On the occasion of the exhibition Manu-Facture: The Ceramics of Lucio Fontana, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection presents New Thinking About Lucio Fontana’s Ceramics, an in-depth conversation devoted to one of the most complex and multifaceted aspects of the artist’s practice. The event focuses on the role ceramics played in Fontana’s life and work, addressing this medium as a site of technical experimentation, artisanal knowledge, and conceptual inquiry.
The discussion brings together art historians and scholars of architecture and design in a dialogic format, encouraging the exchange of perspectives and critical approaches. Often considered peripheral in relation to other phases of Fontana’s production, his ceramic works are here examined as a key component for understanding the breadth and coherence of his artistic research. Speakers include Raffaele Bedarida, Luca Bochicchio, Elena Dellapiana, Paolo Scrivano, and Yasuko Tsuchikane. The conversation is moderated by Sharon Hecker, art historian and curator of both the exhibition and the event.
The programme concludes with a keynote speech by Edmund de Waal, internationally renowned writer, artist, and ceramicist. Through the presentation of his own work, de Waal reflects on the expressive potential of ceramics and on the enduring appeal of this material within contemporary artistic practice.

The event takes place on Wednesday, 4 February, from 5 pm to 7.30 pm, at the Teatrino. Admission is free while seats last; a limited number of seats is reserved for supporters of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.
Doors open 20 minutes before the start of the event, with early access for Pinault Collection Members. The conversation will be held in Italian with simultaneous translation into English; the keynote speech by Edmund de Waal will be delivered in English with simultaneous translation into Italian.