Iris Ceramica Group PRIZE Celebrates the Future of the Art of Ceramics

The first edition of the International Art Prize, a truly unique initiative promoted by Fondazione Iris Ceramica Group, has just concluded. The prize focuses not only on the achievement of outstanding technical results, but also and above all on new design concepts destined to shape the future of ceramics. Thus Iris Ceramica Group, which set up the foundation to give concrete form to its constant commitment to creative and cultural research, offers an opportunity for artists and students to obtain extra visibility, contributing to progress in the ceramics industry.

Unlike other awards in the world of ceramics, the Iris Ceramica Group PRIZE focuses primarily on innovative, visionary ideas rather than technical skill alone. Divided into two sections - over 25 for artists well on their way in their careers and under 25 for students at AFAM institutions – the prize acknowledges individual talent and, at the same time, the importance of education in the arts for the future of creative research in Italy.

A jury of prominent experts in the worlds of art, architecture and design, including Giovanna Cassese, Judith S. Schwartz, Tommaso Corvi Mora, Pietro Cantore and Antonia Jannone, played a key role in the selection of the works judged worthy of this prestigious award. The members of the jury assessed the potential for implementation in the over 25 section and the best installation in the under 25 category, in which a distinctive feature of the prize is acknowledgement not only of the winning student, but of the institution itself, awarding it a supply of ceramic materials.

The over 25 award was presented to Eloisa Gobbo for “Geometrical Isometric Pattern In Yellow, Red And Blue, Moresque Style With Dashed Stripes And Spheres”. The jury praised the artist’s ability to integrate technological solutions linked with Artificial Intelligence in her artistic practice to open up new perspectives on ceramics and the traditional manual arts.

The prize in the under 25 category was awarded to Daniele Donadio for the installation entitled “Clouds”, acknowledging the artist’s ability to combine the intrinsic properties of ceramic materials with a poetic tribute to film director Akira Kurosawa.

At 6 pm on the 23rd of November, the winning projects were presented with an installation in the Iris Ceramica Group flagship store in Milan, introduced by a talk moderated by Iris Ceramica Group’s contemporary art consultant Irene Biolchini and Tommaso Corvi Mora, a member of the contest jury, gallery owner and artist. The award-winning artists, Eloisa Gobbo and Daniele Donadio, discussed their inspiration and visions at the event, with which Iris Ceramica Group offered a significant contribution to the growth and progress of ceramics in Italy and beyond by supporting innovation, creativity and arts education.

(Agnese Bifulco)

Images courtesy of Iris Ceramica Group

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