“Inheritance and Innovation”

‘What is above the form is called the Dao; what is in the form is called the artefact.’ Chinese ceramics are a thousand-year-old embodiment of this fusion of the spiritual and the material, through inheritance and innovation.

In 2026, the IAC Congress will be held for the first time in Jingdezhen, the iconic and universally recognised cradle of porcelain. This choice is highly symbolic, as Jingdezhen embodies the theme of ‘Inheritance and Innovation’ by combining ancestral heritage and the desire for innovation, like a constantly renewed momentum linking the past and the future.

The only inheritance is that which has survived. For while inheritance seems to be structured around repetition, which leads to perfection, – it can also lead to boredom when it loses the energy that gave birth to it – a inheritance that has survived is therefore one that has found a way to nurture this repetition so that its values can continue to be embodied, but which has also allowed changes to be integrated in order to meet fundamental human needs. We are permanence and transformation, and the practice of ceramics feeds on this apparent contradiction.

Developing a theme for an IAC Congress must incorporate both local and global aspects. This will be the case in Jingdezhen in 2026. The theme chosen by the host and approved by the IAC is as broad as one could wish, and could include many chapters. As the conferences are limited by the time available at the Congress, four chapters have been defined and will be developed during the Congress:

• Historical Perspectives
• Global Dialogue, Local Practices
• Sustainable Development and Ecological Responsibility
• The Future: between Craftsmanship, Technology and Science
   

We hope to contribute to our field with a perspective that can be poetically summarised as: roots and wings.

• I. Historical Perspectives: A Living Heritage

From Neolithic pottery to the philosophical celadons of the Song dynasty and the legendary blue and white porcelain, Chinese ceramics are at once art, science and the language of civilisation. Jingdezhen, the crucible of this history, has developed a unique aesthetic: whiteness, finesse, resonance and brilliance. Thanks to a sophisticated production system – up to 72 steps to complete a vase – it embodies the link between inheritance and innovation.

This historical chapter will explore how this thousand-year-old heritage can be revitalised today, both in China and worldwide. For Chinese ceramics are not only a national treasure: it is a common heritage of humanity, embodying a wisdom that needs to be revived as a matter of urgency.

• II. Global Dialogue, Local Practices

Jingdezhen porcelain has been exported for centuries via the Silk Roads, influencing lifestyles in Europe and Asia alike. The exchange was not one-sided: cobalt blue came from the Middle East, and the vogue for chinoiserie in the West is evidence of a dynamic circulation of knowledge.

Today, this global vocation continues: Jingdezhen is a hub of exchange where international artists raise questions about contemporary ceramics. This chapter will explore the intersections between techniques, inspirations and cultural contexts across fields such as architecture and design.

The contribution of artist residencies to the field will also be discussed, as these places and times allow for collaboration and experimentation, providing fertile ground for thinking about diversity as a source of wealth, in the spirit of Claude Lévi-Strauss.

• III. Sustainable Development, Ecological Responsibility: Towards a Responsible Future?

With the world facing pressing ecological challenges, we open this chapter by exploring the possibilities of innovative applications of traditional materials in contemporary practice and sustainable practices in the field of design. We also include here the issue of youth and the responsibility of educational institutions. In this regard, we will address global trends in ceramics education, practices for integration between industry, higher education and research, as well as issues of creativity among young people and business incubation.

• IV. The Future: Between Craftsmanship, Technology and Science, the Place of the Hand, Machines and Artificial Intelligence

A tool is already a language. The future of ceramics cannot do without a dialogue on values, which are embedded in craftsmanship or through technological innovations. The artist’s hand, with its warmth and intuition, remains irreplaceable. But emerging technologies – 3D printing, CNC, artificial intelligence, where AI and robots are leading to the replacement of human intelligence and labour, towards a purely digital civilisation – are expanding the field of possibilities. This chapter on the future will question these intersections: how can we maintain the spiritual and material aspects of art while exploring new tools?

Beyond techniques, it is the very identity of ceramic creation that is at stake. In China, it is a question of moving from ‘Made in China’ to ‘Created in China’, thus asserting a global presence that remains rooted in local cultures. With its rich history, China can play a leading role in reshaping the international ceramics landscape, whether through the values of craftsmanship and traditional skills, the integration of artificial intelligence tools into creation, industrial changes in production methods, or new forms of communication in the field of ceramics.

• Conclusion: Ceramics, an Art Form in Perpetual Renaissance, since the Dawn of Time!

Let’s take clay as our language and fire as our music. Against the noise of the world, by combining our voices, we can start a new chapter in global ceramic art – based on exchange, diversity, individual and collective creation, without forgetting our responsibility to the future. In every kiln that burns, isn’t it the potential of a reinvented world that is being ignited?

In 2026, under the lights of Jingdezhen, the IAC Congress will be both a celebration of the past and an invitation to look to the future. Whether you’re an artist, craftsman, researcher, designer or hobbyist, this event will be an opportunity to reflect together on the place of ceramics in today’s world.