The latest edition of Operae offers a fresh view of craft, collaboration and collectible design
Artissima’s little sister is all grown up: once a small exhibition running alongside Turin’s celebrated art fair, Operae (3-5 November) – now in its eighth edition – has blossomed into a fully-fledged design event, combining the best global talent, international design galleries and unique collaborations with local craftsmen. The latest edition was curated by Alice Stori Liechtenstein, who worked closely with galleries and designers to present a fresh point of view on collectible design. Unique to Operae is the Piemonte Handmade initiative, inviting craftsmen local to the city of Turin to work with Italian designers, with the support of international gallerists as mentors and commercial supporters to the craftsmanship experiments – proof of the young fair’s extraordinary ability to act as a bridge between creativity and commerce.
Design studio Duecitti showed a collection of vases which combined Lavagna stone with brass details, giving a sophisticated edge to the natural material
Brussels gallery Maniera’s booth presented pink, green and baby blue chipwood furniture by Architecten de Vylder Vinck Taillieu, a rug by Christoph Hefti and a daybed by Juliaan Lampens, amongst other pieces by international architects
The scenographic work of Sara Ricciardi featured minimal design interventions to create splendid visual performances with natural elements. The ’Perimetri Botanici’ collection of vases include marble and metal pieces that enhance the poetic shapes of flowers and plants
Hailing from the Italian town of Arezzo, Nero Design Gallery started as a dealer of mid-century furniture, and later worked with contemporary designers on new commissions. Among their offerings at Operae were small tables and vases by Duccio Maria Gambi, featuring rough stone in contrast with graphic patterns and bold colours, geometric tapestries by Alizarina Silva, and floor lamps by Salotto Dinamico
Also part of Piemonte Handmade, this project by Guglielmo Poletti. The Dutch Design Academy alumnus worked closely with metalsmith Livio Berrone (a long-term collaborator of artists such as Giuseppe Penone and Lara Favaretto) and London gallery SEE•DS to create the two benches with a starting point as an exploration on a tube shape
Among offerings from younger designers was the work of Francesco Fusillo, who showed a collection of small tables as well as other furniture and objects from his portfolio
This jewellery landscape designed by Carlo Massoud in collaboration with jeweller Anna Ratone and with the support of Carwan Gallery was launched as part of the Piemonte Handmade project. All elements of the construction (which replicates a building in Beirut) can be taken apart and worn as jewellery
Brussels’ The Gallery presented a new body of work by Italian designer Giorgia Zanellato. The Murano glass objects combine traditional blowing techniques with contemporary shapes and compositions based on lightness and balance
Carwan gallery’s booth featured this pair of rugs by Taher Asad-Bakhtiari, made of naturally dyed and hand-spun wool
For the Piemonte Handmade, Italian designer Andrea Branzi worked with knife-makers Coltelleria Silvano Collini’s century-old techniques to create a series of cutlery. Nearby, his gallerist Luisa Delle Piane also offered a pen drawing of the project by Branzi
Another independent design project in the show was Crafting Plastics, an initiative founded by product designer Vlasta Kubušová and production designer Miroslav Král. The pair works on developing design objects made of bioplastic, their first project being a collection of eyewear made entirely of bioplastics from 100% renewable resources
’Totomoxtle’ by Fernando Laposse uses the natural colours found in Mexican corn to create a veneer for wood marquetry, which he then applies to domestic objects
Juliaan Lampens’ daybed featured in the Maniera gallery booth
Another collaboration from the Piemonte Handmade project was architecture studio Piovenefabi and Versino’s stone pieces. Created in collaboration with Brussels gallery Maniera, the collection features ’Light Conversation Pieces’ – small objects imagined as stools for intimate gatherings
Hailing from Benevento, Italy, Swing Design Gallery presented the work of Ilaria Bianchi. Her ’Stonish’ collection was based on a new flexible composite material mimicking stone, combined with textiles and metal to make contemporary furniture objects
Nadja Zerunian’s work challenged the common idea that beauty equals goodness. Her project, titled ’dinner, DARLING!’ featured place settings based around a deadly poison, combining refined beauty with dangerous ingredients
Paris’ Great Design Gallery offered a selection from their roster of up and coming designers, from Dossofiorito’s colourful glass lamps to a series of hanging and moving dividers by Juliette le Goff et Nicolas Verschaeve
Agustina Bottoni’s ’Melodicware’ project created a soundscape through elegant domestic objects that invited visitors to play them producing a multisensorial experience
Two pieces from Agustina Bottoni’s ’Melodicware’ collection
The Piemonte Handmade displays included this series of storage cupboards by Marcello Pirovano, who worked with Nero Design Gallery to develop a series of technically challenging pieces in collaboration with furniture manufacturers Pavan Arredamenti. Piovano worked with MDF (a cheaper material for furniture making), giving the humble wood composite a more sophisticated and playful edge
Two pieces from Sara Ricciardi’s ’Perimetri Botanici’ project, which created a scenography for plants
Another multisensorial design project on display was this poetic exercise by Astrid Luglio, who worked with Italian perfume makers Tonatto Profumi for her ’Philtrum Collection’, a series of objects that combine light and paper to diffuse perfume in a space
The work of Destroyers Builders displayed a a collection of furniture that combines industrial manufacturing methods with more organic decoration, giving an artisanal edge to industrial processes