1988 ICCCIA Conference

Sloss Historic Furnaces — Birmingham, Alabama, USA

Overview

The 1988 conference at Sloss Historic Furnaces in Birmingham, Alabama marked the origin point of what would eventually become the International Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art (ICCCIA). Conceived as an experimental gathering of artists, educators, and foundry practitioners, the event centered on reviving and recontextualizing cast iron as a contemporary sculptural medium.

Hosted at one of the most historically significant industrial sites in the United States, the conference established a hands-on, furnace-centered model that emphasized collaboration, material exploration, and knowledge exchange. The 1988 gathering laid the conceptual and practical groundwork for all subsequent ICCCIA conferences.

Event Details

  • Location: Sloss Historic Furnaces, Birmingham, Alabama, USA

  • Dates: 1988

  • Host Site: Sloss Historic Furnaces

  • Significance: Foundational gathering that initiated the ICCCIA conference tradition

Highlights

  • First organized contemporary cast iron conference at an industrial heritage site

  • Collaborative furnace operation and experimental iron pours

  • Early cross-institutional and cross-regional artist participation

  • Establishment of an open, workshop-driven conference model

  • Integration of historical industrial infrastructure with contemporary art practice

Workshops, Presentations & Programming

Workshops

  • Furnace operation and iron pouring fundamentals

  • Mold-making techniques for cast iron

  • Site-responsive casting approaches

Presentations & Discussions

  • Early conversations on cast iron as a contemporary art medium

  • Educational and institutional models for iron casting programs

  • Material history and industrial context of iron

Iron Pours & Demonstrations

  • Live iron pours using existing furnace infrastructure

  • Experimental casting sessions

  • Collaborative demonstrations involving artists and technicians

Gallery

Images from the 1988 Sloss Historic Furnaces conference and early iron pours. (coming soon)

Have materials related to this conference?

Photos, documentation, notes, or other materials can be submitted for ICCCIA archival review.


Submit conference materials →