Posio and Rovaniemi – The Capitals of the International Ceramic Community 2020

The 49th Congress of the International Academy of Ceramics (IAC) has been awarded to Finland. The congress will be hosted by the Arctic Ceramic Centre (ACC) in autumn 2020.

The IAC General Assembly is a well-known and highly appreciated congress in the field of ceramics. Every two years the event brings together world-class artists and actors from the ceramic world to discuss about contemporary ceramic issues and to showcase their artwork. International Academy of Ceramics has been an official partner in the cultural sector of UNESCO since 2001.

More or less 300 people from 50 different countries are estimated to attend the congress in Lapland in the autumn 2020. The preliminary theme of the congress is ”On the Edge”. For the first time in its history, the event will take place in Finland with Rovaniemi and Posio as the main venues for the conference and the exhibition programme. Posio and Rovaniemi offer a unique setting for a congress that has usually been organized in metropolises such as Barcelona, Paris and Xi’an. Finnish Lapland provides a natural, silent, safe and inspiring environment for exchanging ideas.

In recent years, the municipality of Posio has greatly invested in ceramics by developing the Arctic Ceramic Centre. The contribution has also been internationally acknowledged as the Arctic Ceramic Centre was approved as a member of IAC in 2015. Already before this ceramics has been a valuable part of the local culture. For more than 45 years Pentik, the northernmost ceramic factory in Finland, has been producing beautiful design ceramics in Posio. The pure nature of Lapland has been a source of inspiration for hundreds of ceramic artists.

The Congress will not only be significant for Arctic Ceramic Centre, but also for Finnish ceramics. The ceramic artists, traditions, education and research of the host country will receive a great deal of international attention due to the event. In addition, it provides a unique opportunity for bigger national audiences to view the very best of the international and national contemporary ceramics.

The congress will be a great chance to showcase how actors in Finnish Lapland organize significant international events.

More information about the congress will be updated on this page later.