As I was developing my project I was working hand in hand with ceramic masters, technicians and engineers. Personnel of Vista Alegre work in the factory for a long time. Some people have already as much as 20 years work experience. It was very interesting to be able to observe how they deal with their heritage in the context of recent modernisation’s. There is a lot of important knowledge and skills that I had a chance to learn. The factory keep on growing and during the 3 months that I was there new kilns were being built and the factory building got extended.
Working with Vista Alegre changed my perspective on working with ceramic.
The factory preserve the old crafts of working with ceramic, at the same time modernising its production methods and keeping up to date with changing trends.Getting to know their way of working by combining tradition with innovation will surely have a significant influence on me as a designer. Vista Alegre takes a lot of care of it’s past. The factory was being built in the year 1824 and you can see and feel all around you the traces of the past mixed with the newest trends in the ceramic production. Just the fact of setting up the ID Pool residence program shows the factory progressive thinking. Therefore it is not a surprise that the factory workspace keeps expanding and the management constantly searches for the new directions. This is an extraordinary fact considering that the production in Europe is mostly decreasing and craft is being lost.
The residency was part of ID Pool, the creative laboratory of Vista Alegre.Made possible with the help of Stimuleringsfonds Creative Industrie.