vispārīgās Ķīmijas Tehnologijas Institūts, Rīgas Tehniskā Universitāt, Riga, Latvia

Serbia:

• Muzej primenjene umetnosti, Beograd, Belgrade, Serbia

• Narodni Muzej u Beogradu, Belgrade, Serbia

Slovenia: Narodni Muzej Slovenije, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Spain: Museo Nacional de Cerámica y de las Artes Suntuarias, “González Martí”, Valencia, Spain

United Kingdom:

• University of Ulster, Institute for Art & Design, Belfast, United Kingdom

• British Ceramics Biennial (BCB), Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom

• The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom

• Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom

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