ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Amedeo Martegani on Ceramics as Incursions and Daily Wonder

artist · 2026-04-27

Milan-born artist Amedeo Martegani (1963) discusses his sporadic but recurring use of ceramics in an aphoristic interview. He compares the material's receptiveness to paper, describing it as 'accommodating' yet reserved. For his exhibition at Galleria Monica de Cardenas, he paired large analytical ink-and-oil canvases with ceramic works that each created their own world—a cliff, an arm, a species leap. The show 'Bisanzio' was not alchemical but highlighted self-indulgent, self-referential practice. At MiDEC (Museo Internazionale del Design Ceramico) in Laveno, he exhibited black pumpkin clones made from hollow ceramic casts of a market find, emphasizing ceramics as 'daily wonder.' His 'Desertmed' project maps deserted Mediterranean islands poetically and conceptually; the ceramic forms follow a desire akin to being where one wants to be. Martegani views his ceramic experiences as 'incursions' that grant freedom through estrangement, a liberty he carries into all projects.

Key facts

  • Amedeo Martegani was born in Milan in 1963.
  • He has used ceramics on multiple occasions despite not being primarily known for the medium.
  • His exhibition at Galleria Monica de Cardenas featured large analytical canvases and diverse ceramic works.
  • The show was titled 'Bisanzio' and focused on self-indulgent, self-referential practice.
  • At MiDEC in Laveno, he exhibited black ceramic pumpkin clones.
  • He describes ceramics as having the same 'naive availability' as paper.
  • He is involved in the 'Desertmed' project, a collective mapping of deserted Mediterranean islands.
  • The interview was conducted by Irene Biolchini.
  • Irene Biolchini teaches Contemporary Art at the University of Malta and is Guest Curator at MIC Faenza.
  • The interview is part of a series 'Gli artisti e la ceramica' (Artists and Ceramics) on Artribune.

Entities

Artists

  • Amedeo Martegani
  • Irene Biolchini

Institutions

  • Galleria Monica de Cardenas
  • MiDEC (Museo Internazionale del Design Ceramico)
  • University of Malta
  • Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza
  • Artribune

Locations

  • Milan
  • Italy
  • Laveno
  • Mediterranean

Sources