Entering the apartment of an inspiring personality is always a bit of excitement, with all the expectations. What could happen when you enter the studio of someone like Achille Castiglioni – a genius of the Italian design?
The apartment space and studio in the center of Milan, where Castiglioni worked, hosts nowadays a studio-museum of his name. Back in the days the location was smartly chosen because of the ability to quickly join the highway. In the times without Internet and emails this was the way to reach the clients – the main furniture companies on the periphery of Milan.
It’s a magical world of objects, models and prototypes, books, magazines, sketches and boxes, filled with all kinds of materials, research and work – the space is filled with thousands of curious things. To remember what exactly is in which box, is almost impossible. But not for Antonella Gornati, working there for more than twenty years. “In her head she has the real database of the content of each box,” jokes the daughter of the designer, Giovanna Castiglioni. As we move through the space, a story behind each object is told by either the daughter or the wife – Irma Castiglioni.
The word for furniture in Italian is mobile. Somehow it feels like there might be something even etymological in the idea that furniture has to be moved once in a while. In fact, in order to give it a new life from time to time, almost each piece by Castiglioni is thought to be easily transportable either with tiny wheels or other comfortable ways. The aim of the studio-museum is also to give as much of the attention for the contemporary designers. That’s why once in a while different boxes are being opened by a young designer who helps to originally curate the exposition of the objects, so the space is constantly changing and keeping the conversation alive between the past and the present. “In this way we share the way of thinking, working and teaching of Achille Castiglioni,” his daughter explains. “My father would, like Mary Poppins, arrive to teach in the university with two luggage bags full of curious everyday objects. He was always telling to his design students: If you are not curious, forget about it!”
At the moment in the studio-museum of A.Castiglioni the attention is given to the famous lamp Gibigiana. All the models, sketches and prototypes are shown until the 10th of August. This exhibition is curated by a young designer Marco Marzini.
