The Grassimesse is an important platform for high-quality arts and crafts and individual design in Germany. As there are only a few galleries in this field, direct sales are very important for most of the selected participants. With this fair, the Grassimuseum also makes an important contribution to promoting individual product culture and material-based art. After all, the boundaries between works of art and craft are fluid.
At the Grassimesse, renowned designers with outstanding, collectible pieces stand alongside newcomers and university graduates who have a lot to offer. The three-day Grassimesse is all about aesthetics, outstanding use of materials and functionality, and immersion in good design. High-quality unique pieces and small series are sold here, and visitors to this inspiring sales fair can talk to the creative minds behind the works and experience an immense variety of applied art,” according to organizers in Leipzig.
Monika Debus, one of Germany’s most important ceramic artists. easygoing stoneware clay, built up and painted with porcelain on top, salt fired at 1140°C, 50 x 5 x 38.5 cm. Photo: Helge Articus.
Art, craftsmanship, or design? Probably a mix of everything. 13# Textile Poster by Mareike Lienau. 100% hand-spun Tibetan highland virgin wool, traditionally dyed with plants, 100 knots, plus high-pile adaptation, 2 x 1.6 m.
Porcelain vase by Si-Sook Kang. One of the many highlights at the Grassimesse 2025.
Group Intingo by Veronika Beckh. Glass free-formed and blown in the kiln, two-tone interior, ground, polished, height 19–31.5 cm. Photo: Peter Hübbe.
The Grassimesse showcases works from the fields of jewelry and metalwork, ceramics and glass, fashion and textiles, furniture, wood, and paper. A jury of experts selected around 140 participants from more than 290 artists and designers. They come from eleven countries in Europe and Asia. Eight Grassiprizes will be awarded, with a total prize money of €11,000, as well as non-cash prizes and purchases for the museum.
Old everyday objects from flea markets, scrap yards, or found on the side of the road are both a source of inspiration and a treasure trove for creating whimsical objects. Wall object Skyrider by Birgit Borstelmann.
Eighty presentation areas cover around 4,000 square meters on the ground floor and first floor of the museum. In addition to gallery-like rooms and the charming Art Deco pillar hall, rooms from the historical permanent exhibition “Antiquity to Historicism” are also included. Here, a dialogue unfolds between contemporary works and the historical masterpieces of the collections. This concept is unique worldwide as a sales fair.
Martin Wilmes, drawer unit. Here, too, we see a symbiosis of craftsmanship and individual design with artistic flair. © M. Wilmes.
All exhibitors, information, and concepts can be found on the Grassimesse website www.grassimesse.de/aktuell/ausstellende/
University projects
Every year, semester projects from various universities and technical colleges inspire visitors with their innovative and creative approaches. Old and new techniques come together. This year’s participants include:
– Oslo National Academy of the Arts
– Bauhaus University Weimar
– Academy of Art Leipzig
– Wismar University of Applied Sciences/Faculty of Design
– Hof University of Applied Sciences/Textile Design
– Höhr-Grenzhausen State Technical College for Ceramics
– West Saxon University of Applied Sciences Zwickau/Faculty of Applied Arts Schneeberg
Further program offerings
University Insights – The universities introduce themselves Fri, Oct. 24, 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., foyer, 1st floor
Booth talks: “Resteverwertung – der Reiz einer von Prozessen inspirierten Ästhetik” (Restoration – the appeal of a process-inspired aesthetic) with Schnuppe von Gwinner; Sat, Oct. 25, 11:00 a.m. + Sun, 26 October, 3 p.m.
About the Grassimesse
Its historical roots date back to 1920. Today, as in the past, artistic quality in design and execution, as well as independence and a willingness to experiment, are decisive criteria for the jury’s selection. The internationally oriented sales fair for applied art and individual product design is one of the most important of its kind in Europe.
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GRASSI Museum für Angewandte Kunst
Johannisplatz 5-11
04103 Leipzig, Germany - Friday, October 24, and Saturday, October 25, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
Sunday, October 26, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. - Link