Exhibition of ceramics in Castellamonte, the curator Bertero and the Ukrainian artists

A scenography depicts the destroyed buildings of their cities: “The crates arrived from under the bombs, God only knows how”

CASTELLAMONTE. Professor is rightly satisfied Giuseppe Bertero after having reviewed, once again, on the eve of the inauguration, all the exhibition venues that will host the 61st Ceramics Exhibition, which he curated, which will open on Saturday 20 August.

It seemed impossible to be able to do better than last and previous years, maintaining the same quality standard and, at the same time, offering something new and original, but he, already after the closing of the previous edition, threw himself headlong into the organization to the point of completing this exhibition which tells of the excellent state of health that ceramics enjoy today. A sign that the land of art knows no decline and continues to project itself with enthusiasm and creativity into the future, and also a sign that the curator, once again, has been able to identify the most interesting artists and wisely intertwine, comparing them, experiences, experiments and different paths but united by the common language of ceramic art.

A beautiful exhibition, according to those who have already managed to peek, in recent weeks, into the work in progress of the professor and his collaborators, but it could not have been otherwise, being dedicated to the hundred years of the Felice Faccio School of Art, today Artistic high school. He dedicates that it is a reference to a glorious history, pride not only of the city of Castellamonte, but of the whole Piedmont and internationally known, which is accompanied by another dedication, that of the international ceramic competition Ceramics in love to Ukraine .

About the latter Bertero says with emotion: «I had in the list that I compile every year some Ukrainian artists that I invited to participate in the exhibition. It was February 28, their country had been invaded by the Russians for four days, but little was known about what was happening and how. They replied that it would be very difficult, as they were in the basement of houses and workshops with the Russian bombs raining on them. This touched me particularly and from there we decided to dedicate the competition to Ukraine. Great, then, was the surprise when, some time later, some crates with their works arrived. How the five artists, in those conditions, managed to get them to us God only knows ». And he underlines: «These are very interesting works and, around them, I have created a very particular scenography, depicting destroyed buildings of Ukrainian cities. A young artist sent a series of small porcelains titled Bombe, while another of the works represents Ivan Stepanovi Mazepa-Koledinskyj, chief of the Ukrainian Cossack army, born in 1644 and died in 1709, remembered for trying to create one Ukrainian state independent from Russia. They are truly exciting works that effectively demonstrate how art can resist against any adversity. The Ceramics in love exhibition which includes these and over 100 works by other artists, all of great aesthetic interest and from 15 countries from all over the world, was set up at ground floor of the Martinetti Congress Center, using, in addition to normal supports, also a series of pallets, supplied with great availability by the firm Plastic Legno of Castellamonte ».

«Part of the works – continues the curator – is also housed on the first floor of the building, next to the exhibition Ceramiche sonore, linked to the recent international competition of the terracotta whistle. The second floor, on the other hand, next to the permanent exhibition in Clizia, will host two young artists Gianluca Cutrupi, from Savona, and Paolo Pastorino, from Albisola, with their pop / ceramic works, very innovative in form and technique ».

The renovation works still underway at Palazzo Botton have forced the exhibition to increase the exhibition points that make it up, in all 15, 8 of which are private, giving life to a widespread network that has few equals in Italy. Starting from the Rotonda Antonelliana which, this year, is enriched with new participants from Faenza, from the Baia della Ceramica (Savona, Albissola Marina, Albisola Superiore and Celle Ligure) and from Pavia, which will support the artists from Castellamonte: 15 large-scale installations and medium-sized, which will tell the contemporary of ceramic sculpture. «Two important locations – Bertero recalls – will be the Council Chamber of the Municipality and the House of Music. The first will host, thanks to the collaboration of the Consulate and Embassy of Romania, the exhibition homage to the Romanian citizens guests in Castellamonte, with the extraordinary ceramic sculptures by Nicolae Moldovan and the black ceramics of Marginea. The exhibition is hosted in the Council Chamber precisely to underline its institutional importance. The “musical” works created by the students of the Faccio Art School to celebrate their centenary and 200 years of the Castellamonte Philharmonic will be exhibited at the Casa della Musica. Also there will be exhibited a large bas-relief by the artist Enrico Carmassi, former dean of the School of Art from 1944 to 1967, as well as my unforgotten teacher ».

All this and much, much more awaits visitors who will not fail to appreciate the work done by the indomitable professor.