Untitled - Schade, Sylvia

LeiPZigeR ALLeRLei
Leipziger Allerlei, so wird berichtet,
sei im einst reichen Leipzig nach
den napoleonischen kriegen
erfunden worden. der speck wurde
versteckt und die gemüsesuppe, in
der höchstens ein paar flusskrebse
schwammen, sollte Bettler und
steuereintreiber über die wahren
Besitzverhältnisse hinwegtäuschen.
dass Leipziger Persönlichkeiten
heute ganz unterschiedliche dinge
auf den fotos von sylvia schade
präsentieren, hat nichts mit dieser
Legende zu tun. Vielmehr zeigt es
die Vielfalt unserer Zeit, in der
Lieblingsobjekte ein schmuckstück,
eine japanische säge oder ein
Rollwagen für Pflanzenkübel sein
können. Wir danken der galeristin
daniela seidel, die unser „Leipziger
Allerlei“ mit viel engagement
„ausgewählt“ hat.
niels gormsen
ehemaliger stadtbaurat.
in der Pleiße zwischen Otto-schill-
und gottschedstraße.
der Pleiße-Mühlgraben wurde nach 40 Jahren ddR
auf initiative des Vereins Neue Ufer wieder freigelegt.
dem ehrenvorsitzenden niels gormsen ist der stolz
auf das „befreite“ gewässer ins gesicht geschrieben.
er trägt drei Broschen Illustrierte Stadt aus eisen von
claudia Rinneberg. die illustration stammt von dirk
eckert. gerne präsentiert der ehemalige stadt-
baurat gleich drei Miniatur-Ansichten, weil sie ihn
an seine Arbeit als stadtplaner erinnern.
fotografien von sylvia schade
dr. irene Mildenberger
Pfarrerin und Liturgiewissenschaftlerin am
theologischen institut Leipzig. Am thomaskirchhof.
leipziger allerlei
„ich trage gerne ausgefallenen und auffallenden schmuck.
die Brosche von flora Vagi ist ein Lieblingsstück von mir wegen
der leuchtenden farbe und dem ungewöhnlichen Material.
der Ohrschmuck von daniela Boieri ist bewegt und lebendig,
das Blattgold setzt strahlende Akzente.“ die Brosche von
flora Vagi ist aus ebenholz und gold mit rotem Pigment. der
Ohrschmuck von daniela Boieri aus silber oxidiert mit gold.
art aurea 4—2011 54 art aurea 4—2011 55

leipziger allerlei leipziger allerlei
detlef Lieffertz
Maler und gestalter. Vor dem Haus des Buches.
die säule wurde von ihm gestaltet.
„der stuhl von erich dieckmann (1896–1944) ist aus
zwei gründen mein Lieblingsobjekt. Zum einen ist er
ein klassiker der Moderne, entworfen von einem
bedeutenden Bauhausgestalter. gebaut wurde er von
der firma cebaso, carl Beck & Alfred schulz Ag,
in Ohrdruf/thüringen. Zum anderen gefällt mir seine
weitere geschichte. er wurde in einem verfallenen
gartenpavillon gefunden, vor dessen tür ein Pflaumenbaum
wuchs. so konnte er unberührt seinen jetzigen
Zustand erreichen.“
Michael Berninger
gartenfreund und kulturbürger.
im Hof des grassimuseums.
der Rollwagen Rolf und die eurokisten Karsten – man
darf raten, warum sie so menschliche namen tragen –
sind eine diplomarbeit. Beide entstammen dem genie
von Robert Haslbeck, entstanden im sommersemester
2009 an der Burg giebichenstein im fachgebiet
industriedesign. es war der dank an ein zweckdienliches
funktionsprodukt, das Berninger zu seiner entscheidung
bewegte: „funktionsprodukte aus Werkstatt,
Lager und Baumarkt vereinfachen den Alltag.
genormte kisten, als transportmedien eher versteckt,
zu vorzeigbaren Protagonisten erhoben.“
art aurea 4—2011 56 art aurea 4—2011 57

leipziger allerlei leipziger allerlei
Beate schücking
Rektorin der universität Leipzig auf dem unigelände.
im Hintergrund die Rückseite des Paulinum.
die Professorin entscheidet sich für ihr Lorgnon als
Lieblingsobjekt. ihre Begründung: „die universität
verdient genaues Hinschauen. ein Lorgnon, noch
bis ca. 1930 produziert als kleines schmuckstück und
als spielerische sehhilfe speziell für die dame, hilft
mir als Rektorin genau zu sehen.“ der name Lorgnon
ist übrigens aus dem französischen entlehnt. es
wird mit Hilfe eines griffs vor die Augen gehalten.
Häufig hängt es auch an einer kette.
Jörg Meinel
geschäftsführer eines einrichtungshauses.
Über den dächern von Plagwitz.
Wer auf einem klassiker von Verner Panton
(1926–1998) Platz nimmt, um sich mit einem Lieblingsobjekt
fotografieren zu lassen, sitzt (geschmacks)
sicher, aber auch nicht direkt originell. sind
solche Bilder doch aus der Werbung seit Jahr-
zehnten bekannt. Jörg Meinel ist zusammen mit
Michael Petersen geschäftsführer des einrich-
tungshauses smow in Leipzig.
art aurea 4—2011 58 art aurea 4—2011 59

leipziger allerlei leipziger allerlei
kim Wortelkamp
Architekt. Auf dem gelände der ehemaligen
Baumwollspinnerei, heute galeriegelände.
„da ich – wie ich merken musste – kein Lieblingsdesignstück
habe, wählte ich die Kataba stellvertretend
für gutes Alltagsdesign. sie erleichtert wesentlich eine
tätigkeit, verzichtet auf gestalterischen Willen und
hat dennoch eine gute form.“ die Aussage macht
deutlich, dass kim Wortelkamp nicht nur entwirft und
plant, sondern selbst auch gern baut. die Kataba ist
eine japanische Zugsäge und wird von der firma Tajima
hergestellt.
frank Brinkmann
keramiker. Vor der Ringbebauung mit Ringcafé.
Was ist das Besondere an der Vase von Marita Helbig?
sie hat ihren „Boden“ im inneren des gefäßkörpers.
dadurch hat sie ein größeres und ein kleineres
nutzungsteil. frank Brinkmann, keramikmeister der
schaddelmühle, spielt mit der ideenreichen Wendevase
wie mit einem diskus. fasst man so Lieblingsobjekte
an?
gregor Meyer
Pianist, Organist und Leiter des gewandhauschors.
Vor dem 1977–1981 errichteten neuen gewandhaus.
der schuhliebhaber, der sich mit einem Paar Trippen
King als Lieblingsobjekte fotografieren lässt, erklärt
zu seiner Wahl: „Manchmal denken Leute, das seien
sandalen und grüne strümpfe. ist aber nicht so!
ich trage die schuhe sehr gern wegen des schönen
grüntones, der im kontrast zu den braunen Riemen
gut zur geltung kommt.“ die schuhe der Berliner
Manufaktur Trippen in maggio elk/grey wax stammen
aus der sommerkollektion 2007.
swantje Henning
Werbereferentin der Leipziger Messe. Auf der Brücke
industriestraße über der Weißen elster.
die entscheidung für die orangefarbene Smalcalda-
Werkzeugtasche aus dem Vitalenarchiv mit Rest-
beständen aufgelöster ddR-kultur fiel nicht schwer:
„ich habe mich in sie verliebt, weil sie – quadratisch,
praktisch, gut – erinnerungen wachruft an kindergarten
und grundschule, als das Leben noch
aus Ringelstrümpfen und eisessen bestand. Zudem
besticht die tasche durch ihr signalrot, so dass sie als
Begleiter in allen Lebenslagen nie vergessen wird.“
art aurea 4—2011 60 art aurea 4—2011 61

leipziger allerlei leipziger allerlei
daniela und thomas seidel
inhaber der galerie Mangold. Vor der
universitätsbibliothek.
die galeristin mit dem Halsschmuck B-Re-Cycle aus
gummi von nikolay sardamov: „den Halsschmuck
von nikolay habe ich eigentlich während seiner
Ausstellung bei uns für einen kunden anprobiert.
seit diesem Moment ist er mein Lieblingsschmuck.
es macht spaß, ihn zu tragen, er ist kaum zu spüren
und schmückt auf unprätentiöse Weise.“ thomas
seidel zur Brosche, 2003, in silber, gold und Platin,
verwalzt, von Rainer schumann: „Zunächst wirkt
sie wie ein militärisches Rangabzeichen. der zweite
Blick offenbart den äußerst ästhetischen umgang
mit dem Material.“
unseRe WeLt ist
RetuscHieRt
sylvia schade wurde 1953 in Leipzig geboren. in den
1980er Jahren lernte sie zunächst den Beruf der fotografin
vor der kamera kennen, als Model. Vor allem die
Zusammenarbeit mit dr. eva Mahn, Burg giebichenstein
kunsthochschule Halle, bei der sie zwischen 2003 und
2004 gasthörerin war, beeinflusste ihre eigene fotografische
Arbeit. seit 2002 sind die fotografien der Leipzigerin
in zahlreichen einzel- und gruppenausstellungen zu
sehen. das Projekt von Leipziger Persönlichkeiten mit ihren
Lieblingsobjekten entpuppte sich für sie als eine
nicht alltägliche Herausforderung.
art aurea Welche neuen einsichten über die Beziehung
von Menschen zu ihren Objekten hat ihnen die fotografie
für art aurea vermittelt?
sylvia schade Jeder Besitzer eines außergewöhnlichen
designstückes identifiziert sich natürlich damit
und ist stolz darauf. das heißt aber noch lange
nicht, dass dies für Außenstehende in jedem falle
nachvollziehbar sein muss.
art aurea Worauf haben sie bei den Aufnahmen besonders
geachtet?
sylvia schade eine terminierte Auftragsarbeit bedarf
einer grundidee, einer konzeption, ausführlicher
Vorabsprachen und entsprechender Regie, es sind
viele schrauben, an denen man stellen kann. ich
habe versucht, weitgehend auf die Wünsche der
Akteure einzugehen. eine Person, ihr Lieblingsstück
und ihren bevorzugten Ort gleichrangig
abzubilden ist eine Herausforderung, denn jede
Bildordnung verlangt nach Prioritäten. die engen
Zeitfenster der Probanten, die Launen des Wetters,
die ausgewählten Orte und designstücke waren
mitunter nur schwierig unter einen Hut zu bekommen.
große freude hat es mir bereitet, dass
niels gormsen, ehemaliger stadtbaudirektor, bereit
war, mit mir zum fotografieren in die Pleisze
zu steigen. er hat großen Anteil daran, dass dieser
fluss, der sich mitten durch Leipzig schlängelt und
zu ddR-Zeiten verschmutzt unterirdisch floss,
wieder ans Licht kam. Bei seinem foto ist mir der
Bezug der Person zur stadt und zum schmuck gut
gelungen.
art aurea Als fotografin besuchen sie viele Orte und
städte. Was ist für sie an Leipzig das ganz Besondere?
sylvia schade Leipzig, meine geburts- und Heimatstadt,
verfiel bis 1989 dramatisch. Auch das war
ein grund, sie verlassen zu wollen. desto glücklicher
bin ich heute, Zeuge einer großartigen Wiederherstellung
der Architektur und des bürgerlichen
Lebens sein zu dürfen. unsere kulturstadt ist
liebenswert, kompakt, offen, auch ein wenig größenwahnsinnig.
die Leipziger sind selbstbewusst,
umtriebig und kontaktfreudig. Musik, Literatur,
darstellende und bildende künste werden hier an
außergewöhnlichen Orten praktiziert und können
vielfältig genossen werden. in Leipzig ist die kunst
zu Hause. der dialog zwischen den künstlern und
Bürgern wird lebhaft geführt.
art aurea Was wussten sie über künstlerischen
schmuck vor der Zusammenarbeit mit der galerie
Mangold?
sylvia schade seit Jahrzehnten begleitet mich künstlerischer
schmuck durch die Lehrtätigkeit meines
ehemannes Rainer schade an der kunsthochschule
Halle. Mir sind die alternativen denk- und schaffensprozesse
durchaus gegenwärtig. Abgesehen
von vielen stücken, die ich als geschenke von ihm
bekam, kenne ich die Werkstätten an der Burg
durch die alljährlichen Rundgänge gut. Am künstlerischen
schmuck gefällt mir besonders seine einmaligkeit
und die individualität.
art aurea Was möchten sie mit ihrer fotografie generell
zum Ausdruck bringen? Was ist ihnen wichtig?
sylvia schade Mein Blick ist geschärft, wenn ich mich
durch straßen und in Landschaften bewege.
streetfotografie ist für mich authentisch. ich
möchte mit meinen Bildern ein stück unserer Zeit
festhalten. dies wird immer schwieriger. Menschen,
die man fotgrafiert, muss man um erlaubnis
fragen, was jegliche spontanität zerstört. gebäude
und kunstwerke sind aus urheberrechtlichen
gründen geschützt. digitale technik lässt dinge
verschwinden oder fügt Anderes hinzu. unsere
Welt ist retuschiert. dies interessiert mich nicht
wirklich. Zufälliges fordert mich heraus. ich strebe
nach einer persönlichen fotografischen Handschrift.
Meine stärke ist, auf Menschen zuzugehen
und mit ihnen ins gespräch zu kommen, gerade
dann, wenn ich das foto bereits im „kasten“ habe.
art aurea 4—2011 62 art aurea 4—2011 63

frenchman Régis Mayot cuts the walls
from plastic bottles and reassembles
them like collages. the light source
inside each object gives it a radiance
that calls to mind medieval stained
glass windows.
in the genre of ceramics, existing
shards undergo further processing.
either the décor is augmented or else
the glaze and the motifs are partially
removed, as they are by karen Ryan.
the craft of metalworking is represented
by david clarke, who cuts apart
old containers, assembles them anew,
pulls and stretches them to create
novel shapes based on forms from the
18th century. clarke buys his raw
materials at flea markets or over the
internet, then alters them by adding
other parts, extensions or angular
breaks. the seams remain visible to
accentuate the contrast between new
and old. clarke thus calls into question
both formal conventions and societal
consensuses.
frédérique Morrel’s works are
exceptional items in the textile genre.
He pulls old embroideries and tapestries
over plastic casts of animals’
bodies and heads. the collage-like but
chromatically and thematically harmonious
juxtaposition of different
textiles results in colorful and fabulous
creatures, some of which have long
neon eyelashes. the nostalgic value of
these pieces, their emotional connection
to the past and the appreciation
of the labor and expense that these
pieces necessarily entail all combine to
form the basis for their reutilization.
the exhibition shows how the
interest in new materials and the
questioning of conventional notions of
value can create impulses for seeking
and finding beauty in the conventional
and the quotidian. in playful, experimental
and simultaneously also serious
ways, waste products can be transformed
into objects that are imbued
with high aesthetic appeal and that
metamorphose “rubbish” into genuine
opulence. the paradoxes endow these
creations with a special attraction.
this discipline offers designers and
craftspeople extraordinary opportunities
for diverse innovations and
experiments. the relationship
between craftsmanship and industry
undergoes redefinition; things and
materials are given a new life through
artisanal crafting.
Transformations – Metamorphoses
October 19 – november 19, 2011
galerie Handwerk
Max-Joseph-strasse 4
d-80333 Munich
www.hwk-muenchen.de/galerie
Page 48
PORceLAin à
LA cARte
BARBARA
scHMidt
By Renate
Luckner-Bien
As is well-known, success is
based on many pillars. this
also applies to the kAHLA/
thüringen Porzellan gmbH.
it is unlikely, though, that
this porcelain manufactory
would write design history
without Barbara schmidt.
this successful designer
knows what those who like to
cook and invite their friends
for dinner need.
Barbara schmidt and porcelain – a love
story. even in her childhood she
dreamed about becoming a porcelain
painter. during a visit to Meissen,
however, she realized that she “did not
want to be the person who paints the
same rose every day.” After graduating
from school, she studied ceramic
design at the Burg giebichenstein
university of Art and design Halle.
And what she learned there is what she
still does today, i.e. designing porcelain.
Right after obtaining her degree
in 1991, she started working as a
designer for the thuringian kAHLA
porcelain manufactory.
Barbara schmidt and porcelain –
a success story. it began with the
simple realization that new user habits
and requirements call for new tableware
shapes so that the individual
pieces can be flexibly used and combined.
grandma’s twelve-piece coffee
and dinner sets have long since ceased
being objects of prestige and, because
they are completely unsuitable for
italian or Asian cuisine, for example,
english translations english translations
have been relegated to the most
remote corners of our kitchen
cupboards. countless coffee pots
now lead a sad, because unused,
existence. After all, an espresso
machine only requires cups. this
is why Barbara schmidt’s Five Senses
tableware program includes nine
different cup sizes.
Barbara schmidt thought it all
through in time and, above all, thoroughly,
i.e. what new lifestyles,
changing family structures and eating
habits implied for a porcelain manufacturer.
And she took action: she
replaced the traditional, standardized
serving concept by modular, variable
and combinable tableware sets and
thus made the user her main concern.
Her formula is: combine + complement
= vary. Her ideas owe their success
not least to the fact that they are
based on her respect of history: “A cup
is a cup, but also a lot more: it bears
the genetic material of a whole series
of ancestors that go back thousands
of years,” she says.
Barbara schmidt’s concept manifests
itself in each of her tableware
sets such as, for example, her experimental,
austere Cumulus set, her elixyr
set with its touch of luxury, her multifunctional,
straightforward Update set
or her Five Senses program with its
emphasis on sensual experiences.
“Five Senses”, Barbara schmidt
explains, “has been created for people
who have a passion for cooking and
appreciate professional kitchen
utensils. in addition to basic items,
it includes many useful special pieces
that don’t combine to form a ‘fixed
menu’ but instead can be chosen‘
à la carte’.”
“PORceLAin fOR
tHe senses”
this is the kAHLA porcelain manufactory’s
advertising slogan. Right after
germany’s reunification, this former
leading company of the state-owned
fine ceramics combine in the german
democratic Republic found an investor.
in 1993, however, the new owner
had to file for bankruptcy. the company
was then reorganized by
günther Raithel, well-experienced
in the ceramics industry, and is now
managed by his son Holger. since
1997, kAHLA has been has been
generating profits. this is due, last but
not least, to Barbara schmidt. With
her ideas, her attitude, her intelligence
and her designs, she contributed
substantially to the fact that the
manufactory’s success can hardly be
matched by any other company in this
sector. since 1994, both Barbara
schmidt and kAHLA have been showered
with national and international
design awards.
in late October, at the finissage
of the A Lasting Impression: Wilhelm
Wagenfeld exhibition at Bauhaus
dessau, Barbara schmidt will talk
about her work. As is well-known,
porcelain design played a minor role
in Wagenfeld’s multifaceted oeuvre.
However, he admired the porcelain
objects created by Marguerite friedlaender-Wildenhain
and trude Petri.
so what is it that unites the most
influential designer of the past
century with the successful porcelain
designer of today? Wagenfeld is
considered a pioneer of industrial
design. everybody knows the Bauhaus
lamp, this small table lamp that he
designed right at the beginning of his
time at the Bauhaus and under the
influence of Moholy-nagy. nevertheless,
Wagenfeld always kept a critical
distance to the Bauhaus: “i probably
felt more persistently attached to the
Bauhaus by an inner ambivalence than
others were due to a firm conviction.”
Both his works and his writings show
that he was an advocate of what can be
termed a moderate functionalism.
design, as we all know, always has
a dimension that goes beyond what’s
merely functional. the “proper”
relationship between form and
function is defined by each individual
epoch. Wagenfeld would surely
realize that Barbara schmidt’s deconstruction
of the classic porcelain set
presupposes a new openness in terms
of “formal interrelationships within
a series”.
Without any doubt, however,
Wagenfeld and schmidt would agree
on the issue that the usefulness of an
object is a self-evident prerequisite.
Wilhelm Wagnefeld expressed this as
follows: “if the first things that somebody
notices and points out in my
works are their useful aspects,
i know that i have failed to perform
my task properly. since the purpose
of household items is determined by
their use, […] it is essential that the
purpose-related requirements be
implemented and their purposefulness
be hidden in such a manner that
nobody notices them right away. […]
Because everything designed is only
delightful if it can be readily perceived
by our senses and if we can absorb it
as a result of pure sensation, without
explanation.
fORM WitH And
WitHOut
ORnAMentAtiOn
And there is something else which
Wagenfeld and schmidt would certainly
have been unanimous about:
their attitude towards ornamentation.
Wagenfeld advocated an opinion
that is part of any designer’s requisite
theoretical know-how but tends to be
ignored in practice, i.e. that ornamentation
destroys the form “if it can be
taken away or added like an accidental
embellishment.” Barbara schmidt
knows that “fighting ornamentation
is a useless enterprise.” this is one
reason why she has a head-on and
easy-going approach to ornamentation
and décor. for example, with
a light touch of irony, she applied a
mock-style version of the good old
onion pattern on her Cumulus cups
and thus gave a very popular motif a
second lease on life. And her latest
collection teems with references to
the abundance of forms developed
in the course of kAHLA’s existence
since 1844. to create her Centuries set,
she did not only mount historical
handle forms on contemporary vessels,
but, with playful lightness and
unaffected reverence to history, she
takes up historic relief patterns and
deconstructs and modifies them,
for example the festoon, a type of
arcade-shaped garland that can be
found in almost all art genres. “Bringing
familiar motifs to light and integrating
them in contemporary porcelain”
is her idea behind the Centuries
set. Barbara schmidt combines
“complex ornamentation with minimalist
shapes and the elegant refinement
of historical details with the user
friendliness of modern porcelain.”
kAHLA fOsteRs
cReAtiVity
since 1992, kAHLA has also been
giving young up-and-coming designers
a chance by inviting them to attend
workshops and organizing, since 1999,
international design competitions.
until October 23, 2011, under the
title of Inventing, the Porzallanikon
museum in selb staged a three-part
exhibition which had its premiere
in Leipzig’s grassi Museum of the
Applied Arts. the exhibition’s first
part showed the results of the 5th
CReATIVe KAHLA international
porcelain workshop held during the
summer last year. under the title of
Of Plates and Cups, the show’s second
part was dedicated to Barbara
schmidt’s independent creations as
well as those she designed for kAHLA.
Genetic Material, the exhibition’s third
part, presented the results of a semester
project with the same title which
Barbara schmidt worked out in
collaboration with students at Berlin’s
university of the Arts in Berlin while
working there as a visiting instructor.
Working as a designer for kAHLA
as well as on her own artistic projects,
participating in a one-year scholarship
program in finland and a three-month
working stint at the european Ceramic
Work Centre in s’Hertogenbosch,
accepting various teaching assignments
at art universities, being
a wife and a mother of two children –
Barbara schmidt masters all this
because all this is linked both idealistically
and practically and she does
not accept differentiating between
duty and pleasure.
art aurea 4—2011 140 art aurea 4—2011 141
Page 54
LeiPZigeR
ALLeRLei
Photography
by sylvia schade
As legend has it, the
“Leipziger Allerlei” dish was
invented after the napoleonic
Wars in the once flourishing
city of Leipzig. People
hid their bacon and only
added a little crayfish to this
vegetable dish in order to
protect themselves from
beggars and tax collectors.
the fact that the Leipzig
personalities photographed
by sylvia schade presented
themselves with the most
different objects has nothing
to do with this legend. it
rather reveals the diversity of
our time in which people’s
favorite items can either be a
piece of jewelry, a Japanese
saw or a rolling cart for
planters. We would like to
thank gallerist daniela seidel
for preparing this “Leipziger
Allerlei” miscellanea photo
shoot for us with so much
dedication.
niels gormsen
retired city planning director
After having been filled up or covered
for 40 years under gdR rule, the
Pleissemühlgraben canal was uncovered
again in 2007 thanks to the
initiative of the Neue Ufer (“new
Riverbanks”) association. its honorary
chairman, niels gormsen, beams with
pride over the “freed” waterway. He
wears three Illustrated City iron
brooches by claudia Rinneberg. the
illustrations were created by dirk
eckert. gormsen, former city planning
director, opted to present himself
with three miniature views combined
because they remind him of his time as
city planner.
dr. irene Mildenberger
Pastor and liturgics scholar
at the faculty of theology
of Leipzig’s university
“i like to wear unusual and striking
jewelry. the brooch created by flora
Vagi is one of my favorite pieces
because of its radiant color and
uncommon materials. daniela Boieri’s
earrings are mobile and lively, and
the leaf gold adds a brilliant touch.”
flora Vagi’s brooch has been crafted
from ebony, gold and red pigment,
and daniela Boieri’s earrings from
oxidized silver and gold.
detlef Liefertz
painter and designer
“the chair designed by erich dieckmann
(1896–1944) is my favorite object
due to two reasons. On the one hand,
it is a Modernist classic, designed by
an important Bauhaus designer. it was
manufactured by the cebaso, carl
Beck & Alfred schulz Ag company in
Ohrtruf/thuringia. On the other hand,
i am fascinated by its life story. it was
found in a decayed garden pavilion in
front of which stood a plum tree. thus
remaining untouched, the chair
attained its present condition.”
dr. Beate schücking
president of the
university of Leipzig
choosing her lorgnette as her favorite
object, Beate schücking explains
her decision as follows: “the university
deserves closer looks. A lorgnette,
still produced until about 1930 as a
small piece of jewelry and playful
reading aid, especially for ladies,
helps me to take closer looks in my
function as university president.”
the term lorgnette is of french origin.
A lorgnette is held by a handle in front
of the eyes and is also often worn on
a chain.
Michael Berninger
garden aficionado
and cultured citizen
the Rolf rolling carts and the Karsten
eurocrates – we can only guess why
they have been given such human
names – are graduation pieces. Both
are the offspring of Robert
Haselbeck’s ingenious mind, created
in the 2009 summer semester at the
Burg giebichenstein university’s
industrial design department. Berninger
chose them out of gratitude for
functional products: “functional
products from workshops, storehouses
and building supply stores make our
everyday life easier. this is why i
elevated standardized crates, which
usually lead a rather hidden existence
as means of transport, into the rank of
presentable protagonists.”
Jörg Meinel
ceO
those who take a seat on a classic
designed by Verner Panton (1926–
1998) to be photographed with their
favorite object, will sit securely, while
at the same time displaying a welldeveloped
taste, but not exactly make
an original impression. After all,
similar motifs have been used for
decades in the Vitra advertisements.
in collaboration with Michael
Petersen, Jörg Meinel manages the
smow furniture store in Leipzig.
kim Wortelkamp
architect
Because i have no favorite piece, as i
had to realize, i chose the Kataba saw
as an epitome of a well-designed
everyday object. it considerably
facilitates an activity, lacks any trace
of a designer’s individual style and
nevertheless has a good shape.” this
statement reveals that kim
Wortelkamp does not only design and
plan but also likes to create things.
the Kataba is a Japanese dōzuki saw
and is manufactured by the Tajima
company.
gregor Meyer
choir director at the
gewandhaus concert hall
this shoe aficionado, who wanted to
be photographed with a pair of
Trippen King shoes as his favorite
pieces, explains his choice as follows:
“some people think these are sandals
and green socks. But they are not! i
love wearing these shoes because of
their beautiful green hue which is
favorably offset by the brown
strings.” Produced by the Berlin-based
Trippen manufactory in maggio elk/
grey wax, these shoes are from the
summer 2007 collection.
frank Brinkmann
ceramist
What is so special about Marita
Helbig’s vase? its “bottom” is in the
middle of the inside so that it has a
smaller and a larger usable space.
frank Brinkmann, master ceramist at
the schaddelmühle ceramics atelier,
plays with this highly imaginative vase
as if it were a discus. is this how one
handles one’s favorite object?
swantje Henning
advertising officer at the
Leipziger Messe company
it was not hard for swantje Henning to
decide on the orange-colored Smalcalda
tool bag from sandra kuhne’s
Vital Archive of items from the past
gdR culture: “i simply fell in love with
it because, besides being square,
convenient and good, it brings back
memories of my time at kindergarten
and primary school, when life focused
on hooped socks and eating ice cream.
in addition, this bag features a striking
signal red so that, as my companion in
all situations of life, i will never
accidentally leave it anywhere.”
daniela und thomas seidel
Mangold gallery
daniela seidel wears the B-Re-Cycle
rubber necklace by nikolay sardamov:
“Originally, i tried on nikolay’s necklace
at his exhibition for a client of
mine. since that moment it has been
my favorite piece. it’s fun to wear, can
hardly be felt and is an eminently
unpretentious adornment.” thomas
seidel comments on the brooch
created in 2003 by Rainer schumann
from silver, rolled gold and rolled
platinum as follows: “At first sight, it
looks like a military badge of rank. At a
second glance, however, it reveals an
eminently aesthetic approach to the
materials.”
OuR WORLd is
RetOucHed
sylvia schade was born in Leipzig in
1953. in the 1980s, she made her first
acquaintance with the career of

photography in front of the camera’s
lens as a photo model. Her subsequent
photographic work was primarily
influenced by her collaboration with
dr. eva Mahn at Burg giebichenstein
Art Academy in Halle, where schade
was a guest student between 2003 and
2004. Her photographs have been
shown at numerous solo and group
exhibitions since 2002. the project of
photographing well-known people
from Leipzig along with their favorite
objects turned out to be a most
unusual challenge for her.
art aurea Which new insights into
the relationships between people
and their objects did you gain
through this photographic project
for ARt AuReA?
sylvia schade everyone who owns
an unconventional piece of
designer jewelry naturally identifies
with it and is proud of it. But
the pride and identification aren’t
necessarily understandable for an
outsider.
art aurea to what did you devote
particular attention when you shot
these photos?
sylvia schade Working on commission
and according to a predefined
schedule demands a basic idea, a
concept, advance discussions and
appropriate directions because
there are so many screws that can
be turned to make fine adjustments.
to the greatest possible
extent, i tried to comply with the
wishes of the people who posed
for me. to portray and give equal
importance to a person, her
favorite object and her preferred
location is a challenge because
every pictorial arrangement calls
for priorities. it was sometimes
difficult to reconcile the brief
amount of time available for
working with each person, the
fickle moods of the weather, the
places chosen and the designer
pieces. it was a great pleasure for
me that niels gormsen, former
director of urban planning, agreed
to wade with me into the Pleisse
River. gormsen deserves much of
the credit for having “unearthed”
the river, which now meanders
through Leipzig, but which had
been rerouted underground and
been polluted during the gdR era.
this photo successfully shows the
interrelationships between this
person, the city and the jewelry.
art aurea As a photographer, you
visit many places and cities. in
your opinion, what is the most
special aspect of Leipzig?
sylvia schade Leipzig, the city
where i was born and raised,
suffered dramatic decline until
1989. that too was a reason to
want to leave it. i’m all the more
pleased today to witness a grand
restoration of the architecture and
the civic life here. Our cultural city
is lovable, compact, open and
sometimes also a bit megalomaniacal.
the people of Leipzig are
self-confident, ambitious and
sociable. Music, literature, the
visual arts and the performing arts
are practiced here at unconventional
locations and they can be
enjoyed in diverse ways. Art has a
home in Leipzig. A lively dialogue
is cultivated between the artists
and the citizens.
art aurea What did you know about
artistic jewelry before your collaboration
with galerie Mangold?
sylvia schade i’ve been contact with
artistic jewelry for decades
through my husband Rainer
schade, who teaches at Burg
giebichenstein Art Academy. i’m
always aware of the alternative
cognitive and creative processes.
Alongside the many pieces that he
gave me as presents, i’m also
familiar with the Academy’s
workshops thanks to the annual
tours. i especially appreciate the
uniqueness and individuality of
artistic jewelry.
art aurea What do you usually want
to express through your photography?
What’s important to you?
sylvia schade Moving through
streets and landscapes sharpens
my eye. street photography is
authentic for me. i want my pictures
to capture a piece of the
times we live in. this is becoming
increasingly difficult. One must
ask permission from the people
one photographs: that destroys
every last shred of spontaneity.
Buildings and artworks are protected
by copyrights. digital
techniques can make things
disappear or add something else.
Our world is retouched. this
doesn’t really interest me. i’m
challenged by the random and the
accidental. i strive to achieve a
personal photographic “handwriting.”
My strength is my ability to
approach people and strike up
conversations with them, especially
when i already have the
photo “in the can.”
english translations english translations
Page 64
A BAuHAus
LegAcy in
tHe gRAssi
MuseuM
tHe ALBeRs
WindOWs
By Renate Luckner-Bien
soon, we will have one more
good reason to visit the
grassi Museum in Leipzig:
the legendary windows
designed by Josef Albers
in 1926, which lent the building
– characterized by its
Art deco ornamentation – a
touch of Bauhaus modernity,
have been reconstructed.
On december 4, the reconstructed
Albers windows will be revealed to the
public, 85 years after Bauhaus artist
Josef Albers (1888–1976) was commissioned
to design the eighteen large
windows of Leipzig’s grassi Museum
and 68 years after their destruction.
this matter-of-fact-like information
conceals what is indeed an event of
art-historical importance. the technically
complex as well as expensive
reconstruction of the Albers windows
will finally complete the museum’s
renovation between 2001 and 2005.
the new museum building, erected
between 1925 and 1929 on Leipzig’s
Johannisplatz (st. John’s square) and
financed by franz dominic grassi, a
Leipzig businessman, had been
severely bombed during World War ii
and almost completely burned out.
After the war, the damage could only
be repaired provisionally. After the
building’s successful renovation, the
three museums it had housed – the
Museum of ethnography, the Museum
of Musical instruments and finally, in
2007, the Museum of the Applied Arts
as well – moved back in with their
exquisite collections.
All those involved knew that the
impressive Art deco building called for
the Albers windows in order to be
complete. Attempts at redesigning
them had already been made in the
1950s and 1970s. Back then, however,
nobody was aware of a fact that was
not found out before 1996: the Berlinische
galerie, which accommodates
the archives of the united Workshops
for Mosaics and glass Painting Puhl &
Wagner, gottfried Heinersdorff, also
stored photos of eleven of the eighteen
windows and even the original
front view drawings in full size. the
Museum contacted the Josef and Anni
Albers Foundation in the usA and won
their support. under the dedicated
project management of eva Maria
Hoyer, director of the grassi Museum
of Applied Arts, the dream of the
windows’ reconstruction gradually
became reality. in addition to experts,
this also required money which was
provided by the sparkasse Leipzig
bank and the eastern german
sparkasse foundation which already
had generously supported the reconstruction
of the Museum’s column hall,
a magnificent hall dominated by its
twelve columns on triangular bases.
“nOBOdy WiLL
feeL tHe need tO
Ask ABOut tHe
designeR”
1927 was an important year in the
history of the grassi Museum. With
european Arts and Crafts in 1927, an
internationally acclaimed exhibition
between March and september, the
Museum of Arts and crafts presented
“a selection of high-quality products
of modern german crafts and artistically
refined industrial products,
including excellent contributions from
abroad”. the Albers windows were
installed in the spring after gottfried
Heinersdorff, co-owner of the reputed
Puhl & Wagner, g. Heinersdorff glass
manufactory, had presented the drafts
for the artistic design of the Museum’s
window front by painter Josef Albers
in the fall of 1926. Heinersdorff was in
favor of the austere, geometrical
design based on the modular principle
of the square: “the advantage of our
principle […] lies in its eminently […]
classic simplicity, so that nobody will
feel the need to ask about the
designer, i.e. not even an artist who
was not allowed to unleash his creativity
on this surface can feel offended.”
this was on november 25, 1926. eight
days afterwards, Heinersdorff presented
sample panes and on the very
same day, the building authorities
decided to commission Puhl & Wagner,
g. Heinersdorff, Berlin, with the
implementation of the designs. their
installation in March 1927 involved a
number of technical problems which
took until december 1931 to be solved.
in this context, Olaf thormann proposed
the plausible thesis that these
unfavorable circumstances contributed
to the fact “that Leipzig’s Albers
windows did not receive the attention
they would have deserved for their
artistic importance.”
during his preliminary studies at
the Bauhaus (starting in 1920), Albers
created glass assemblages which he
himself called “shard pictures”. in
1922, as “Bauhaus journeyman”, he
was charged with reorganizing the
glass workshop, and in 1923 was
appointed its technical manager as of
that year’s summer semester. “this is
how i suddenly had my own glass
workplace,” he wrote, “and it didn’t
take long until i also received orders
for glass windows.” in 1922 he created
a large window for the Sommerfeld
Villa in Berlin, designed by gropius.
the fact that he soon “escaped the
exaggerated Romantic influences of
his early Weimar years,” as eugen
gomringer put it, “and found his way
back to that clarity in terms of design
that befitted him,” is not only testified
by the glass wall pictures he created
during his time at the Bauhaus, but
above all by the subsequent architecture-related
glass works that matched
the new notions of architecture
focused on eliminating the division
into interior and exterior space. this
finds its expression in the grassi
windows as well as in the windows of
the entrance hall of the ullstein
publishers’ building in Berlin-tempelhof.
As far as can be judged from the
old photos, they are similar to the
Leipzig windows both in formal and
technical terms. According to Wulf
Herzogenrath, those in the ullstein
building are characterized by a “simple
composition comprising three vertical
bands […]. A new form of glass windows
in line with the building’s architecture
was found, implemented
economically and in accordance with
the relevant material properties. thus
any incomprehensible subjectivity has
been avoided […].”
RecOnstRuctiOn
As inteRPRetAtiOn
in 1998, the grassi Museum started
searching intensively for glass manufactories
with the requisite technical
means and skills to tackle the demanding
task of reconstructing the windows.
since 2008, Wilhelm Peters
from the glasmalerei Peters glass
design studio in Paderborn and christine
triebsch, a glass artist from Halle,
have been dealing with the artistic and
technical issues related to their
reconstruction. christine triebsch,
who is also professor of the glass class
at Burg giebichenstein university of
Art and design Halle, has already been
collaborating with the Peters manufactory
for twenty years. Her artistic
oeuvre is dominated by installations
and architecture-related glass creations.
for example, in collaboration
with sculptor Bernd göbel, she
designed a frameless glass building
shell, coated black on the inside and
screen-printed with white enamel
paint on the outside, for the center for
technology and Business founders in
Halle.
in the course of more than three
years of working intensively on the
artistic concept, of closely examining
Josef Albers’s „idea“ for the windows
and after solving many compositional
and technical problems, christine
triebsch has made the experience that
reconstruction is always interpretation
as well, i.e. includes more or less
hypothetical elements. Of course, like
everybody else involved, she took
great pains to create windows that are
as close to the originals as possible.
Her research had also led to excluding
less expensive manufacturing methods
as well as the use of industrially
produced glass instead of hand-blown
glass because it would never have
produced the wonderful effect of the
opalescent single- and double-layer
flashed glass: those parts with double
layers look dark from the inside and
bright from the outside.
christine triebsch appreciates
Albers not least for the fact that and
for the way he achieved a maximum of
variants in spite of limiting himself in
terms of form, color and techniques.
she found out that Albers also turned
parts of the glass’s inside to the
outside, a technique of applying
“economic” means which he had made
his artistic program. to enhance his
glass by color and at the same time by
graphical structures, he painted the
glass with black lead, partitioned it
into segments of different hues of gray
and used the prism effect obtained by
notches and flat surfaces cut in the
glass, which he used as graphical
elements.
Josef Albers’s grassi windows
represented a radical turning away
from sacral models in the field of
stained glass. the glass’s transparency
and interplay of colors were consistently
conceived with regard to both
the interior and exterior perspective.
According to the classical modernist
concept, transparency and the visual
elimination of the inside and the
outside represented a democratic
notion of buildings.
the yellow-green flashed glass
used for restoring the Museum’s
windows, with its milky, opal and
partly “torn” layer on one side, was
manufactured by the Lamberts glass
manufactory in Waldsassen. they were
really lucky, says christine triebsch,
that they were able to restore the
windows now: “in the foreseeable
future, it would probably have been
very difficult to find a company still
capable of mastering this extremely
artistic craft.”
art aurea 4—2011 142 art aurea 4—2011 143
Page 72
WHAt tHe
gRAssi-
Messe is
eVA MARiA
HOyeR
By Reinhold Ludwig
since its reestablishment in
1997, the grassimesse has
been annually staged on the
last weekend of October in
Leipzig. this curated sales
exhibition presents a highquality
spectrum of creations
in the genre of contemporary
applied arts. the museum’s
director dr. eva Maria Hoyer
talks about the grassimesse’s
concept and its cultural
intentions.
art aurea the 2012 grassimesse
continues the tradition of the
forum and fair, which gained fame
as a “meeting point of the modernist
movement.” What are the
essential differences between the
grassimesse’s past events and the
current fair?
hoyer the museum, along with the
earlier grassimesse, organized
strictly judged and high-quality
museum fairs that served as
counterweights to the semiannual
samples fairs staged by the Leipzig
fairs office. the idea was to
present a first-rate selection in
contrast to commercially massproduced
merchandise. A closely
allied and fundamental goal of
crafts museums was to educate the
tastes of consumers and producers.
these lofty standards have
remained. Participation has always
been understood as a seal of
quality. nowadays the grassimesse’s
profile is more strongly
determined by the interrelationships
among art, handicrafts and
design. Additionally, four prizes
are awarded in recognition of
especially outstanding achievements.
Beyond this, and with
support from our circle of friends,
we continue our tradition of
acquiring at least one prizewinning
piece for our collections, as well as
purchasing additional items that
document the most important
basic tendencies of the current
year’s fair. this gives our exhibitors
the opportunity to add their
pieces to the long series of works
by artists and designers, many of
whose names have become legendary,
and whose creations are
represented in our collections.
art aurea the modern movement in
art and design was influenced
before the second World War by
ideals such as the appropriate use
of materials, the unity of form and
function, and the vision of a new
and better human being, although
this last-mentioned ideal may
seem somewhat naïve from today’s
viewpoint. Which of these principals
are still relevant? does anyone
even dare to articulate ideals
nowadays?
hoyer i have never agreed with the
assertion which claims that “anyone
who has ideals belongs in
prison.” there would be no development
without ideals. More so
than ever before, today’s designers
must be acutely aware of
functionality and the appropriate
use of materials. they must also be
conscious of social aspects,
questions of economy and ecology,
and norms and standardization.
they must be open to technological
and stylistic experiments
that can give the industry an
international competitive advantage.
from this vantage point, we
can see that although good design
doesn’t necessarily create a better
human being, it surely produces a
better-designed environment. the
situation isn’t fundamentally
different for a classical artisan
whose creations are either one of a
kind or produced in small series.
good objects for daily use, and
even jewelry or fashions, must
combine good practical attributes
and convincing styling. A maker of
unique artistic objects, which are
free from industrial constraints,
undoubtedly has more freedom to
express his own style than his
colleagues in the field of industrial
design. An artistic object can be
entirely free from practical concerns.
its material can deliberately
be brushed, as it were, against the
grain and can thus become the
bearer of an artistic message.
art aurea Which tendencies can be
observed at the present time?
hoyer this year’s grassimesse again
shows that experiments with
materials are on the agenda.
Material attributes are being
explored to their limits. People are
experimenting with unconventional
combinations of materials.
for industrial design, on the other
hand, the return to craftsmanly
qualities has gained greater
importance. in the virtual world of
today’s computer age, we run the
risk of losing the feeling for
textures and materials. the need
for individuality accordingly makes
itself all the more evident. there’s
a yearning for things that touch
our senses, trigger emotions,
reflect individuality and make
individuality possible in the first
place.
art aurea for you personally, what is
the most important cultural and
social concern of this museum fair?
hoyer We have always understood
the grassimesse as a showcase for
good design. We want to heighten
people’s awareness of designrelated
questions as essential
components of our daily lives. We
want to sharpen our visitors’
senses to recognize and appreciate
stylistic quality. We present a
broad spectrum of classical and
experimental works from nearly all
areas of the applied arts and
design. We strive to keep our
visitors well informed about the
latest developments by presenting
exemplary pieces that are no more
than two years old and that have
been selected by a jury of specialists,
who chose them from among
hundreds of submitted pieces.
furthermore, it would be nearly
impossible to imagine the fostering
of up-and-coming young artists
and designers without the grassimesse.
Once again this year,
students in nine specialized classes
at internationally renowned
academies were given opportunities
to present ambitious pieces
and projects, and thus to exhibit
their creations on a par with the
work of established designers and
international prizewinners.
art aurea What would you say is the
difference between the grassimesse
and events such as Designers’
Open in Leipzig?