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Art from the Land of the Rising Sun
Japan, in comparison with many other countries, is rather small, though it ranks tenth amongst the world’s highest populations. More fascinatingly, it has one of the richest and most eclectic art histories to speak of when considering it on its own. Yes, various countries in Europe do this or that, and Africa has a slew of artistic variety, but we’re just talking one country – 6852 islands, if you really want to talk about how amazing Japan’s universally-acknowledged solidarity is. Continuously infiltrated by other powers (China, Russia, Germany’s money, and the United States), art in Japan has successfully maintained a focused and healthy presence in the art world since the…
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Porcelana china: de vajilla a obra de arte
En lo primero que pensé cuando supe que tenía que escribir este blog fue en mi abuela y en las figuritas de Lladró que, como cualquier abuela que se precie, tenía en su casa. Luego pensé en las ensaladeras de mi madre, de cerámica de Muel, cuya tradición viene del siglo XIV. Creo que esto último se acerca más al concepto de la porcelana china. Porque ¿cuándo un plato deja de ser un plato para convertirse en obra de arte? ¿es sólo porque ha conseguido superar la prueba de los siglos sin romperse? Tal vez sea por mi concepto práctico de las cosas, para mí la vajilla puede ser bonita,…
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Das „gute“ Geschirr
Wer kennt das nicht, zum Familiengeburtstag wird das „gute“ Geschirr rausgeholt und zum Kaffeeklatsch und -Tratsch bei der Großmutter stehen die teuren Sammeltassen auf dem Tisch? Die Unterscheidung zwischen Alltagsgeschirr und „gutem“ Porzellan wird zum einen über den materiellen und zum anderen über den emotionalen Wert, den das jeweilige Service für den Besitzer hat, entschieden. In jedem Fall handelt es sich aber um einen Gebrauchsgegenstand, der dem Anlass entsprechend „gebraucht“ wird. Während ich diese Tradition des „guten“ Geschirrs unglaublich genieße, kann ich die Faszination für Porzellan als Kunstobjekt mitunter nur schwer nachzuvollziehen. Ein an der Wand hängender Teller ist für mich genauso suspekt wie ein WC im Museum, wobei Duchamps…
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Is china called china because it’s from China?
Do you have any strong feelings about Chinese porcelain? Because I don’t. And when I wrote to my friends to ask them for some inspiration, neither did they. (One friend told me he found it ‘irresistibly erotic’, but if you ask a stupid question…) My point is, when I found out that, as part of a celebration to mark Frederick the Great of Prussia’s 300th birthday (posthumously, I might add), the Museen Dahlem is exhibiting his collection of Chinese Porcelain pieces, I was a bit… ambivalent. I can’t even bring myself to hate the idea, that’s how little I care about Chinese porcelain, or indeed porcelain in general. Maybe it’s…
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Immortality Inspired Art
Immortality: the notion that one lives on past this life, thus helping us mere mortals digest the fear and grief brought on by death. Heavy investments of inestimable wealth into the unwavering belief that the afterlife exists has produced hugely lavish art, including majestic sculptures, tombs and precious artifacts. The Han Dynasty, China’s second imperial family as of 206 BCE, was one such group of believers. The enormous wealth that awaited family members upon their passing would surely make one relish the chance to expire. Intricate burial chambers, kitchens, concubines and rooms crammed with the most precious of gems were just the tip of the iceberg, with reports of sacrificing…
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