Beginning 1 April, the Kunstgewerbemuseum, in collaboration with the Handwerkskammer Berlin, will present the museum’s first special exhibition since its reopening. The exhibition features a juried collection of contemporary craft and design objects from Paris and Berlin that were contestants for the Berlin State Prize for Design Crafts. Many of the pieces are premiering at this show. They document the wide range of artistic work being pursued in the cultural capital of Berlin. This prize has been awarded to skilled and innovative craftspeople every two years for over half a century; a jury presents three state and two talent prizes.

Design-oriented and practical, artisan craftwork represents an important direction for handicrafts in general. In this work, traditional techniques are rendered in novel materials, and the focus of the creative process is on experimentation with colour, form, texture, and material. Traditions are transposed into a new context, and various aspects of the work are 'turned on their heads’. The competition’s slogan arose from this concept.

This year, approximately 100 craftspeople and designers working in the fields of jewellery, ceramics, sculpture, fashion, furniture, and commercial art participated in the competition.

The exhibition also serves as the opening event for the European Days of Arts and Crafts, which will take place simultaneously in many countries throughout Europe from 1 to 3 April 2016, and will reflect the diversity of innovation in craftwork through demonstrations, fashion shows, and workshops. The event will occur under the patronage of Michael Müller, the mayor of Berlin.