Craftmania – FAR 2022
A show curated by Studio Vedèt in the frame of the program FAR for Nilufar Gallery.
"Craftmania" is the fifth show within the FAR series: a parallel curatorial entity that lives within the spaces of Nilufar and challenges the characteristic language used in the established Milanese gallery. Since its inception in 2018, FAR has been curated by Studio Vedèt and this 2022 episode took place in the spectacular Nilufar Depot and approached in a provocative way the subject of craft. Following are excerpts from our curatorial text.
Beaver Lamp by Carlo Lorenzetti. Photo: Mattia Iotti.
Fountain by Carlo Lorenzetti. Photo: Mattia Iotti.
“The idea for this exhibition stems from the observation of a phenomenon that permeates the field of contemporary design, but also from considering the history of a complex and controversial figure: the craftsman. Two centuries after being surpassed by the machine, craftsmanship is once again on everyone’s lips. Particularly in the world of collectible design, the rhetoric of handmade imperfection is creeping in everywhere, as is the litany of reclaiming tradition. This, to be clear, is the attitude we are least interested in, and it is definitely not the central focus of this exhibition.”
Murmur Bench by Etienne Marc. Photo: Mattia Iotti.
Trifolium Low Table by Etienne Marc. Photo: Mattia Iotti.
“The work presented by Carlo Lorenzetti, Etienne Marc, and Odd Matter is born from a pro-active, interlocutory, and sometimes skeptical confrontation with the past; marked by collaboration and knowledge but also by change, betrayal, and grafting. Situated in-between the knowledge of tradition and new tools and avant-garde materials, the designer acts as a connector and stimulates the evolution of craft at an unexpected speed towards exciting aesthetic results. This is the “Craftmania” that interests us—it mixes practice, technology, and matter, it revises formulas and recipes, as well as, of course, formal and aesthetic codes. A Craftmania that looks at the artisan past, but to disrupt the rules and preconceptions, in a considered and profitable way.” Valentina Ciuffi
Guise-22 Table by Odd Matter. Photo: Mattia Iotti.
Guise-22 Chandelier by Odd Matter. Photo: Mattia Iotti.
“The work presented by Carlo Lorenzetti, Etienne Marc, and Odd Matter is born from a pro-active, interlocutory, and sometimes skeptical confrontation with the past; marked by collaboration and knowledge but also by change, betrayal, and grafting. Situated in-between the knowledge of tradition and new tools and avant-garde materials, the designer acts as a connector and stimulates the evolution of craft at an unexpected speed towards exciting aesthetic results. This is the “Craftmania” that interests us—it mixes practice, technology, and matter, it revises formulas and recipes, as well as, of course, formal and aesthetic codes. A Craftmania that looks at the artisan past, but to disrupt the rules and preconceptions, in a considered and profitable way.” Valentina Ciuffi
If you are curious about other shows in the FAR series, here they are: Brassless, Some Vibrant Things, Bì.li.co, Poikilos, Scale to Infinity, and FAR 2019.
Partner: Paper Factor. Exhibition design: Space Caviar.