RASSEGNA MIART 2019

02/06/2019 periodico magazines foglio sheet 1/2 pag. 12/13 H 12 ★ FTWeekend 1 June/2 June 2019 House Home M iart, held each April in Milan, is mainly an art fair, but prestigious designgallerieshavealso participated in Object, thededicatedsection,since2013.These specialiseinlimited-editionhistoricor contemporarypieces—oramixofboth. “Fewfairsbringtogetherartandcol- lectible design under one roof, which makes Object an interesting proposi- tion,” says curator Hugo Macdonald. “Increasingly, collectors buy both art anddesign,soitfeelsold-fashionedto exhibitthematdistinctevents.” This year, Object gave visitors the opportunity to discover lesser- knownmid-centuryItaliandesign- ers, such as Cesare Leonardi and PaoloBuffa. Some galleries presenting con- temporary work commission solo shows.ItalianarchitectElisaOssino, forexample,createdaninstallationof new ceramic furniture for Milanese galleryOfficineSaffi. Herearesomehighlightsofthisyear’s show. CesareLeonardi,creatorofthe Solidichairof1983,isaModena- basedarchitect,designerand artist.Inthe1960shewasknown forhisplasticpopfurniture, notablytheserpentine1967 Dondolorockingchair,co- designedwithFrancaStagi.Inthe wakeofthe1973oilcrisis,however, likemanyothercreatives,he rejectedplasticsandtookamore environmentally-friendlyapproach, usingnatural,cheaporrecycled materials.TheSolidichair— displayedbyModenagallery AntonioVerolino—wasassembled fromoffcutsofyellow-stained wood,salvagedfromconstruction sites.Holescarvedinthewood madethechairlighterandeasier toliftandmove. K SolidichairbyCesareLeonardi Visitorsthisyearcouldseeworks byItaliantitansofpostwardesign andlesser-knownmid-century names.By DominicLutyens Objects of desire on show FinnishindustrialdesignerPaavoTynellcreated thisfantasticalceilinglightin1947fortheFinnish companyTaito,whichheco-founded.Thelight, whichwasexhibitedatObjectbySwedishgallery Stockholmmodern,wasoriginallyconceivedasan arrestingobjecttodecoratetradeshowsbut provedsopopularinitsownrightthatitwas exportedtotheUS—oneapparentlyhunginthe WhiteHouse.Itsnamereferstotheethereal snowflakeshapesseeminglyfloatingabovethe perforatedbrassshade.Thelight’sromantic allusiontonatureplacesitintheScandinavian traditionoforganicmodernism.Tynellalso dreamtupdelicatelightfixturesforFinnish architectAlvarAalto’sbuildings,includinghis PaimioSanatorium. GalleryLucianoColantonioinBrescia, northernItaly,commissionedBrescia- bornarchitectanddesignerOttoBerselli tocreatethisone-offscreen,launchedat Object.Berselli—whostudied architectureattheUniversityofFlorence, graduatingin1983—isinterestedin researchingmaterialsand unusualfinishes.The multifunctionalscreenis intendedforuseinahallway orbedroomandmademainly ofrecycledmetalusedto supportelectoralbillboards. Itspartlyrustedsurfacegives itanappealingpatina,yetit incorporatesmorepolished- lookingelements,including brassclothingracksandbrass andglassshelves. K Metal,brassandglass screenbyOttoBerselli M SnowflakechandelierbyPaavoTynellforTaito DESIGN DISPATCH MIART, MILAN

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