The dismantlement of the program ornamental wood carving at the Don Bosco Institute in
Liège, Belgium.
A DISGRACE
Another piece of Belgian intangible heritage lost!
The wood
carving and ornamentation program at the Don Bosco Institute is truly unique in
our country, and has been around for 116 years! I was fortunate enough to
attend this fine institute from 1986 till 1989. Due to the high number of
enrolments, at the time, an entry exam was required; and only a total of 12
students were admitted to join the program.
The department wood carving and
ornamentation at the Don Bosco Institute was on top of its game: ”There are
only a few schools of this standing found in Europe”. The groundwork of
this department, founded in 1896, was of course the decoration and
embellishment of furniture and interiors. For many candidates the Liège
Style ornamentation was a style period with a future. It guaranteed job
security for many generations of students.
But times they
are a-changin’. Over the last 15 years the demand for Liège Style
ornaments declined rapidly, which meant that the master craftsmen working at
Don Bosco had to adapt to an ever changing situation.
The demand for other
types of wood carving increased. These included predominantly restorations of
churches and other monuments, where decorative elements needed to be repaired
or replaced. Furthermore, these commissions were not restricted to Liège
Style ornaments. They could also include Baroque, Gothic or other style
periods.
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| Wood carving workshop Don Bosco in 1927, Liège Belgium |
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| Modeling of clay, Don Bosco Liège, 1951-1952 |
Closing down the department
Early September
2011 the management of the Don Bosco institute decided to close down the “Section
Sculpture”, i.e. the section wood carving. This decision was grounded on
the fact that there were only 9 enrollments for the program that year. However,
other departments at the institute were experiencing similar problems, but the
program wood carving and ornamentation was the only one that got cancelled.
Why? This decision was never officially justified.
How is it
possible that such a renowned department was no longer capable of attracting
sufficient students? The topic was also discussed with the chief inspector of
the educational department of wood science in Brussels. He couldn’t understand
the school management’s decision either, and stated that his department had
given a positive evaluation to the wood carving program in Liège, as was the
case every year.
The chief inspector deeply regretted the situation, but said
his department was not too blame.
How can this
loss then be explained?
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| Ornamental Drawing |
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| Wood carving Workshop in 2010 |
Bad policy ?
The annual
exhibition and open day organized by Don Bosco was one of the only moments
during the year all departments benefitted from a joint effort to show off
their skills; reaching a wide, more diverse audience. It was the ideal time and
place to promote yourself and your “métier”, i.e. craftsmanship; also
with the purpose of inspiring a new generation of students. Every year many
people, both domestic and international, were eagerly looking forward to the
first weekend of June, when the open day would traditionally take place.
Indeed, this exhibition was also very popular abroad! This is not an
exaggeration. I remember very well that during some editions people had to push
and shove to get in. It was incredible what this school had to offer, and with
what kind of passion the professors, or “professeurs des ateliers”,
radiated this. They knew all too well how important that day was for their
respective department.
In 2006 the new
management decided that the annual open day, and other expositions inside and
outside the school, no longer fitted the renewed vision of the institute. Why
go through all this trouble? Why put in so much effort every year? The students
would keep coming, no matter what. This perception would appear completely
misplaced! Year after year the departments saw a steady decline, with fewer
enrollments, which ultimately resulted in the termination of the institute’s
showpiece, the “Section Sculpture”.
In 2012 yet
another management team was troubled with the mistakes of their predecessors
and came up with an alternative for the closed down department of wood carving
and ornamentation. They proposed the idea to start a program “Kitchen installer”!?
I quote the new management: “We are continuously adapting and adjusting”
(KLASSE - nr. 231; monthly magazine for education).
Of course it is
appropriate and even necessary to adapt and adjust to an ever changing market,
but is the installation business really waiting for this type of “school
program”, when IKEA manages to summarize the intricate process of a kitchen
installation on one sheet of paper? Well, what do we make of all this?
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| Ornamental Wood carving course in Liège Belgium |
Conclusion
I have been a
full time independent wood carver for over 22 years. Therefore, I know all too
well how important it is to create a strong, distinct profile of my company
globally, which allows people to get acquainted with my passion and
craftsmanship. Our modern society expects that all information can be found
online.
The Don Bosco
institute should have used the internet, social media networks and so on, to
attract new students and to forge a strong global reputation. This is the fame
it deserves. The line of trade where freshly graduated wood carvers end up in
is without any doubt a global one.
I am convinced
that if Don Bosco would have made optimal use of the press, multimedia,
exhibition possibilities and the good name of the department, it would have
easily got the 12 mandatory enrollments it needed to survive. It is as the saying goes: “Unknown is unloved, unknown is unprotected”.
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Please enjoy some
photos of the department wood carving and ornamentation at the Don Bosco institute
in better times (2010)
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June 2013
Some time ago I was contacted by a person who was in charge of the
dismantlement of the department. He asked me if I was interested in the work
benches of this prestigious institute. With some of my students I went to Liège
and upon arrival we noticed that the “Section Sculpture” was already
stripped completely of its 116 year history. For example, all the old plaster
and wooden models, dating back from the year of the department’s inception in
1896, were gone.
A unique archive of old photos, slides, books and drawings, which had been
meticulously put together over the years by students and professors,
disappeared. It is sometimes devastating to see how our heritage is under
attack. This is what happens when ignorance gets the upper hand.
One would like to think we learned from our past mistakes, but history
repeats itself. With a great deal of sadness future generations will think back
to past times and realize how much unique knowledge was lost and wander who was
responsible for making such rash, thoughtless decisions.
Translation, Koen Verhees
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| https://www.patrickdamiaens.info |
