The opening of the “New Design in Bolesławiec Ceramics” exhibition took place on August 20 at the Bolesławiec Cultural Center – International Ceramics Center. The organizers announced a presentation of contemporary trends and an innovative approach to Bolesławiec ceramic traditions.
The exhibition featured products from six manufacturers: Ceramika Lady Blue, Ceramika Artystyczna Spółdzielni Rękodzieła Artystycznego, Zakłady Ceramiczne “Bolesławiec,” Manufaktura w Bolesławcu, Ceramika Tryni, and Ceramika Freska.
The display itself is very modest. There were few exhibits, and the whole thing – especially compared with exhibitions organized in previous years – gives the impression of being unfinished and prepared without much of an idea.
The exhibition hall was largely unused. Meanwhile, presentations by three companies were placed in the ground-floor foyer. They could have been moved upstairs to create a fuller, more coherent display.
In this arrangement, visitors viewed several presentations separated from one another, while a large part of the available space remained unused. It is hard to escape the impression that something went wrong organizationally this year.
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The exhibition’s location is also a problem. The gallery by the cinema is outside the main area of the ceramics fair. To reach it, visitors have to leave the places where tourists and residents are concentrated. There is also no visible promotion effectively directing festival participants to the BOK-MCC building.
As a result, the exhibition remains practically unnoticed. During our visit, there was no sign of significant visitor interest. We do not know the official number of visitors, but it gives the impression that few people stopped by the gallery. This is particularly unfortunate because a presentation of contemporary ceramic design should be one of the most important events of the Bolesławiec Ceramics Festival. It is during this event that local manufacturers and designers have the best opportunity to show their most interesting products to thousands of guests.
Perhaps it would be worth returning to the solution used in the past, when BOK-MCC was headed by Ewa Lijewska-Małachowska. At that time, a large ceramics exhibition was set up in a huge tent on Bolesławiec’s Market Square. The display was located at the very center of the events, was easily accessible, and was hard to miss. The ceramic products looked impressive there.
Of course, renting and preparing such a tent costs money, and the structure occupies part of the Market Square. It is worth considering, however, whether during the ceramics festival a larger portion of the budget should not be allocated precisely to an attractive presentation of local design. This year’s musical star was Goran Bregović. According to estimates, the artist’s concert may have cost around a quarter of a million zlotys, and approximately two thousand people listened to the performance.
One might therefore ask whether some of the money allocated to expensive concerts should instead be used to create a large, professional, and highly visible exhibition in the center of Bolesławiec. A good display could be available throughout the festival and promote what matters most to the city – local ceramics.
It is unfortunate, because an exhibition of contemporary ceramic design during Bolesławiec’s Ceramics Festival should be one of the most important presentations of local manufacturers. Bolesławiec has companies, designers, and products worth showcasing. This year’s display does not make use of that potential, however, and compared with previous editions it simply looks poor.