On the occasion of the sixth edition, Lake Como Design Festival enriches its program with a series of exhibitions and special events in Como and around its lake. Developed around the theme of lightness, the fil ruge of this new event that accompanies the visitor on a widespread journey, the exhibitions will be open to visitors from 15 to 22 September 2024.
In the historic center of Como the festival will take place between the Palazzo del Broletto and the church of San Pietro in Atrio while on the lakeside, Villa del Grumello and the other locations within the Chilometro della Conoscenza will take center stage. Furthermore, Villa Anna in Cernobbio and Borgovico33 in the city center will present two special projects by the Grieder Contemporary gallery, while various locations scattered across Como will host the site-specific installations created by the artist Valerio Eliogabalo Torrisi.
“Lightness, the theme we have chosen for this year’s edition, can be expressed in countless forms and can find its reason for being in all the different realms of creativity”, states the creator and artistic director of the festival Lorenzo Butti. “Developing exhibitions and special projects that can propose a dialogue between art and design has always been the stylistic feature of our program and every year we strive to offer our visitors a new way of looking at these disciplines and at creativity in general, inserting the exhibitions into unique architectural contexts which can themselves be an integral part of the exhibition itinerary”.
Within the late Renaissance premises of Villa Del Grumello, the festival will host the exhibition Lightness in Progress, a selection of works, projects, objects and furnishing accessories from different galleries, design studios and archives that aim to develop a path around the theme of lightness in its broadest sense. As in a widespread kunsthalle, the scenographic greenhouses and other spectacular sites of the Chilometro della Conoscenza will host the projects of the Contemporary Design Selection, an exhibition dedicated to independent design curated for the second consecutive year by Giovanna Massoni. Furthermore, the ancient dock of the villa will serve as stage for the audio/video installation Paesaggi d’acqua by Stefano Larotonda and Niccolò Nessi, with the narrating voice of Giuseppe Innocente.
In the city center, in the Palazzo del Broletto, the exhibition The Form of Lightness will provide a glimpse into the theme of lightness expressed in over 100 years of designing a fundamental element of furniture: the chair.
The thirteenth-century church of San Pietro in Atrio will host Lightness on paper, an exhibition project created to celebrate the 35 years of Lithos, a Como publishing house specialized in prints and art books which will present new works created by some of the most well-known and appreciated Italian and international architects, designers, and creatives.
Among the special projects, a series of site-specific installations by the artist Valerio Eliogabalo Torrisi will involve various city realities through ad hoc works, while the Swiss gallery Grieder Contemporary will exhibit works by the artist Jorinde Voigt in the Borgovico 33 exhibition space and in her new headquarters of Villa Anna, in Cernobbio, will set up the collective exhibition Weight of Illumination.
THE FORM OF LIGHTNESS
Palazzo del Broletto, piazza Duomo, Como
The exhibition set up in the rooms of Palazzo del Broletto, symbol of medieval Como in the city’s main square, takes inspiration from a quote by the architect and designer Alberto Meda: “Lightness can be a contemporary way to find the right balance between nature and artifice. Not only physical lightness, with the reduction of the material used, but also visual. Lightness that allows you to obtain a discreet object that does not impose itself and respects the environment.”
This exhibition brings to the stage 28 chairs created between 1924 and 2024 with different techniques and materials and coming from different currents and countries. On display, among others, projects by: Mario Botta, Cini Boeri, Marcel Breuer, Paolo Buffa, Joe Colombo, Francesco Faccin, Eileen Gray, Piero Lissoni, Vico Magistretti, Alberto Meda, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Jasper Morrison, Verner Panton, Gio Ponti, Aldo Rossi, Giuseppe Terragni.
As in a real journey through time, from the school of Bauhaus and Rationalism to the experiments with new materials of the Sixties and Seventies, up to the latest contemporary creations, the exhibition is real research into the concepts of weight and lightness. The chair, by definition, is a piece of furniture whose purpose is to support the human body; the contrast between the structural solidity necessary for the design and the lightness of the lines and materials is the essence of this study.
A site-specific installation in the medieval room of Palazzo del Broletto will allow the visitor to walk between the different seats and delve into their eras, styles, and production techniques. The pieces come from various private collections, from companies such as Alias, Bonacina, ClassiCon, Cools Collection, Fiam, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna, Kartell, Matteo Grassi, Porro, Tolix, UniFor, from galleries such as Giustini Stagetti, Maniera, Rossana Orlandi and from archives as Giuseppe Terragni Archive and Eredi Marelli.
LIGHTNESSON PAPER
San Pietro in Atrio, via Odescalchi, Como
For the second consecutive year, Lake Como Design Festival opens the doors of San Pietro in Atrio to the public, a deconsecrated church dating back to 1200 once connected to the nearby Basilica of San Fedele. This year the church will host a collective exhibition in collaboration with Lithos, a Como publishing house specializing in art prints and books. For the occasion, a series of artists, designers and architects interpret the theme of lightness through the ancient techniques of engraving. Among the creatives involved there are DWA Design Studio, Nathalie Du Pasquier, Valerio Gaeti, Francesco Faccin, Naessi Studio, Lucia Pescador, Franco Raggi, Mario Trimarchi.
Wrapped in a contemplative atmosphere, the prints of the works dialogue with the original plates, while a sound environment, inspired by the lyricism of the manual gesture of engraving, dialogues with the artistic heritage of the historic church that hosts the exhibition.
Lithos curates projects and limited editions through which artists, architects and designers are invited to explore the symbolic elements of their imagination and their design language by exploiting the engraving technique. Founded in 1989 in Como, Lithos’ activity combines graphics and poetry, giving life to an unprecedented expressive code that has left a precious mark on the Italian creative panorama. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalog opened by a critical text by Maria Cristina Didero.
LIGHTNESS IN PROGRESS
Villa del Grumello, via per Cernobbio 11, Como
The Villa del Grumello, in the heart of the Chilometro della Conoscenza, is one of the key places of the sixth edition of the Lake Como Design Festival. Lightness in progress is a collective exhibition that brings together designers, artists, publishers, modern and contemporary design galleries, and historical archives creating a conceptual journey around the theme of lightness.
Documented already in the 15th century with the name of Castellazzo, in the second half of the 16th century the Villa del Grumello became one of the first residences on the banks of the Lario, surrounded by greenery and at the same time close to the urban center.
The exhibition itinerary of Lightness in progress develops through the different rooms of the villa with a selection of unpublished projects, collections of works, objects and furnishing accessories, coming from different realities which follow one another united by lightness in form and material. Among the projects exhibited: Impressions by Andrea Branzi curated by Clio Calvi Rudy Volpi; Eredi Marelli with a selection of works by Angelo Mangiarotti, Enrico Rava, Paolo Buffa; Calle dei Cavalli Gallery with CaraDavide, Francesco Maria Messina, Enrico Bianchettin and Matteo Pala; Dalmoto with the Sister moon chair project; Fine Art by Di Mano in Mano with a selection of crystals by Pietro Chiesa, Laura Santillana, Renato Toso, Vinicio Vianello, and Toni Zuccheri, among others; and Ico Parisi Design Archive with the project Immagini per un’industria, 1968- 1970.
CONTEMPORARY DESIGN SELECTION
Chilometro della Conoscenza, via per Cernobbio 11, Como
Hosted for the first time within the various annexes present in the Chilometro della Conoscenza park, the Contemporary Design Selection, a project curated for the second consecutive year by Giovanna Massoni, embodies the concept of lightness chosen by the Festival for this new edition.
The participants confirmed to date are:
9+1 (JP), Alice Pilastre (FR / BE) + Mathilde Tinturier (CH) + Andy Farrow (UK/BE), Anton Burdakov (UA/DE/UK), Atelier Nuanda (IT), Atelier Serruys (BE), Atelier Versi Linien (FR/IT), Biancodichina (IT), Caterina Frongia (IT), curaa studio (IT), Danik Uderbekov (KZ), Dora Stanczel (FR) + pietre trovanti (IT), ENEI (CH/AR/ES), Guto Davies (UK), Hana Hillerova (CZ), Ilaria Marelli (IT), Inessa Hansch (BE/FR), Jean-François D’Or (BE), JOHY (AT), Jonathan Bocca (IT), Marie José D’Aprile (IT), Marike Andeweg (NL), Marino Secco (IT), Marta Lavinia Carboni (IT), Millim Studio (IT), Paulina Herrera Letelier (CL/IT), Philippine Aprile Mandillon (FR), RAAD Studio (ES), Sarah Carestia (BE), Sjang Niederwieser (NL), Studio Gunther Pfeffer (DE), Studiointervallo (IT), Studio Khachatryan (ARM/BE), Studio Yellowdot (HK/TR), Szostak Atelier (PL), Temperanza by Ilaria Bianchi x Studio Giallo (IT), Ye Sul E. Cho (KR/UK/CAN).
On display are a series of objects in dialogue between traditional craftsmanship and technology, arcane forms and innovation, in search of a fertile and never nostalgic connection between past and present, with the desire to rediscover the local artisan heritage but lightening it from the weight of tradition, eliminating the superfluous and updating techniques and materials in the name of sustainability.
This thought translates into three thematic clusters. The first imagines a subtraction of weight, materials, processes, and structures that determine the lightness of the object, but also a reduction in weight and impact on the planet. A second cluster is dedicated to agile, transformable, foldable, transportable, multifunctional, and adaptable objects. The third thinks about spaces of light: light is lightness par excellence when its function is not only to illuminate but also allow natural or built space to transcend materiality and generate visual epiphanies and emotions.
The Serra del Grumello, inside the park, will host a temporary restaurant curated by the Michelin Star chef Samuel Carugati and created in partnership with FENIX®, Pedrali, Davide Groppi and Acqua Chiarella; the space will be animated by a series of talks with the designers of the Contemporary Design Selection powered by ParolaProgetto and moderated by the journalist Paolo Ferrarini.
WEIGHT OF ILLUMINATION
Villa Anna, Cernobbio
Not far from the center of Como and Villa del Grumello, Villa Anna in Cernobbio will host a special project produced by the Swiss gallery Grieder Contemporary. Inside the early twentieth century structure there is the Weight of Illumination exhibition, a collection of works of art that highlight the double meaning of “light” – as brightness and weightlessness – with wit, humor, surrealism, and unexpected twists.
The exhibition is accompanied by a curated selection of period furniture that frames and counterpoints the Art Nouveau architecture of the villa and the contemporary works of art on display that embody weightlessness in both form and concept.
Visitors will encounter lightweight objects that seem to defy gravity, photographs that capture fleeting moments of brightness, and installations that playfully challenge the perception of space and size. This dynamic combination of art and setting creates an immersive experience, inviting visitors to explore the multifaceted nature of light and its profound impact on our understanding of the world. Among the pieces on display, there are works by Monica Bonvicini, Cristian Andersen, Melli Ink, Alicja Kwade, Jonas Lipps, Dieter Meier, Kerim Seiler.
CONTEMPLATION ROOM – JORINDE VOIGT’S SOLO EXHIBITION
Borgovico 33, Como
For the second consecutive year, the Swiss gallery Grieder Contemporary collaborates with Lake Como Design Festival by presenting a project by the acclaimed German artist Jorinde Voigt. The artist is renowned for her large-scale drawings that integrate text and collage to create dynamic compositions, capturing elements such as sound, movement, time, and perception in a unified visual scheme.
Her work is intrinsically conceptual and deeply philosophical. At Borgovico 33, Jorinde Voigt will present her Betrachtung/Contemplation series (2019-2021) for the first time in Como with 7 mobiles made of intricate brass wires and chains, ethereal structures that seem to float in space inspired by the proportions of the Fibonacci series. Voigt’s work offers visitors an aesthetic exploration of perception and stability, inviting them to contemplate the delicate balance of the universe.
VALERIO ELIOGABALO TORRISI FOR LAKE COMO DESIGN FESTIVAL
A large project signed by the Italian artist Valerio Eliogabalo Torrisi will involve some commercial activities scattered around the city which will act as a backdrop for site-specific artistic interventions. This year’s theme, Lightness, will be expressed in its multiple meanings through the use of the word, giving life to phrases, thoughts and poetic suggestions. For the entire duration of the festival, the local and foreign public will be invited to find the artist’s works using a special map that will lead them to interact with places and inhabitants of Como.
Valerio was born in Catania in 1993. In 2016 he moved to Milan, where he obtained a master’s degree in Photography at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts, after obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Technological Arts at the Catania Academy of Fine Arts. His artistic work mainly deals with the themes of identity, closely linked to his intimate experience and emotions. The word has a central importance in many of his works. He lives in Milan where he works as a photo retoucher. In 2023 his work “Ogni tanto, lo so, sogni anche tu, e sogni di noi”, appeared on the Gucci Art Walls in various cities around the world, transmitting his vision to an international audience.
About Lake Como Design Festival
Lake Como Design Festival is a themed annual event that offers exhibitions, reflections and studies approached through a series of events in the historic centre of the city of Como and around the lake that bears its names. These exhibitions, talks and events take place in historical, unknown, and almost forgotten places in the Como area and in the city itself. The festival mission is to establish an original dialogue between history, architecture, design, and art.
Lake Como Design Festival was conceived and promoted by Wonderlake Como, a collection of ideas and people that take up an extra-ordinary point of view on the community and setting of Lake Como. Wonderlake Como carries out publishing projects and organizes cultural events with the aim of promoting, in Italy and worldwide, a modern and integrated image of an area that has always had a strong identity.