The First International Art Forging Plain Air
27 July 2013
Press Office of the Amber Museum
Conception of the First International Art Forging Plain Air in Kaliningrad
In 2013 the Kaliningrad Amber Museum holds the First International Art Forging Plain Air.
Timing:
29 July – 4 August 2013
Goal:
Development of art forging in Kaliningrad.
Task:
Creation of decorative door grilles in the Amber Museum inner yard.
At the turn of the 19–20 centuries, Konigsberg (currently Kaliningrad) was dressed in metal lace, as well as other European cities. The city was decorated with chiseled grilles, forged iron fences, there were handmade signs on the house fronts…
Decorative metal work was vivid, active element of urban environment design. Forgers from other countries and cities came to Konigsberg to learn how to work with metal.
Smithery has been reviving in Kaliningrad lately – a range of blacksmith houses appeared.
In 2012 the Amber Museum conducted the First All-Russian Art Forging Plain Air. That was a pilot project, which gave Kaliningrad forgers the opportunity to work with famous specialists from Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Sergiev Posad. As result of the joint work of sixteen forgers a unique art object was created – railing to the old little bridge on the territory of the Amber Museum.
The Kaliningrad Regional Amber Museum is located in the Neo-Gothic fortification structure of the middle 19th century. This year it is offered to forgers to create grilles for doors that lead to the inner yard considering the Dohna Tower architecture and resting on traditions developed in Konigsberg in making fences and grilles.
Pictures of the today's Amber Museum inner yard, fragments of fences and grilles preserved since the war time, as well as etchings and photos of Konigsberg forged works before 1943 are presented on the museum’s web-site.
Kaliningrad forgers will make frame workpieces of grilles for the further work of Plain Air participants.
Requests for the participation in the plain air for independent blacksmiths taking their transport and accommodation expenses, are accepted until 30 May 2013 per tel. (4012) 46-15-63, e-mail: expo@ambermuseum.ru
Contact person – Tatiana Lysova, project curator.
Sketch of the Amber Museum inner yard door grilles can be found here for discussion among the project participants.
| № | Events | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Acceptance of applications from the independent plain air participants | until 30 May |
| 2. | Participants'' arrival | 29 July |
| 3. | Participants'' arrival (by the Organizing Committee invitation) | 29 July |
| 4. | Work at the open space, workshops | 30 July – 1 August |
| 5. | Objects installation | 2 August |
| 6. | Press-conference | 2 August |
| 7. | Objects opening | 2 August |
| 8. | Offsite meeting regarding the results of plain air on the Curonian Spit | 3 August |
| 9. | Participants' departure | 4 August |
Plain Air Organizing Committee