THE ARTISAN OF MATTER

Since the very beginning of watchmaking, there

have always been engravings on cases, dials and
even on the tiny parts of watch movements. Today,
Vacheron Constan#in perpetuates this tradition by
offering engravers exceptional opportunities for
artistic expression.

The engraver can thus transcribe decorative elements

into the material from which watch movements
and parts of the case are made, carving them with
delicate care.

This work of "miniature sculpture" carried out by

hand requires a clear artistic and aesthetic approach
combined with exceptional dexterity.

Reference: Patrimony Traditionnelle

openworked perpetual calendar
 THE ARTISAN OF COLOUR

The art of enamelling was invented by oriental

craftsmen nearly 4,000 years ago. With the
development of watchmaking in the 17th century,
Geneva became the center of Grand Feu miniature
enamellingfor watch decoration. Vacheron Constantin
today perpetuates this refined ancestral crafl

Theenamellercreatesorfaithfullyreproducesdesigns
or miniature patterns on the dial with the aid of
a brush. Other techniques ate also used: doisonní
enameUing, which involves using wire to mark
the outline of a zone, and champlevé enamelling,
in which the material is hoUowed out at the
locations where the enamel is to be received.
This decorative crafl requires very high~ developed
artistic and technical skills.

Referente." Chagall & l'Opéra de París

"Hommage ~ M.P. Moussorgski';
Boris Godounov.
 THE ARTISAN OF LIGHT

The first Vacheron Constantin ladies' watches

were both watches andjewels, veritable accessories
that formed an integral part of the costume of
the times. The advent in the 20th century of the
baguette-shaped wristwatch - the thinnest in the
world - contributed enormously to the reputation
of the Manufacture.

The gemsetter's role is to arrange precious

stones on a timepiece while respecting the codes
of quality concerning the alignment of the
stones in relation to the cut and the refraction
oflight.

Reference: Lady Kalla Flame

OCully paved model)
PARIS
 rspecti~e

PASSION, DEDICATION
TRANSHISSION
Vacheron Constantin has been 8romotinZ the me'tiers d'art
sinceitsfounaation,in1755.21nafirmrybelievesinafuturemadebyharta

Artistic Crafts are an integral part of the tradition develop creativity. Freedom to develop new crafts,
upheld by our Maison. Throughout its over 250 ye- such as figurative guillochage that is not about merely
ars ofexistence, Vacheron ConstanUn has constan@ reproducing motifs, but instead involves creating au-
combined the works of the finest artists in order to thenfic pictures. And last but not least, freedom to
offer the quintessence of finishing and decoration. put forward new proposals.
These historical ties have been transformed into an
authenfic passion that is nurtured by the intense de- Our task also lies in contributing to envisaging these
dicaUon of the arfisans. They all play their part in skills from an innovafive perspective. The "Métiers
building a reality that could never shine so brigh@ d'Art - Les Univers Infinis" series stemmed from a
without the human hand. Their manual skills ate th- wish to offer a new, contemporary and highly graphic
reatened with extinction. We, as artisans of time, enjoy image of Fine Watchmaking. "Les Univers Infinis~
our own special bond with time. bring together several artistic
It is our responsibility to pro- crafts culfivated by the Manu-
tect such age-old expertise and facture: guillochage, enameUing,
to ensure that it endures. gem-setting and engraving,
exercised in a particula@ com-
Vacheron Constantin was the plex sequence. Inspired by the
very first in the 1990s to re- work of Dutch artist Maurits
kindle the flame of Artistic Cornelis Escher, they adopt
Crafts. In order to revive them, the principles of geometry by
we have sparked a desire by reinterpreting the selective pa-
offering unique and dazzling ving technique known as "tes-
creations embodying the peak sellafion" to create an incredible
of their art. To celebrate our visually hypnotic effect.
250th anniversary, we inten- Finally, one cannot envisage
sified our commitment to this Arfisfic Crafts without the di-
field by creating unique pieces mension of"encounters" that
and a coUecfion named "Métiers d'Art", marvels of they quite naturally generate. As such, our duty is
engraving and enamel painfing. Another masterpie- to highlight these crafts and to share them with as
ce, "Chagall &l'Opéra de Paris - Tribute to Famous many people as possible. It is in this spirit that since
Composers", represents a feat ofminiaturisafion hi- 2011 Vacheron Constantin has became the main
ghlighting "Grand Feu" enamel painting according
to the Geneva technique. ~
atron of the Journe'es Européennes des Mé'tiers d'./lrt
European Arts and Crafts Days), encouraging exhi-
In September 1755, Jean-Marc Vacheron hired an bitions featuring live demonstrations to showcase
apprentice, thereby signalling his determination to craftsmanship exceUence and inspired by the theme
hand down an intimate knowledge ofhis craft. The of passing on these tradifional skiUs.
torch is indeed daily passed on in our Méfiers d'Art Remaining open to the world, seeking excellence,
workshops, where each master shares the essence of supporting creativity while respecting and passing
his art with an apprentice who wishes to follow in on traditions in a manner governed by a concem for
his footsteps. Creative freedom plays a tole that is sharing our passion: that is how we envisage Artisfic
just as important as passing on expertise within this Crafts, through the prism of our fundamental values.
department that encompasses engraving, guillocbage, Five values like the five fingers ofskilled artisans- who
enameUing and gem-setting. Freedom to nurture and quite literaUy hold our civilisafion in their hands.
@ E d i t o r ' s l e t t e r

FROM THE WORKSHOP

TO TH E WORLD
THE ENTERPRENEURIALATELIER
Shared values in a magazine that is going international,
to ex~ort the culture ofknow-bow. 8~am~gfrom training

Shared values: let us start from here, fi'om that "little ents the individual who does not give in to massificafion
old world~ that is a heritage ofknowledge, mind, hands and rediscovers beau~. The beauty that is often in the
and heart, fi'om that worl@,, op of beauty and wisdom eye of the beholder. Workshops and artisans ate words
represented bythe méfiers d art.A dogma we have been that taste of poetry. Here the concept of"atelier" must
mpeating in a loud and alear voice for five semesters, a be turned hato a new idea: the enterpreneurial atdier,
concept that is inscribed in our DNA, our mitad, our enelosing alL
spirit. This is what we talked about last November
6 in Florence, in the unique frame of the Salone del The strategic axis is the same, founded on the reappraisal
Cinquecento in Palazzo Vecchio. Within the "Florens ofsymbolic values, adapted to reali~ Creativity, design,
2012" event, the meeting on Arts ¿.q Crafls ~ Design, qualified workers, experiment, perfection. To publish
our magazine.The common effort ofSwan Group and is to communicate, conveying an idea from A to B.
Fondazione Cologni del Mesfiefi d'Arte. The editorial Despite good intenUons it is not always possible to join
choice ofpmmofing the art ofknow-how borla ends or to gire value.Arts ¿.q Crafl
and.., how to know. Indeed there is no Design, in its smallwa); succeeded, having
product without communicafion, above aU been appreciated not only by the people
when we talk about objects that, though working in the fidd, by the most careful
precious, ate the expression oía non-seri- readers, but above aU across the border,
alised enterpreneurial culture. by those who know the value ofwhat we
ate saying. Hence a new step in our stor~
Easy to say, much less to accomplish. because the issue you ate going to read
And we come back to the message this (notjust leafthrough!),Mll travd through
magazine is passio~ately committed to the whole world also in its English edi-
conve~ Italy- a land so rich in tradifion fion, thanks to a strategic agreement with
- has nearly only made mistakes. Not just Vacheron Constanfin for the intemafional
ha the recent years, but ever since the war. issue, with unchanged coments. Since les
Elsewhere in the world, excdlences were foundafion in 1755, the Geneva Maison
defended, systems were created to support has defended its manufacturing tradifion
a structure stretching fi~m apprenficeship transforming its island ha ah tmviolable
to production and trade. On the contrar~ only a hand- stronghold. Now ir will gire its patronage to Mestieri
ful of magnificent soloists resisted here. The post-1968 d~rte in the d~.linafion of Arts ~ Crafls ~ Design. A
idea of the right to education, as opposed to the duty of thrther sign ofhow Italian ingeniousness can flourish
study, ofthe"polifical 18 pass" at the universit~ became wherever it finds sensitivity, a confirmation of Franco
the dominant homologated thought. Who worked in Cologni's farsightedness and of the quality ofaU Franz
a workshop (what a hice word!) was labelled as a poor. Botré's creafiom.
he didn't want to stuc~, thus he went to work. As if the
greatness of the true made in Italy had not been created One last note in defiance oía risky rhetofic. You will find
by the arts and crafts. As ii" our universifies produced here a contribufion by Gae Aulenfi. The lady of awhi-
working phces and not unemployed people. For this tecture faced the Great Mysterywhile this magazine veas
reason the new beginning must start from our heritage. being published. We left it as it was, written ha the first
From manual sldUs, but in the new interpretation of person, without annotaUom of "distico". A way to show
a contemporary artisan merging Iris own capabilifies respect and profound admiraUon for the greamess offlfis
with the complex universe of design. Let us open our extraordinaryinterpreter ofcreafivit,fiwho bent the roles
workshops and let new light in. This is not a cultural and made - together with artisans - the most ambifious
manifesto forits own sake, nor a prodamafion. It repres- pmject"feasible". May the earth be light upon her.
 Perspective ~ 4 Restoration
MtIGNIFICENT
TRANSMISSlON
PAS8ION, DEDICATION, ;~ OPIFICIO
by Juan-Carlos Torres by Alessandra de Nitto
MI¿$eu?B5
! 1 EFROM
d i t o r THE
' s l eWORK8HOP
tter r t' .2. REVF_~LED
~L
TO THE WORLD TRFJISURES
by Gianluca Tenti by Akemi Okumura Roy

PALAZZO BRANCIFORTE 8tyle and technique

] (i Historical refl_ections
7 ~ ~ " RED GOLD
by Gae AuIenti by Albert Vanderbilt

~~2 Workshops Manual skills

Initiatives Books Awards
ALBUM Fairs Shows THE TR,gCE OF LACE
by Paolo Coretti
by Stefania Montani 7 6
Enterprises
( ~ ) ( ) SCULPTED 1N
90 YF_AR8 FOR DEMGN
~~ 0 Enterprises
by Matteo Vercelloni LIGHT
by Federica Cavriana

THE CI¿4FT IS FLORENS . ~ t ~ Savoury crafts

DECORffTBVG
". ~ 6 Defendingtbe mots
~ Marco Gemelli 0{)
t-L4PPINESS
4( ) Maecenatism
MEMORYAND FUTURE bySusannaArdig~

by Alberto Cavalli ~)g ~ Christmas rites in Europe

8WEET CHRISTMAS
~ Creating value
"U
t~ SEEMBVGLY E.4SY

by Ugo La Pietra
byAlessandraMeldolesi

( ~ ~ 2 Talents of entertainment
.J CALL HIM WIZARD.t
by Giovanna Marchello
,~.j0Maít~e,cxRsqae,ig.
by Mario Favilla and Aldo Agnelli 8ignature projects
,--.Enter, riseandtalent TIME MffDE BY HAND
9 6 by Alberto Cavalli
~'/ :}/# THK
# by CHARMING
Karine Vergniol HABIT
Environment and landscape
MISTER ENEA 'S
,,Livin.treasures FEELING
9 8
[] í D D ~ PA S $ I O N
by Susanna Pozzoli by Paolo Dalia Sega
Front cover: an imBge
from the exhi bition Maitres of design
{;9 Educatingforthefuture 1 ( ~ ( ) ECLECTIC DESIGN
Costrullori di Armonie l l ~ - a A 8CHOOLAJOB
Emanuele Zamponi by Mariapia Garavaglia by Ugo La Pietra

Opinions
.2 0 Trained for excellence by Jean-Michel Delisle l 01" From the territory by Giampiero Maracchi
THE FUTURE ENTRUSTED TO THE FUTURE BETWEEN SCHOOLS AND
~.) M~IRKETS
~G, THE FRENCH ~PLE

~~~ Made in Art by Ugo

DEFENDING La Pietra
ITALY'8
I 0
6 " Re-turn by Franco Cologni
PLdTO, HEGEL
811VO UR S AND THE TRUE MASTERS
~, THE P-,,OYAL BALLET SCHOOL
 C o n t r i b u t o r s

ARTISANS OF THE WORD

AKEMI OKU MURA ROY
After managi ng communication for big luxury
brands, she lelt Tokyo and her nativa Japan to follow
her husband, an English photographer, to London,
whens she is a correspondent for many Japanese
media.
GAE AU LENTI
S he was one of the greatast a nd most celebratad
protagonists of architacture and desJgn in the world.
Amongst her most renowned works: Husée d'Orsay
in Pañs, the restoration of Palazzo Grassi in Venice,
Museu d'Art de Catalunya in Barcelona. Numberless
awards, like the Gold Medal for the Cansen

M A R I O FAV l L L A KARIN E VERGNIOL

Alfa Romeo desJgner in the Sixties, becomi ng Since 1999 she has worked at the Fnsnch Bfm
Advanced Design manager, he was involved in its Radio, now Bfm Business.
main projects and has worked in redefining the She is director and anchor-woman of the "Goüts
aesthetJcal philosophy of the house in its roaring de luxe" broadcast show.
years. Now manages the Haster in Tnsnsportation &
Automobile Design at Hilan Politecnico.

H AT T E O V E R C E L L O N I ALESSAN DRA M E LDOLESI

Born in F'lilan, where he lives a nd works as a n
architact, projecting Ja~e-scaJe buildings, nstail
spaces and desJgning objects. He co-operated with
"Casa Vogue", "lnterni", "Costruins', "Abitare" and
"Domus" among others. Since "2000 he has been
editorial consultant for "lnterni".
Aftar the u niversity, she experienced the coup de
feu and the coup de foudre for high cu isine behind
Paris forneaux. She is now a passionate tood writer
mingling knowledge and flavours, a journalist
and specialised translator, with a true knack for
avantgarde cuisi he.

JEAN-MICHEL DELISLE
Engineer, he has managed a century-old company
specialised in refined lighting elements for 30 years.
He Js a rnember of the Comité Colbert et Entnsprise
du Patrimoine Vivant. He is currently Pnssident of
the NatJonaJ Instituta of Cralts and a member of the
Paris Chamber of Commerce.
G I O VA N N A M A R C H E L L O
Grown up in ah Jnternational environment, spacing
from Japa n to Finland and Italy, she is a Iover of
English litenstu re. She liras in F'lilan, whens she
has worked in the fashion business tor 20 years,
specialisJng in licensing.

PAOLO DA LLA S EGA SUSAN NA POZZOLI

Born in Tnsntino, he works in Hilan. He is the curator
of many social and cultural events. He is the holder
of the first professorship in JVlanagernent Systems
of Métiers d'Art at the Universita Cattolica ol Hilan,
promoted by Fondazione Cologni with the support
of Fondazione Cariplo.
A photographerwith an international experience
of residences, Iong stays and prestigious shows, she
consecratas herselt to the study and recollection of
stories and places told with a personal style. Her projects
evoke pnscious hidden realitJeswith g rata. Photography
is the tool of her in-depth artistic resea rch.

ARTS & CRAFTS & DESIGN
Hall-yearly - Year I - Volume 1
December 2012
Teta: Aldo Agnelli, Daniele Astrologo Abadal,
Editor in Chiet and Publisher:
Fr=nz B4tr4
Editorial Director: Franco Cologni
Creative Director: Uge Li PI~
Editor al Larga: Glanlu¢a Teetl Stefania Montani, Akemi Okumura Roy, Half-yearly magazine by
Susanna Pozzoli, Luciano Revelli, Paola Sosio, Swan Group srl
Art Director: r'raa¢u¢a Tedeldl Editing and production:
Matteo Vercelloni, Karine Verg niol.
vía Francesco Ferrucci 2
Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d'Arte Trim='/~¢~s: Giovanna iVlarchello, 20145 Hilan
Cñstina Pradella Phone: +39 02.3180891
Director: /miga: Aldo Agnelli, Andnsa Basile, info@monsieur.it
AII~'~ C~mlll
Ezio Ferreri, Fredi Plarcarini, Susanna Pozzoli,
Editorial Director: EmanueJe ZamponL SWAN GROUP
Ale===a4m 4= NItto
General Organisation: PUBBLICIT~
Arls 8, Crafts & ~esign isa project by
Via Francesco Ferrucci 2
Sw=nna .~~rdlg¿ Fondazione Cologni deJ Mestieri d'ArLe
20145 Milan
Vía Lovanio. 5 - 20121 Hilan Phone: +39 02.3180891
Contributors to this issue: www.fondazionecolog ni.it
© Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d'Arte.
Andrea Bertuzzi, Federica Cavriana, AII rights reserved.
Paolo Coretli, Paolo Dalia ~,ga, Jean-Plichel
OHgtnal manuschp~s aad photos
Delisle, Mario Favilla, rvlariapia Garavaglia, wtll nor be retLIrned, even lf unpub/Ished
www.monsieur.it
PlarcoGemelli, Gia mpiero Haracchi, Texts and Images cannot
Giovanna Marchello, Alessandra Meldolesi, be reproduced, even part/a t/y www.fondazionecolagnLit
~" GRAND ~'~
THÉATRE
 Historical r e fl e c t i o n s
PALAZZO BRANCIFORTE IN PALERMO,
THE LAST POEM
BYTHE LADY OF ARCH ITECTU RE
Anintricatestory,afirebomb,therebuilding. .through.. contem~porary
lines creating a dialogue with the hutomcal mzlieu
The story of Palazzo Branciforte of Counts Raccuja in
Palermo began in the last decades of the 16th century. It is
an extremely intricate story: as intricate as the structural and
conceptual milieu characterising the city of Palermo.
Different structural changes occurred in the centuries, tiU
1801, when the palace was destined to house the new pawn
offices and was called Monte di Santa Rosalia.
In 1848, during the Sicilian Revolution, the building was hit
by a firebomb causing a terrible tire and the subsequent faU
of the roof and the inner structures. The consolidation works
brought about a new architecmral strucmre:
to strengthen the Cavallefizza vaults - one
of the most beautiful spaces in the pace -
many of the original marble columns were
enclosed within the walls. The CavaUer-
izza two higher floors were not rebuilt, thus
bringing about a new double-levd volume
where the complex fixtures ofwooden shelves
were builh with stairs and galleries as ah an-
nex to the pawn house. The recent works
ofrestoration and renovation in the Palace
involving us as designers and artistic direct-
ors of the sita were requested by Fondazione
Sicilia and had the aim to creara an im-
portant cultural pole open to all citizens.
The newbuilding nxliscovea~d spaces of the
old p~hce attributing them new functions,
as well as completely new spaces designed for art and cultura:
an exhibition atea, a library, a conference hall, representation
rooms and offices for the staff.
A work like the one of Palazzo Branciforte needed a great
co-operation and great harmony of goals and airas: on one
side between client and architect, who must find the necessary
strategíes to change the place; on the other amongst architect,
contractors and artisans who gire shape to the design by working
together.
I have always had a great respect for the artisan know-how
supporting my work and granting its best accomplishment. I
have always worked side by side with the artisans perfecting
A FIRST-PERSON DESIGN
The library in Palazzo Branciforte of Counts Raccuja in Palermo, built with mataHals taking the naw [aws into account and respecting
the original lbth cantury building, damagad in the 19th century. A complex i ntervention
by Gae Aulenti, made possible also thanks to the open dialogue with the artisans who know how to marga aesthetics and functionality.
those works, giving mutual suggestions to solve problems,
not just in the yard activity, but during the executive plan-
ning, when decisions and choices ara made not only for the
aesthetic result but thinking of the work and costs involved.
The artisan is able to combine traditional wisdom and high
technology, and both with the manual skills necessary in a
historical setting.
Such as plasters: when you must work in palaces built accord-
ing to ancient techniques and with aged materials, introducing
new materials is an extremely delicate choice. In such a case,
technologies, while using new products,
ara inspired by ancient techniques using
plasters made ofmortar and colours from
coccio-pesto and marble dust - colours
that derive fi'om traditional wisdom, ex-
perience and intuition, typical features of
those who know their eraft.
As for windows, they were designed and
produced one by one, since all spaces haya
different sizes. We chose contemporary
frames in steel inspired by the thin old
iron frames while granting the thermal
insulation the former didn't, a necessary
feature for the right energy performances
in buildings. The same smiths also made
the light showcases, planned to exhibir
and emphasise the precious collections of archaeological
pieces, ceramics and coins in the palace.
An almost ten-year relation links me to a Can~ carpentry that
produced the bespoke furnimre and the library hall, where a
contemporary green wood bookcase has the fireproof feamres
imposed by present-day laws and agreed upon with the F'L~ De-
partment. Workíng in Palermo I visited agaín Palazzo Abatdlis
designed by Carlo Scarpa in the Fifties.The historians Mazzariol
and Barbieri wrote:'... Scarpa's styh was to ~ on artisans'work,
discussing with them and almost associating them to his own
designing work in a relaUon ofprofessional equali~." lt's a way
ofworking I perfecfly acknowhdge myselfin.
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 Trained for excellence
TH E FUTURE ENTRUSTED
TO TRAINING.
TH E FRENCH EXAM PLE
Different levels to offer
a truly bigher
education and create a
system that can
ffroduce objects affpealing
to the new markets,
inverting the trend tbat
gbettoised the crafls
" fean-Micbei DeIisle h President
of the I~h'tut National des Métier~ d'Art
(~~o~o.imtitut-m~qi¢rsdart.org)
The future of the crafts depEnds also on
the training of the young. Within the pro-
cess ofharmonisation oftraining courses
at a European IEvel, ir is vital for France
to offer its young who choose an artisa-
nal profession degrees at all levels, up to
the highest (master, PhD), according to
the Bologna Process on the creation of
a European space for higher education.
The Existence of a coherent and weU-
structured education system wiU allow
the young to excercise their profession
and master the technique, creating ob-
jects foUowing the tastes of the different
kinds of customers and developing new
markets in the best possiblE way.
A new generation of artisan-artists is
emerging throughout
Europe, inbetween
modernity and sus-
tainable growth. This
is the generation that
training must cater
for, revisiting its refer-
ence points regularly.
At the same time, the
availability of a per-
manent training must
enable professionals
to improve their craft,
in working on materi-
als (including the new
ones), in the search of
original shapes and colours. The educa-
tion to the crafts must be more European
than it is now: students can perfect thEir
academic formation in a different Eu-
ropean country from their own through
European programmes such as LEonardo
and Erasmus of any of the many pro-
grammes proposed by single member
states and local communiUEs. All these
offers must be developed and strEngth-
ened. The crafts líe at the crossroads of
culture, economics and development of
the territory: the training to these profes-
sions allows the young choosing t~em to
jeaW.Micbe! DeliSl~
follow a rich and diversified path, in line
with the contemp orar y world. Trainin. g is
also another crucial asset for the future; it
prepares to technical exceUence, devElops
the artistic sEnsitivity through a learn-
ing process of the project, creates a dia-
logue with design. It combines precision
and creativity, rig our and in g eniousness,
impErtinence and freedom; it grants a
great opening towards the contemporary
world. And it should allow the young to
develop also those fundamental human
qualities that represent the specific fea-
tute of these professions. The trainin$
to the crafts was sometimes depreciatect,
as manual work was considered in some
countries and in some pEriods as the ref-
uge of pEople unable to go on with their
studies. Now the semi-
tivi~y has chan.ged: the
cratts attract mcreas-
ing numbErs of young
people with brilliant
school careers, or pro-
fessionals who decide
to change their life
choosing the work of
their dreams. The im-
age of artisanal work
has really improved in
recent years.
Considering the im-
portance of this adven-
ture for the future of the field, the Institut
Nauonal des Méfiers d'Art, together with
all private and public partnErs involved,
began to reconsider the rangE of starting-
up and permanent training and proposed
its renewal. In this reform activity, we have
considered the practices and experiences
ofour European partners. The training to
the crafts must be considered on a Euro-
pean. scale,, develo,oyin:g exchan, g.es betweEn
the mstttuuons dealmg wtth thls task. It
should also open itself to research: the
breeding ground oftomorrow's craftsmen.
Their future relies on it.
 BOTTEGA PRATA
Bologna, ,oia Caldare~e ID
A really beaufiful workshop in the historical heart of Bologna, objects that confirm the great expertise of the volcanic artisan,
with a century-old history and a rich tradifion. It is the forge who can handle all sorts oftasks, including restorations. 700
of Pierluigi Prata, born in the profession, following in the streetlamps for the Republic of San Marino, other lamps for
footsteps ofhis father Giancarlo and bis grandfather Antonio, the "cia D'Azeglio in Bologna, the railings of the Basilica of
sharing with them the love ofwrought iron as weU as of the San Petronio and those ofmany other villas, including Villa
secrets ofthis ancient craft, induding the special tools they Gazzoni, were produced in his workshop. The master crafts-
created for the most elaborate workings. The wide rooms man Pierluigi Plata can produce any kind ofiron object and
near Bologna's Two Towers house some of the many works structure from a drawing, also using ancient decorations. He is
created by three generations: table structures, lamps, railings, the president of the Unione ArtisUca Tradizionale dell'Emilia
bedposts, chairs, appliques. And then statues and ornamental Romagna. ~tmrw.bottegaprata.com
 workshops
GLOSA
Milan, °da Cio,uasso 6
Ifyou pass along the vía Cinvasso,
you wi11 be surely attracted hy the
windows of this workshop, a kal-
eidoscope ofnealty displayed leather
goods: bags in refined shapes, belts,
wallets, shoes, suitcases, briefcases.
AU made with the best crocodile
skin. It is the shop-workshop of
Giorgio Santamaria, carrying on
the craft he learnt as a child from
his parents, owners of a worhshop
in Porta Ticinese.
He works with the same passion,
helped by his wife, his son Gioele
and a couple of expert craftsmen.
Specialised in the art of working
crocodile, ostrich and lizard skins,
he prepares the models, nails the
skins to the tables, polishes them
with agate stone, stitches, finishes
the imide with precious linings.
You can see hito at work bent over
the large working rabie facing the
street. The first-quality leathers
come from a renowned French
tannery supplying also Herm~s. To
have an idea of the variety of their
creations it is enough to walk down
the stairs to the basement: here all
sorts ofmodels ate aligned in awide
range of colours, from turquoise to
orange, from violet to dark blue,
from black to brown. Santamaria is
also very good at reproducing old
shapes from a sample and restore
vintage models.
~,,w~o.giosa.eu
PASTICCE RIA CAPPE LLO
Palermo, ~ia Colonna Rotta 68
Near Piazza Indipendenza, Cappel-
lo is one of the historical shops in
Palermo, a true institution for the
lovers of chocolate and cakes. Esta-
blished as a dairy in the Forties, this
shop was developed by Salvatore,
the bright son of the founders, who
in the Seventies decided to refine his
training in the confecUonery art in
Turin. When he carne back to Pa-
lermo, he turned the family activity
into a patisserie known throughout
Sicily.
His favourite ingredient is chocola-
te,"imported" to Palermo from Tu-
rin. Among Cappello's spedalifies,
the Kenia coffee cake, the chocolate
mousse with flambé pears, the mi-
xed berries mousse, the Delizia cake
with Bronte pistachios and almond
sponge cake, the lemon marmela-
de. And fruit sherbets covered with
pistachio ice-cream and a banana
sponge cake without flour, ideal for
ghten-free diets. Among the titbits
that have made the patisserie so
famous are the pralines fiUed with
liquor or cream, and Sole di Sici-
lia, a pistachio sweet glazed with
chocolate.
The winner of many awards for
excellence in Sicily, Cappello is
now member of the Accademia
dei Pasticcieri Italiani. His son
Giovanni is brilliantly foUowing
his tradition.
~~wzo.pasticceriaca[Jjoello.it
SYLVlE SAINT-AN DR~
PERRIN
Pm~b
The atelier of the great master
ceramist Sylvie Saint-André Perrin
is hidden in a beautiful courtyard in
the XV arrondissement. She pro-
duces dishes, bowls and objects for
the table and the house, working
clay, pigments and oxides with the
techniques she herselfinvented. The
effects ate really extraordinary: pieces
with shades ranging from dark blue
to ochre, from green to grey, from
rust to black. The patterns can be
minimalist or rich in sinuous shapes
and are never commonplace. As
some important brands who order
her exclusive coUections discovered.
The manufacturing technique is
slow and complex, and production
is limited to no more than 16 pieces
a day. When the clay is poured into
the mould and partially hardened, ir
is grated to a thin 1ayer, then filed
with steel wool and baked at 980
*C before it is varnished with a thin
layer oftransparent enamd and then
placed into the kiln for a second bak-
ing. Recen@ the virtuoso artisan
widened her range ofdecoraUons to
include flowers and butterflies, intro-
ducing new techniques. Every obiect
is unique, never similar to anomer.
Sylvie Saint-André Perrin's objects
are sold in Paris as we11 as in many
other dfies, London, San Francisco
and New York to name but a few.
~,w~o.atelitrsajo.com

EVI'S PUPPENKLINIK&
TEDDYWERKSTATT
/]ugs/~rg, Fmu~torstr. 18
Ev~ Maria Haschler is not only
famous amongst collectors and an-
tique dealers, but above all amongst
children. Her shop-workshop is in
downtown Augsburg: here, packed
deep in a variety of dolls, plush
toys, modern and old games is her
toy hospital, reknown even as faz as
Australia and the USA, from where
the most desperate "cases" arrive
to be healed. Her expertise derives
also from her eazly stazt, when she
was still a girl, to assemble pazts
and leazn the mechanisms in the
toy factory of her pazents. Then
Eva refined her sldlls opening a
lab with her husband Harald, to
bring back to life doUs made of
porcelain, cellulose, rags, as well as
~r ush animals and vintage tin toys.
ith great patience and compet-
ente the Haschlers repair simple
toys and complex mechanisms,
replace glass eyes, wigs and mend
dresses with wool, cotton, nylon,
silk and viscose. According to
the materials, they prepare pastes
in papier-m~che, stucco, clay,
wood, leather, then join them all
with special glues and resins, and
paint the surfaces tiU the mend-
ing is invisible. In Eva and Hazald
Haschler's shop it is also possible
to find collector's games, asweU as
antique pieces.
~anmo.puppenklinik-augsburg.de
AH3UMbooks
MOSAICO M E N DINI
MOSA!~nI~:
HOSA!C[I I~:1I!!:
!!:' '
book consecrated to the work of the eclectic architect
~$teanoCasdani(EdizioniSkira)~ I~ -
and aztist Alessandro Mendini for Bisazza, the Italian in-
dustry that brought glass mosaics to a new contemporazy . ~ / ~ i ]
splendour. The author is a designer and writer and has d'
lal
been co-operating with Mendini for a long time. From
important architectures, like the Groningen Museum, to ~ ~
exhibitions and sculptures, the book presents works and
projects by Mendini, his Atelier and other aztists showcased in the collection of
the Fondazione Bisazza in Alte, Vicenza.
BULGARI.
125 ANS DE HAGNIFICENCE ITALIENNE
by Anumda Triossi (Edizioni Skim)
On the occasion of the exhibition at the Grand Palais in
Paris to celebrate 125 years ofcreativit~ Skira is publishing
an edition of the catalogue with over 90 photos of rare
jewels. Over 600 precious objects from the end of the 19th
century to the present day, many of which belonged to
celebrifies, aze linked with original photos and preparatory technical drawings,
in an interesting journey through the history ofgoldsmithing and society. Triossi
is an expert ofj"ewels and curator of the Bulgari Vintage CoUection.
MAESTRI DEL FARE
Silz~ia Mazzucotdli Salice, Isabdla Medicina (Marsilio)
Ara interesting and passionate socio-economic survey,
commissionedby theFondazione Cologni and the Scuola
Cova in Milan, on the demand for artisanal jobs in the area
ofMilan, with particular reference to the business azeas of
fashion, furniture and jewellery. Through the many inter-
views to some of the master craftsmen, ateliers and leading
companies, as well as to the institutions of reference, the
book draws an unusual portrait of the contemporary crafts
ofexceUence, the problems the)' aze facing and above all
their remazkable cultural and economic importance.
ARTIGIANI,VlSIONARI E MANAGER Q
~r Giorgio Brunetti (F~tizioni BoUati Boringhieri)
om the 16th century merchants of th~Venetian Ar-
c~,~ ,~.a
~mGmm.
senale to the financial crisis oftoday, a long story ofwork,
conquests, sufferance and inventions. Giorgio Brunetti,
professor at Ca' Foscazi in Venice and Bocconi University
in Milan, tells us the peculiazities, potenfialifies, critical
points, conquests and continuous chaUenges ofcraftsman-
ship, to make this complex organisation as functional as
possible in the contemporazy economy.
TH E KIMONO: HISTORYAND STYLE
Sacko Ito, Etsuko Yamashita
~hh é~ioni
story Pie Internationa¿
of the IGmono, Rizzoli
a dressNe~o
thatYork)
in its millennial
history never ceased to be the typical garment of Japan-
ese tradifion and is still worn today to official ceremon- THE.Imlv,swaKIMONO
ies and on special occasions. Sacico Ito is costume and ~-~
production designer with an experience of many movies
and fashionable dresses. Etsuko Yamashita is the head of
a kimono school teaching the techniques to create this
elegant gazment that has never gone out of fashion in
Japan ever since the 8th century.
 AtBUM~h~
OH EIMTEXTIL
Frankfurt, Fair, Jan~ 9-12,2013
Important intemational trade fair for
home and contract textiles and fur-
nishings. Presents many fabrics for
interior decoration produced by the
leading textile manufacturers in the
world, with over 2,600 exhibitors.
qanozo.heimtextil.messefran~.com
HAISOH & OBJET
Varis, Nard ralepinU, Varc dt* Ext~-
itions, January 18-22, 2013
Fumiture, gifts, art de la table, fabfics,
solutions for interior designa: the París
exhibifion is held every six months
and offers an endless number ofpro-
posals designed by leading companies
and famous and emerging designen.
Pavillon no. 4, named Craft, is par-
ticularly interesting: a space wholly
consecrated to métiers d'art.
~,una.maison-.o~et.com
SALOH INTERNATIONAL
DE LA HAUTE HORLOGERIE
Genevu, Pal~xpo,
January 21-25, 2013
The Genera event is the intemational
preview of the latest creations of the
most important fme watchmakers, the
result of the research and co-opera-
OFIERA Dl SANT'ORSO
/losta, January 30-31, 2013
January 30 and 31, with the streets il-
tion between creators, master watch-
makers, designers. In the name of
excellence. ~.,w~.s/bh.org
MACEF
Milan, Rho Fair,
January 23-2 7, 2013
The winter edition of the Intema-
fional Home Show: household ob-
jects, gifts, interior decorafion, fil-
verware and linen for the table, the
bed and the bathroom. A showcase
for novdfies from Italy and the world.
Pavillon No. 3 will host Fatto ad Arte,
an exhibition of the fmest craftsman-
ship (in co-operation with Artex and
with the support of CNA and Con-
fartigianato Imprese) inspired by the
culture of the territories, with produc-
fions using precious traditional tech-
triques handed down through the cen-
turies. Amongst the exhibited pieces,
furniture and decorative accessories
for the home in various materials:
ceramic, ghss, po~.l~, metal, wood,
leather, stone and fabñcs.
nnano.macqfi.it
The traclitional fair of craftwork
and bricolage meanders through the
whole city centre, inside and along
the Roman walls. Rich in events, the
Fair is also music, folklore and an op-
portunity to taste the wine and tradi-
tional food. A true popular feast that
finds its climax in the Veill~, the vigil
stretclfing through the night between
luminated and crowded with people
fill dawn.
~.regione. z~a.it
EXPOCASA
Turin, Lingvtto Fiere,
March 2-10,2013
The 50th edition of the Intemational
Exibifion of Fumiture and Ideas for
the House meanders inside Lin-
gotto with a rich variety of proposals
and ah important arca dedicated to
high-quality craftsmanship.
~w~o.ex[masa.it
AI~~a~. a.:~~d.s
ima,~~aves
BOCUSE D'OR
Chassieu Cedex, Eurexpo
January 29-30, 2013
Coveted by the lovers of high
cuisine, this international contest
of chefs has been held at Lyon
Eurexpo every two years since
1987. Professional chefs from all
over the world take part in the
event.
www.bocusedor.com

ACCENTI D'ITALIA,
ITALIAN GIFTWARE
÷ DECOR
A project has been recently de-
veloped with the aim to promote
and support Italian fine craftsman-
ship on the United States market,
to strengthen the level of inter-
nationalisation and compeu
of Italian artisans and small and
medium companies operating in
the fields of interior decoration,
tableware and kitchen furnishings.
The project is promoted by Artex,
with the support of Toscana Pro-
mozione.
vo~~.italiangift~are.cora
ARTEX PRESENTS
ARTSHOP,
A PORTAL FOR
HANDMADE
CRAFTS
This online store is available in
Italian and Rnglish and is divided
into different sections proposing a
rangee ofob'ects"
J fashion accessor-
ies,kitchen and table, home decor,
lighting and textile for the home.
~~~.artigianatoartisticonline.it
TOBEECO
Turin
Within Expocasa 2013, held at
Lingotto Fiero, the winners of the
fourth edition of toBEeco wiU be
awarded, toBEeco is a programme
supporting and promoting en-
vironment-friendly design, de-
vised with the airo to díscover
and grant visibility to the young
designers with an"eco" nature.
The awards wiU be offered by
Amiat (Azienda Multiservizi
Ii~oiene
take Ambientale Torinese).
part in the contest or
as an exhibitor (in 40 meas) it
is necessary to submit digital
at least one of
definitions: Eco-
ndmy of the project, Eco-logy of
the process, Eco-multi-functional-
ity of the product.
~oow~o.expocasa.it/tobeeco
CONCORSO
INTERNAZlONALE
DELLA CERAM ICA D'ARTE
CONTEMPORANEA
PREMIO FAENZA
Faenza, Museo Internazionale de/le
Ceramiche, IraS.
This competmon (the first in
Europe) was created in 1932 and
became international in 1963.
Since the beginning it has rep-
resented an important occasion
to stimulate, renew and promote
ceramic art in al] its declinations.
o~o~. micfaenza, org/it/conco r-
soointernazionale-premio-faenza
BCA-BIENNALE DE LA
CERAMIQUE
D'ANDENNE, BELGIUM
The registrations for the 2014
award wiU be open until October
31, 2013. The next edition ofthis
event, created in 1988 to revital-
ize the city's ceramic industry, wiU
end on June 8 and 9, 2014. Exhib-
itions, show-markets and courses
wiU be carried out in the course of
the event.
~,~~.biennaledelaceramique.be/en
NICH E AWARDS
The 2013 edition of the compet-
ition is open to professional craft
artists over the age of 21 living in
America or Canada, and actively
involved in the design and pro-
duction of craftwork supplied to
gaUeries and craft stores.
~o.nichea~oards.com
TOM MALONE PRIZE
Ajsp.h~cations for the 2013 GaUery
ot western Australia contest ate
open. The prize was instituted
by Tom Malone to promote the
creation and appreciation ofglass
made in Australia.
~wzo~o.artgallery. ~oa.go~.au/exhibi-
tions/TomMalonePrize.asp
 AI~UMshows
O DRAGONS,
NAGAS, AN D CREATU RES
OFTHE DEEP
Until January 2013
Wusbin~ton, Texfile Museum
In the Year of the Dragon, according
to the Chinese calendar, the Textile
Museum of Washington proposes
an exhibifion of carpets and fabrics
depicting dragons and fantastical
creatures. Angels or demons, these im-
ages decorated fabrics and fumiture in
the whole eastem world for centuries.
FLEU RISTE BRE) NO
LEGERON,
Until March 30,MAITRE D'ART
2013
Lun¿ville,
BroderiesMusée Consemmtoire des
Lun~ille
A matchless mastery, a fantastic O
manual skill: the fabfic flowers created
by the house of Legeron have been
famous ever since decorating hats and
dresses with craft reproductions of
natural dements became fashionable
in the mid 19th cen~ The exhib-
ition reveals the refined techniques
of this delicate art and showcases
the flowers created for haute couture
as weU as hosting fascinating craft
demonstratiom.
TRAME Dl MODA
DONNE E STILE ALLA
MOSTRA DELCINEMA
DIVENEZIA
Until January 2013
Venice, Museo di Palazzo Mocenigo
Angelim Jolie, sedudngly dressed in
satin in The T0mqs¿ Katherine Hep-
bum in 8ummerñme, the extraordinary
evolufion ofher wardrobe, from lonely
woman to passionate lover;, Helena
Bonham Carter femme fatale in For-
tuny dévoré velvets in The W/ngs ~'the
D0~e, Silvana Mangano wrapped in
linen in Death in Venice or explosive
hot pants in Mamb¢, Donald Suth-
erland and the mechanical doll, the
gender and its double, male and fe-
male, symbols oftramgression and the
sea~ for the absolute. And the magic
red carpet dresses. Thanks to the ex-
ceptional dresses and documents, the
exhibifion honours a unique cultural
and productive realiqt.
VAN CLEEF &ARPELS
L'ART DE LA HAUTE
JOAILLERIE
wal F~V,~y lO,2O~3
Paria, Musée des arts de'a,'atifi
The extraordinary story of Van Cleef
ODANIEL BRUSH:
t writer, professor, goldsmith. A com-
&Arpds from 1906 to the present da)í
iUustrated by over 400 jewels. With
archive documents illustrafing the sa-
voir-faire and invenfions oía family of
master goktsmiths that have represen-
ted elegance and creativity throughout
one c~n~ Like the gems set without
collet or bezel, or the transformable
jewels, that change in new and differ-
ent shapes.
VETRO MURRINO
DA ALTINO A MU RANO
Unfi l January 2013
A/tino and Murano, Museo Archeolo-
~h O and Museo del Varo
e show is organised in two venues
and is dedicated to the andent art of
murrina glass, from Roman times to
the present da), in Murano. The mu-
seum ofAlfino disphys works from
the local archaeological site, the an-
dentX Regio Venefia et Istria, which
boasted commercial and cultural fies
with the eastern coasts of the Medi-
terranean, the home of the art ofglass
making.The Glass Museum presents
the works created in Murano from
the 19th century to the present day,
with excellent examples, such as the
works by Vittoño Zecchin, Teodoro
Wolf-Fetrari, Carlo Scarlya and Ríe-
cardo Licata. On the main floor, the
intercsting coUection Le murrine by
Giusy Moretti dedicated to the his-
toric activity ofher family.
CHINESISCHE LACKKU HST.
EINE DEUTSCH E
PRIVATSA M M LU NG
UntilJanuary 27, 2013
Berlin,
Dabkra Museum of Asian Art, Museen
A beaufififl private collection ofabout
70 exhibitis of Chinese lacqucr art
belonging to Barbara Piert-Borgers
and Walter Borgers. Exceptional ex-
amples of the Chinese carved lacquer
art stretching from the 10th to the
19th century, from the Song to the
Q2mg dyn~ty.
BLUE STEELGOLD LIGHT
U~Z F¢~.,ry 17, 2O13
Ne~o York, Museum of Arts and Design
Daniel Brush, with bis Renaissance
temper, is an artist, painter, sculptor,
plex personality able to merge creafiv-

ity, culture, craftsmanship. The exhibit
brings together many works, above
all sculptures, interior design object%
jewels made from steel, bakelite, stone~
aluminium, gold, gems. The exhibi-
fion was made possible through the
support of Siegelson, Chrisüe's, Van
Cleef&Arpels and private collectors.
H 0 LLYWOOD COSTU M E
UntilJanuary 27,2013
London, V'~oria ~I Al&'rt Mustum
Over 100 movie costumes used by act-
resses and actors on the set, spanning
a century of Hollywood film making
(from 1912 to 2012), to bring back to
life the unfotgettable characters from
the famous movies: Scarlett O'Hara,
Jack Svarm~ Dorothy Cale, Indiana
Jones... The show emphasises the im-
portant tole played by costume design
for the screen and talas us through a
joumey starting from Charle Chaplin
through the Golden age of Hollywood
to the special effects of Avatar. Most of
the dothes have left their archiveal col-
lections for the first time ever to land at
the Victoria &Albert Museum.
( ~ KAMA, SESSO E DESIGN
Until Mm~¿ 10, 2013
Milan, Tritnn~ Dtsign Mustum
The exhibition curated by Silvana
Annicchiarico analyses the rdation-
ship between eros and design, in-
vestigating ways and forms through
which sexuality incorporates itsdf in
the things, bcyond the stcreotypes of
easy scandals. A survey from the his--
torical, mythical and anthropological
roots until the present day, with over
200 archaeological finds, drawings,
photos, objects and works by artists
and designen. From Etruscan vases
to Roman amulets, from Piero For-
nasetti's drawings to the pictures by
Carlo Molino and Ettore Sottsass,
from the Mae V/est Sofa by Salvador
Dalí to the provocative @reat Wall of
Vagina by Jamie McCartney At the
same time, eight intemational design-
ers present their personal interpreta-
tion ofthis theme.
OTH ER EVENTS
~CH RISTOFLE El cuerpo vestido
FANTAISlE D'ART The history of gaments
París, Musée des Ann{es Trente de Dirseny Hub Barcelona
Boulogne-Billmtmurt
An exhibition of objects for the Aa~l's tua~ of Gems of
house and bijoux witnessing the the Ocean
innovating creafivity of Christofle Pearls Inthe Hlstory of Jewellery
production. In 1830 Charles foun- Until Juanary 27, 2013
&hmuckmuseum - l~zhdm
ded the House and in '42 patented
the special electroplating for silver
and gold, that become famous with EXHIBITIONS AT THE
his name. The show exhibits many M ETROPOLITAN MUSEU M
precious objects with spedal phfing OFART IN NEW¥OR~
and cnamcl finishes that enj.o~ycd
great success among the most ilus- 1)Colorsof the Univem
trious people of the time, including Chinese Hurdstone CamAng
Louis Philippe and Napoleon M. June 16, 2012-January 6, 2013
2) Gems d European Late,
ca. 1600-1920
Until January 13, 2013
3) British SIIver
The W~llh d a Natioe
Until January 2013
4) Turkmen Jewelry from
the Colhctlon of Marshall
and Marilyn R.Wolf
Until Ft~=wy 2 4, 2013
Iture
Until January 2 7, 2013
terSrises
Canth - furniture industry "capital~ in
Brianza, northern Italy- is the place
where Marzorati Ronchetti was estab-
lished, created and developed in time.
From one generation to the next, it has
now reached its 90th anniversary.
A perfect example of the "capability to
continue in time" ofan artisanal business,
a ~savoir-faire" testifying the value of a
know-how difñcult to repeat, based on an
artisanal and entrepreneurialwisdom able
to answer to what is "outside standards~
and fiflfil the most varied and complex
exigencies in the world of design, then
extended to the architecture ofinteriors,
to exceptional designing objects and the
world of art on the whole.
The business atea of home and interior
design was the core activity of Fratelli
Marzorati, then becoming Marzorati
Ronchetti in 1956, a name remaining
unchanged even after the tum of the mil-
lennium. In the years featuring the eco-
nomic boom in Italy, the Canth-located
company became a true reference point
for the artisanal companies working in
the furniture field. A field where the
~classic" furniture was stiU dominating,
proposed according to the lucky formula
of total furniture, but where the demand
of"modern~ furniture was already in-
creasing. In the same years, many artis-
anal enterprises and carpentries with few
employees started a mechanised produc-
tion in some Italian areas, turning into
smaU or small-medium family compan-
ies, in a highly fragmented business atea
whose DNA was and is stiU imbued with
that "artisanal heritage~ enabling the su-
premacy of the Italian model of fumiture
design, characterised among others by
high flexibility and innovation.
In 1947 Azucena creafion was one of the
many interesfing and lasting initiatives of
Italian design, one of the many peculiar
stories within a complex mulfifaceted and
multilined milieu, ifwe want to consider
the project of architecture, interiors and
design as a unitary phenomenon - where
Marzorati Ronchetti is an indirect and
precious protagonist.
Azucena was the first shop in Italy dealing
with the production and sale of interior
objects and furniture. Wanted by Luigi
Caccia Dominioni with Ignazio Gardella
and others, Azucena was founded first of
all to overcome the lack of fumiture and
objects suitable to the houses designed
or renovated by the same architects, and
maybe also to go beyond the too restrain-
kn~oPrOgramme of"rational
re than a catalogue furniture'.
of modern fur-
niture destined to a wide audience, more
than a programme "cried" according to
typical avant-garde behaviours, Azucena
collected without any outcry interior
desi~gn pieces comintg from a more ar-
ticutated design pat~ and thought, to
complete the interiors of houses being
built or renovated by the same creators.
Experimentation and elegance, measure
and essentiality, intuition and ingenious-
ness are the main features of Azucenas
production, most ofwhich was made by
FrateUi Marzorati and then by Marzor-
ati Ronchetti, furniture always aiming to
emphasise an idea of interior design to
which they ate perfectly suitable in terms
of concept and material intensity.
These same features are also character-
ising the whole production by Marzorati
Ronchetti.
_ingeñío~~;secre~ts df tt~_Canta-locateazompan~---~_
 terSrises
This experience reveals an important
concept of the industrial situation in
Above, British Pluseum
(H undven-Clements-
Italy, and in particular in Brianza: the
Photography), macro detail value of the industrial district considered
of the matter being as a whole of small to medium enter-
workecl. Below: Spun Corioli prises capable of synergies and able to
Chair by Thomas
convey and keep an artisanal wisdom
Heatherwick (Cristiano
which knows how to renew itselfwithout
Corte).
losing its capability and uniqueness built
and developed in time. This is Marzorafi
Ronchetti's case, amongst the main prot-
agonists of Brianza industrial district, and
able to convey a precious know-how and
an entrepreneurial reference model for
the rest of the world. Starting as a com-
pany satisfying precise requests for design
in general, specialised in the working of
metals (painted iron and chromed brass
at the beginning, then stainless steel and
further on spreading its own know-how
to every kind of metal), in the Seventies
Marzorati Ronchetti could also manage
the production of integrated services
as weU as the production of complex
objects. From logistics to the creation
and development of milieus, commer-
cial spaces, objects and manufactures
for architecture, Marzorati Ronchetti
developed in time also a fundamental
technical support and constant quality
control, both linked with its own ar-
tisanal know-how. At the end of the
Eighties the company offered
itself to the international
market, reaching with
its own metal working -
above aU stainless steel
- towards the highest
possible expressivity. A point
of view introducing in 1992 the
adventure with "Metals", a young
brand of experimental design character-
ised by metal furniture collections and
above all by the meeting and co-opera-
tion with Ron Arad, emerging designer
in the London underground scene. This
brought the company to a high-end level
both for custom-made production and for
experimentation, assessing itselfas one of
the exceUences for producfion quality and
artisanal wisdom in Italy.
The custom-made idea, the capability to
make what is impossible to others, the
wiU to work outside standards have be-
come the rule and main feature of the
company, merging the making capabilit-
les ofwise artisans, the ability of work-
ers able to "caress" and forge metals to
emphasise shapes and surfaces, and the
.~ualities
he story of the company technicians.
of Marzorati Ronchetti is
above a.ll an Italian story, linked with
Brianza - an atea known the world over
as the land of made-in-Italy furniture. A
story keeping and developing an artis-
anal know-how, shifting it into the new
miUennium with new logics and ever
more professional and complete ways to
tackle the project, able to conquer inter-
national markets thanks to the value of a
pefforming capability almost impossible
to imitate.The concept of"luxury", Mar-
zorafi Ronchetti's main business arca, is
a value of great and substantial quality,
rather than a style criterion of an idea of
shallow opulence, a guarantee it offers
the world market for every plan to be
developed as a new chaUenge, never to
stop and always to cope with technical
capabilities and know-hows being in
constant evolution and spurred towards
a purely virtual goal, the future.
 f
C e r t i fi e d h y
M a d e i n a r t |
¿r~° ~a Pietra

DEFENDING
ITALY'S
SAVOU RS
A manufacturing reality
made of small
and medium-sized
enterprises,
the result ojean andent
tradition fiunded on
high ~ality also thanks
to umque objects
original
Since we entered the European Union we ten lacking. This would allow the growth of
have been told that we must cope with the objects expressing identity, bdonging, origin,
globalisation of markets, that we have to pro- exploiting the success ofone of "our" products
duce great quantities of standardized prod- already enjoying a good success on markets.
ucts in order to conquer ever wider markets Consider the wine flask in Empoli glass for
and compete with the great multinationals. our Chianti, the large-sized dishes made in
But it is also true that Italy's production is Vietri for Neapolitan pizza, Grottaglie ceram-
characterised by small and medium-sized ics for the strong-tasting olive oil produced
enterprises, companies developing their own in southem Italy, or Nove ceramics for the
independent way by concen~ating on %mall delicate oil from the Garda lake, and Deruta
production~ and thus creating a completely ones for the prestigiousTuscan oil and so on.
different trend to the one mentioned above. Many objects for the many products mak-
This evaluation relies also on quality, origi- ing us world-renowned. Projects and inter-
nal brand and numbered ventions are being peffected in
production (such as with view of 2015 Expo in Milan.
many ofour wines); thus we Its theme is linked with food
can say that a battle is going and introduces the common
on inside large-scale pro- dilemma of choosing between
duction and another in the globalisation and localisation.
small segment linked with We will probably have to work
local cultures and traditions. on both sídes even though our
Ir is like reading again the culture, our traditions and land
cultural battles and the con- turn us towards plans oriented
troversies of the late Seven- towards localisation and our
ties, when radical designers, many genii loci.
interested in local realities, Why not propose an exhibition
rural cultures and suburban where food consumption is asso-
experiences, counterpoised / ciated to the different domestic
themselves to globalised de- fituals that make up our (ever-
sign (good for every place and linked with changing) daily life, not necessarily focusing
an interpretation ofour society as depending on the traditional division ofmeals, breakfast,
on one big supermarket). Hence yesterday is lunch and dinner? And at the same time eval-
like today. Our"tastes" try to keep their own uate instruments, products and food convey-
identity and the hundreds ofItalian cheeses, ing Italian diversities through the projects?
wines, salamis and vegetables find ever more From tablecloths (fabrics and patterns from
supporters engaged in trying to avoíd their Romagna, Abruzzo, Sardinia...) to ceramics
disappearing from the market and thus from (from Grottaglie, Vietri sul Mare, Caltagi-
our table and from the intemational tables of rone, Deruta, Faenza, Nove, Santo Stefano
those appreciating the produces ofltalian cui- di Camastra...), glass (Murano, CoUe Va1
sine. The worlds of design, applied arts and d'Elsa, Empoli), stone (from Apricena and
craftsmanship have the same problem. Hence Lavagna, steatite) and then silver, porcelain,
the advice to develop a way to co-operate. wicker, wood.., up to interior design objects.
"Artistically and peffectly made" objects for It is a wonderful opportunity to test the many
our "unique" savours. possible links between our manufacturers of
Two worldg two production realities we could objects (artisans and small enterprises) and
save through co-operation, based on knowing producers offood, to create and renovate syn-
that both productíons described above belong ergies while opening to new possibilities of
to our"material culture." A consciousness of- development and communication.
 by Marco Gemelli

THE CR_AF T
IS FLORENS
In the 8alone del Cinquecento of Palazzo ~cchio, Florence, a meeting consecrated
to the contemporaneity of our values. With a message for the future

The méfiers d'art as protagonists ofour future thanks to the
farsightedness of foundafions committed to the conserva-
fion ofancient know-hows in a contem or context This
p ary
message to the new generations characterised the session
of ~Florens 2012" works, in the Salone dei Cinquecento of
Palazzo Vecchio, Florenee. Here Swan Group and Fondazione
Cologni dei Mestieri d'Arte invited important, internationally
renowned speakers to draw light on the inestimable heritage
hidden inside workshops, a treasure created by an inteUigence
which is in the hands, in the heart, in the head ofman. Ah
inheritance we run the risk of losing constantly, every da),,
under the attacks ofa globalising mental@ that favours ho-
mologation and the standardisation oftaste.The works, mod-
erated by Gianhca Tenti, Swan Group co-director, defined
an ambitious target at an intemational level, confirmin~í that
craft and design ate strong elements in the conquest os new
markets, obviously when referred to high quality products.
To teU the truth, what is ~perceived" is not crystal-clear as it
would deserve. Commonphces have contributed in time to
strengthen an old, rather than ancient, perception of"know-
how~: a dustyimage, a g~yphotograph ofold people closed in
their workshops, bent on their working tables to carve wood,
blow glass or forge metals. Nothing could be more womg.
The wiser among us have long understood the truth, offering
the master craftsmen imtitutional and legal protection (above
al] abroad), as well as economic support.
Italy is deeply indebted to Franco Cologni, Chairman of the
homonymous Foundation, who believes the sohtion should
begin from the semantics: '~rtisUc handicraft is associated to
the idea of hxury, in which perception is of capital import-
ance. It is, however, a cultural heritage, avahe handed down in
time." Mauro Fancelli - President ofCna Firenze (association
of 11,000 artisans enterprises) and vice-president of Florens
- agrees with him: ~The ability to match creativity and craft
to conwy emotions is a language through which man can ex-
change culture." Stefano Micelli, Professor ofEconomics and
Business Management at Universit/, Ca' Foscari in Ve*rice,
admits that"toda), the word artisan runs the risk ofsounding

CONVEYING TRADITION
Above, from the bit, Stefino Mlcelll's ind Franco Colognl°s iddreslel; J uin-Cil~ll Torres (Vicheron ConseanUn CEO) li presented the
uJ~irzKconbyGlovannl Gentlle with Miuro FinceJlJ d Florens; right Enrico Finzl. On the left page, the Salone del Clnquecento.
 Defending the roots
ancient, but changing this percepfion and turning it into the
propeller of a growth is extremely important." His recipE is
based on ah internafional interpretafion: the examples of the
United States (where the artisan enterprise is considered a
winning sohfion in the magazines dealing with innovation
and devdopment) or France show how artisans ate begin-
ning to be dEfined "heores" who can make economy growth
happen. Hence three proposals: develop e-commerce, fmd
new distribufion spaces to grant a higher visibil-
ity, create a fasdnating tale to explain how it is
made. Because, to tell the truth, Italians have
only an offhand idea ofwhat the crafts ate. Ac=
cording to a survey by AstraPdcerehe introduced
by Enfico F'mzi, over one thousand people between
18 and 55 have resulted to have scanty nofions re-
garding the 25 eraft categories examined: ~Generally
speaking, the knowlEdge of crafix increases in the
olders abre groups, despite a posifive judgement
(8.7 points out of 10)." The future lies in the
idea that excellence cannot be delocalized. A
fEasible opErafion, ifwe merge tradifion and
new technologies. The idea of craft is stricfly
linked with talent, but it is not enough. A
condusion confirmed also by Alberto Cavalli,
Director of the Fondazione Cologni: ~Tal-
ent without commitment, method, time and
dedicaüon is not enough. WE cannot gire
up our know-how, since the artisans are the
marrow ofan economic and cultural network
PROMOTINGTHEFUTURE
Above, MIchelingelo's *~?venlus of Victor~ exhlbited in Pilizzo Vecchio. Top, lockwIle fr~n the left, fresco W/¥isirl; Gilnluel Tentl;
hnz Botr6; Rcmi Mirli VUlini; Enrico Marinelli; Alberto Civilli; the ititue of Pope Leo X; Giimpiero Ivlirleehi.
that granted Italy's leadership for decades.We have become
the triple F country (thanks to the success in manufacturing
Fashion, Food and Fumiture) but we suffer from the triple
I (Ignorance, Invisibility, Irrelevance)." We need education,
training, work placement. WhilE defending the role ofbank-
ing foundations supporting ancient professions, Giampiero
Maracchi, leading the Osservatofio Mestieri d'Arte, ~& ~VE
are witnessing the end ofan era and ofa development model.
We must look at the future." Horence resounded with the
passionate words ofFranz Botrí (Swan Group editor-in-chief
and publisher): "When I was 141 leamt to be a typographer
at the monks' school. I understood that I liked the world
of thep.ress and I turned, it into. myprofEssion,, creafin
magazanes and becommg publisher myself. The guest
honour was Vacheron Constanfin, which considers the
trasmission of its %avoir faire" as a must Ever since its
establishment, ovEr 250 years ago. CEO Juan-Carlos
Torres retraced the history of the Maison, Emphas-
ising how the mission always remained the same: 20
people ate nominated every year to pick up Jean-Marc
Vacheron's inheritance, in a variety ofactivities: from
the "Méfiers d'art" collection to the parmership in
other sectors, different from watchmaking. Mr.
Torres reeeived the ~Marzocco di Firenze" award
from FlorEnsPresident Giovanni)!
Gentile: "Our
M~uson promotes the crafts. Impassloned words,
echoed by those of Rosa María Villani (Scuola
dell'arte delh mEdaglia) and Enrico Marinelli
(Guild of the Dome)
 Maecenatism
As Johann Sebastian Bach ironically ob-
served, there is nothing remarkable about
phying, all one has to do is to hit the right
notes at the right time. This peffect in-
tertwining of time and technique, in-
tuition and interpretafion character-
ises Vacheron Constantin's prestige
watches. The most time-ho-noure-d
swiss manufacture of fine watches,
founded in Geneva in 1755, carries
out a careful cultural action based on
recovering and giving value to crafts-
manship: where the master is also and
above allan interpreter who performs skil-
ful and expert gestures to create a caliper or
a complicafion, to inlay or enamel. Among
the numerous actions taken by the Manu-
facture to support the culture of the most
refined artistic craftsmanship is the finan-
cing of the European Métiers d'Art Days:
an event taking place in Paris, Geneva and
Milan every year, to encourage the gene-
ral public to devdop a passion for the arts
and crafts. But it is above all in the musical
fidd that Vacheron Constantin devoted its
special patronage, to exalt the expression of
a savoir-faire that combines time, art and
cadture. For example becoming partner of
the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande: the
prestigious Geneva-based institution and
the Manufacture have made a three-year
partnership to convey that passion towards
the world that Vacheron Constantin has
always cultivated, as wimessed bythe first
travels ofits founders,Jean-Marc Vacheron
and Fran~ois Constantin. Within the
partnership, the Manufacture supports
Hlnllture piintlng on inilnlJ Je' the watch Hátlers d'Art ChigillJL COpírlde Pirls, ~Homlge to P.I. Tchaikovski" for the Swan I.ike.
Opposlte, detall of the "Grind Feu" enlmel dial.
thepost-graduate dilpoma in Orchestra
Proficiency: a specialisation that has com-
pletely different characteristics to those
of the soloist, as underlined by Metin
Ardifi, President of Osr.
The art of precision, renewal and
wonder, so typical of Vacheron Con-
stantin, assoctates the Manufacture's
~arhilosophy to that
is: one of the mostoffamous
the Opéra de
theatres
in the world, was so bold in the Six-
ties to challenge the severe keepers of
the Napoleon HI s tyle by commission-
ing Marc Chagall a new ceiling with
an oneiric scene. The same fresco by
Chagall is the protagonist of the fine
watches in the"Méfiers d'ArC collecfion
by Vacheron Constantin: in 2007 the Man-
ufacture signed a partnership with the pres-
tigious French insfitution, and the fresco
by ChagaU inaugurated a coUecfion made
of 15 precious specimens of remarkable
timepieces. On the first, magnhficent edi-
tion, Vacheron Constanfin masters proved
all their skill: the), reproduced the whole
Quintessential fresco, measuring over 200 square metres,
skills and on a surface of31.50mm, using the Grand
techinques Feu technique. Only few artisans know the
. are the art of Grand Feu, with its secrets and its
herztage numberless operations: this technique is
of the most time- surely the best way to link Chagall's vision-
honoured Swzss ary spirit, the Ope'ra's cultural commitment
and the Manufacture's farsightedness, that
manu#acture can translate trcasures ofart and craftsman-
of fine watches sip to contemporary objects. As every watch
refers to time as the source ofits movement,
so music needs not only great interpret-
TRUEWORKSOFART
 aecenatism
ers, but magnificent instruments as weU.
Instruments whose manufacture requires
rigorous artisanaltechniques that belong
to a secret realm, treasured and handed
down inside the workshop from one
generation to the next, similar)* to
the legends concerning the great
luthiers from Cremona,-from Stra-
divari to Guarneri del Ges~. Their
instruments became an undisputed
reference for all the luthiers in the
world: Cremona, Lombardy, Italy sfill
represent a thriving district where the
most refined stringed instruments are cre-
ated. To celebrate Cremona's dignity and
exceUence in this field, the city is creating
a new museum which will be the largest
in the world: but to conve.y,the import-
ance and beauty of the luthier s craft to the
public it is necessary to link the instrument
not only to its history, but to its music as
welL To the sound.
To the extraordinary performance offered
by the interpreter, when those woods and
strings vibrate.The same woods and strings
that expert hands costruct in months of
patient work, just like the master watch-
maker composes bis mechanical symphon-
ies keeping always in mind the model,
the paradigrn, the reference. To enhance
the unrivalled vahe of the Italian world-
renowned art of htherie, linking it with a
musical experience at an intemational level,
Vacheron Constantin decided to sponsor
the exhibition "Costruttori di Armonie",
pmmoted and organised by the Fondazione
Cologni dei Mestieri d'Arte with the part-
AESTH ETICAL BEAUTY, ETHICAL QUALITY
Te l D , U s e U m e ~ h l é U e s c r A r t C l m ~ l l & L ' O I N b ' I d e P i ñ m , " H e m q e ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ' . ~ ~ I ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ M , V ~
ConshmUn'm"lnner bei~~/'. Opposih, pho~ of the exhibitbn Cub'u4k~ di Armonie (Mihm .4K~clitorium, fnmt I)ecendNmr 6 to ~ 7, 20121).
nership of the Orchestra Verdi ofMilan and
the Fondazione Antonio Stradivari of Cre-
mona, and the support of Intesa Sanpaolo.
The exhibition was inaugurated in Mil-
ano at the Fondazione Cariplo Auditor-
ium in largo Mahler, on December 5,
with an extraordinary concert of the
Orchestre de h Suisse Romande. On
that occasion, two wonderful instru-
ments of the Cremonese classic school
were phyed by soloist Vadim Repin: his
Guarneri del Gesh, with which he played
Mendelssohn, and a precious inlaid violín
by Stradivari, lent by the Fondazione Anto-
nio Stradivari of Cremona. The exhibition
wants to remind us that the exceUence in
the art of making stringed instruments is
not confined to the past: materials, tools and
some of the instruments that were awarded
the grestigious triennial "Antonio Stradi-
vari contest invite the audience to enter
the world of the masters of this craft with
the utmost attention and interest. A pho-
tographic gallery by Emanuele Zamponi,
held in the ftrst-floor foyer, helps to discover
the busy and also contemphtive dimension
Costruttori di in Cremona workshops, where every ges-
./Irmonie tute must be precise and comcious. Val di
cdebrates the Fiemme wood, contributed by the Magni-
tica Comunith which is also the custodian of
Italian the famous "Violín ForesC, is an attestafion
craft of making of the fact that a living material is inside
every instrument, a material that vibrates
stringed with the body Exactly like a watch, which
mstruments does not just show the passing of time but
gives Ume itself more value, because each
movement talks about us and our dreams.
ietra photos b drea Basile
 Creating

SEEMINGLY

IJ

THE PROJECTS OF THE YOUNG

DESIGNER DAMIANI
FOLLOWAN ORIGINAL, CREATIVE
PATH RICH IN CURIOSIT~,
LIGHTNESS ANDA PINCH OF IRONY

MAKING MATTER MORE PRECIOU$

Abvi. detall of dlsh bIonIInI to the "Rlpenu" ©ofkDcth)n (2006. seH-prodIUmi) where the wute ind the braiklnI ara
iesthitk~illy recovered ind nipruent the obJKt'i ickIed vilue. OppeeRI. dIbdl of "152 CallecUon"
Murno glus bowl (200812009. Forniilir Lu~il praductbn) reuslng "c~.4da ml"~ glIu wulII thlt become F,irt of the praJi,:t.
Pctty transgrcssions, rccklcss bursts, malice in propos- tion ofDamiani's enthusiasm to face the project and his
ing, intcUigcnce in looldng. Damiani has the shrcwdncss easiness in rcaching the best synthesis bctwcen thought
to grasp evcn the smallcst occasion, and thus crcating and matter, to get to the shape that interprets at best its
relationships with a varicty of companies, looking for own function. The best way to rcad contents, inventions,
and ñnding the matcrials he nceds, juxtaposing diffcrcnt matter transformations in Damiani's works is to analyse
parts to bring about cvcn the crcation ofncw typologics. some of the most rcpresentative.
Lorcnzo Damiani has redcfined many objects with his The attention towards environmental and production
ro'ccrj . from thc tablc to thc rnirror, from the cooling issues - according to the theory that it is better to recycle
Fán to the Holy Cross, frorn thc bottle to the comb, and rather throw away, giving life to new ways to interprct
thcn corkscrcws, taps and handlcs, rcintcrprcting thcm materials - is easy to read in many ofhis projects, such
not just with his capability to "give shape~ but also with as the "Udine Chair', a chair with a very soft and com-
his own personal method. fortable seat made with the sawdust usually left over
A mcthod bascd on dcciphering and rcinterprcting during thc working phases. Why not using it again?
objccts, drawing from the approach and expcriencc of After all, it's always noble woodl
the disciplincs ncarcr to dcsign, such as art and applicd In the "152 coUection" the waste ofglass - another noble
arts, and opcrating with cver higher clcar hcadedncss. material- is cxploitcd to gire life to a collection ofbowls.
Many works by Damiani arc the rcsult of bis personal The idea was born by blowing transparent bowl-shaped
experimentations, of manipulations and a grcat passion containers in which the so-caUed ~cocciame'- waste ma-
for his own "artisan workshop" made of participation, terial from Murano glass working- is cleaned and inser-
enthusiasm, wiU to know the matter as weU as capability red and then turns into a fundamental part of the pro-
to gire inteUigence and irony to the same matter. Objects ject. These rejects, in wonderful shapcs and colours and
that at a first glance appear "simpli na'fve"are the most deriving from whoUy artisanal working, must be treated
qualifying result of his work, and thus the demonstra- foUowing precise and rigorous procedures acording to

T H E P L AY F U L A S P E C T T H AT EMPHASlSE8

AIRPOU F- 2005 - CAt4 PEGGI PRODUCTION

" A i r p o u f n I s v J c u u m d e e n e r t h ~ c a n b e e x h l b R e d l l i o t o w i J l o 1111 i u l i J i , o m f o r t i b l e s e l t u v ~ l i s u s f u i e l e c t r k J l
i p p J l - n c . T h e m e r g l n g d b o i h l e m n t c r e i t e ~ h ~ b r i d o b j e c i , p c m f - v i c u u m c l e i n e r l i n e d w fl h r e m c m i M e f i b d © ~ v e r . I r b e k s I I k
spbere with thnm bolas: one lor the vacuum cleaner tube exteniJon, OlrlO to turn the ippJiince on ind the other ii in ilr ezhausL
 Creating value

CREATIVITY PREVAILS ALSO IN THIS PRO

the Italian law, specificaUy the decree 152 of 2006, since
they could release toxic micro-pollufing substances into
the air. According to the "152 collection~ project, this
"cocciame" is inserted into the bowl which has an air space
and thus can house these materials. In a further step the
bowl is permanenfly sealed and the cocciame cannot come
into contact with the user.
The self-production project "Ripensa" goes one step
further in recovering the value of the waste, considered
not only as a material but as a"memoo¿' oía lived past
as well: created starting from the environment-friendly
and anti-consumerism concept that"keeping" is
better than "recycling', "Ripensa" is a kit of
coloured enamels useful to fil/in voids, chip-
pings and small breakings which can occur
in dishes used every da)~ A way to gire more
value to existing things, lengthenin$ their
lasfing in time through the creafive mter-
vention of the end user.
A project where we can easily read also
the playful side of Damiani's work: the game of re-
covering the creativity in the person using the objects
and living them in their everyday life. As is the case
of"Airpouf", a vacuum cleaner that can be exhibited
also to welcome guests, since it is a comfortable seat
as well as a useful electrical appliance. The merging
ofboth elements creates a hybrid kind ofobject, a
pouf-vacuum cleaner lined with a removable fab-
tic cover. It looks like a sphere with three holes:
one to place the vacuum cleaner tube extension,
one to turn the appliance on and the other as an
air exhaust. Coloured baUs close the holes
when the pouf is used as a seat and start
flying and lying suspended in the air
when the vacuum cleaner is used.
Play, attention to the environment and
production, reversal and transition in
the use ofdifferent technologies in the
name of creativity and of the pleasure
to create beautiful and right objects.

RECYCLING REJ ECTS

Abch~, "Udlne Chulr" (2003), omfortoble ceat made with recovered wusto sawdust. Thls proJect Is un example of the
possibility to reduce receurce onsumpUons. Uncler, vase belonglng to the cellectlon
"1Truciolarl" (2010, Arredamnto Grbagnati producUon), mude with pastod nd lathe-thrown ©hlpbcerd panls.
 of design
Mario Favilla, currently car design professor at Milan Po-
litecnico, worked at Alfa Romeo with Walter Maria de
Silva for ten years. He is the author of a book that deals
with car design currently being produced by Marsilio Ed-
itori, edited by Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d'Arte,
to be published in the spring of 2013. It inchdes the wit-
nesses of great protagonists of this fascinating job, who
merge high technology with an extraordinary craftsman-
ship. ltrts¿.qCra]?s¿~Design publishes an abriged preview
of Walter de Sil'va's inte/view to bis friend and associate.
The photos in the book were taken by Aldo AgneUi in the
design quarters of the automotive companies.
O U ESTIO N: Beauty in a ~ what does it mean, and how can
an automotive company create innovating and long-lasting
models that are also beantiful?
AN SW E R:The concept ofbeauty has two sid¢s: subjecfive and
objective. The former is linked with the personaljudgement,
the latter relies on the rehtion between aesthetics and ethics.
First of al1, a project must be ethical. Car design must be
at the service of the idea of function, and only with rules
and functions characterising a civil and democratic society
can we create harmonious projects, fulfiUing their original
aim. The best way to produce beautiful cars is trying to be
faithful to these principles, which also bdong to industrial
design: good architecture, gnod proportions and, ifpossible,
no decorative excesses. Projects should not tire, since the car
has a life cycle ranging from 4 to 7 years. The aesthetic in-
novation is certainly difficult since you must combine a gnod
quantity ofemotional features to those ethicaland fimctional
principles. Tbis is were subjective beauty based on personal
sensitivity is called into play. I gire great importance to this
aspect: as for shapes, I have a way to perceive beauty based
on sight as well as touch. I can usually find a defect in the
surface movement by touching, brusbing~ caressing the car.
o: It is said that the greater the fetters imposed to the car
designer the bigher the creativi~.
FROM THE IDEA TO THE MODEL
Above, from the lefl, the diy model ( 1:4 sale) of the new Audl Quiflro, ir the Advinced Dei~n Audl In f4un~:h; the geir knob.
Opposite, ~ new Audl A4 plata flni,,hed with the Tape technlque. The photes of the
book published by Marslllo Editori and tdited by Fondazione C~lognl del Mestierl dell'b~te vmre taken by Aldo Agnelll.
A: Fetten ate fundamental We cannot mistake liberty and
creativity; the fetter is the ehment giving the right dimension
to your engagement. Limits ate a great sfimuhs: rules, safet~
costs, time. In my40 years ofexperience I have witnessed the
advent ofnew techniques and rules, and I have always tried
to turn them all into opportunities, instead of complaining.
When a friend-journalist asked me whether I wasn't frus-
trated by the idea ofdesigning the seventh generation Golf,
I exclaimed that I believe frustrated designers are those who
have never designed a Golfl
O: In choosing the car designen of the future, how w.levant are
the psychocultural balance and the dual concept ofcreativity
and reflectiveness? Any suggesstions to future car designen?
A: We operate a continuous selection. In the ñrst years
the most difficult thing for the young is to be humble and
willing to learn. We look for young people with a strong
personality, capability to learn, curiosity and modesty: I
saw many talented people rail witbin the first year for lack
of all this, and also less talented young people being able
to start important careers thanks to their strength and the
right mentality and personaliq,. Unfortunatel~' we come
across very talented young people who are not aetermined
to learn. Furthermore, I hope the wiU to convey profes-
sional ideals to the young wiU improve: I see many senior
designen with a wonderfitl career who are not being able
to convey their knowledge to the young.
O: Does a car designer need to act as a mediator and what
is bis mission?
A: The car designer is the mediator par exceUence: the
~l~ject has
e car is to
onegoof
though an endless
the most complex series of challenges.
objects, a matter of
continuous discussions and debates, and it is often under
judgement above all in times of crisis. The car designer's
mission is a peculiar one. He must design cars to meet the
customer's dreams and needs, and at the same time he has
to make sure the), do not increase air and sight polhtion.
An ugly car is embarrassing.
 K a r i n e Ve r g n i o l

FREE GESTURES TO REDISCOVERTHE USE OFTHE FAN AS TAUGHT

 En¢erprise and talent

BY MAISON DUVELLEROY FOR MORE THAN TWO CENTURIES

recollect, I have always had a fan...," so Parisian

about 30, recaUing that when she veas a
his frequent travels to Asia
both her sisters. One day she wanted
but didn't like Asian fans, as well as
fialfilled indeed their
but were too ~Asian", or too "Spanish"
:: thus they weren't fashionable.
absolutely better. This is the begin-
ning ofher marveUous adventure.
2009: Rapha6lle started working for Ventilo - a high-end womaffs
pr~t-A-porter brand - as research manager for Department Stores
in Asia, Northern Ameñca and the Middle East.
Eloise GiUes had previously worked for Louis Vuitton and was
then dealing with luxury brands and their identity.
Both were just thirty, and together decided to give the fan a new
chance. Something really easy to decide, less easy to fulfil, since
specialists in fan making had almost disappeared in Paris.
Then the meeting with DuveUeroy s heir: a historical and world-
renowned maison, the official purveyor ofmost European courts
in the 19th century, and above aU the inventor of the famous
"language of the fan".
Fortune smiled on both of them since the owner had kept
everything! All the archives and files since 1827, when the maison
 nterprise and talent
was established: casts, feathers, drawings, sequins, and ob-
viously paper patterns. A true gold mine.
EloYse Gilles and Rapha8lle de Panafieu bought the com-
pfiany. It was
rst they had2010: Sleeping
to cope Beauty
with the was waking
harshest up. But at
proof: technique.
Rapha611e had studied Political Science, Eloise ESSEC
(the renowned Business School in Paris).
Thus the), were designers, not artisans: it was necessary to
learn and understand how a fan works, dissecting and ana-
lysing it. But by hck they could count on the fundamental
help ofMaison Duvelleroy's heir."We made our first paper
patterns drawing inspiration from the drawings reproduced
in the Encyclopédie Universelle, for the'éventaiUiste' head-
word," so Rapha~Ue. ~Thus we understood aU the geometry,
in a fan." Then it was necessary to learn the craftsmens
lexicon, get acquainted with their language and find good
workers. Eloise and Rapha8lle ate now fully legitimi'zed:
some ten artisans (sculptors, engravers, embroiderers, fabric
ennoblers, specialists in pleating...) work to manufa~re
the "haute-fagon" fans by Duvelleroy.
The acknowledgments are many: in 2012 the small en-
terprise got the ~Entreprise du patrimoine vivant" ac-
knowledgment from the French government, as well as
the "Talents du Luxe" award acknowledged by Centre du
Luxe et de la Création in París. For the legendary"Moulin
REFINED MANUAL SKILLS
Beh)w, Duwdbroy workers mlkl ill the omFdex procedurei to creite fin by hind. AJunm, h Miik modlJ.
On the pnlyious piges, the fin of red featheri creihld for the Moulln Rouge.
Rouge" they designed fans using the same feathers of red
ostriches wom by the dancers on the stage. And the revival
of the fan is going on.
As a matter of fact, artisan skiUs and know-how aren't
missing now. What's really missing is the usage of the fan.
"Now women's hands ate never free. They hold mobiles
and cigarettes, bags... A free gesture has turned into a
luxta-y: it's the case ofusing fan." Thus what they offer is
pure luxury: mother-of-pearl with pheasant feathers, horn
and ostrich feathers...
DuveUeroy proposes two collections every year. Amongst
the htest models is"Brush": a sheet ofhand-painted silk or-
gandie with gold and silver leal, as well as ebony mounting.
And for themselves? Rapha~Ue has a 112-year-old fan
in her bag: a mother-of-pearl and sequins specimen she
bought at an auction in Drout just before purchasing the
maison. ~It was really expensive, but I carry it always with
me: in summer and in winter."
Since these ladies ate also modero women, as weU as mar-
kefing experts, they got fans to enter Colette, style temple
in Pafis.Their ingenious idea: a co-operafion with design-
ers to create simple paper fans, each conveying a message,
like ~Air Conditioning" by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac,
afterwards always present in the front rows during fashion
shows in Paris. Pure artisan luxury for a timeless object.
 KOREAN TASTE AN D TRADITION
I n ihe rJly of Diegu, KIm Jong-Moon ind hls son perpetuate ihe hind-mide producUon of ceremonial drums. Oppos~l,
Park b Won's workshop~ he ii mis~er In mlnufictudng Gwan~u trid~onal cerimlcs.
Pum water ind dly quillty himl mide thl# k~~Uon one of the mos* impoe4int ireu for ihe producUon of cerimlcs.
 Living treasures

AJOURNEY TO SOUTH KOREA,

WHERE THE OXYMORON BETWEEN
TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS
AND TRADITION DEFENDS THE
TRANSMISSION OF HERITAGE

DIVINE PASSIO N
Reflectin~.~ labour value, a tbin lineo , ~ f
action between art and~a~qsmanshi~ where nte repetztton
and mytb uniqueness coemst, is an urge comingfrom the Far
East, when Susanna Pozzoli was invited to Seoul, 8outh
Korea, by Mongin Art Space international residence for
artists. A three-month stay ($eptember-December 2010) to
de*velo. ,p a research on the meanin, g. fo cra~smamhi. ,.p imide
a soc,ety ruledb~ the mostfutumst, c technolo~,caliorogress.
8outh Korean clvilization features this peculiar oxymoron,
a double nature devoted to the most relentless modernity,
careful in keeping and enhancing the tradition merged into
the cult of ceremony and ancient-rooted work, where man's
hand has a #ndamental. role. .A land ever more imbued b ,y
the IYestern ~oay of thmkmg, ~ohere the master craftsman
shines as a stronghold of the past, a fundamental reference
point not to lose contact with one's own roots and cultural
heritage. 8usanna visited many artisans' ~oorksho~s. Her
camera lingered on zoorkplaces where she could grasp the
~~g
ireed
si , the object, the realit o a
tale. Y f microeosm. The result is a
Daniele Astrologo Abadal

by 8usanna Pozzoli
Q L i v i n g t r e a s u r e s
Themeetin~Artisansarehighlyesteemed,
requested and State-prote'~ed in South Korea, and thm it is
not easy to meet them. Their names ate published in magazi-
nes, emphasised in the many centres exhibiting artistic craf-
tsmamhip and even requested as guests in TV programmes.
Master craftsmen are seen as holders of the specific wisdom
in a discipline, are highly engaged and sought after. They
protect the intimacy of their atelier and hate being disturbed.
Hence it's easy to infer that this project began long before
the photos were taken: beside a research amongst the several
associatiom and in business magazines, I met professor Chu,
holding a course on marketing and artisan upgrading and
chairman of Scoul Union of Artisan Masters. The meeting
A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY THROUGH WORKSHOPS
Aboye, LIm Hif~-Til~ f4rimllt In Icheon-si, hll hls it~ilr In~de houle.workshop bolleng in elegar~ ir~ minlmJlld des~n.
O p p o l i t l ~ 1 , 4 . L e e B e y e o n g - S e 4 p i n d h i i l i m i l y o w n t h e l i l t b u l i n e u p r o d u c l n g w h o l l y h i n d - m i d e t r i d l t i o n l l p i p e r. 2 . A ~ p ~ ~
Um Hing~Tiek'i iteller. 3. Lee Bong Ju In hi- i4ungyeong workshop minufictumi smlll hand-belten pewter ind brus imphorie.
was possible thanks to the support of the Park family, whom
I met in Italy and is widdy introduced in Korea's tradifional
art scene. Thanks to their he.lp I eould enter this world. I vi-
sited and photographed twenty workshops in three months.
Knowing that mywork couldn't be exhaustive, I chose some of
the most representative jobs: ceramics (different schools), Im-
perial embmider~ creation ofomaments made ofsilk threads
knotted and interlaced with gems, mother-of-pearl working
and wood carving, producUon oftradifional harps, drums and
masks in andent paper, production of naturally dyed fabrics,
Korean paper and objects created with it. Meeting the master
craftsmen was surprising. The tea rite was always organised
before starting wilh the work: before entering the workshops,
there was a formal meeting in an appmpriate room or in the
welcoming parlour, always in the presence oía translator. The
artisan wanted to know my past and the reason of my being
there. Strict rules of behaviour imposed a protocol allowing
them to assess my seriousness, while giving me the precious
possibility to grasp part oflhe character of the people in front
of me. VVith the legs crossed under a low rabie, I was intro-
duced to the master as well as to apprenfices, somefimes the
wife or the husband and their sons. Predous moments, when
I eould listen to the tale of a knowledge being handed down
with rigour and jo~ I witnessed the appreciation and esteem
towards these great artisam. It's easy to perceive their passion
and the pride felt towards their tradition."Korean way': this is
the leitmotiv used to disUngxfish a tradition being similar as well
as different from the Japanese and ancient Chinese ones. I was
surprised by this comparison between the riehness of Korean
tradifional culture and heritage and the structure protecting it
and granfing that it will go on also with the next generaUom.
Roots are fundamental in a country bent towards the utmost
modero@, placed between two strong cultures. In a pefiod of
confusion, intemationalisafion and economic-cultural crisis,
recovefitg one's tradifiom and being able to place them hato the
new context is a key against the most aberrant consumerism.
Al~ri$1r'$ BOOK
The final result of this project is represented by an artist's book, wholly hand-
made under the technical advice of two Japanese artists, Fu mitaka and Ayumi
Kudo. The book is a selection of ten Fine Art prints inserted one by one into tran-
sparent sheets, thus creating the book pages bound according to the Oriental
technique. Lightness, balance and originality ate the fundamental aspects of a
publishing project starting ~rom the photos of great master craftsmen's wor-
kshops. The book is characterised by precious materials, the printing tachnique
and exclusive design. The portfolio was created thanks to the support of Fonda-
zioneColognidei lestieri d'Arteand Con-TemporaryArtGallery. PaolaSosio
 cating for the future

A, SCHOOL A JOB
by Mariapia Garavaglia* pbotos by Emanuele Zamponi

LEARNING A CRAFT IN A WORKSHOP IS FUNDAMENTAL TO

THE FORMATION OF
THE ARTISANS OF TOMORROW. A SPECIAL PROJECT OFFERS
TEN YOUNG TALENTS THE
POSSIBILITY TO COMPLETE THEIR TRAINING IN AN ATELIER

I have always attributed to the word "politics" at least

two different meanings: one more Aristotelian, refer-
ring to the orderly government ofmulfiplicity, the other
more Augustinian, wherein it is associated to the trans-
formation of man's city into the heavenly Jerusalem. In
his wrifings on "The City of Man", the unforgotten
Giuseppe Lazzati, great rector of the Universit~ Cattol-
ica and tireless educator, traced a fundamental path of
thought fur all those who want to join these two mean-
ings of politics: to move in multiplicity but with a clear
vision of the common good. During my career I tried
to construct on this teaching: as Minister of I-Iealth,
President of the Red Cross, deputy mayor in Rome and
senator I have always believed that my tole was to en-
sure that the so-called social services are rendered fluid,
available and efticient. Because the person is the focus of
poliUcs, and the institutions themselves - beyond their
functioning, often not so efficient - are made ofpersons
who must learn how to perform a job, that special craft
that is known as public service.
The "pohfical" will to place the individual in the middle
oía network of service is inspirational also in my recently
acquired role of President o-f the Fondazione Manlio ¿
Letizia Germo'zzi Onlus: the social expression of Con-
farfigianato (the Italian federation of crafts and trade)
named after the founder of the institufion and his daugh-
ter. Amongst the aims of the Fondazione Germozzi is
to promote training of excellence in the crafts, as weU
as to encourage access to the young in theprofessions
Work, in the sense ofservice and organised self-accom-
plishment, is a vital expression of our personality and
~mid*nt F#ndar.i#ne Germ¢zaff
 HANDING DOWN KNOWLEDGE
Offerlng the young the peulblllty to work In dote =ontut wKh the gmat master r.ndtsmen allows ~ to I1~ Irultful
of Imamlnll, u ~II u to sbrt ~I on-4dle-I~ woddng uprk:l~.e.

identity: it is therefore fundamental to foster the young precise educational project, made possible thanks to the
to discover themselves and their talent, facilitating all co-operation of Afol Milano (special agency for Train-
the phases of education as much as possible, so that ing, Vocational guidance and Work of the Province of
they will not be just ~sorcerer's apprentices~ but awaited Milan). The "masters" wiU be selected in co-operation
representafives of a new generation of master craftsmen. with the different schools attended by the students, and
Hence the decision that Fondazione Germozzi should will reflect Fondazione Germozzi's and Fondazione Co-
take part in theproject ~Una Scuola, un Lavoro. Percorsi logni's will to provide real possibilities to young talents,
di Eccellenza" (A school, ajob. Training to exceUence), aUowing them to evolve successfully as professionals
created and brought about by Fondazione Cologni del and as people. Chairman Franco Cologni has an ambi-
Mestieri d'Arte to allow ten talented young artisans to tious plan: increase the apprenticeships to one hundred.
attend an apprenticeship in an atelier, a workshop or Ideas like this deserve our support and our acclaim, as
an exclusive in-house atelier. weU as our deep gratitude.
Thanks to this project, both foundations wiU finance ten The future of our country depends also, and above all,
six-month apprentice- on the success our
ships, that will grant young will enjoy
the young trainees i n f u l fi l l i n g t h e i r
(chosen by a regular dreams: hand-
evaluation commit- made dreams,
tee) to live not only a dreams made with
period of on-the-job care and grace,
coaching with a high with passion and
educational value, but dedication, to state
also to make their first once more that ex-
working experience. cellence is always
Every apprenticeship the result of the
is regulated by a con- dialogue between
vention and follows a hand and heart.
From "stone painting" to the restorafion of the great masterpieces
of art, the Florenfine workshop fosters a unique
heritage of know-how and culture, admired all over the world

by Alessandra de Nitto

In 1588 the Grand Duke Ferdinand I
de' MedicA, generous and distinguished
patron of the fine arts who foUowed bis
family's enlightened tradition, established
the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence,
in the premises formerly occupied by the
convent of San Niccol6. The OpificAo was
the grand ducal manufacture consecrated
to the wonderful and fascAnating art of
Florenfine intarsia.
The workshop was founded above aU to
train the skilled artisans needed to create
the marble decorafions of the CappeUa dei
PfincApi in the Basílica of San Lorenzo, a
true yard ofexcellence to which the best ar-
chitects, decorators, painters and sculptors
ofTuscany contributed for approximately
three centuries. But it is above all a luxuri-
ous anthology of the so-called ~commesso
fiorentino", the stunning"stone paintings",
the precAous marble and stone inlays made
in the audacious technique of Florentine
tradifion, that tose to its bighest splend-
our with the OpificAo under the Mcdicis
and is stiU kcpt alivc by a handful ofgrcat
masters.
The Opificio's museum displays many ex-
traordinary witncsscs of this ancAcnt, de-
manding as weU as emotional technique:
The Opificio magnificenfly restored
of art in the world: from Masaccio to
extremely refined and precAous specAmens,
that iUustrate the glorious bistory of the
workshop through three centuries, from
the Medici and Lorraine grand duchy to
the period after the unification of Italy,
with fascAnafing materials that show the
difiículty of this craft, from the work
benches to the tools. At the end of the
19th century, with the end ofgrand ducal
commissions, the OpificAo ceased its activ-
ity and was entirely devoted to restoration
and the conservation of its rich heritage.
The current OpificAo - a leading example
ofconservation and restorafion, acclaimed
also at an internafional level - was made
Institute of Restoration by the Ministry
of Cultural Heritage and Activities in
1975, merging the old OpificAo Mediceo
with the Restoration workshop, created
within the Superintendency in 1932 and
developed above all after the devastating
flood of Florence in 1966. To save many
world-renowned works ofart damaged by
the dramafic event, the Opificio developed
sophisticated know-how and technologies,
reacbing the bighest levels ofcompetence
and turning into a point of reference for
the whole world.
During its long bistory, the Opificio per-
some of the most important works
DonateUo, from Mantegna to Raphael
fectcd the restoration ofsomc of the most
im.~o, rtant works of art in the world. The
ability of its artisans restored many un-
disputable masterpieces to their original
~rlendours: Giotto'sinCrucifix
inity by Masaccio andofthe
the church Holy
Santa
Maria NoveUa, the wooden Crucifix by
DonatcUo in the church of Santa Croce,
the Legend of the True Cross by Piero
deUa Francesca in Arezzo, the Madonna
with the Goldfinch by Raphacl at the
Uffizi, the San Zeno altarpiece byAndrea
Mantegna in Verona, the Codex Resta at
the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan,The
Beheading of St.John the Baptist by Cara-
vaggio in Malta,just to mention but a few
of the most important accomplishments
of the Opificio, that are particulary sig-
nificant for the works of art involved and
the difficulty of the operations, aU docu-
mented in the fich archives of the seat.
At present the Institute's activity is or-
ganised in the workshops, located at the
historical premises in vía Alfani, where
the museum and the library are located,
as well as in the Fortezza da Basso and the
Palazzo Vecchio. It is divided hato depart-
ments organised according to the materials
of the artworks, from tapestries to bronzes,
from painting (on canvas, wood and waU) HIGH SCHOOL
to stoneworks and paper documents, from Abo~, studu~s ind
teichorl of h Scuoht di Alii
mosaics to commesso fiorentino and jew- Formazione during
eller,A from wood sculpture to textiles and the rea~illem d tiro CrucHix
ceramics. The Institute deals also with re- byGIotto.BoJow,the
search and teaching at the highest levels. leinlng of the Sin Zeno
illarpiece by
It is the seat of the reputed Scuola di Alta Mimtegni. In the middlo of
Formazione, that attracts students from the pago, stone
all comers of the world for the prestigious inhtywork. Opposite, top0
degree in Art restoration (equivalent to a shxlying wood
master's degree), it awards at the end of sculpturos; bo4~m, the
tire years the), spend between theory and J~4idonni dl
Clternl by Donltollo.
workshops. Only 15 excellent students are
admitted at this extraordinary school after
a rigorous selection, against the many ap-
plicatiom it receives every year.
Sadly the managers have lamented a difli-
cult situation for the Opificio because retir-
ing restorers ate not replaced due to scanty
financial resources. Many precious know-
hows are lost causing a great damage to
the world of restorafion, both in Italy and
abroad. Public opinion must be urgently al-
terted and Italian institutions should grant
the necessary funds to avoid the decline of
this historical breeding house ofexcdlence.
Because Florence cannot lose its "gold
hands", a unique heritage of know-how
and culture, admired all over the wodd.
T]oe William amtJudith B~;ling,'r Ga/In3, in the Fi,:mria ,Lq A]bert Museu~-
h:uses s,me o/"/he mos,t spectaculur h;sto:ica/
jevoels in a seduchg cm,t e,htca, tional mili,'u, vo;th ah intellige~~t a'pproach!;
 le and techinque
Q S t y
consultant as for the sustainab-
ility of fishing these extraordin-
ary or~ía.nisms: ~regulating and
controLlmg tts fishing, as well
as sanctioning abuses is funda-
mental" he says. A member of the
World JeweUery Confederation
(Cibjo) as president oftbe Coral
Board, he adberes to Csr (Cor-
porate Social Responsibility), the
only organization operating with
United Nations co-operation.
Since 1973 he has devoted the
same passion used to defend the
natural environment and support his ideas also to cor-
al-working exceUence: "After I got my degree I started
working with artisans, above all cutters, who taught me to
recognise the value of coral. Its natural shapes are already
a clear hint of the possible final result you can get. This
ability to foresee the best final shape was really useful
when my father sent me around the world to bu~ coral,
since I could estimate the value of the raw piece. At the
end of the Seventies, Vincenzo set up the cameos work-
ing and the one of Asian coral imported from Japan. The
same years saw also an increase ofexports. Between 1973
and 1983 he went often to Taiwan, where he opened a
workshop to use local working techniques and purchase
the precious raw material. A material then worked into
ever new shapes by artists and designers in Torre del
Greco, whose projects pass also through artisans' wise
hands. ~After so many years I am stiU surprised when I
see the new works by our engravers," so Vincenzo.
Coral working requires a craft which is not easy to mas-
ter and above all to find. Thus in 1993 Basilio Liverino
establisbed a specialising school %ffering three years
of general education, where students approach classic
subjects, such as Italian and History ofArt, and attend
the first practical workshops; then there are two special-
ising years when they choose the course they want to
foUow among jewellery, coral engraving and coral cut,"
says Vincenzo. The work must be
learnt in the workshop, as usual:
experience is a precious treasure,
ah exquisite heritage every young
student has to learn so that bis
hands, his heart and his mind
can create the masterpieces of
highest handicraft that make the
Liverino firm world-renowned.
For this reason the Liverinos de-
cided that after the school years
the students should attend other
workshops: also to prove that the
school ~was not only a resource
of our company, but an asset of the whole community."
Coral working implies that handicraft and creativity
constantly dialogue with technology: and ir the tools
are extensions of the hand, research has designed new
machines giving further power and precision to the hand,
while never substituting that ~touch" only man can man-
age. Asian countries are the main manufacturers ofhighly
sophisticated machines to work the coral, which Liveri-
nos buy for their company as weU as for the school: "I
deem important that our students learn how to work with
modern machines coping with the market new rhythms",
Erizo says, while stressing that the same machines must
often be customised. ~The metier d'art is the expression
ofits land: it favours its rebirth. But the work must not
be only a homage to the past. It's fundamental to be able
to create contemporary subjects, so as to spread one's
customer portfolio, while in the same time keeping the
beauty of our traditions intact." In one of the famous
coral cribs created by Liverino, a Holy Child is inside
a cave among angels with a very delicate hue: his small
fingers stretched towards the sky are created with ah ex-
treme ability, giving them an exquisite transparency. But
there are no hints of nostalgia of melancholy in his eyes:
you read beauty, pride, the contemporaneity ofan image
so traditional that it seems timeless, and the nobility of
a material bearing life within itself.
 THE TRACE OF

LACE by PaoIo Coretti

The story of Friuli lace is a the outside school- in Gorizia

wonderful story of women, and courageously open to aU
extraordinary women since the girls in the city. In a short
they are utterly special. A POEMS ENTW1NED time eastern Friuli, as well as
story made also of women the nearb), areas of Slovenia
IN LACE ARE COMPOSED and Istria, began to produce
with a stron~, non-conformist
character, aiways interested in 1N THE ANCIENT lace that, reflecting Flemish
the progress of society. Even
though these women carne
ART OF THE WOMEN OF FRIULI and Bohemian influences,
distinguished itself from the
from countries far from this Italian and Veneto lace in
boundary region, they were terms of patterns and tech-
perfectly in tune with the niques. From that moment,
women of Friuli, because the lace inspired b), the type
the), shared the same special way of livingand workin$: fashionable in Flanders and made with bobbins enjo),ed
resoluteness, ingeniousness, tenacious stubbornness, cun- a greater success.
osi~ towards innovation and at the same time respect of At the same time Vcnefian needle lace becamc less popu-
tradition and ancient customs. The first important char- lar. In the same pcriod, in 1696 to be precise, a resourceful
acters of this long line ofwomen who made the story of Bohemian woman, wifc of an employee of the famous
Friulian lace were the Ursoline nun Angela Aloisio, who ancient mcrcury minc, introduced in Idrija (Slovenia)
came from Li6ge in the 17th century- a period when the the art of making lace with bobbins (in Slovenian, the
city witnessed t~e flowering of the bobbín lace - and the wonderful onomatopoeic word "Idekelnji" reproduces the
Mother Superior Catherina Lambertina de Pauli Stravius, sweet and familiar clicking ofwooden bobbins).
she too born in Li6ge, who left Prague for Gorizia in Shc gave life to a lace culturc independent from the Vcne-
1672, to lead the Ursoline nunnery. flan and Butano style, but similarl), to what was happening
We should remember that in the Venetian Friuli (the in Gorizia, that was closer to the artistics traits of Flemish
lace though reflecting the Slovenian carachter. The art of
~rart of Friuli that belonged to the Republic of lowering
Venice lace developed so much in Friuli that it became one of the
om 1445 to 1797, when Napoleon caused the
of the flag of San Marco) the art of creating lace was most important manufactures in the re#on (without for-
widespread and quite similar to the art of Butano. But getting the art ofweaving promoted b), Jacopo Linussio
both nuns could count on their significant experiences in Carnia and organising woman labour at home for the
in the greatest European capitals and were also endowed first time in Europe). Lace produced in the Gorizia atea at
with a remarkable farsightedness, and this situation did that time was more refined. It was an exclusive production
not stop them from teaching the art of producing lace for rich customers, nobles and the high clergy, who used
to the ),oung women who attended the nunnery and to lace to decorate their homes, for sacred vestments and
establish the first school - caUed the "scuola di fuori", furnishing. While in the 18th century Idrija's production
 nual skills

was less refined and limited above aU to the rural market for her teaching ability as weU as for being an exceptional
of well-off farmers and country clergy, as weU as the teacher oflife and a reference for their women's expect-
markets of nearby regions, such as eastern Slovenia, ations; Noemi Nigris, a benefactress who followed in
Istria, Dalmatia and inland Croatia. But itwas always Cora's footstep, thanks to her indomitable character and
in Idrija that in 1876 what was probably the first talent, succeeding in overcoming the terrible time of the
lay school of lace was foun- first World war and animated,
ded thanks to the intuition in thepost-war time, num-
and extraordinary capabil- berless cultural, social and
ities of another special wo- humanitarian initiatives; the
man, Ivanka Ferjancic. The nun Rosina who come from
school witnessed the birth ! Cant~ and was a bobbin lace
of aproductive monoculture expert, managed the Fagagna
inside the world oflace. The school from 1930 to 1970,
school is sfiU operating in the when the school was closed
Slovenian city, even though because the professional
with a lower didactic activity and personal perspectives it
(it is called Cipkarska Sola offered were no longer in line
Idrija, and caters mostly for with the economic and social
situation of thoseyears.
~nrimary school pupils).
the meantime, m the so- At present, the Scuola del
called historical Friuli, Cora Corsi Merletti in Gorizia is
Slocomb, a brave American the reference point of the cul-
lady born in New Orleans tute oflace in Friuli, alongside
who moved to Brazzacco's with Cjase Coc61, the seat of
sweet hills when she married the Museo deUa Vita Con-
Count Detalmo Savorgnan di tadina in Fagagna, where a
Brazz~, founded the bobbin schoolroom was recreated,
lace Scuole Cooperative di and several courses ate organ-
Brazz/t, spurred by her phil- I ised by the school itself.
anthropic passion and by the Founded in 1946 to com-
possible economic and social
effects of her initiative. She [densate for when
rija school the loss
theof the
city -
was in fact appalled by the though very close to Gorizia
terrible situation of Friuli's - was incorporated into the
economy at that time, after new Republic of Yugoslavia,
the hasty reunion to Italy, this school was managed by
and suffered to see the striking backwardness of Friulian the Ministry of Education tiU 1978, when the control
country life, where people were impoverished by terrible of the Scuola Merletti in Gorizia was harded over to the
famines and debilitated by the then endemic peUagra. direct administration of the Autonomous Region of Friuli
These schools provided a means of subsistence to the Venezia Giulia. At present the school - managed by its
women without taking them away from the work in the own board and directed by Giovanna Vesci- co-ordinates
fields and at home and created an artisanal activity so 62 courses scattered in 37 Friuli Venezia Giulia com-
widespread that together with Gorizia and Idrija it gave munes, and has 800 students coming from the whole
life to an enormous production basin that spread almost region, as weU as from Slovenia and Kustria.
uninterrupted to Udine, in the East.The success of Friuli It is the only Italian public school to offer a master lace-
lace at the World's Columbian Exposition of Chicago maker diploma. The course lasts six years, including the
in 1893 and the acknowledgements received at the Ex- acquisition of the techniques and the practical training
position UniverseUe in Paris in 1900 brought about an necessary to master the art of bobbing lace-making, as
increase in production. As a consequence, Friuli lace, con- weU as history of art and indispensable lace designer
sidered ofa great manufacturing quality and with special courses. Beside promoting and protecting the local tra-
peculiarities, found their most important diffusion point dition, it owns the "Merletto Goriziano Scm-Fvg" col-
in Rome and then turned towards important custom- lective trade mark, thanks to which it warrants nature,
ers in several European countries. After 1920, when the quality and origin of the lace made with bobbins and
Brazzacco school was closed, the Scuoh di Merletti in offers a tangible certification to its school leavers. Every
Fagagna was stiU operating. It had been founded in 1892 two years the school organises the international contest
as a public institution under the patronage of Countess "II m erletto di Gorizia",-to evaluate new expressive tech-
Cora, and had amongst its protagonists personalities such niques, innovate the traditional signs, explore the market
as the teacher Angelica Marcuzzi, beloved by her students and find new application fields for lace.
SAINT-LOUIS - THE OLDEST CRYSTAL GLASSWORKS IN FRANCE- CONFIDES IN

THE LINEOF DREAM

Ahora, the Corollalre olloction, deslgned by Joií I.ivy, six VIl onN©rated to six flowen: chlrdon, hortensia, piyoine, rosa, Iris,
ind mimosa (llmihid ediUon of 29 spe~:lmens each). Top ind oppo4dte, crystll worklng phaml.
 Enterprises

.'.,'-l, lb . ~ , . . . . ~ a ~ O m l W . ~ . ~ l . ~ . ~ . ~ ~ , ~ ~ '

ITS TRADITION AND ITS YOUNG ARTISTS. BACKED BY THE HERMES GROUP

Sculpted ".m Light

S haped in Flre
by Federica Cavriana
 nterprises
In the festive season we feel a growing desire and grati-
ñcation in enjoying our own spaces, to live our home as a
private and cosy refuge. A place where we feel comfortable,
surrounded by our objects and rituals. Objects that repres-
ent a familiar scenery: vases, glasses, tea sets, chandeliers.
And whem do they come from, these smaU crystal wonders,
in their game of light and colour that master craftsmen
create to arouse the admiration ofour guests? For crystal-
ware, we could try a plausible answer: all the main crystal
manufacturers in Europe are located in the same French
mg, ion, Lorraine, rich in water, sand and wood, the
raw materials needed for the pmduction of
glass in the beginning and later on for crys-
tal by now world-renowned glassmakers,
such as Baccarat, Daum, Lalique or the
oldest of aU, Saint-Louis. The latter
has recenfly expefienced a period of
rebirth, also thanks to the relaunch
brought about by Herm~s Group,
that acquired it in 1989, believing
in the strength of its history and
heritage. Established in 1586, it was
purchased as "Royal Glassworks" in
1767 because King Louis XV wanted
to compete with the most famous glass-
works of that time, located in Murano,
AUTHOR'S GEOt'4 ETRIES
~, th| amdh)lt roemer seen from iboye, Tommy ollectlon (1928). Top, worklng d th molten glus and manufacturo of the
paperweight with the "F4111eflorl" technlque. Oplx~ite, red ocktall gliu by Salnt-Louis mnofactumr, Frince.
"/44 believe that the key of it all is to pass
on our know-how."
that's why we train many young"
Bohemia and England. 150 years ago Saint-Louis im-
posed the fashion of crystal table services, chandeliers
and candelabra, choosing ruby red as its signature colour.
Multi-coloured bottles for predous perfumes and delicate
opaline vases decorated the noble houses of the period.
Saint-Louis increased its fame also because it created
a smaU fashionable object: the crystal paperweight ball.
In the 20th century Art Nouveau inspired the maison's
new designs, while the Thirties witnessed the launch of
the Art Deco line, characterised by transparencies and
geometric cut motives.
In the F'ffties, modernism gave rise to new in-
siprations, like the SteUa service, designed
to reflect light through a prismatic play
At the end of the 20th century Saint-
Louis inaugurated the production of
crystals with a contemporary design,
side by side to its historical pmduc-
tion. From the Bubble coUection,
designed by Teleri Ann Jones in
1992, to the 2012 coUections signed
byJosí Lévy and Laurence Brabant,
the manufacture decided to foUow
two policies: invest in the co-operation
with designers and in a future focused
on creativity while passing on its tradi-
Enterprises
 Contemporary creativity and protection
of traditional know-how: 2012 is a record
year for the crystal manufacturer
tional know-how. As Charles-Henri Leroy, Saint-Louis
Commercial & Communication Director, explains: "For
us, the transmission ofknow-how is the key: that's why we
co-operate with schools and above all train a lot ofyoung
people, including many women, fiU they know how to cre-
ate a perfect crystal object after rive years." As for the creat-
ive aspect, Leroy recaUed that"For eight years the Herm~s
Foundation has offered young artists the possibility to stay
six months in workshops belonging to the Group (such as
Saint-Louis, editor's note), so as to be mutually cnfiched.
This is the real research: we ask our artisans to
think how to develop new colours and pm-
cesses that can be used artistically. Thus
artist and master craftsman togcther
produce really unique pieces."
Saint-Louis demonstrates how tradi-
tion and innovation, work quality and
creativity represent the right recipc
to cope with the crisis effectively:
in 2011 Saint-Louis crystal manu-
facturer reached its highest profits,
and a strong growth is expected also
this year. A growth being the result
oía foresight shown not only through
the choice of producing very modern
collecüons together with the reproposal
TH E COLOU RS OF TH E SOU L
Albeve, the Serpent piperweight producod in 75 numbered ind clrtJfled IIIN~lmens. Top, cle~il of the blowing ind iswmbly of 9.7-metre-
high chandeJier in Salnt-Louls lt41lJlr (6~0 hourl of "~rarm" worldng~ Opposlte, the Cllulque Arlequln chlndlJilr.
of past bcstseUers, as weU as through the trust given to
young talented designers, such as the very young Laura
Klose, the first woman to be awarded Meilleur Ouvrier de
France in the 'glass and crystal" category in 2011, when she
was just 25. The match to win success is played in Saint
Louis with a young team trained by experienced people,
and it is playcd in the field of handmade cxclusiveness.
So Leroy: "What makes us really unique, compared to
othcr crystal manufacturcrs, is the completely hand-made
manufacture of our products. Customcrs choose us since
we can create incredible bespoke pieces. We have
just created a 9.7-metre-high chandelicr: a re-
cord for our compan)~ At prcsent the luxury
market wants exclusive products, which
we can supply." Evcn though such ex-
c~isite
ousc,beauties
all havecannot be in everyone's
the possibility to admire
the most extraordinary pieces in the
factory's history at La Grande Place,
Musée du Cristal Saint-Louis, inside
the works in Saint-Louis-l¿s-Bitche.
During weekends, this fascinating mu-
seum hosts demonstrations where the
master glassworkers show their excep-
tional craft in creating masterpieces of
translucent elegante.
 by Susanna Ardig¿

A CAKE-DESIGN SHOR ANATELIER

IN THE HEART OF TURIN,,
ENJO Y1NG THE S UCCESS OF A CRAFT WHERE
TE CI-1NIQUE AND ART MEET
1N SUBLIMELY S WEET MANIFESTATIONS

ecora[ln~
HAPP NESS ~

At number 7 via Bonafous in Turin, just offpiazza Vittorio, sweet de-

signer Claudia Lotta created her own cake shop-atelier enjoying a de-
served success: a smaU space enclosing a world of sweetness and taste in
a dreamy and welcoming setting. Before talking about her experience, we
should first understand the real meaning ofcake (or sweet) design, a term
that has only recently become popular in Italy, and whose use was partly
influenced by the media. Cake design is a discipline that combines tech-
nique and creativity in decorating cakes and sweets, reaching sometimes,
asin Claudia's case, the level of a pure artistic expression. The tradition
is Anglo-Saxon, ofticially dating back to the 19th century, when baking
techniques were refined thanks to the invention ofovens with controlled
 8avoury crafts

temperature; someone likes to hnk them

to the marriage between Queen Victoria
and Prince Albert (1840) and the wed-
ding cake served on the occasion. The
technique was refined with time, reach-
ing high-level aesthetic expressions and
spreading its fame to the rest of the
world, first of aU to the United States.
This is where the success ofcake decor-
ation began, boosted by the media. So
lar, ir you wanted to learn the precious
technique you had to organise quite a
long stay in the United States of Great
Britain, where masters are operating and
courses organised by prestigious names
in the business. After their training
abroad, Italian cake designers opened
their ateliers at home, attracting the at-
tention ofpeople with a sweet tooth and
searching for a surprising aesthetic effect
along with the quality of product. These
artists organise in their turn decorating
courses for their customers. "THE PASSIONS TINGE HER WITH THEIR
Back to our excellent protagonist: COLOURS WHEREVER THEY TOUCH HER"
Claudia Lotta. Her passion dates back
to her childhood, when she liked pre- (B. Gracián)
paring cakes and biscuits for birthday
parties. As it sometimes happens, life
gets us to stride temporarily away from
our passions and Claudia got a degree
in psychology, and followed a profes-
sional path in that direction. After
some years, while she was pregnant of
her daughter, she felt once again the call
of sweetness and first attended a course
for "Lady Chef", then a master at the
Peggy Porschen Academy in London,
and one at the historical Wilton Cake
Decorating School in Chica~ío. Won-
derful calces and sweets starte¢i to come
out from her wise hands and her arUsuc
and aestheuc talent. Cakes made with
ingredients of the highest quality, dec-
orated with the most refined techniques
and the briUiant use of the sac-~t-poche.
We are pleasantly amazed by her made-
to-order decorated cakes, pure master-
pieces thanks to the wise works of her
hands. How else could we define the
refined and precious cupcakes - smaU States; fragrant lemon bars, sweets with Dolicious heart-shaped
biscuits.
cakes common in the United States and a creamy heart and a crunchy base, com- Top: the windows of Claudia
so called because in the past they were ing from the south of the US; gorgeous Lotta's atelier,
baked in cups - she proposes every day decorated biscuits, so beloved by children Sweet Designer in
with different flavours, even for vegan and grown-ups. Furthermore, Claudia via Alfonso Bonafous 7,
customers? Claudia Lotta's atelier of- Lotta inaugurated also a smaU Academy Turin.
fers many other delicacies: spatulated where she offers courses in cake decora- w w w. l a u d i a l o t t a . i t

cakes; pleasant cakepops, smaU chocol- fion with sugarp.aste flowers and leaves,
ate-glazed calces propped on smaU sticks; drawing inspirauon from her passion for
dehcious brownies, chocolate bars very Art Nouveau, as well as courses to create
popular and famous in the United customised cakes.
Christmas rites in Europe

Sweet Cl~istnlas
by /llessandra Meldolesi illustrations by Ugo La Pietra

rphy
II tangled recipe, braided as it is with olklore, meta p ryant
sics and materiality.
And, whatf~
s more, interdass...
Round like a doughnut, or better sfiU like
the turban ofa Kugelhupf, also in 2012
the etemal comeback is torning the cal-
endar leaves tul the fateful December
25, bending the rule ofhistory ever
since the night of times. Almost
as if it wanted to freeze the airy
flipping of pages into an eternal
moment. After all, habits haven't
changed much since the ancients
celebrated Mithra, feasting the
winter solsfice with an irrefutable
scientific precision. That same
Dies Natalis 8olis Invicti, when the
tire baU seemed to stop abruptly to
smile again at man) making the days
grow longer, reducing the silence of the
night. Rites the third millennium keeps as
ah oblivious and yet pervicacious inherit-
ance, often attached to the fines ofa smaU
dessert fork exploring history's crannies
with archaeological experfise.
The recipe of the Christmas cake is a
tangled recipe, braided as itis with folklore,
metaphysics and pantry materiality. And
what's more, up to interclass, because every
community shares the same meal for one
night, it is its sweet epilogue. History be-
gins with the shopping list: honey (almost
always) instead ofsugar, only introduced in
European eating habits after the discovery
of the West Indies. And the unusual "ab-
stinence" ingredients, with oil used instead
ofbutter and milk for religious reasons (the
cifizens of Dresden had to wait for the
"Butterbrief~ or "Butter Letter" signed by
pope Innocent VIII in 1490 before they
could benefit of a special concession for
the preparation of the ChriststoUen,
even though the privilege was gran-
ted only to the Prince-elector who
raised the quesfion).
Also the symbology linked to the
feast remains. Like the steady pres-
ence ofyellow, typical of the dough
tuming gold in the oven after being
brushed with egg yolk, and above
al/evocative of the sun, to invoke
the retum of its light (the Romans
used com flour with this aim when
they celebrated Mithra), and also the
circular shape, linked with the old cult
of the solsfice. As is the case with Italian
typical Christmas cakes, panettone and pan-
doro, as weU as the American pumpkin pie,
the Ukrainian kolach, the Portuguese bolo
EverYcommunitY rei and the above-menfioned Kugelhupf.
shares the same The chthonic reference comes back, repro-
dudng the contrast between light and re-
meal for one night
ceding night.This explains also the frequent
presence ofalmonds, a season's fi-uit available
in large quanfities, that represent the retum
of the spring, since this tree is the first to
blossom, as well as symbolising the renewal
ofnature thanks to the egg shape associated
~ ~ to Christ for the similitude with the eye and
the fish. As the Messiah, who bmught the
light, was born in the darkness of a cave, so
the white fruit is hidden in the hollows of
the dough. A purpouse shared by a diversity
ofingredients, all ofgood omen for the new
beginning at the gate. The most symbolic

and representative good luck charm is the
Christmas pudding, an archaic cake whose
ingredients include suet, the kidney fat.
The cake must cook for at least 10 hours
in boiling water wrapped inside a towd,
though the modern version is steamed. Of-
ten flambé and decorated with holly leaves,
it is tradiUonaUy made with 13 ingredients
(induding spices, raisins, rum and almonds),
alluding to Christ and the twelve apostles.
The darkness ofits dough inspired timeless
practices, able to impose their rhythm to the
calendar of Her Roya1 Majesty's subjects.
Agatha Chrisfie dccided to hide thcre the
key of a thriUing detective story, entitled in
fact TheAdventure 9Cthe Christmas Pudding.
To compete with Hercule Poirot's mind and
find the right solufion you should know
many strange things... For example that the
pudding must be prepared on the Sunday
before Advent, called "Stir-up Sunday"
since on that occasion aU family members
ate called to sfir the dough with movements
towards the west, so as to evoke the joumey
of the Magi. Or that different objects can ",
be hidden there: silver coins, thimbles, hair- f
pins and small anchors granfing prospefity ,'
and fortune to the hcky ones fin~[iñg them. ~,
Little things, not big rubies stolen from ~,
Oriental princes in love... A suspense to
keep till the moment the cake is taken to
the table, avoiding to cut it before.The sur-
~rise element
panish is widespread
and French also in Danish,
confectioner's shops:
the julegrod, the roscon de Reyes and the
pithivierscontainrespectivel~,ahalmond;a,~
!
Christmas rites in Europe
Beyond the gift and a dried broad bean flor the one who
has to pay); a dried bean. The rich French
Alps we feasts propose also the incredible Provengal
flnd [he Büche ritual ofthirteen desserts (again the number
de Noil, of the guests present at the Last Supper):
a mix of dried fruit, fresh fruit and sweets
symbolically dominated by the pompe ~ rhuile, a sweet
evoking bread evoking the Eucharist. They ate the
theYule log, Ptabeffect end of the big supper served onthree
three
lecloths, with three white candles,
stored in ears ofwheat and seven absfinence dishes
the woodshed represenUng the Vhgin's sorrows. It is com-
until pulsory to taste them all to pay homage to
Christian numerolog~ Beyond the Alps we
Christmas Eve find also the Büche de No~l, a cake that may
look ordinary kitchen prose, and on the con-
trary it shines with the bright light ofsym-
bols. It looks quite ordinary: the soft spiral
of biscuit dough is fiUed with cocoa cream
and covered with ganache, then decorated
with merinsue mushrooms and marzipan
leaves - a mmple and nave natural image
dating back to the 19th cen~ Yet a mil-
lenary sap flows inside ofit, ifit is true that in
'~, Northem Europe Christmas was represen-
:- j tedbythe hardeststump, calledYulelog, cut
. where the trunkwas at its thickest and kept
in the woodshed until Christmas Eve. From
that moment till New Year it would warm
the Holy Child, though keeping some old
pagan reminiscences, since its ashes would
be spread in the fields to grant their future
ferfili~.This roU has an engagirg mission: to
illt{ I[ replace wood logs, useless in contemporary
p hearths, and at the same time pass its ancient
message on in our overcrowded cities.
 Ta l e n t s o f e n t e r t a i n m e n t
Having deeply absorbed the essence of figura-
tire art,Joe Lettefi knows that light is integral
to percepUon and uses it skilfully in combi-
naUon with movement and the characters
to obtain the visual synchronidty ofwhat is
happening on screen, that which the stx'cxator
will~ence as "real~.
Joe Letteri is Senior V'maal Effects Supervisor
at Weta Digital, the visual effects company
created by Peter Jackson in the 90s. Letteri
directs a bustling team ofyoung, talented and
motivated arfists.The making of a digital pic-
ture has only increa~d the number ofpeople
that may work on a given film. He tells us that
nearly 900 worked just on the special visual
effects of James Cameron's "Avatar".
This advanced t~hnology is mairdy adopted
for fantasy and adventure stories, but most
films today use digital effects, to a greater or
minor extent. We can imagine Joe Leneri
as a modem craftsman in a futurisüc wor-
kshop, where films are eommissioned instead
ofbuildings or ships, and the director details
his requests. For James Cameron, Joe Lette-
ri built a stage where Cameron could work
and film directly in the virtual world. Peter
Jackson, producer and
director of "The Lord ab
of the Rings', "King [ to Leneri (four Academy
Kong", "The Adventu-
res ofTinfin" and "The
Hobbit", is ver), speciñc
as to what parts of the
stories ate relevant, the
details and costumes and
characters.
Once the framework is
d e c i d e d , t h e fi l m i s b r o -
ken down in segments
and categories, and each is assigned to a team
ofexperts that deal with the different arustic
and technical aspects. Joe Letteri supervises
the whole process and gives his input and im-
print. He found it parUcularly stimulating to
work on a film like "Avatar', because he had
to create something that did not exist. But for
Letteri the greatest and most intriguing chal-
lenge is to give life to characters and worlds
the public will relate to and perceive as ~real",
be it King Kong's 1930s New York City or
J.R.R. Tolkien's characters and stofies.
Joc Lctteri lovcs to work with fantasy cha-
racter~ fceling that ifhc were creating actual
people he would only be replicafing life. In-
stead, he is intrigued by the potenfial ofusing
characters to tell more emoUonal stories. He
has always been fascinated by the semifive,
impalpable mture oía look, ah expression. For Above, Andy Serkis becomes
Caesar in
Joe Letteri what really matters in films that
Risa of the Planet of the Al)eS;
ate successáfl is a subfle qualit~ consisfing of bottom, Joe Letteri
demils and expressiom that move the public with Brian Van't Hul and
on an emofional leveLWhich is why he takes Christian Rivers
pride in his recent appointment as Honorary receives the Academy Award
Ofñcer of the New~d Order of Mefit for Best Visual Effects
for King Kong.
for services to film by Her Majesty Queen Opposita: above, Tintin and
Elizabeth II. On top of Haddock at the
the many prives awarded desert outpost; bottom, Ann
Darrow (p[ayed by Iqaomi
Awards, four BAFTA Watts) and King Kong on the
Film Awards and also Empina State Building.
Samrn Awards, Visual
Effects Society Awards,
lOMA Awards), this reco-
gniUon acknowledges the
fact people identify with
the stories he creates and,
at least in a cinema, their
dreams can come true.
 8TORY OF EXCELLENCE,
NARRATED WITH THE 8UBTLE
EMOTIONAL Q UALITY OFA DIGITAL LOOK
 Made byHand
by Alberto Ca~alli
THIRTEEN TOP ITALIAN ATELIERS TO INTERPRET MENDINI'S
orgio de Santillana wrote that "in
)archaic universe all things were
and signature of each other, in-
scribed in the hologram, to be divined
subtly." The silent but eloquent dia-
logue among objects, materials and
shapes represents a powerful form of
communication between the self and
the other self. A dialogue unravelling
icreasing value in time. Thus
consecrated to time can-
to face both impressions and
evoked by the ticldng away of
impressions made ofsigns, as
were the hand on a watch dial,
moments to remind, instants to
linger upon. And symbols like totemic
representations, like "sculptural-icons"
composed ofshapes defining their aura
of energy and poetry.
In creating the works exhibited in the
show "Arts & Crafts & Design. Time
according to Alessandro Mendini and
his artisans" the co-operating relaUons
between art, design and craft are em-
phasised: the artist's intuition creates
a dialogue with the artisans' capability
to interpret and transform matter, to
define a new way to see the object, en-
hancing its multiform identities.
The maitre d'art turns the project into
a product; the designer shapes inspir-
ations by constantly renewing tech-
niques, styles, realms of knowledge
representing an extraordinary cultural
heritage.
The subject of time was chosen as a
homage to the world offine watchmak-
ing, where design, technique and art are
strictly intertwined: for this reason this
exhibition will be inaugurated at the
Salon International de la Haute Hor-
logerie in Genera, under the patronage
ofVacheron Constantin. The show was
conceived by Fondation Cartier pour
l'Art Contemporain and Fondazione
Cologni dei Mestieri d'Arte. Ir is or-
ganised by Fondation de la Haute Hor-
logerie. The thirteen works designed by
Alessandro Mendini ate created with
thirteen different materials by great
Italian artisans: the dialogue between

PROJECTS. A POETIC TRAVELLING SHOW
artist, designer and maitre, between
designer and interpreter, brings about
all the liveliness ofan economic, pro-
ductive and cultural system whose her-
itage is still alive. The show's cultural
aim is thus to emphasise the funda-
mental role ofmétiers d'art in our so-
ciety, p.lacing them in a constant and
evolutlonary dialogue with contem-
porary creations. Even though every
work ofart is different and has its own
main features, each one is conceived
for a unitary collection, bound both
from a logical and a dimensional point
of view.
Twelve of the thirteen pieces are set
around an ideal dial, creating a subtle
and effective link between their sym-
bolic meaning and the actual passing
of time, whose spirit seems to be
constantly caught, refracted, divided
by the points the designer wanted to
create for every object. The thirteenth
object meets visitors as a kaleidoscopic
sundial, as if it were a polyhedral in-
dex aiming at the cardinal points of a
S i g n a t u r e 8 r o j e c t s Q
TOTE I,t IC OBJ ECTS
"EvI~ ob~'t ~JS deihimd
to omphulso
mmterimls ind ir~iin vamluos
of oxcellonco,
using both tradifionml ind
evolvod ~chnk:luos",
so Alouindro Mondinl, who
solected iome
of the most virtuous ind
talented
maflms d'irt Ior tho proj~t.
time, to be preserved as an important
treasure. Carved wood, screen-prin-
ted crystal, Cantil lace, gilded cop-
per, bronze, ceramic, lacquered wood,
mosaic, blown glass, plastic, Plexiglas,
turned polystyrene: every object cre-
ated by the master craftsmen was de-
signed to emphasise the values ofexcel-
lence of the main works and materials
characterising handicraft, using both
tradifional and evolved or experimental
techniques.
The artisans were chosen amongst the
most talented and virtuous. Every object
has its own aesthetic identity: its visual
language is coherent with the qualit-
ies of the materials used. Emanuele
Zamponi's photos were taken while
the objects were being manufactured
a n d w h e n t h e y w e r e fi n i s h e d . T h e y
witness the birth of every piece in a
moving way. Every work reveals what
Japanese people cal1 "makoto': endow
your product with sincerity, search for
the truth. Which, as the ancient said,
is the daughter of time.
@ b y P a o l o D a l i a , S e g a

M II~TER ErxlEA'S F
A J O U R N E Y I N TO T H E W O R L D O F O N E O F T H E M O S T I M P O RTA N T

The village ofRappcrswilllics twenty

minutcs from Zurich and the canton
of St. GaUcn. Hcrc you can sit at a
12-metrc tablc from Ncw Zcaland,
stron round a 75,000 sq. m. park, visit
a museum with over 120 big trees, rest
in the shadow ofan ofit inal orar~ ,~ie
from the 17th century and, above al1,
mcct Enzo Enca, the man who crc-
atcd aU this and thc most important
landscapc architcct in Switzcrland, as
wcll as onc of the most famous and
active in the world.
His storyis rich in truth and pragmat-
ism, sensitivity and manual skills, a dcep
~feeling for nature", that is revealed
by his character, as he walks with me
through the park, stopping every few
steps to touch, feel, finger each tree.
"At fifty, a tree matures its own aspect,
character, pcrsonali~. It's my passion,
the ver,/reason for this park-museum,
created because I cannot cut a tree.
Even though I need spacc, I keep cvery
plant and give them ncw shapes year
by year, like a bomai gardener." Enzo
was bom and grew up nearby Ruti. He
is the son of Franco, who carne from
Cesena and was a dealcr of Impruneta
vases and tcrracotta oh ic~ betwcen
Italy and Switzerl~ i the Ninetics
hc took on his fathcr's busincss and
transformed it passing from the com-
merce ofvases to planning, designing
and crcating gardens, after complefing

ELING FOR TREES
LANDSCAPEARCHITECTS INTHE WORLD.'A PARK-MUSEUM OFNATURE
bis studies in industrial design and tak-
ing a master's degree in garden design
in London. At first he had just two
gardeners; now, after moving to the
epic new seat, the companyhas 140
amongs t design ers, technicians, main-
tenance workers.They follow hunch~ds
ofpmjects all over the world: from Bd
Air to Russia, from Italy (with archistar
Chipperfield on the Garda Lake) to
Arab countries, from China to Miami
(seat ofa subsidiary) and obviously the
whole of Switzerland (with an import-
ant shop in Zurich); private gardens,
resorts, public parks, terraces and golf
courses, architectures embedded in
the environment.
The park-museum-showroom-factory
was built some years ago on the land
owned by Cistercian nuns. Visiting it,
you have the dear perception of a fas-
cinating activit~ almost out of time -
though extremdy modem- in its focus
on"givin~ a shape" to nature, or better
to an envaronment in peffect harmony
with man and architecture"imide" the
landscape. The designa rooms are ti.dl
ofprojects made in 0.3 mm drawing
ink on tracing paper and ~comics', per-
fect autocad models creafing one after
the other a joumey around the world
Below, gardmn on the banks of Lake Zurich, right, terrace in the surroundlngs of Zurlch. On the lefl page, aba~
spectacular "trasplant" by Erizo Enea (in the photo); below, yard in Miami, Florida, and porbralt of the archltect In hls park-museum.
En~ironment and landscalhe
from East to West, and from North to
South: before and after the spaces ate
turned into gardens. Scattered about,
some syn cretically inspiring books-.
Brancusi, Moore, Japanese gardens
("where you go to pray~_, contempor-
ary art and arc]fitecture, Roman - more
than Italian - gardens, and obviously
English gardens and landscapists,
starfing from Russell Page. In Enea's
study ate great windows opening onto
the park, a tall, empty table with just
a roll oftracing paper on top, ready to
receive every fancy I-lis method has
a disarming simplicity: "I read and
listen to the place where I am work-
ing, since every place wants its own
architecture. I start from there, even
from just one tree, sometimes a leal, I
don't add things, nothing different. Be-
cause we are all a part of nature."The
same merging you breathe and almost
feel by walking through the immense
park-museum (open to the public),
characterised by big sandstone blocks
and Vicenza stone vases, between the
orangefie bought at Sotheby's and the
cohmns of a Thai temple altemated
with cherry trees and lotus flowers.
Suggestions - even ritual ones - ate
powerful, but you come back to the
THE SENSE OFTIF4E
ea_,xh immediatdy, when you leave the
park-museum and enter the nurser~
an imposing collection of plants and
vases for sale.
Enea designs and builds environments
and contemporary architectures, re-
S.c~ding to a pragmatic,
sed sense of livability:deep and
improve
the dimate and the quality of air, the
sight and rdation with the surround-
~ra
ar~uenVironment, whiletiming
e of the arca. I-lis increasing the
is obvi-
ously appredated by customers all over
the world, since Enea uses grown and
well-developed plants. All this ar-
ranged in new designas, slopes, water
elements (even real lakes) and wind
games, produced by the interaction of
materials and scents: for example, you
drink wine among citrus fruits and
thyme. Sometimes the composition of
inspirafions and actions touches mul-
tiple spheres: a table between old vine-
yards and apple orchards, intertwining
recollections oftrees and food, objects
and phces. Everywhere you breathe
the sense of time, a ver,/long time: like
the time ofRiva's kauri wood table at
which we sit for the interview in the
showroom café, a tree saved from
quicksand thousands ofyears ago.
 P i e t r a Q

CL CTIC
DESIGN
WORLD, REVEALS HER PLANNING Q.UALITIES

atricia Llrquiola today represents design as the expression ofa constant

research joint with a strong creafive attitude.
She studied in Spain and-then at Milan Polythecnic, thus getting
an extremely sound professional educafion. She is characterised by a
manner to support the project through a rigorous logic, coupled with
her capability to risk ever new goals. We asked her some questions
to try and understand her posifion towards the role of design toda)~

BETWEEN SWEETN ESS AH D APPLIED ARTS

Glass ti¿te "Variations" designed for Baccarat on the occasion of the Hilan Salone del Mobile
in 2012. Opposite: ~Chasen", suspended lamp designed for Flos; the body
is made with a chemically photo-engraved slab in stainless steel and borosilicate diffuser.
 Maitres of design

St yle/~é all know your great versatility in facing projects

with different formal results: which are the common denom-
inatorsV
I believe above all in the freedom to expeñment, facing the
project with a certain openness. It means understanding
the intent of the company I am working with, letting ma-
terials and available techniques speak, every time getting
to diversified projects.This way ofworking is therefore not
characterised by style elements that can determine com-
mon denominators of the many works I design.

Cultural models Can we say t hat your work, and above

al~the design, of upho/stered furniture, r,'ep resents the best wary
to recognue you. ' c~ dtural models ?
I have really appreciated the fa'st opportunity I got, which
was Patrizia Moroso's order to deslg" n ~upholstered fur-
niture" for ber compan~ The occasion was a reaUy posit-
ive experience since I found a great open-mindedness in
Patrizia and the whole company. I carne from the rigorous
education of the School of Architecture of Madrid, a path
I continued in Italy after the fourth year.

Hence my training brought me to be nearer the Milanese

design school that is now deflned through the great histor-
ical masters like Castigñoni and Magistretti, even though at
that time the disruptive expefience of the Memphis Group
and Alchimia was greatly appreciated in Milan. I was more
attracted, or ratber fascinated, by De Padova's store win-
dows, with their coherence and Magistretti's works they
exhibited.

Priorities. . Inyourdesg
inn
i, aththe. priorityis:therela-. .
tmn~¿nthmatemals, the househ:~a~a'rít;uá/s, thecompanywuhes,
the poetic intuition?
First of all I have to say that I ñnd my activity really in-
teresting since it aUows me to face a multitude ofrealities.
In this sense I never forget the reality, the company, with
which I decide to co-operate. Since the project follows its
own path, I prefer to let ir go without tensinns nor for-
cing solutions. I could define ir a "sweet project", without
traumas, able to indulge and evaluate the company's po-
tentialities.

The Classics Is there one object of the many you de-

signed that you could define ~classic'~ According to Gio Ponti's
definition, c" lassic"means the object without any connotatiom
the chair mas a chair-chair. Of voould you prefer your objects
to be apt~reciated and remembered for their varied formal and
decorat~ve connotations?
I admire Gio Ponu and regard him very highly: I love
keeping one of his small drawings on the wall behind by
bed, but I think that the way to work and think doesn't
necessarily inply the research of"style".
I try and create coherent objects, but I don't know wbether
I am working for something that wiU last in time. I believe
in the contemporary object, whether ir will live on will be
determined by society.
 r'+'

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 \
Maítres of design

series, like those developed by some gaUeries, such as Nil-

ufar in Milan, enjoyed a positive reception on the market.
On other occasions, I en~ía, ged in smaU-scale p roductions,
like marble creations and interior decorafions for hotels. A
pracfice that brought me closer to arfisanal producfions,
such as the creation of a glass collectionproduced by a
master glass blower in Murano for the Venice Biennale.
I felt a great emotion, shared with my assistant Francesca,
in observingthe artisan turnin. ga mass ofwhite-hot lass
into amazingly fascinafing objects. AU this freed me ~~m
many prejudices on the world of artisan production. And
it spurred me to reflect also on our way of working: as
designers we connote our profession by strong artisanal
features (in the creation of models, prototypes, in testing
techniques...), even though the final aim is the accom-
plishment of standard works.

S e lf- p rod u ctio n Since manyyoung designers cannot

flnd o erating spaces in the medium and small industry in
just like the great creat, ve des,gners m northern Europe did
Limited edition and handicraft Isthelimited
edition of some objects a projectual and productive solution
that.takes ~.ouclosetoth~Craj~. (arpplied aro resulting in a
higher art.tzc and artuanal value? If so, by what means do
you think ir is ossible to.gzive the artisan a leading role in
the worldofde.gn if the 'ae.gn-system does not constder the
identity (name, brand) in. the accom, rp lished work, and
saitr
mstead alwa~ fe.s ocuses on the de.. ~ín .er s name and that o.~f the
company producmg the work, zts editor ?
I kñow- that for many design objects we cannot talk of
standard products, xts rather the contrary. In the last ten
years I didn't deal only with a wide range of standard
products, and in fact many of my works produced in smaU
I t ado youl ythmk , self-productmn
. . . . .a . valid o, ptmn? It .zs
inside the Ciafl. In a new area us- ually composedofMdseums,
Institutions, Schools, GalleHes, Market, Collectors, authors'
listing-allassp,ects wholl ry mi.ing in Ital',y.
I think that design can offer many opportunifies to the
young generations. New paths through new technolo-
g "es"
~ almost followingthe exam . Ple of the ancient ceramist
self-producing his own object in his own kiln, thus the
self-producing young wiU be able to work with the small
kiln to give threedimensional shape to the objects they
design.
I believe also in the development of new roles arising
for new professions brought about by the development
of the net and the many roles that depend on the specific
features of each industrial activit~. Ifthe young are able
to acquire many experiences andgather much inform-
afion, then we can look forward to the opening of new
professional paths.

IN TH E SIGN OF FU NCTIONALITY
Above,"Husk" seat ollection for B&B Italia, characterised by a solid plastic structure supporting the seat sUtched in soft squares.
Left, "Tatou" lamp for Flos with polycarbonate diffuser.
The Spanish designer's uniqueness is represented by her capability to design privileging functionality.
 From the territory
THE FUTURE BETWEEN
SCHOOLS & MARKETS
The artisan work The precondition to talk about crafts-
manship lies in the knowledge that this
has now a completely business area does not have the same
di erent meanin meaning as some decades ago, even from
a semantic point of view. In France the
it is a kind of artistic definition of"métier d'art" was correcfly
chosen to substitute "artisanat". While in
í~sPression
shape in taking
everyday the past handicraft was a concept associ-
ated to the continuity of the production
objects.Letus of consumption goods b~, the artisan re-
teach tbe young to find gardless of the quality, t~e raw material,
the techniques or the design, now the ar-
this way again tisan work has a completely new meaning:
it is a kind of artistic expression taking
its shape in everyday objects, in interior
desi~.n, clothing andfashion accessories,
combining the choice of materials, the use
of refined techniques, the uniqueness of
the ~roduct and its own
aest~¤tic characterisa-
tion. This change is not
immediately understood
and generally accepted,
even by the most refined
observer: it is a craft rev-
olution we could even
define as anthropologic,
but it is lar more diffi-
cult to convey the need
of this evolution to the
old generation of arti-
sans still linked with an
anachronistic vision of
their work. To introduce
these new concepts we need interventions
ofcommunication and promotion together
with the development of a cultural debate
which is not easy to support also for prac-
tical reasons, like the ones of the economic
resources to be collected for the neces-
sary actions. The sohtion fies in forming a
new generation of artist-artisans, or better
artisan-artists, culturally rea@ to face this
challenge in the new millennium. Thus
coaching acquires a fundamental role. A
peculiar coaching, since it must combine
a sound cultural education and the prac-
tical"know-how", using instruments and
new techniq ues that can gra nt quality and
uniqueness of the product while allowing
to improve the economic performances,
the natural basis to sUmulate the youn~í to
*Pr¢Md¢nt af tbe A:sociaziane
choose this acfivity. It does not seem t~at
Osser~atario dei Mesh'eri d'Art¢
the recent school reform in Italy deeply
considered this theme. Elitarian as it may
seem, it j oins together elements of cultural
novelty in a period when the paradigms at
the base of development in the last hun-
dred years seem to live a harsh crisis.
Public school and its structures are not
ready for this cultural revolution. Often
also private schools ate not able to de-
velop the necessary pro~rammes due to
economic constraints. _~urthermore, an
idea of the artisanal work as a diminish-
ing work restricts coaching to that field
of acfivities managed by local institutions,
unable to train these new professional fig-
ures both in temas of time and organisa-
tion of the courses. Another problem is
university education. Here
new ideas should be de-
veloped, but the approach
is still dominated by ah
interpretation of art dat-
ing back to Vasari's 16th
century distinction be-
tween major arts (painting,
sculpture and architecture,
considered the only ones
to represent intellectual
dignity) and minor arts,
characterised only by their
manual contents. Accord-
ing to this same vision, the
field ofcrafts is relegated to
the limbo ofthose complementary subject
matters enjoying a space too smaU to in_
fluence both students and public opinion.
What can be done? Create a movement
awakening the sundry category organisa-
tions, themselves involved in this sector
but with an inferior numerical relevance
and, hence, representation; inform press
and media so that they can talk ofthis
heritage born from ourhistory and need-
ing to be interpreted in a new way; take
the question to the attention of the Euro-
pean Parliament and Commission, since it
is an important part of the cultural herit-
age in its national, regional and local ex-
lpressions. We wiU keep following the path
begun over ten years ago, to honour our
history and on behalf of the generations
to foUow.

' ' ovelties and changes meet
our ho~ fles or a better'future y~ear a~fl.., yer ear. Let us
. ~ .P ~ . ~.ry
look to lessons o the ast and the dialo e necessa to enrzch our
spznt. Jls Benedictme monks teach: nothmg u vozceless
PLATO, H EGE L
AND THE TRUE MASTERS
The beginning ofa new year, anticipated
by this issue of our magazine, always
brings with itself a deep desire for nov-
elty and change: both words being often
used, abused and repeated in Italy, while
their turning into reality remains a uto-
pia in many cases. The master craftsman
knows that every new project must imply
a deep discussion about himself and Iris
own talent: even though his gestures are
self-assured, even though he has a wide
knowledge of the materials he uses and
a deep understanding of the customer's
desires and craft in the use of tools, he
does not behave as Pascoli's lamb ~which
goes on all fours" in beginning a new
work, but questions himself, analyses,
uses his han& and at the same time tries
to go beyond gestures to grow as a per-
son and as an artisan. I think it is a very
good lesson to learn and a magnificent
purpose. Many are the teachings we can
learn from the master craftsmen, such as
the disposition to dialogue.
There is always something to learn from
the dialogue with the masters. When I
taught Theatre History at Universit~
Cattolica in Milan I worked near ex-
traordinary persons such as Mario Apol-
lonio and Giuseppe Lazzati, with whom
you could discuss and above all dialogue.
Hence I consider them my ~masters".
And the maitres nourishing their ges-
tures on the dialogue with designers,
clients and other artisans are there to
remind us that we cannot cease to com-
municate with those who know more
Re-turn
than us. Even though we do not like to
admit that there is someone bettcr, wiser
of more talented in talent than we arc.
In the theatre, dialogues are the essence
of what happens on the stage. Plato
taught us that philosophy and truth
are learnt through the dialogue. Even
Hcgel, in his concept of thesis, antith-
esis and synthesis, taught us to progress
mantaining the values of the past: tra-
dition, prestige, honesty. Hegel showed
us the way to reach the truth through
the continuous overcoming ofthesis and
antithesis.
At present, tren& are diverging: on the
one hand cndless meetings are hcld with
at least ten people without taking even
one decision, on the other we resort to
technology to put a screen, a keyboard
or a mobile phone between us and our
interlocutor. On the contrary, master
craftsmen constanfly invite us never to
forget the value of dialogue, never to give
u . curiosity
p o andu kee.'p_l!leaxning,
r . . . . .ask-
mg, discovermg. F~rst ofaU because It ~s
amusing. And then because it is useful.
In the end also because the métier d'art
is culture, and there is no culture without
a sincere and impassioned dialogue with
the others, even with objects. Benedic-
tine spirituality teaches us that nothing
is voiceless. If it is true that wise people
in the past conveyed their theories re-
sorting to the dialogue, now the same
dialogue between master craftsman and
artisan must represent and convey a dif-
ferent wisdom, the one ofintuition turn-
ing into a project. Above all in Italy.
Designers know that in Italy they find
a fertile cultural milieu as weU as "smart
han&" of master craftsmen that know
how to understand and interpret the
project, set up a dialogue with others,
propose a concrete vision on the use of
materials and techniques. Just like ob-
jects, also gestures have their own voice:
they have sound, consistence, even a
weight. Let us take heed ofthis "voice",
in order to open to dialogue and grow
as professionals and individuals.
ARTS AND CRAFTS
FRENCH NATIONAL INS~ITUTE 05, 06
PRESENTS ',
~. ,I ~ID 07TH
C~: APRIL

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