Giovanni Levanti
CURATED BY
Beppe Finessi
From 14.04 to 20.05.2010
On the occasion of the Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2010, the contemporary art organizations Careof and Viafarini – one year after the 2009 edition which featured Paolo Ulian – are pleased to present a solo exhibition by Giovanni Levanti curated by Beppe Finessi.
Numerous exhibitions in Italy and abroad have showcased Levanti’s collaboration with companies such as Campeggi, Cassina, Diamantini & Domeniconi, Domodinamica, Edra, Foscarini, Pallucco, Salviati, Twergi-Alessi, Serafino Zani.
Levanti does not seek to amaze at all costs. With an ethical and meticulous approach, characterized by an investigation into multifunctionality, he ventures into unexplored territories and outlines new paths. His creations, with their refined aesthetic and playful undertone, envision a world populated by fantastic, polymorphic, colorful objects with multiple functions. They are rug-armchairs, rocking-horse-armchairs, trampoline-rug-armchairs... By definitively abolishing formal obviousness, he grants new possibilities to objects freed from their primary use.
Giovanni Levanti leads a silent battle against traditional upholstered furniture. Focusing on the posture of individuals, he creates sofas and armchairs that envelop the body, supporting it without constraints.
For Giovanni Levanti, a project must be sustainable, without any aggressiveness or redundancy; its definition is achieved through a close relationship with the user, bringing information and lived experiences back to a cultural dimension.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a catalogue on Giovanni Levanti's work published by Corraini.
With the contribution of Fondazione Cariplo and Gemmo
Bio
Giovanni Levanti (Palermo, 1956) after graduating in architecture, moved to Milan and in 1991 opened his own studio. He designs for major companies in Italy and abroad, including Campeggi, Cassina, Diamantini & Domeniconi, Domodinamica, Edra, Foscarini, Marutomi, Memphis, Nagano, Pallucco Italia, Salviati, Serafino Zani, Twergi-Alessi.
Among the main exhibitions worth mentioning: 2008: 1978–2008 Made in Italy, Brazilian Design Biennal, Brasilia. 2006–2007: Il Modo Italiano, Montreal, Toronto, Rovereto. 2001: Il Design in Italia, 100 oggetti, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, traveling exhibition. 1996: Il Design Italiano 1964–1990, Milan. 1993: La Fabbrica Estetica, Paris. 1991: Capitales Européenes du Nouveau Design, Paris. 1990: Creativitalia, Tokyo. 1986: Dodici Nuovi – Memphis, Milan.
His objects are part of the Permanent Collection of Italian Design at the Triennale di Milano, the Design Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal, and the Design Collection of the Musée National d’Art Moderne Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. Among his recognitions: the Design Plus Prize 2000 at the Frankfurt Fair and the Palermo Design Week award in 2007, selections for the XIX Compasso d’Oro ADI Award in 2001 and the XXII Premios de Diseño cDIM Professionales in Valencia in 2004.
Beppe Finessi (Ferrara, 1966) is an architect and carries out teaching activities (researcher at the Politecnico di Milano, where he teaches Interior Architecture, Exhibition Design, Design and Contemporary Arts), critical writing (from 1996 to 2007 he was editor of Abitare), and research.
For several years, he has been studying the work of the great masters of Italian design (Bruno Munari, Vico Magistretti, Angelo Mangiarotti, Alessandro Mendini) and of the international scene, such as Fabio Novembre and Martí Guixé.
