The constitutive and expressive matrix of a final product, even before its physical form or its manufacturing process, is the materials. The identity of the material is the starting point for a varied and narrative display that brings together the lives of two companies, Zucchetti.Kos and Lea Ceramiche, in a new way.
In Factory. Material Landscape, an exhibition conceived by Diego Grandi and curated with Porzia Bergamasco for Fuori Salone 2017, their two distinct manufacturing processes are evoked by setting up a hypothetical interchange of relationships and affinities, in which the brass and the clay mixes that characterise the separate products and innovations of Zucchetti.Kos and Lea Ceramiche reveal their potential when they are brought into contact with the design process.
This spectacular installation generates a close dialogue between the world of wellness and the bathroom of Zucchetti.Kos - including new projects by Diego Grandi, Sybille De Margerie, and Ludovica+Roberto Palomba for the tapware collections - and the world of laminated
porcelain stoneware surfaces of Lea Ceramiche, which has invited for the occasion the duo DWA Frederik De Wachter + Alberto Artesani, Luciano Giorgi, Francesco Librizi, and Philippe Nigro to consider material suggestions and signs for decorating the spaces.
The display proceeds through products and narratives that show the most significant milestones in the history of these two companies.
The exhibition has been designed to use both levels of an unusual space recently renovated by the architects Sila Barracco and Mauro Smith, at Via Palermo 11 in the Brera Design District.
Formerly a sacred place and then a museum, it is characterised by an intrinsic aesthetic sense. This is amplified by the lofty barrel-vaulted ceiling that is interrupted at intervals by openings to the sky, and is circumscribed by the large floor area of 600 square metres.
An integral part of the installation is the space Food In Factory by Cibario, an oasis of refreshment for wayfarers of design. In a setting similar to a corporate dining hall, daily menus are offered for purchase, connected to the territorial background of the two companies. In the fast-paced chaos of busy Brera, a place to relax, seated around the same table.
