For its Milan Design Week debut, Porsche presents the latest work in its series ‘The Art of Dreams’, at Palazzo Clerici, Brera. The company explores the interplay of nature and technology through an immersive installation by Berlin-based botanical artist Ruby Barber, founder of Studio Mary Lennox. The sculptural artwork combines the fragility of flowers with the promise of 21st-century tech.
Fascinating in its resting state, the installation comes to life for regular, choreographed performances. In an intense creative development process, the artist collaborated with flight engineers and dedicated drone pilots to create a new-to-the-world art experience.
Ideas of renders and animations, first envisioned in the virtual realm, are transported into reality, creating surreal vistas and sensations for the viewer. The installation connects with the sports car manufacturer’s pioneering spirit, simultaneously posing subtle questions about the role of technology, its global contribution and its relation to the natural world.
‘I am curious to explore the connections between nature and the modern human environment,’ says Barber. ‘The possible interactions between botanics and technology are particularly intriguing to me. In this work, I dreamt of a meeting place between the two worlds, fusing both together to create a space for a new experience.’
Barber’s surreal arrangements create spaces between nature and architecture, between reality and dreams. Her installations are modern and emotional, and include collaborations with the likes of Hermès and Cartier.
This piece is the second commissioned work for ‘The Art of Dreams’, a global art initiative by Porsche that deals with the motif of dreams through various interactive installations in major cities around the world. With its aim to inspire, convey optimism, and contribute to lively communities, the initiative launched in Paris in 2021 and visited Singapore in early 2022.
Ruby Barber.
During Milan Design Week 2022, ‘The Art of Dreams’ will be showcased at Palazzo Clerici for seven days as part of a wider programme of engagement, including exclusive events and a secluded garden café. Committed to a sustainable way of working in local communities, the brand selected partners from among the best and brightest of Milan’s creative minds and culinary entrepreneurs.
Yoga and meditation sessions, for example, in collaboration with yoga community Ciaomondo, founded by Licia Florio and Francio Ferrari, provide a mindful start to the bustling days of Salone.
Vegan and vegetarian delicacies for all exclusive events are created by Sara Nicolosi, Cinzia De Lauri, and Giulia Giulia Scialanga, the chefs and masterminds behind Altatto, Milan’s most innovative haute cuisine establishment.
In the garden, meanwhile, Milan-based, Buenos Aires-born artist Alek O will realise a group of sculptures, giving new life to found tiles, and welcoming visitors to rest and enjoy the peaceful surroundings.
‘Porsche is driven by dreams,’ says Robert Ader, chief marketing officer at Porsche. ‘With “The Art of Dreams” initiative we want to remind people about the importance of dreaming and to inspire them. At the same time, we are keen on supporting the creative community and on bringing exceptional artwork to the public.’
INFORMATION
‘The Art of Dreams’ is at Palazzo Clerici, Via Clerici 5, 20121 Milan, 6 – 12 June, porsche.art
-
Glenn Martens is headed to Maison Margiela as the house’s new creative directorThe former Y/Project designer and current Diesel creative director will replace John Galliano, who exited the Maison Margiela in late 2024
-
Glamping on the Greek riviera: an alternative resort rooted in luxuryWe check in at the 91 Athens Riviera; an alternative seaside glamping resort in the Greek capital that is all about relaxed luxury
-
Inspired by Robert Mapplethorpe, Saint Laurent’s surprise menswear show captured ‘a menacing, seductive elegance’Staged at Paris’ Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection, Anthony Vaccarello mashed up Rive Gauche elegance with Robert Mapplethorpe-inspired kink for his A/W 2025 Saint Laurent menswear collection
-
Remembering Oliviero Toscani, fashion photographer and author of provocative Benetton campaignsBest known for the controversial adverts he shot for the Italian fashion brand, former art director Oliviero Toscani has died, aged 82
-
Distracting decadence: how Silvio Berlusconi’s legacy shaped Italian TVStefano De Luigi's monograph Televisiva examines how Berlusconi’s empire reshaped Italian TV, and subsequently infiltrated the premiership
-
Louis Fratino leans into queer cultural history in ItalyLouis Fratino’s 'Satura', on view at the Centro Pecci in Italy, engages with queer history, Italian landscapes and the body itself
-
Out of office: what the Wallpaper* editors have been doing this weekA snowy Swiss Alpine sleepover, a design book fest in Milan, and a night with Steve Coogan in London – our editors' out-of-hours adventures this week
-
Pino Pascali’s brief and brilliant life celebrated at Fondazione PradaMilan’s Fondazione Prada honours Italian artist Pino Pascali, dedicating four of its expansive main show spaces to an exhibition of his work
-
‘I just don't like eggs!’: Andrea Fraser unpacks the art marketArtist Andrea Fraser’s retrospective ‘I just don't like eggs!’ at Fondazione Antonio dalle Nogare, Italy, explores what really makes the art market tick
-
Miranda July considers fantasy and performance at Fondazione Prada‘Miranda July: New Society’ at Fondazione Prada, Milan, charts 30 years of the artist's career
-
Juergen Teller’s ‘i need to live’ explores beauty and fragility at Triennale MilanoJuergen Teller’s ‘i need to live’ is on show at Triennale Milano, following its Paris debut, and spans shots of Yves Saint Laurent and Björk, as well as quirky self-portraits
