Marni in the Space
By Jo Phillips
SPAZIO MARNI. Image courtesy of Marni.
Eccentric Italian fashion brand Marni transforms an old factory space on Viale Umbria in industrial Milan into its 1000 square meters art and design heaven, SPAZIO MARNI. The periodic evolution of the building – reflected through the maintenance of the original architecture and linear geometry of the building as well as the semblance of the patina that sprouts up the walls – creates a distinct flavour as one submerges and feels the historical journey that marks the story of the building.
This multifunctional space is to accommodate all Marni’s activities from fashion shows through to presentations of the collections to showroom and specific projects. During this year’s Salone del Mobile, SPAZIO MARNI hosted two charity projects Marni is involved with: ‘100 chairs’ and ‘ABI-TANTI. The migrating multitude’.
100 Chairs
The ‘100 Chairs’ project showcases unconventional chair designs of various models and colours designed for the urban sitting rooms. Brightly coloured chairs, chaise-longue, rocking chairs and tables lit up the dull washed-out space creating an atmosphere full of contradictions – or as Marni states ‘peacefully invading the space’. The ‘100 chairs’ collection is produced entirely by hand by ex-prisoners in Colombia with the aim to reinforce their resettlement into social and working life.
100 Chairs. Image courtesy of Marni.
100 Chairs. Image courtesy of Marni.
ABI-TANTI. The migrating multitude
The ‘ABI-TANTI. The migrating multitude’ is a project of the Education Department of the Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea. ABI-TANTI are little robots built with body parts made out of industrial waste in the shape of small sticks, spheres, semi-spheres and cubes. SPAZIO MARNI became the place of birth of these endearing ABI-TANTI, where visitors crafted an adorable army of ABI-TANTI humanoids of the Marni family.
ABI-TANTI. The migrating multitude. Image courtesy of Marni.
