Laura Aldridge

B.I.S.C. (Barras International Spectacle of Ceramics) II
ESTD at The Barras Market, Glasgow
08/10 – 09/10/2022

B.I.S.C. (Barras International Spectacle of Ceramics) II
ESTD at The Barras Market, Glasgow
18/09 – 19/-9/2021

B.I.S.C II, organised in collaboration with Morven Mulgrew, was the second instalment of our two-day celebration of ceramics in all their unruly, spectacular forms. Hosted at ESTD, a century-old Barras Market unit on Moncur Street, the event set contemporary clay works against the backdrop of a place steeped in history, trade, and exchange.

We brought together an eclectic array of ceramic objects — some wildly functional, others gleefully defying purpose — to create an environment that was part exhibition, part performance, part marketplace. The Barras itself, with its layered stories and patina of use, became a collaborator too, giving the show a raw and unpredictable energy.

The collaboration with Morven infused the project with a theatrical edge: objects weren’t simply displayed, but staged in ways that heightened their presence, playfulness, and humour. Over two days, audiences wandered through a space that felt both familiar and fantastical — like stumbling into a hidden world of clay curiosities.

At its heart, B.I.S.C II was about opening up ceramics as a field of endless possibility. It invited people to encounter clay not only as a material for vessels and utility, but as a vehicle for storytelling, imagination, and joy.