FONDAZIONE OFFICINE SAFFI | ARGILOS

SAFFI 工坊基金會 | ARGILOS

比雷埃夫斯 Polidefkous 39 號,雅典 Carwan 畫廊 | 2023年9月21日至11月11日

Carwan Gallery 非常榮幸能與米蘭非營利組織 Fondazione Officine Saffi 合作,在希臘舉辦一場具有里程碑意義的陶瓷展。本次展覽匯集了來自全球各地 27 位陶瓷藝術家的精選作品,其中大多數藝術家均為首次在希臘參展。Carwan Gallery 在當代設計領域的開創性項目與 Fondazione Officine Saffi 的非凡陶瓷收藏在此交會,透過一場以對話為核心的展覽,為畫廊既有的多元計畫樹立了文化合作的新標竿。

Fondazione Officine Saffi 與 Carwan Gallery 之間的合作,見證了雙方長久以來的相互尊重:他們的連結始於歐洲各地的展覽與活動,並根植於雙方對於探索開創性設計與工藝的共同熱忱與持續投入。

Founded in 2011, Fondazione Officine Saffi is renowned for its commitment to fostering new research and experimentation in ceramics, working on the intersection between fine art, craftsmanship, and collectible design. Through a multidisciplinary approach comprising exhibitions, educational programmes, residencies, and publications, the foundation actively encourages dialogue and engagement with ceramics, appealing to a wide audience — based on a firm belief in the transformative potential of this medium within the realms of art, culture, and society.

The exhibition at Carwan Gallery offers a comprehensive overview of artists from Fondazione Officine Saffi's remarkable collection, highlighting the foundation's extensive research in 20th-century and contemporary ceramics. Spanning from the 1970s to the present, the exhibition underscores the foundation's enduring commitment to ceramics as a potent artistic medium. The showcase encompasses both functional and non-functional ceramic pieces, most of which specially commissioned by Fondazione Officine Saffi and now part of its collection. Every artwork on display is pushing the boundaries of the medium, showcasing the limitless creativity, expressiveness, and plastic potential of clay, in a visual and material conversation between the past and the present.

The exhibition takes the form of a large-scale design installation inside Carwan Gallery's flagship space in Piraeus. All the pieces are presented together on a grand plinth at the gallery's centre, constructed using humble concrete hollow blocks, a material commonly found in rural settings as the basic material of quotidian architecture. This design concept presents the artworks as fragments of a collection in progress, creating a visually striking narrative.

The roster of artists featured in this exhibition includes 20th-century masters who have significantly influenced contemporary ceramics, especially during the transformative 1970s and 1980s. Their works engage in a compelling dialogue with mid-career artists, as well as emerging talents, bridging generational and stylistic trajectories. Notable highlights encompass the celebrated 20th-century artist Carlo Zauli, a trailblazer in Italian modern ceramics, as well as influential international figures in the world of contemporary ceramics, such as Torbjørn Kvasbø (Norway), Shozo Michikawa (Japan), Johannes Nagel (Germany), and Anders Ruhwald (Denmark/USA).

All ceramic pieces at the exhibition are unique and available for sale.