Festival

MunGyeong - Korea Berthold-J. Zavaczki

f you want to know the value of a in the south, in the I bowl ask a Korean monk. He will Chollanam Moun- explain to you how the energy of a bowl tains, there is a re- can be fathomed. Three hands are need- gion where quality ed for this and fear of touching must be tea is grown. The overcome. It is certain that the European country shows its market value is of no relevance in this gratitude for its context. tea culture to the In Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Buddhist monks, Park, an area of approx. 70,000 m² and who preserved it the a backdrop for various eras in Kore- in times of pover- an history, set between two magnificent ty and war with a palaces, the Hyeguska Temple and the joyful renaissance three gates from the Chosu Period (16th of tea drinking. century), is where the annual ten-day For years, an festival in honour of the teabowl takes exchange with place. Mungyeong is three hours away leading ceramists from all over the world 1843 and last fired in 1999, can be ad- from Seoul, a journey that used to take has been on the agenda. As a tireless mired in Mungyeong, lying on a hillside as much as ten days. In the autumn of organiser and mediator, Charlie Youn like a huge silkworm. A slightly smaller 2014, the hilly setting received the guests looks after foreign guests, trying to make model of the kiln was built for festival with decidedly fine weather. The streams their stay as interesting as possible. In visitors and was fired over a period of of visitors (more than 1 million) were 2014, these included Douglas Black, Lee several days under the motto of “Firing able to enjoy the 1 km walk up to the Love, Michael Martino, Julie Harbers, for everyone”. The kickwheel competi- potters’ village, with all its nooks and Jeff Brown and Robert Lawarre from the tion for students, local Korean potters niches. USA, Andrew Walford from South Af- and international ceramists made even The potteries that have been estab- rica, Andrzey Bero from Poland; from experienced throwers sweat. The tea lished in Mungyeong put their faith in Italy: Rolando Giovannini, from Japan: ceremonies taking place in every corner authentic naturalness and simplicity. Katsutaro Kikuchi, Kim Kyeong Duck, provide time and space for contempla- And there is no lack of emerging young, Nakazato Tarouemon, Kawakami Kiyo- tion and moments of intense perception. rooted talent in Korean ceramics, per- mi, Murayama Kentaro and Mitoh Rul. An exchange on a theoretical level haps due to the high regard that ceram- Julia Winter, Berthold-J. Zavaczki, Karo- was also a major topic at the meeting ics is held in and the defining role of the line Wachter, Jutta Winkler and Monika with Cheon Han-Bong (an intangible Korean tea ceremony. A female master Gass, director of the Keramikmuseum cultural asset in South Korea) with a of the tea ceremony said that only if you Westerwald, were there from Germany. whole range of ceramic topics under dis- were able to make teabowls would you A special highlight of the festival was cussion. For example, Monika Gass in- be fully versed in the preparation and the study of typical Korean firing meth- formed listeners of the Museum and the enjoyment of tea. The preparation of tea ods. The oldest mang-daeng-yi kiln in Ceramics Training and Research Centre is thus in the hands of tea masters, and Korea, a five-chambered kiln built in (BFZK) in Höhr-Grenzhausen. MUSEUM

Traditional Chasabal Festival 2014

In geographical terms, Korea is a transit operation with Korea: Korean ceramics are to be featured at the Keramikmuseum country between China and Japan, and as Westerwald in Höhr-Grenzhausen in June 2015 in cooperation with the organisers of such it has always sought an identity of the Mungyeong Festival. Ceramics Professor Yoo Tae-Keun, who in 2014 conducted its own; there is no doubt that in its rich a raku firing in his studio with ceramics guests and students, has accepted an invita- and unique ceramic tradition (Koryon Pe- tion to attend. riod and Punch’ong ware from the Choson Period), it has found one. In contrast, there MunGyeong is the modern era, a high-speed digital Traditional world that already shaped Korea yester- Chasabal Festival 2015: day, so that today, one can hope that the Friday, 1 May – country succeeds in caring for its organi- Sunday, 10 May 2015 cally evolved tradition. Currently everyone http://www.sabal21.com/2014.asp is talking about reunification with North Korea – in the same way as the two parts above of Germany merged again, many Kore- - international group of guests ans yearn for a world in which North and middle row l. to r. South Korea can live together in peace and - Monika Gass, Keramikmuseum Westerwald unity. - the Ceramics Museum in Mungyeong - throwing competition Thus the countless sources of inspi- right ration and impressions of the thrilling Berthold-J. Zavaczki is a ceramist and free- - tea-making utensils authenticity of the Korean ceramists led lance artist. His studio is in Gießen. to planning more lasting relations in co- More images see page 2 www.z-keramik.de