Laboratorio della Creativita e dello Stile Italiani

Macro Museum, Roma - Tuesday, June 21st, 2011

"Creativity Lab" at the Macro Museum

Our Italian Design Grand Tour is slowly coming to an end and here we are in our last week, reflecting on what we've seen and making connections with what we've learned. It almost feels like our studio back home: the long hours, the constant snacking, the uncomfortable stools, and being surrounded by our fellow classmates. Then again this familiarity is interrupted by the high windows and the organic desk that can cater to group work or individual work. 

Italian Neorealism

ISIA, Rome - Monday, June 20th

Still of Ossessione, 1942

Italian neorealism (Italian: Neorealismo) is a style of film characterized by stories set amongst the poor and working class, filmed on lcation, frequently using nonprofessional actors. Italian neorealist films mostly contend with the difficult economic and moral conditions of post-World War II Italy, reflecting the changes in the Italian psyche and the conditions of everyday life: poverty and desperation.

source: Wikipedia

Keyword: History

Lindsay, Michelle, Alan

Grand Tour of Italy

Twenty of Carleton University's industrial design students traveled overseas to Italy with the expectations to gain a better understanding of Italian design. Throughout June we traveled to Rome, Florence, Milan and Venice; visiting a vast range of studios, manufacturing plants, schools, museums and more. Guided by our instructor Lorenzo Imbesi, we met well established designers and other people working in the industry who gave us valuable insight pertaining to the direction of where Italian design is heading. Every day of our tour was packed with scheduled meetings; we were constantly on the move with camera and sketchbook in hand.

Korean Pavilion at the 54th Biennale

54th Biennale, Venice Giardini - Thursday June 16th, 2011

At the Venice Biennale, the Korean Pavilion presented numerous multimedia works by artist Lee Yongbaek. The exhibition of which he titled, "The Love is Gone but the Scar will Heal", explores identity and existentialism in the world of contemporary societies filled with pain. Represented in a piece of his work that I found particularly interesting was called, Pieta, in which human-like cast-molded sculptures were positioned in various stances. These various stances depicted numerous themes and messages that illustrates the pain and history of Korea's modern politics, and its hope for the future.

In the above photo, 'self-hatred' is illustrated where the molded figure is found destroying the mold from which it was made.

A Quick Look At The Biennale

Biennale, Venice - June 16th

A Map of the Biennale Locations in Venice

The Biennale de Venezia is an international art event that takes place every other year in Venice. Over 100 countries have pavilions dispersed around the city while there are about 40 permanent exhibition spaces. Countries such as Canada, and Spain are divided into two sections: the Giardini (Gardens) and the Arsenale (Armoury).

Danish Pavilion at the 54th Biennale

54th Biennale, Venice Giardini - Thursday June 16th 2011

Many pavilions at the 54th Biennale in Venice were displaying art installations that were neither interactive, nor meaningful to an international audience. The installations were interesting to look at from an aesthetic point of view, but were lacking a meaningful topic that visitors from all over the world could relate to. The Bienalle is a meeting place for artists from all over the world to display their work, so it would be best if they chose this special occasion to communicate a remarkable idea to the audience.

Interpretation of Anish Kapoor

Anish Kapoor moves through space and encounters matter in a continuous process of experimentation, interacting with his environment, seeking to generate sensations and perceptual dislocations that will bring each person different and perhaps unexpected meanings. ~City of Milan

At the very centre of the Rotonda della Besana is a self-creating volume working as a whole. The volume of wax would not exist without the mechanical arm and the blade that shapes it, just as the mechanical arm and the blade have no purpose other than to shape the wax. ~Gianni Mercurio and Demetrio Paparoni

Anish Kapoor’s art invites us to change the way we interpret matter. This is our interpretation.

Big Bambú Tower

During our free time in Venice, one evening we ended up near the Peggy Guggenheim Collection next to the Grand Canal. Located here was a site specific project by Starn Studio: Big Bambu.

Doug and Mike Starn are American twins who constructed a 50-foot-tall structure made of 2,000 bamboo shoots arranged in a spiralling walkway. An arrangement of ropes held the bamboo shoots together, fabricating an internal path that leads to a nest at the top.

What Mark has to say about the project: "It is a sculpture, but not a static sculpture. it's something that exists through the presence of the people inside it. It's an organism that we, and the crew of rock climbers, are just a part of--helping to move it along. We are constructing an ongoing tower, growth and change remain invariable, and they are a constant."

Nudity in Italy

Thursday, June 9th, 2011

Many people think of Italy as a country with a very old history (which is true) and conservative values. However, after walking down the streets of Italy, I noticed that they are a lot more liberal (and some would say vulgar) when it comes to depicting the human body. They frequently use nude photos (especially of women) in their advertising techniques, which almost never happens in North America, at least not for something that isn't supposed to be edgy or racy. Here are a couple images I've seen since our trip to Italy began (sorry for the quality, but most were through store windows in a hurry).

Some images are playful (and are from the side)....

The Story of the Black Submarine

The journey of the icon of the Science and Technology Museum

 

Museum of Science and Technique (Leonardo’s Machines), Milano – Thursday, June 9^th

Enrico Toti at the Museum of Science and Technology in Milan today

The big and black submarine at the museum of Science and Technology, called the Enrico Toti, was constructed at the height of the Cold War in 1967 with a mission to track Russian nuclear-propelled submarines. It was disarmed and retired in the 1990s and after years of discussion, the final decision was to relocate it to the museum of Science and Technology in Milan. The entire journey of this massive moving trip was 92 km long, lasting 11 days.

Italy – A country teeming with history

Florence - Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

While walking down the street in Florence I noticed some interesting features that seemed to be integrated into the bricks (and doors) of many buildings. I did some research and found out that these elements were once used for lighting the streets with torches, and hitching horses up to the building (old fashioned parking lots!). I also enjoyed the tremendously ornate door knockers/handles. I think it’s very interesting that most of the architecture in Italy is so much older than what we would consider "old" in North America.

XXII Compasso d'Oro Events

Palazzo delle Esposizioni & La Pelanda, Rome - Monday June 6th 2011

On May 30th we attended two gallery openings celebrating the Compasso d’Oro and Unicita d’Italia. First stop was the Palazzo delle Esposizioni. The display was of products that have won the Compasso d’Oro award over the last 50 years, as well as a look at young designer’s visions for the future of the design in Italy. You can get more info on the exhibition and the museum here: http://english.palazzoesposizioni.it/Mediacenter/FE/CategoriaMedia.aspx?
idc=449&explicit=SI.

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Unicita del Design students were also at the event slapping stickers on people and snapping pictures. If they took your picture, you might be able to find it here http://unicitadeldesign.it/ at some point soon!

After a diversion to grab some limon-coco Grattachecce, we arrived at the Macro Testaccio Pelanda (link). The exhibition at this gallery is to showcase the shortlist for the 2011 Compasso d’Oro.

The venue used to be a butchery, but has since been refurbished. It is slightly eerie with the antiquated industrial equipment, but is a perfect example of a transformed space and preservation of local history. I think it’s great contrast to showcase one of Italy’s modern, thriving industries in a place where a more traditional trade was once practiced.

The dinner was extremely fitting for the venue as well, with two enormous roast pigs and prosciutto being sliced up on demand!

This was a great evening to get a glimpse into the Italian design culture, and to get a sneak-peek of our (hopefully) soon-to-be studio home (fully equipped with Bruno Munari quotes)!

Posted by: Laura Palbom & Hyunji Son

Castiglioni's inventions for his family

Studio Museum Achille Castiglioni, Milan - Tuesday, June 7th

Designing with people in mind

Colours of Milan: Transportation

Around the city of Milan - June 6th to June 11th, 2011

Along with the colourful accents in this city, it's not hard to miss (and gawk at) the brightly coloured vehicles on the streets of Milan. From the interiors of the metro, to scooters and bikes (and even an Alessi Panda), I think I've seen every colour possible.

The Colours of Milan

Around the city of Milan - June 6th to June 11th, 2011


Despite the fact that we're getting gloomy weather* here in Milan, I coulnd't help but notice the bright splashes of colour around the city...

*Gloomy is an understatement, we're getting rain everyday. Apparently it's a record amount of rain in Milan for the month of June.

Italian Flash

Souvenir Shop, Rome - Sunday, May 29th, 2011

Went into a gift store looking for some adapters. Saw this, and it made me laugh. The mass-pro nerd in me had to take a picture. It's funny... Just a year or two ago there was no "mass-pro nerd" in me. Well,here's some Italian flash for you all to enjoy.

Ciao,

Ruby

Ferragamo: Shoes for the Stars

Ferragamo Museum, Florence - Friday, June 3rd, 2011

Salvatore Ferragamo demonstrates the link between fashion and cinema.

He followed the movie industry to Hollywood to set up shop and began to design shoes for cinema. His creativity, craftsmanship, and consideration for the human anatomy produced shoes of original design, high quality and incomparable comfort. The following video is amalgamation of photos and audio clips found on the corporate museum website.

Salvatore Ferragamo, the company, has retained a relationship with the film industry by continuing to work closely with costume designers. They have been involved in such productions as Evita, Ever After and Australia.


Foong Ling, Xinran, Ruby

Virtual Identities - How social media affects design...

Virtual Identities, Florence - Thursday, June 2nd, 2011


Great exhibit, definitely a must see!

Although the Virtual Identities exhibit was small, I found that the content and ideas presented were very creative and thought provoking. Not only were new ideas presented, but the ways they were displayed was also very interesting.

Legitimate psychosomatic disorder, or inconveniently timed heat stroke? The Uffizi was pretty hot...

Shedding Some Light: Technology's Influence on Society

CCC Strozzina, Florence - Thursday, June 2nd, 2011

As I sit here typing, bathed in the light of my laptop computer, I cannot help but feel like I am personifying a term that I didn't even know existed until a few weeks ago. The irony of the situation is enhanced by the fact that at this very moment i am writing for a blog, and the iPod by my side seals the deal - I am a digital negative.

I came across the phrase 'digital negative' at an exhibition held at the CCC Strozzina (Centro di Cultura Contemporanea a Palazo Strozzi) in Florence, entitled Virtual Identities. It is an exhibition that confronts the role of technology in today's society and how it has affected social interaction and self perception/expression. Virtual Identities features the work of several artists who concentrate on the different ways in which technology has influenced communication across different generations.

Advertising for 'Virtual Identities' outside the CCC Strozzina