fondazione, Author at Wellmade

Tiziana Grassi and the Ospedale delle Bambole: a magical place, guardian of memories and stories

Posted on 28 November 202428 November 2024 by fondazione

Immerse yourself in an unexpected experience: a true paradise for children, who can go to this place, especially around Christmas time, to give their dolls and toys a new life, enhancing what they already have.

How did the idea of the Ospedale delle Bambole come about and what is the history of this atelier-museum?
The sign ‘Ospedale delle Bambole’ was put up outside my great-grandfather’s atelier, in Via San Biagio dei Librai 81 in Naples, in 1895. Luigi Grassi was a set designer for the puppet theatre and he often found himself repairing some who lost a limb or head in battle. He was called ‘doctor’ because he always wore a smock, so as not to get paint on it. One day, a lady brought him a broken doll and asked him to try to fix it: he succeeded and word spread in the neighbourhood that there was a doctor who cured dolls. Soon the shop was filled with doll parts and a lady passing by exclaimed “Me pare o ‘spital de’ bambule” (It seems to me like the doll hospital). My great-grandfather lit up and without wasting any time took a wooden board and with red paint wrote ‘Ospedale delle Bambole’ and put a cross on it.
After him it was the turn of Michele, my grandfather, Cavaliere del Lavoro della Repubblica Italiana (Knight of Labour of the Italian Republic), who ran the workshop during the war years and is said to repair dolls ‘at the price of a smile’. The atelier first gained fame with my father, Luigi Grassi, who was able to keep the business alive at a time when the old town was the scene of Camorra feuds. His atelier was called ‘Aladdin’s lamp’: the only place that emanated light and attracted tourism in years of terror and discouragement for the merchants of Spaccanapoli. The intellectuals of the time and many artists have been customers: Renzo Arbore, Marisa Laurito, Roberto de Simone, Peppe Barra, the De Filippo…
Then I came along and, after years spent keeping this art alive in the world of restoration in the years of consumerism, eight years ago I decided to move the 18 m2 workshop to the stables of Palazzo Marigliano: a 150 m2 atelier-museum that could tell our story, accommodate everything that the three generations before me have conserved, with painstaking care, in warehouses scattered around the historic centre, and ‘revive’ the theme of restoration, telling our visitors how important it is not to abandon a beloved object.

What was your training?
When I was young I was a model, my father kept me quite far from the shop, he said it was not a profession for young women. When I turned 23, I had decided that I wanted to do the job at all costs. I had already taken a diploma in porcelain work and restoration and done courses in restoration, papier-mâché modelling and a masterclass in the Lenci company. I thought Dad would immediately put me by his side, but instead he sent me to be a ‘workshop girl’ for a few years: I had to know how to work with materials! So he sent me to the turner, the framer, the ceramist. When he found me suitable, I joined him and he explained to me the secrets of his trade, how to work with celluloid, how to change the eyes, how to fix the arms of dolls.
It was difficult for me to gain the respect of the neighbourhood: our trade is a craft and the craftsman – in the collective imagination – was a man, white hair and glasses. I was tall, beautiful, blond and young, and when customers came to the workshop and found me they would ask for ‘o’ doctor‘, “o” professor’. My father would come and take charge of the doll. He opened a shop for me inside a building fifty metres from the main office and sent customers to me to pick up the doll: only then did they discover that it was me who had repaired it! With my father’s illness, I became ‘head doctor’ of the Ospedale delle Bambole and people no longer had any scruples about coming to me.
I also set up the Plush Veterinary Outpatient Clinic and, thanks to this, I held workshops in the early 2000s at the Naples Zoo for all the children in the city who had a broken soft toy. One of the busiest wards in the hospital even today!
Eight years ago I decided to move to the new premises and here the restoration activity increased exponentially. Unbridled consumerism started more than twenty years ago, and I found myself repairing very few toys. Today, thanks to the museum, which receives tens of thousands of visitors, we manage to restore almost 400 toys a year, as many as my father did in 7/8 years: here I am happy to tell my story to those who decide to come in and immerse themselves in this very special and unexpected world.

What is the mission of the Ospedale delle Bambole?
We try to convey the importance of recycling to children, to combat the unbridled consumerism of our times. Today, children have too many toys and when one breaks, they move on to the next one. They no longer name their favourite toy because they often don’t have one. When we host them, we invite them to come home and choose a toy that they will keep forever. So that one day they can pass it on for generations, as they once did, and perhaps come back to us.
As far as the museum side is concerned, we are interested in making our visitors escape from the feverish contemporary life: when I welcome them, I always like to say that Naples is a very noisy city, inside my museum-shop the only noise you can hear is that of their soul, which becomes a child again for a while. In here you can feel the flavour of childhood and every time I get excited watching people’s eyes shine as if they were six years old. It is beautiful and truly magical.

What does the Ospedale delle Bambole represent for the city of Naples today?
Certainly talking about our work means telling an Italian family story, Made in Naples. The tradition of a family that had to invent a craft and made it known to the world, that has become its own entrepreneur and is trying to slow down time. In addition, I have always supported the importance of artistic craftsmanship and I support that present in the city by hosting and sponsoring local activities. For me, a return to the ancient manual crafts is fundamental, in which technique, quality and prestige reside, all irreplaceable ingredients!
For the city, I believe this place represents tradition, the past and the future that manage to merge into the present and that, with no small effort, makes room in the food tourism and cultural disinterest that unfortunately belongs to the average Italian who visits a city like Naples.

What have been the biggest challenges, and what have been the satisfactions, in carrying on a historic atelier like the Ospedale delle Bambole?
The first challenge, as I said before, was gaining the trust of the neighbourhood, I was young and I didn’t imagine it would be difficult. Afterwards, however, it was a great satisfaction to be, like my father, a ‘beacon’ for the people of the historic centre.
It was a great challenge to keep the trade alive, overburdening myself with expenses that I did not know if they would ever return. Fortunately, for the largest investment there was a Neapolitan art benefactor who financed the setting up of the museum, but the difficulties are not few. It took me almost five years to see all my efforts repaid. My satisfaction is seeing the emotion in the eyes and hearts of my visitors and the joy of all the children and ex-children (now adults) who receive their own fixed toy.
Outside the workshop I have a big book of dedications collected over the years: sometimes I go to read it and the thoughts that are imprinted are the reason why I must not give up and push this place and this story to the stars and more. One child on his way out wrote ‘here the heart still beats’ and that is exactly what it is, here the heart will beat forever.

You have just been awarded (September 2024) the title MAM – Maestro d’Arte e Mestiere (Master of Arts and Crafts), a biennial recognition by the Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte to master craftsmen who stand out for their talent, know-how and high competence. What was it like to receive this title?
It was certainly emotional, after receiving the medallion I cried. I struggled to take this workshop even higher than it was and I fought so that the restoration of the toys would not end. To be rewarded because, even today, I still restore toys is for me the recognition of all the effort I have put in, all the dreams and hopes of my father as well. This is priceless. I am really proud of my work and honoured to have received this title.

What are your future plans for the atelier and the museum?
There are still many, many! Fingers crossed, our space will soon be doubled. There will be a larger operating room, a new exhibition and narrative route, a workshop space and a dedicated shop. The ultimate goal is to become a brand and expand into other sectors and, why not, even land abroad. My sons, Michele, Luca and Leonardo, are not and probably will not be restorers but they work with me and are investing their time, studies and skills to realise a dream that is now theirs too. So I know that this place will have a future and will be prosperous!

Simone Cenedese: high craftsmanship and contemporary design in glass, amidst the colours of the Lagoon

Posted on 28 August 202430 July 2024 by fondazione

Simone Cenedese inherited his glasswork workshop from his father Giovanni, who founded it in the 1970s in Murano. The company immediately become a renowned excellence in the field of glassworking. Simone, thanks to his talent and inventiveness, and his spirit of innovation, has also made the furnace an international point of reference for many designers who wish to experiment with Murano glass, and give shape to their ideas.
Over the years, the master has developed a unique style, creating original objects with a contemporary taste. His works are pure and brilliant, and are obtained through a secret mixture of minerals. His creations are available in various colours and can be customised on request, even with the application of gold or silver leaf and other special finishes.
The company also creates large avant-garde works that are often exhibited in prestigious public spaces and concept stores. The furnace and the showroom will open their doors to the general public, with guided tours and other experiences, on the occasion of “Homo Faber in Città“, an initiative curated by Fondazione Cologni and the side-event of the great exhibition “Homo Faber: The Journey of Life“.

What is your story and how did you get into glassmaking?
Actually, I could not tell the exact moment when I approached glass. Since I was a child, I was surrounded by the sounds and colors of the furnace, thanks to my father. I have always seen glass being worked and it was natural for me to start doing it myself.

For your work, how important was the bond with the territory and the island of Murano?
It was crucial. My connection with the island of Murano is very strong. It has completely influenced me in all the aspects of my work, not only in terms of professional training.
Everything around me has stimulated and inspired me: the sounds of the tools, the burning ovens, the colours of the lagoon, the scent of salt, the wind, the colours of the sunset. All this is inside my works.

How has your work changed over all these years, from when you started to today?
Our work in recent years has shifted to custom-made production. We often work on request, or starting from the drawing or project of the customer, even for major international fashion brands or for the luxury field, who commission us the production of their objects.

What do you love the most about your work?
I love everything about my work. I am always stimulated by new requests and commissions, and the collaboration with other artists and designers always gives me something new that enriches my professional background.

What is the most important project you have realised so far?
To choose only one project out of all is difficult, because each one is special in its own way. I could say that working on urban installations has always been challenging and exciting for me: for example, so it was for the almost nine-metre high Christmas tree I made in 2006, and the glass comet I made in 2007, both exhibited in Campo Santo Stefano in Murano. The Christmas Tree then travelled, and was exhibited in several Italian cities.

How do you realise your works, what is the process?
I still make my works by following the oldest Murano glassworking techniques. Obviously, some aspects of the process have been adapted to contemporary standards and environmental regulations, but we essentially use the traditional techniques, handed down from father to son. Our artefacts are made of blown glass or solid submerged glass. The latter technique consists of soaking the glass in crucibles with different colours. The result is an object of great thickness, consisting of several layers of coloured glass. The tools have also remained unchanged, for example the “borselle”, special pliers for handling glass, which are made by local craftsmen, along with the rest of the working tools.

What are your plans for the future?
My plans for the future are always related to Murano glass: I would like to expand my collaborations, improve and refine my working techniques and my experience, to continue to contribute to the dissemination and the enhancement of Murano glass.

Simone Cenedese
Calle Bertolini, 6 – Murano (Venice)
Ph. +39 041 5274455
info@simonecenedese.it
www.simonecenedese.it

Attombri: timeless jewellery, between fashion, design and applied arts

Posted on 25 July 202412 July 2024 by fondazione

Attombri is a craft workshop in Venice, where glass, combined with other materials such as copper and silver, becomes costume jewellery and furnishing items.
Since the late 1980s, brothers Stefano and Daniele Attombri have been interpreting the history, techniques and potential of this material in a contemporary way, creating accessories and elements that combine fashion, interior design and applied arts.
They make lamps, decorative and functional objects, but above all extraordinary jewellery: their pieces are all unique and handcrafted, they are whimsical and timeless objets d’art that continue the tradition of Venetian “perlere” (bead makers), combined with techniques of their own invention with Art Nouveau influences.
Their works have been published and exhibited all over the world, from Europe to the United States and Japan. They have won the “New Talent 2006” award of “More”, the Milan jewellery fair. They have collaborated with prestigious companies such as Dolce & Gabbana, Romeo Gigli and Pauly.

What is your story and how did you approach the world of glass?
My brother and I started our business more than 37 years ago in Venice, which was completely different from what it is today.
We were so lucky to join the “Veneziana Conterie” factory in Murano in the early 1990s, just when it was closing down forever. We saw a world that would disappear with the closure of the company, and we realised that our work had to be focused on carrying on that tradition. So we started to buy those beads, to enhance them with a more contemporary design.

How important was the link with the territory and the island of Venice?
Venice and Murano are the life force of our work: surely our story would have been completely different if we had started in another city.
The energy and inspiration we found here cannot be compared with any other place, it is unique and will remain so even with the changes that have transformed and will transform the city over time.

What processing techniques do you mainly use?
We started our work from scratch, we knew nothing. But we always believed in it and, strong in our youth, we worked day and night on our work, inventing our own techniques, which combined metal and glassworking, something that was new in Venice at the time.

Have you ever collaborated with designers, crafters, or other professionals? For what kind of projects?
We have carried out many collaborations over the years. In the early 1990s we created sculpture-jewellery for famous Italian fashion designers, such as Romeo Gigli and Dolce & Gabbana. We have created jewellery for Antonella Ruggero, both for her concerts and for her participation in San Remo. We have also been carrying on a historical collaboration for years with the master Lucio Bubacco, with whom we have created jewellery-sculptures and real sculptures in glass and metal.

Is there any style, work or author you are inspired by or that you particularly appreciate?
Our creations come from occasional inspirations, which may come to us during our travels around the world, or from people we know. Everything is left to chance, we have never liked to take inspiration from other artists.

How important is the design phase in your work?
Actually, as we said about inspiration, we don’t have a structured designing phase. This makes our work unique, and perhaps it is also our strength, because there are still many people who feel unique and are looking for something unique: these are our customers.

“Homo Faber”, an important event dedicated to high craftsmanship to be held from the 1st to the 30th of September on the Island of San Giorgio, is approaching. Fondazione Cologni will curate “In Città”, a collateral initiative that will open the doors of Venice’s workshops to the public. Will you be organising anything special for this occasion?
Homo Faber is a wonderful event that allows a large number of people to get to know high craftsmanship.
We will not organise special events, but we will continue with our daily work: all those who want to come to our atelier in Rialto will be welcome. They will be able to see our creations and discover our world, accompanied by our explanations of techniques and processes. It will be an opportunity to get to know us better and to see how one of our artefacts is made.

Attombri
San Polo, 65 – Venice
Ph. +39 041 5212524
attombri@yahoo.it
www.attombri.com

Martina Vidal: the atelier where the Burano lace tradition becomes a living experience.

Posted on 24 June 202424 June 2024 by fondazione

Atelier Martina Vidal has been carrying on the Burano lace tradition for four generations now. Founded as a small family-run workshop from an idea of Martina Vidal, the brand now makes luxury lace for the home and person, and has a sumptuous showroom on the island of Burano in the Venetian lagoon.
The collections are the result of passion, experience and creativity, and are strictly Made in Italy, and handmade with quality fabrics.
In addition to the shop and the adjoining Lace Museum, Martina Vidal has set up the Venice Secret Garden: a place for relaxation and pleasure, a garden from which to admire the beauty of the island while enjoying the typical “Buranelli” biscuits. Thanks to the continuous commitment to teaching and disseminating this art, over the years the atelier has become a place where lace is not just a technique to be preserved, but a contemporary experience to be lived in person.

What is your story and how did you get into lace-making?
I was born on the island of Burano in Venice, and learnt the technique of needle lace as a child, as it used to be in the past, watching my mother, grandmother and aunts making lace at home. My mother was a lace maker who attended the Burano lace school, which opened in 1872 and closed in 1970. In the 1990s, at the age of almost 18 and with the help of my family, I opened a small lace workshop.

For your work, how important was the bond with the territory and the island of Burano?
When I opened the Vidal family’s first shop, which I called “Artigianato del Merletto da Martina” (Lace craftsmanship by Martina), I fulfilled a dream. The name followed the tradition of the shops in Burano: small businesses, almost entirely run by women, where the name represented a style, a way of making the products. Today, my work, which focuses on the production and sale of household linen, is still very much linked to the values of craftsmanship and well-made, and the desire to create original, high quality collections.

How has the business evolved over four generations?
In the past, lace-making was carried out inside the home and within the family, to help the island’s economy, which was based solely on fishing.
From a small craft workshop, we have become an atelier, where guests and customers can experience the hospitality of Burano, they can see the skilled hands of a lace-maker at work, touch the finest fabrics and order customised embroidery and lace. This is an atelier where lace becomes a contemporary experience to be lived in person.

How is the workshop and production organised to date? How many people assist you?
Today, we produce exclusive, made-to-measure collections for the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, as well as accessories and clothing. Over the years we have carried out a meticoulous research and a strict selection of our suppliers, checking the quality of the raw material, but also the processing methodology and its environmental and social sustainability.
For the production of the typical Burano lace,which is conceived, designed and produced entirely in Atelier Martina Vidal, three collaborators are involved, and two of them are master lacemakers.

Do you carry out any initiatives to promote this important tradition?
Since 2014, we have been organising lace courses and workshops in the atelier. The courses require several days of learning and are usually organised for one or three people at the most, while a workshop can be held in three or four hours, in a single day, and is also intended for groups of several people. In order to promote this tradition, we have also participated in many craft fairs and exhibitions.

“Homo Faber”, an important event dedicated to high craftsmanship to be held from 1st to 30th of September on the Island of San Giorgio (Venice), is approaching. Fondazione Cologni will curate “In Città” , a collateral initiative that will open the doors of Venice’s craft workshops to the public. Will you be organising anything special for this occasion?
Thus year in May, we presented a new experience in the atelier, designed to get the public interested in the art of needle lace, and to offer guests and customers of the atelier an interactive and engaging experience.
“RI-VIVI BURANO” consists of an immersive virtual reality experience through Meta Quest 3 visors and free navigation via teleport method. This experience allows one to virtually travel through the rooms of the past, present and future of the Island of Burano and the Atelier Vidal, and thus to understand the technique of lace-making and its tools, through gamification.
On the occasion of “Homo Faber In Città”, the Atelier Martina Vidal will offer a lace demonstration with its master lace-makers, an explanation of the history and contemporary workmanship, and a virtual journey with “RI-VIVI BURANO” to imagine together the future of lace-making.

Have you ever thought of dedicating yourself to teaching the technique to young people?
Once upon a time, this craft was handed down from mother to daughter and was purely performed within the walls of the home. The girls of Burano did not have many options in the field of work; they knew that the choice to become lacemakers was necessary. Today, it is fundamental that the profession of lacemaker is a choice guided by will, passion and a broader vision.
With the new experience RI-VIVI BURANO we want to start a much more complex project, which will lead to the creation of a globally accessible digital platform with lessons, tutorials and teaching resources. We believe that this new experience will enable us to meet and interact with new audiences, to get even the youngest people interested in the art of lace-making and to encourage a generational shift in the sector.

What would you say to someone who wants to approach this profession?
I would tell them that lace requires passion and dedication, but also a lot of creativity and originality. While the technique has remained unchanged, and it still requires a lot of commitment and time for learning it, today it is possible to combine this tradition with innovation. It is possibile, indeed, to produce a more contemporary version of lace, different from the sumptuous one of the past, and make it even in small dimensions, as an accessory or a detail, which gives beauty and uniqueness to a garment or an object.
This way, lace becomes more usable and accessible even in the making process.

Martina Vidal
Via San Mauro, 309 – Burano (Venice)
Ph. +39 041 735523
info@martinavidal.com
www.martinavidal.com

Timeless harmonies: the Ruffatti Brothers and the everlasting organ tradition

Posted on 24 May 202424 May 2024 by fondazione

Fratelli Ruffatti is a craft company of pipe organ builders and restorers. The workshop was established in Padua in 1940, and in a short time, thanks to the skill of their founders and the beauty and quality of their musical instruments, they obtained important commissions not only in Italy, but all over the world: from Europe to Asia, from Africa to the United States.
The company was among the first in the country to undertake the construction of organs using the mechanical system, already in the 1960s. Every component is hand-made in their workshop, with meticulous attention to detail: this allows for maximum quality control and customisation of each instrument.
In 2020, Piero and Francesco Ruffatti, the second generation at the helm of the business, were awarded the accolade “MAM – Maestro d’Arte e Mestiere” (Master of Arts and Crafts) by Fondazione Cologni.

What is the history of “Fratelli Ruffatti” and how did you approach the world of musical instruments?
The company was founded in 1940 by three partners, the brothers Antonio, Giuseppe and Alessio Ruffatti. After an apprenticeship at the renowned Malvestio company in Padua, which was closing down at the time, they began their journey independently, quickly gaining the trust and appreciation of many organists and customers.
Also thanks to the technical innovations they developed, the fame of the family company Fratelli Ruffatti reached every corner of Italy and, in the 1960s, even established itself on foreign markets, mainly Canada and the United States.
When, in 1968, alongside Antonio, who was the only one left of the three founding partners, his sons Piero and Francesco took over the business, the company gained even greater momentum, especially in export. To this day, in so many years of work, we have built more than six hundred instruments: some of them are huge, and they are across all continents. The main markets, in addition to Italy, are England, Ireland, Sweden, the United States, but also Australia, Korea, Japan, China and other countries.

What does it mean to pass on such an important tradition?
It is a privilege, but also a great responsibility. Especially if we think that Padua has been a documented “City of Organs” since the first half of the 14th Century!

How is an organ made, what is its making process?
The organ is the most complex musical instrument of all. In our workshop, we still use ancient techniques, and try to produce ourselves all the elements that make up the organ. There are very few of us left to do this: for example, among other things, we still cast the slabs ourselves to make our pipes, in tin and lead alloy.

Are there any masters you are inspired by, or a craft company that you particularly appreciate?
Our tradition dates back to the 18th Century Venetian Organ School. We have restored many of these instruments, in particular the ones built by the renowned organ maker Gaetano Callido (1727-1813), who is still an important point of reference for us. At the same time, however, we always try to innovate, by introducing new solutions according to the changing tastes and needs of musicians.

How important is design when making a musical instrument?
The organ is the only non-standardised musical instrument. This means that each instrument is different from all others in terms of size, aesthetic appearance, phonic composition, and it must adapt to ever-changing locations. Therefore, design is a key element. Every aspect of the organ must be designed and built according to the venue where it will be placed: the internal arrangement of its parts, the aesthetic appearance (which depends also on the architectural characteristics of the environment) and the composition of its ranks, i.e. the pitches and timbres.

What is the most important, or most challenging, project you have done so far?
There are many of them. The largest in size is an instrument made for Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, near Los Angeles. It has over 16,000 pipes, it is the size of an apartment building and it is among the five largest organs in the world. Other largew instruments include the five-keyboard organ for the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra hall and the six-keyboard organ for the Basilica of Monreale (Palermo).

How do you combine tradition and innovation in your work?
Even though we come from an important tradition, it is necessary to consider that the organ is an instrument in continuous evolution. So, at least for us, it is unthinkable to design and create instruments exclusively according to the criteria of the past. For this reason, in recent years we have also collaborated with the Fraunhofer Institut in Stuttgart, in order to seek new solutions to increasingly improve the technical and phonic performance of the instruments.

Fratelli Ruffatti
Via Facciolati, 166 – Padua
+39 049 750666
michela@ruffatti.com
www.ruffatti.com

Lorenzo Pusterla: craftsmanship excellence and contemporary design

Posted on 18 April 202419 April 2024 by fondazione

Pusterlamarmi is a craft company in Como, a true excellence in stone working and marble processing in particular, a material with which they produce refined furnishing accessories.
It was founded in 1977, and it is now run by the second generation, Lorenzo and Angela Pusterla, who respectively take care of the production and the management of the family business. Since its beginnings, the company has carried on this ancient craft, employing experienced and qualified workers.
An ancient tradition that continues in the name of innovation, thanks to the continuous search for new shapes and lines that meet contemporary living requirements. The result is unique pieces with modern and elegant taste, impeccable finishes and exquisite craftsmanship.
In 2022, Lorenzo Pusterla was awarded the title of MAM – Maestro d’Arte e Mestiere (Master of Arts and Crafts), recognised by Fondazione Cologni to master crafters who have distinguished themselves for their talent and know-how.

What is your story and how did you get involved in stonework?
As a young boy in the 1980s, I started working in my father’s workshop, becoming passionate about all phases of marble processing. After attending vocational school, I joined the company on a permanent basis.
At that time, we were already producing custom-made artistic works in the field of furniture and design.
I learnt the trade from my father and his collaborators, and later developed innovative technologies that enabled new solutions to be realised quickly.
When my father passed away, my sister Angela and I took over the company, keeping it up to date both technically and artistically.
Thanks to our long-standing collaboration with sculptor Bruno Luzzani, we have been organising sculpture symposia in our area since the 1980s.
In 2012, in collaboration with designer Lorenzo Damiani, we won first prize in the Best Communicator category at the Marmomacc international trade fair in Verona, and in 2022 I was awarded the title of MAM – Maestro d’Arte e Mestiere by Fondazione Cologni.

How important has been the link with the Como area for your work and the family business?
The Como area has always had the presence of numerous luxurious villas, both in the city and on the lake shores: this has allowed us to develop and flourish in our business of designing and executing high prestige furniture.
Our proximity to Milan, the undisputed capital of European design, allows us to collaborate with leading architectural firms on flooring, wall coverings and interior and exterior design and decoration projects.

The artefacts you make are a skilful combination of tradition and contemporary design. Is this a recent development, or have you always preferred a more modern and original style?
This is not a recent development, but stems from the experience we have accumulated over 50 years. Our uniqueness is deeply rooted in the culture of artistic craftsmanship. Each piece takes shape entirely in our workshop in Como and is the result of a process that blends traditional techniques with contemporary visions, guaranteeing timeless creations that enhance the natural beauty of the stones.

How is the business organised to date? How many employees assist you?
Our staff consists of 22 people; our strength lies in the in-house management of the entire production process. From the first consultation through to delivery and installation, each stage is handled with the utmost attention to detail and a constant commitment to excellence.
When we accept a commission, we always start with the consultancy: we listen to the customers ideas and guide them in choosing the materials and solutions best suited to their needs. We then provide detailed estimates and tailor-made solutions for the given budget. Next, our team of experts transforms the vision into a concrete project, using state-of-the-art CAD technology to precisely visualise the end result. We then move on to the actual realisation phase: the idea comes to life in the hands of our crafters, who work with dedication to realise every detail of the project.
Finally, we conclude with delivery and installation, guaranteeing a complete service right up to final installation, ensuring that each element is perfectly integrated in its context. However, our commitment continues even after the delivery, with service and maintenance, aimed at preserving the beauty and durability of our creations.

What does it mean today to pass on such an important tradition?
For me, it is very important to pass on to the next generation the passion and craftsmanship that we have contributed to preserve and flourish over so many years.

How important is design and planning when creating luxury furniture, or a work of art in marble?
For us, the thorough planning and elaboration of the entire production process is of utmost importance.

The “Salone del Mobile” and the Design Week in Milan has recently come to an end. Did you realise a particular project for this occasion?
We collaborate with the most important companies in the furniture and design sector, with whom we developed and produced new prototypes presented at the last “Salone del Mobile” in Milan.

What would you say to someone who wants to approach this craft?
I would say it is a challenging but rewarding work: from a block of marble comes a finished design product that is appreciated by customers all over the world.

Pusterlamarmi
Via Canturina, 107/109 – Como
Ph. +39 031 592443
info@pusterlamarmi.it
www.pusterlamarmi.it

Enza Fasano: a triumph of colour, between history and modernity.

Posted on 29 November 20238 February 2024 by fondazione

Enza Fasano‘s workshop is the true spearhead of Grottaglie ceramic art.
The master in fact grew up among terracottas, and having practiced this art all her life has allowed her to develop a refined and recognizable taste.
Today, in her historic atelier, she creates artefacts inspired by local tradition, but also reinvented with originality and enriched by shapes and chromatic plays; pieces that know how to surprise, the result of years in the workshop, family school and improvement, and suitable to satisfy a cosmopolitan and demanding clientele.
The large showroom presents hundreds of objects of great beauty: from the typical Apulian tradition to the more functional elements for the table and for the home.
In 2020, Enza Fasano gained the title “MAM – Master of Art and Craft”, bestowed by the Cologni Foundation.

Tell us your story and how was the Enza Fasano workshop born?
My story starts with my grandparents, who have always worked with clay.
My family and I have continued the tradition: my daughter, a designer, creates the collections for the company and my husband is the production manager. We continue to do it with the same passion of my ancestors, but with an eye to innovation, by studying new shapes, colours and decorations.
I still remember the emotion I felt as a young girl in seeing a potter shaping a “capasone”, an ancient wine container, 180 centimeters high, starting from a piece of clay, and thus composing the three pieces and assembling them together.
In this path, there has been no shortage of difficulties, mostly of a family nature, but the passion for this job made me overcome any obstacle.
I also remember with emotion my first sale: an object made with very little tools and materials available.
Today, after these difficulties, I am proud to have realised my dream of being appreciated by connoisseurs and a discerning public, and proud to adorn enchanting homes and hotels with our objects.
We have been able to expand our workshop.

What ceramic collections do you create?
There are many but I can summarise by saying that we produce table collections, lamps, garden vases and various objects. My favourite ones are lamps and ornamental objects.

How important is tradition in your work and how do you manage to combine it with the ability to innovate?
Everything we do comes from tradition, whether it is the shape, the decoration or the production technique. We have been making ceramics for five generations, the tools have changed but the techniques are the same as they used to be. We have a historical repertoire to which I spontaneously refer.
I like to interpret history and bring it into modern environments.

We also have some emblematic collections in this respect. For example, the slim vases: ‘slim’ is the elongated shape of the objects, borrowed from Grottaglie tradition, that were once used for pouring water, wine and oil, the so-called vummile, trufolo and oliera. This collection is very popular, and combines the custom of the past with the style of the present, giving new life to ancient forms and creating a renewed way of conceiving the home.

Another collection that combines tradition and innovation is the ‘pupa’ (doll) and the cavalier: from the feudal period we remember the legend of the ‘Pupe with moustaches’. It is said that the iniquitous ‘jus primae noctis’ unleashed the jealousy of a future husband who, in order not to have his consort owned by the feudal lord on duty, disguised himself as a bride by presenting himself before the nobleman, but because he had forgotten to shave off his moustaches, he was soon discovered. As punishment, he was ordered to provide the best of his wine in anthropomorphic ceramic flasks in memory of the betrayal, later called ‘Pupe’. Today, Pupas with and without moustaches are reproduced, also in the ‘horse’ version to commemorate the groom’s escape from the castle, also used as candlesticks or as lamp bases.

Or the pizzolato table service, a collection that originated between the 14th and 15th centuries, originally enamelled in typical colours such as ivory or green. A highlight of our production for its particular hammered edge, obtained by turning a serrated tool on the edge of the dish while still soft. We offer this collection in the 37 colours in our palette, the infinite possible combinations that make the mood of this table unique and unexpected every time.

Where does the inspiration for your works come from?
From tradition, as I explained before, and from nature, from which the collection of artichokes, agave leaves, octopuses and fish was born.

How important is the connection with the city of Grottaglie for your work?
This is where it all starts. In the past, there were many clay quarries in Grottaglie and this is why the art of ceramics spread. In ancient times, mainly tableware and large containers for food were produced, as well as traditional ornamental objects representing myths and legends, such as the doll with a moustache, and decorations such as the “smammriato” which we still use today, always re-designed in a modern way. The stylistic bond with Grottaglie is therefore very strong.

Do you also carry out educational activities? Are you available to welcome young people for training internships?
We currently only host one artist residency per year. Our dream is to pass on our knowledge through educational activities, but at the moment we are unable to for reasons of time and space.
The artist residency held annually is curated by Terraterra, an invitation-only art residency programme dedicated to tableware. Terraterra selects the artists, while my daughter Giovanna is mainly in charge of this project. The objects created during the residency are tableware: in past years the artists have worked on the lines of our flat plates and jugs, while this year they worked on the glasses, designing and modifying our shapes, and entrusting the production to us.

What are your plans for the future of your business?
We dream of a cultural and educational place that complements our production.
We would like to expand the residency experience, adding even longer classes for professionals, in which they can complete their projects themselves.
Another dream is to organize an immersive experience in the world of ceramics. Our company preserves ancient production spaces and tools, such as ancient wood-fired ovens and pedal lathes. We have the desire to open these places to show them to those interested in our work, showing both the modern and ancient workshops.

Enza Fasano
Via Caravaggio, 31 – Grottaglie (Taranto)
Ph. +39 3483573110
info@enzafasano.it
www.enzafasano.it

William Bertoia: traditional mosaic art in dialogue with innovation

Posted on 3 November 20233 November 2023 by fondazione

Friul Mosaic is a family-run craft company of artistic mosaics, founded by William Bertoia in 1987.
The atelier draws on an important tradition, with an eye towards contemporary design: starting from the concept, for which innovative motifs and original compositions are sought, each mosaic is made by hand, tile after tile, respecting the traditional techniques.
Wall mosaic decorations, floor coverings, artistic and architectural solutions are all rigorously made to measure, with mastery, rigor and accuracy, without forgetting creativity and innovation. In fact, alongside classic motifs, original and modern textures are proposed, inspired by nature, works of art and myth, but also by modern mosaic as an interior design element.
In 2020, William Bertoia gained the “MAM – Master of Art and Crafts” title, bestowed by the Cologni Foundation.

What was your path and how did you start doing this job?
My path as a mosaicist began as a child with the finding of a bag of marble tiles belonging to my grandfather, a master mosaicist and terrazzo craftsman.
Then, I attended and graduated from the Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli (Mosaic School of Friuli) in Spilimbergo.
I started working in the marble workshops in the area and then, in 1987, I opened my own mosaic company.

Friuli is recognized all over the world for the tradition of mosaic. How important was the bond with the territory for your work?
The craft spread in Friuli Venezia Giulia region during the Roman Empire in the city of Aquileia. Here, in the early Christian period, it was then transformed from a decorative art, for private homes and public spaces, to sacred art for the decoration of the churches.
The technique was also used in the Byzantine period (of which we have an astonishing example in the apse of the cathedral of San Giusto in Trieste), whose workers then formed the basis for the workshops of Venice, during the birth of the guilds.
When the guild of terrazzo craftsmen and mosaic artists was born, many of these masters were Friulians.

After the fall of the Venetian Republic, the Friulian artisans spread out across the major European cities of the time, due to the closure of almost all the workshops.
They opened ateliers in Paris, Copenhagen, Berlin. However, the bond with the region remained alive, and this led to the creation of the Spilimbergo school. The various styles are taught here: Roman, Byzantine, Renaissance and contemporary; direct and indirect processing, the latter entering the world of mosaic around 1860.
This process allows work to be carried out in the workshop on any type of decoration required, whether ancient or modern and of any size.

When there is a large order, we resort to the collaboration of other workshops and artisans of the area, whose work is high-quality and we know what to expect; this is important because the execution must be homogeneous, as if done by a single hand.

Friul Mosaic, the company I founded in 1987, hired almost all mosaic artists who graduated from the Spilimbergo School, where I finished my studies in 1961. Natalina, one of my first collaborators, now leads the workshop. My daughters, sons-in-law and first grandson operate within the company in different roles, according to their skills; production and installation of the mosaic for the males, who learned this art in the ateliers of the area, as well as alongside me on various construction sites in Italy and abroad; my daughters Barbara and Tiziana take care of the relationship with customers and architects, organize participation in fairs and draw up estimates. They have thirty years of experience by now. Barbara has a degree in Business Economics and Tiziana has a diploma as a Business Expert and foreign languages. They have been surrounded by mosaic from an early age and decided, once they finished their studies, to join the family business, a work environment that requires a specific know-how on how to promote, lead and manage the work of around thirty people.

Your works are true masterpieces of mosaic decoration, some of significant size. How do you organize your work? Do you have collaborators who assist you?
The mosaicist’s work begins with the preparation of the design and the choice of materials to use for the creation of the mosaic. Then we move on to the distribution of tasks to the staff: cutting the materials, gluing the tiles, checking the dry work, then packaging and shipping. Finally, inspection of the construction site and verification of the surfaces intended for the setting up of the mosaic.
The company includes mosaic artists, technical designers, administrative staff, promotion and marketing staff, and staff responsible for cutting the marble to produce the tiles.

How many hours of work does the creation of a large-scale work require?
The creation of a work depends on several factors: type of decoration, type of materials (which can be for example marble, vitreous enamel or others), size of the tiles and size of the work. It can take from four hours per square meter, for the simplest surfaces, to well over 100 hours per square meter for micromosaics with minute and complex decorations.

What styles and techniques do you prefer?
As a mosaicist I have no style preferences, certainly the more complex creations leave a more vivid memory.

Who are the clients of your works and what has been the most interesting work you have created so far?
The clients are of various kinds, and they follow all the phases of the setting up.
They can be religious institutes for which we create mosaic works of sacred art; owners of shops, hotels, private villas – for such buildings we create walkable surfaces or walls decorated in mosaic, swimming pools and wellness areas, floors, entrances and rooms – public bodies which commision us mosaic surfaces with decorations of representative subjects or themes; but also designers and marble workers.
For me, the most interesting work, among the many I carried out, can be considered, in terms of prestige and size, the covering of the dome of the National Sanctuary of Nossa Señora Aparecida: over 2000 squared meters of enamel and gold for the largest basilica in the world, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, which welcomes 13 million pilgrims a year.
However, the projects we have created for major fashion brands are also very important, such as Dolce&Gabbana, Marni, and others that I cannot mention for confidentiality.

How important is, in your opinion, handing down craft know-how to new generations?
Experience and knowledge of this craft is very useful for new generations and their education.
Care, love for art and lasting beauty have a positive impact on coexistence and civic awareness. The masterpieces handed down over the centuries are evidences of the work of great artists and masters of the past.
This can also be our case: the works produced in recent years will be witnesses for centuries of our ability and know-how.

What are your plans for the future of the business?
Personally, I can plan only a short-term future, being 80 years old! I would like to conclude my work as a mosaic artist with a personal exhibition. That could be a review of works, ranging from sacred art in Byzantine style, to the mosaic translation of famous works by impressionists, ending with contemporary mosaic compositions. I am thinking about fifteen works to be exhibited in some cities, to make this art more known and appreciated.
As Friul Mosaic company, founded by me in 1987, now directed by my daughters Barbara and Tiziana, by the workshop manager Natalina and my nephew Nicola who is responsible for the marketing, the future seems to be on an excellent path. There is no shortage of projects, work is progressing well, and exept for pandemics or other calamities, our contribution in this field will continue to be operating and rewarding.

Friul Mosaic
Via San Giacomo, 42 – San Martino al Tagliamento (Pordenone)
Ph. +39 0434 89191
info@friulmosaic.com
www.friulmosaic.com

Orsola Clerici: painting dreams

Posted on 18 September 202318 September 2023 by fondazione

PictaLab is an interior decoration workshop created in Milan over fifteen years. It was founded in 2007 by Orsola Clerici, in collaboration with Chiara Troglio.
In this elegant atelier, hand-painted wallpaper and wall decorations are created, with many different techniques: from fresco to trompe l’oeil, from coating to lacquering. Here, skilled craftspeople masterfully carry out each project, which always arises from a direct confrontation with the clients to understand their needs and expectations, and take care of the execution, rigorously made-to-measure.
Every creation always takes into account the architectural space and the context in which the idea is shaped, to offer creative and personalized solutions. In addition to wall decorations, the workshop also offers a customization service for furniture and interior design objects.
Orsola Clerici, co-owner and co-founder of the studio, obtained in 2020 the title “MAM – Maestro d’Arte e Mestiere” by Cologni Foundation for the Métiers d’Art.

What was your career path and how did you start doing this job?
I studied painting and restoration first at the Como Fine Arts Academy and then at Brera Fine Arts Academy. The study of time-honoured techniques and materials was very useful.
Later I started working in Milan with decorator Alfonso Orombelli, and soon I opened my own activity. I had the great fortune to immediately start working with renowned architects such as Piero Castelli and Barbara Frua, who offered me the opportunity to grow and learn, as well as to admire and work in enchanting spaces and places.

What styles, techniques and materials do you prefer?
I’m quite eclectic and I’m interested in many techniques. The tempera painting on large surfaces perhaps remains my favourite one, however I am also very interested in engraving or other similar techniques on particular supports, such as glass. I’m also dealing with hybrid techniques of digital printing and manual techniques, which are giving me great satisfaction.

How do you create a bespoke interior decoration project?
The first step is the analysis of the space and its characteristics: the plan, the brightness, the intended use, the characterizing architectural elements, and so on; all this has to be combined with the wishes of the customer or the designer.
The project must be based on these premises and then studied through sketches, 3D visualizations, photomontages and moodboards. Once the sketch has been approved, we develop the executive project for the implementation.

Is there any artist or master artisan you particularly appreciate?
There are many of them! I constantly study ancient art: from the great masters of the Italian Renaissance to Roman painting, up to the Bolognese decorators of the 18th century. I also appreciate many contemporary decorators, my collaborators in the first place, among which I mention by right of seniority only Greta Gallia, Alice Zaninetti, Valeria Brigliano, Giulia Lavina, Melinda Forfori. I have great esteem for Idarica Gazzoni and Elena Carozzi. I also appreciate companies such as De Gournay or Fromental, which develop products of superior craftsmanship.

How is the workshop organized today? Do you have collaborators who assist you in the work?
Our workshop is constantly growing: it counts today 12 persons and as many collaborators. Our team is composed of planners, decorators who take care of the realization, and an administrative department.

What is the most important or most inspiring project you have completed so far?
I have been lucky enough as to carry out many inspiring projects. So, this is a very difficult question! At the moment I am engaged in the creation of painted mirrors with a special ancient technique. I’m also working on a large decoration with huge plants for a stairwell in a building in Rome.
With my partner Chiara, we always remember a “legendary” job we did: the decoration of the “Monastero” resort in Pantelleria (Sicily), in collaboration with Barbara Frua and Fabrizio Ferri.

How do you combine tradition and innovation in your work?
It’s something I do every day on various levels: creatively, I try to translate ancient decorations into contemporary taste. On a technical level, I try to innovate processes and techniques, also by making use of new materials, as well as new technologies, for example applications for digital design, laser cutting for moulds, in some cases digital printing or scanning.
Without ever forgetting the study of ancient techniques, such as verre églomisé, which consists in applying a design, or gold or silver leaf, on the back of a glass panel.

In 2023, you hosted the young decorator Soé Astuquipan Leo in your atelier, as part of the Cologni Foundation’s “A School, a Job” project. How was this experience of collaboration with an apprentice? Do you carry out other activities for the training of young people and the transmission of your knowhow?
It was a nice experience. Soé has a very delicate hand and is very sensitive. Furthermore, the fact that she is Peruvian and therefore belongs to a different culture from ours makes the collaboration even more stimulating.
In our atelier and on site we constantly carry out training. One of the most stimulating and beautiful things about my job is certainly having the opportunity to live among creative people in a continuous exchange of ideas and skills. If some can offer the experience, others add freshness and innovation. In this work you never stop developing new skills, and I can’t say who, between the teacher and the pupil, learns the most!

PictaLab
Via Battista de Rolandi, 14 – Milan
Ph. +39 02.28095960
clio@pictalab.com
www.pictalab.com

Living heritage: Diego Poloniato and the excellence of the ceramic tradition of Nove

Posted on 30 August 202330 August 2023 by fondazione

Diego Poloniato is a master ceramicist who grew up in Nove, a small town renowned for the ceramic tradition.
He specializes in the creation of the typical Venetian “cuchi” and “arcicuchi”, whistling terracotta sculptures of different sizes, with varied and curious shapes; but he also creates home ornaments and clay sculptures, mastering various modeling and coloring techniques, from oxides to engobes, and making the most of the nuances of the earth.
His style is truly unmistakable, imaginative, whimsical and original, and gives life to cockerels, hussars on horseback, clowns, pinocchios and other animals, also combined in complex epic scenes.
In 2020 he gained the “MAM – Maestro d’Arte e Mestiere” title, bestowed by the Cologni Foundation.

How and why did you decide to dedicate yourself to ceramics?
I was born into a family where almost everyone worked in ceramics: father, mother, uncles and cousins. It is a material that has always been present in my life. Since I was a child, I used to watch my father working on tiny or impressive sculptures in clay, and try to imitate his gestures. I loved being next to him and trying to learn as much as possible, while he told me the stories of the past, of his childhood lived in poverty during the war. He became a ceramic molding teacher at the Istituto Statale d’ Arte of Nove, the school I attended for three years; and I, as a teenager, felt embarassed of having my father as a teacher.
At the end of the course I worked for about four years in a factory that produced sculptures. After that, I decided to open my own workshop. My father continued to teach me the secrets of the craft, while I was trying to find my identity as a ceramicist.

Nove (Vicenza) is a town famous for its ceramic production. How important was the bond with the territory for your career as a ceramicist?
The bond with the territory is, and has always been, fundamental for my professional and artistic growth: it gave me the opportunity to get in touch with an ancient tradition, and at the same time to confront myself with stylistic, technological and material innovations. Growing up in a town of fervent creativity and industriousness, provided me with the stimulus and knowledge to evolve my own style, differentiating myself from other ceramicists.

You specialize in making the typical Venetian “cuchi” and “arcicuchi”, terracotta whistles with curious shapes. How did this passion come about and what are the secrets of these particular artifacts?
In 1961 the director of the Civic Museum of Vicenza, Gino Barioli, invited many ceramic teachers and students of the area to create “arcicuchi”, large whistling sculptures. On that occasion, my father’s “Napoleonic soldier arcicuco” was purchased by the Museum, and it’s still exhibited there. Starting from that satirical sculpture, many ceramicists started an artistic and modern reinterpretation of the two-tone terracotta whistles, which had been, until then, a simple toy to give to children at village festivals, or as a gift to a loved one.
In my childhood I saw countless arcicuchi, different in size and shape, and I was inspired by them, always looking for new lines, materials and subjects that could better represent my personality and my style. I create riders on horseback, or on bulls and cocks; high relief panels, trees of life, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, Pinocchios, clowns, policemen and animals of every species and shape. The real secret in making these artifacts is in following one’s creative flair, giving space to the imagination with caricatural and fairy-tale subjects.

What is your favorite working technique and what does it consist of?
For several years I created the clay model of objects requested by the ceramic factories in the area, from which the plaster mold was then created for mass production. In those years I dedicated my free time to creating my cuchi and arcicuchi, experimenting with techniques, materials and shapes. Refractory and semi-refractory clays are my favorite materials for their yield and plasticity. I love to prepare by myself the shades of the semi-refractory materials that I need, and try to obtain a harmonious polychrome whole.
Using polychrome semi-refractory clay requires technique and patience: you have to proceed by adding piece by piece, paying attention not to contaminate the colours. My pieces are made entirely by hand without the use of plaster molds, they are fired at a high-temperature and finished with engobes or pure oxides.
Your style is truly unique. Where do you draw inspiration from?
I draw inspiration from fairy tales, legends, local folk stories, and I use their stories and characters with delicate irony. They bring joy to people.

How many hours of work does the creation of one of your pieces require and what is the process?
My works require different timing, depending on the size and degree of finishing I wish to give to the sculpture. I never count the hours, I just stop when I have achieved the result I imagined.
I start by creating the base, on which I then proceed to build the subject that I have imagined by adding material.

Do you also organize courses in your workshop? Or other initiatives to promote this art?
I don’t run classes in my workshop, but I often do live crafting demonstrations at the events I attend. For the Civic Museum of Nove, I made a demonstration video with the curator Elena Agosti, to teach how to build a cuco. Other video footage of my work was made by Geo&Geo, by the Veneto region, by some universities and the Volksbank, to promote local craftsmanship in Italy and abroad, and to carry on research on this tradition.
I particularly love to run courses for children and teenagers in schools, because they know how to use limitless imagination and creativity, for the pure sake of creating, unlike adults, who often have very high expectations and are influenced by precise, existing models.

In 2020 you gained the “MAM – Maestro d’Arte e Mestiere” title from the Cologni Foundation. What was it like to receive this acknowledgement, dedicated to the authentic masters of craftsmanship?
I have won numerous awards in my career as a craftsman, both for cuchi and sculptures, with great pleasure and satisfaction. None of these equal the gratification and pride I felt in receiving this very important title, which I didn’t really expect. Receiving such a prestigious title in 2020, when the business was stopped by the pandemic, gave me the strength to continue resisting in a really dark moment.
Being recognized as a Master of Arts and Crafts pushes me to improve myself continuously to honor this acknowledgment.

Diego Poloniato
Via Astronauti, 3 – Nove (VI)
Ph. +39 0424 592422
poloniatolab@gmail.com
www.diegopoloniato.it