Koko mosaico is a place in Ravenna, Italy, where you can:
buy mosaics, commission mosaics and artwork, attend mosaic courses and learn many different techniques, admire Luca Barberini's contemporary artwork, find people who love mosaic. As in the workshops of earlier times, traditional techniques merge with contemporary ideas and projects, all the while maintaining a constant rapport with Ravenna
's invaluable historical mosaics. Mosaic has always lent itself to use in architectural spaces, having been considered a sort of 'eternal painting' since Roman times. This extends to the aesthetic aspect as well: when the fragmented pieces typical of a mosaic surface meet the light, a sort of painting with an almost sculptural depth is generated. With mosaic, one can create the effect of three dimensionality and plasticity on a completely flat surface. The works created by Koko Mosaico range from copies of ancient mosaics to modern/contemporary mosaics, Incorporating original or commissioned designs according to the desires of the client. Koko Mosaico primarily employs the traditional Ravenna technique in which the individual tessere are affixed at slightly differing angles on the wall surface. This, an important peculiarity of Byzantine mosaics, has the effect of creating a certain luminosity in the space. In contrast to a mosaic factory, Koko Mosaico does not use machines to cut tessere to a standard size but makes their own tessere manually, using the traditional hardie and hammer. Each tessera is cut individually, guaranteeing the uniqueness of every piece, whether destined for eventual use on a wall, in a pavement or on a three dimensional surface. A distinguishing characteristic of the studio is its commitment to the quality of the finished product. To this end Koko Mosaico uses the best materials (certified and guaranteed) on the market, from Venetian gold and glass smalti to the highest quality marble, as well as the most recent generation of binders (which guarantee a long duration and are manufactured according to LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] regulations). The Koko Mosaic team is composed of master mosaicists, specialist collaborators, craftsmen and artists working in a safe, secure, and legal environment.
