Tumi unveils a multimedia installation to celebrate the launch of new bag collection

'Passaggio', an installation which marks the launch of the Dror for Tumi collection of bags designed by Dror Benshetrit, is a dark, surreal thriller that begins in Cambridge then races across Europe. It was shot on location in France, England, Austria, Switzerland and Italy (pictured here). Photography: Thomas Zanon-Larcher

(Image credit: Thomas Zanon-Larcher)

By Damon Syson

last updated 12 July 2022

in News

One of the more unusual projects in Milan this year is a collaboration between Jules Wright, founder and creative director of The Wapping Project in East London, and international travel accessories brand, Tumi. Wright was commissioned to create an installation to mark the launch of Dror for Tumi, a new collection of bags debuting globally at Salone del Mobile 2012 designed by Dror Benshetrit of New York based Studio Dror. Titled 'Passaggio', the immersive multimedia installation is hosted by Tom Dixon's MOST - and staged in the Museum of Science and Technology's Sala delle Colonne, a breathtaking space rarely opened to the public.

Despite being no stranger to large-scale installations at Salone - she curated the monumental Swarovski Crystal Palace exhibition in 2010 - Wright admits she's unsure what visitors will make of Passaggio, which combines film and images (shot by photographer Thomas Zanon-Larcher) plus music and live performance. 'It's a slightly odd thing to have at Salone,' she winces. 'It's not very Milan.'

One of the main reasons Wright took on the project was the bags themselves. 'I liked the fact that movement was suggested by the bags,' she explains. 'They're very witty, intelligent pieces. We used them as our luggage as we raced around Europe shooting the film and images.'

The film part of Passaggio is a dark, surreal thriller that begins in Cambridge then races across Europe before culminating in a hotel room in Milan. It was shot on location in Switzerland, France, England, Austria and Italy, referencing thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Third Man and Death in Venice.

On entering the installation at the Museum of Science and Technology, visitors find themselves in a carpeted hotel corridor flanked by vintage 1960s TV sets showing black and white images relating to the film. At the end of the corridor we discover a simulacrum of a Milanese hotel room where 'Julia' lies on the bed, sporadically acting out moments from the film as if replaying them in her mind. The accompanying musical score is by Scottish composer Billy Cowie.

Despite the project's glossy feel, Wright insists it didn't have a big budget. 'Thomas and I worked in a very lean way. He shoots on a huge, old-fashioned camera and only uses available light, like Stanley Kubrick. We had no assistants, no lights; we styled it ourselves, designed it, did the art direction - everything.'

And while the bags appear in the film and have a presence in the installation, Wright is adamant they were the not the stars of the show. 'This is not a product shoot,' she insists. 'Passaggio isn't about the bag. It's about the manner in which the bag inspires an idea.'

Dror For Tumi Cambridge - people sitting on concrete steps — 'Cambridge' image from Passaggio by Jules Wright/ Thomas Zanon–Larcher

Dror For Tumi Cambridge - people sitting in a row boat on a lake — Cambridge

Dror For Tumi London - people walking outside in courtyard — London

Dror For Tumi London - woman standing next to a Mercedes Benz in undercover parking bay — London

Dror For Tumi London - woman sitting in armchair at wooden table — London

Dror For Tumi London - woman pulling luggage in airport — London

Dror For Tumi Paris - view of Paris — Paris

Dror For Tumi Paris - woman in front passenger seat of vehicle — Paris

Dror For Tumi Paris - two people acting on stage — Paris

Dror For Tumi Paris - woman sitting alone in cafe — Paris

Dror For Tumi Switzerland - woman in red dress pulling luggage across Swiss Alps — Switzerland

Dror For Tumi Switzerland - woman in red dress pulling luggage on bridge in Switzerland — Switzerland

Dror For Tumi Venice - woman pulling luggage across bridge over Venice canal — Venice

Dror For Tumi Austria - man and woman reviewing documents in diner — Austria

Dror For Tumi Austria - man in trench coat walking in a theme park — Austria

Dror For Tumi Austria - people talking at a table in restaurant — Austria

Dror For Tumi Austria - woman alone at a bar — Austria

Dror For Tumi Austria - woman alone in a park — Austria

Dror For Tumi Trieste - person waiting for a train in the subway — Trieste

Dror For Tumi Trieste - man in leather jacket alone at night — Trieste

Dror For Tumi Trieste - woman alone on sidewalk — Trieste

Dror For Tumi Milan - man in grey suit outside cafe — Milan

Dror For Tumi Milan - woman closing her bag on the pavement — Milan

Dror For Tumi Milan - woman alone at a bar counter — Milan

Dror For Tumi Milan - street lights on a misty night — Milan

Dror For Tumi Milan - man in trench coat behind dark velvet curtain — Milan