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

The annual meeting  of A.I.A.S. members  has gathered us in Rimini , thanks to the  commitment  of the  Romagna Bonsai Club which organized in an impeccable way  every moment of the A.I.A.S. Congress.  My first words are therefore for them , from the President Mr. Remo Cavalli to every Club’s member,  who have conjugated  professionalism  to that sincere friendliness  heat  which is typical of Romagna Region . We have enjoyed familiar and spontaneous welcome  but never  improvised: the venue of the Congress, the  stately Palace of the Arengo  just in the historical  town centre, could have caused some logistic problem, but  everything has  been  managed in a perfect  way, supplying at first punctual information  on how, where  and when  to arrive  and a practical well organized  help at our arrival, over all for the Saturday, when the weekly market of Rimini has blocked all accesses in Cavour Square  .                      

An earthily  thanks, therefore, from all  A.I.A.S. to our member  Mr. Remo Cavalli and to all his Club, it also  A.I.A.S. member , for  doing their utmost with no reserves for the success of  “our” Congress , our because  they  too also as A.I.A.S.  members .

The suiseki  exhibited in the six categories  in contest were 88, with 50 members attending, but thanks  to  the pre-registration handled by our precious member  Mr. Carlo Laghi   during the previous week of the exhibition , the  recording operations  have been  rapid and accurate. The most part  of members has staged  in the  Friday afternoon but someone is arrived on Saturday  morning , even though  the difficulties caused  by the large market of Rimini. The opening ceremony and the tasty reception party  have opened officially the Congress works ”Passion, creativity and professionalism “ : with these words the president of the Malatestiana Bank , Mrs.  Enrica Cavalli , has defined the work arranged by the Romagna Bonsai Club, with  which the Bank is actively cooperating. Great was the admiration of   Remo in seeing a so numerous  members ‘attendance and stones arriving  even from far away countries, while the  AIAS President Mr. Luciana Queirolo, has hold  to emphasize as Romagna is “ the real heart of A.I.A.S. , its steady motor”.

Forgive me if I do not give you a description of Rimini’s  beauties  and of its monuments, but the Congress was so rich of initiatives and of unlosable  meetings  to not allow me  to devote myself  to the cultural tourism  and to the beaches  which, thanks to the almost summer weather  should have granted   me sun, sea and relax !   
On Saturday afternoon, in facts, there has been the meeting  with the Korean suseok, thanks to Mr. Hong Eun Shik,  to his collection and to the daughter Miyuen,   graceful and  essential  support  for the translations.

During this meeting many have been the  curiosities came out.  An important  feature of suseok  is its naturalness: the stone has not to be modified , worked or cut but neither cleaned with mechanical  tools, up to the extent that the only cleaning allowed is that arranged with toothbrushes.  Stones cleaned with other methods lose their value. There is however an exception : also in Korea there is a stone  similar to our palombino  and for it the cut and the alteration is allowed !

In addition  to the prestigious Trophy  and to the AIAS category prizes,  have been assigned the IBS Award  and the sponsoring UBI plate on judgement of IBS Instructors  Mr. Angelo Attinà and Mr. Ezio Piovanelli and of the UBI  Board member Mrs. Laura Monni. The awarding was  carried out during the gala dinner, and I offer you some images of the winners , between the surprise and the justifiable satisfaction.

And after the official photos, some free photos, at table, and of the pleasant raffle  which assigns the “unappreciated” stones  offered by  the members  as a prize   with a great democratic spirit!  Let us enjoy  to recognize ourselves….

At 10.30 hrs. the first voice in program: we have had the chance  to meet Mr. Sergio Biagi, affirmed bonsaist who is finding a new artistic season in realizing   tables for bonsai  and for suiseki.  From the initial question “What a table for a bonsai?”  he has  started to become fond of suiseki , and thanks to a methodical  and rational  research  he has in the time  selected  and realized  some models  which by style  and measurements better adapt themselves  to the exhibition  of our stones. Even starting from classical  Japanese model, he has modified them producing those which   Sergio  likes to define “ new tables and unic” and which so will remain. In the meeting of Sunday , in a pleasant talking , he has shown  to the  Congress ‘members  interested and over all    surprised   , as  alchemy  between  the table and the  stone  may  born even with shapes  and unusual  measures trough the proposal of many practical  examples.

In the subsequent meeting of the new Board, the President Mrs. Luciana  Queirolo has proposed the confirmation  of the previous Councillor  in the office of Vice-President , Secretary, and Treasurer who have accepted the proposed tasks.

Finally in the afternoon we could listen the evaluations of the judge  Mr. Marino Nikpal on the exhibition in general  and on the single stones to which a recognition  has been  assigned. 
Mr. Marino starts with a preamble of general order  :  “….. many stones exhibited in the Object Stone category were to be entered  among the Stones to be Contemplated, or even vice-versa. In these cases, unfortunately , I have been  obliged  to exclude the stone from granting a prize”.     

As always, a rather sad moment  arrives, that of the greetings , and in the general hurry some embrace is unfortunately missing.  The good-bye  has already been given : in Aversa, on October 2015 , among the friends of the Naples Bonsai Club, in the halls of the Monumental Building of San Francisco, and with an exceptional guest , as judge and lecturer, Mr. Thomas S.Elias,   current  B.C.I.  President ….. friends, I am waiting for  you numerous ! 

As always I close with a dutiful bow …..  the classic acknowledgement  to the winning stone of the A.I.A.S. Trophy 2014,  which has been granted to the landscape stone of Japanese origin  exhibited by the new member Mr.Igor Carino.