NEW YORK, NY.- 7 W New York, a wholesale showroom trade building located at 5th Avenue and 34th Street, is pleased to announce 4 public viewing days for Ceramica Magnifica!, a limited-time exhibit and sale of ceramic art. The exhibit features the best of the Este Design Triennale of contemporary ceramics, created by international designers and artists and crafted by artisan in Italy. Featured artists, among the more than 40 in the exhibit, include: Krizia, Adam Tihany, Ottavio Missoni, Giuliana de Camerino, Massimo Vignelli, Alessandro Mendini, Federica Marangoni, James Wines, Matteo Thun, David Palterer, Alison Sky, Ultraviolet, Michele DeLucchi, Denis Santachiara, Andrea Branzi and Paola Navone (to name a few.)

The 7 W building, which is NY’s gift, tabletop, home textiles and decorative accessories headquarters, is normally open to the trade only. The recent creation of a 28,000 sq foot exhibition space on the building’s 11 floor has attracted a growing number of top-tier art exhibits and shows including VOLTANY Art Fair, the Black Fine Art Show and the Outsider Art Fair. When 7 W learned about the Ceramica Magnifica! exhibit they felt it would be a great fit for their cultural outreach and an additional attraction for the building and its attendees. During the upcoming VOLTANY Art Fair, the general public will now be able to visit the exhibit from 1 – 5 p.m. on March 28th & 29 (during the Architectural Digest Design Home Show).

According to Chris Collins, 7 W vice president and general manager, “This exhibit will add to what will be a very exciting time for 7 W. We have become a driving force in the art world very quickly and we are committed to strengthening our position in this marketplace as a very important ongoing segment of our business.”

EXHIBIT BACKGROUND
The exhibit started its US tour at the Italian Cultural Center (WICC) in October as part of the regional All Fired Up initiative. It will be on display at 7 W New York through the Spring Tabletop Market April 21-24, 2009.

Curated by Federica Marangoni and Evelyn Rossetti, executive director of WICC, the exhibit has its roots in the medieval Italian city of Este, a region known for its leadership in art and craftsmanship. In 2001, Marangoni worked with the local Town Hall Council to organize a Contemporary Ceramic Triennale, with the aim of renewing the city’s ancient tradition of artistic ceramics. Held in 2001, 2004 and 2007, the Triennale showcased the work of international architects, designers, artists and fashion designers. To inspire the talented youth, the Triennale established a competition for schools of art, craft and design and displayed the winning works.

For this exhibit, Rossetti and Marangoni pulled the best of the best from the past nine years. The result is an extraordinary mix of 49 pieces that truly pay homage to Este’s artistic tradition. These range from the ironic and whimsical to the innovative and ethereal. The exhibition also pulls together the Triennale’s 15 award-winning student projects. Ceramic artist, Antonio Cornacchione, curated this portion of the display.

According to Marangoni, “We were so pleased to find another home for our fabulous exhibit. It is just so special that we wanted the largest audience possible to view the works and understand the nature of ceramic art and production in Italy. The 7 W New York Building, located in the heart of Manhattan across from the Empire State Building, is a perfect partner. They share our love of ceramics and commitment to showing the finest work of designers and artists to a wide audience.”