Driven by metamorphosis in the broadest sense of the term and by cross-fertilisation of art and design the exhibition take place in the fascinating space of Hangar Bicocca in Milan. Backstage-Behind the Scenes, curated by Patrizia Moroso and Marco Viola, looks back over the company’s 60-year history through the medium of the iconic products which determined Moroso’s growth, developments and evolution while, at the same time, they left their mark on the history of international design.
Marco Viola studio in Udine is the “brain” of this cool exhibition. Also a good friend of Partizia, they work together since several years now, and the result is a really spectacular exhibition articulated into two parts, Backstage_Behind the scenes, edited by Patrizia Moroso and Marco Viola, and Metamorfosi_ Behind, After or Beyond by Martino Gamper, recounts and interprets the history of one of the most creative and innovative companies of Italian design. The perfect counterpoint is the evocative Metamorfosi installation by Martino Gamper, artist and designer and winner of the 2011 Moroso Award for Contemporary Art.
Seeking to obtain a high graphic impact, the artist has gathered together some of the most famous pieces by the leading designers who work with Moroso, mixing and mingling their structures to create new seating upholstered with fabric scraps in an unprecedented play of colour. Underneath are hidden foam shapes moulded in soft colours over steel and wood frames. With a natural, almost bone-like look, the pieces by various designers from various periods seem part of the same animal. Why the choice of the concept of “metamorphosis” as a fil rouge to celebrate 60 years of Moroso? “The change and the fusion have always played an important role in my life, in my work. We were looking for a theme for the 60 years of Moroso and one day a friend told me: “You know that in China in 2012 will be the year of the Dragon?”.
The sign of the Dragon is a very strong symbol, orders the changes, a kind of bomb that comes every 60 years and changes the cards on the table, who knows how to pick the right wave gets a lot of energy. So the theme of metamorphosis seemed perfect for this occasion. Furthermore, we wanted to conceive a project with Martino Gamper, a designer who interprets the metamorphosis better than anyone else. It is a multifaceted exchange.
Everything depends on the people who work in these two areas. I always liked to stay on the edge, never at the center, because the center is boring, dictatorial. I am interested in the paths to the margins, that are where you find more interesting people. When I choose to work with designers, they are always people who have the same attraction for borders, fascinated by the art and other disciplines. Very often the designer is interested in art for the extreme freedom to do and to think without ties, is fascinated by the research, by seeing things from another point of view, not necessarily related to the reproducibility.
It is clear that art is not design, and vice versa, because the heart of these two worlds goes in very different directions, but who is on the border between these fields may give rise to attractive interactions. Pollination has always brought great results, and the world, thankfully, goes on like this, through mutation, the interaction. For companies like ours, a virtuous relationship between industry and crafts is fundamental. There are phases of our production that can not be mechanized in any way, such as sewing, lining or finishing, and others in which the intervention of the machine has allowed to speed up some processes.
An average Italian company as Moroso has the ability to operate freely, following its vision, even risking. If you are very big, it is the market that decides the rules, if you’re small you do not have the means to do important things, while a “nice” middle way is the best condition.
The DNA of Italian design is in the combination of craftsmanship and evolved methodology. In our region there was the so-called “chair district”, until 20 years ago 80% of the chairs in Europe were produced in Friuli, unfortunately most companies did not make the jump, were not able to adopt a major company strategy. You need to have a contemporary structure, capable of understanding the evolution of the market, whilst maintaining a heart, that of manufacturing, a great treasure of Italy. We are among the world’s best in craftsmanship, it’s a tradition, losing this leadership would be a shame”.( Patrizia Moroso explain to Drome Magazine ) For more information, or to get in touch with any of the companies we invite you to visit the links below the pictures and the videos that present this cool event. Also here in 5election we would like to make our congratulations to Moroso company and all the staff in Italy for their beautiful work !