Fantastic Tales: Danish Contemporary Ceramics opening event 1st May 2014
The Fantastic Tales opening was a huge success. The Ceramic House was packed with guests from all over the UK and Denmark. I am ecstatic and proud that 11 of the 16 Danish artists made the effort to come over from Denmark, some with families in tow. Some had invited UK based friends and there were joyous reunions – one group had not seen each other for 11 years! So there was a Danish buzz all night, strengthened by the delicious plates of smørrebrod concocted by the Danes and the vintage Danish records (that I keep bringing back from flea-markets in Denmark) being played by the DJ (Marinetti’s Musical Museum AKA Joseph Young, AIR council member).
The weather held, which is always such a relief, because the Ceramic Garden is huge part of the experience of visiting The Ceramic House; there are many permanent tiled installations of my own all over the garden – huge wall reliefs, walls, floorpieces, benches – tiles are everywhere! But there are also sculptures in the Fantastic Tales show on display outside and The Tile Shop is in the garden.
The work looks amazing displayed all over the house and garden. The exhibition covers tableware, on the shelves in the Utility Room (specially designed to double up as display space) where I usually keep my everyday tableware; sculpture, displayed, again, on specially designed glass shelves in the kitchen (normally where my permanent collection of ceramics lives), in the living room and upstairs in the loft room, both rooms which also house installations.
Christin Johansson’s performance was happening in the basement, and the queue to see it stretched through the garden all night. Christin is in receipt of the most coveted award from the Danish arts council; a 3 year development grant, and I am so proud that The Ceramic House hosted the first piece of this new body of work; In Her Spirit of the Porcelain Ceremony. It was a triumph. An intimate performance, designed for one person at a time. On the night two observers were also invited in to allow more guests to experience it. Even so, only a few people were lucky enough to go inside, a source of much envy but it added to the buzz.
Compliments were flying about the work, which looks sensational. It is an outstanding display of Danish ceramics in the very unusual and domestic context of The Ceramic House, home, gallery, living work of art. Worth a visit!
Open 11-5, Saturdays and Sundays throughout May. 75 Stanmer Villas Brighton BN1 7HN. www.theceramichouse.co.uk
