At the exhibition presented by the Franz Mayer Museum in Mexico
City until August 27, and entitled: “From Decorative Art to Design– 20th Century Italian Silver”, you will find the most relevant aspects
of Italian design using silver in the last three decades by outstanding
contemporary Italian architects and designers as Ettore Sottsass Jr.,
Carlo Scarpa, Alessandro Mendini and Roberto Venturi; major design
companies as Alessi and Memphis; the top gold work studios De
Vecchi and San Lorenzo and the works for Italian companies of the
most renowned international architects as Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel,
Charles Jencks, Richard Meier and Kazumaza Yamashita.
One of the most significant expressions of contemporary artistic
craftsmanship is represented in Italy by the work of those silversmith
companies, which as of 1950 were able to renew their style by
developing a fruitful relationship with the main characters in Italian
design.
This exposition is an accomplishment by Curator Giorgio Forni,
Director of the Santirana Art Foundation’s Contemporary Silversmith
Museum and is presented as part of the Italian Festival in Mexico,
in association with the Italian Embassy in Mexico, the Italian Culture
Institute and the Italian Foreign Trade Institute (ICE).
The Santirana Art Foundation opened the Contemporary Silversmith
Museum with a collection of works by the six top Italian production
workshops:
Olga Finzi Baldi, Milano. Heiress and keeper of Finzi Arte, one of
the first and most famous Italian silversmiths from the beginning of
the century. Her work is based on designs made by old Milanese
craftsmen. The last Persian Sha, Reza Pahlevi, chose the Elite
tableware for use in the Persian Imperial Court receptions.
Gabriele De Vecchi, Milano. Artist and designer, heir of the paternal
company, jointly winner with Piero De Vecchi of many awards at
Milano’s Triennials during the 1940’s and 1950’s and of numerous
Golden Compasses. Corina Morando, his wife, and architects
Sergio Asti, Ugo La Pietra, Claudio Brambilla and Carla Venosta
work with him.
San Lorenzo, Milano. Ciro Cacchione left the family
business to establish this company that has worked
since 1970 with a group of architects —F. Albini and
F. Helg, Antonio Piva, Maria Luisa Belgioioso, Afra
and Tobia Scarpa, Lella and Massimo Vignelli—,
which has been an example of severity and
professionalism. San Lorenzo was chosen by
London’s Victoria & Albert Museum as a model to
be known worldwide.
Memphis, Milano. A company dedicated to
postmodernism, founded by Ettore Sottsass and
Alessandro Mendini. Represents a glorious and
pyrotechnic experience of new forms and amusing
inventions.
Cleto Munari, Vicenza. Producer of small numbers
of objects designed by him and Carlo Scarpa, Ettore
Sottsass, Alessandro Mendini, Giotto Stoppino,
Luigi Caccia Dominioni, Roberto Sambone, Vico
Magistretti, as well as by younger designers, as
Michele De Lucchi, Matteo Thun and Davide
Palteler.
Gemma Gioielli, Verona. Small firm that from 1990
entrusted the architect Claudio Salocchi the creation
of an exclusive line of silver objects for jewelry and
home.
And if all this was not enough, the Foundation
added a historical collection with objects from the
beginning of the 20th Century and a new collection
from 1993, open to diverse producers and constantly
growing due to new acquisitions.
It’s one of a kind global collection, for its quantity and
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