As demonstrated by multiple examples during Fuori Salone, one of the latest trends for exhibitors and the public is to exhibit in exceptional locations. The works of designers and artists migrate from conventional venues, such as galleries or dedicated exhibition spaces, to private homes and boutique hotels.
A boutique hotel in the heart of Florence: CASA G.
The project we are going to tell you about is firmly rooted in this vision: the Artisan format conceived by Casa G. Firenze, a Boutique Hotel in the Ginori di Rondinelli aristocratic palace (formerly the home of the Ginori porcelain production), designed and curated by owner Filippo Montani della Fargna. Casa G. opens its doors after two years of careful restoration in collaboration with architect Cecilia Pantaleo. The accommodation facility combines the warmth of home with art, craftsmanship research and the noble goal of preserving culture and tradition while hosting contemporary visions ranging from art to design and photography. Every detail, from the furnishings to the finishes, has been thought out and designed ad hoc to create a unique space where objects tell a story through highly selected materials and strictly handcrafted workmanship – mostly made in collaboration with local artisans – thus creating a virtuous circle that combines aesthetics and content. At Casa G. architecture design, antiques, art and collectibles interact with each other, creating a magical atmosphere with several interesting details to discover: a true “homage” to the great Florentine masters known historically throughout the world.
Artisan, the review that celebrates the “masters”
Following this idea, Casa G. Firenze inaugurated the first edition of
ARTISAN in May. The event celebrates the knowledge of the masters interacting with the world of design and contemporary art. A boutique hotel that opens its doors to all art lovers and becomes a hotspot for artistic research. This first edition, which was co-curated by Caterina Licitra-Ponti and Kim Jansch, included the works of Cosimo de Vita (a Florentine designer and artisan) and Dariusz Jasak (a Polish-born photographer). Dariusz presents a photographic work for Casa G. from his new series “High Dimension” where digitally manipulated photography presents an imaginary monolith with a minimalist structure composed of steel and glass. Cosimo De Vita, on the other hand, came with the “Vertigo” design chair. In De Vita’s vision, the chair is transformed into a symbolic object by enclosing architectural elements that convey a sense of distortion and vertigo. Jasak’s digitally manipulated architectural photographs and De Vita’s anomalous “Vertigo” chair share the same story, though from different points of view. The exhibition invites us to reflect on how urban planning affects our lives and questions the constant progress we are heading toward. We had the pleasure of talking to the artists featuring in the first edition of Artisan. They told us about their point of view.
Cosimo De Vita
What is design for you and how does it “marry” with craftsmanship?
To me, design is everything made by adding one’s personal touch to the functionality of the object. Design and craftsmanship are indispensable to each other because design without the craftsmanship part would not exist while craftsmanship without design would not evolve.
Tell us about your design for Artisan
VERTIGO is the artwork I created for Arti-san , a project that interacts with Dariusz Jasak’s photography, conveying to the public the emotions I felt when I saw his photographic shot. As the title indicates, my first impression was the immensity of skyscrapers compared to humans and the consequent sense of vertigo. Therefore, my idea was to make an armchair that would simulate a sense of falling but also a sense of safety, which is what anyone seeks when experiencing a sense of vertigo. In addition to this, I tried to replicate threedimensionality by making carvings that would reproduce the effect created by Dariusz’s shot and convey a visual and tactile experience to the user.
During the last Fuori Salone, you participated in the “l’Appartamento di Artemest” exhibition with the “Cityng Duomo Milano” chair, which combines the object in itself with the theme of architecture. Tell us about this combination
Collaborating with Artemest (https://www.we-wealth.com/news/pleasure-assets/design/milano-design-week2023-fuorisalone-5-vie-cosa-vedere) was a pleasure, because they truly enhance Italian craftsmanship, promoting and communicating it excellently.
I am very happy to have been selected for the Fuori Salone event with a chair dedicated to the city of Milan. My “Cityng” project represents a combination between design and architecture where objects, such as chairs, are inspired by architectural elements. The goal is to create something reminiscent of a place in Milan.
You are one of the artists inaugurating the Artisan exhibition series for Casa G., what do you think of the new trend where private residences and Boutique Hotels become exhibition venues?
Arti-san is a fresh and well-structured project where the concept of collaboration between artisans and artists is enhanced, creating excellent communication. Casa G. is an example of this, a place where everything comes from the interaction between ideas and concreteness, past and present.
DARIUSZ
How many years have you lived in Italy and what made you choose this country?
I’ve been living in Florence, on and off, for seven years. I came here because of love and stayed for the love of Italian culture, which came shortly after. I stayed in Italy to continue my education and I finished my Master’s in Florence. Afterward, I was called elsewhere for different projects but I always had plenty of reasons to come back, so ultimately I decided to settle here.
Have Italy’s lands and sights influenced your “vision” as an artist/photographer?
Of course, in many ways. Now I understand it better, but at first, others would have to point things out to me. Not being from Italy certainly allows me to maintain a fresh eye, not take its omnipresent beauty for granted and still be surprised by it. Getting to know the Italian lifestyle, which differs in many ways from the lifestyles I know from my earlier days in larger Northern European cities, made me wonder about the connection between the environment and the way of living. I think those singular aspects are reflected in my work, in every aspect of it.
Tell us about your design for Artisan
I started working on the “High Dimension” series around two years ago but I’ve been always interested in how the environment we live in shapes our lives. I explored this theme in my previous exhibitions, “Living Machine” series (Amsterdam, Antwerp and Stuttgart), which I presented in collaboration with Salle Privée. Traveling allowed me to see how after the industrial revolution the world’s architecture has become more unified in big cities. I also felt like it is progressively losing its human scale. The issue of constant growth, which is typical of late capitalism, has become even more topical, moreover, we are on the verge of a new revolution fuelled by rapid information exchange brought by the internet and artificial intelligence. All this led me to create “High Dimension”: large-scale, unreal, monolithic facades. One of the pieces was shown during the first Artisan opening, and it is interesting how some viewers thought I had depicted a real building, which just goes to show that my vision isn’t too far from reality, indeed, it’s actually very believable. The longer you look at this piece, the more your eye gets tired – just like you get tired of living in a huge city. Cosimo conveyed it in his “Vertigo” armchair, which was exhibited in juxtaposition to my piece. Some previous works of his and mine were also on display, showing the artistic path that brought us to this point. The exhibition was cocurated by Caterina Licitra-Ponti and Kim Jensch with whom we worked closely during the process.
What is photography for you?
It’s a language that I like to use to express my ideas and feelings. Sometimes I need to extend it and reach for other techniques to communicate better. I like using digital manipulation, drawing and videos. I believe I can learn something new with every project. I guess that’s the reason why my activities are not limited to one genre.
What is the connection between photography and design for you?
It’s very strong and it starts with my education, as I come from a graphic design background. One can enhance the other: great photography can emphasize some features of design while design can bring photos to life by creating the right context. We worked closely with the curators and Filippo Fiorentini from AlmaProject247 to make our art pieces more effective, finding the right selection of light, distance and space of Casa G. I think this edition of Artisan was a great example of how design can go hand in hand with photography.
What is the influence of the surrounding area on a photographer’s creative vision?
The influence is very visible in my opinion, at least in my case. At first, I didn’t notice it as much but it’s becoming more and more clear: the experiences I had and the places I visited or lived in have an effect on the way I look at the world. Moving from Poland to Italy and being asked by Salle Privée to photograph different cities (Antwerp, Amsterdam, Stuttgart) at the beginning of my career made me more sensitive to beauty in everyday surroundings. Then I used this back in Poland when I worked on the portraits of Polish cities (Gdynia, Katowice and Wrocław).
You are one of the artists inaugurating the Artisan exhibition series for Casa G., what do you think of the new trend where private residences and Boutique Hotels become exhibition venues?
Maybe it’s not that new after all. The connection between the art market and privates has always been strong. Mark Rothko, along with other artists of the time, worked on commissions for New York’s skyscrapers and restaurants. Maybe having exhibitions that are linked to private entities is just another natural step. It’s certainly a way of making art more democratic and less centralized.
