Argillà Italia, the long weekend of ceramics, returns to Faenza.
From August 30th to September 1st, 2024, in the old town centre, the market exhibition with 200 ceramists from all over Europe and a myriad of events spread over the city’s main museums and public spaces.
A full immersion in the world of ceramics: from 30 August to 1 September, Argillà Italia returns to Faenza – the European “capital” of majolica.
Three days to stroll along the streets of the city centre, browsing and shopping among the stands of over 200 ceramists from all over the world, visiting the numerous exhibitions in public and private spaces in the city, taking part in workshops, guided tours and meetings.
The Argillà Italia market-exhibition, organised by MIC Faenza on behalf of the Municipality of Faenza and in collaboration with the Municipality itself, AiCC – Italian Association of Ceramic Cities and Ente Ceramica Faenza, at its eighth edition, has now become the reference biennial appointment in Italy for national and international contemporary ceramic craftsmanship.
“The 2024 edition of Argillà promises to be a truly unique event also because of the presence of delegations representing foreign countries and Italian ceramic cities that will make the appointment a unique opportunity to compare different experiences and skills. – commented Massimo Isola, Mayor of Faenza – Argillà, therefore, in this respect will undoubtedly be an important platform for fostering dialogue and cooperation between the various players in the ceramic world, making Faenza a fundamental reference city in the panorama of the great international ceramic network. The 2024 edition of Argillà will also help to strengthen Faenza’s role as a leading city in the international ceramic sector, and this after the hard years of Covid-19 and the 2022 edition that was still affected by international tensions”.
There will be many spectacular events through which the creative process of ceramics can be admired: the Mondial Tornianti, an exciting potter’s wheel competition which attracts potters from all over the world, Thomas Benirschke with his Argi-bike; Emidio Galassi with a ceramic firing performance, and a large spectacular open-air kiln designed and coordinated by the “MADE in NOVE: ante impression” group that will show an experimental wood-fired ceramics firing.
The Baltic Countries are the guests of honour of this edition and will be present at the Salone dei Cento Pacifici of the Masini Theatre with a large group show of contemporary artists working with ceramics curated by a team of curators composed of Valentins Petjko, Aivars Boranovis, Darja Smirnova, Inga Gedzune from Latvia, Agne Semberaite from Lithuania and Pille Kaleviste from Estonia.
About fifteen official exhibitions will be on the programme, involving the city’s main exhibition venues, important appointments to reflect on the state of the most innovative researches in ceramic craftsmanship between art and design in Europe and to get to know the tradition of historical manufactures.
The Ridotto and the Foyer of the Masini Theatre will host the Japanese group Kyototto with an exhibition of unique pieces that combine tradition and innovation with contemporary trends, the exhibition “Golden Bridge Pottery“, showing ceramic pieces from India, a personal show by the Albisola master Ernesto Canepa with a 45-year career behind him, an exhibition of design objects by the Milanese group “Milano Makers“, and finally the exhibition Primedicopertina, with ceramic works published in the last two years on the covers of the magazines La Ceramica Moderna & Antica and D’A.
At the Palazzo del Podestà the exhibition of the European Route of Ceramics, with a project curated by Viola Emaldi, showing a journey into the world of European artistic craft ceramics, through the collections and unique works of the partners of the Council of Europe’s prestigious Cultural Itinerary: a tribute to the best contemporary applied art ceramics Made in Europe.
In the Salone delle Bandiere, two exhibitions will be on display: the first entitled ‘Poloniato/Polloniato – a family of ceramists in Nove‘, which tells the story of the ceramic pieces made by several generations of members of the Poloniato/Polloniato families ,who worked for different manufactures such as the Antonibon, Barettoni and Viero families in Nove over the last century; the second is curated by the Korea Women Ceramist Association.
At the Molinella Gallery, Matteo Zauli and Claudia Casali will set up an exhibition related to the flood of May 2023.
Spazio Ceramica will host the “Interra project” exhibition curated by Nuria Pozas Corredera: 13 contemporary ceramic artists revisit ceramic funerary art in the past, present and future, from 13 different perspectives.
Studio Ivo Sassi will open its doors with a personal exhibition by the Faenza master entitled “I grosso spessori di Ivo Sassi“.
The Must will inaugurate “Figulinae” a stoneware column created by the artist Karin Putsch-Grassi, recently installed in the garden of the Museum, that will become officially part of the Permanent Collection of Contemporary Art.
The Diocesan Museum in Santa Maria dell’Angelo will host a solo exhibition dedicated to the long ceramic career of Mirta Morigi and an exhibition by Antonello Ghezzi.
Finally, the Faenza museums will be open with exhibitions and guided tours: at the MIC Faenza it will be possible to visit the permanent collection with a reduced ticket and admire the exhibitions “Gio Ponti 1922 to 1967” with over two hundred ceramics by the master inventor of Made in Italy and “L’arte di Simone Crespi” at the Project Room; the Museo Carlo Zauli will host an exhibition of Bartoloni artistic ceramics and a performance by Gabriele Resmini; the Pinacoteca Comunale, Museo del Risorgimento and Palazzo Muky Matteucci will hold special openings in the evening hours; the Museo Guerrino Tramonti will offer “Collezioni ceramiche da casa museo Remo Brindisi“: a selection of works from the Brindisi collection bearing witness to the friendship between Guerrino Tramonti and Remo Brindisi. Palazzo Milzetti will host an exhibition curated by Gulli Arte and will activate extraordinary openings. The Bendandi Museum will host the exhibition ‘A Vertical Art for Bendandi‘.
Lastly, ISIA Faenza will also be present with its end-of-year student exhibition, the Liceo Torricelli Ballardini with a homage to Bertozzi&Casoni, and the Masini Theatre will be open with guided tours during the three-day event.
There will also be many collateral events proposed on the free initiative of private citizens who will exceptionally open their studios, courtyards and homes in the city to the public.
For information: 0546 697311, argilla@micfaenza.org, www.argilla-italia.it
