Western Europe Museum

In Feb.11, 2006 Dr. Hsu flew to London to participate the COLLECT fair which is organized by British Craft Council. Dr. Hsu also supposed to meet ICMEA members in Rembrandt Hotel on the 11th morning. That afternoon David Jones will come to see him for the FLICAM’s UK Pavillion.

Collect seemed doing better this year than last year. Dr. Hsu met one of the organizer Daniel Wells who again this year invited him to come . She knows that Dr. Hsu’s thinking of participating COLLECT next year. Craft Council is also the potential one to sponsor the traveling cost of UK artists to participate FLICAM’s UK pavilion workshop.

In ICMEA meeting, we discuss the 2nd ICMEA meeting in Fuping in 2007. Only 6 members attended. Dr. Hsu presented what FLICAM intended to do next year. but budget for ICMEA 2007 is still a problem.

Dr. Hsu met David Jones 5 pm in his hotel. He informed him FLICAM’s 2nd stage program and the Western European Museum is on agenda, FLICAM allocates 2 buildings of a total of 600 square meters in a 4 building complex to UK pavilion, the other two will be for Belgium and Holland. David is the organizer for FLICAM’s UK Pavilion.

David told me that he already have a list of 50 names and the key problem is still the traveling money. He told me that Craft Council get money but need powerful person to convince them to sponsor us. David thinks Emmanuel Cooper, the editor of Ceramic Review magazine, one of the ICMEA member could. Dr. Hsu asked David to study our proposal well and individually ask the artist see any of them can support themselves to go. To some artists to find travel money is not hard. We do not need to see this responsibility is ours. This is an important view point. Load more responsibility to artists themselves. For those who wants to go, they will find their ways. This is an important policy matter. FLICAM should inform all other country’s organizers.

Images of the Western Europe Museum: UK 2 units, Belgium1,Holland1

During the Collect Fair in London, Dr. Hsu met Piet Stockman. He came to Dr. Hsu’s hotel and they had a brief discussion about FLICAM and agreed that Dr. Hsu will visit him in Belgium before he went to Holland. He arranged how Dr. Hsu visit him in his place in Belgium. In Feb. 12, Dr. Hsu took Euro Star from London to Brussels and then transferred to a local train Genk. Piet came to the train station and met Dr. Hsu and took him to see his house, studio and show room. They had a long talk and had a dinner together. His contact information is as following.
cell +32-477-78-23-26, pietstockmans@skynet.be

Piet selected a list of ceramic artists as the candidates to come to China (from a book introducing Belgium artists):

Piet also show interest to go himself but like to create a sacred place so he can display his work with religious feeling. Dr. Hsu promise him to discuss this matter with FLICAM’s architect and seeking the possibility to do so. As Dr. Hsu understand in the 4 unit complex of the Western European Museum, one of the building actually extends into the raised ground. Like dig into the caves. So, perhaps we can do something in the end part of the building.

When Dr. Hsu get back to Beijing, he will prepare letters to make initial contact of these artists and waiting for their first responses. Because these are senior artists and many of them are in old age, So Dr. Hsu hope that even they could not come they may be able to introduce other younger artists to come. We are looking for 6 artists, not a big number. Dr. Hsu only stayed Jenk one day.

In Feb. 13th morning, Piet took Dr. Hsu to the train station in Mastericht and took a train to Amsterdam, Holland. Dr. Hsu arrived there at noon. Before Dr. Hsu came to Amsterdam, he contacted Gert Germeraad and Adriaain Rees in Amsterdam,. Adriaain has been in China many times and worked in Dr. Hsu’s studio in Beijing and also participated Fuping’s 1st International Ceramic Workshop. He arranged Gijs Assmann to meet Dr. Hsu at train station and took him to the Lloyd Hotel. Later Dr. Hsu met Adriaain and Stan Petrusa .

Dr. Hsu came to Amsterdam in a good timing, These three artists plus the few others he will see in the next two days were reviving an artists group as organized by Struktuur 68 in 1968 when COBRA art movement was very hot. COBRA was a group artists from COpenhagen, BRussels, and Amsterdam. Their influence to the ceramics was the formation of Struktuur 68 Ceramic Studio. By the 90s, first generation of CORBA artists were getting old and the Struktuur 68 was fighting for survive. Now this group of young ceramic artists see the possibility of COBRA influence. Their style is bold, colorful, and expressive which is quite different from the current world ceramic trend. Now the owner of Struktuur 68, Henk Trumpie, got excited again and liked to revive the old Struktuur 68. So, the next day (Feb. 14) Dr. Hsu went with another their artist Hans van Bentem to Den Haag to visit the Struktuur 68. and met Henk.

After Dr. Hsu arrived there he realized that he was there before during the Millennium Ceramic Conference time. He met the whole group and viewed all their work. They were doing large piece work for Adriaain and Hans. Dr. Hsu also met one of their artist Ingrid Mol. Who later took back him to Amsterdam.

They all wanted me to visit the ceramic museum up in the northern country, a place called Leeuwarden. Henks daughter Ank Trumpie is the main Curator there. Now this young generation is regrouping themselves as a Structural Ceramic Group. They hope FLICAM museum could be their base in China, a show case for their newly reviving effort. They immediately feel the space we saved for Holland is too small. Dr. Hsu also emphasize that the future FLICAM Holland Pavilion should have other artists also, not just the Structural Ceramic Group. They agreed. Adriaan and Hans will visit China in May this year, Dr. Hsu ask them to make a full presentation to FLICAM and let FLICAM management to understand how good their project is and in turn what should we do more for them. In their studio

Although this time Dr. Hsu did not visit EKWC, but Dr. Hsu was there two times in the past. Because they are primarily dealing with international artists and very few from Holland. So, this time Dr. Hsu skipped their visit. But he will inform them what FLICAM will do for Holland.

In Feb 15, Dr. Hsu took 3 hours train to visit Leeuwarden, particularly to visit the museum and meet curator Ank Trumpie, Hank’s daughter.

The visit was very fruitful. Dr. Hsu previewed their coming exhibition ”The Mysterious Celadon”, a good collection of Chinese celadon gathered from 4 Holland museums. Museum’s Asian curator Willem companied him not only viewing the celadon show but also their China collection in the middle level. Then Dr. Hsu went to top level and had a good understanding of Holland ceramics from early time till now. Then Dr. Hsu had a good chat with Ank. She is the chief curator there. She also writes ceramic articles. She is also a member of the newly formed Structural Ceramic Group.