“LA CITTA’ FRAGILE”
“Non è rinchiudendo il vicino che ci si convince del proprio buonsenso” F. Dostoevskij
November 20th, 2009 – January 10th 2010
Curated by Aldo Bonomi
Exhibition and graphic design by AquiliAlberg
Sponsors: Pirelli, Corriere delle Sera, Regione Lombardia, Unicredit Group, Fondazione Cariplo, Eurostands, Philips, Abet Laminati, Epson
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“LA CITTA’ FRAGILE” - click image to enlarge
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Opening November 19th, 2009, 7.00 p.m.
Press conference November 19th, 2009, 11.30 a.m.
La Triennale di Milano presents the strong and scenographic exhibition “La città fragile” curated by Aldo Bonomi, design by AquiliAlberg. After La città infinita (2003), La rappresentazione della pena (2006), and La vita nuda (2008) the exhibition focuses on fragility and fear that affects people who are overwhelmed by a modernisation that breaks the references of community and family, that used to ensure the passing of values from one generation to the next.
The exhibition, through photographic documents, video, illustrations, maps and relevant statistical data, seeks to represent some aspects of the fragility of the present-day city. It highlights the relationship between the resenting community, which is closed in and looks for a scapegoat, and the caring community, which seeks to assume responsibility for social weaknesses, in a hard-working community, and acts in a privileged way in regard to production and work.
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click image to enlarge
click image to enlarge
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The design of the exhibition aims to translate its content into architecture that interacts with it, to create a fusion that stages the fragile city. The exhibit is divided into three main parts: the fragility located on the left side, the care community on the right side, and the rancorous community that runs down the central area. The exhibition therefore is not only a host of the content, but also an architectural transposition of the content. Going into detail of each of these three components, the fragilities have been interpreted as actual deconstructed volumes composed of splintered fragments, and channeled through videos, photographs, passages and data, to develop themes related to their fragility. On the other hand, the outer surface of these volumes is reflective to allow the visitor to be mirrored, in order to rediscover themselves in the exhibit and to consider that what they see in the shards could be experienced by them in some way in their present or in their future.
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click image to enlarge
click image to enlarge
click image to enlarge
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The spaces are deliberately disorientating, narrow, long and incumbent, with sloping surfaces that accentuate the drama of the content. All the shards are sliced on the top by a single inclined plane, and gradually increase in volume as you travel through the exhibition. A unique and strong gesture perceived by the eye as one enters the space. The care community on the right side, unfolds in a continuous band made of linear modules, illustrating in their steps the work of the care community. In the central spine, between the care community band, and the shards of fragility, the path is obstructed by six unpredictably tilted bolts, representing the rancorous. Binding powerfully into space from above (and below) with their 6 meter height, illustrating disturbing messages displayed through images, videos, and phrases. They try to obstruct the path, but instead their volume casts a red shadow on the ground that spreads to reach all the components involved. A sort of ‘fil rouge’ that sews and connects all the elements, embracing the videos in the shards located on the left side, and translating into graphic lines in the care community located on the right, ultimately developing into a three dimensional volume creating the pavilion of enlightenment. Here the architectural and graphic language merges, and the last of the six bolts, sheds its color before being incorporated. The shards come together, and the care community is integrated to create a unique space dedicated to public meetings, screenings, and assemblies, to complement and conclude the conceptual route.
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About AQUILIALBERG design + architecture studio – Milan – Italy:
Laura Aquili & Ergian Alberg from 1999 worked in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Rome, London and Beijing (China) for different internationally recognized offices: Zaha Hadid, OMA Office for Metropolitan Architecture of Rem Koolhaas, UNStudio of Ben Van Berkel & Caroline Bos, ONL of Kas Oosterhuis and Massimiliano Fuksas. They have been responsible for different scale projects, from products design to architecture.
Founded in 2006, AQUILIALBERG is an experimental and innovative international architectural and design practice based in Milan, Italy, with extensive experience in the fields of architecture, interior design, product design, urbanism and infrastructure on different scale and development levels, approaching research and technology with a a multicultural and multidisciplinary attitude.
The use of innovative technological platforms, allows the studio to pursue a continuous experimental approach in the field, and at the same time to support the evolution and development of each project from concept to realization.
Vertigo table, presented at the Milan Design Week 2007, was chosen by Elle Décor as one of the Best New Tables 2007, and is the first collaboration with the leading italian furniture company MOROSO.
In 2007, they also designed a limited edition tray called Fossil, for Corian by Dupont for the event “CORIAN: 40 years / 40 designers”, a travelling exhibition presented during the Milan Design Week 2007. The exhibition was later shown in New York (ICFF), London (100% design), Frankfurt (Design Annual), Paris, Oslo, and Brodeaux. Fossil was also auctioned last December by Pierre Bergé & Associés in Brussels.
Recently, they have been appointed architects for an housing projects and an ambitious touristic harbour.
AQUILIALBERG studio has also been selected to design the Casa-Décor lounge installation in Turin, in collaboration with Moroso and Iris Ceramica.
At the 2009 Milan Furniture Fair they presented Swing-Up with Serralunga: an innovative and versatile stacking vase system that can also be used as a pouf and side-table.
Their collaboration include: Moroso, Corian, Serralunga, Ritzenhoff, and Christie’s auction house for whom they designed the new Italian headquarter in Milan and their new main exhibitions lay-out in Milan and Rome.
Provincia di Milano and Camera di Commercio awarded AQUILIALBERG, “New Creative & Innovative Company ’08″.
In 2009, “Interni King Size”, selected AQUILIALBERG as emerging talented designers in the international scene.
Laura Aquili & Ergian Alberg regularly write about architecture and design on different italian magazine and newspaper such as Il Sole 24 Ore, Interni, L’Arca, Progettare and L’Industria delle Costruzioni.
They write about “Emotional, digital and technological cross-pollination between design, art and architecture” in their blog, “Des-art-chitecture”, for the NOVA100 on-line newspaper, powered by Il Sole 24 Ore.
Work of AQUILIALBERG has been recently published and exhibited around the world.
They participated at the first edition of the international format “Pecha Kucha Night” in Milan at the Bovisa Triennale, “Milano in Progress” during the “Innovation Circus” event, “Rizoma” (Young Architects Biennale), Beyond the Media 2009, and “CanActions” (Biennale di architettura in Kiev).
They have been teaching ‘Theor. background on the influence of dig. techn. on society, culture & arch.’, at Delft University of Technology – International Master Programm ‘Hyperbody’, along with kas Oosterhuis.
They are currently designing “La città Fragile” exhibition at La Triennale di Milano.
website: http://www.aquilialberg.com
mail: info@aquilialberg.com
blog: http://aquilialberg.nova100.ilsole24ore.com
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Details:
TRIENNALE DI MILANO
viale Alemagna 6
T. +39 02 724341
F. +39 02 89010693
www.triennale.it
PRESS OFFICE
Antonella La Seta Catamancio, Head of Press Office
Damiano Gullì, Marco Martello, Mattia Pozzoni
T. +39 02 72434241/205/247
F. +39 02 72434239
ufficio.stampa@triennale.it
www.triennale.it/press/
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