Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Scandinavian Culture – Denmark
Left: Axel Salto vases in budding style made in 1958. The vases are from the Royal Copenhagen Collection. Top right: Axel Salto vase from 1947 in sprouting style from the Royal Copenhagen Collection. Right: The beautiful house, named Grimmerhus, was built by Johan Daniel Herholdt in 1857 and has been preserved just like most of CLAY’s surroundings. Photo: Thomas Mølvig.
The magical world of ceramics If you think of clay as nothing more than a boring, brown mug, think again. Clay is the beautiful Royal Copenhagen cup; it is your grandmother’s old china set. Clay is all around you. At CLAY Museum of Ceramic Art Denmark, you can experience the natural material in all its glory.
in society,” Wirnfeldt explains. “However, in the 1800s, when the absolute monarchy ended, ceramics was democratised and was suddenly for everyone.”
By Heidi Kokborg |
Axel Salto
Photos: Ole Akøj
Surrounded by tall trees, the sea, and both the new and the old Lillebælt bridges, CLAY Museum of Ceramic Art Denmark could not wish for a more picturesque location. This is where art, architecture and nature meet. “We want to open the doors to a world of magic. Clay has so many expressions – it can be heavy or light as a feather, and imagination is the only limit to the amount of shapes you can create with it. It is an extraordinary material,” says Pia Wirnfeldt, director at CLAY. “When you come to CLAY, you’ll realise that ceramic is not just a brown mug from the 1970s. You’ll see that ceramics are everywhere; it is the focal point for social 38 | Issue 98 | March 2017
gatherings – we drink out of cups, eat off plates and put salad in bowls, all of which are most likely made of clay,” she says.
A window to Danish history In 2010, the Royal Copenhagen Collection, containing 55,000 items in porcelain, faience and stoneware, was donated to CLAY. This makes the museum completely unique. “We now have both modern and historic collections that are unique and very special,” says Wirnfeldt. Not only does the Royal Copenhagen Collection tell the ceramic history of Denmark of the past 240 years, but it also mirrors the cultural development in Denmark. “In the 1700s, porcelain was a symbol of power and social status. It was expensive, fragile, and only for the richest
A must-see during a visit to CLAY this year is the Axel Salto exhibition. Salto (1889-1961) is world renowned for his stoneware, and a central figure in Danish design history. The exhibition is centred around the Royal Copenhagen Collection as Salto contributed numerous creations to it. “Salto’s art is absolutely incredible, and we are proud to display the most extensive exhibition of his ceramic oeuvre,” says Wirnfeldt. “You can see his stoneware and porcelain work, and his original drawings and sketches, which give a unique insight into his work.” For more information, please visit: www.claymuseum.dk