Åbent brev til Silkeborgs borgmester

Lord Mayor Hanne-Baek Olsen Silkeborg Kommune Sovej, 1 8600 Silkeborg

Rome, July 15th, 2010

Dear Major,
     Last May I was invited from the Director of the Papirmeeet Bikuben, Mr. Bent Schmidt, to offer a workshop and lecture on contemporary Papermaking techniques at the Museum facility. With other seven International Paper Artists we where able to install artwork in the Exhibition ‘Where the Silkroad ends, is.’ that took place at the Kulturspinderiet , carefully curated by Kika Moller.
      I have been offering workshops and full-immersion papermaking experiences for a number of years in United States and Europe; here I was truly impressed by the amazing qualities of both the technical facilities and equipment in the Museum and the knowledge and multitasking ability of the staff working there, not to mention the friendliness of the people that did volunteer..
      The staff in charge is superbly trained, helpful and fast in problem solving, whether installing work, setting up for a workshop or deal with a digital presentation.
      It has been a shock to know that this place, the Paper Museum, will be CLOSED soon, due to lack of funds. I please beg you to reconsider this extreme decision..
      Silkeborg owes to the Paper mill its own origin, its own cultural heritage, its own reason-to-be. It is more than a craft, or a factory building to be recycled, it is the spirit of a town that was built around this mill in this specific spot because of the water quality and force.
      I have visited a large number of historical Paper museums in Europe, some of them only offer a reconstruction of the old papermaking process via simple demos, but many more still produce handmade papers and a multitude of paper products, offer services to the community, organize their schedules with theme workshops and classes, lectures, visiting Artists and Exhibitions, etc.etc.
      Now, it is true that Silkeborg is a very late Mill, cannot offer the beautiful masonry building that you find in Capellades in Spain or Fabriano in Italy, yet it was designed as a State-of-the-art Mill of his time, and the quality of its technology to produce handmade watermarked banknote papers is excellent.
      I wonder if there are any other possible solutions not to close down this historical place due to the economic crises. As a Papermaker and Art Educator I cannot but SCREAM at this political decision. In United States such a mill would be THE place to go and get training, experience, a place to explore the magic Art of papermaking and watermarking.
     Please, be wise, Lord Major.

Roberto Mannino Paper Artist – Art Educator @ Temple University Rome & Loyola University Rome Center www.robertomannino.it roberto.mannino@fastwebnet.it