Cersaie, International Exhibition of Ceramics for Architecture and Bathroom Furnishings

After the stop imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the threads with the past have finally been retied and, from September 27 to October 1, the Bologna trade fair district will finally reopen its doors to host the 38th edition of Cersaie, the International Exhibition of Ceramics for Architecture and Bathroom Furnishings.

In a different yet symbolic space that is precisely the entrance to the Bologna exhibition centre from Piazza Costituzione which, at the same time, gives an idea of the significant efforts that are being made to allow the event to be carried out in total safety, the exhibition and its rich programme of events were unveiled on September 20, with a number of important guests in attendance including the President of Confindustria Ceramica Giovanni Savorani, the President of BolognaFiere Gianpiero Calzolari, the Vice President of Confindustria Ceramica Emilio Mussini and Franco Guidi, CEO of Lombardini22.

Cersaie will span 15 pavilions featuring 623 exhibitors from 28 countries, important numbers in the aftermath of the 2020 pandemic. Numbers that serve as a confirmation of the desire to physically come together and see the new products and solutions proposed by industry operators, getting a first look at the trends anticipated in the ceramic surfaces, bathroom furniture and design landscapes, as well as the design of the entire sector. The exhibition programme will showcase tried and tested formats, as well as introducing important innovations such as the Contract Hall and the Cersaie Digital space.
Cersaie Digital is the new multimedia area that allows audiences to participate in the fair remotely.
The Contract Hall, on the other hand, will be hosted by Pavilion 18 where a selection of brands and products aimed at the contract sector will be presented, completing the offer for this sector characterised by Cersaie’s historical products. The centre of the pavilion will also host Archincont(r)act,, a space dedicated to prestigious international architecture firms.

Speaking of new developments, the logo that has identified the exhibition since 2019 has also been given a new look. The new visual sees a cube as the distinctive graphic element of Cersaie, composed and decomposed into multiple modules which, in turn, take on three-dimensional shapes and can create new possibilities and scenarios. The new concept of the 38th edition of the event is, in fact, "Open to Evolution", underlining "the strong desire to embrace new stimuli and develop them into fresh opportunities.”.

On September 27 the opening conference will take place entitled "Sustainability, energy transition and international competitiveness of the Made in Italy brand". The conference will be followed by a rich calendar of cultural events that include technical talks such as the "Tiling Town" seminars, special events including the "Press Cafés" meetings and the "Building, dwelling, thinking” conferences featuring prestigious international guests, as well as the exhibition/seminar on the work of the G124, the think tank set up by Senator and Architect Renzo Piano to implement the "mending of the suburbs" through micro urban redevelopment projects. One of the most anticipated events of this year’s edition will take place on September 30 with the "Sensitive Architecture" conference, which will see Odile Decq and Benedetta Tagliabue as its protagonists, two internationally renowned architects moderated by architectural historian Fulvio Irace. On October 1, on the other hand, the lectio magistralis of the event will be given by architect Shigeru Ban, winner of the 2014 Pritzker Prize, with an introduction by architecture historian Francesco Dal Co.

(Agnese Bifulco)

Images courtesy of Cersaie

Title: Cersaie, Salone Internazionale della Ceramica per l’Architettura e dell’Arredobagno
(CERSAIE, the International Exhibition of Ceramics for Architecture and Bathroom Furnishings) Date: Sept. 27 to Oct. 1, 2021
Location: Bologna Fiere, Italy

---

GALLERY