T2. 2024 Workshop on Ceramic Murals [FULL – Waiting List]

Joan Miró’s work as an artist has long links with ceramic and mural art. To make the latter, he was able to count on the collaboration of ceramicists Josep Llorenç Artigas and his son Joan Gardy Artigas, in their studio in Gallifa, and Lluís Castaldo, here in Mallorca. Together, they created big murals that can be seen today, such as the one at Barcelona Airport, the Wall of the Sun and Wall of the Moon in the Paris UNESCO building, the mural at Harvard Graduate Center, and the one at the Guggenheim in New York, all made with Artigas, or the mural in Mallorca’s Parque del Mar, made with Lluís Castaldo.

OBJECTIVES

This workshop is aimed at both ceramicists and people interested in acquiring the necessary know-how to design and make a ceramic mural. Under the guidance of Toni Vich, during the week of the workshop, each participant will create their own mural, measuring approximately 1×1.5 metres. The participants will have numerous alternatives to choose from in the creation of their murals, and they will learn the best techniques for tackling their project with success.

During the week, there will be some theory sessions and an introduction to ceramic mural-making techniques. On one of the afternoons, there will be an outing to see and discuss work by other artists and ceramicists and to visit Joan Miró’s Mallorcan mural, made with Lluís Castaldo.

For the creation of the murals by the participants and the firing of the final work, the workshop will be divided as follows:

PROGRAMME

From July 30th to August 2nd:

• An introduction to murals. Tradition and art, collaborations between ceramicists and artists.
• A review of Miró’s mural art. Ceramic murals throughout the world and in Mallorca.
• The creation of a clay backcloth, applying textures and volumes.
• Dividing it into different parts.
• Preparing samples of vitreous slips and single-fire glazes.
• An outing to analyse and discuss other mural work in the city (programme in preparation).

From August 5th to 7th:

• Interpreting the fired samples.
• Preparing slips and glazes for the murals.
• The application of the slips and glazes to the mural by each participant.

At this point, the murals will have to dry before they can be fired. This marks the end of the creative workshop. The participants will leave the murals in the studio, and then they will be moved somewhere to dry, prior to firing them. On September 14th, once they have all been fired, everyone will meet up to see, comment on, and analyse the results.

Meeting point on Saturday September 14th:  Teulera de Can Vich in Pòrtol

Toni Vich Bota (Pòrtol, Marratxí, 1970)

Toni Vich is a ceramicist based at La Teulera de Can Vich in Pòrtol, Marratxí, from a family with long traditions in the trade. He has run the family business (now in its 4th generation) since 1994. He completed his training at Marratxí Municipal School of Ceramics and at Ramon Fort Studio & School (Girona), where he gives courses in coiling, using the wheel, and murals. Since 2004, he has given monographic courses on coiling and the construction of clay musical instruments at Marratxí Municipal School of Ceramics, Vic Art School, Ramon Fort Studio & School, and Whurthbruner, Switzerland. He was the head of Marratxí Pottery Museum from 2019 to 2022. He is currently the director of Marratxí Municipal School of Ceramics.

Further information