In 2025, Ceramic Art Andenne enters a new chapter under the name Perspectives Festival, a title that reflects a deepened commitment to highlight contemporary ceramic art practices. Conceived as a triennial, this year’s festival brings together over one hundred artists from around the world in eight exhibitions across Andenne, Belgium.
This year’s edition stands out for its strong program and bold spirit of collaboration that defines it. At the heart of the festival are two major international exhibitions—Talisman and Authentique—which offer a rich panorama of current artistic approaches, from deeply symbolic interpretations to technical contemporary forms. Germany is the guest country in an exhibition curated by Wolfgang Lösche, presenting a survey of exceptional German ceramic artists. The solo exhibition of Belgian artist Nathalie Doyen invites visitors into a meditative world shaped by repetition, while Connexions, produced in collaboration with the international Ceramic Brussels fair, highlights promising new voices in European ceramics. At the Maison des Associations, the exhibition Fusion of Visions gathers members of the International Academy of Ceramics (IAC) from the Benelux region.
Extending the festival’s reach through a new collaboration with Le Delta Namur, the Alive & Unfolding exhibition, curated by Vasi Hirdo, presents an exceptional contemporary ceramics exhibition. Featuring twenty-two artists from fourteen countries, the exhibition presents a vibrant collection of sculptures that challenge the boundaries between the figurative and the abstract.
Ceramic Art Andenne also hosts an International Ceramics Market every year on Whit Sunday and Monday. Titled Li Dièle, this year’s edition will take place between June 8 and 9, 2025, and will include workshops for children and guided tours. The guest of honor for this edition is the ceramicist Monika Debus (DE).
The evolution of this festival is rooted in Andenne’s long-standing relationship with ceramics. The event first took place in the 1980s under the name Come See a Pot, initiated by a group of passionate artists determined to create a platform for ceramic art in Wallonia. Renamed Biennale de la Céramique d’Andenne in 1992, the event became a triennial in 2015. Ceramic Art Andenne embraces this legacy and signals an openness to new voices, partnerships, and modes of presentation through the Perspectives Festival.
Central to the festival’s vision is Gaëlle Cornut, the Artistic Director and coordinator, whose leadership has been instrumental in creating a vibrant and internationally engaged venue for contemporary ceramics. The word perspectives alludes to the many viewpoints that shape ceramic art today, whether they emerge through material exploration, personal identity, historical context, or ecological concern. At the same time, it references the festival’s expanded reach, as seen in its collaborations with institutions such as Le Delta Namur, Ceramic Brussels, and the International Academy of Ceramics.
Andenne offers a meaningful backdrop to this major event with its centuries-old ceramic heritage. Its proximity to two Roman roads and its abundance of natural resources (clay, lead, and wood) contributed to the development of a thriving pottery tradition from the Middle Ages onward. This layered history lives on through the institutions and the land that still draws artists together in dialogue, shaping this festival.
The Perspectives Festival does incredibly well in creating space for new voices and directions in ceramic art. It’s a meeting point for artists at different stages in their journey, a place where ideas take form and connections are made through ceramics.
Talisman (international thematic competition)
At Andenne Cultural Centre. On view between May 17 – June 15, 2025
A talisman is an object attributed with religious or magical powers intended to protect, heal, or harm the people for whom it is made. Talismans are often portable objects carried in various ways but can also be permanently installed in architecture. They are attributed with magical virtues and contain signs or symbols that make them sacred.
Selected artists: Julie About (FR), Vanessa Anastasopoulou (GR), Pablo Castillo (FR/ES), Yeeyoung Ham (KR), Helen Birgitte Hausland (No), Kimie Ino (BZ/JP), Mingshu Li (CH), Hélène Loussier (FR), Jeanne Rimbert (FR), Henri Roque – Onree (PT), Johanna Rytkölä (FI), Virginia San Fratello (US), Agnė Šemberaitė (LT), Léa Van Impe (FR) and Anuta Varsta (RO), Netty Van Osch (NL), Marc Verbruggen (B), Jeannine Vrins (B/NL), Ziwen Xu (CH), Shinhye You (KR), Mengya Zhao (CA) and Ying Zheng (CH)
Authentique (international open competition)
At Andenne Cultural Centre. On view between May 17 – June 15, 2025
Unlike the thematic exhibition, the Authentique exhibition gave artists the opportunity to present a free piece. However, the artworks must meet certain criteria: perfect coherence, demonstrate artistic reflection within a contemporary approach, and present real technical and aesthetic qualities.
The call for applications was met with great interest from creators, and nearly 800 applications were received from 23 different countries.
Selected artists: Cécile Bichon (Fr), Jovana Čavorović (SRB), Fernanda Cortes (MX/IT), Mirka Drapaniotou (GR), Rachel Foxwell (GB), Heidi Hentze (DK), Peter Hiemstra (NL), Peter Christian Johnson (US), Ming-Miao KO (TW), Weronika Lucinska (PL), Juliette Mangenot (FR), Dora Morfi (GR), Simone Negri (IT), Nuala O’donovan (IR), Benoît Pouplard (FR), Léa Renard (FR), Laura Scopa (IT), Daito Takefusa (JP), Mirjam Veldhuis (NL), Velimir Vukičević (SR), Els Wenselaers (B) and Dorothee Wenz (DE)
The jury that selected the artists for both competitions, Talisman and Authentique, was composed of:
• Nathalie Doyen (B) – Artist, winner of the Grand Prix de la Céramique in 2022, and Belgian artist in the spotlight in 2025
• Claudia Casali (IT) – Director of the Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza
• Jean-Marc Dimanche (FR) – Curator and co-director of the Ceramic Brussels fair
• Vasi Hirdo (RO), Director and Editor-in-Chief of Ceramics Now Magazine
• Omar Bouchahrouf (B) – Director of the Andenne Cultural Center
A different jury awarded the prizes of this year’s edition:
• Claire FitzGerald – Chief Curator, Ariana Museum (CH)
• Mélanie Cornelis – Director, Espace Muséal d’Andenne (BE)
• Eva Fürtbauer – City of Gmunden, Dept. of Culture / European Ceramic Artists Association (AT)
• Jonas Moënne – Sculptor, ceramics teacher (FR/BE)
• Wolfgang Loesche – Former director, Handwerk Gallery and Diessener Töpfermarkt (DE)
• David Jones – UK representative to the IAC, member of the UK Craft Potters Association (UK)
• Fabienne Withofs – Artist, founder of Art Marotte residency (BE)
Winners of the 2025 edition:
• Special Mention: Léa Van Impe (FR) and Anuta Vastra (RO) for their distinctive response to the theme, the wearability of their work, and the strength of their collaboration.
• Young Ceramics Prize (€500) & Art Marotte Residency (1 month): Weronika Lucinska (PL) — Recognized for her potential and the poetic evocation of water through harmonious colors and form.
• Ceramics Prize (€1,000): Rachel Foxwell (UK) — Honored for her technical mastery, sensitivity, and the hypnotic interplay of light, volume, and color.
• Grand Ceramics Prize (€2,500): Velimir Vukicevic (SR) — Celebrated for the narrative richness and refined visual language of his work, spanning 20th-century themes with precision and consistency.
• City of Andenne Art Acquisition Prize (€5,500): Benoît Pouplard (FR) — Awarded for his daring exploration of material limits, dynamic forms, and outstanding technical skill. His work will be acquired by the Espace Muséal d’Andenne.
Germany (guest country exhibition)
At Andenne Cultural Centre. On view between May 17 – June 15, 2025
Galerie Handwerk, as part of the Chamber of Trade and Craft for Munich and Upper Bavaria, was invited to present a selection of ceramic art in Germany this year as part of Ceramic Art Andenne.
The exhibition aims to present various technical and thematic viewpoints, topics, and centres of ceramics in Germany, exemplified by important representatives. Curator Wolfgang Lösche, former director of Galerie Handwerk and director of the Diessener Töpfermarkt for 25 years, selected eleven artists: Kerstin Abraham, Monika Debus, Hermann Grüneberg, Lena Kaapke, Kiho Kang, Johannes Nagel, Martin Neubert, Heide Nonnenmacher, Martin Schlotz, Guido Sengle, and Keiyona C. Stumpf.
Temps Feutré (solo exhibition by featured Belgian artist Nathalie Doyen)
At the Espace muséal d’Andenne – Phare. On view between May 17 – June 15, 2025
After Jean-Claude Legrand in 2022, the Belgian artist in the spotlight is Liège-based ceramist Nathalie Doyen for an exhibition entitled Temps feutré.
Nathalie Doyen’s approach to clay is built through a highly repetitive, slow, and meticulous process, starting with a vision or a sense of the volume to be created. We could speak of “sensitive memory,” that of observation and absorption. – Vincianne Chistiaen
Connexions (exhibition in collaboration with the Ceramic Brussels fair)
At the Espace muséal d’Andenne – Phare. On view between May 17 – June 15, 2025
In partnership with the international fair Ceramic Brussels, the “Ceramic Art Andenne Award” was presented to three of the winners of the Ceramic Brussels Art Prize (a visibility platform for art students and/or young artists living in Europe, selected by an international jury).
The following artists were selected: Luna-Isola Bersanetti, Béatrice Guilleman, and Raphaël Emine.
Fusion of Visions (exhibition by Benelux members of the IAC – International Academy of Ceramics)
At the Maison des Associations, Andenne. On view between May 17 – June 15, 2025
As Benelux members of the International Academy of Ceramics, they aim to promote the artistic and cultural significance of ceramics. They strive to build a strong, collaborative community where members can exchange ideas and gain unique perspectives on contemporary ceramic techniques and creativity. By advancing contemporary ceramics as a valid and dynamic art form, they aim to ensure that their community remains a supportive and inspiring space for all who share a passion for the medium.
• Belgium: Caroline Andrin, Tjok Dessauvage, Nathalie Doyen, Mieke Everaet, Jean-Claude Legrand, Yves Malfliet, Marieke Pauwels, Piet Stockmans, Joëlle Swanet, Ann Van Hoey, Fabienne Withofs, Patty Wouters
• Luxembourg : Doris Becker and Ellen van der Woude
• The Netherlands: Paula Bastiaansen, Marie-Josée Comello, Cecil Kemperink, Marga Knaven, Swanica Ligtenberg, Deirdre McLoughlin, Ricus Sebes, Maria ten Kortenaar, Sonja Top, Willy van Bussel, Beatrijs van Rheeden.
Alive & Unfolding (curated by Vasi Hirdo, founder of Ceramics Now)
At Le Delta, Namur. On view between May 17 – August 17, 2025
Alive & Unfolding is a celebration of contemporary ceramics, where each artwork emerges as an extension of the artist’s experience, telling a story that speaks to deeper emotional and existential dimensions. The exhibition presents a vibrant collection of sculptures that challenge the boundaries between the figurative and the abstract, inviting viewers into a poetic world where human, animal, and cryptic forms come alive.
The works in this exhibition embody personal narratives, experiences, and reflections, each revealing details of stories that unfold before your eyes. With a strong sense of materiality, these works reflect the lifescapes of the artists, offering more than just an aesthetic experience—they draw self-reflection and engagement. Through both striking and intimate forms, the exhibition navigates themes of fragility and strength, often juxtaposing raw, instinctive processes with exceptional abilities to work with clay. Some pieces draw inspiration from the natural world, evoking landscapes, matter, and ecosystems, while others grapple with existential themes—examining life, death, and rebirth.
The concept of “unfolding” resonates throughout the exhibition, not only in the physicality of the presented works but also in their themes. We are invited to witness the interplay of opposites: delicate yet monumental, familiar yet strange, playful yet somber, static yet in motion. These dualities reflect the tensions of the human condition, and what better way to absorb and communicate different points of view than through ceramics?
Featuring: Jasmin Anoschkin (FI), Natalia Arbelaez (US), Emily Yong Beck (US), Eric Croes (BE), Claire Curneen (UK), Sien Godderis (BE), Faye Hadfield (UK), Mahala Hill (AU), Myung-Joo Kim (KR), Ahryun Lee (KR), Claire Lindner (FR), Hélène Loussier (FR), Martin Neubert (DE), Irene Nordli (NO), Sayaka Oishi (JP), SunYoung Park (KR), Paolo Porelli (IT), Elsa Sahal (FR), Bente Skjøttgaard (DK), Carl Richard Söderström (SE), Johan Tahon (BE), Anne Wenzel (NL)
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Photos by Julien Bauwens
