Curated by artist and author Edmund de Waal, Playing with Fire is an exhibition of the works of renowned Danish ceramicist Axel Salto (1889-1961).

Stage One delivered the scenography for the exhibition. The kiln is a darkened, self-contained structure housing the ceramic works of Salto, presented on tiered shelving under spotlights. Additional displays throughout the exhibition showcase his lesser-known works in other media.

The timber walls of each structure were either painted or stained and enhanced by shelving, hanging rails and Perspex fronted display units to accommodate the collection of items on display.

The exhibition is to be moved between several locations across Europe. The exhibition has now opened in the CLAY Museum of Ceramic Art (Denmark), moving to Kunstsilo (Norway) in 2024 and ultimately to The Hepworth Wakefield (UK) in 2025.

The logistical delivery of this project was to be as meticulous, organised, and efficient as its manufacture – not a problem for our projects and operations teams.

To be installed and re-constructed by a third-party crew, it was imperative that the structures were easy to assemble, de-mount, and re-assemble, therefore each item was test built at our own facilities in York. This process allowed us to ensure all parts and components were present and precise, accompanied by clear and accurate drawings to guide others in re-building the exhibition on site.

We devised a colour coded system that was applied to each component part and individual structure. All items were securely packaged, labelled, and loaded by our team to ensure their safety during transit.

The exhibition is a delight and we look forward to closing the circle when it finally arrives at the Hepworth Gallery just a few miles from our facility, in 2025.