design@km0.umbria.it: Food design and Deruta pottery

July 4 – August 4, 2008
Spoleto – Italy

ADI – Industrial Design Association – has chosen a very intriguing subject to celebrate the opening of a new branch in Umbria: Food Design.

Important designers, a famous chef and a group of Deruta potters joined their creative skills to set up an exhibition that shows how simple and natural ingredients can be turned into creative, tasty food and how tasty food can be arranged into unique plates for a multi-sensory experience.

The key characters of the event are local food (km0) and Deruta ceramic plates, all created by the International School of Ceramic Art “Romano Ranieri” and hand painted by the School artists and other potters.

 Involtini - Credit: ADIVideos, installations, and objects turn food into a very exciting experience and suggest new ways of eating.

The purpose of the Association is to show how successful design innovation is powered by the creative ideas of differing “cultures” – in this example food & wine producers, a chef and pottery makers – sharing a single-minded project.

What makes this initiative so special, in addition to its great concept and content, is that it involves Italian pottery in a creative and contemporary context.

Crescionda - Credit: ADI

Unfortunately, this is quite a seldom occurrence in Italy, where the potential of our unrivaled pottery tradition is so often unexploited.

Let’s challenge our talented ceramicists!

The success of the ADI exhibition shows that Italian pottery has great resources and a lot to say in terms of Design and Art.

An example? Look at the outstanding pieces created by the International School of Ceramics in Deruta for the event, all inspired by a different recipe and serving a unique functional purpose.

Quenelle - Credit: ADINicola Boccini and his team made all the prototypes and the decoration of most of them.

Nicola is a young, though very experienced artist from Deruta and the owner of the International School of Ceramics. A deep knowledge of any clay molding techniques supports his continuous striving to get to the limit that not technical challenge can surpass.

Piramide - Credit: ADI

Just like a Renaissance alchemist he experiments and creates original ceramic works, always rich in creative talent and technical virtue.

Well done, Nicola. And keep us posted on your next projects …

Palazzo Leti Sansi
Via Arco di Druso 37
Spoleto