PORZELLANIKON IS TAKING OFF AGAIN: Press conference on 15 June 2021

The Porzellanikon - State Museum of Porcelain is starting up again. After being closed for around five months due to the corona, the museum has been opened again since 12 May 2021 and has been able to offer its full range of events and guided tours since 7 June 2021. At a press conference today, museum director Anna Dziwetzki and the heads of department and curators presented the programme for the coming months and reported in particular on new projects that were launched during the closure.

"We have used the period of standstill in our ongoing museum operations to address strategic questions about the orientation of our two locations Selb and Hohenberg a. d. Eger. And we have created exciting themes and concepts for upcoming special exhibitions and developed new attractive event formats," said Anna Dziwetzki. With regard to the strategic topics, she went into detail about steps that have already been taken, such as the development of a museum concept and the analysis of strengths and weaknesses, the results of which will now be incorporated into the further conception. According to Dziwetzki, the goal is to give the locations an even clearer profile. Target group-specific, attractive and innovative exhibitions, events and services are now to boost visitor numbers again and gradually increase them. A first step in this context is the ongoing redesign of the website, which, in addition to a more emotional presentation and addressing of the target groups, will also offer the possibility to buy tickets online.

NEW EVENTS

1. Porcelain Market on July 31 and August 1, 2021
Dr Jana Göbel, Chief Curator and Head of the EU Projects, Digitisation, 21st Century Collection Unit, presented the concept and schedule of the 1st Porcelain Market, which will take place on July 31 and August 1, 2021 in the Museum Garden and in some exhibition rooms in Hohenberg a. d. Eger. It is part of the EU project "CerDee - Creative entrepreneurship in ceramic regions - developing, educating, encouraging". Porzellanikon, as the lead partner of this project, has set itself the task of networking creative players with each other and binding young people more strongly to the museum. "This year's porcelain market is the kick-off for this format, which is to become an annual forum for young porcelain designers and artists from regions with a long tradition in ceramics and porcelain," says Göbel. The participants were selected by an expert jury of artists, designers, experts and teachers from the industry. During the two-day porcelain market, the porcelain artists will have the opportunity to present their work and offer it for sale. The jury will also select an artist from among the participants who will show their work next year in a so-called studio exhibition at the Porzellanikon in Hohenberg a. d. Eger.

Hiking and action day with the Fichtelgebirgsverein
Together with the Fichtelgebirgsverein, the Porzellanikon is launching the first hiking and action day on Sunday, August 29, 2021, under the motto "Nature and Culture". Five guided hikes of various lengths and levels of difficulty will be offered. "From a leisurely walk to a challenging day tour, there is something for everyone. The unique natural landscape around Hohenberg an der Eger can be experienced," said André Zaus, administrative manager and head of the department of museum organisation, events and tourism. The starting and finishing point of the walks is Porzellanikon Hohenberg. There, the participants can enjoy the permanent exhibition and the special exhibition "FORMVOLLENDET - Keramikdesign von Hans-Wilhelm Seitz" (FULLY FORMED - Ceramic Design by Hans-Wilhelm Seitz) and let our curators take them on a journey into the world of porcelain. This day also has a lot to offer for children and young people.

Cinema summer with Radio Euroherz
First launched in 2019, a continuation of the cinema summer in 2020 could not take place due to corona. The event, organised in cooperation with Radio Euroherz, will take place for only the second time on the grounds of the Porzellanikon in Selb from August 3 to August 9, 2021. The programme features blockbusters such as "Pretty Woman", "Inception" and "Knives out" as well as the children's film "Jim Knopf und die Wilde 13".

NEW PROJECTS IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION AND OUTREACH

Cooperation with senior citizens' homes at the Hohenberg site
Sina Hartmann, who has been working as a museum educator in the education and outreach department at Porzellanikon since mid-February, presented a museum education concept for the Hohenberg site under the working title "Kulturgenuss" (cultural enjoyment), which will be aimed at older visitors and is to be implemented in particular in cooperation with senior citizens' homes. The core of the concept is formed by events on different topics that offer the following elements: a short guided tour, exchange during a coffee break, stimulating discussions as well as an artistic-practical workshop. "The approach is 'dialogue instead of monologue'. The aim is to learn what is fun, promotes creativity and is associated with a culture of conversation," says Hartmann.

New information concept for the Massemühle at the Selb site
There will also be some changes in the mass mill, the beginning of the tour: "We are currently working on new signage to better convey the complex process of mass production to visitors," says Christoph Uhlig. "New overview graphics are being created as well as texts for the machines, which will present the respective processing steps more intuitively. This will make porcelain production more accessible to individual visitors who do not take part in a guided tour," Uhlig continues.

Museum instead of meadow festival" event at the Selb site
As an alternative to the Selber Wiesenfest, which cannot take place this year either, Porzellanikon is offering an extensive and varied programme with guided tours, shard digging and porcelain painting on 10 and 11 July 2021.

NEW PROJECTS AND EVENTS AT THE SELB SITE

Special exhibition "KUNST TRIFFT TECHNIK. Keramik aus dem 3D-Drucker"
The special exhibition "KUNST TRIFFT TECHNIK. Keramik aus dem 3D-Drucker" is extended until October 3, 2021 and offers some new events until then. An additional lecture event was presented by Wolfgang Schilling, Deputy Director, Chief Curator and Head of the Economic, Technical and Social History and Documentation Department: On September 14, 2021, Dr. Wolfgang Kollenberg, Managing Director of WZR ceramic soloutions and Prof. Gerhard Hahn, Department of Design at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, Project Department Ceramic/Porcelain/Glass Design and Three-Dimensional Design, Krefeld, will speak at the Porzellanikon. They will illuminate the topic of 3D printing from different perspectives. Dr Kollenberg will focus on the technical possibilities of 3D printing, as it has also been innovatively developed and expanded with great success by his company in recent years. "WZR ceramic solutions GmbH has organised the exhibition 'KUNST TRIFFT TECHNIK. Keramik aus dem 3D-Drucker‘ and ensured the shaping of the selected exhibition designs through the company's own facilities," says Wolfgang Schilling. Prof. Hahn and his students have repeatedly carried out projects with renowned companies in the field of ceramic 3D printing over the past few years, primarily exploring the artistic possibilities. Prof. Hahn has since been intensively involved with this topic in terms of design and publishing.

The 90-minute 3D printing workshop "Design in the Fast Lane", which can be booked by groups, was already very popular before the Corona break. "These group bookings are now possible again. However, so that as many interested people as possible still have the opportunity to take part, individuals will also have the chance to try their hand as modern, digital designers on three fixed dates," says Christoph Uhlig, technology facilitator and head of the Education and Outreach Department. These dates, for which preregistration is required, will take place on July 14, August 11 and September 8, each at 3 p.m. The number of participants is limited to 10. At the end of the special exhibition, there will also be the "3D Printing Marathon" from October 1 to October 3, 2021 as an additional offer. "Then our 3D printer will work all day. Visitors will be able to see it in action without having to register and try their hand at being a try their hand at being a digital designer," said Christoph Uhlig.

Special exhibition "MORE THAN BRICKS! Tradition and Future of Archi-tectural Ceramics"
As the curator responsible for the special exhibition "MORE THAN BRICKS! Tradition und Zukunft der Architekturkeramik" at the Selb site, the start of which has been postponed until March 2022, Thomas Miltschus, curator in the Art & Cultural History of Porcelain, spoke about the current status. "We are planning an accompanying programme that invites visitors to get creative themselves and try out or imitate technical processes," says Miltschus. At the same time, Porzella-nikon is currently thinking about how to increase the anticipation of potential visitors for the exhibition with creative measures. "But we are particularly plea-sed that we have been able to gain another sponsor, the HART Keramik AG," says Miltschus. The exhibition is already supported by the Ernst von Siemens Kunst-stiftung and the Sparkasse Hochfranken..

Artist Barbara Flügel, based in Schönwald, will also create a porcelain mural for the entrance area of Porzellanikon at the Selb site with a motif of "family".

NEW PROJECTS AT THE HOHENBERG SITE

German-Czech Special Exhibition on Bohemian Porcelain
Thomas Miltschus presented the plans already underway for a special exhibition with the working title "Bohemian Porcelain - 'Baroque' Luxury for High Society", which will be on display in Hohenberg to accompany the Bavarian-Czech Friendship Weeks in 2023. "The exhibition is about Bohemian porcelain in the 19th century. In doing so, we want to tell history and stories. But not only that of the porcelain, but also that of the people who made it, surrounded themselves with it and used it," he explained the concept. Accordingly, it also provides for the use of multimedia elements. The project, which is funded by the EUREGIO EGRENSIS, is being developed together with the Museum of Decorative Arts and the National Museum in Prague as well as the West Bohemian Museum in Pilsen, where the exhibition will also be shown.

Redesign of the study collection
Another project already in progress in Hohenberg concerns the study collection, the walkin depot, with its several thousand objects. "We want to make this extensive collection, which is currently still mainly arranged by manufactory, more emotional and visitor-friendly and present even more exhibits," said Petra Werner, chief curator and head of the Department of the Art and Cultural History of Porcelain. This includes a new colour concept for the back walls of the display cases. The colours were chosen with a great deal of meticulousness, taking into account the psychological effect of the colours. The collection will be more strongly arranged according to themes in order to allow visitors to participate even more in the diversity of the design. The collection of figurines is also to be expanded to include service and ornamental articles. The collections of Dr. Gerhard Woeckel and Helga Schalk-Thielmann, which are well worth seeing, will continue to be presented, but will each be supplemented by treasures currently still hidden in the depot.

New special exhibition in summer 2022
Petra Werner also gave a preview of a special exhibition that will be on display in Hohenberg in summer 2022. It will show around 200 unique pieces from the artistic development department of the Meissen manufactory between 1970 and 2010. The extensive and imposing Meissen porcelain collection comes from a collector couple from northern Germany who have built it up over the past four decades and bequeathed it to Porzellanikon. "This means that the exhibition at Porzellanikon will show what is probably the largest museum collection of unique pieces of Meissen porcelain from the post-war period," says Petra Werner.

Complete accessibility and inclusion
Petra Werner also explained the ongoing project "Accessibility and Inclusion" at the Hohenberg a. d. Eger site. "Everyone has porcelain at home. We want people with cognitive impairments, learning difficulties, a reading disability or people who do not yet have a good command of the German language to be able to experience it in all its fascinating facets," she explained the aim of the project. It is funded by the federal government as part of the "Investments for National Cultural Institutions in Germany" programme. Among other things, the Porzellanikon is using the funding to develop a barrierfree multimedia guide. This will provide an initial digital guidance system and all exhibition texts in German, English and Czech and with a read-aloud function. In addition, it will link 20 highlight objects of the exhibition by means of a digital guided tour and offer in-depth information in all language versions. A special guidance system as well as tactile stations for people with visual impairments, the provision of all texts German, English and Czech and in easy-to-read language as well as the adaptation of the object inscriptions in terms of font size and contrast for better readability are further elements of the project, which will be implemented by the end of 2022. Regional disability associations will be involved in the planning and implementation. "In addition, we would be very pleased if people who are affected by disabilities cooperate with us. They are welcome to contact us."

Further information
The Visitor Centre accepts registrations for guided tours and events by phone at 09287-91 800 0 or by e-mail at besuchercenter@porzellanikon.org to register for guided tours and events, and will also be happy to provide detailed information on content and costs.

Wearing an FFP2 mask on the entire museum premises as well as observing the minimum distance and the regular hygiene regulations remain mandatory. Ope-ning hours at both sites: Tuesday to Sunday and on public holidays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The next dates

Sunday, 20 June 2021, Selb:
Family afternoon "Lanterns", start: 2:30 p.m., duration: approx. 2.5 hours (including adventure tour through the permanent exhibition porcelain production); from 6 years; costs: € 3.00 material costs per participant, adults pay an additional € 1 Sunday admission; registration required

Sunday, 20 June 2021, Hohenberg:
Curator's guided tour of the special exhibition "FORMVOLLENDET - Keramikde-sign von Hans-Wilhelm Seitz", Start: 2:30 p.m., Price: € 1.00 Sunday admission plus € 3.50 guided tour; registration required

Sunday, 27 June 2021, Selb:
Research afternoon "Selbling Space Race", Start: 2:30 p.m., Duration: approx. 2.5 hours (incl. short tour of the Technical Ceramics); from 8 years; Cost: € 3.00 material costs per participant, adults pay an additional € 1 Sunday admission; registration required

The programme flyer, which will be published at the end of June, will provide information about the complete range of guided tours and events in the months from July to September 2021. It will be available free of charge at many public places in the region and on the Porzellanikon website.