Provasi brings art to the Milan “supersalone del Mobile” expo.
The "site-specific" installation by artist Mauro Calvi is the protagonist of the Provasi space.
It conveys the story and values of the company through the creative interpretation of three iconic pieces.
Provasi, a historic made-in-Italy furniture company, is participating in the "supersalone", the special event of Salone del Mobile.Milano for the 46th consecutive year.
Its participation (Hall 1 - Gangway E23) does not go unnoticed thanks to the unique site-specific installation created by artist Mauro Calvi, who was asked to embellish the available space with an artwork that can speak of his personal interpretation of three Provasi pieces while embodying the company's history and values. An assignment that combines the artist's expressive sensitivity and Provasi's skills for creative experimentation.
"Provasi has always welcomed works of art into its home. This time we have asked a work of art to hosts our pieces," says Gabriele Provasi, Architect and Art Director of Provasi. "Provasi plays the role of patron and sees art as a refined tool to bring attention back to the greatness of its heritage, through a process of mutual valorisation. The artwork has the task of removing limitations and prejudices from visitors, because art is unconditional sharing and it promotes new ideas, inviting freedom of thought, opinion and vision".
MAURO CALVI
Artist
Mauro Calvi was born in Cremona in 1958.
He lives and works in Brianza. He is an artist with a great expressive sensitivity, whose uniqueness lies in the refined search and experimentation of a new language that can best represent his idea of Art. The result is the combination of two fundamental characteristics of the artist. One is the technical and intellectual ability to investigate the human "figure" through the analysis of positions and proportions revisited and characterised by dynamism and a disruptive gestural tension. The other is the analysis and informal experimentation on the use of matter and colour, often the protagonists of vast and significant backgrounds.
The absolute star of the show is the company’s new cabinet in mahogany and Bubinga wood, with inlaid doors featuring a patchwork of exotic woods that fit together and overlap: born from on an interpretation of 19th-century English cabinets, its lines and materials have been brought up to date, escaping the label of classic furniture in favour of a more contemporary style. The second piece is a wooden mirror part of Provasi's classic collection: the hands that support it, carved by our artisans, are a tribute to the craftsmanship that allows ideas to become reality. The last piece is an armchair from a contemporary line, an item that seems to emerge from the artwork while being completely enveloped into it. In the background of the artwork, Calvi draws two human figures, symbolising the importance of the human resources part of Provasi's manufacturing where the value of its past, its present and its future lies.
“The meaning of the installation," says artist Mauro Calvi, "takes inspiration from the work performed at the factory, based on values linked to craftsmanship, manual skills and experience handed down over the years by past generations. My intention is to make the painted figures dialogue with the company's products. Therefore, this artwork represents the ever-lasting connection between ‘artwork and product’. The background of the artwork is deliberately loaded with ‘expressive texture’ and the figures depicted here reflect the difficulties, uncertainties and thoughts of completing the work project. The relationship between the three-dimensionality of the pieces and the figures underneath wants to highlight the importance of manual work."