Albisola: ceramic and art
Chantal Prod’Hom
Ceramic and contemporary art: the challenge arises already from the association of these two terms. Too often limited to their own disciplines, expertise and specialised circuits, these two universes have rarely encountered each other over the last few decades. And yet, the interdisciplinarity and the traversing of disciplines have become the norm, but the experiences that the two dominions call into question have often given life to what are not very convincing hybrids: ceramists who create what sometimes are meaningless installations and artists who imagine ceramic objects without being able to manage or enhance the intrinsic qualities of such a material.
The originality and the force of the Biennale of Ceramics in Contemporary Art lie in the purposeful decision of actively and intimately associating the two practices.
Originally, the initiative focused on breathing new life into the rich local ceramic tradition thanks to the direct contribution of projects by artists and designers. Therefore, the organisers asked them to create works expressly for this event. Thanks to these open and generous intentions specific and original works could be produced and all physically created in the area’s numerous ceramic studios. The cooperation between specialised craftsmen and artists or designers generates multiple effects: from the project to its technical adaptation, from the physical draft of the object – to check the initial concept – to the necessary adjustments deriving from it. A score with various tempos: each step in the elaboration of the work involved discussions, reassessments and, as a consequence, conclusions in the direction of new solutions capable of satisfying the needs of who conceived the project as well as of the ceramist.
A truly bold gamble utilising creations capable of inspiring innovation since each person involved makes his voice heard and can assert his point of view. In the end, dialogue is the only means through which to validate these creations being presented today to the event’s visitors and to the readers of this catalogue. Let them decide.
Text published in the catalogue of the 3rd Biennial of Ceramics in Contemporary Art “Undisciplined” , Attese, Albisola (Italy), 2006.
