"Exhibition Opening on Friday 16. Juli Volkspark Halle"
We admit we didn't actually check what Burg Giebichenstein understand by "Exhibition Opening"
Didn't really see the need.
We just wish we had.
Because everywhere else "Exhibition Opening" means the exhibition is opened.
Even the Magdeburger Volksstimme understands it as such.
However "Exhibition Opening" at Burg Giebichenstein means a private awards ceremony for an invited audience of Local VIPs cleverly packaged as a public "Exhibition Opening".
Combining an awards ceremony with the opening of an annual exhibition is a genuinely wonderful idea: But when the awards ceremony is given a higher priority than the students work then someone somewhere has got their priorities very wrong.
Awards ceremonies don't make a design college, the students and their creativity do.
During the awards ceremony the Burg Giebichenstein Rector Ulrich Klieber spoke of his "pride" that the college was so well rooted in the local community: The looks of disbelief and disappointment on the faces of those barred from entering the building sadly didn't mirror his pride.
Why couldn't all those who were forced to wait outside the Volkspark Gallery have been given the opportunity to explore the other departments - before returning to the art and fashion shows once the champagne had been quaffed?
And when one has so many important members of Halle society at the college, why not give them the chance to explore the rest of the departments?
Or is it expected that those who come on Friday evening will also comeback on Saturday or Sunday?
The Rector also spoke of the importance of the Design Haus Halle. There sit those Burg Giebichenstein graduates who can fulfill interior design, corporate branding, layout, furniture design or promotion film contracts for those institutions and companies represented at the awards ceremony. Thus keeping the money in the region and helping promote the creative industries in Halle.
One of the goals of the Design Haus Halle project.
But not if the Design Haus is closed on one of the highest profile evenings in the academic year.
Most ironic for us is that on the Friday morning we'd had a wonderful discussion with the IHK Halle-Dessau about, amongst other things, the importance of establishing the idea of "Design Halle" in the consciousness of both the citizens of Halle and the wider public.
First the impractical and barely usable new website then a private party packaged as an "Exhibition Opening". Burg Giebichenstein, there are easier and cheaper ways to alienate your public. We just don't know why you would want to.
That almost all design schools in Germany choose to hold their annual shows on the same weekend, the "Opening " was our only opportunity to enjoy the work of the Burg students.
And we almost always discover a real gem in Halle.
But much more importantly an annual show is a chance to see, assess and understand what the students are learning, how they are approaching their tasks and what form the teaching is taking.
Guess we'll just have to wait until next year.
And yes next time we'll check in advance if the "Exhibition Opening" really is such.
There are no photos on (smow)flickr.
And then on Saturday it was off to Berlin and the Universität der Künste Rundgang 2010.
