Free guided tour by the curator Tineke van Gils on 5, 19 and 27 Oct

2022/09/27

source：China Cultural Center in Den Haag

Tineke van Gils, the curator of Inspired by China, Heritage and Innovation, will give free guided tours for all visitors on the following days from 14.00 to 17.00:

Wednesday 5 October
Wednesday 19 October
Thursday 27 October

A chance to get to know more in-depth information about the historical and contemporary ceramic artworks in the exhibition. Through her stories Tineke takes you to the ceramic cities of Jingdezhen, Dehua, Yixing and Delft.

No sign-ups needed. Just come over in one of these afternoons and in a group you’ll be guided by Tineke. She will tell about the teapot-art of the four artists in this exhibition and show the differences between the porcelain and the clay from the cities where they worked. You are welcome to ask her any questions about the exhibition. Such as, questions about her experience as artist in residency in Jingdezhen and Dehua, or even about which kind of ceramic teapot is best for tea.

‘Inspired by China, heritage and innovation' is an exhibition focusing on ceramic art and craftmanship, by presenting the works of four contemporary Dutch artists, namely Jeroen Bechtold, Wilma Bosland, Tineke van Gils and Pepijn van den Nieuwendijk, and their inspirational journeys in China.

The common denominator in the exhibition 'Inspired by China' is the teapot, an originally Chinese product that reached Europe along with tea in the late 16th century. These four artists all have a connection with the teapot to a greater or lesser extent, and each in their own way independently worked with porcelain and clay in China. They were inspired by 'China', a word that can also be used to indicate Chinese porcelain. In Jingdezhen, Dehua and Yixing they made their teapot art from the local raw material that varies greatly from city to city. To emphasize those differences, the exhibition is divided into the cities. Each chapter opens with a typical ceramic object from that city, generously loaned from the historical collections of Mr. Fei Yuliang or Royal Delft.

This exchange exhibition between the Netherlands and China ends with the chapter of Delft, where a unique method was invented for imitating the Chinese blue and white porcelain from Jingdezhen. After more than 300 years, Delft blue has now become a cultural and tourist attraction in the Netherlands. The connection between Chinese blue and white porcelain and Dutch Delft blue pottery is a reflection of the early cultural exchanges between China and the Netherlands.