Terraterra is an invitational art residency program dedicated to ceramic tableware, which takes place in the ceramic district of Grottaglie, Italy.

Its name comes from the Italian expression essere terra terra, meaning to be simple, practical, down-to-earth. By itself, the terms terra translates into ground, clay, earth.

Drawing inspiration from Grottaglie’s unique, centuries-old artisanal ceramic production, Terraterra invites up to three visual artists per year in individual residencies of variable duration - two to four weeks - hosted by a historic ceramic workshop. Working closely with local craftsmen and getting acquainted with Apulian traditional ceramic patterns, each artist is invited to reimagine and design a specific piece of tableware, which is then produced in limited, artisanal editions. Each residency ends with a dinner prepared by an invited chef and served in the newly produced ceramic objects.

While each object created is fully functional and autonomous, each edition is inscribed in a larger, long-term project, and serves as a point of departure for the next edition. Over the years, Terraterra aims to produce each component of a full dinner set, constituting a large dinner table which will bring together all the artists’ contributions.

The residency usually takes place in the months between May and July, and it is hosted by the historic ceramic workshop of Enza Fasano.

For further information about Terraterra’s residency program and editions, feel free to contact info@terra-terra.net.