Early Work

The renowned Institute for Artistic Ceramics and Glass, briefly IKKG, is a department of Koblenz University. It‘s not incidental that it is located in Höhr-Grenzhausen: In the southern Westerwald, the “Kannenbäckerland“, a unique ceramic culture has developed in the course of the centuries characterizing the entire region until this date. In order to maintain and to continue this close correlation between handicraft, technology and art the IKKG 1987 was initially founded as an Institute for Artistic Ceramics.

In the year 2000 the newly booted liberal art glass class also enormously enriching the institute as well as the region. As one of the few international top-ranking facilities in the fine arts, the IKKG has since then been offering a comprehensive practical and artistic training to talented young people in the material areas of ceramics and glass. In 2007 the degrees of Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts were accredited for the first time to the course of studies so that the institute is on a par with the leading art faculties in Europe.

At the IKKG the artistic course of studies aims at keeping the talent of the student in line with his personality. The focus of the artistic process is on the independent, material thinking – idea, concept, criticism, reflection, technology, manual skills and curiosity constitute the means on this path. The course offers the scope to formulate questions the creative response to which may become the artist’s life-work. The material, the medium glass is an offer in this connection to transport or to visualize ideas, topics or emotions in an appealing as well as complex manner. As yet the facets of the glass have in no way been fathomed out since its range offers a big scope to the artistic possibilities of expression. At the IKKG unusual, suspense-packed, installations, sculptures, blown and moulded glass objects come into being. Currently, also in association with different other materials that altogether sensually and quietly narrate stations of the life.

Fascinating insights in the work of the glass class were already provided through our first common exhibition “Experiment Glass“ in spring 2008. Now we are delighted to present the current works of the new glass generation at the IKKG. The students will be accompanied by two reputed artists: Professor Jens Gussek, head of the glass class since 2011, and professor Ingrid Conrad-Lindig, who had been in charge of the institute until her emeritus in 2011.

Photos:

Anne Petters, Notizen, 2013 – Photo Horst Kolberg

Michéle Janata, Raum, 2013 – Photo Masami Hirohata

Judith Röder, Kristall-Konstruktion II, 2013, Leihgabe Judith Röder  – Photo AHH

Lena Feldmann, o.T., 2013 – Photo AHH