Cersaie, the International Exhibition of Ceramic Tile and
Bathroom Furnishings, will take place from September 30 to October 4, 2008 at
the Bologna Exhibition Centre, and will treat visitors from all over the world
to a one-of-a-kind trade show experience. Boasting more than 1,000 exhibitors
from 32 different countries and an exhibit space of 160,000 square meters, this
global show is a launching pad for top products, industry leading innovations
and design-forward ideas. Simply stated, when Cersaie comes to town, the
culinary capital of the world is taken over by tile, tile and more tile.
In terms
of new introductions, Italian tile producers never fail to impress and inspire.
Tantalizing textures, rich colors and never-before seen formats are just a few
of the trends to look out for at the 2008 show. Italian manufacturers are not
just design-savvy, they constantly push the technological limit, follow strict
environmentally friendly production standards and set the top level of quality
for the industry.
The
annual debut of new products is one of the many ongoing traditions that have
come to be associated with this trade fair. Year after year, Cersaie show-goers look forward to learning which big
architect has designed the yearly poster.
This time, Pritzker Prize winner Thom Mayne
joins the impressive list of international architects. He follows in the
footsteps of Toyo Ito (Cersaie 2007), Antonio Citterio (Cersaie 2006), David
Palterer (2005), Hani Rashid (2004), Denis Santachiara (2003), Massimo Iosa
Ghini (2002), Alessandro Mendini (2001) and Ettore Sottsass (2000).
Co-founder of the architecture firm
Morphosis, located in Santa Monica, CA, Thom Mayne has been the recipient of 25
Progressive Architecture Awards, 60 AIA Awards and numerous other design
recognitions. Under his direction, the firm has been the subject of extensive
publications and exhibitions throughout the world. Previously a keynote speaker
at Cersaie in 2006, Mayne now puts his vision to paper to produce the 2008
poster. He sums up the inspiration for the image he designed in the following
words:
“Architecture is becoming more fluid. The
standard is no longer the square tile only. Formal language emerges from lines
of force and space develops fluidly in response to rapidly evolving conditions
and technologies. Process and materials need to evolve and adapt to
contemporary conditions to remain relevant and current in architecture.
Fluidity enables the continued emergence of innovation of materials; materials
that accommodate the double curve or the 3rd dimension for curvilinear spaces
represent immense potential and creativity for architecture and design.”
This
strong architectural component of the show is always present. In addition to
the poster, Cersaie organizers Edi.Cer, Confindustria Ceramica, the association
of Italian ceramics, and BolognaFiere consistently create a line-up of events
that focuses on the architect and design community–pulling together key
industry leaders to speak on pertinent topics.
This
year’s campaign is no exception. Attendees to the 2008 show can take advantage
of a program that celebrates architect and design through panels and
design-forward exhibits, like the recent Architectural_Food exhibit that was on
display at the Milan Furniture Fair this past April. Stay tuned to
www.italiatiles.com and www.cersaie.it for additional details.
