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Martin Baxa

Mininister of Culture of the Czech Republic

 I appreciate the invitation of the Czech Republic to the Fine Contemporary Craft Biennale “De Mains De Maîtres” as a great honour. Indeed, apart from the opportunity to showcase our traditional artistic crafts as a comprehensive whole, the final selection of artists allows us to present craftsmanship from a slightly different perspective. Not as a craft that serves the needs of artists and designers, but rather in the sense of craft as a field of art in its own right thanks to its excellence, artistic vision, and transcendence. 

At what point does a craftsman turn into an artist? Our selection of forty artists shows that they are indeed one and the same person. These are those who create objects with their own hands and skilfully combine traditional crafts with innovative, environmentally friendly production processes, as emphasized by the theme of this year’s biennial – “unique nature” – on one hand, with the highest aesthetic standards and artistic vision, on the other hand. In other words, these creators combine artistic value, excellence in craftsmanship, and the subtle finesse of the material.

The exhibition is broken down into sections based on the source materials – glass, wood, metal, textiles, and clay. The installation was produced in a craft workshop in Slavonice using only existing materials to ensure that it is environmentally friendly and reusable. 

The showcased objects are complemented with the products of the association Krásná práce [Beautiful Work], which promotes Czech crafts and folk art and gives them a contemporary look. Its mission is to introduce art and design students to the dying crafts, which the students learn and in turn bring a contemporary touch to their works. In the current fast-paced world, returning to sustainable, ecological, and local crafts and abandoning overconsumption is a responsible path of development. 

You can thus enjoy the excellence of our master craftsmen, drawing on a long and rich tradition and presenting contemporary artistic approaches. I am very pleased that the Ministry of Culture has supported this presentation.