The symposium participants were selected from 39 artists who submitted applications from four continents: the Americas, Asia, Europe and Australia. The final selection was made by the symposium commissioner together with a committee appointed for this purpose by BOK-MCC director Ewa Lijewska-Małachowska. The committee consisted of Krystyna Gay-Kutschenreiter, an artist and longtime commissioner of symposia in Bolesławiec; Anna Bober-Tubaj, an outstanding art-history researcher and director of the Museum of Ceramics in Bolesławiec; and Katarzyna Zarówny, exhibition specialist at BOK-MCC. The committee assessed the quality of the ceramic and sculptural works presented by the individual artists in their applications.
“As commissioner, I wanted all facets of ceramics to be represented at the symposium—that potters, designers working with molds, and artists with an individual approach to ceramic mass would all be selected,” says Mateusz Grobelny. “We succeeded, and from the early morning until night, artists from England, Germany, Norway, Australia, Taiwan, Switzerland, Georgia, Slovakia, Hungary and the USA are working in five locations in Bolesławiec,” the commissioner adds.
This year, Mateusz Grobelny assumed that the artists would work on a common theme. The theme presented to the artists is “Man, Nature, Civilization.” Most of the artists gladly accepted this proposal, or direction for their work. Of course, nothing was imposed on anyone, and the theme is broad enough to allow for multiple interpretations.
“We have different cultures and different ways of looking at the world here. The artists come from three continents. That means many perspectives—completely different views of humanity and civilization,” says the commissioner. “Some artists portray a civilization full of conflicts, while others approach the subject very delicately. Sculptural and design works are being created, and potters specializing more in the form of the work are also working with us. One of the artists is working on the theme of the wild boar, and extraordinary, symbolic works are emerging. There will be works combining several materials. I am building a structure with metal elements myself; works combining metal, wood and clay will also be created,” Grobelny explains about the symposium.
The symposium commissioner is pleased that the event can be incorporated into a new cycle.
“We began with a group exhibition of the symposium participants’ works, to show their themes, techniques, skills and what they had created so far,” Grobelny explains. “Then we are preparing a catalogue, and in winter we will show the works created during this year’s symposium. This will make it possible to prepare a good exhibition without rushing and to find galleries and museums where the post-symposium exhibition can be presented.
The symposium will continue until September 12, and its participants will work at three Bolesławiec companies: Zakłady Ceramiczne “BOLESŁAWIEC” Sp. z o.o., “Ceramika Artystyczna” Spółdzielnia Rękodzieła Artystycznego, and the “Manufaktura” Sp. J. Smoleński & Zwierz Stoneware Factory. In addition, the new workplaces will include the BOK-MCC ceramic studios and Mateusz Grobelny’s mobile ceramic studio; he is serving as commissioner of the Bolesławiec symposium for the third time.
The participants of the 51st International Ceramic and Sculpture Symposium in Bolesławiec are: Patrycja Barkowska – Poland, Adam Frew – England, Adriana Grochal – Poland, Ute Hartwig – Schulz – Germany, Maria Joanna Juchnowska – Poland/Norway, Barbara Licha – Poland/Australia, Lin Lung – Chieh – Taiwan, Rebecca Maeder – Switzerland, Georgi Pachkoria – Georgia, Michał Podleśny – Poland, Eva Srniková – Slovakia, Katalin Tomay – Hungary, Craig Usher – USA, and Mateusz Grobelny – commissioner.