ZAGREB, “ON THE TABLE AND AROUND IT” – ULUPUH Gallery
October 8. 2020.
Thematic, selected exhibition of ULUPUH’s Section for Ceramics, Porcelain and Glass
Curator and selector of the exhibition: Iva Körbler
“It is impossible to deny the importance of the table around which today’s more or less non-traditional families gather, and we could almost say without exaggeration that the table with its centripetal symbolism of the family center is still a strong center of every space. Whether it’s a kitchen table, a large spice table or a small coffee table, the long-lived, mythical symbolism of the Mediterranean or continental table has remained intact, alienated from times. The table associates us not only with food and gathering; it is the second source of heat behind the stove, the place where social-emotional episodes of family and friends take place. In today’s world, where we have gone through and experienced the trends of designed food and super-designed cutlery, where often tasteless, visually perfect food is usually accompanied by extremely sophisticated design of plates, bowls, trays and utensils signed by the world’s greatest designers and architects. good, real, home-made food is eaten from baked and glazed clay – ceramics.
With this theme, we wanted to encourage artists to take a new approach to designing food serving items and table decorations. The useful function of the works was not an ultimatum to apply for the exhibition, but the artists, through their personal inventions, seem to want to emphasize the importance of well-designed objects, without the dubious so-called microdetails that can be traced as a conscious artistic gesture. Thus, we have before us works that, in terms of form and style, speak in an extremely balanced way about the strength and artistic reach of the Section. Regardless of the fact that some artists have permanently attached themselves to the modernism of the Bauhaus or still ancient traditions in the design of clay / ceramics, while some others have humorously commented on reality through their works (consumerism on the one hand, unavailability of food in other parts of the world), the review of selected works is pleasantly and evenly orchestrated and presented, as a well-tempered ambience. Some artists are still interested in the sculptural possibilities of the ceramic / porcelain medium, but very balanced in terms of genre, with a good measure of utilitarianism preserved. They don’t burden themselves too much with decorating items; it is without exception added in pigment or form for good reason, and the so-called. the rusticity of clay objects has been transformed into a simple old school design or a witty commentary on reality. “Iva Körbler, adapted from the preface
Exhibition organizer: ULUPUH – Croatian Association of Fine Artists of Applied Arts
The exhibition was realized with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia and the City of Zagreb.
