Elaborate spectacle and a sense of dramatics is always a consideration in design, especially at prestigious gatherings such as the Salone Internazionale del Mobile. This year, many design houses are going to further lengths to inject an encapsulating character into their spaces and the use of materials and production methods result in visuals that cater for a broad design palette. These spaces come into their own when housing the parties that pepper the week’s relentless schedule and the Established & Sons midweek event was one billed as not to be missed.
The ‘invitation only’ revelry married theatrical lighting to disheveled untreated wooden structures, creating a space accented with ragged silhouettes cast by coolly atmospheric blue and orange lighting. The personality of the space isn’t overtly literal or overpowering and unforced intrigue is encouraged by the winding layout. The maze-like arrangement of smaller spaces leaves the viewer to choose their own path but I can’t help but worry that some smaller areas may be accidentally missed, especially on a night when the prosecco is flowing more freely than the critical design conversation.
Of note was the brief selection of Jamie Hayon’s Tudor collection, hidden in a corner of this immersive labyrinth. The precise mirror-backed cabinets are reminiscent of traditional English period furniture yet have a contemporary injection of “Alice In Wonderland” fantasy which sits sinisterly against this backdrop. The piece’s minimal finish is unnervingly exact when viewed in this environment, transforming it into a prop for an oversized doll’s house, and the mirrored panel and glass shelving create what could be falsely perceived as an innocent transparency. There are dark secrets hidden within Hayon’s designated space; locating them is simply an effort of personal imagination.
This darker theme continues in Sebastien Wrong’s contribution, the Buggs Light. A spherical orb that is disrupted by the addition of Warner Bros’ most famous grin, its humour becomes haunting as the ghost-like shapes float in an invisible suspension. Looking into the space feels like discovering a discarded frame of an early animation, unfinished and void of colour, and again imagination fills in the blanks surrounding this forgotten fragment from the cutting room floor.
Matali Crasset’s Open Room No. 1 discusses the performance of everyday life by means of a functional desk unit that relies on perpendiculars to create a disciplined structure. The forms lean towards a Bauhaus sensibility and the light source is reminiscent of back-lit signage and bus stops. The light quality’s soft edge compliments the shadows created by the surrounding structure and casts a glow upon the evening’s glitterati. Amongst the environs, Crasset’s work takes on a monumental quality, giving the exhibition pace and an abrupt sense of occasion, and you can’t help but feel that the acting out of social niceties at the event ads a fine layer of self-conscious irony to the piece.
In some ways it feels as if Established & Sons’ reputation and industry positioning is detrimental to the reception of the show by lesser names. Yes, both the set-up and work on show are expensive, but I do not see this as reason to discredit the stunning space and collection of work. We in the design world all too often forget how lucky we are to create and to experience the creations of others at such a high standards, and a bitter mix of jealousy, arrogance and closed-mindedness can often result in unfair dismissals. With this in mind, the experience that lies upon via Palermo is surely a success, and long may the show play on.
Words & Images : Clare Acheson