HAMBURG.- From 23 to 27 November 2022, the MK&G messe will be back to present the latest international trends in contemporary craft. The fair will feature some 50 exhibitors along with a new program to support Young Talents and the launch of an exhibition series devoted to Contemporary Craft. The participants, 60 per cent of them newcomers since last year’s makeover, come from France, Italy, Austria, and North Macedonia; from South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, and from every region of Germany between Munich and Kiel, Leipzig and Leverkusen. The new format has brought fresh perspectives and more space for up-and-coming artists throughout the five-day event, which will showcase jewelry and textile design, ceramics, and unique creations of metal and wood, all meeting the highest aesthetic and technical standards.

Two new programs at the MK&G messe confirm that this fair is not just an opportunity to sell original wares. There is also a strong focus on artistic exchange and on publicizing recent trends and innovative exhibits or techniques. The Young Talents category is designed to promote a rising generation: This year, for the first time, selected artisans and designers will be provided with a free booth and a stipend, enabling them to display their work and to enter a conversation with collectors and galleries.

The accompanying series, entitled “Contemporary Craft”, will be launched alongside this year’s MK&G messe, and will spotlight outstanding work by creators of particular renown. The first show will present work by the well-known ceramicist Young-Jae Lee of South Korea, since 1987 the guiding hand behind the long-established Keramische Werkstatt Margaretenhöhe in Essen.

Offering a broad range of high-quality one-offs, artworks, and utensils, the MK&G messe prioritizes authentic production and resource-sensitive consumption. The creative processing of valuable natural materials such as wood, wool, metal, glass, paper, and clay and the re-use of waste products and recyclables reflect the current demand for greater sustainability and durability. Today’s craft fairs have drawn renewed purpose from public interest in environmental issues, in New Luxury, in the relationship between singularity and mass output, and in production and working conditions. The MK&G messe responds to these issues and offers a forum for discussion.

The high calibre of the MK&G messe will be further endorsed by the participation of five Justus Brinckmann Award winners from the years 2009 to 2021. The prestigious award comes with a purse of 7,500 euros and will be announced this year on 22 November by the jury of eight. An additional award worth 2,500 euros will be made for emerging talent.

The jury also chose to invite seasoned exhibitors from earlier years. The presence of such long-standing participants as Wolfgang Skoluda (since 1959), Christa Lühtje (since 1964), and Jan Wege and Anne Andersson (both since 1997) attests to the time-honored tradition behind the MK&G messe, which dates back 130 years.

JURY

• Prof. Tulga Beyerle, Director, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (MK&G)

• Cécile Feilchenfeldt, winner of the Justus Brinckmann Award at MK&G messe 2021 and freelance artist, Paris

• Thomas Geisler, Director, Kunstgewerbemuseum, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden

• Prof. Axel Kufus, Professor of Drafting and Development, Institute for Product and Process Design, University of the Arts, Berlin

• Wolfgang Lösche, Head of Exhibitions, Chamber of Crafts for Munich and Upper Bavaria

• Erika Pinner, Curator and Head of the Applied Arts & Design Collection, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (MK&G)

• Prof. Angeli Sachs, Professor, Zurich University of the Arts, Zurich

• Marlo Scheder-Bieschin, Deputy Chair, Justus Brinckmann Gesellschaft, Friends of MK&G, Hamburg