Ceramics - Cultural Heritage in Europe

• 06. March 2008. - 01. June 2008.

Herend's Museum of Porcelain is the venue between March 5^th and June 1^st of a unique exhibition focusing on those working in ceramics manufacturing, on production technologies and on finished products. The exhibition is one of six modules in a project, and possibly it is the most spectacular one. The project itself, designed to last three years, enjoys the financial backing of the European Union as part of another project entitled Culture 2000. Our aim is to establish a connection between historic times and the modern world. This is an endeavour that encompasses six porcelain museums in Europe with the Museum of European Porcelain Manufacturing in Selb, Germany being at the helm.

A few words about the modules themselves: digital archive, biographical data base, visual data base, exhibition and catalogue, bibliographical data base and new teaching methods that museums can exploit.

The project can be described as an attempt to present European cultural heritage by using innovative methods while taking into account regional characteristics in such a way that a particular cultural entity remains recognisable for those who do not actually live in that region. Existing records of people, their working career and achievements as well as their lifestyle, help preserve traditions for posterity.

The draft project called People and Ceramics was conceived three years ago as a joint venture by six major European museums specialising in the history of ceramics and the current exhibition displays achievements so far. The travelling exhibition, having been hosted by European museums participating in the project, has come to its last venue, Herend.

The exhibition, comprising a number of ceramic objects, consists of a rich collection of photographs and accompanying texts. One of its characteristics is the audio visual material displayed on five different screens presenting traditional methods of ceramics production through a combination of design, photographs and archive films, evoking at the same time the lifestyle of those who worked in that industry.

The exhibition consists of five parts. Part One is a presentation of raw materials used for the production of ceramics and the various alternatives of extracting these materials during various periods in history. Part Two is a 'panoramic view' of the major types of ceramics ranging from clay and earthenware through rough and mild porcelain to ivory porcelain. The presentation of the history of factories and the lives of men, women and children working there is the subject of Part Three of the exhibition. Part Four is about the wide range of alternatives in the use of ceramic products. Apart from the use of dishes as tableware, in this section of the exhibition the focus is primarily on the decorative features of porcelain with several splendid items that have originally been manufactured in the past, but are still in production today. Part Five, the last section of the exhibition, brings us closer to many of the outstanding figures of the history of ceramics. Among them are those whose achievements are linked to the technological development of ceramics production or to the improvement in the conditions in which people lived and worked at the time. Many of them were factory owners who devoted their lives and huge sums of money to the improvement of production methods or the working conditions of their employees.

The Museum of Porcelain in Herend, winner of the 'Museum of the Year' award in 2002, is a perfect choice for a display of exhibits where the focus is not only on the ornamental beauty of items. The spotlight is, instead, on the human side of the story, the creator of Art. Herend, Hungary's City of Porcelain, awaits visitors until the first day of the summer with a historical presentation of the masters of porcelain manufacturing and their achievements.