One of the best ways to showcase design is to place it in a real home environment. This is what Bocci, a Canadian company that produces lighting and objects that straddle the line between art and design, has done. As its Milan headquarters – after the now-closed Berlin one, built in a late 19th-century office building – it has chosen a flat in the prestigious Via Vincenzo Monti area.
Inaugurated last year, its second interior iteration of Bocci’s permanent home in Milan has been unveiled during Milan Design Week. Featuring a pop-up shop for the Milan edition of Bocci’s first portable light and a selection of new glass artworks by Milan-based Valentina Cameranesi Sgroi, the apartment was transformed into a captivating nocturnal theater and fresh interpretations of the brand’s recent and iconic designs. The exhibition Unexpected Guests presented commissioned artworks by Valentina Cameranesi Sgroi. Sgroi’s pieces explore the relationship between natural and artificial elements, the presence of objects in collective memory, and vernacular decoration. Her glass objects, all crafted in Milan, evoke the atmosphere of a film set and convert the domestic interior into a cinematic experience.
The interior of the spaces has been refreshed and revamped to welcome new and returning guests. Each lighting installation has found a new home within the space, highlighting the flexibility and interchangeability of the collections. The wall surfaces of the apartment have been reworked by Milan-based Pictalab, a team of decorators, painters and artisans who created hand-painted textures, evoking velvet and parchment, adorn the walls, bringing about a mesmerizing transformation. This fusion of mirrored and metal leaf elements expressed through intricate craftsmanship offers visitors a unique exploration of artistry and design.
Photo © Paola Pansini
