Grassimesse 2023 Compact: Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle – Faserland oder 8mm und 100% Bio

Campus Grassimesse

For all that the annual Leipzig Grassimesse is and always has been as a sales fair, a place to peruse, discourse with and purchase, contemporary craft, applied art and design, and thereby an opportunity to support contemporary craft, applied art and design practitioners, or perhaps more accurately an opportunity to support those practitioners whose practice you most enjoy, it has also always been a platform for creative schools and their students to present their works and approaches and positions; the inaugural Grassimesse in 1920 featuring students from the Staatliche Kunstschule für Textilindustrie Plauen, the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, the Kunstgewerbeschule Magdeburg, the Kunstgewerbeschule Nürnberg and the Handwerker- und Kunstgewerbeschule Halle, the latter an institution who in their various guises since 1920 have been more or less ever presents at the Grassimesse.

And will be present at the 2023 Grassimesse where, as Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule, Halle, they will present current projects alongside students from the Kunsthochschule Weißensee Berlin, the Universität der Künste Berlin, HAWK Hildesheim, the Hochschule Wismar, the Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart and the Alchimia Contemporary Jewellery School, Florence.

Yet for all that schools have always been a pillar on which the Grassimesse stands, they are one that can be all too easily overlooked amidst the perusing, discoursing and purchasing. Thus ahead of the 2023 edition by way of helping reinforce that the Grassimesse is more than the selected exhibitors and their works, we thought we’d take a brief moment to reflect on some of those schools who’ve graced the halls of the Grassi Museum, and thereby allow for reflections on both the (hi)story of creative education and also on the Grassimesse as a platform for schools and a coming generation of creatives as much as one for those creatives currently practising…….

Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle Jahresausstellung 2023

As we were preparing for our trip to Halle and the 2023 Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Jahresausstellung one of those people on the edge of the smow Blog, one of those people who are so important to its operation, asked us how many summer exhibitions we’d seen at Burg Halle.

A question that caused a terror to develop within us as the enormity of the number forming before our eyes became ever more distinct and discernable; but then, before we gave vocal form to such an improbable, hair-raising, number, we regained our composure, “None”, we replied, “for similar as each summer exhibition may be, it’s always a virgin experience”.

Eyes were conspicuously rolled as our questioner walked away, and as we set off for Halle…….

Chairs: Dieckmann! The Forgotten Bauhäusler Erich Dieckmann at the Kunstgewerbemuseum, Berlin

Monographic exhibitions portraying designers from ages past, generally, only leave you with but little opportunity to directly assess, compare and contrast that designer in context of their time.

The, desired, concentrated focus on the protagonist leaving you, by necessity, not least by necessity of limits of time and space, primarily relying on those snippets of information and/or blurry images of objects, invariably popularly celebrated objects, your brain can recover in that moment, for any semblance of assessment, comparison and contrast with what others were realising in that period, any semblance of assessment, comparison and contrast with the positions and approaches of others in that period.

Following its run at Neuwerk 11, Halle, the exhibition Chairs: Dieckmann! The Forgotten Bauhäusler Erich Dieckmann is now on display at the Kunstgewerbemuseum Berlin, who have employed their own collection to expanded the Dieckmann presentation with contemporaneous works. To expand the works of Erich Dieckmann with works by The Others…….

Sitting reconsidered. Design, Observe, Stage at the Burg Galerie, Halle

Each and everyone of us sits innumerable times each and every day in a wide variety of contexts, yet we rarely, if ever, consider the act of sitting.

The exhibition Sitting reconsidered. Design, Observe, Stage at the Burg Galerie, Halle challenges us all to do just that…….

Chairs: Dieckmann! The Forgotten Bauhäusler Erich Dieckmann at Neuwerk 11, Halle

“…one only finds warmth of life and sincerity where human nature is allowed to flourish”, opined the German designer Erich Dieckmann in 1931, “one shouldn’t forget that in our apartments. Let’s treat our contemporary homes to something humane. Something unelaborate, something provisional, with some leeway and space for things to grow as they wish over time.”¹

With the exhibition Chairs: Dieckmann! The Forgotten Bauhäusler Erich Dieckmann, the Kunststiftung des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt and Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin extend an invitation to explore how Erich Dieckmann understood an unelaborate, humane, contemporary apartment full of leeway and space to grow…….

5 New Architecture & Design Exhibitions for February 2022

According to the Roman scholar Marcus Terentius Varro February 7th marks the first day of spring.

Which strikes us, as we’re sure it does you, as a little early; however, there was reason in Varro’s bold claim, for Varro further sets February 7th as the start of the year, and for all links February 7th with the rising of the west wind, a favourable, warming wind, whose arrival indicates the need to start cultivating your land and crops, specifically Varro advises, “these are things which should be done in the first period, from the rising of the west wind to the vernal equinox: All kinds of nurseries should be set out, orchards pruned, meadows manured, vines trenched and outcropping roots removed, meadows cleared, willow beds planted, grain-land weeded.”¹

But not just the cultivation of your land and crops is important from the rising of the west wind to the vernal equinox, the cultivation of mind and spirit and character is of equal importance.

Our five non-agrarian cultivation tips for February 2022 can be found in Halle, Garðabær, Paris, Stockholm and Zürich…….

täglich geöffnet @ Burg Galerie im Volkspark, Halle

The Burg Galerie im Volkspark Halle is open every day, is täglich geöffnet; and with their new exhibition, opens the every day: presenting artistic and design reflections on daily routine(s), the Alltag, and in doing so allows for new perspectives on the what, wherewith and wherefore of our (perceived) daily realities…..

#campustour 2018: Jahresausstellung, Kunsthochschule Burg Giebichenstein, Halle, Germany

“Welcher Fehler braucht ein system?”, “Which errors/mistakes/imperfections does a system require?”, asked the Kunsthochschule Burg Giebichenstein Halle’s 2018 annual exhibition.

And used the question as a celebration of the power of trial and error, of the value, importance, poetry, of imperfections, abrasion, the incorrect, the unintended, the random, the well planned but ultimately unsuccessful, and how any otherwise well-organised, professional and targeted system needs a nuisance factor, needs a source of imperfection, chaos, resistance, experimentation, an aberration, to keep it fresh, exciting, relevant and vital.

Thanks guys, appreciate it…….

#campustour 2017: Jahresausstellung @ Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle, Germany

Although older than Bauhaus Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle has arguably never achieved the same popular acclaim as its fêted near neighbour.

Is however still in existence, and thus need not live on its laurels, but rather can continually develop its legacy through the efforts and ideas of its staff and students.

The 2017 annual summer exhibition provided insights into the contribution made, and being made, by the current crop……..

5 New Design Exhibitions for August 2016

Such are the vagaries of the autumn/spring cycle in the global design exhibition industry, and it is an industry people,

Moderne in der Werkstatt – 100 Years Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle @ Kunstmuseum Moritzburg, Halle

As we noted in our post celebrating Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle’s 100th birthday, one of Paul Thiersch’s first initiatives upon

smow blog Design Calendar: July 1st 1915 – Paul Thiersch appointed Director of the Handwerkerschule Halle

“I intend to run the institution such that in terms of craftsmanship the best possible is achieved, and to foster

smow blog compact: 100 Years Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle

As any fool know, Germany’s most important contribution to art, architecture and design education was established in Weimar in April

Die Burg verbindet: Burg Giebichenstein Summer 2014 Exhibition

24 hours after Hella Jongerius crossed our paths at the Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin Rundgang 2014, and 48 hours after finding

Milan Design week 2013: Galleria Viafarini. Magic Moments Inside

Those Milan Design Week visitors brave enough to venture north of Garibaldi Station, yes there is civilisation up there, will

(smow) summer tour 2011: Burg Giebichenstein Halle

Following our visits to the Bauhaus University Weimar, Fachhochschule Potsdam, Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weißensee and  Universität der Künste Berlin the final stage

(smow) summer tour 2011

Many of you will no doubt remember our summer tour 2010. We’ll it’s that time of year again. Our 2011

(smow)summer tour 2010: Three exhibitions and a funeral.

Although very short the (smow)summer tour 2010 was certainly worth the effort. Its always worth the effort to visit an

(smow)summer tour 2010: Burg Giebichenstein

“Exhibition Opening on Friday 16. Juli Volkspark Halle” We admit we didn’t actually check what Burg Giebichenstein understand by “Exhibition

(smow)introducing: Stephan Schulz

Name: Stephan Schulz Born: Schwerin, 1983 Alma mater: 2003-2009  Industrial Design, Burg Giebichenstein, Halle 2007-2008 Erasmus studies at the Design

(smow)Introducing

Effortless and relaxed as this all seems, our reality is a life in constant motion as we move from one

(smow)offline: Reuse, Recycle, Pollute

Every month Jasper Morrison sends a photo to the Vitra Magazine. And every month Vitra publish it. Every month we

DMY Youngsters: Burg Giebichenstein

In the past few months we’ve had the privilege and misfortune of viewing several student showcases. These have ranged from

DMY Berlin: Youngsters

While the “big name” designers show their wares at the IMA Village, the future stars are grouped together as DMY:Youngsters