There are places that don't just host an exhibition, but become part of its narrative.
This is what happened on June 20 and 21, 2026, at Palazzo Pretorio, in Vicopisano, during Materia Senza Tempo, the installation curated by Vicode and dedicated to the Malles x Vicode ceramics.
For two days, the dark and irregular surfaces of the vases crafted by the artisans of Sejnane conversed with the ancient stones of the Palazzo, giving life to an intense encounter between seemingly distant cultures, eras, and territories.
Palazzo Pretorio, one of the most representative medieval civil buildings in the province of Pisa, still preserves traces of the long history of the Vicariate of Vicopisano. Its architecture is part of a monumental complex deeply linked to the Rocca and the engineering interventions of Filippo Brunelleschi.
A dialogue between stone and earth
The title Materia Senza Tempo (Timeless Matter) stems from the desire to narrate what resists the passing of trends: authentic material, manual labor, handed-down knowledge, and the ability of objects to hold a story.
Inside the Palazzo's halls, the Malles vases appeared almost like artifacts from an indefinite time. Each form, intentionally imperfect and unrepeatable, carried with it the marks of fire, earth, and human touch.
Not mere decorative objects, but presences capable of creating a deep relationship with the space that surrounded them.
The verrucana stone of the Palazzo, the walls marked by centuries, and the hand-modeled ceramics seemed to belong to the same material landscape. On one side, the architectural history of Vicopisano; on the other, a female tradition born in northern Tunisia and preserved through generations.
The ceramics of the women of Sejnane
The works presented during the exhibition originate in Sejnane, a rural community in northern Tunisia, where pottery is traditionally entrusted to women.
The clay is collected from the dry beds of seasonal watercourses, processed, purified, and shaped entirely by hand. After firing, the objects can be decorated with geometric patterns that recall traditional tattoos and Berber weaving.
This knowledge is primarily passed down from mother to daughter and, since 2018, has been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
During the vernissage, the screening of a short film dedicated to the ancient craft of vase making allowed the public to further connect with this world. The images of the artisans, the clay, and the various production phases conveyed the human value that precedes each individual object.
Watching the film, and immediately afterward observing the exhibited ceramics, it was possible to recognize the traces of those gestures in every surface.
A well-attended evening
The vernissage on June 20 attracted a large and attentive audience. The halls and outdoor spaces of Palazzo Pretorio filled with people, creating a lively yet intimate atmosphere, conducive to encounter, curiosity, and dialogue.
Among the authorities present were the Mayor of Vicopisano Matteo Ferrucci and the President of the Rotary Club of Vicopisano Michele Marroni, whose participation underscored the cultural value of the initiative and its connection to the local area.
For Vicode, it was particularly important to see diverse people stopping in front of the works, observing their details, asking questions, and getting involved in their story.
The project did not aim to simply display a collection, but to create an experience: a moment where design, craftsmanship, architecture, and culture could spontaneously meet.
The vernissage curated by Divizie
Completing the evening was the vernissage curated by Divizie, who welcomed guests with a selection of excellent wines from Tenuta Dodici.
The wine, the storytelling, and the conviviality accompanied the visit to the exhibition, helping to create an elegant yet informal atmosphere. A way to experience Palazzo Pretorio not just as a monument, but as a place once again inhabited by people, conversations, and sharing.
This was also part of the project: to bring the public closer to the material through all the senses, transforming the exhibition into an experience to be slowly savored.
From Sejnane to Vicopisano, via Milan and London
The Malles project has brought the ceramics of Sejnane into important contexts dedicated to art, design, and the culture of making.
In 2025, the collection was featured in an exhibition at the Officine Saffi Foundation in Milan, one of Italy's main reference points for contemporary ceramics. In 2026, it was also presented at The Conran Shop flagship in Sloane Square, London, through the installation Giving Clay a Form, created for London Craft Week.
Bringing these works to Vicopisano meant placing them in a different yet equally powerful context: not a neutral exhibition space, but a building capable of adding new meanings to their story.
A place, a community, a story to continue
Materia Senza Tempo was much more than an exhibition for Vicode.
It was confirmation that objects acquire even deeper value when they are told through places, people, and relationships. It was an opportunity to open the doors of an extraordinary space and bring a local community together with a story from the Mediterranean.
We thank the Municipality of Vicopisano for their patronage, Mayor Matteo Ferrucci, the President of the Rotary Club of Vicopisano Michele Marroni, Divizie, Tenuta Dodici, and all the people who participated, visited the installation, and shared these days with us.
What remains are the photographs, the encounters, and the memory of the ceramics illuminated by the ancient walls of Palazzo Pretorio.
But above all, there remains the awareness that some materials do not belong to a season.
They preserve time. And they continue to tell stories.
