SYMPOSIUM | SETTING THE GROUND
The symposium was an accompanying event to Breaking Ground 2018, setting the ground and offering a multidimensional examination of the dynamic nature of the art of clay in the current context. It resulted in a lively, critical and scholarly discourse around ceramic art practice in India.
It consisted of three sessions, exploring the nuances of the medium through a set of lectures and presentations. Each speaker came with a deep insight and experience in various aspects of the material, such as historic, technological and socio-political. Every session was moderated by an expert in the field and concluded with an open discussion.
Clay and Community
Art and society have always overlapped, both informing and reacting to the other. Ceramics as a material is rich in history and laden with metaphor. How is the practice of ceramics located within the fabric of community? How have traditional clay crafts evolved to face the challenges of contemporary life? What are the ways in which artists can effectively address issues raised in the context of environmental and socio-political needs?
Locating a Language and Practice
The language of clay channels discovery, and social, cultural and personal expression. It offers a nonverbal historic record and holds a mirror to current cultural interactions. This session seeks to evaluate the language of clay in the larger context of art and architecture – methods of dissemination, curatorial perspectives and studio practice.
Material Matters
Ceramics is one of the earliest of human technologies. Simultaneous discoveries around the world of how fire could transform clay changed the nature of human life. Even today, it is a means to map trade routes and international networks, and measure the impact of an ever-shrinking globe. How did technology influence the ancient practice of clay and ceramics? And in what way does evolving technology drive change, shift the meaning and perception of the material, alter its use, and influence practice?
