News & Stories

COLOUR ARCHAEOLOGY AT LAUFEN FORUM

An interdisciplinary journey through art, design, archaeology, and the history of colour in ceramics by Roberto Sironi.

Following the introduction at the LAUFEN space Milano during Milan Design Week 2024, “Colour Archaeology”, a project by Roberto Sironi, is presented at our redesigned LAUFEN Forum near Basel, Switzerland. 

 

Sharing the culmination of an academic research undertaken on behalf of LAUFEN, Sironi delves into the realm of ancient ceramics with meticulous fervour, exploring 8 civilisations in a time span from around 3000 B.C. to 1500 A.D.Drawing from over 10,000 artifacts curated from global museums, Sironi meticulously categorises these treasures into vivid colour clusters reflective of their cultural heritage.

 

From the azure hues of Egypt to the vibrant blues of Mesopotamia, the celadon greens of the Chinese Empire, and the earthy reds reminiscent of the Roman Empire, Sironi’s historical journey reveals an unparalleled spectrum of colours that were created chemically or from natural materials.

 

Based on the extensive research, LAUFEN has created a refined palette of twelve harmonious tones, intriguingly relevant for today’s design landscape and these are presented at the LAUFEN Forum through products including THE NEW CLASSSIC, VAL and SONAR. The colour palette draws inspiration from the past while remaining relevant for contemporary and future bathrooms, a true sign of sustainability in design, while the production of the pieces further supports sustainability initiatives through the utilisation of the world’s first electric tunnel kiln powered by renewable energy at LAUFEN’s production facility in Austria.

 

The fascinating research alongside the realisation of the colour palette can be explored until mid August 2024 at the LAUFEN Forum, which has been redesigned by the Norwegian transdisciplinary studio Snøhetta, before progressing to LAUFEN space locations including Vienna, Berlin, Prague and Madrid. 

 

Installation curated by Roberto Sironi
Exhibition project by Matteo Fiorini – Studio Lys
Graphic project by Beda Achermann 

 

LAUFEN Forum 

No booking required 

Monday – Friday 0800 – 1700h
Saturday 0900 – 1400h 

LAUFEN Forum, Wahlenstrasse 46, CH-4242 Laufen, Switzerland
forum@laufen.ch 

ABOUT ROBERTO SIRONI

Roberto Sironi (1983) is an Italian designer, who lives and works in Milan.

His design practice is defined by a research-based and process-oriented approach, where thinking and making converge in the creation of artifacts, which are considered narrative tools to trigger a dialogue with the user. The practice, founded in 2015, embraces different types of design practices, such as product and installation design, strategic research and design consultancy, through the collaboration with institutions, galleries and companies.