“AJÚRA”: A DIALOGUE BETWEEN ANCESTRAL CERAMICS AND CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE AT PINTA ASUNCIÓN

Viedma Galería de Arte will open AJÚRA, a collaborative exhibition between architect and visual artist Christian Ceuppens and renowned Paraguayan ceramicist Carolina Noguera, as part of Pinta Asunción artweek, one of the most important art events in the region. Under the concept of “Processual Dialogue”, the exhibition—opening on September 10—presents a unique encounter between two complementary creative universes: the ancestral ceramic tradition of Tobatí and the contemporary exploration of forms, materials, and space with an architectural imprint.

“Ajúra”—which means “neck” in Guaraní—configures a meeting ground where traditional black ceramics embrace the discourses of contemporary design, generating pieces that breathe both tradition and innovation. The neck emerges as a symbolic element of vital connection, representing the interweaving of the ancestral and the modern, between the coil technique inherited through generations and the architecture of space.

This collaboration, developed over months of shared exploration with Viedma Galería de Arte, addresses how two distinct materialities and fields of practice can articulate to create a common language. The focus is on the process itself, on the shared time in which both creators have learned from each other.

The work incorporates brick as an architectural component, establishing links with Tobatí’s tradition and its historic brickmaking. This materiality serves as a bridge between Ceuppens’ architectural work and Noguera’s ceramic roots, manifesting in a viewpoint that spatially articulates part of the proposal.

Triangulation emerges as a structuring concept of the project, resulting in new clay pieces of shared authorship that form an installation alluding to the multifaceted pillar, accompanied by a series of unique paintings.

Carolina has achieved international recognition, actively participating in UNESCO-organized gatherings where she offers hands-on workshops on ancestral modeling, contributing to the preservation and dissemination of Paraguayan ceramic tradition that positions Tobatí as one of the most important ceramic centers in the country.

Viedma Galería de Arte stands in Asunción, Paraguay, as a dynamic space for social interaction and cultural exchange. Founded by Prof. Manuel Viedma in 2013, the project creates new opportunities for the visibility of contemporary culture in the country as well as for international production.

Currently managed by Verónica Viedma—artist, educator, and cultural manager—the gallery emphasizes the discovery and promotion of emerging and established visual artists with a careful and innovative curatorial approach rooted in visitor experience and the enrichment of the regional art circuit.

Pinta Asunción art week is one of the most important art events in South America, bringing together galleries, artists, collectors, and art lovers for a week dedicated to the promotion and dissemination of Latin American contemporary art.

The exhibition will open on September 10 at Viedma Galería de Arte, Denis Roa 768, Asunción (Paraguay).