‘In the Planetarium of Milan, the geometry of the constellations meets that of the spider web and the cosmic web,’ artist Tomás Saraceno explains. True to his signature, the Argentine-born, Berlin-based artist is weaving science, technology, design and philosophy into his work. His latest commission, The Cosmic Web, is part of a double display put on by Bulgari, which is back at Milan Design Week following a successful debut last year. A second installation also celebrates the evolution of Bulgari's renowned B.zero1 ring.
Saraceno’s intricate web draws long queues from the word go, with Fuorisalone-goers lining up outside the Ulrico Hoepli Municipal Planetarium. Once within the dark space, the suspended spiderwebs come into sharp focus. The golden webs – built by two different species of arachnids; Nephila Senegalensis and Cyrtophora Citricola – seem perfectly at home with the systems of galaxies projected onto the walls.
If that weren’t enough, the sound effects are equally mesmerising. Devices developed by Saraceno’s studio translate the activity on the web into sounds audible to the human ear, reverberating in the air like gravitational waves. Beyond becoming a soundtrack, it is an invitation says the 2018 Wallpaper* Guest Editor, ‘to rethink the system of reciprocity that binds us and overcome the boundaries of our perceptive universes.’
Back in the gardens surrounding the Planetarium, Bulgari has set up a second installation, exploring the duality of the materials and techniques the Roman maison has become synonymous with. Curated by Silvia Schwarzer, Bulgari interior design director and her team, the space is a journey through a series of rooms. Each is brighter than the last, and all reference different stages in the evolution of the B.zero1 ring, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
As informative as it is immersive, the installation closes with an intimate theatre space, created to host a series of lectures and performances on subjects as diverse as music and science, design and sustainability throughout the week. §
Bulgari B.zero1 installation view.
Bulgari B.zero1 installation view.
Bulgari B.zero1 installation view.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Bulgari website and the Studio Tomás Saraceno website
-
Jaguar reveals its new graphic identity ahead of a long-awaited total brand rebootJaguar’s new ethos is Exuberant Modernism, encapsulated by a new visual language that draws on fine art, fashion and architecture
-
Olfactory Art Keller: the New York gallery exhibiting the smell of vintage perfume, blossoming lilacs and last night’s shameOlfactory Art Keller is a Manhattan-based gallery space dedicated to exhibiting scent as art. Founder Dr Andreas Keller speaks with Lara Johnson-Wheeler about the project, which doesn’t shy away from the ‘unpleasant’
-
Explore a barn conversion with a difference on the Isle of WightGianni Botsford Architects' barn conversion transforms two old farm buildings into an atmospheric residence and artistic retreat, The Old Byre
-
Faye Toogood brings new life to Matisse’s legacyMilan Design Week 2023: tapped by Maison Matisse, the London-based designer has taken inspiration from the French master’s forms to create a collection of heirloom-worthy objects
-
Prada Frames 2023: Milan programme announcedProgramme announced for Prada Frames 2023 at Milan Design Week, the annual symposium curated by Formafantasma at Luigi Caccia Dominioni's Teatro Filodrammatici from 17 to 19 April
-
Alessi Occasional Objects: Virgil Abloh’s take on cutleryBest Cross Pollination: Alessi's cutlery by the late designer Virgil Abloh, in collaboration with his London studio Alaska Alaska, is awarded at the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2023
-
Salone del Mobile 2023: highlights from Milan Design WeekIn pictures: our highlights from Milan Design Week, held during the 61st Salone del Mobile 2023 (18-23 April)
-
USM launches blushing pink limited edition of its modular furnitureFollowing an installation during Milan Design Week 2022, USM launches a new pink limited edition of its Haller range
-
‘You don't want space; you want to fill it’: Milan exhibitionMaking its debut during Milan Design Week 2022 at Marsèll Paradise, a new exhibition by Matylda Krzykowski, explores how we approach the space we live in (until 15 July 2022)
-
Kohler and Daniel Arsham brought experiential art to Milan Design WeekLooking back on Daniel Arsham and Kohler’s Divided Layers installation, and the brand’s latest bathroom collection
-
Men’s mental health takes centre stage at an art and design exhibition by Tableau‘Confessions’, which travels to Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design following its debut at Milan Design Week 2022, features commissioned work by 14 male artists, designers and architects, reflecting on toxic masculinity, vulnerability and mental health
