Argillà Italia 2022 kicks off in Faenza, Italy
Argillà Italia, the most important market exhibition of international handcrafted artistic ceramics in Italy, twinned with Aubagne in France, returned to Faenza during September 2-4, 2022. A long weekend aimed at exploring ceramics, strolling and shopping among the stands of about 200 ceramists from all over Europe – with some from Honduras, Korea, Japan, Israel and Argentina. The event also featured side exhibitions, concerts, presentations, workshops, and guided tours.
“At Argillà, along the streets of Faenza’s old town centre,” comments Massimo Isola, AiCC President, “objects from the most important Italian ceramic production centres will be on show, workshops that have made the history of Italian ceramic craftsmanship, but also new generation workshops that are designing new lines, new productions. The dialogue with international production will be important: Argillà is an exceptional opportunity for designers and ceramists from all over the world to confront themselves with codes and canons of different cultures”.
Argillà-Italia has become a real festival dedicated to the oldest art in the world. In addition to the many exhibitions, there will also be spectacular events aimed at involving the public in the ‘making’ of ceramics: the Mondial Tornianti, the exciting potter’s wheel competition in which potters from all over the world will take part; “EUraku”, an international competition-event dedicated to the raku technique – this year, the ceramist of the year will be awarded with the prize dedicated to “Goffredo Gaeta”, who recently passed away; Thomas Benirshke, with his “Tornio Magico”; Davide Brini with “Argi-bike”; Emidio Galassi with his “Rotola Rotola” performance of firing ceramic spheres; the “Ceramicoscope”, organised by Nove Terre di Ceramica Association, which will present a spectacular firing in a large open-air kiln; and then the ceramic workshops for children aged 5 to 15 held by the “Playing with ceramics” workshop of the MIC-Museo Internazionale della Ceramica in Faenza.
“The whole city moved to welcome exhibitors and visitors. Argillà is an event that brings prestige to Faenza and makes our territory known to an international audience. The MIC has put a lot of effort into the organisation, trying to solve unforeseen problems, difficulties, but above all to create a lively programme, worthy of four years of long waiting,’ says the director of the MIC Faenza Claudia Casali. ‘The Museum itself has set up new works, enhanced the accessibility through Italian and English QRcodes, and will present a video mapping on the main façade, curated by Andrea Pedna, during the evenings of Argillà. For this edition, we expect a great result and important presences’.
The seventh edition opens with two important news: inauguration and opening of the stands anticipated to 3 p.m. on Friday September 2nd, and a B line of the Green Go Bus that will have as its terminus the car park of the Centro Commerciale La Filanda (Piazza Costituzione) in addition to the A line departing from the Piazzale Pancrazi car park. This will make it possible to park and reach the city centre easily.
Side exhibitions
From August 29th at the Project Room of the MIC, it is possible to visit the exhibition illustrating the “Solaria Wall System” design project by Oscar Dominguez, the result of the artist’s research on ceramic materials where earth and fire are the primordial elements. The peculiarity of the project consists in being able to reproduce the cracking of dry earth through the same process that occurs in nature: drying in the sun. The exhibition will run until October 2nd. At MIC, the exhibition ‘Nino Caruso. Forms of memory and space’ will be shown until October 9th. The anthological exhibition explores the entire career of the designer, sculptor and communicator, who played an important role in the world of ceramics from the post-war period until his death in 2017.
On August 31st, at 6.30 p.m., the Galleria Comunale d’arte La Molinella will inaugurate ‘Alberto Gianfreda/ Italia’ curated by Irene Biolchini, a project made possible thanks to the support of AICC (with the coordination of Giuseppe Olmeti and the collaboration of Irene Biolchini and Viola Emaldi). Thanks to AiCC’s activity, ceramics from 21 different cities in 11 regions were sent to the artist, which were then skilfully broken into fragments by Alberto Gianfreda, through a reasoned process, and subsequently reassembled to compose the large mosaic that gives life to the work on show.
On September 1st, the ISIA Design & Communication, at 11.30 a.m., will inaugurate “Totem”, a series of ceramic works realised in collaboration with the artist Diego Cibelli, “Fabbrica ISIA Faenza” presenting design projects, research and experiences of the students, and the installation in Palazzo Mazzolani (ISIA headquarters) of the work “La grande Natura” by Carlo Zauli (1986).
Also on September 1st, at 6.30 p.m., the newly restored Palazzo del Podestà will host the opening of the European Ceramic Road pavilion with the exhibitions ‘Poland and Norway in the European Ceramic Road. The inclusion of Boleslawiec and Porsgrunn in the international cooperation network of cities of ceramic tradition’ and ‘Council of Europe Cultural Routes in Italy: a European Heritage’ promoted in the framework of the Italian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
At the Ridotto and in the Foyer of the Masini Theatre there will be 7 exhibitions opening on September 2nd, at 12. Ireland, chosen as the guest country for this edition, is the protagonist with the exhibition “Land/ Marks”, curated by Elaine Riordan and Tina Byrne, organised in collaboration with Ceramic Ireland and the Irish Craft and Design Council, which tells the story of contemporary production through 42 Irish makers. “Land/Marks presents works that explore the possibility of clay”, the curators explain, “investigating its ductility by pushing its boundaries. This will be evident through a variety of sculptural forms, functional vessels and installations.”
Together with “Land/ Marks”, the all-female exhibition “Bouce Back” curated by the Korea Women Ceramist Association will open at the Ridotto and Foyer. “Mujeres” is a tribute to the important artistic career of Vilma Villaverde, who has focused her more than 50 years of intense work on the depiction of the female figure treated with a surrealist vein. Paolo Porelli’s installation “Protestant Madonnas. Act III’ is a project that originated in 2019 in the workshop of the EKWC (European Ceramic Work Center) in the Netherlands. Through the reproduction of a pre-existing model of the Madonna of Civitavecchia in 3D, the artist made a plaster cast of it in order to produce multiples that make up the installation: a reflection on stereotype and archetype. To conclude the events at the Ridotto, “I am a cup of tea” by the D come Design association and “Instangiada”, design proposals for a water container realised in Assemini by Milano Makers, in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Cagliari. “Primedicopertina 18/22”, will be in the Foyer of the Theatre with the works on the covers of the magazine “La ceramica Moderna e antica” from 2018 to 2022.
The day of September 2nd continues with the opening, at 6.30 pm, of Nino Di Simone’s exhibition ‘Ceramic and Picture’ at the Guerrino Tramonti Museum.
In the Sala delle Bandiere it will be possible to see the exhibitions of two projects “Change in your hand”, curated by the More Clay Less Plastic movement and the exhibition of the participants in the Ceramics&Colours Award 2022, whose prize-giving ceremony will take place on September 3rd, 6 pm.
The Carlo Zauli Museum will remain open throughout the weekend with the “Anteprima Festival delle Argille Azzurre” installation, the video projection of “20MCZ and “Play with Clay”, a workshop for young artists organised by Latte Project Space. On 2 September, the limited edition of the “Vaso Stele” (Stele Vase) created by the Carlo Zauli Museum and Manifatture Sottosasso will be presented (6 pm).
The Museo Carlo Zauli will be open throughout the weekend with the “Anteprima Festival delle Argille Azzurre” installation, the video of “20MCZ and “Play with Clay”, a workshop for young artists organised by Latte Project Space. On September 2nd, the limited edition of the “Stele Vase” created by the Carlo Zauli Museum and Manifatture Sottosasso will be presented (6 pm).
“Spazio Ceramica Faenza” of the Ente Ceramica Faenza exhibits an ISIA project created especially for the occasion and will organize, on September 2nd at 7.30 p.m., “Argi-night / The night of ceramists”: a party at Palazzo Laderchi.
MUST will host the installation “Don’t save me. Love me” by the Quattro Lune collective, which will perform the performance ‘Naturasfera’ on September 3rd at 11 am.
The Museo Diocesano, in the church of Santa Maria dell’Angelo, will organize three exhibitions: “ALTROVE, viandanti, pellegrini e sognatori”, “Quid quaeris? / Rosanna La Spesa” and “La cena di Emmaus” promoted by Devotio.
At the Museo del Risorgimento e dell’Età Contemporanea there will be “Clay Collective” and finally in the garden of Palazzo Muky three days of “Live 3D printing with clay”: 3D printing workshop with clay and exhibition of objects printed with WASP technology.
Argillà Italia is organised by the Fondazione Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza together with the Municipality of Faenza and in collaboration with AiCC – Associazione Italiana Città della Ceramica.
Contact
info@argilla-italia.it
