During the Fuorisalone, many locations often become a co-protagonist of the event featuring longer opening hours, and sometimes may even steal the show from the products or items presented or displayed. Former industrial spaces, historic buildings usually closed to the public, hidden courtyards, artisan workshops and fashion showrooms go beyond the concept of background and interact with their contents, becoming an installation within an installation. Moreover, during Milan Design Week many important brands located in the design districts introduce their new collections and host special events with live music and entertainment. Although the events are usually scattered throughout the city, the Fuorisalone recognises a series of main districts, usually distinguished by the endorsement of Milan’s Municipality.
Along the years, top designers have participated in a tradition when going to Milan for Salone del Mobile Milano: to visit Spazio Rossana Orlandi. From 17 to 22 April, the three-story, 19,000-square-foot incredible gallery, awaits you. But hurry and choose the best timing during Milan Design Week 2018, as space receives around 30,000 visitors during the days of SALONE DEL MOBILE MILANO 2018.
Born in 1943 and raised in the town of Cassano Magnago, about 25 miles northwest of Milan, Rossana Orlandi had an education that was simple and quiet. After having worked more than 20 years in fashion, as a consultant for important labels such as Giorgio Armani and Donna Karan or for her family company, in 2002 she decided to transfer her passion for design as a private collector into an innovative gallery, a platform where she could showcase her personal idea of design and lifestyle. She has been working as a curator for several exhibitions in Italy and abroad and she also collaborated with high-end brands in fashion, luxury and lifestyle. Very quickly, Orlandi gained a reputation for selecting works by young and unsung artists and designers, as well as for working with (then) rising stars like Tom Dixon, Marcel Wanders and Studio Job.
The gallery was opened in a former tie Factory in the Magenta neighbourhood. The space was officially opened as Spazio Rossana Orlandi with a photography exhibition organized by Orlandi’s daughter. Over the years, the gallery has been forecasting new and upcoming designers and establishing the premise as one of the most revered platforms for avant-garde design and lifestyle. Rossana Orlandi started her activity focusing on the rising Dutch design wave, with designers such Piet Hein Eek, Maarten Baas and Nacho Carbonell. Along the times, the research has moved widely around the world, creating a catalogue which reflects the most innovative scenes, from Europe to Asia and America.
The space is articulated in a non-traditional way, mixing together a showroom, a retail store, offices and a courtyard for events and meetings. Galleria Rossana Orlandi (as it is also known) has also revolutionized the way to present design art pieces, showing them always in real ambiances, displayed together with different kinds of products to recreate real house situations, taking advantage of the structure of the gallery itself (composed by different rooms on different floors, all winding around a blooming courtyard). The space itself also became a perfect location for corporate and cultural events with different possibilities in terms of ambiences, installations and content.
As you pass the courtyard in Spazio Rossana Orlandi, it’s nearly impossible to know what you’ll find around each corner. Much of the original aura of the building is intact. The interiors seem to blend together, filled with an unexpected mix of objects, vintage and new. According to Orlandi, the distinctiveness of the gallery is that its commercial aspect really just functions to keep the place alive, and comes in a distant second to its higher purpose: design education. “People these days definitely understand more about design, but not enough”, says Orlandi. “It’s difficult to explain the value of a piece – that it’s something that’s been studied, and that there is a lot of work behind it”.
Credits: Andrea Penisto for Elle Decor
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