OSVALDO BORSANI
REPERTORIO
From 17th May to 30th June 2018
DIMOREGALLERY opens an exhibition on 16th May 2018 dedicated to Osvaldo Borsani, one of the leading protagonists of Italian architecture and design of the twentieth century. An architect, designer, and visionary businessman, he founded Tecno at the beginning of the 1950s with his brother Fulgenzio. This acted as the perfect setting to mould his vision, a combination of artisan craftsmanship developed in his father’s Atelier in Varedo, and the development of design innovation on an industrial scale. The exhibition created by Britt Moran and Emiliano Salci, in collaboration with the Osvaldo Borsani Archive, takes place in DIMOREGALLERY at Via Solferino 11. It was thought up and constructed from a starting point as an animation of the work of the Italian Architect, and uses a recurring theme developed by the creative duo: a coherent vision of a space understood through integration between architecture, furniture, decorative detailing and artistic flare. Starting with the synthesis of Borsani’s work techniques, some of his most iconic work and bespoke pieces are presented, realised from the 1930s-60s, an era of his work which pre-dates the founding of Tecno. This phase is marked by an extraordinary artisan knowledge developed in the Varedo Atelier, and combined with numerous creative influences and collaborators, many of whom were important Italian artists of this period.
The spaces of DIMOREGALLERY are set up with furniture presented on one large platform, allowing the focus to be centered on every single piece within a single scene. The visitor, upon entering, can thus observe from all of the necessary view points to really grasp the detailing and craftsmanship of his work. Together with the furniture, some sketches and projects from the Borsani Archive are displayed. These act as a counterpoint to the pieces on show to give the visitor a more complete description of the design process Borsani followed when developing every single one. Through this exhibition, and the selection of furniture displayed, Britt Moran and Emiliano Salci offer the visitor their personal interpretation of the complex character, articulation and design process of Borsani, who has always been an important source of inspiration for their own creations, taking into account a historical period characterised by an expressive pluralism in the juxtaposition between arts and crafts. Furniture borrowed by DIMOREGALLERY from the Triennale di Milano includes the following pieces – a cabinet with bronze handles by Lucio Fontana, a bar unit and two different chair typologies. This reaffirms the tribute by the creative duo to this extraordinary designer.
Amongst the pieces in the exhibition in DIMOREGALLERY, realised from the end of the 1930s to the 1960s, are the following items: two bar units in wood and hand painted glass, a console with a mirror, a mirror in lacquered wood with gold leaf detailing, a mirror with a mahogany frame, a console in walnut and mahogany with a mirror, ‘LT8’ floorlamps, two armchairs, a modular bookcase, a console and a dining table.
In collaboration with Archivio Osvaldo Borsani
Ph Silvia Rivoltella
