The day of Italian design 2020 was marked in Ashgabat with a series of presentations on Italian ceramics, which were held in the format of a video conference for students of four universities in Turkmenistan. The event was organized by the Italian Embassy in Turkmenistan together with the Ministry of education of the country.

The event was attended by students of the Makhtumkuli Turkmen state University, the International University of Humanities and development, the Azadi Turkmen national Institute of world languages and the Turkmen state Academy of fine arts. Presentations were made by the Italian Ambassador to Turkmenistan, Mr. Diego Ungaro.

The presentations gave a brief overview of Italian ceramics from an economic, historical and cultural point of view.

Speaking about the history of Italian ceramics, Mr. Ambassador made an excursion to the distant past, telling how the production of ceramics appeared, how it was spread and how it still exists in geographically different regions of Italy. Methods and styles, reinterpretation under the influence of other cultures were considered. The historical tour helped to better understand how ceramics were connected with the international trade, cultural and economic history in General.

Students were presented masterpieces of Renaissance, Baroque and neoclassical artists as examples of the use of ceramics and terracotta throughout the rich history of Italian art. Among the artists mentioned in the presentation were Donatello, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and Antonio Canova. In the last part of the presentation, some contemporary artists and their works were mentioned. Were represented by their work in ceramics, including such well-known Italian artists like Gio Ponti, Arturo Martini, Marino Marini, Francesco Messina, Emilio Scanavino and Josetta Fioroni.

At the end of the event, students had the opportunity to ask questions.

The days of Italian design were held in Ashgabat in March 2018 with designer and architect Luca Molinari from the University of Naples and in March 2019 with the Director of the Institute of European design in Florence, Professor Igor Tanci.