Unno gallery shines a spotlight on Latin American design talent
Offering a new point of view on the region's talent, Milan-based digital gallery Unno makes its debut with a series of collectible design objects that reference ancient aesthetics with a contemporary spin
Unno, a new gallery dedicated to contemporary Latin American design, makes its digital debut ahead of a physical space opening in Milan later in 2021. The gallery was founded by architect and sculptor Laura Abe Vettoretti and interior designer Maria Dolores Uribe, two creatives operating between Latin America, the USA and Italy. The pair met in Mexico City: ‘we came together as Unno after meeting in the same point of view: that Latin American Design should be portrayed to the world as pure, deep, raw, mystic and elegant,’ they say.
The gallery aims at presenting a contemporary vision for Latin American design and celebrating its creators. The debuting collection includes works by Abe Vettoretti and Uribe, contributions by Mexican designers Cesar Nuñez and Bandido Studio, as well as pieces by Brooklyn designer Ian Felton inspired by Pre-Columbian animism.
The founders stress that this is ‘a gallery by and for young designers,’ hoping to reframe the traditional idea of the region’s aesthetic and steer it towards a contemporary collectible design vision – what the pair calls ‘a cultural breaking point’ achieved through ‘connecting and recapturing our transcendental roots’.
‘The perception of Latin American Design is crafty, folk-inspired and colorful,’ state the duo. ‘At Unno we want to show that there is more to that, that there is a conceptual deepness behind what we create, and that Latin American design can be elevated to the highest standards in art and design.’
Debuting collections reference ancient Mexican architecture, the sun’s symbolism celebrated in pre-Colombian inscriptions, pre-Hispanic architecture, Mesoamerican culture and artistic movements from Colonial Mexico. Each piece was made by local craftsmen to celebrate shapes and materials such as jade, lava, cast bronze, onyx, obsidian, brass and black marble.
‘We want to portray the intellectual assets of our represented designers as a solid sample of contemporary collectible design, distant from mere craftsmanship,’ conclude the two founders. ‘And through this project, we learned how important it is to keep our ancestral techniques alive.’
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Rosa Bertoli was born in Udine, Italy, and now lives in London. Since 2014, she has been the Design Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees design content for the print and online editions, as well as special editorial projects. Through her role at Wallpaper*, she has written extensively about all areas of design. Rosa has been speaker and moderator for various design talks and conferences including London Craft Week, Maison & Objet, The Italian Cultural Institute (London), Clippings, Zaha Hadid Design, Kartell and Frieze Art Fair. Rosa has been on judging panels for the Chart Architecture Award, the Dutch Design Awards and the DesignGuild Marks. She has written for numerous English and Italian language publications, and worked as a content and communication consultant for fashion and design brands.
-
Explore Cornwall's cosiest coffee shops
Cornwall is known for its natural beauty and stunning landscape, here is our pick of coffee shops to enjoy the views and refuel
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Maude’s Brâncuși-inspired sex toys go on display in a new Paris exhibition
Maude’s design-led vibrators are now on display at Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, as part of ‘Private Lives: From the Bedroom to Social Media’. Brand founder Éva Goicochea talks to Wallpaper* about partnering with the museum and opening up cultural conversations around sex
By India Birgitta Jarvis Published
-
‘I was captivated by the idea of merging two iconic brands’: Nigo on his 1990s-inspired collaboration with Moncler and Mercedes-Benz
Unveiled at Moncler’s ‘The City of Genius’ event in Shanghai this past weekend, Japanese fashion designer Nigo unpacks his three-way collaboration with Moncler and Mercedes-Benz, which includes a play on the G-Class alongside a fashion collection in his eclectic style
By Jack Moss Published
-
Tanya Aguiñiga: the artist weaving new narratives for borderless creativity
We profile LA-based artist and Loewe Foundation Craft Prize finalist Tanya Aguiñiga, whose work explores life on the US-Mexico border and seeks to empower transnational voices
By Harriet Lloyd-Smith Published
-
Bosco Sodi’s monumental new Mexico City studio is a multifunctional feat
As Bosco Sodi unveils his new Studio CMDX in Atlampa, Mexico City, we speak to the artist about how the vast Alberto Kalach-designed former warehouse is a feat in multitasking
By Juliana Piskorz Published
-
Artist’s Palate: Jose Dávila’s chocolate fudge with pecans
Try Jose Dávila’s indulgent recipe for chocolate fudge with pecans, from our December 2022 issue’s Artist’s Palate feature, a Wallpaper* homage to our favourite contemporary art
By TF Chan Published
-
Botanical sculptor Azuma Makoto creates a sculptural ecosystem at Mexico’s SFER IK
Japanese artist Azuma Makoto’s largest flower sculpture to date responds to SFER IK’s unique biophilic design and the surrounding wilderness
By Pei-Ru Keh Last updated
-
Mexico City art hub JO-HS opens inside a modernist icon
New exhibition space and creative hub JO-HS opens inside a striking example of modernist Mexico City architecture by Carlos Herrera
By Harriet Lloyd-Smith Last updated
-
Bosco Sodi’s message of post-pandemic hope in New York City
The Mexican artist takes over Manhattan's Washington Square Park on Sunday 23 May, giving away 439 small clay spheres embedded with seeds to spread a message of hope
By TF Chan Published
-
Artist Stefan Brüggemann lights up the truth in Tijuana
Mexican artist Stefan Brüggemann meditates on the state of misinformation with a double-sided neon installation on the US/Mexico border
By TF Chan Last updated
-
Bosco Sodi creates limited-edition cover for Wallpaper’s December 2020 issue
For our December 2020 issue, artist Bosco Sodi explored notions of perfection by contrasting his clay sculptures with the concrete forms of his Casa Wabi art foundation
By TF Chan Published