The GRASSI Museum in Leipzig combines a museum of applied arts with a museum of ethnology and a museum of musical instruments. Stimulating historical collections, current exhibitions and popular events such as the annual Grassifest in September combine to make the internationally renowned GRASSI Museum an important pillar of cultural life Leipzig. But the GRASSI, which was built between 1925 and 1929 as one of the few large museum buildings in the Weimar Republic, has even more to offer.
The Grassimesse, which is held annually at the end of October, is an exemplary event for contemporary arts and crafts in Germany and beyond. This fair for designers and their audiences is a highlight of the year for many participants and actively contributes toward assuring a bright future for all genres of the applied arts. Furthermore, participation in the juried sales exhibition always was and still remains tantamount to a seal of quality.
Sonja Ekmann, Lund, Sweden, brooches. Silver, reused plastic, 8,5 x 5,5 x 0,4 cm. Photo S. Ekman.
In Jung, Kiel, Blood Moon Vase. Porcelain, H 33.5, Ø 34 cm. Photo In Jung.
Hyunjin Kim, Kiel, sculpture and vases, 2022. Porcelain, steel chips, cobalt. Sculpture: 31 x 19 x 19 cm. Vase: 19.5 x 7 x 7 cm, 14.5 x 7 x 7 cm, 9.5 x 7 x 7 cm. Photo Hyunjin Kim.
Cornelius Reer, Nuremberg, two-part glass object OLA, can be set up alternately reversible, H 24 cm, Ø max. 18 cm. © Cornelius Reer.
P & P, Paul Derrez & Nel Punt, 2023, boxes of wood and metal.
The jurors for the 2023 edition of the fair chose numerous German designers, along with applicants from seven other European countries, as well as from Israel, Japan, South Korea, South Africa and Taiwan. In addition, students from six German university and one Italian university will present their semester projects at the GRASSI Museum für Angewandte Kunst in Leipzig. Approximately one third of the exhibitors will be new.
Nora Arrieta, Höhr-Grenzhausen, Reel, 2023. Stoneware, gold luster, ceramic photo transfer, H 110, W 47 – 40 cm. Photo Nora Arrieta.
The continuing success of the Grassimesse is based on its mix of long-time participants and newcomers who are showing their work in Leipzig for the first time. A further advantage is that the fair presents regional and East German artisans along with renowned national and international colleagues.
For many years, exhibitors could show their work only in the foyers, in the Art Deco pillar hall and in the special exhibition areas. To enlarge the exhibition space, the GRASSI Museum opened the rooms of the permanent exhibition Antiquity to Historicism during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The concept proved so successful that it has been continued ever since. As a result, the Grassimesse is much more than merely an important European sales platform for applied art and design. What began as an emergency measure during the pandemic now promotes stimulating dialogues between contemporary applied art and works from various past stylistic eras. When displayed in this historical setting, many contemporary works radiate an unexpectedly impressive aura.
Finally, the importance of the Grassimesse is also underscored by the seven Grassi Prizes, which are worth a total of €11,000. The prizes are awarded by the Carl and Anneliese Goerdeler Foundation, the Sparkasse Leipzig, the Lyscov-Saucier family (Appoline Prize), Rosemarie Willems from Rotterdam, the Grassifreunde and, for the first time this year, the smow furniture store.
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GRASSI Museum für Angewandte Kunst
Johannisplatz 5-11
04103 Leipzig, Germany - Friday, Oct. 20 and Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. - Link