Anyone who discovers suiseki often wonders: is there anyone in Italy who takes care of it? The answer is yes, and the community is livelier than you might think. Almost always, suiseki in Italy grows together with the world of bonsai: the two arts share the same aesthetics, the same way of displaying and often the same enthusiasts.
The big exhibitions
Arcobonsai (Arco, Trentino)
It is considered the historic home of Italian bonsai. Every spring, in Arco, on Lake Garda, there are exhibitions, demonstrations and a specialist market. The event has hosted the congress of the Unione Bonsaisti Italiani (UBI) several times and, in some years, also the European bonsai and suiseki conventions, with stones exhibited from several countries. The programme often includes talks devoted to suiseki and to displaying them together with painted scrolls.
Regional exhibitions
In many regions local associations organise bonsai and suiseki exhibitions, often with free entry. In the South, for example, a national bonsai and suiseki exhibition with prizes for stones is held in the province of Catanzaro, organised by a local association; other exhibitions take place in Tuscany, Apulia and many other regions.
The dates change every year: the best way not to miss them is to follow the associations' channels and local event calendars.
The associations
- Unione Bonsaisti Italiani (UBI): the national association that brings together bonsai and suiseki clubs.
- Local clubs: almost every province has a bonsai club, and many have members who love suiseki. They are the best place to learn: you go to exhibitions, listen to the most experienced, learn to "read" stones.
- The European suiseki association, which connects enthusiasts from different countries and organises international meetings.
What to look at in an exhibition
If it is your first suiseki exhibition, here are three things to observe:
- The stone on its own. Try to understand what it evokes before reading the label.
- The daiza. Look at how it follows the stone and how "invisible" it is. (We talk about it in The daiza.)
- The whole. The stone is often displayed with a painted scroll and a small plant: notice how the three elements speak to each other.
And if you want to start?
- Read the basics: What is a suiseki and Types of suiseki.
- Visit an exhibition or a club near you.
- Walk along a river or a beach (where collecting stones is allowed) and train your eye.
- Or start from a stone that has already been chosen and presented: our suiseki come from the beaches and rivers of Calabria, each with its daiza carved by hand.
An important warning: in many areas (parks, nature reserves, some beaches) collecting stones is forbidden. Always check before taking one home.
Do you know an association or an exhibition we should mention? Write to us: we will gladly update this article.
