Fornasetti presents: Il Lunario del Sole

Milan, March 2022

Nomad St Moritz

from 1 to 6 March 2022

Fornasetti brings the sun to Nomad St Moritz, presenting “Lunario del Sole" (Almanac of the Sun), a project including a series of twelve tapestries named "Dodici mesi e dodici soli" (Twelve months and twelve suns) and a previously unseen tapestry conceived by #barnabafornasetti and #giovannibonotto, fruit of the collaboration between #fornasetti and A-Collection.

At the same time, #fornasetti presents the new edition of the Almanac known as Lunario del Sole, first published in 1942 with original designs by Piero #fornasetti, from which the yarns draw their inspiration.

The theme of the thirteen tapestries comes from the tables of the Almanac, where the sun reigns supreme, interpreted through that language full of irony and imagination that is the essence of #fornasetti. Enclosed in a bottle, transformed into a pear, disheveled or masked, the sun takes on anthropomorphic features, and is presented in thirteen different variations: one for each month, plus one more depicting the book's cover.

The twelve tapestries are unique works, made in 2010, hand-knotted in wool and silk.

In an exclusive premiere in the lounge room of Chesa Planta, #fornasetti also presents a previously unseen tapestry inspired by the cover of the Almanac. A unique work, in which Barnaba Fornasetti, artistic director of the Milanese Atelier, and Giovanni Bonotto, artist and promoter of A-Collection, showcase the union of expert craftsmanship in fabrics and #fornasetti creativity using contemporary technology. This tapestry is the fruit of the collaboration between #fornasetti and A-Collection, two examples of artistic excellence. Composed of experimental materials consisting partly of recycled plastic waste and partly of organic yarns, it represents the perfect fusion of craftsmanship and imagination, transforming the evocation of something real into a surprising invention.

The new edition of the Lunario del Sole owes its existence to the magical book created by Piero #fornasetti in the 1940s depicting a collection of anthropomorphic suns, each one symbolising a month of the year. This new edition preserves the original introductory text by Fabrizio Clerici and is enriched by an English translation and with a new preface entrusted to the art historian and critic #riccardoventuri.

Hand-printed by A14, Daniela Lorenzi's Atelier, with hand-painted figures by #barnabafornasetti and #valeriamanzi, it is produced in a limited edition of fifteen copies.

Based on an idea of #gioponti, who suggested that Piero #fornasetti create a gift exclusively for friends and loyal customers, the Almanac is still proving to be a precious collector's item for lovers of Fornasetti's limitless world, made up of lines and colours with the power to convey artistic messages.

Further information

Fornasetti

Fornasetti is a historic Milanese design and decorative arts atelier, founded by Piero #fornasetti in 1940 and now run by his son Barnaba. An example of that form of fine craftsmanship whose origins encompass art and design, it not only produces items of furniture, accessories and porcelain, but also conceives and curates artistic and cultural initiatives, which represent a fundamental part of the atelier's values and identity.

Barnaba Fornasetti is Fornasetti's Artistic Director. With the pioneering and unconventional spirit that is his true nature, he guides the historic brand, now known all over the world for its creations that straddle the line between art and design. For over thirty years he has faithfully carried on his father's legacy, constantly reviving its extraordinary visual language.

Valeria Manzi is curator and artist and currently holds a teaching post at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan and at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice. 

As curator and promoter of artistic and cultural initiatives at #fornasetti, she has been involved in several projects: she was the Artistic Director of Mozart's opera "Il dissoluto punito ossia il Don Giovanni", produced and created by #fornasetti. She co-curated several exhibitions, such as the one held at Artipelag, Stockholm, and the most recent “Fornasetti Theatrum Mundi”, Parma. She has been president of the non-profit association #fornasetti Cult. since 2019.

A-Collection and Giovanni Bonotto

A-Collection has been an Association for Social Advancement Since 2020, its aim to combine a focus on the environment with the production of extraordinary works of art, with the contribution of some of the most interesting artists on the contemporary scene. During residency periods, the artists are engaged in creative studies aimed at producing tapestries using materials and technologies derived from research on plastic recycling, in a process certified by GRS (Global Recycled Standard).

A-Collection came about following an encounter in 2017 between #giovannibonotto - an artist with a profound knowledge of the textile world and strategies for weaving with materials from a variety of sources, author of tapestries exhibited in important institutions such as the Museo del Novecento in Florence, La Scala theatre in Milan and the Centre Pompidou in Paris - and Chiara Casarin, current Director of A-Collection, skilled in combining textile craftsmanship with the creativity of young artists, thanks to her a background in museum directorship and the curation of contemporary art. www.a-collection.org

Riccardo Venturi

Riccardo Venturi is a historian and contemporary art critic. He has published Mark Rothko. Lo spazio e la sua disciplina (Electa 2007), Black paintings. Eclissi sul modernismo (Electa 2008) and Passione dell’indifferenza. Francesco Lo Savio (Humboldt Books 2018). He has recently taught contemporary art history at the Brera Academy, NABA and Aix-Marseille University. He regularly writes for various Italian and foreign magazines including the website for writing and images "Antinomie", www.antinomie.it, which he co-founded. He often crosses the borders - and not only the geographical ones - between France and Italy.

A14, Daniela Lorenzi’s Atelier

Over the last twenty-five years A14, run by #danielalorenzi, has focused on the production, research and divulgation of projects with artists, in the field of original prints and contemporary art publishing. It produces limited editions, artists' books as well as installation works for institutions, museums, galleries and private clients, both in Italy and abroad. A14 is an atelier in the heart of Milan that incorporates the typical atmosphere of a traditional fine art print workshop, drawing on both traditional printing methods and the potential of new digital technologies. A place where the printer, the tools and the techniques are an integral part of the creative process. www.A14.br.com

Fornasetti at Nomad

The relationship between #fornasetti and Nomad began in 2019, the year in which the Milanese Atelier was invited to the Venice edition of the event, creating a special project with one of the works belonging to the series "S/oggetti parziali" by the artist Carlo Dell'Acqua. Dell'Acqua was invited by #fornasetti to manipulate some of the Atelier's most iconic pieces, in particular the plates depicting the face of Lina Cavalieri, star of the never-ending #fornasetti series "Tema e Variazioni".

Fornasetti was back at Nomad St. Moritz 2020 with the project "Fornasetti, Origini". The exhibition comprised a number of creations linked to the Atelier's origins, including the "Libri" trumeau, the prototype of a limited five-piece re-edition of original created in 1950 through the collaboration between #gioponti and Piero #fornasetti. Displayed in the same space were the "Litomatrici" desk and obelisk, two unique pieces entirely covered with original lithographic zinc plates from the 1950s: declarations of love for engraving and decorative art.

Fornasetti furnishings

The set-up inside the Chesa Planta lounge room includes a small parlour in pure #fornasetti style, a space for welcoming visitors. The furnishings chosen for the composition of this living space share an association with the natural world of animals and plants, a constant source of inspiration for the Atelier. "Leopardo", one of the best known #fornasetti decorations, covers the seat of the sofa, while the "Erbario" rug is carpeted with stylised leaves, their lustrous colours standing out due to the presence of silk, hand tufted in counterpoint with New Zealand wool.

One corner of the room is occupied by a bespoke piece of furniture, a bookcase featuring the "Farfalle" decoration, in black and white version.

On the wall hang the plates of the series "12 mesi 12 soli", decorated with twelve variations of a humanised sun, the star of the tapestries on display. It's an example of the versatility of #fornasetti decoration, applied here to silk-screened and hand-painted porcelain.

For further information:Fornasetti Press Officepress@fornasetti.com