Report by Mrs.Daniela Schifano - Photo by Mr. Carlo Laghi

Another historical moment of our Italy has been the venue of the annual AIAS members’ meeting : the Monumental Cloister of Saint Francisco, in Aversa, where since the beginning of 1800  the enclosed Clarisse nuns  have lived  their existence devoted to God and that still offers a corner of peace  and meditation. The Napoli Bonsai Club  which  has this year organized  the National A.I.A.S. Congress  has had a winning idea: ample and peaceful  spaces have been  offered , framed by medieval frescos ,  wrapped by a cosy and discreet  atmosphere. It can appear an heresy  but… the place seemed to me  so in accordance  to a suiseki exhibition  to involve me  in not much orthodox  comparisons,  between  the spiritual meaning  of the cloister  in the religious architecture  and the need of the modern laic man  to devote part of his days  to the silence  and to the listening , and of how much the art of suiseki  is one of the so many ways  which stimulates  the introspection, the meditation  and the concentration.

Some story….  The monastic  Venue  of Saint Francisco  rose around the 1230  by the noblewomen  of the Rebursa  family , who used  some of their houses as a pious place of retirement  for follower women of the Clarisse Rule,  at  the pre-existing  church  of Saint Francisco d’Assisi. The venue  was restored  more times , the present church  is in baroque  style  and the cloister  remain the sole witness of the original Romanesque  appearance of the venue. Very fine also the superior  chorus  of the nuns , with a remarkable  example  of coffered ceiling , unfortunately  abandoned  and falling  but which  can be admired  by a grating .  With the laws of convents abolitions  of the 1809 a great part  of the buildings was  expropriated , and were used as public works.

The suiseki exhibited in the six categories in contest were 82 , more 4 out  of contest. Have taken advantage  of the open gallery  at ground floor  and at first floor, with 1,20 linear mt. at disposal  for every  stone, as it had been guaranteed  by the Board member Mr. Carlo Scafuri , president  of the Napoli Bonsai Club , during the members Assembly  in Rimini , as indispensable condition  to assure a good expositive quality. Then an elevated   number  of stones in contest, an excellent participation  of members  and to end   an expositive space  which has allowed , thanks also to the high backgrounds,  to use kakejiku of remarkable dimensions : with these preliminary remarks , the result  has been an exhibition of very good quality  and at same time  of considerable numbers.
The event  has been sponsored by the BCI , the NBSKE , the UBI and the IBS.  But it has been an unforgettable  convention over all for the ample cultural proposal  which has enriched  the exhibition :  the lectures of the sole judge  President of the B.C.I. Mr.Thomas Elias have followed one another that of the honorary President  of the Napoli Bonsai Club  Mr. Antonio Acampora and of the B.C.I.  Director Mr. Massimo Bandera.
But it is not all: the presence  of  Mr. Sergio Biagi  and of Mr. Andrea Terinazzi   has allowed us to understand  the building  techniques  of the bronze doban  of  Sergio  and of the tempai  of Andrea  and to know  the professional way  which has lead  them to be the sole Italian artist  in these fields.

Furthermore:  a photographic  contest advertised by the Flegrea Photo Association,  on the theme “The Mountain”  has had  its final moment  during the Congress, with the awaited awarding  and with the projection  of all the photos in contest.
But it is not enough !   The personal inks  of  Mr. Sandro Segneri   accompanied by the haiku  of Mr. Tiberio Gracco,  and by the photographic works  of Mr. Paco Donato,  joined  with the poetries of Mrs. Yurika Nakaema  have extended  the breath  of an event  not limited only to the stones

The only unfavourable aspect  of this Convention (well then yes…)  has been the rain,  continuous,  flooding, at intervals violent , which only in the Sunday afternoon  has given us some truce.

On Saturday afternoon , the lecture of Mr. Antonio Acampora has concerned  another important theme, that of the harmonious display of a suiseki , according to the school of Keido.

On Sunday morning ,  survived to the torrential  rain water we were ready  to face the fed program :  we start  with the  much expected  lecture of  Mr. Massimo Bandera,   concentrated  on one of the three volumes  published  in  1986 by the founder  of the Keido School, Mr. Ichiu Katayama,  devoted to the exhibition  in a tokonoma of bonsai, of suiseki and of Kusamono. To better  illustrate  the tokonomas  of the volume devoted to suiseki , the engagement of Massimo has been impressive: the volume in facts  has the test in Japanese and Massimo has done his best  to have  them translated  in Italian. The oratorical  glamour  of  Massimo Bandera, whom I should  stay listening for  hours  for the extent of his knowledge , has done the balance, capturing  the full attention  of the audience.

Early in the afternoon  the last much expected  didactic  moment  of the Congress : the comment on exhibited suiseki  by the judge Mr. Thomas Elias.  His availability  has been praiseworthy: he has commented all stones in exhibition , giving a sense  to exclusions and awards, evidencing deficiencies and merits and giving a score to every stone, a score from 1 to 10 , a direct and prompt system  to evaluate a stone in its whole. His preliminary remark , in any case, has been a reason of great satisfaction : he said to be favourably impressed by the quality of stones, much higher to that of other exhibitions abroad , and from the daiza  manufacture  built with a hard wood which in America is not used.
In conclusion , using his words: “ An exhibition  of very high level”.

We have learnt much in this Congress, perhaps one of the best successful in absolute.  As conclusion , I think is right to mention the words of Mr. Sergio Bassi, which are also mine and I think of all members:
“This year I have avidly looked for and found the cues , suggestions, emotions from your stones and from your fittings which have enriched  my small personal education. For people , as me,   looking  for this , I think  that the exhibition  was overflowing  of notions  and if I have found them , it will say that it was sufficient to look for them and that they  were at disposal within everyone. I thank you all whom I embrace  one by one, I thank you and I reserve  since now the rendezvous  for the next Congress”.Almost boxes and thoughts  have not yet been put away , and we are already projected  towards what will offer us our next meeting !  Therefore good-bye soon,  after all only one year is missing !         

As always I close with a dutiful bow …..  the classic acknowledgement  to the winning stone of the A.I.A.S. Trophy 2015,  which has been granted to the landscape stone of  italian origin  exhibited by the our President Mrs. Luciana Queirolo.