In lieu of Cevisama—now postponed to February 2023—Tile of Spain hosted this year’s Passport to Creativity tour, which took place in Valencia June 13-17, 2022. The event treated the group to tours of factories, showrooms, historic and contemporary architecture; all to help the group discover trends and inspiration at the source, according to the organization.
State of the Industry
On Tuesday, June 14, 2022, prior to the tours, Vicente Nomdedeu, the president of The Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturers’ Association (ASCER), Tile of Spain and ICEX (a publicly owned business-oriented entity of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism’s Secretary of State for Commerce), held a press conference to outline production, sales, exports and trends in the industry that reflect the strength of Spain’s industrial sector.
According to Nomdedeu, Spain continues to export its tiles to more than 180 countries around the world, with the USA accounting for 22.9% of its exports. Europe, Asia and the Middle East are the three next largest geographic areas. Spain also produced 567 million square meters of tile increasing production 20.3% from the previous year, making it the top EU producer.
Featured trends
Here are some of the trends shown to the visiting groups during the event:
Deeper Expressions of Nature
People have been working from home or in a hybrid work situation for the past two years. Creating environments with natural materials can enhance well-being and this has given birth to a myriad of collections that honor the natural world. Tile manufacturers are also keenly aware of the importance of sustainability, and are working with nature, rather than depleting its resources.
Pop Culture – past and present
Exuberant balance is the most fun-filled, eye-catching trend. It explores the notion of maximalism, taking advantage of cultural narratives to dress up living spaces in rich colors, patterns and materials. Taking its cues from decades of rich cultural designs combined with a bold look into the future of design, these collections make statements that resonate.
Look and Please Touch
Advances in digital and 3D/4D technology has given rise to collections that beg the question, “How can this be tile?” From the striations in marble-look tiles to the rough-hewn periderm layers that make up tree bark for wood-look tiles, the natural world is re-created using tiles’ own natural properties.
Enigmatic Luxury
Tile can be both a serene backdrop to any luxury project or the main character and when looking for either, it’s best to ensure that the choices speak to whichever the project demands. These tiles answer that call beautifully.
Rustic Redefined
Advances in extruded tile manufacturing has given tile designers the freedom to create collections that hearken back centuries to hand-crafted tile while at the same time incorporating newer technologies like slip-resistance and the strength to stand up to high-traffic areas.
Look Book
Tile of Spain also unveiled its 2022 Tile of Spain Look Book, which again showcases the range and depth of the group’s ceramic offerings.
The Look Book is a valuable reference guide, according to the group, highlighting the latest ceramic pieces from Spanish manufacturers. Tile of Spain said it invites everyone to browse through the digital catalog and discover the true beauty and power of ceramics from Spain.