The British Ceramics Biennial is back for the third year running and is well worth a visit. The festival presents work from the UK's leading contemporary ceramic artist and takes place at the original Spode factory site in Stoke town. This is a truly experiential exhibition uniting both the work on display with the building that houses it.
An interesting contrast can be found between the FRESH exhibition which showcases the works of recent UK ceramic graduates and the environment in which they are displayed. Spode, once one of the two largest potteries in Staffordshire and now a decaying and dis functional shell, now lends itself as a great exhibition hall, rich with historical context and highly functional exhibition furniture which provides a platform for a new era of ceramics to begin and hopefully a wider appreciation of British ceramics.
Helping Hands
I was fortunate enough to get involved with the final installation of Kate Lynch's 'Helping Hands' project. During the first weekend of the exhibition, Kate invited visitors to leave their mark by placing a 'Helping Hand' on any of the three walls situated between the pavilions in the China Hall. The 'Helping Hands' are carrying out ceramic-based activities to repair the walls and suggest the collective rebuilding and repairing of an industry.
Below are examples of areas that visitors highlighted to be in need or repair:
I believe what makes this project so successful is it's simplicity, it's interactivity, and it's strong illustrative style. Kate's work instantly connects the viewer with the building thus encouraging the viewer to open there eyes and to look beyond the exhibition. It was Kate's intention to get "people looking at the walls and considering the future of the factory and the industry".
The following images show the Installation of the 'life size' ceramic hands undertaking their repair work:
To visit Kate's blog, see the link below:
As a reminder that Helping Hands can help repair any patch of our lives in need of a little TLC, these porcelain pin badges are available to buy in the Spode shop and make great little ceramic souvenirs.
Be a part of it, and visit Spode!
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