Objets D'auteur Paolo Castelli: Tribute To Morandi

By Editorial Staff - 7 December 2020
Paolo Castelli Spa has participated in the project

Paolo Castelli designs the Objets d'Auteur: tribute to Morandi collection for Istituzione Bologna Musei, objects and accessories in an artistic, colourful and creative guise. Bringing new energy to interior decoration, with a strong lyrical and poetic accent.

A creative partnership between the designer and entrepreneur from Emilia, Paolo Castelli, and Istituzione Bologna Musei, which began "silently" in 2009, during the refurbishment - supervised by Bolognese architect and designer Massimo Iosa Ghini - of Casa Morandi, the artist's home in Via Fondazza 36, where Morandi lived with his mother and sisters from 1910 to 1964. Exactly 45 years after the artist's death, a fortuitous meeting between Paolo Castelli and Istituzione Bologna Musei, which led to the development of a successful collaboration.

«I would like to thank Paolo Castelli and his team, who worked on this project» states Matteo Lepore, Assessor for Culture and City Promotion, Municipality of Bologna «An important homage to Giorgio Morandi, one of the biggest figures of Italian painting of the 19th century, and one of our best-known and admired artists in the world. I remember when recently during the city council we approved acquisition of Villa Magnani from Agenzia del Demanio, a building within the Manifattura delle Arti (“Art Manufacture”), just steps away from MAMbo, in order to transform it in Morandi Museum».

The collection is inspired by the artist and his poetics: starting with the objects in the studio, the hub of Morandi's meticulous observation, contemplative and repeated over time, to look at the formal and chromatic elements of these absolute protagonists of Morandi's artistic research. The result is a collection of objects permeated with sophisticated elegance, telling the stories of symbolic worlds with understated decorations and colour palettes. From Casa Morandi to our own homes, this collection offers us accessories and furnishing elements with a strong identity.

«I wanted to make a dream come true» says Paolo Castelli «To create a collection sublimated by Giorgio Morandi's creative vision, while celebrating our city: Bologna».

«Giorgio Morandi increasingly inspires numerous artists around the world», adds Roberto Grandi, president of Istituzione Bologna Musei. «Some people encounter him at the outset of their careers, others unexpectedly, at different stages of the artistic creation process. We have hosted the results of these silent dialogues at Museo Morandi on several occasions. The "Objets d'Auteur: tribute to Morandi" collection is another wonderful and significant milestone: this time between the great artist and a company which is the pride of the most creative and refined Made in Italy and operates in Morandi's Bologna. The result is before our eyes and we can touch and admire it, acknowledging Morandi's inspiration and restraint. Thanks to digital technology and the web, these objects can travel all over the world, bearing witness to Morandi's outstanding talent and his relationship with the city of Bologna. For us this is an invitation to visit both Museo Morandi, which currently houses his works, and Casa Morandi, where the room in which Morandi used to paint is still filled with echoes of his presence, in the form of the objects that kept him company for so many years».

The hallmark of the Emilian artist conveys a creative touch to soft cushions, wallpaper and tableware, which are a must in interior decoration. The result is a surprising collection that belongs as much to the world of art as it does to that of design. The understated beauty and simplicity of Objets d'Auteur: tribute to Morandi project a precise and minimalist style, emphasising the importance of the figure of the Italian artisan and manual crafting techniques, perfectly reflected in the concept of interior design developed by the company Paolo Castelli S.p.A. over the course of its history. The excellence of every single solution commences with the material, such as eco-sustainable and unselected ash, natural brass, Murano glass, Vietri ceramics, horsehair and regenerated leather, to name but a few, and with the production of durable design elements. Every item is hand crafted and strictly Made in Italy.

Paolo Castelli S.p.A and Istituzione Bologna Musei have decided to partner with Artemest, the online marketplace for high-end Italian designer furniture, lighting, home décor and lifestyle, to launch and sell the collection online. This is a strategic and well-defined choice, which focuses on the desire to embrace contemporary business models and attract a new market segment.

And Paolo Castelli concludes by telling us “These objects were created after my visit to Morandi's home, where I was overwhelmed by an unusual emotion. The objects created are a 3D description of his life. I hope they will be welcomed into people's homes as elements that can bring their owners closer to his works”.

www.paolocastelli.com