FOR A NEW POETICS OF CERAMICS
On 16 March, at Fondazione ICA Milano, the presentation was held for the book “For a Manifesto of the new ceramics” by Irene Biolchini, published by Mousse Publishing with the support of Iris Ceramica Group.
The book “For a Manifesto of the new ceramics” comes from the need to embody a shared sentiment, a “tremor” that has crossed the Italian and international ceramics scene in recent years. Irene Biolchini intercepted this sentiment and, in partnership with Fondazione ICA Milano, between October 2021 and March 2022, curated a programme of six interventions focusing on the ceramic arts in the 21st century, aiming to represent this scenario through the points of view of twenty-three contemporary artists.
The book is a collection of viewpoints, declarations and stances of contemporary artists and authoritative voices who together offer a manifesto of the individual features within the group.
“This Manifesto is a choral effort, yet not a universal vocation. Everything described is a partial vision of the world, it is the sound of the vibrations of the voices that live in it. Those who write, and those who ask questions, have strived to never be neutral, but rather to tune into the tone of the artist.”
Irene Biolchini, curator and teacher
Iris Ceramica Group supports this project to promote those craftsmen-artists who, with great passion and love, re-write the story of ceramics every day, demonstrating the strength of their intuition and their genius through their works. Only the meeting between the productive and artistic worlds can lead to such works of intent, understood as an anthem of sustainable beauty, for a new poetics of 21st century ceramics.
“Ceramics are our history, our present and our future. Ceramics is culture, knowledge, industrial know-how, experimentation and creativity. Throughout our history we have interpreted and anticipated aesthetic trends, in a narration that goes beyond the functionality of the material to also express its artistic values, becoming trendsetters of style and elegance, just like a haute-couture brand.”
“In creating ceramics, we are inspired by the concept of the Renaissance workshop as a place of artistic experimentation and growth. Ours is an ancient art that, today, we express through surfaces with unique technical characteristics, unlimited decorative potential, enhancing the tradition of craft trades with an innovative focus on the constant research for pioneering solutions to re-engineer matter. Our aim is to make ceramics the best natural raw materials for creating solutions that bring benefits to quality of life.”
“This pioneering approach calls on us to become ambassadors of a culture that celebrates the noble identity of ceramics. Ceramics embody an age-old history of the work, material and thought of craftsmen-artists seeking to instil the meanings of life and nature in their works. Our Manifesto is an ode to the eclectic soul, the noble and sustainable beauty of ceramics, tracing the principles and outlining a new poetics, that of our century.”
Federica Minozzi, CEO Iris Ceramica Group