On Saturday, 13 September at 3 p.m., we will celebrate the opening of the exhibition The Surface Decoration Ball. You are cordially invited.
The Surface Decoration Ball
Design Museum Den Bosch has an international collection of artist ceramics, almost all of which were made in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. In this exhibition, the museum displays some of its most beautiful and important objects. These include leading works by top international artists such as Marc Chagall, Jean Cocteau, Raoul Dufy, Lucio Fontana, Keith Haring, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso and Cindy Sherman. But also Dutch highlights by Bas van Beek, Corneille, Kees van Dongen, Guido Geelen, Hella Jongerius, Geert Lap, Lucebert and Etie van Rees.
One of those highlights is undoubtedly the vase But What Am I Supposed To Wear To The Surface Decoration Ball! by British artist Grayson Perry, which the museum acquired in 2016. We have used the title of the vase for this exhibition, which also served as a guideline for the selection of more than a hundred ceramic objects. With superior irony, Perry points out in that one sentence a recurring issue in the world of contemporary art and design: what is the meaning of decoration? This issue also concerns, not least, artistic ceramics and the work of Grayson Perry himself. Decoration and ornamentation are seen in our culture as superfluous, sometimes as downright superficial or as a sign of bad taste. With his grotesque vase, Perry gives a nod to the deadly serious discussion about decoration in the world of art.
This exhibition does not feature art-historical analyses or cultural contextualisations of the works on display. Instead, we give the designers and artists themselves a voice, with quotes that encourage us to reflect on art and design. And on ceramics and decoration, of course.
Program
14:30 Doors open
15:00 Opening and introduction by director Timo de Rijk
15:45 Visit to exhibition
17:30 End of program
Will you be there?
You are welcome to attend the opening of The Surface Decoration Ball. We kindly request that you register using the link below. By registering, you agree to be photographed.
https://forms.gle/nk2jSwaupxRw85Ux8
With thanks to
The Surface Decoration Ball is made possible thanks to the financial support of the municipality of ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the province of North Brabant, the Friends, Members and Patrons of the museum, and Club Design.
Want to know how to get to the museum? Please see this page.