The Surface Decoration Ball
Visiting time: ●●● Average (45 minutes)Design Museum Den Bosch holds an international collection of artists’ ceramics, created almost entirely in the twentieth and twenty-first century. This exhibition showcases some of the museum’s most beautiful and significant pieces. Expect iconic works by international artists such as Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Jean Cocteau, Raoul Dufy, Lucio Fontana, Keith Haring, Joan Miró, and Cindy Sherman. Dutch highlights are also well represented, with pieces by Bas van Beek, Corneille, Kees van Dongen, Guido Geelen, Hella Jongerius, Geert Lap, Lucebert, and Etie van Rees.
One of the absolute highlights is the vase But What Am I Supposed To Wear To The Surface Decoration Ball! by British artist Grayson Perry, acquired by the museum in 2016. The exhibition takes its title from this work, which also served as the guiding theme in selecting over one hundred ceramic objects. With sharp wit and irony, Perry’s title touches on a recurring question in contemporary art and design: what is the meaning of decoration? This question is especially relevant in the context of artists’ ceramics and Perry’s own body of work. In Western culture, decoration and ornamentation are often seen as unnecessary, sometimes even superficial—or as a true indicator of taste. With his flamboyant vase, Perry gives a playful nod to the deadly serious debate around decoration in the art world.
This exhibition offers no art historical analyses or cultural contextualization of the works on display. Instead, we let the designers and artists speak for themselves, through personal quotes that challenge us to reflect on art and design—and of course, on ceramics and decoration.
