argilos at carwan gallery is a dialogue between 20th-century and contemporary ceramics

carwan gallery presents argilos with Fondazione Officine Saffi

Carwan Gallery announces Argilos, a landmark ceramics exhibition in Greece, jointly with Milan-based non-profit Fondazione Officine Saffi. The exhibition introduces a curated selection of 27 ceramic artists from across the globe, most of whom are shown in Greece for the first time. Founded in 2011, Fondazione Officine Saffi is renowned for its commitment to fostering new research and experimentation in ceramics, working on the intersection between fine art, craftsmanship, and collectible design. Through a multidisciplinary approach comprising exhibitions, educational programs, residencies, and publications, the foundation actively encourages dialogue and engagement with ceramics, appealing to a broad audience and spreading the transformative potential of this medium within the realms of art, culture, and society. Argilos is on view until November 11th, 2023. 

image © Epaminondas Koutsoukis | @eko69

exploring ceramic artistry from the 1970s onward

The Argilos exhibition at Carwan Gallery (see more here) offers a comprehensive overview of artists from Fondazione Officine Saffi’s remarkable collection, highlighting the foundation’s extensive research in 20th-century and contemporary ceramics. Spanning from the 1970s to the present, the exhibition underscores an enduring commitment to ceramics as a potent artistic medium. The showcase encompasses functional and non-functional ceramic pieces, most specially commissioned by Fondazione Officine Saffi and now part of its collection.

Every artwork on display is pushing the boundaries of the medium, showcasing the limitless creativity, expressiveness, and plastic potential of clay in a visual and material conversation between the past and the present. The exhibition is a large-scale design installation inside Carwan Gallery’s flagship space in Piraeus. All the pieces are presented together on a grand plinth at the gallery’s center, constructed using humble concrete hollow blocks, commonly found in rural settings as the basic material of quotidian architecture. This design concept presents the artworks as fragments of a collection in progress, creating a visually striking narrative.

image © Epaminondas Koutsoukis

a dialogue between 20th-century and emerging artists

The roster of artists featured in this exhibition includes 20th-century masters who have significantly influenced contemporary ceramics, especially during the transformative 1970s and 1980s. Their works engage in a compelling dialogue with mid-career artists, as well as emerging talents, bridging generational and stylistic trajectories. Notable highlights encompass the celebrated 20th-century artist Carlo Zauli, a trailblazer in Italian modern ceramics, as well as influential international figures in the world of contemporary ceramics, such as Torbjørn Kvasbø (Norway), Shozo Michikawa (Japan), Johannes Nagel (Germany), and Anders Ruhwald (Denmark/USA). All ceramic pieces at the exhibition are unique and available for sale.

The complete list of exhibited artists is as follows: Gordon Baldwin, Claudi Casanovas, Roger Coll, Mia E Göransson, Morten Løbner Espersen, Ian Godfrey, Turi Heisselberg Pedersen, Keiji Ito, Sangwoo Kim, Yasuhisa Kohyama, Torbjørn Kvasbø, Loredana Longo, Shozo Michikawa, Kazuhito Nagasawa, Johannes Nagel, Colin Pearson, Irina Razumovskaya, Päivi Rintaniemi, Anders Herwald Ruhwald, Nina Salsotto Cassina, Christina Schou Christensen, John Shea, Zsolt József Simon, Shingo Takeuchi, Kati Tuominen-Niittylä, Ann Van Hoey, Carlo Zauli.

image © Epaminondas Koutsoukis

image © Epaminondas Koutsoukis

Taffy (2018) by Christina Schou Christensen | image courtesy Carwan Gallery

Tall Standing Form (2001) by Gordon Baldwin | image courtesy Carwan Gallery

Piece 344 by Ann Van Hoey | image courtesy Carwan Gallery

Johannes Nagel | image courtesy Carwan Gallery

Sun (2016) by Sangwoo Kim | image courtesy Carwan Gallery

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image © Epaminondas Koutsoukis

Una I (2021) by Paivi Rintaniemi image courtesy Carwan Gallery

Roger Coll | image courtesy Carwan Gallery

Two Sailors (2018) by Anders Ruhwald | image courtesy Carwan Gallery

Valence (2022) by Nina Salsotto Cassina | image courtesy Carwan Gallery

Kioku (2020) by Kazuhito Nagasawa | image courtesy Carwan Gallery

Morten Espersen (2011-2017) | image courtesy Carwan Gallery

Stack (2010) by TorbJorn Kvasbo | image courtesy Carwan Gallery

Suemono (2020) by Yasuhisa Kohyama | image courtesy Carwan Gallery

Large Oval Bowl (1989) by Colin Pearson | image courtesy Carwan Gallery

Cup With Rose (1970) by Ian Godfrey | image courtesy Carwan Gallery

Tanka with silver sculptural form (2018) by Shozo Michikawa | image courtesy Carwan Gallery

Cup With Rose (1970) by Ian Godfrey | image courtesy Carwan Gallery

Shizuka (2016) by Kiji Ito | image courtesy Carwan Gallery

Sekki Vase (2015) by Shingo Takeuchi | image courtesy Carwan Gallery

Vaso sconvolto (1978) by Carlo Zauli | image courtesy Carwan Gallery

From the series Winter Medow (2017) by Kati Tuominen Nittyla | image courtesy Carwan Gallery

exhibition info:

name: Argilos

location: Carwan Gallery | @carwangallery, Piraeus, Greece

collection by: Fondazione Officine Saffi | @officinesaffi

viewing dates: September 21 – November 11, 2023