I had a pleasure of visiting the third iteration of Ceramics Brussels this weekend. It was a tightly planned trip but well worth discovering new names and seeing some inspiring ceramics in person.
My main highlights start with a solo display by Daphne Corregan at the Christine Colone gallery. The play of different clays, modes of display and engagement with scale was just really satisfying to encounter and observe.
I enjoyed realistic pieces by Ninon Hivert at Arsenic Gallery, (I finally saw the ceramics leather jackets on the wall previously obstructed by the crowd tightly and carefully squeezed into the gallery booth observing Jaques Monneraud cardboard-like tidy mind boggling sculptures when I was digesting the news that my train to London is cancelled, and I had to slow down and look at everything again.)
Janis Löhrer’s show with Galerie Judith Andreae was a highlight, considering that I arrived to it right at the point when someone just walked over one of the pieces in the exhibition and smashed it to bits, then to lecture the gallerist on the rights and wrongs of curating her booth. I especially loved the shirts, and maybe a little bit of drama brought a human tone to it all. Also, there is something about the fragility of ceramics, where thousands of Euros can get erased in a split second that does not quite happen with other media, seeing it in action reminds me it does not only happen in a workshop environment or artist studio. Ceramics is fragile forever.
There were few more folded shirts by Leonore Chastagner. Wonderfully crafted, asking to be touched, I am really into them.
One of my absolute favourites were sculptures by Mirna Bamieh, the unease of cyanide blue and gut red glaze on the oranges sat well with my recent contemplation on fruit and embodiment. The work is so physical it provokes a response without needing to know the background story for Bamieh’s practice exploring Palestinian heritage.
And I will wrap up mentioning lovely sophistication of Maggy Ioanu’s sculptures that I found exciting on technical terms, as they are constructed to take up air space, and I like the language of a fairy tale. It was just enjoyable to see several pieces together. and quiz Maggy about the packing and transportation process.
There are many more names to mention, but this is just a brief personal summary of the inspiring adventure. Highly needed breath of fresh continental air and an opportunity to meet so many modes of working with clay made me see again how specific my interests are, and how broad and exciting is the community of artists and gallerists doing the work I would like to see more of. Well nurtured re-ignition for my enthusiasm and curiosity.
Supported by a bursary from a-n The Artists Information Company.