Hanna Miadzviedzieva won the grand prize at the Triennale of Contemporary Ceramics and Glass in Denmark. We talked to her about the unexpected victory and ‘Autumn Landscape’
News | 19.10.2024
Stories of victories of Belarusian artists around the world are inspiring. Especially if these events are a surprise for the winner themselves. Chrysalis Mag turned to the artist Anna Medvedeva, who this year won the main prize of the European Ceramic Context triennale in Denmark. She explained how she became involved in the landmark event for ceramists, why her sculpture is called “Autumn Landscape” and how winning can come as a surprise during an ordinary work.
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‘My landscapes are not the typical rectangular canvases in frames’
Hanna Medvedeva is a Belarusian artist who won the grand prize at the 9th Triennale of Contemporary Ceramics and Glass European Ceramic Context 2024. This year she took part in the landmark event for the first time with her object “Autumn Landscape”.
— I knew about the European Ceramic Context 2024 Triennale in Bornholm even before I participated in it, because it is quite iconic in the professional environment. But in order to apply, one must be a resident of one of the European countries included in the list of the Triennale. Belarus is not on the list, so this year my sculpture ‘Autumn Landscape’ represented Poland at the competition, — says the artist.
«Мае краявiды — гэта не тыповыя прастакутныя палотны ў рамах»
Ганна Мядзведзева — беларуская мастачка, якая атрымала галоўны прыз на 9-й трыенале сучаснай еўрапейскай керамікі і шкла European Ceramic Context 2024. Сёлета яна ўдзельнічала ў знакавым мерапрыемстве са сваім аб’ектам пад назвай «Восеньскі краявід» ўпершыню.
— Пра трыенале European Ceramic Context у Борнхольме я ведала яшчэ да свайго ўдзела там, бо яна даволі знакавая ў прафесiйным асяроддзi. Але, каб падаць заяўку, трэба быць рэзідэнтам адной з еўрапейскіх краін, што ўваходзяць у пералік трыенале. Беларусі ў гэтым спісе няма, таму сёлета мая скульптура «Восеньскі краявід» прадстаўляла на конкурсе Польшу, — распавядае мастачка.
"The Autumn Landscape" / Sculpture created during the International Ceramic Sculpture Symposium LAB ORO in Orońsko / October 2023
"The Autumn Landscape" / Sculpture created during the International Ceramic Sculpture Symposium LAB ORO in Orońsko / October 2023.
Technically, to be included, you have to submit an application and send it to the admissions committee for consideration. If it is approved, the physical works are already sent to the place of exposition — Barnholm Island in Denmark. This time 64 ceramicists from 28 countries were selected to participate in the Triennale. All of them demonstrated experimental ceramics created with an ecological approach.
— The sculpture that won the prize is part of the large series ‘Landscapes’ that I have been working on for the past few years. That is why ‘Autumn Landscape’, as well as other sculptures from the series, is dedicated to the study of sensations in different natural environments, explains Hanna. In general, the theme of landscape as a dialog with nature is characteristic of Belarusian art. Just my landscapes are not typical rectangular canvases in frames, but sculptural objects that convey the emotional state of a person in a particular landscape with the help of shape, surface texture, color solution.
The artist says that she loves nature walks and during them she observes how the same places are perceived differently under different lighting, in fog or under snow. And autumn walks are a peculiar mood of light sadness, when the rustling of fallen leaves so deeply immerses you in your thoughts that it begins to resemble a near-trance state.
Photo of the artist from her personal Instagram page.
‘I was very surprised to receive a phone call from an unknown number while I was working’
Winning the main prize of the Triennale was very surprising for Anna, as the news caught the artist directly while she was working on another sculpture.
— In the past, when I was awarded prizes, the organizers would hint or directly warn me that I needed to be at the opening of exhibition and the award ceremony. In this case, I did not receive such signals, Hanna says with a smile! Before the exhibition, I worked at a residence in Norway and tried to create a large and complex sculpture. I didn't have much time to complete it, so I decided to extend my residency a bit and plunge into my work. So I completely forgot about all the parallel events and was very surprised when I got a call from an unknown number while I was working. It turned out that the commissioner of the jury called me to congratulate on my victory on the opening day of the exhibition.
"The Autumn Landscape" / Sculpture created during the International Ceramic Sculpture Symposium LAB ORO in Orońsko / October 2023
"The Autumn Landscape" / Sculpture created during the International Ceramic Sculpture Symposium LAB ORO in Orońsko / October 2023.
In the official justification for the selection, the jury members noted that Medvedeva's work is both complex and simple, as it is essentially made of clay, but at the same time in the artist's hands it defies its materiality, as if the sculpture was created by nature itself. The artist's work also emphasizes a perfect mastery of the processes that allow the clay to ‘sing’
— Of course, I was pleased that the jury felt something in my work and evaluated it so highly. I already know for sure that I will create anyway, and I don't need external stimuli for that. But when you make your own self-reflective art, which is important only to you and few people understand, and then you find out that it affects someone else — it is a very powerful experience!
The works of the Triennial are presented in two exhibitions, at the Craft Center and the Hjorths Fabrik, which will be on view through November 7.
Усе матэрыялы ўзяты з асабістых архіваў мастачкі.
Перадрук матэрыялу або фрагментаў матэрыялу магчымы толькі з пісьмовага дазволу рэдакцыі.
Калі вы заўважылі памылку ці жадаеце прапанаваць дадатак да апублікаваных матэрыялаў, просім паведаміць нам.
Усе матэрыялы ўзяты з асабістых архіваў мастачкі.
Перадрук матэрыялу або фрагментаў матэрыялу магчымы толькі з пісьмовага дазволу рэдакцыі.
Калі вы заўважылі памылку ці жадаеце прапанаваць дадатак да апублікаваных матэрыялаў, просім паведаміць нам.
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