Bottega Veneta & Gaetano Pesce Present 'Vieni a Vedere' @ Salone del Mobile in Milan

The Humanist architect-designer-artist Gaetano Pesce is a towering figure in each of his fields; a true multidisciplinarian with an iconoclastic agenda who, despite a career spanning seven decades, still refuses to be cowed or quantified. In numerous public and private works realized globally, in the fields of architecture, town planning, interior design, industrial design and exhibition design, the constant experimentation of an artist who refuses repetition infuses all.

Following the commission given to Pesce to create a temporary site-specific artwork as show space for the Summer ’23 Bottega Veneta fashion show, the dialogue continues and a further stage is explored. Once again given creative carte blanche, and this time situated in the brand’s Montenapoleone store, Pesce creates a unique installation called ‘Vieni a Vedere’ (Come and See). Spanning the store, the immersive installation utilizes resin and fabric to create a unique experience that the visitor travels through. It frames an edition of handbags realised by Bottega Veneta for the artist according to his designs.

Embracing figuration and stories of the personal rather than the purely functional, Pesce’s bags utilize the idiosyncratic both in terms of handcraft and creativity. Based on mountains and prairies, the handbags echo his early life in Italy growing up near the mountains in Este, and the prairies of America, a reflection of where he lives today.

“This is my first design of a bag and it is figurative – two mountains with a sunrise or a sunset behind. I wanted a bag with an optimistic view. There is a capacity to realize anything at Bottega Veneta and this bag opens up a way to express future design. The design of the future has to be figurative and it has to communicate – such an object has to tell a story.” Gaetano Pesce

The installation is on view through April 22, where the artist’s edition of handcrafted handbags can also be purchased. Look out for an interview of Pesce in our forthcoming SS23 Utopia issue, also available for preorder April 22.

Gufram On The Rocks "50 Years of Design Against the Tide" @ Carla Sozzani Gallery in Milan

On the occasion of miart and Salone del Mobile 2016, Galleria Carla Sozzani presents Gufram on the Rocks: 50 Years of Design against the Tide. The exhibition explores the first 50 years of Gufram through its most symbolic projects, the ones that in recent years have revived the legend of the brand and its mad and disruptive visions. With a special set up, some of the most representative icons of the history of Gufram invade the gallery's space: from the couch Bocca by Studio65 to Cactus designed by Guido Drocco and Franco Mello; from Pratone by Giorgio Ceretti, Pietro Derossi and Riccardo Rosso, to Sasso and Sedilsasso by Piero Gilardi; from Globe by Studio Job to Magnolia by Marcel Wanders, and many others. Gufram On The Rocks "50 Years of Design Against the Tide" will be on view until May 1, 2016 at Galeria Carla Sozzani, Corso Como 10, 20154 Milano. Photographs by Juanco Viso

Lee Broom's Salone del Automobile Installation On the Streets of Milan

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Lee Broom drove from London to Milan on this truck/mobile Palazzo to display his new collection of lighting fixtures. When asked about it he said: "Last year I went to a lot of exhibitions that were all about the Palazzo and everybody was talking about that." So this year he decided to literally deliver his own Palazzo. Always in the fastlane this guy. You can follow the whereabouts of Salone Del Automobile here. text and photograph by Juanco Viso

PART TWO: HIGHLIGHTS FROM SALONE DEL MOBILE 2015 IN MILAN

Armani Casa

Armani Casa

Model and sketches of the Neo futurist Burj Khalifa tallest skycraper in the wold that hosts the Armani Hotel in Dubai

Lorbus

Lecco friendly candle holder, builds upon a driftwood piece found on the Lago di Lecco

Anta Table

Anta table from an old kitchen cabinet wood door. Carved with CNC and handpainted with gold leaf and filled/finished with resin giving the whole piece an iridescent effect

Burst of Desire Clock

A Fibonacci spiral tells time while protecting an antique Milanese key pendulum

Bar Basso

Classic Milan nightlife spot

Ventura Lambrate poster

Roberto Sinori

Buccheri vases. Are handcrafted with an Etruscan technique that is 8000 years old. The clay is baked on charcoal at 900 degrees C. The reduction of oxygen and the smoke from the charcoal triggers a chemical reaction that gives the piece a a dark lead like silvery finish

Kirsi Enkovaara

Water Tiles by Kirsi Enkovaara, captures random water patterns trhu the use of an invented technique playing with gravity force ink and water.

VM Studio

Rotterdam based VM Studio Lucent mirror, changes opacity reflection while sliding the mirror disc along the shelf

Design Junction

Utopia and Utility

Design Junction

Utopia and Utility

An old 60' theater transformed into the location for Tom Dixon

Dixon's classics floating in the space

Adolfo Wildt

Sant'Ambrogio, patron saint of Milan by Adolfo Wildt 1928. Monumental sculpture recently restored and relocated inside the Universita Statale' campus

Part two of our coverage of Salone del Mobile 2015 - see part one here. Every corner of the city - including private palazzos and high end retail establishments – are transformed into an exhibition space showing local and global furniture design. For part two of Autre's coverage, highlights include Armani Casa's unique and classy exhibition feature blueprints from tallest building in the world, street scenes and Tom Dixon's classic furniture pieces floating in space. Full coverage and photos by Juanco Viso for Autre.

Cassina Celebrates Contemporary Icons @ Salone del Mobile

Ponti's lamps lights vintage Cassina's add campaigns and posters

Gio Ponti

Cassina front window L50 project from Studio Calvi & Bambrilla conceived around Le Corbusier's playful yet rational approach

A stage in continuous movement: windows designed by winner Studio Calvi & Brambilla. Exhibit featuring the participating projects of the contest by Interni & Cassina to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the LC Collection, which was on in Milan as part of Salone del Mobile 2015. photographs by Juanco Viso

Louis Vuitton “Objets Nomades” at Salone del Mobile 2015

Concertina chair and table by Raw Edges

Campana Brothers / Maracatu hanging cabinets made out of strips of leather

Foldable lantern by Gwenaël Nicola

Marteen Bass briefcase/beach chair

Swing Armchair Hamock by Patricia Urquiola

Bell Lamps by Barber&Osgerby

On display on Corso Venezia, Louis Vuitton asked 9 designers to interprate the art of travelling through innovative and luxurious handcrafted objects. The "Objets Nomades" collection was presented in conjunction with the 2015 Salone del Mobile. photographs by Juanco Viso. 

Part One: Highlights from Salone del Mobile 2015 in Milan

Leclettico, a Milan based creative, Interior and Design studio founded by Claudio Loria

Pietro Russo - Diamond-Shaped Bookshelf

This diamond-shaped library was designed with the intention of creating a subtle separation with a graphic and geometric element. The single diamond shapes, as a whole, form a structure that is visually balanced.

Tondo Doni

This majestic ring made of grey lime wood is a copy of the frame of the “Tondo Doni”, the masterpiece of Michelangelo Buonarroti. Daniele Nencioni spent one year to reproduce the clay model of the frame, going each Monday to the Galleria degli Uffizi, the Florentine museum where the original frame is exposed. This piece of fine workmanship depicts heads of saints and mythological figures and is crowned by a representation of Christ.

“Ri-frazioni” by Andrea Anastasio

“Marwoolus” by Marco Guazzini

“Marwoolus” by Marco Guazzini

Emiliano Salci and Britt Moran invested in their individual experience with the profession and study of Design, Art and Fashion, and founded Dimore Studio in 2003

Emiliano Salci and Britt Moran invested in their individual experience with the profession and study of Design, Art and Fashion, and founded Dimore Studio in 2003

Emiliano Salci and Britt Moran invested in their individual experience with the profession and study of Design, Art and Fashion, and founded Dimore Studio in 2003

Lampe Gras, Wall&Decò wallpaper at RAW, via Palermo

Leclettico, a Milan based creative, Interior and Design studio founded by Claudio Loria

Lee Broom / Split mirror

Lee Broom / Carpetry chaise longue

Making of Jasper Morrison's Handmade Chair

Wallpaper Handmade Exhibition, skilled Craftsmanship on Jasper Morrison's 12 limited edition alluminum chair

Making of Jasper Morrison's Handmade Chair

Wallpaper Handmade Exhibition, skilled Craftsmanship on Jasper Morrison's 12 limited edition alluminum chair

Precious Storage glass Vault / Spazio Pontaccio

Mesh lamp by Francisco Gomez Paz and Luceplan

Brodie Neill: Super Nova table

Movements, an interactive installation by London- based designer Philippe Malouin @ Palazzo Serbelloni

Maurizzio Cattelan

Maurizio Cattelan's sculpture L.O.V.E. but popularly known as The Middle Finger - out front the Milan stock exchange- facade and finger light mapped during an open air after party

Design and exceptional craftsmanship abound in Milan for the 2015 Salone del Mobile. Every corner of the city - including private palazzos and high end retail establishments – are transformed into an exhibition space showing local and global furniture design. Highlights include artist Maurizio Cattelan's LOVE sculpture, which is just a middle finger, outside the Milano Stock Exchange splashed with film projections. Also, Wallpaper and Leclettico bring you an exhibition of high-end handmade wares. Browse through photos above to see much more. Full coverage and photos by Juanco Viso for Autre.