[Editor's Note: This is the first of a series of letters from artist Zen Parry describing her experience of the 2005 Third World Ceramic Biennale in the Republic of South Korea.]

Hello Forrest,

Experiencing the Korean World Ceramic Biennale almost defies words. When I first received the news about my successful entry, there was unabridged elation. Shortly after that, a feeling of intimidation set in — this is a huge step for me professionally, attending such a showcase of this caliber, but, I kept thinking that there was 'no time like now.'

Arriving at Icheon airport is like arriving at any other major international airport. Traveling into Seoul and the area of Insadon is also a familiar routine when compared to other major metropolitan centers in Asia. It was only when I ventured down to Icheon to find the Biennale that the quiet morning calm of Korea started to work it's magic.

Icheon is about an hour south of Seoul, and easily reached by public transport. The exposition area is 2 km's out of town, and an invigorating walk if you feel inclined. Otherwise there is always a taxi lurking nearby to solve the aerobic challenge.

Given that I was a week early, I was surprised at how much work was still in progress. It looked as if an actual building was still literally being built, and at least one structure was decorated in scaffolding. My catalogue provided a timetable that listed the 3 cities of Icheon, Gwangju and Yeoju, as sites for major exhibitions in ceramics, along with large entertainment schedules, tents for local vendors and numerous other activities, all associated with ceramics. Just comprehending the scale of this event took a moment to grasp; the attendance between April 23 and June 19 was forecast to be 6 million people! Knowing that, I found it easy to cope with the sight of this almost complete structure — I had no doubts that it would be finished by the opening ceremony next week.

What an opening ceremony it was! Everything ran to the clock, from the latest and coolest Korean version of hip hop meeting martial arts, to Confucian traditional music, to a very precisely timed opening address by the Governor of Gyenggi Province, Hak-kyu Sohn, to modern dance reminiscent of Cirque de Soile, complete with a 15 foot balloon representing the traditional vessel shape, only to be split in two to reveal a master potter making the same vessel on a kick wheel, accompanied by two jazz violinists on electronic instruments. It was like a mini-version of the opening ceremony for the Olympics, except it was for ceramics — Korean ceramics to be precise — and it was nothing short of joyous and completely over the top. I loved every minute of it!

The overall theme of the cumulative events was "Ceramics — The Vehicle of Culture," with each city presenting a specific focus. Icheon displayed the Biennale exhibition, This entailed presenting 189 artists from 50+ countries, alongside a companion exhibit called Trans-Ceramics-Art, which really did present unimaginable ceramic art by established and emerging artists, ceramic artists and multimedia artists as well — as long as there was clay, and the subject transcended clay.

Gwangju is the center for Joseon Ceramics, known in a rather generic way by the lesser informed as 'celadon'. This venue displayed ceramics in nature, with a spotlight on some of the most artistic high-toned celadon ware I have ever seen. Having entered this venue uneducated, I came away stunned with new understandings. No longer is it 'just celadon!'

Yeoju is the Korean mecca of studio ceramics and industrial ceramics, so it seemed appropriate that their exhibitions were centered on ("ceramics in living"). A highlight was in walking through the "Ceramic House" which seemed to embody the best of minimalist aesthetics and 'uber cool' design. It was nothing short of a harmonious fusion of color, the rhythm of living and ceramics.

The ceramic love fest didn't stop with each of these museum quality exhibits. There were numerous activities for children, ranging from hands-on sessions; to outdoor commissioned ceramic works on a seriously large scale just waiting to be climbed, including a 150 foot fired in-situ ceramic castle that was habitable.

The Ceramic Castle is called a "Zeumzip", originating from "Zeom Zip" meaning ceramic house; it stands 6 meters high and 14.9 meters on a side; the walls are 30 cm thick. Constructing the house required using both the wheel throwing techniques used for making onggi (huge pots) and staking methods of heaping up bundles of clay. Zeumzip required 80 tons of clay and was fired to 1250 Celsius in a site specific kiln that was over 7 meters tall. The first firing took place during the entire month of February 2005. The long period of firing eradicated the internal bubbles and humidity . The main firing took 10 days, which was the heartbreak period of the process — the castle would either survive or crumble. The firing temperature brought out the best colors on the inlay, and strengthened the level of insulation in order to stop water seepage that would freeze then burst during the winter months. Ten symbols of longevity are inlaid in the internal and external walls. Inside, there is a typical Korean underfloor heating system, stone windows, front door, stairs and balcony.

The more academically inclined attendees had opportunities to listen and learn, with respective symposiums on 'international ceramics' and 'celadon' during the first week and a workshop on wood firing kilns to commence in the second week.

This is probably enough gushing about clay for now — I will send more detail in my next installment.

Ciao,

Zen