Portugal Ceramics Missão Inversa II

THE ART OF POSSIBILITY TOUR

WELCOME GUIDE

Welcome to the Art of Possibility Tour — MARCH 2023

As the hosts of Portugal Ceramics’ Press Tour, we want to take care of you. We hope you have a great time with us, learning more about Portuguese ceramic tile companies around Portugal. The Portuguese ceramics industry has a stunning range of companies offering a highly diverse product portfolio designed for the global market where, thankfully, our companies are becoming increasingly more acknowledged, considered, and recognized. Our presence in international markets is already a decades-old tradition, but in recent years, our companies have evolved, and their evolution has strengthened our competitiveness. This transformation occurred mainly due to our companies’ ability to innovate and blur the lines between contemporary design, art and tradition. Their capacity to blend, in a unique way, craftsmanship, creativity, and industrial know-how.

We love the idea of “Mastering possibility” because it highlights our unparalleled attitude to stay focused on the client’s real needs and constantly fight to deliver the demanding, the unconventional, and the tailor-made.

We are proud to be selected by architects worldwide to cover and embellish their buildings’ walls and floors. They seek our companies because they are looking for solutions that add value to their projects, regardless of whether they are looking for aesthetics, specific technical characteristics, or a solution that always goes in fashion.

We hope you have a wonderful stay with us, filled with great stories to tell and memories to keep.

Thank you for coming!

Introduction

Ceramics is one of the most ancient activities going back thousands of years. A key industry was born when humans discovered that clay could be found in abundance and molded into objects by mixing with water and then firing. At first, men mainly made things, like small statues, to give form to their deities. Later, our ancestors started to produce helpful things that could make their lives easier, like pottery. They even used clay tablets to immortalize their thoughts using cuneiform writing. And they also started to use it to create decorative objects for their houses. By then, the first-ever tiles were used to cover and protect buildings. Nowadays, our society is far from that reality, and our needs are remarkably different, although continuing to use clay as a ubiquitous raw material. Ceramics continues to fascinate us by responding to highly technical challenges, such as developing new materials serving the space, automotive, medical, or chemical industries.

Portugal has always been part of the countries leading this industry. The national ceramics industry soon realized that the Portuguese soils were a natural source of top-quality clay. And this was, since the early days, a distinctive factor that allowed them to manufacture excellent-quality products; this made it possible for Portuguese ceramics to become wellknown worldwide.

The industry, taking advantage of the quality of its raw materials, witnessed the emergence of numerous family businesses that have grown over time. Some gained scale and seriously invested in innovation and technological modernization. Some have become unavoidable references with their products across borders.

The substantial investment made by the companies over the last two decades allowed them to increase their design competencies, to improve the feasibility and flexibility of their processes - which directly impacted the product and service quality - and their innovation capacity. The tile is unquestionably the distinctive artistic expression of Portuguese culture worldwide, aesthetically adapted to the various markets and with an extensive range of formats.

In their pursuit to craft ceramics solutions shaped by purposeful details, high-quality materials, and human needs, Portuguese companies create solid and lasting solutions that connect spaces to people. In a world where optimization and standardization rule — where clients struggle to find trustworthy partners with the right set of skills, willing to go the extra mile to deliver exactly what they want — Portuguese ceramic companies can answer special requests and unique specifications in a very agile and distinctive way.

Tradition, culture, technology, and innovation have come together in a fusion of style, art, and elegance. We aim to empower architects, designers, distributors, and end-users to understand the beauty and value of Portuguese Ceramics and all the emotional value it brings. Ceramics that are beautifully designed and exceptionally made.

We strongly believe that our industry’s success lies in our pride in designing and manufacturing to the highest possible quality standards. What Portuguese companies do, they do well — since attention to detail and precision are essential in delivering exceptional quality and service each and every day.

During this week, you’ll get to know some of our country’s ceramic companies and have the opportunity to ask any questions about the design processes, creativity, specific projects, or sustainability challenges.

Portugal Ceramics Manifesto

We are the pursuers of authenticity. A unique blend of heritage, culture and imagination which is emphasized by will and passion. We seek it. We long for it. And we make it part of everything we do.

Our DNA is creative, our skill is refined, our dedication is unquestionable, and this is what makes us extraordinary. We believe that, for every single challenge, there is a very specific answer. And herein lies the cornerstone of our quest — to work on solutions until there are no more problems.

This is why we emphasize simplicity and function through emotion and creativity. This is why we bring together contemporary design and art, legacy and technology — these balanced dichotomies are at the core of our ability to create singular, distinctive, well-made objects.

We say that how and where products are designed and made matters. Now, more than ever before.

And because there’s no living without life, we are actively committed to creating a better planet for everyone.

We put all our talent and efforts into creating products that respect our natural resources, last for generations, and stand the test of time. Products that are born from nature and designed for every purpose and use.

We believe that blurring the lines between design and art is what makes genuine connections that know no limits.

We want our ceramics to bring emotions to life, and to bring people and spaces together. We want to help people celebrate stories, preserve memories and express their dreams.

Because as we dream, we shape our future.

As we nurture a world of infinite possibilities, we fight to deliver the exceptional every day.

We are Portugal Ceramics, and this is the art of possibility.

Program Day 1 March 21st

09:00 14:00 14:45 15:00 20:00

Arrival in Lisbon during the morning/early afternoon

Check in Hotel Lisboa

(Hotel Turim Av. Liberdade Hotel 4 )

Welcome Briefing

Hotel departure Passage - Artisticts Panels (Infante Santo)

Visit the ceramic company - Viúva Lamego

Dinner - typical Fado House

Lisbon

A historical city full of stories to tell, where the sun shines 290 days a year, and the temperature rarely drops below 15oC. A city where you’ll feel safe wandering around day or night, where the cuisine is dedicated to creating over a thousand ways to cook the beloved bacalhau (salted cod), and where you’ll find hotels and restaurants to suit every taste, budget, and requirement. Lisbon is a city full of authenticity where old customs and ancient history intermix with cultural entertainment and hi-tech innovation. From traditional architecture to the most modern buildings, you’ll find many examples of how our ceramic tiles can meet design and functional needs.

Portugal Pavilion

Built for the 1998 Lisbon World Exposition and situated at the north side of the Tagus River, Portugal Pavilion is one of the prominent architectural landmarks in Lisbon, where you can see how the beautiful, colorful ceramic tiles in the deep recesses, glazed in the national colors of green and red, add a playful touch to the otherwise austere and monumental structures. The heart of the design is an enormous 70-meter-long concrete canopy that bends down in the middle, framing a commanding view of the water. Designed by Álvaro Siza Vieira - one of Portugal’s

most renowned modern architects - physics simplicity and clarity elevate the pavilion to the height of contemporary sophistication. With the help of fellow countryman architect Eduardo Souto Moura and the engineering expertise of Cecil Balmond, Siza created a visually striking space and was highly effective at meeting the festival’s needs and site-specific requirements.

The building and the ceramic tiles remain one influential architectural reference as a beautiful combination of materials.

Av. Infante Santo

The panel “O Mar” was designed by the painter Maria Keil for an existing movement from the 1950s to bring tiles closer to public art. The composition stands out on Avenida Infante Santo, along with five other tiled surprises, and represents the sea with shells, whelks, boats, and the figure of a fisherman dominating

the composition. The panel is perfectly interconnected with the staircase here, being “a reference work in the modern reintegration of the tile in the urban environment”. Viúva Lamego made the production dating from 1959.

Artist: Maria Keil

Production: Viúva Lamego

PORTUGAL CERAMICS PRESS TOUR

Until mid-2019, there was only one staircase on Av. Infante Santo that had yet to be decorated. The problem was solved by the street artist Add Fuel, who designed the mural “Louvor da Vivacidade”, with development and production by Revigrés. The adjacent panels inspired the artist, serving his creation as a tribute to the parish where the intervention takes

place – Estrela. The mural aims to recover the artistic expression of the tile, full of historical, artistic, local architectural context, memorial and national tradition, bringing it up to date. In this way, the use of tilesundeniably one of Portugal’s identity elements - is kept but with a current aesthetic and reading: a unique and differentiating feature of the guest artist.

Artist: Add Fuel | Production: Revigrés

This work, commissioned within the framework of Lisbon 94, European Capital of Culture, represents the first public work in which Eduardo Nery used this type of ceramic slabs, executed using a molding technique, in the shape of a wedge measuring 30x30 cm each, with a maximum height of 8 cm, showing three shades of orange, as well as allowing four different laying positions, which produce different plastic rhythms depending on the

location of the observer and the incidence of light on the ceramic surface. The author’s constant concern is clearly evident here, which consists of taking advantage of the ceramic element as a lightreflecting element. The production of this work was carried out by Secla Cerâmicas, under the coordination of Aleluia Cerâmicas.

Artist: Eduardo Nery

Production: Secla Ceramicas Coordination: Aleluia Cerâmicas

Day 2 March 22nd

08:30 11:00

13:00

15:30

18:00

Check out from hotel

Stop to visit Pavilhão Portugal and departure to Aveiro

Visit the ceramic company - Dominó

Lunch break

Visit the ceramic company - Recer

Check in Hotel Aveiro (Aveiro Palace Hotel 4 )

Optional tour around the city

21:00

Dinner in Aveiro restaurant with sea flavors

Aveiro

Aveiro is a popular tourist destination, famed for its canals, Nouveau architecture, and colorfully traditional boats - Moliceiro. The city lies at the edge of an extensive saltwater lagoon historically famous for farmed seaweed and salt. The city is well known for its intense industrial activity, especially ceramics tiles and tableware. The most prestigious Portuguese brand - Vista Alegre is located in the region.

Aveiro is also unique due to its tiles, preserving items since the 16th century. Nevertheless, local production started in the 19th century. Also noteworthy is the City Hall building, formerly one of the largest factories in the cityJerónymo Pereira Campos, founded in 1896 to produce bricks, pipes, and Marseille roof tiles. This well-preserved building is located right next to your hotel in Aveiro.

PORTUGAL CERAMICS PRESS TOUR

On the wall adjacent to the canal, there is a new panel of tiles measuring 57 x 3 m, consisting of 5616 hand-painted tiles that took over three months to paint, by hand, at Aleluia Ceramics. The panel was designed by a renowned local artist, Fatinha Ramos. Her work features unique textures and a very bright color palette. Her illustrations can be found in children’s books, murals, animation cinema, theater/scenography, fashion, and in this case, also in ceramics. Nowadays, the city and the region remain a critical industrial cluster in ceramics production, with leading companies and different types of products that explore innovative techniques and new uses. Throughout the city, it is possible to find artistic ceramics applied in public spaces (e.g., Murals covered with tiles).

Artist: Fatinha Ramos | Production: Aleluia Cerâmicas

PORTUGAL CERAMICS PRESS TOUR

Day 3 March 23rd

08:45 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:30 16:30

Check out from hotel and departure to Porto

Visit the ceramic company - Primus Vitoria

Visit the ceramic company - Revigrés

Lunch break

Departure to Porto city

Visit to the Leixões Terminal (the architect responsible for the project, Luís Pedro Silva, will be the guide). The building is a symbolic and impressive work of architecture whose facade is covered with Portuguese ceramic tiles.

18:30

19:30 21:30

Check in Hotel (Hotel Eurostars das Artes do Porto 4 )

Tour around Porto tile Facades S. Bento / Casa da Música (optional)

Dinner with Portuguese flavors

Porto

Porto, previously Cale, was a little Celtic hamlet located on the mouth of the Duero river. When the Romans added a port, “Portus Cale”, it not only gave its name to the Porto of today but the nation of Portugal.

Porto is located in the North of the country, on the north bank of the river Douro. It’s the second-largest city in the country. Four main bridges (Arrábida, Freixo, Luiz I, and Infante) and two railway bridges (S. João and D. Maria – this one, considered a historical monument, is no longer operational) make it possible to cross the river to the other bank (Vila Nova de Gaia).

Classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, Porto also stands out for its unique gastronomy and hospitality of its people. Some impressive facades are covered with tiles (e.g., S. Bento Train Station).

S. Bento Station

The S. Bento railway station, in the city center of Porto, is often described as one of the most beautiful train stations in the entire world. And this is not an overstatement. Indeed, we are talking walls and ceilings covered with 22 thousand tiles by Jorge Colaço, painter, caricaturist, and potter.

Jorge Colaço (1868-1942) studied art in Madrid and in Paris and became noticed for his oil painting works. In 1903, Colaço started working with tile as a “canvas” for his paintings, becoming a master in tile painting. He has created magnificent tile panels in the São Bento railway station that depict some of the most relevant episodes of Portuguese history.

Casa da Música

Casa da Música (House of Music) is a fabulous concert hall space in Porto which houses the cultural institution of the same name with its three orchestras Orquestra Nacional do Porto, Orquestra Barroca and Remix

Ensemble. It was designed by the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and immediately became an icon in the city. The Renaissance Room is one of the building spaces which show a pattern created by two parallelograms and a square, with the colors blue, green and white. The inspiration comes from the 19th-century façades of the town. On the other hand, the optical illusion caused by the tiled mosaic evokes the European Renaissance, a time of the cultural, artistic, and scientific explosion in which the artists fully began exploring the use of perspective in painting.

Porto Cruise Terminal

Porto Cruise Terminal is an astonishing building at the South jetty in Matosinhos. The new cruise terminal has a double objective: improving commercial efficiency and better urban integration. The ceramic tile of the curved surfaces establishes a permanent dialogue with the sun and water, both abundant. This ceramic, as a constructive module derived from the traditional coating of Porto’s building façades, was defined with a pearl tone to contrast with the yellow granite of the port seawall. The building as the whole intervention is erected with and upon prosaic things. Its relation is, however thoughtful, meticulous, and sedimentary. It’s that relation in discovery, within its own process, that justifies both the particular and general forms wanting to organize the seduction to the sea, to the land and to the movements that access the transition or spontaneous or organized visit invitation.

PORTUGAL CERAMICS PRESS TOUR

Thoughts worth keeping

Contact Information

If there is anything you need during your stay, we’re welcome to help you in any way we can.

Joana Almeida

Logistic and management issues - English speaker

+351 915 300 447

Armanda Letra

Host - German, French, English speaker

+351 912 824 546

Turim Av. Liberdade Hotel

Av. da Liberdade 247, 1250-143 Lisboa

+351 211 589 270

Hotel Eurostars Das Artes

Rua do Rosário 160 164, 4050-521 Porto

+351 222 071 250

Aveiro Palace Hotel

Rua de Viana do Castelo 4, 3800-275 Aveiro

+351 234 421 885

THE ART OF POSSIBILITY TOUR

21-24 MARCH

PORTUGAL CERAMICS PRESS TOUR

Welcome to The Art of Possibility Tour

by Portugal Ceramics

Who are we?

We are Portugal Ceramics, the international brand representing the Portuguese tile and tableware manufacturers - belonging to the Portuguese Association of Ceramics and Domestic Glass Industries. This recently launched brand has a clear purpose: to increase the understanding and enjoyment of the Portuguese Ceramics’ value, and expand its international reach, reputation and impact.

This brand follows a deep repositioning project and will act as a guide for Portuguese companies, helping reach a common idea of what makes Portuguese ceramics different, what our core values are as an industry, and why architects, designers, distributors, and other interested parties should look at Portuguese ceramics as a different and value-added solution. For that matter, we are promoting a series of brand activities all across Europe and USA under the motto Portugal CeramicsThe Art of Possibility.

We would like you to come and join us on this unique opportunity.

Day 1 March 21st

Arrival in Lisbon during the morning/early afternoon

Check in Hotel Lisboa (Hotel Eurostars das Letras 5 )*

Hotel departure

Passage - Artisticts Panels (Infante Santo)

Visit to a Portuguese ceramics company - Viúva Lamego

Stop to visit Pavilhão Portugal

Dinner - typical Fado House*

Day2 March 22nd

Check out from hotel and departure to Aveiro

Visit to a Portuguese ceramics company - Dominó

Lunch pause

Visit to a Portuguese ceramics company - Recer

Check in Hotel Aveiro (Meliá 4 )*

Dinner in Aveiro restaurant with sea flavors

Day3 March 23rd

08:45 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:30

16:30

Check out from hotel and departure to Porto

Visit to a Portuguese ceramics companyPrimusVitoria

Visit to a Portuguese ceramics company - Cinca

Lunch pause

Departure to Porto city

Visit to the Leixões Terminal (Arch. Luís Pedro Silva, the architect responsible for the project, will be the guide). The building is a symbolic and impressive work of architecture whose facade is covered with Portuguese ceramic tiles.

18:30

15:30 21:30

Check in Hotel (Hotel Eurostars das Artes do Porto 4 )*

Tour around Porto tile Facades S. Bento / Casa da Música (optional)

Dinner with Portuguese flavors

Conditions

Portugal Ceramics will bear all travel expenses, specifically, flights, transfer from airport to hotel, accommodation and meals and transport throughout the tour.

Portugal Ceramics will provide:

- A host/guide (a member of Portugal Ceramics) who will escort the group throughout the visit;

- All the necessary logistics from arrival at the airport until departure (this includes flights and transport from and to the airport in Portugal, hotels, meals, displacements in Portugal).

- Visits to 5 Portuguese companies of ceramic floors and coverings.

Your commitments to Portugal Ceramics:

- Attend all the visits of the program of the tour;

- Write and publish an article about your tour experience with Portugal Ceramics.

For more information, please contact: Joana Almeida / Armanda Letra contact@portugal-ceramics.com

21-24 MARCH

We would like you to come and join us on this unique opportunity.

PORTUGAL CERAMICS PRESS TOUR