’Intro’: entering Fabio Novembre’s creative consciousness at La Triennale
For Fabio Novembre, all works are personal, individual to himself and alluding to an experience; from his love for AC Milan leading to him art directing the team's merchandise, to his new releases at Salone for the likes of Kartell and Cappellini that he says are imbued with a part of himself. His notion for ‘Intro’, a bedroom set up for La Triennale’s 'Room' exhibition is no different.
Taking shape as a large chrome egg, reminiscent of a futuristic space dome adorned with a deep red leather interior, Novembre presented his interpretation of a bedroom. When asking the maverick where the concept of the egg arrived from, he replies: ‘Well the egg is our first bedroom, we stay there for nine months, for me it was obvious'.
From there, we're immersed in Novembre’s vivid imagination. The design remains somewhat simplistic, the interiors without any furniture; just an immersive space, with two gold sculptures guarding it. ‘This is my tribute to Alejandro Jodorowsky, it almost looks like his movie The Holy Mountain with the two women at the beginning,’ he explains. However, he leaves his own conceptions open to interpretation. ‘At the opening people were like, "But Fabio, they are your two daughters protecting you!" This makes sense to me too, they are the two important women in my life who can get into my head. So you could say its Jodorowsky and my daughters.’
For the installation, Novembre collaborated with furniture manufacturer Natuzzi, which takes pride in its experimental artist collaborations. Talking to Pasquale Junior Natuzzi, communication director and deputy creative director of the company, he told us about the project being totally out of their intricate craftsmanship comfort zone; ‘it was like doing the interiors of the car instead of a sofa’, he puts it.
Carefully mastering the leather upholstery with five people, and the rest with ten, working around the clock on the polyurethane and chrome shape, he says ‘its a tailoring exercise, like doing a bespoke suit on someone’s body’. In our eyes, it was an intriguing depiction of Novembre’s consciousness.
We get further into the mindset of Novembre on entering the mouth shaped doorway, to a mixed soundtrack – phrases from Fellini's 8 1/2 and Design explained to my mother, a book he wrote a few years ago – ‘so its like entering inside my head’.
When presenting our ‘futuristic space dome' interpretation to Novembre, he replies, ‘Its testifying my own time, not about the past or future, visualising the life we are doing now. This should be the task of every designer. I don’t want to imagine how life will be in 3000. It is about how life is now through your own eyes, dreamful and imaginative.’ We're left wondering what ideas will spring from Novembre's prolific mind next....
INFORMATION
’Intro’ is on view at ’Rooms’ at La Triennale till 12 September. For more information, visit the Triennale’s website
ADDRESS
Viale Emilio Alemagna 6
Milano 20121
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Sujata Burman is a writer and editor based in London, specialising in design and culture. She was Digital Design Editor at Wallpaper* before moving to her current role of Head of Content at London Design Festival and London Design Biennale where she is expanding the content offering of the showcases. Over the past decade, Sujata has written for global design and culture publications, and has been a speaker, moderator and judge for institutions and brands including RIBA, D&AD, Design Museum and Design Miami/. In 2019, she co-authored her first book, An Opinionated Guide to London Architecture, published by Hoxton Mini Press, which was driven by her aim to make the fields of design and architecture accessible to wider audiences.
-
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi almost become lovers in Luca Guadagnino’s Chanel No.5 campaign: watch the film
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi front the new Chanel No.5 campaign in a film directed by Luca Guadagnino and soundtracked by Daft Punk
By Hannah Tindle Published
-
Art Basel returns to Paris: here is everything to see and do
Art Basel Paris 2024 (18 - 20 October 2024) returns, opening at the newly renovated Grand Palais
By Amah-Rose Abrams Published
-
PAD London’s 16th edition is a blisteringly optimistic case for human achievement
At PAD London, collectible design is more than rarefied furniture; it is a compelling case for the uplifting power of craftsmanship at the dawn of the AI revolution
By Hugo Macdonald Published
-
Faye Toogood brings new life to Matisse’s legacy
Milan Design Week 2023: tapped by Maison Matisse, the London-based designer has taken inspiration from the French master’s forms to create a collection of heirloom-worthy objects
By Sam Rogers Published
-
Prada Frames 2023: Milan programme announced
Programme announced for Prada Frames 2023 at Milan Design Week, the annual symposium curated by Formafantasma at Luigi Caccia Dominioni's Teatro Filodrammatici from 17 to 19 April
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
Alessi Occasional Objects: Virgil Abloh’s take on cutlery
Best Cross Pollination: Alessi's cutlery by the late designer Virgil Abloh, in collaboration with his London studio Alaska Alaska, is awarded at the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2023
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Salone del Mobile 2023: highlights from Milan Design Week
In pictures: our highlights from Milan Design Week, held during the 61st Salone del Mobile 2023 (18-23 April)
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
USM launches blushing pink limited edition of its modular furniture
Following an installation during Milan Design Week 2022, USM launches a new pink limited edition of its Haller range
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
‘You don't want space; you want to fill it’: Milan exhibition
Making its debut during Milan Design Week 2022 at Marsèll Paradise, a new exhibition by Matylda Krzykowski, explores how we approach the space we live in (until 15 July 2022)
By Cristina Kiran Piotti Last updated
-
Kohler and Daniel Arsham brought experiential art to Milan Design Week
Looking back on Daniel Arsham and Kohler’s Divided Layers installation, and the brand’s latest bathroom collection
By Simon Mills Last updated
-
Men’s mental health takes centre stage at an art and design exhibition by Tableau
‘Confessions’, which travels to Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design following its debut at Milan Design Week 2022, features commissioned work by 14 male artists, designers and architects, reflecting on toxic masculinity, vulnerability and mental health
By TF Chan Last updated