Tecnargilla and IED join forces to define "The future of ceramics"

The 24^th Tecnargilla, International Exhibition of Technologies and Supplies for the Ceramics and Brick Industries, to be held from 22^nd to 26^th September in the Rimini Trade Fair exhibition halls, will witness a strengthening of ties with Design students from Milan's Istituto Europeo di Design (European Design Institute) aimed at sponsoring ceramic material research projects and possible future applications. Tecnargilla is certainly the most appropriate venue for this type of research, being the leading international showcase of technological innovation and aesthetics for the ceramic and hollow-clay brick industry that involves all the sector's major players. The effect of creative stimuli on the innovative use of ceramic material is an established feature of the Rimini show. And not surprisingly the exhibition's payoff is indeed "The future of ceramics".

As part of the 24^th Tecnargilla, students from IED Milan have undertaken a series of projects based on the notion of wellness, in the sense of essential condition for improving the quality of daily life, taking into account aspects such as microclimate, noise, lighting, hygiene and pollution: the result is a concept of home for Interior Design students and a city park for Product Design students.

Both works, that live together in harmony, have been developed whilst fully respecting sustainability and man's primary needs, as well as emerging ones, the result of an approach to constantly-changing daily life showing ever-increasing concern for aspects such as the desire to socialise, feel safe in a public place and share space with and live alongside new cultures. The strength of these projects lies in the ability to reinterpret places that we now take for granted as being formed by objects and supports made from plastic, but in future will no longer be sustainable for the environment. The challenge was therefore to shake off these habits by using ceramics and their physical and chemical properties in order to improve the quality of our surroundings.

Istituto Europeo di Design, a school of international excellence of entirely Italian origin, issues first level academic diplomas and runs undergraduate, master's, refresher and specialisation courses. A veritable temple of creativity, it provides vocational training for the design, fashion, visual communication and management sectors. Today, IED is a fast-growing International Network with branches in Milan, Rome, Turin, Venice, Florence, Cagliari, Como, Madrid, Barcelona, São Paolo and Rio de Janeiro.