TILES FOR MILES

摘要

Cersaie, the international exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings, takes place every autumn in Bologna, a northern Italian city filled with sensory delights, where sights, smells and tastes arouse the most jaded of travellers. Architecturally, the city is striking: from above, the red roofs of the buildings form a monochromatically rosy textured surface; from the street, the grand arcades in the historic city centre shelter pedestrians from the blazing sun. And in the crowded shop windows of the food purveyors in the Qua-dilatero district off Piazza Maggiore, the mind-boggling array of produce, pasta, seafood and cured meats astounds: vying for your attention are alarmingly giant legs of prosciutto and bound and bulging mortadellas the size of toddlers. This richly historic city draws a number of massive trade shows year-round, as its exhibition venue in the Fiera district is one of the largest in Europe. CERSAIE 2009 kicked off its five-day run on September 26, and despite recessionary times, it was a sold-out event that featured over 1,000 exhibitors and 83,137 visitors from Italy and abroad. Given the economic woes of the past year, the theme of "Building, Dwelling, Thinking"-borrowed from Heidegger's seminal essay-encouraged reflection on issues beyond commerce to larger existential themes.