WITH IRIS CERAMICA GROUP’S “DESIGN YOUR SLABS”, CERAMICS BECOME NARRATION, DRESSING SPACES IN ART
The tactile charm of the surfaces of amphorae and earthenware cobbles dating back to ancient times and the modern age, poetic decorations inspired by animals and plants, mysterious profiles of heroes and gods from every time and latitude mix in a continuous narration of the universal history of ceramics, turning them into a sophisticated art form.
In the cafeteria of the new Milan headquarters of Fondazione Officine Saffi, the no-profit organisation founded in 2011 to popularise ceramics internationally through exhibitions, workshops, publications and activities blending art, craft and design, Francesco Simeti – a Sicilian artist who has lived in New York for some time – has created a permanent installation using the Design Your Slabs application developed by Iris Ceramica Group. Using this highly innovative technology, Simeti was able to print decorative images on large ceramic slabs, laid continuously with pinpoint precision. The decorations are taken from “vases, plates and historical formats from different cultures, places and periods,” the author explains. “The material and the technology even allowed me to keep the ‘defects’ of the original textures. The ceramic process is interesting in its own right, as it offers variables that are often uncontrollable, yet always magical: because ceramics, with their extraordinary variety of finishes, have many souls.”
In Simeti’s monumental wallpaper for Fondazione Officine Saffi, entitled “Questa stanza non ha più pareti”, inspired by a line from one of the most famous Italian songs, the irregularities of the oldest ceramics, cracked glazes, tiny missing details, chips, the signs of the gaps can clearly be seen, alternated with spaces left deliberately blank. The colours are both shaded and solid, and take on shiny golden hues for the more delicate subjects, like birds and butterflies: this visual result was obtained thanks to the infinite possibilities afforded by Design Your Slabs, the technology used to customise the technical ceramic slabs of the Iris Ceramica Group brands with any image or decoration.
Using an ultra-high-definition digital printing process, the Iris Ceramica Group application creates unique and original ceramic surfaces, treating the slabs like a blank canvas ready to be decorated and turning them into a unique work, with an incredible multi-sensory impact.
In addition, for the Fondazione Officine Saffi programme of events, Francesco Simeti will also be curating a series of ceramics workshops: this will allow new decorative elements to take shape and complete the installation on display over time.
In partnership with Pambianco Design.
Article by Fiammetta Bonazzi.
About Pambianco
Founded in 1977 by Carlo Pambianco as a specialist consulting company working in the fashion, design, beauty, wine&food, hotel and real estate sectors, Pambianco combines strategic and business-oriented services for companies, the communication world and the media.
Pambianco Design is also one of the six printed and digital magazines in its portfolio today, enhanced by a multi-channel publishing channel with a special news area, newsletter and social media accounts. First issued in 2016, the magazine offers up-to-date economic information for managers, showrooms, architects, interior designers and retailers, as well as – in addition to interviews with key players in the furnishing world – ideas and insights on projects, market trends, trade fairs and sector events, in Italy and abroad.