On the occasion of CLAY! Metamorphoses of Ceramics between Ancient and Contemporary, David Reimondo presents Quasi finito (2026), a sculptural series developed during his summer 2026 residency at Grottega, a centre dedicated to the research and rediscovery of Laterza’s ceramic tradition.
The project expands the artist’s ongoing investigation into “etimography”, a term he uses to describe a system of signs that reconfigures the relationship between form, sound and meaning. Working with terracotta as his primary material, Reimondo translates his process of cultural “de-training” into sculptural form, opening up new possibilities for interpretation and signification.
For the artist, the choice of Laterza carries an additional significance linked to the gradual loss of its ceramic heritage and traditional knowledge. Far from any nostalgic or documentary approach, Reimondo engages with this interrupted memory as a starting point for reflecting on the ways symbols, languages and forms are transmitted, transformed, forgotten and ultimately rediscovered.
Combining motifs drawn from the local ceramic tradition with elements of etimography, the works establish a new sculptural grammar. The contrast between raw surfaces and glazed sections evokes a condition of continuous transformation, turning ceramics into a space where matter, language and cultural memory converge.
Museo Archeologico di Santa Scolastica, Bari
22 October 2026 – 10 January 2027
