Intertwinings of Materia | Art from KALPA at the Milan Design Week 2024

EXHIBITION

INTERTWININGS OF MATERIA: ART FROM KALPA AT THE MILAN DESIGN WEEK 2024

This is a storytelling of temporal sequences and spatial planes, of the pleasure of experimenting with materials, forms, surfaces and textures, all happening at Milan Design Week 2024. A banquet of objects, iconic design and contemporary art pieces blossoming within the historical interiors of the Neoclassical Palazzo Bovara on the occasion of the Material Home exhibition-installation, created by Elle Decor Italia in collaboration with Elisa Ossino Studio, Rossi Bianchi Lighting Design and the Antonio Perazzi Studio.

Resonating with the underlying playful and experimental spirit of the whole setting, KALPA integrated a selection of textural artworks in clay, wood and washi paper by contemporary artists Janine Thüngen-Reichenbach (Italy/Germany), Jojo Corväiá (Germany), Yoshimi Futamura (France/Japan), Sabine Pagliarulo (Italy/France) and Marco Bellini (Italy).

Delving into the theme of matter in its many forms, the exhibition project unfolded as a whimsical entanglement of creative languages, from micro to macro, navigating in the terrains of interior design, art and design. To introduce the core of the overall setting, at the very beginning of the exhibition path, visitors were welcomed by a proper material library to be felt and presenting a variety of stone samples, of clays, metals, glasses and wood essences.

“Research in this area straddles the line between technical evolution and the recovery of traditional craftsmanship, with an eye always turned toward sustainability, resulting in surfaces that define the character of architectural and interior designs as well as the skin of the objects that furnish our homes.”

A heterogeneous array of ceramic sculptures and bas-reliefs in washi paper donated the artists’ inner soul to the vast tripartite living area Polvere, featuring the co-presence of materials, such as cement, lime and terrazzo. Suffusing the ambiance with their conceptual content and form, the ensemble of organic works by Thüngen, Corväiá, Futamura and Pagliarulo revolved around the possibility of expressive art collection emphasising the principles of instinct and intimacy, imperfection and abstraction, and above all interconnectedness with Nature.

Nestled in the soft atmosphere of Soffice room, a stoneware and porcelain sculpture by Pagliarulo was capable of releasing both energy and tension from the clay itself, as well as alluding to a sentiment of rebirth and protection. Within the similar earthy and warm atmosphere of the Polvere living area, an abstract sculpted vase in Japanese clay by Corväiá created a dialogue with the rust cimento tiles of the walls, reflecting the artist’s appreciation for irregular forms and natural processes of expression.

As a warm accent in the Superfici room, featuring a steel kitchen monolith and metal lining on the wall, two minimal wood pieces by Italian maker Bellini created a connection to the deepest part of our soul, archaic and evocative of primordial times and of the timeless form of the vessel.

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Material Home was emblematic of the Milan Design Week's eclectic essence, morphing into a multidisciplinary ecosystem and an inspiring melting pot for creatives and design-passionates. Inviting the visitors to immerse themselves into a sensory journey where each design and art piece embodies a unique narrative, the exhibition unveiled a succession of spaces, corridors and installation corners investigating tactile, perceptual and olfactory aspects of matter.