Special Guest Saint Petersburg Design Week _ May 21ste/28th, 2014
Solo Exhibition "Behind the Mirror"
Daniele Basso Special Guest at Saint Petersburg Design Week 2014
Italian artist and designer, operating in Dubai, Monte-Carlo and the USA in 2014, Daniele Basso was selected by the Organizing Committee of the 2014 St Petersburg Design Week for his creation of works in mirrored steel, a 100% recyclable long-lasting material. His professional standing and design works fully embody the innovative edgy essence of the exhibition, aiming at investigating the blurred line separating Art, Craftsmanship and limited-edition luxury Design, and involving Fashion as well as the growing importance of ethics and ecology in industrial production and creative professional design.
"We are all equal before a mirror, suspended between dream and reality” Daniele Basso says. “Beyond their function, my mirrored works are reflections on present-day society, unfinished thoughts that anybody can complete with their own meaning…”. This is the core concept of the artist/designer’s participation in the exhibition held in various city locations from 20 to 28 May, where he will display a preview of his collection of works in mirror steel, each in 9 copies available on demand.
“These three highlights of St Petersburg and Russia are highly evocative and iconic” Basso says. “Their selection was due to the real emotions they conveyed to me, that I filtered through art and turned into true metaphors of reality thanks to design technology. Due to their instinctive immediacy, they can communicate with Russian people and foreigners alike, via an abstraction process that goes from the detail to the whole, from the individual to the universal.” The work "Whitevich" is a tribute to Malevich, the founder of the Russian Avant-garde and Suprematism. "Russian Atmosphere" celebrates the untamed independence of the Russian people by showing a haggard bunch of Cossack soldiers riding to a spaceless and timeless dimension, against a mirrored background which metaphorically represents a snowy unyielding territory, apparently unwelcoming. Finally, "Saint Petersburg SkyLife" is a tribute to St Petersburg’s pivotal role in the communication between Europe and Asia, also via Art, Design and Creativity, which express a lively spirit, trusting in the future.
"WinterPalace" , the limited-edition sequentially-numbered design mirror made by GlocalDesign, will be displayed in the section reserved by the organizer. This work collects all the various styles of the windows decorating the Winter Palace, designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli, the renowned Italian architect. “This work represents a metaphorical window between Italy and Russia, overcoming the wall of recent history prejudices” Basso explains. “It is proof of the wonderful works of art created by men when different cultures cooperate. It also represents an encouragement to strive for a better future and change in the world’s political, economic and cultural balance through communication.”
At the YellowKorner International Art Gallery, with different locations in the world and in Saint Petersburg at central 86. Bolshoy Av., will be on display also "Ghipur" lighting system, inspired by Venetian Burano lace and designed by Glocal Design in cooperation with Alessandro Pellegrino on behalf of ITALAMP. These truly exclusive Made-in-Italy design creations - combining cutting-edge LED technology and local creativity - dance with the mystery of light and shade, displaying a uniquely elegant decoration style.
Finally, the innovative asymmetric "Agile" table system designed by Daniele Basso and manufactured by MAST3.0 by LISAR will also be displayed. Its unidirectional carbon table top is an unprecedented industrial creation, made with innovative automotive and aerospace technology at competitive prices. Sturdy and lightweight (2mt and 16 kg only), this table system combines luxury items and a “ready to use” feel, with a view to a functional nomadism that fulfils the demand for flexibility in present-day lifestyle.
Daniele Basso started his activities in the Milan fashion setting cooperating with Gianni Versace, gained expertise in communication with Publicis, and design with Versace Group, Ermenegildo Zegna and FIAT Auto, working in NYC and Paris. In 2006 he founded GlocalDesign, a strategic design office whose motto is Think Globally, Act Locally, operating in Fashion, Interior and Lighting Design. Driven by a keen curiosity for mirror steel surfaces, he first started significant partnerships and projects with various renowned Italian design brands, including Krizia, Moncler, Napapijri, Mila Schon, Molteni&C, Swarovski, SanPatrignano, Italamp, Slide and Federico Fellini Foundation. He successfully started working as an artist in 2010 and participated in Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition twice, besides exhibiting his works in NYC, Paris, Lugano, Monte-Carlo, Forte Dei Marmi, Vatican City, Milan, Bologna and Naples. His works are also exhibited in several permanent collections, including the Portofino Park Museum, where "We=Wall" is displayed.