Deutsch
Niederländisch
Chinesisch
Porcelain Experience
The White Gold Invites You On A Discovery Tour.
Discover this extraordinary and interactive exhibition! Artists from all over the world have helped to design seven experience halls that glamourize one material: porcelain. Join us on a journey through the history of this remarkable material and discover the Porcelain Experience Castle Leuchtenburg.
“One of the most extraordinary and modern exhibitions!”, says the international jury of the European Museum Forum.
THE PROLOGUE
Where does the name porcelain flower derive from? What do the cowry shell and porcelain have in common? And why is broken crockery a sign of fortune? At the start of „The Porcelain Experience“, visitors will be caught by surprise by a play of art, nature, language and interesting cross-links with flora and fauna. Discover the Utopia Porcellana!
THE UNKNOWN
At the beginning, a shadow play takes the visitors to far-away China – the country of the origin of the „White Gold“. From there, porcelain paved its way on old water and land merchant routes to the Royal Palaces and princely courts of Europe ending up in their cabinets of curiosities as very rare items. Precious Chinese porcelains report on the challenges and difficulties on those merchant routes. An installation in the Hall of Curiosities will eventually allow the visitor to drown into the courtly world of important porcelain collectors of those times and experience real wonders.
Picture: KOCMOC.NET/Andreas Matthes
THE ENIGMA
The „White Gold“ was very popular across Europe. For this reason, kings and noblemen searched tirelessly to find the formula for manufacturing porcelain. While a reconstructed alchemy lab records the know-how in the selection and composition of the right materials, visitors are invited to proof their technical talents at the kiln. A minute mistake and the vase will crack and end up in the „Room of Failures“. Here, numerous historical and modern items are represented that all “suffer” minor and major blemishes.
THE WORLD’S TALLEST VASE
Mesmerising! Measuring eight metres in height, Alim Pasht-Han, an artist of Caucasian derivation, created the world’s tallest porcelain vase: „ARURA“. Standing between Ar (the Earth) and Ra (the Sun), 360 honeycomb shapes depict a fascinating micro and macrocosm – hand painted in gold and cobalt-blue.
THE WORLD’S SMALLEST TEA POT
Only a few millimetres opposite the giant vase ARURA visitors can view the millimetre small teapot. Only through a magnifying glass will the details become visible. And, it is not merely a decorative item but in fact functions properly. A highlight of technical ceramics.
THE PRECIOUS
Precious porcelains of the early Thuringian manufactories make up the jewel of “The Precious”. A Baroque, banqueting table is interpreted in a modern way. The visitor will become part of the Baroque world of Royals and noblemen, will get an insight into the importance of porcelain as a symbol of status and power and how all this changed the culture of dining. The highlight is an interpretation of a porcelain cabinet in a way as they were created at 18th century royal palaces.
THE FAMILIAR
A pink, wooden construction similar to a labyrinth will guide you into the fourth Experience Hall. On the significant beams, designs including spray decorations, carefully modelled figurines, dolls and souvenirs illustrate how porcelain turned from an exclusive specimen of the 19th century into an affordable mass product for everyone. This room focuses on the role of Thuringian porcelain. At the end of the century, Thuringian manufactories were world-leading and Thuringian tableware, toys or insulators were travel items around the globe.
ARCHIVE AND SKYWALK OF WISHES
The visitor enters a black room. Stars start to twinkle. The contours of the room disappear, making the visitor feel in space. Little by little words appear around the visitor. They start to become wishes. Suddenly, some china shatters and the wishes seem to disappear. Visitors are in the “Archive of Wishes”, take their “Wish Fulfiller” of porcelain, and write their innermost wish on it to eventually crash it at the end of the 20-metre-long “Skywalk of Wishes”.