Ceramics

The Centre houses a collection of ceramics created at the Torviscosa school-workshop from 1954 to 1988.

The school was set up by Franco Marinotti, then president of SNIA Viscosa and founder of the plant at Torviscosa and its town. Marinotti called on famous names in ceramics of the time to work at the school. The first was Gazar Gazighian, who began to work with a small group of student ceramic artists. He was replaced, in 1956, by Nino Strada, considered the true creator of the School, to which he gave a distinctive character. In the following years others who worked at the School included Angelo Biancini, and Torviscosa is home to two extremely important works of his: the bronze bas-relief “Pastori” (Shepherds), built for the Centre where it is still on display and the monumental Panel of the thermo-electrical system, a 965×235 cm ceramic sculpture placed in the system’s engine room in 1963 (currently not accessible to the public).

The artistic direction of the School was entrusted to Giuseppe Gini, an artist and employee of the SNIA, who found that ceramic art was his true vocation. After Franco Marinotti’s death, the School was supported by his son Paolo, also an artist and ceramicist. The ceramic collection now on display at the Centre is largely the work of Paolo Marinotti.