FACTORY. Exhibited in - Ceramics Now, Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza

Dissemination context:
Brownsword was one of fifty-three artists selected by a panel of seventeen international curators, invited to exhibit at 60th Faenza Prize, Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche Faenza, Italy. The ‘Competition of Contemporary Ceramic Art, Faenza Prize’ has been a long-standing event which has celebrated the ceramic work of international artists. Two components from Brownsword’s solo exhibition FACTORY at Icheon World Ceramic Centre, South Korea (22/04- 28/05/17), were curated to represent ‘the most significant ceramic art researches created by both international masters and young talents’ (sic). Work comprised of a low-level plinth onto which discarded bone-china flowers resultant from Brownsword’s intervention into ex-industry artisan Rita Floyd’s craft, were installed; wall plinth housing deconstructed post-industrial materials salvaged from former factories presented as a formal taxonomy to re-attribute value to displaced labour in North Staffordshire; a film loop of once prominent sites of ceramic manufacture being reclaimed by nature (2016).

Curators of the Biennale included - Sandra Benadretti, Luca Bochicchio, Irene Biolchini, Claudia Casali, Monika Gass, Wendy Geers, Grant Gibson, Tomo Hirai, Jacques Kaufmann, Torbjorn Kvasbo, Alessandra Laitempergher, Elaine Olafson Henry, Jelena Popovic, Urmas Puhkan, Vittorio Amedeo Sacco, Nathalie Shu-ling Chiang, Marco Tonelli.

Competition of Contemporary Ceramic Art, “Faenza Prize”, is the long-lasting and remarkable recognition in the world of ceramic art. Starting from 1938, it became a fundamental event firstly for Italian ceramic Art and then, from 1964, for the international context, in 1989 it became a biennial event. It has been fundamental to allow people to understand that ceramics is not only for functional creations but it is a material for contemporary art. During its life the Faenza Prize has represented the works by great artists such as Lucio Fontana, Leoncillo Leonardi, Angelo Biancini, Guido Gambone, Pietro Melandri, Carlo Zauli, Eduard Chapallaz, Sueharu Fukami, who determined great changes in the history of sculpture and art in general.

The 60th edition is a great opportunity to create a special event testifying its aim and essence. The 60th Faenza Prize, for the first time of its history, will be a great exhibition supported by international curators responsible for selecting and inviting artists from all over the world. From 30th June to 14th October 2018 Faenza will house the most significant ceramic art researches created both by international masters and young talents.

“The project of this Biennale has been shared by several art critics who have been working for years, taking into consideration international ceramic competitions and exhibitions. The Faenza Prize is known worldwide and has always been an opportunity for sharing art experiences and stimulate the dialogue – explains Claudia Casali MIC Director – to celebrate this unique goal, all the curators decided to carry on a deep reflection on the meaning of ceramic sculpture today. As I underlined several times, in the latest 15 years ceramics has been showing important results, reaching great objectives. The new generation of artists are working on new experimentations, joining the different art media and materials. It is the aspect that we want to enhance through our work, our convictions and activities”.

The exhibition will be flanked by a Congress arranged at MIC by ICMEA, International Association of Editors of Ceramic art, where many artists, curators and journalists will discuss about contemporary ceramics.’
Taken from: http://www.micfaenza.org/en/mostre/378-ceramics-now-the-faenza-prize-is-80-years-old.php