Ceramics, Sculpture and Public Spaces: Urban, Artistic and Antropological Visions

In this session, we hope to be proactive and document a “before” and “after” within the General Assembly. We wish to dialog and focus on the significance of ceramics in public spaces that would interact with urban planning and the social relationships that evolve. We want the discussion to include anthropological aspects to ascertain how ceramics can better our cities and how ceramics can become an important element in energy efficiency, decreased maintenance costs and improvements in the aesthetics of public sculpture environments.

Rarely have we seen public sculptures done by ceramists or made of ceramics, although it is a perfect material virtually unalterable by atmospheric conditions (humidity and temperature) and, unlike other more frequently used materials like bronze or Corten steel, it has far superior chromatic possibilities. We must advocate using ceramics as a raw material for sculpture and other uses of public spaces in our towns and cities.

A recent example of ceramics used in creative ways in urban settings can be seen in WABA (World Association of Brick Artists) a group including Ulla Vioti, Robert Harrison, Jacques Kaufmann, Gwen Heeney and Fritz Vehring, who have used bricks in public spaces in international settings.

Other examples of public sculpture using ceramics is located in Barcelona, -“Barcelona Face” by Roy Lichtenstein, “Woman and Bird” by Joan Miró, “Castella” in Plaça de la Font Castellana, by Madola. Surely, in other cities around the world we can find more sculptures that may serve as models and inspiration for both ceramists and policy makers in charge of urban planning who often have the last word in these matters. These initiatives are almost always funded by public money where political intervention is significant.

Program:

09:00
Panel and discussion topic:
“Ceramics, sculpture and public space: urban, artistic and anthropological visions” opening by the spekers.

10:30 
Pause – coffee break

11:00
Papers 

13:00
Lunch in the foyer of the conference room

Speakers:

Angel Garraza,
ceramist with important works in public space and ceramics professor in University of Basque Country.

Gloria Moure,
art historian, critic and curator

Frederic Amat ,
visual artist and scenographer

Moderator:

Oriol Calvo,
anthropologist and director of ceramics museum in Argentona. Manager of Spanish Association of Ceramics Cities and general coordinator of IAC2016

Papers presented by:

Elisa Ullauri “El museo en la calle. Mediación cultural del patrimonio cerámico-urbano”

Sérgio Vicente i Virgínia Fróis
“Ceramic public sculptures: a new relationship between art, local government and industry”

Silvia Noriko Tagusagawa “Ceramics and its poetics: Transcending boundaries”

Roberta Griffith
“Ceramic collaboration of Josep Llorens Artigas and Joan Miró”