John Pawson has collaborated with Italian company Salvatori to create a temporary building using their 99% recycled stone product Lithoverde. Placed in the glorious setting of the Universitá Statale in central Milan the structure’s minimal aesthetic was in sharp contrast to the ornate porticoes of the surrounding courtyard.
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Iʼm posting this from Milan because the volcanic eruption on Wednesday means that I havenʼt been able to get back to London for the last four days. For me this isnʼt too much of a problem because Milan is a fantastic city with wonderful memories of when I lived here in 2005. What follows is a summary of some of the most interesting things that Iʼve seen around the city in the past few days.
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There was a lot to see around the city during this yearʼs Fuori Salone with a new area in Ventura Lambrate hosting the RCA and Design Academy Eindhoven among others as well as the usual hotspots of Zona Tortona, Brera and around Duomo in the centre. I was fortunate to be staying in Brera and so was within walking distance of many of the most interesting showrooms and galleries including Studio Job and Pieke Bergmanʼs presentation of their Wonderlamps for Dilmos. These oversized everyday objects were produced in a beaten bronze finish and embellished with Bergmanʼs fluid glass that dispersed the light creating strange sculptural objects.
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Established&Sons took up their annual residency at la Pelota and delivered a comprehensive presentation of all the major works in their collection as well as a new range of products produced inhouse under the title Estd.
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Rossana Orlandiʼs showroom/office/shop in Milanʼs San Ambrogio district seems to grow in size and influence year on year. New spaces around the central courtyard that werenʼt open on my last visit three years ago were bulging with new work selected by Orlandi including Aldo Bakkerʼs copper objects and Frederique Morrelʼs exuberantly patterned stuffed animals.
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One of my favourite presentations in Milan was Nacho Carbonellʼs incredible Diversity collection that showed in a magnificent space belonging to fashion brand Gianfranco Ferré in the Brera district. The exhibition consisted of a number of chairs that grew into a raised desk balanced on slender legs. The objects were identical in form but had each been made in a different material, predominantly with a raw, natural finish that imbued the objects with a sense of personality and playfulness. Like a family of wild animals they contained the same basic DNA but had developed individual characteristics.
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The future seems bright for contemporary Scottish art judging by the works included in the annual showcase of recent graduates at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh. A well curated selection demonstrates an exciting breadth of ideas and inspirations.
All twelve galleries of the RSA at the National Galleries were packed with quality works in a wide variety of media. For me the more sculptural pieces stood out, enhanced by their fantastic setting. Richard Braken’s In the High Pass exuded a sense of tradition and rusticity whilst seeming genuinely contemporary. Jessica Ramm’s imaginative mechanised installation had a beautiful homemade quality. A collection of bizarre mutants by Jamie Fitzpatrick gave the current taxidermy trend an unsettling twist while Catriona Gilbert created a spectacular cloak from feathers that looks like it could rise up and take flight at any moment.
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