Knoll Launches Bauhaus Exhibition Curated by OMA / Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli

Written by Niall Patrick Walsh
Published on April 09, 2019

As part of Milan’s Salone del Mobile, Knoll has presented an exhibition celebrating the centenary of the Bauhaus, curated and designed by OMA / Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli with Domitilla Dardi. The story, presented at Knoll’s showroom at Piazza Bertarlelli, is told by means of four clusters that encourage people to participate.

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As visitors enter the four theatrical settings, they engage in a direct experience with the objects and furnishings that take a leading role, creating narrative compositions that vary in the experience of each participant. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the famous German school, the exhibition demonstrates the connection between the Bauhaus and Florence Knoll throughout history.

This installation is an attempt to give theatrical form to the multiple relations that connect the emblematic histories of the Bauhaus and Knoll. We have imagined true sets in which different objects exist in an ideal domestic scenario – a meta-interior – offering the visitor the possibility of activating and discovering them. The iconic products by Marcel Breuer, Mies van der Rohe and Florence Knoll are therefore never separated from the modern ideal of everyday functionality and come to terms with other objects belonging to a wider historical and cultural context. Since our first collaboration with Knoll we have set out to translate the motto ‘Modern Always’ in a creative way, paying homage, case by case, to the great masters of the 20th century. This year we have focused on the milestones of a relationship that has been decisive for the construction of international modernism.
-Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli

Ippolito, a partner at OMA since 2014, specializes in research and curation, scenography, and preservation. Ippolito co-curated Manifesta’s 12th edition in 2018 in Palermo, and has led and edited OMA’s urban studies on the Sicilian city.

Following the exhibition in Milan from April 9th to 19th, the “Knoll Celebrates Bauhaus” set will travel to Paris, London, Tokyo, Seoul, and Sydney.

As part of Milan Design Week, Salone del Mobile, the most anticipated furniture and interior design event of the year, will be hosting more than 2,000 exhibitors at the Milan Fairgrounds in Rho, ranging from renowned architecture studios and architects to upcoming designers who are debuting their creations for the very first time. The list of acclaimed architecture studios participating in the Salone includes Zaha Hadid Design, Renzo Piano, John Pawson, and UNStudio to name a few.

News via: OMA

What to Expect at the Salone del Mobile 2019

It is officially the time of year when the streets of Milan flood with design enthusiasts, eager to explore cutting-edge innovations and intricate Italian craftsmanship exhibited during Milan Design Week. From the 9th till the 14th of April, ArchDaily, along with 300,000 visitors hailing from countries all across the globe, will exchange ideas and indulge in the most recent furniture, product, and interior design technologies.