An Italian Domestic Scenario

During the 2013 Fuorisalone, an apartment in Milan's Brera district became the perfect setting for a domestic installation by young collective Segno Italiano.

During the 2013 Fuorisalone, a new apartment in the Brera district opened its doors to the public, creating the perfect setting for the installations of young Segno Italiano collective inside a bright and comfortable interior on the first floor of Via Palermo 8. The "An Italian Domestic Scenario" exhibition naturally invaded each and every room, presenting traditional Italian design objects linked to specific geographical contexts.

The Italian collective has been digging out long-forgotten pieces of vernacular design since it was founded in 2011. Their full collection was displayed as an intricate table setting on a dining table — an important place where everyone in the home comes together. On display were white ceramics from the treasure trove held in the Este Ceramiche workshops, alongside the first display of green glassware from Empoli, which, as the collective's Alberto Nespoli points out, is "testimony to a short but intense period in Tuscan history that spanned the two wars." A re-edition of the legendary Chiavari light chair, first seen at the 2011 Salone del Mobile, completed a sophisticated composition that coupled restraint and luxury with the common purpose of forging a new link between local crafts and the market. After reviving and passing on unchanged craft skills, the next step is to generate fresh connections between people from different cultures, through a global network of contacts.

Segno Italiano, An Italian Domestic Scenario
Segno Italiano, "An Italian Domestic Scenario", P8 Brera, Fuorisalone 2013
The kitchen was the physical and symbolic core of the apartment in Brera, and here, fine objects in hand-hammered copper from the Trento valley were placed on display. They were also made available to chefs, who transformed “hearth and home” into a cookery workshop, anticipating the intentions of the space's organisers who, far removed from the concept of “house museum”, actually wanted this space to be lived in, touched and used — to give its temporary occupants a chance to trace new and shared creative paths.
Segno Italiano, An Italian Domestic Scenario
Segno Italiano, "An Italian Domestic Scenario", P8 Brera, Fuorisalone 2013
Although the magnificence of the individual objects on display undeniably made them appealing in their own right, the video component — produced by FrameDealer, which always accompanies and completes every Segno Italiano project — was also an important aspect of the installation.
Segno Italiano, An Italian Domestic Scenario
Segno Italiano, "An Italian Domestic Scenario", P8 Brera, Fuorisalone 2013
This year’s video focused on the green glass from Empoli and was set in the old city museum’s furnaces, reignited after 20 years of silence. Local artisans, extraordinary custodians of an age-old skill, were interviewed and filmed at work, unveiling the most fascinating part of this programmatic “resurrection”. Going beyond the revival of shapes in its desire to reactivate a production process, Segno Italiano brought the tradition back to life in its rightful social fabric, at last ready to step onto the international cultural and commercial stage.
Segno Italiano, An Italian Domestic Scenario
Segno Italiano, "An Italian Domestic Scenario", P8 Brera, Fuorisalone 2013

9 — 14 April 2013

Segno Italiano: An Italian Domestic Scenario

Fuorisalone 2013

Spazio P8, via Palermo 8, Brera, Milan

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