A story steeped in art, but more than that. Not just a simple exhibition. The exhibition "Paolo Loddo, Story of a Workshop. Where Clay Becomes a Dream" is the story of a community. It exudes shared pride, radiating from the heart of Dorgali, from Spazio Midam. Curated by Sergio Flore, it will be open until January 18th.
Ceramics on display
Conceived by the Municipality of Dorgali, Mayor Angela Testone, and Councilor for Culture Sonia Mele, the exhibition begins with the desire to explore and share with the community the personal and professional story of one of Dorgali's greatest ceramists. Born in Orani in 1903, Dorgali was adopted. "The more I think about it, the more extraordinary Paolo Loddo's story becomes," says Sergio Flore, the creator of an exhibition that leaves no one indifferent. "From a servant shepherd to a contemporary and highly modern craftsman, capable of engaging with intellectuals, designers, and international artists such as Nivola and Tavolara. Then, the dialogue with Remo Branca, the profound experimentation with Aldo Contini and Mauro Manca." Flore continues: "It's a research exhibition. Once again, I feel I can place Paolo Loddo alongside the precious expression of 'cultural production,' without fear of contradiction." Yes, because more than forty years after his death he continues to be talked about."
The artist
An excellent carver and creator of the characteristic white border, Loddo quickly became a central figure in the "Dorgali school": together with Ciriaco Piras and Simeone Lai, he contributed to the transformation of ceramics from everyday objects to works of art. His decorations, similar to wood carving, evolved in the 1930s thanks to the new languages coming from manufacturers like Lenci and their followers, in dialogue with artists such as Valerio Pisano and Giuseppe Biasi. Although "cold" decorated plates are his trademark, even in the final phase of his artistic career, Paolo Loddo continued to innovate his productions, decorating terracotta with wax crayons permanently fixed to the "biscuit" with a transparent varnish, the first of the Dorgali workshops to employ this technique. The exhibition "Paolo Loddo, Story of a Workshop. Where Clay Becomes a Dream" also aims to pay homage to the many female figures who have always animated the community's workshops: decorators and often anonymous illustrators who made Dorgali's ceramics famous worldwide. Among these women, special mention goes to Maria Boeddu, the artist's wife.
