Curtain call

At Design Miami/ Basel, Oscar Humphries resurrects the theatrical spirit of the late architect and designer Carlo Mollino

Architecture, cinema and performance collide at Design Miami/ Basel, where Australian curator Oscar Humphries is putting the theatrical prowess of the late architect, designer and photographer Carlo Mollino in the spotlight.

The conceptual installation features Mollino’s dynamic work in a film by Felipe Sanguinetti, shot over two days at two significant locations in Turin: Teatro Regio, the architect’s last theatre project, and his unlived abode Casa Mollino. In this clip, the camera guides us through Mollino’s grand spaces, honing in on their original features and accompanied by a tranquil piano melody.

To coincide with the film, Humphries has recreated parts of a theatre in his installation, complete with the original tomato red chairs from the RAI Auditorium that Mollino designed in 1952. Until 18 June.

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.