Cité de la céramique: unique mix of production and public service

Founded in 2010, the Cité de la céramique brings together the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres, the Musée national de la céramique, and since 2012 the musée Adrien Dubouché de Limoges. It operates under a unique model blending private and public logics. Contemporary art now represents over 65% of annual production and revenue. Director David Caméo explains that unlike other European manufacturers privatized after the fall of the Berlin Wall (Meissen, Saint-Pétersbourg), Sèvres remains state-subsidized by the Ministry of Culture. The institution produces its own porcelain and stoneware pastes, as well as 'mille couleurs' enamels. Artists such as Johan Creten, Elsa Sahal, Kristin McKirdy, and Françoise Pétrovitch push technical boundaries. The artistic council, chaired by Françoise Guichon, selects residents. Residencies include carte blanche projects, with pieces entering the national collections. Sèvres also collaborates with galleries like Kreo for design. Works are sold at galleries in Sèvres and Paris (4 place André Malraux) and at fairs like the Biennale des antiquaires and PAD. The laboratory, re-equipped in 2004, works with CNRS on scientific research. Upcoming exhibition: 'Picasso céramiste et la Méditerranée' from November 20, 2013 to May 19, 2014 at Sèvres.