Dialogues on Contemporary Mosaic

Mosaic is an ancient art form. Why does it continue to be embraced by artists, and what role does it play in contemporary art today?

Materiality, fragmentation, modularity, the relationship between part and whole, light, space and gesture are intrinsic qualities of mosaic that resonate particularly strongly with contemporary artistic sensibilities. Throughout the twentieth century, mosaic progressively established itself as an autonomous artistic language. Today, artists continue to explore it not only for its material and expressive qualities, but also as a means of addressing memory, identity, transformation and the fragmented realities of the present.

Founded in Venice in 1888, Orsoni Venezia 1888 has witnessed and contributed to more than a century of mosaic history. Today, the furnace is a place where material tradition, artisanal knowledge and contemporary research coexist through the daily production of Venetian smalti and gold mosaics, as well as through the Orsoni Art & Culture programme, dedicated to fostering dialogue with artists and contemporary artistic practices.

From these premises comes Dialogues on Contemporary Mosaic, a series of three talks hosted in the Biblioteca del Colore and curated by Daniele Torcellini.

The series brings together CaCO3, Omar Mismar and Diego Miguel Mirabella—three profoundly different artistic practices united by their use of mosaic as a contemporary language and by their connection to the Mediterranean, historically a crossroads for the circulation of images, techniques, people and knowledge.

CaCO3 explores the relationship between matter, time, light, space and architecture, intertwining mosaic practice with the collective’s experience in restoration and its observation of natural processes of transformation.

Omar Mismar uses mosaic to address questions of memory, cultural heritage, conflict, desire and identity, bringing an ancient technique into dialogue with contemporary images and dynamics.

Diego Miguel Mirabella explores the relationships between language, image, gesture and decorative traditions. Through his dialogue with zellige artisans in Fez, he creates works in which traditional geometries, poetry and images come together to form a hybrid, transcultural language.

Three encounters, three perspectives exploring how mosaic continues to evolve and remain a vital language within contemporary art.

OCTOBER 16 / H 6 P.M.

CaCO3

CaCO3 is an artistic collective founded in Ravenna in 2006 by Âniko Ferreira da Silva, Giuseppe Donnaloia and Pavlos Mavromatidis, stemming from their shared experience in mosaic restoration. Their research reinterprets the mosaic tradition through a contemporary lens, exploring matter, light, and the relationships between natural and artificial, memory and transformation. The collective exhibits in Italy and internationally and collaborates with architecture and design studios. In 2026, CaCO3 presents Hyperbolic Andamento at Domus Orsoni in Venice. Their works are held in several public collections in Italy and abroad.

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NOVEMBER 5 / H 6 P.M.

Omar Mismar

Omar Mismar (1986) is a visual artist living and working in Beirut. His practice explores how conflict and desire shape everyday life, working across photography, sculpture and mosaic, as well as performance, installation and film. His work has been presented at major international institutions and exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale, Taipei Biennial, Hauser & Wirth Menorca and MMCA Seoul. He has participated in numerous international research and residency programmes and has taught at institutions in the United States and Lebanon.

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NOVEMBER 12 / H 6 P.M.

Diego Miguel Mirabella

Diego Miguel Mirabella (1988) is a visual artist whose research explores ornament as a language capable of conveying images, memories and identities. His practice emerges from the encounter between contemporary art and traditional knowledge, through collaborations with artists and artisans from different cultural contexts. His work has been presented at Italian and international institutions, including MAR Ravenna, the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in Istanbul, MACRO Rome and Palazzo Abatellis in Palermo. In 2021, he was among the winners of Cantica21 – Italian Contemporary Art Everywhere, promoted by the Italian Ministry of Culture.

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The talks will be held in Italian or with Italian translation.

INFORMATION:
Registration is required to attend the conferences.
The conferences will begin at 6:00 PM and will last approximately one hour. Access to the furnace will be permitted only 10 minutes before the start of the conference.
At the end of the sessions, visitors will have the opportunity to tour the production areas of the Orsoni furnace.