This year’s Cersaie exhibition in Bologna was not without a flair unique to 2022. Clear off the two pandemic years, the show celebrated the coming together of industry professionals, creatives and the general public with a generous presence of art. From purpose-driven installations to showcasing product as art, the show painted a global light-hearted theme around the exhibits.
Chromatica | NAXOS
Coming in this year with a robust series of earthen colour tones, the innovative 40x100cm, 7mm-thick ceramic surfaces combine sheen and scale with pattern and tactility; from monochromatic slabs to formats resembling paintings.
Gemstone & Manifesto | Versace Ceramics
With a moniker that does not require introductions, Versace delivers on the premise of the brand: a 2023 collection, primarily designed for tiling wet areas, featuring immediately recognizable prints for their opulent, sophisticated style through 3D effects and accents of precious metals (Manifesto) and large-scale semi-precious stone patterns (Gemstone, shown).
Slabs | Gardenia Orchidea
Size dominated the booth this year. Designed to explore the potential of large size surfaces for furniture and architecture, recreating marble, stone and concrete, these 160x320cm slabs come in thicknesses of six, 12 and 20mm formats. The bold statement is quite effective in the example of the Patagonia Emerald design shown here.
Marvel Travertine | Atlas Concorde
Created through a collaboration with hospitality firm Hirsch Bender Associates (HBA), this new line has names like Diamond, Chiselled and Tessellation which all reference the geometric patterns of etching, engraving and origami effects that are its defining characteristics.
Deco Solutions | Caesar Ceramiche
A variety of textures, colours and modular designs in this line can adapt to the size of the walls. The 60x120cm options are developed in a single, continuous graphic pattern connectable on each side and can be installed in either a vertical or horizontal direction. The 120x278cm Gold decorations are produced by third-firing application of gold-based inks.
Poetry Colors | ABK Group
Developed in partnership between ABK and Studio OTTO – Paola Navone, the expressive language of ceramics is explored with six new surfaces, the key element being colour, which emerges through watercolour effects and marked variations in shade on small glossy tiles reminiscent of irregular handcrafted majolica.
Roberta | Nadis
The company’s showcase at Cersaie is a modular block made of clay, designed by Inma Bermúdez. Clay’s ability to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter and not collect dust made it the prime choice for the module. The system can be assembled in a surprisingly broad range of configurations as a minimal block-and-dowel system.
City Collection | Casalgrande Padana
This is Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates’ answer to the minimal micro-pattern style of ceramics. Working in collaboration with SBGA Architecture firm in Milan, the series is inspired by four international cities (Hong Kong, shown) and puts to use the company’s advanced fabrication techniques and long commitment to sustainability and deliver a series of surfaces truly more appreciated the closer one gets.
Signs | Gigacer
This new line expands the Concrete collection of neutral, delicate tones with four floral motifs and geometric weaves that insert a sense of softness to the monolithic, minimalist palette. The offerings range from the organic Buds and Leaves to the geometric Cubes and Essential.