International Tile Day on May 21 is approaching

May 21, 2015 is the international day of tiles and slabs, known to most people as tiles. It was declared by representatives of the company ARCHTILES and Czech artists led by Ondřej Oliva (sculptor) from Velehrad, together with traditional manufacturers of slabs and tiles from France and Italy.

According to the originator of the idea, the collective of Archtiles s.r.o, International Tiles Day is meant to remind the public that ceramic tiles and slabs are among the materials that humanity has been using for thousands of years.

Michal Škapa

International Tiles Day May 21

And therefore, it is organizing a competition for leading Czech artists, architects, and designers, aimed at creating authorial collections directly in the factories of renowned manufacturers, namely REFIN, Normandy ceramics, and MADE A MANO. Contestants have divided several categories among themselves, and the results of their collaboration will be evaluated and subsequently exhibited on May 21 and 22 in the premises of Café JEDNA on the ground floor of the National Gallery in Prague.

The invitation to the competition has been accepted by painter Ira Svobodová, graphic designers Jakub Uksa (Obic), Pavel Tichoň (Ticho333), and Michal Škapa (Tron), painter Jiří Lauterkranc, architects Miloš Munzar and Jaroslav Wertig, architects Dagmar Štěpánová and Katarína Varsová, and the legend of Czech street art Jan Kaláb. The jury will consist of representatives of Czech investors, manufacturers, architects, and media focused on design and architecture.

Honza Kaláb

Jakub Uksa with colleagues

“I am very pleased to be part of organizing an event that gives Czech creators the opportunity to create a collection for globally renowned manufacturers,” says Ondřej Oliva, one of the event organizers and sculptor, and continues, “ceramic tiles are no longer just a surface on which a carpet will later be placed or a shopping list will be stuck for Sunday lunch. They are part of the design of every interior, and I look forward to seeing my interior adorned by the collection of one of the competition participants.”

“We are announcing the competition so that the natural and original material of ceramic tiles and slabs will not be forgotten due to modern technologies, and when processed and used correctly, it is just as authentic as glass, stone, or metal. Remember the first tile that you drew on as a child in your parents' bathroom or kitchen,” says Petr Kunt from Archtiles s.r.o. and hopes that the competition will lead to a variety of new design collections with global potential.

Michal Škapa

Petr Kunt, Honza Kaláb and Ondřej Oliva