Our Mission

It’s important for artists to be given the time to experiment and play. This freedom gives rise to new creations.

We want to offer a remote setting within nature and amongst a rich history for artists to gather, brainstorm, and create. A project that will support the local community of Nove, Veneto. To rethrive a town which has been famous for ceramic production for many generations but is slowly dying. We want to ensure the knowledge of this craft is taught to future generations and to an international scene.

The Concept

International creatives who work in art, architecture, fashion, design, graphics and more., can spend time in Nove di Bassano to collaborate, inspire one another, and create art using ceramics.

The Fondamenta will target international design brands who currently or plan towards offering sponsorships to aspiring artists and designers

Difference

Founder, Jenna Basso Pietrobon’s rich history in art, architecture and design allows us the opportunity to bring these worlds together. Through our network, we would like to offer a collaboration by inviting creatives to The Fondamenta. A creative person can design a product or make an artwork. Part of the funds will be given to the creative and the other part of the funds will go back to The Fondamenta. This is a win-win situation for everyone. Allowing us to help support the growth of artists and designers, while stimulating job opportunities and supporting the history of Nove.

Location

Nove di Bassano is a one hour drive from Venice, and two-and-a-half hour drive from Milan. The Fondamenta will bring in visitors, creatives and interest from Milan Design Week and the Venice Biennale.

It was here where Jeff Koons even produced work with the local artisans. What does this small town offer, that others don’t? Artisanal expertise that has lasted generations, and the production of clay from stones found at the foothills of the Dolomite mountains. Prior to the 17th century, clay production was mostly with terrarossa (red clay); however, Nove began using a specific stone to offer ceramics in a white clay.

Today, the town of Nove that only has 7,000 inhabitants, has been loosing business due to corporations. The town produced ceramics for companies such as Williams Sonoma, Saks Fifth Avenue, ... however, approximately
20 years ago these large companies slowly began sourcing their products to China. This was a movement that occured globally, and we believe it has caused many problems worldwide. Not only for the climate and corporate greed, but it resulted in the collapse of many economies.
In Nove, many local factories had to close and beautiful buildings are abandoned. We believe this town should be saved. Today there are many artisanal and ceramic masters waiting and wanting to produce work. This is a project to regain the power from the corporations who only focus on profit, and rebuild a town that will welcome artists, architects, and designers to create their projects. A place for creatives to learn about the history and create work with ceramics, a historically important material that last generations.

Costs

The existing ceramic facility is in excellent condition, vacant, and available for lease or purchase. The factory has been an operating ceramic facility for over 30 years and the equipment remains installed. The business plan can be geared towards a lease agreement with minor renovations to prepare the space to be operative. Funding would also be needed for some furnishings, inspection of kilns and payment of staff. We have skilled people already interested to help operate The Fondamenta initiative.

Investors and Sponsors

The Fondamenta will promote the program internationally, to multi-faceted individuals and companies, as outlined in the Concept page. With the aid of a strategic and cost analysis, we can also establish multiple tiers of investment options, identified as sponsors.Each sponsor or investor will attain international recognition as The Fondamenta program is promoted. Each sponsor or investor may also have access to instructors and creative participants to the program.

Inspire

The Fondamenta understands itself to be the vanguard in pioneering a framework for the reinvention of small towns throughout Italy that are suffering from brain drain and declining commerce. As such, The Fondamenta prioritizes sustainable practices, which will turn the town into a self-sufficient ecosystem. Electricity for use in production and day-to-day life will be harvested from a hydroelectric generator to be installed in the canals behind the factory. All food provided to participants in the residency program and served in the school’s cafe will be procured locally. Residents will also participate in tending to a plot of land where we will grow our own herbs and vegetables. The Fondamenta is a movement, a way of life, and a collaborative experience created by artists for artists, as well as the community at large.

Summary

With globalized outsourcing of production, the Italian town of Nove di Bassano has deteriorated and begun to lose the material knowledge that has made it a center for clay harvesting and ceramics production for centuries. The Fondamenta proposes to reinvest in Nove’s legacy, stimulating job opportunities, constructing systems of support for local potters, preserving knowledge of ceramic production, and creating opportunities for the international artist community to engage with and learn from Italian artisans.

Beyond these concrete and tangible contributions to the Nove community, The Fondamenta understands itself to be the vanguard in pioneering a framework for the reinvention of small towns throughout Italy that are suffering from brain drain and declining commerce. As such, The Fondamenta prioritizes sustainable practices, which will turn the town into a self-sufficient ecosystem. Electricity for use in production and day-to-day life will be harvested from a hydroelectric generator to be installed in the behind the factory. All food provided to participants in the residency program and served in the school’s cafe will be procured locally. Residents will also participate in tending to a plot of land where we will grow our own herbs and vegetables. The Fondamenta is a movement, a way of life, and a collaborative experience created by artists for artists, as well as the community at large.

Phase 1

1.
Found a creative hub, residency program and production facility which will bring national and international creatives to Nove di Bassano to learn and make art and design objects with ceramics.

2.
Will target international brands.

3.
Offer a sponsorship program with art schools, inviting students to spend two months in Nove during the summer to learn ceramics.

4.
Encourage the expansion of Festa della Ceramica di Nove e Portoni Aperti from a local showcase to a globally-recognized ceramics.

5.
Employ local artists and offer jobs to the knowledgeable artisans. Currently the local highschool stopped teaching ceramics because the town beleives there is no future, we would like to promote that there is a future in ceramics.

6.
Become self-sustainable. Each creative in the program will ofer a designs which will be produced locally and part of the proceeds will go to The Fondamenta, while the other part will go to the creative

7.
Create gathering area, a café and shop space.

Outcomes

1.
Preservation of Nove’s ceramic knowledge.

2.
Job growth within the Nove community.

3.
Realization of specialized production needs for artists and designers worldwide.

Local and/or federal government funding

May 31, 2023 Reuters: “Italy approves bill to set up $1.1 billion fund for strategic firms. The upcoming national strategic fund for Made in Italy products will have an initial endowment of
1 billion euros ($1.10 billion) in state cash, the statement said, adding it would also aim to boost procurement of critical raw materials. Industry Minister Adolfo Urso’s project is part of a broader proposal from the right-wing administration aimed at supporting Italian business, focusing on the country’s traditional products and industries like pasta, pottery and woodwork.”

Who We Are

The Fondamenta is an art project/ mission by Jenna Basso Pietrobon, an artist and designer of Italian descent with historical and ongoing familial ties to the ceramics community in Nove. From almost ten years of experience as Design Director and Sales Manager for a prominent Canadian lighting company, Basso Pietrobon brings an intuitive and creative approach to sustainable architecture, large-scale fabrication, and expansive project direction. Drawing upon her ties to an international community of architects, engineers, designers, and artists, Basso Pietrobon envisions a new creative energy—a Renaissance—for Nove di Bassano. Basso Pietrobon is joined by a board of local and international artists, designers, architects, and entrepreneurs.

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Editor