Specials

In March 2024, Kathrin and Thorsten Held founded the haptik gallery. The gallery presents a curated selection of emerging and established craftswomen and workshops. All objects – whether made of ceramics, glass, wood or natural fibres – are one-offs or produced in very small batches and serve a practical purpose. They always combine aesthetics with functionality.

One of the gallery’s main focuses is on contemporary Japanese ceramics, which the couple purchase directly from the artisans whilst travelling through Japan. Kathrin and Thorsten know the national and international artists they represent personally and enjoy the creative exchange with them.

haptik operates as a traditional gallery with regular exhibitions and events in Flensburg’s historic old town, as well as an online marketplace at haptik.de. haptik is a place for everyone who loves aesthetics, individuality and high-quality functional art. And life.

What do we want to pass on? What shapes us – and what do we want to leave behind?

Through the KulturErben project, the Staatliche Zeichenakademie Hanau, offers insights into training in gold and silversmithing, engraving, metalwork and gemstone setting, as well as into the exploration of cultural heritage. This is not viewed as a closed chapter, but as a living, malleable space: something that is preserved, developed further, realised artistically and shared collectively.

The starting point is the recognition of gold and silversmithing as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. This acknowledges the historical significance of this craft whilst also opening up the possibility of carrying traditions into the present and the future. The Staatliche Zeichenakademie Hanau, whose history stretches back more than 250 years, exemplifies the interplay between traditional craftsmanship, contemporary design and forward-looking education.

Through ‘KulturErben’, works from various projects are presented, bringing cultural heritage to life as a dynamic, malleable process. The objects tell stories of origin, materials and techniques, and demonstrate how cultural heritage is continually reinterpreted by the current generation through contemporary design.

The Staatliche Zeichenakademie Hanau looks back on a history spanning more than 250 years. Its origins lie in the ‘Academie der Zeichenkunst’, founded in 1772, which was established by Hanau’s goldsmiths and silversmiths to promote high standards of design in jewellery and silverware. Today, the Academy of Drawing is a renowned educational institution for metalwork, combining traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design and state-of-the-art technology. At the vocational college, trainees learn the fundamental craft skills of goldsmithing and silversmithing, metalworking, engraving and gemstone setting. Building on this foundation, both classic and innovative, avant-garde designs are created in very well-equipped workshops and specialist studios – ranging from jewellery and everyday objects to art pieces and sculptures. The two-year College of Design also offers a qualified further education programme leading to an integrated Master Craftsman’s Certificate and a Bachelor Professional degree. Numerous graduates and the Academy itself are renowned not only across the region but also nationally and internationally.

The Product Design / Ceramics and Glass Design (PKG) programme at Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle offers a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programme – unique in Germany – with a focus on porcelain, ceramics and glass. The course combines creative innovation with experimental materials research, as well as technical and craftsmanship expertise. To this end, students work in professionally equipped workshops for porcelain and mould-making, in a shared studio, and in collaboration with partner glassworks.

The programme focuses on people’s living environments and, in particular, on food and dietary culture in terms of their social significance and constant evolution. Ceramics, porcelain and glass are understood as culturally significant materials, whose value and materiality open up new perspectives on a sustainable and appreciative approach to products.

At the GRASSI trade fair in Leipzig, the programme presents students’ designs and design studies. The works on display provide an insight into the thematic and creative breadth of the programme and showcase various conceptual, experimental and material-based approaches to product design.

Participating students:
Aenne Steffens, Amelie Sattrup, Constantin Graw, Fabienne Wyss, Franziska Ruh, Gianmarco Bonetti, Hanna Reppmann, Isabell Liebehenz, Johanne Herrmann, Miriam Pardeller, Tonya Hannes and Viktoria Riepl

SCHMUCK HALLE an der BURG explores wearable art forms; we experiment with the diverse possibilities of artistic expression that arise from the interplay between people, the body and the objects they wear.

People and the body form the context for jewellery and wearable sculptures which – through their immediate proximity to the body – address cultural, aesthetic and personal concerns as well as social and environmental issues. Jewellery can engage with history and technology, make emotions visible or explore individual and collective experiences. As a means of communication, jewellery can also function as a prop or as a call to action. Furthermore, this artistic medium offers forms of expression that expand multisensory and embodied knowledge.

Practical work with the hands and engagement with materials are essential to the jewellery class. Through hands-on practice, students acquire both technical and theoretical knowledge as well as the ability to reflect.

We believe it is important to strengthen the networks between our students and alumni of the jewellery class, as a vibrant art scene thrives on a close-knit community spanning different generations of artists. To mark the exhibition at the Grassimesse 2026, students from Prof. Dr Yuka Oyama’s jewellery class have sent letters to alumni, telling them about their artistic explorations and posing a question to the artists – the graduates have responded. Alongside the artistic works on display, the exhibitors’ letters offer insights into their creative process.

Participating students:
Sawa Aso, Sophie Baumgärtner, Marcus Biesecke, Katharina Briksi, Ildikó Dánfalvi, Dorothea Heisig, Stella Holtfreter, Paul Iby, Cathleen Kämpfe, Samuel Maßmann, Florian Milker, Marie Möller, Paula Repp Alvarez, Diane Röckel, STACY., Larissa Thiel