one of many
“ There's no better location to be found for a real ceramics exhibition than in our Sphinxkwartier. This is after all the district where Dutch ceramics history was made. Teachers and students at Zuyd University of Applied Science - Maastricht Institute of Arts totally agree. Our 2021 year’s fine arts graduate student Molly Crowe with ‘one of many’ is exhibiting her sculpture to the public. This has given a fixed place to protect the decks on the Petrus Regoutplein of the Eiffelbuilding. “ Belvédère Maastricht
Photo: Fred Berghmans
To begin with, ceramics was not my everyday tool to work with. Also not particularly one I would have chosen myself to deepen my skill sets in. In the past and current, I am investigating the tools of digital media. Previously I have been working with virtual reality with the help of a 360° camera and software and other methods such as 3D images.
To me, the additional layers of knowledge are what is driving me in my work. Here I had the chance to open myself to the knowledge of ceramics. It‘s history in relation to the public space in the sphinx kwartier.
Maastricht and the history of this industrial area have direct relevance to the industrial history of ceramics itself, down to the development of trade itself, rooted in the long silk roads to Japan. I had to dedicate myself to shaping the neck of the bottle. Originally I followed the shape of an everyday plastic bottle. The banality of this everyday shape grabs my attention.
A sculpture was placed in an area, which founded an entire industry around ceramics, rooted to build everyday molds for everyday objects. As banal as a toilette. A shape we all know. But now conflicted with the actual material, the struggle and hard work that is put into the object brought my attention to the handwork and craftsmanship itself. I noticed my own ignorance of the knowledge which is required to work with this material. In times in which the industry is built on the requirements of multi-skill sets pushes the loss of the knowledge on which every object and design is based.
Artwork at Petrus Regoutplein, Eiffelbuilding Damaged
I regret to inform you about an unfortunate incident involving my sculpture at Petrus Regoutplein of the Eiffelbuilding in Maastricht. This artwork, which I painstakingly developed and installed in 2021, has been significantly damaged.
During a recent visit to Maastricht, I was deeply disheartened to discover the state of my sculpture. It was especially distressing to learn about this damage in person rather than being notified by those responsible for the site's maintenance.
The sculpture was designed with a specific pedestal to help it move outdoors at night, as we agreed upon. However, it appears the artwork was left outside over a weekend, during which heavy storms passed through the area, resulting in substantial damage.
I have seen photographs of the damaged piece and believe that it can be repaired. I have reached out to the Belvédère Maastricht Team and await their response regarding this matter. I am eager to understand what happened and to discuss the steps necessary to restore the artwork.
The creation and installation of this sculpture were labors of love, and seeing it in this condition is incredibly painful. I will keep you updated on the progress of our efforts to repair the piece and ensure better protection for it in the future.