2101 - Future Ceramics

Students at the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK) explored these questions in depth as part of the seminar “2101 – FUTURE CERAMICS | WISE 2025/26.” Twelve works are now on display at the Berlin Museum of Decorative Arts (KGM).

Based on speculative scenarios, the students designed experimental tableware that reflects possible future forms of communal living.

In addition to traditional design processes, the students also used AI-powered tools to visualize and narrate their visions of the future. Ceramics, particularly porcelain, served as the central material, chosen for its durability, sustainability, and cultural significance.

Rituals often play a role in the students’ visions: family gatherings are gaining importance, as is the ceremonial act of eating and drinking together. In the context of—and in response to—potential future climate catastrophes, social alienation in densely populated megacities, or loneliness in the digital age, the students designed drinking vessels with sound codes, vessels for the ritual preparation of tea, a tableware set that invites sharing, or stackable tableware for novel foods such as jellies, algae, or insects. Drinking goblets, scent vessels, and jardinières as table decorations were also created, each within the context of future societal scenarios.

The works are displayed amidst the historical porcelain and faience from the KGM’s collection. This creates a dialogue between the young designers’ visions of the future and the table culture of past eras.

A special exhibition of the Museum of Decorative Arts – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin in cooperation with the Berlin University of the Arts, Department of Product Design