VENICE — A Venetian balcony with ornate Gothic accents overlooks the slow traffic of the Grand Canal, next to the recently restored Galleria Giorgio Franchetti alla Ca’ d’Oro and the ancient masterpieces of Giorgio Franchetti alla Ca’ d’Oro , featuring a modern jewelry collection.
Contemporary jewelry designs by Greece’s Stavroula Pagkrati, Mexico’s Paula Guzman, and South Korea’s Seong-ae Kim are a curiosity to sit for a while and ponder how old norms continue to inspire modern creatives. Stimulates the mind.
Ca’ d’Oro, known as the House of Gold, is a late Gothic fortress whose top was once covered in gold leaf and was built for the Contarini family in 1442 by architect Giovanni Bon and his son Bartolomeo. This is just one of the “secret” locations that Venice Design Week is trying to promote with a walking and vaporetto tour of the nine-day design event that ends on Sunday.
Ca’ d’Oro Museum in Venice. Marco Valmarana/Courtesy of Dior
Held every October since 2010, the lagoon comes alive with exhibitions, conferences, meetings and workshops showcasing museums, galleries, hotels and artisan workshops. Many of them are closed to the public for most of the year. Lisa Barrasso, founder and coordinator of Venice Design Week, spoke to WWD while researching the founding process of the 11th-century Catholic church Sala San Leonardo.
In addition to design and jewelry, lighting also featured heavily on the Light Tour this year. The tour also included the work of Julie Conway, a Seattle-based glass blower and lighting designer. Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola and Venetian Michele Dal Bon. The interior design section features the work of European furniture company Arkitettoria, Milan-based architectural designer Otto Studio, Novara, Italy-based Gargallo and Tato, and a special exhibition brings 50s and 60s design to the lagoon brought. A project by Gio Ponti and Ignazio Gardella.
A visitor poses with a Venice Design Week itinerary. Alberto Pariuca participates in Venice Design Week
Barrasso said the event, which is affiliated with the city of Venice, continues to grow, with attendance increasing by about 30 percent compared to last year to about 13,000 people.
One of the secret locations on the trail is the island of San Servolo in the Venetian lagoon, southeast of San Giorgio Maggiore. Once a monastery for Benedictine monks and later a psychiatric hospital, the island now houses a museum and the International University of Venice, where the exhibition “Horizons from the Island, Another Perspective on Design” was held.
Back in San Leonardo, Milan-based designer and architect Valeria Molinari has developed “Backgammon Beauty”, an interactive exhibition in the form of a giant carpet. The exhibit was designed as a life-sized, playable game using resin pieces that incorporate aspects of marine life. She points out that backgammon originated in ancient Mesopotamia, now Iraq. “The whole point behind that is asking people, ‘Why do we forget to play?'”
Molinari also developed a project called “Arcadia Dreams” with designer Luisa Beccaria during Milan Design Week in April, but Venice Design Week will offer a more intimate environment to explore potential projects like the United States. He said he was able to interact with the market. “This event is completely different. The public here is open to a moment of discovery,” she said, citing the significant presence of visitors from Asia and the United States.
Valeria Molinari, Alberto Pariuca at Venice Design Week
The event also attracted visitors to the Ca di Dio Hotel, a project led by Urquiola. The intention was to maintain strong ties to Venice, both in the public spaces and in the design of the rooms, which reference water reflections. A stone’s throw from the Venice Biennale venue, the palace was first designed by Italian sculptor and architect Jacopo Sansovino in the 16th century.
Lighting by Julie Conway. Provided by Julie Conway
Inside the hotel, lighting elements once again took center stage, with local artisan businesses on display, such as Lorenzo Panison’s LP Glass Murano glassworks. The large chandelier in the lobby, wall lamps and floor lamps were mouth-blown in a glass factory. Designed by Ulquiorra Studio.
“People appreciate it because they can discover secret places that they can’t access otherwise,” Barrasso concluded. “At the same time, you can get to know craftsmen who don’t have showrooms and would be difficult to get to know individually.”
Tato design. Alberto Pariuca participates in Venice Design Week
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