Title: Visionair
Artist: Labics (Maria Claudia Clemente, Francesco Isidori)
Project leader: Andrea Di Renzo
Curator: Marcello Smarrelli
Event: Fuorisalone 2018
Venue: Milan
Year: 2018
Exhibitions: Università degli Studi di Milano – Cà Granda; INTERNI Exhibition House in Motion, April 16 – 28 2018 – Via Festa del Perdono 7, Milano
Visionair is the name of the installation that was carried out by the architecture firm Labics (Maria Claudia Clemente, Francesco Isidori) and curated by Marcello Smarrelli; it was presented by Elica and FEC at the latest edition of Milan Fuorisalone, within the exhibition INTERNI Exhibition House in Motion, which was open to visitors on April 16-28, 2018 at the suggestive venue of Università degli Studi di Milano, Ca’ Granda. This place was designed by Florence architect Filarete and was one of the first Renaissance buildings in town; it was pivotal for the development of Northern Italy architecture.
Visionair is a ‘warning object’, a ‘small’ architecture which was born by a reflection on the topic of the point of view capsizing. This concept underpins the latest experimentations carried out by Elica. It is installed in Cà Granda courtyard, which it borrows the geometrical and spatial matrix from, and it is composed by a wooden pyramidal structure coated with a reflecting material that, as people get closer, reveals and unveils the presence of an unusual space; thus, visitors are carried to a surreal and capsized dimension. The action of crossing a threshold recalls the home imaginary, cozy and protective; on the other hand, it is also a metaphor of a big door that allows to reaching an unknown and suggestive universe that is shaped thanks to the embedded video installation. Such installation involves visitors in an experience which is both emotional and original.
Inside Visionair, as a matter of fact, an embracing space created by Giancarlo Soldi is projected on the floor and reflected on the side walls; this space has welcomed plenty of visitors and projected them to a visionary dimension, by giving them a unique immersive experience. As in a kaleidoscope, internal video images have been decomposed, capsized and recomposed in new shapes, as they created an unexpected tale. The choice of using mirroring materials created an abstract image of the exterior, as changing as the light intensity reflected from the exterior, constantly depending on time and climate variations.
