Bouke de Vries Rebuilds Ming Ceramics as Memory Vessels at Witte de With
Bouke de Vries, a Dutch artist based in London, transforms shattered Ming and Kangxi porcelain fragments into glass Memory Vessels, currently on view at the Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art in Rotterdam until August 23, 2020. The series, inspired by his work as a ceramic restorer, involves reconstructing broken vessels and encasing the original shards inside a blown-glass replica. De Vries draws on 17th-century Dutch still-life painting and English social critique. His large-scale installation War & Pieces, commissioned by the Holburne Museum, will next show at The Frick Museum in Pittsburgh. He is also developing a public bronze sculpture in London and experimenting with 3D printing. The exhibition examines global trade and migration through blue-and-white ceramics, which originated in Ming China around 1320 and spread worldwide.
Key facts
- Bouke de Vries is a Dutch artist living in London for almost 40 years.
- His Memory Vessel series uses fragments of broken ceramics encased in blown glass.
- The works are on view at Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art, Rotterdam until August 23, 2020.
- De Vries was inspired by 17th-century Dutch still-life painting and English humor.
- He worked as a ceramic restorer for 15 years before turning to contemporary art.
- His installation War & Pieces was commissioned by Holburne Museum, Bath, and will be at The Frick Museum, Pittsburgh.
- Blue-and-white porcelain was first produced in China during the Ming dynasty around 1320.
- De Vries is working on his first public sculpture, a bronze piece in London.
- He is exploring 3D printing to expand his practice.
- The exhibition explores themes of trade, migration, and memory.
Entities
Artists
- Bouke de Vries
- Athos Bulcão
- Marcos Castro
- Anna Franceschini
- Ni Haifeng
- Nicolás Lamas
- Praneet Soi
- Adriana Varejão
- Ana Vaz
- Raed Yassin
- Karlos Gil
- Belén Zahera
- Fabrizio Meris
Institutions
- Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art
- FKAWDW (Formerly Known As Witte de With)
- Holburne Museum
- The Frick Museum
- Victorian & Albert Museum
- Artribune
Locations
- Rotterdam
- Netherlands
- London
- United Kingdom
- Bath
- Pittsburgh
- China
- Middle East
- North Africa
- Europe
- North America
- South America