Valcucine and Artissima are once again partners for the 2011 Italian contemporary art event, the major event on the international collectors’ scene. Together to promote art and quality design. For more than thirty years Valcucine’s daily running has hinged on commitment to an ethical business model, with the credibility of a business whose principles are firmly rooted in sustainability. This is Valcucine design, which goes beyond simple formal purity and is able to translate into dynamic kitchen planning and a seductive, inspired contemporary look, focussed on a quest for beauty and creativity which always leaves room for the personal touch. Valcucine will be exhibiting its corporate culture at the 18th Artissima event, fitting the VIP Lounge with a special kitchen plan, because truly special are the artists who created the Artematica Vitrum Arte model on display there. The model features the creativity of Arianna Fiorini, Cesare Paltrinieri and Riccardo Persico, all designers differently able from “Atelier Manolibera”, run by the Cooperativa Sociale Nazareno Emmanuel Centre from Carpi, Modena. In the upcoming months the kitchen will be the setting of a theatrical show put on by Valcucine with the help of the Atelier Manolibera youngsters.  “Different. The question is, who is really different? Asks Deisa Centazzo, Art and Events Manager in Valcucine -To be different is an advantage, an enrichment. The arts such as drawing and painting are an extension of life, a daily need that is experienced physically. The pureness of one’s soul. This is why Valcucine has decided to collaborate with special youngsters. For a mutual spiritual enrichment, for art that is an end to itself, for nnno-profit art. Not Outsider art, but art”. The Artematica Vitrum Arte plan features the possibility of having graphics and painted inlay detailing on the door fronts, letting creativity flow through customized glass door fronts in the form of decorations patiently created by hand, so that every single composition is inimitable and unique. The Valcucine VIP Lounge kitchen will be fully operational: two chefs, Giovanni Grasso & Igor Macchia , will be at work on Gaggenau cooktops.

A window on emerging art worldwide and an essential cultural event for lovers of contemporary art. This is Artissima, the International Contemporary Art exhibition in Turin, Italy, that from the 5th to the 7th November 2010 presents a list of exclusive galleries at the height of fame in terms of quality of the works exhibited and the artists they represent. In this context, Artissima and Valcucine and Artissima become partners to promote, together, an alliance between art and quality design. For the 17th edition of Artissima, Valcucine makes its business culture available and exhibits its kitchens in the Vip Lounge. The star of the show is the Artematica Vitrum Arte kitchen, a line that features the possibility of reproducing drawings and pictures on the doors using the inlay technique and leaving room to creativity that is expressed by customising the glass fronts: decors that are patiently handmade so that each kitchen arrangement becomes inimitable and unique. The cupboard units have been specifically produced for this occasion and are decorated by a drawing created by Alessandro Mendini. An island consisting in 100% recyclable Invitrum base units in the elegant white version is shown alongside it: recycled aluminium parts, a single structural side panel in 10mm thick glass and mechanical joints that do not use glue make up this kitchen that can be completely dismantled at the end of its life cycle. On the 4th November 2010 there will be the press preview, the collectors’ preview (by invitation) and vernissage (by invitation). The exhibition wil be open to the public on November 5th-6th-7th 2010 from 12 to 8 pm. Artissima17 International Contemporary Art 5th-7th November 2010 Oval – Lingotto Fiere via Nizza 280/294 10126 Turin Italy

Home Gardening is becoming an increasingly common activity in our everyday urban culture. We live in small apartments above busy, polluted cities, yet we make a point of dedicating precious time to surrounding ourselves with greenery, creating miniature gardens on our windows sills and balconies and verandas. We make space for storing soil and seeds in the kitchen cupboard, cooking utensils mutate and adapt to new agricultural tasks. Some of us grow trees for their seasonal fruits, maybe for their sweet fragrance or maybe just for their beauty; the fact is, we all have little secrets on how to care for and grow our little home gardens. “Made to Cultivate” is a project by Simone Simonelli e Stefano Citi in collaboration with Valcucine for Lunedi Sostenibili. The aim is to open a window onto the world of DIY home gardening, creating a visual anthology of domestic gardening know how, a resource available to all, an open source collection of tools, mechanisms, instructions and gardening techniques, to which everyone will have access. On the 29th November in Milan Lunedì Sostenibili with “Made to Cultivate” is going to open an exhibition on photos, home videos, drawings and even the actual objects about home gardening. The intention is to discover the most reliable utensils, something innovative and unusual which meets a specific need, which might also be something you inherited from your grandparents, or maybe it’s just that old spoon your mothers uses for her geraniums. “Made to Cultivate” wants to show the wide range of everyday objects and hidden techniques used in home gardens that are in danger of never being revealed to the rest of the world. These will be shown on the 29th November at 7pm c/o Eco Bookshop Valcucine, Corso Garibaldi 99, Milano.

Valcucine’s collaboration with the Italian artist Ugo Nespolo, whose career dates back to the Sixties to the era of Italian Pop Art to Conceptualists and Future Poverists, is espressed by some artistic collections of kitchen programmes, such a Artematica. On the 27th November, The New York Times published an article about Ugo Nespolo, descibing his works through traditional and modern art. Here below is a part of the original article: The paintings, sculptures and other playful objects raised in the fantastic nursery of Mr. Nespolo’s imagination bring to mind that whole new race of Futurist toys proposed in the “Futurist Reconstruction of the Universe” which, it was envisaged, would not only delight children but also be “very useful to adults, too, keeping them young, agile, joyful, self-assured, ready for anything, indefatigable, instinctive and intuitive.” The authors of this manifesto, published in 1915, were Giacomo Balla and Fortunato Depero, whose works Mr. Nespolo has collected for many years. He is also the owner of around 4,000 manuscripts relating to Depero’s life and works, and the exotic waistcoat, designed by Depero, which Filippo Tomasso Marinetti, the founder of Futurism, can be seen sporting in a famous photograph taken in Turin in 1922. The Futurists hated museums, or at least affected to — Marinetti likened them to cemeteries in the first 1909 Futurist Manifesto — but Mr. Nespolo is an avid enthusiast for them. One favorite, he says, is the Bargello in Florence, which contains some of Italy’s greatest sculptures — from Donatello’s “David” and “St. George” to Michelangelo’s “Bacchus” and Giambologna’s “Mercury” — alongside an outstanding collection of ceramics, glass, metalwork, ivories, enamels and other applied arts. Mr. Nespolo was invited by the Bargello to stage a retrospective of his work in its temporary exhibition space, the first time it has ever hosted a contemporary artist. Mr. Nespolo’s “Novantiqua”- the name is a word play on new and old — is curated by Beatrice Paolozzi Strozzi, the museum’s director; it runs until Jan. 10. The show consists of 40 paintings and sculptures in ceramic, glass, bronze and other media, spanning Mr. Nespolo’s career. It includes three pieces, “Novantiqua 1-3,” inspired by the Bargello itself and made especially for this exhibition. Museums have long been a theme for Mr. Nespolo, as demonstrated by three earlier works among the paintings here. “Andy Dandy,” from 1973, features a bizarre display of three identical flower paintings [...]

On the 23rd and 24th October 2009 in São Paulo (Brazil) the Centro Universitário Belas Artes de São Paulo hosts the second edition of BOOMSPDESIGN – Architecture, Design and Art Forum. “The Forum will be a nice  get together of speakers from all over  the world, from  different fields. The meeting is, that will be attended by designers, architects, artists, graphic designers, entrepreneurs and university people, aims to promote discussions about architecture, design and art and its impacts on the modern ways of technology, consumption and behavior. Belas Artes  started as an art University a more than 60 years ago. Celebrates its  25th aniversary of its  design course and  30th aniversary  of the  Department of Architecture and Urban Planning. IN this matter it is  quite natural to support an event linked to these three fields.” It is a great opportunity for our students  to meet fantastic professionals from Brazil and all over the world, “says the advisor of Belas Artes, Patricia Cardim. “The support of Belas Artes Ubiversity  has been fantastic to our project. This year we also started partnerships with the community  creating a new atmosphere within design studios around the city, stores, restaurants and galleries, promoting new insights into the world of design. The  Brazilian community  will have the opportunity to exchange ideas with great speakers, understand their thoughts and learn more about their projects”, says the promoter of Boomspdesign, Roberto Cocenza. A new way of looking at the contemporary world that has radically transformed the aesthetics of products and the nature of consumer culture. A MINI EXHIBITION, with participation of speakers expressing their favorite pieces; A MINI DESIGN FILM FESTIVAL in the main lounge, exhibitions and other activities around town. Info: BOOMSPDESIGN – Fórum de Arquitetura, Design e Arte 23-24/10/2009 At the Centro Universitário Belas Artes de São Paulo Rua José Antonio Coelho, 879 – unidade 3 – São Paulo (SP).

E-Creative is the European network for the development of the relation art-business, an international platform made by institutions, universities, artists and ‘Made in Itlay’ firms, joint in a team to create projects in the fields of arts, entrepreneurship and technological innovation. Art against the crisis: the art is a transformation engine in urban contexts, an innovation factor for the firms, and a radar to suggest answers on the topic of environmental sustainability. The meeting in June, from 3rd to 5th, is the first appointment of a list of activities to develop the topic art-busines, in view of the European project that the network will present in October 2009. The debate will be diffused on the web to be enriched by contribution and proposals from the public and the online press, through the pages created on social networks: – A live blogging system, featuring news, videointerviews and photos, diffused on the main social networks, and a live streaming broadcast of the meetings through the webtv Glomera will allow the public to follow the meetings online and to interact with the debate; – The interactive game The Future: a better place, by Log607, will collect suggestions for a sustainable future. It will be based on the debate opened during the meetings and on the social networks: it will gather, until October 2009, suggestions, proposals, projects, which will be published and finally will feed the European project. NETWORK Fnv, Venice Brandit, Pordenone Log607/H-Farm, Treviso Studio Camuffo, Venice Venice International University, Venice University of Leeds/School of Design, Contemporary Art, Leeds Ietm, Bruxelles Metadistretto DigitalMediale, Venice Encatc, Bruxelles Euratechnologies, Lille NIRI Nonwovens Innovation & Research Institute, Leeds MEDIA PARTNERS Ottagono For forty years Ottagono has been the magazine of reference in the world of design Glomera TV in the global multimedia era Venezia da vivere (Live Blogging) The creative guide to the contemporary city TECHNOLOGICAL SUPPORT Personal computers provided by Apple Italia srl, in collaboration with abc.it srl, Apple Premium Reseller di Padova, Vicenza e Mestre. Palazzo Barbarigo is a design hotel in a Venetian Palace overlooking the Canal Grande, between Palazzo Grassi and Rialto, which decided to dedicate its spaces to the event and to participate to the debate on art and business. Press Room opens from 01:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. The spaces in Palazzo Barbarigo will be connected through wifi and will have some Apple work stations available for journalists participating to [...]

The first edition of BOOM SP DESIGN –International Architecture, Design and Art Forum will bring booming speakers to Brazil and promote a cool atmosphere to the city. Organized by RSPROMO it will be held simultaneously to the opening of Karim Rashid’s Exhibition at Instituto Tomie Ohtake – October 24th 2008 to January 04th 2009. KARIM RASHID’S Exhibition in a partnership with KARIM RASHID’S – NYC office and Instituto Tomie Ohtake – São Paulo. RSPROMO is organizing both projects. Solo organization of BOOM SP DESIGN with great support from its sponsors and partners. BOOM SP DESIGN will promote a debate of the 3 main topics and its influence on consumers behavior, technology , and its impacts in the way, architects, designers, artists, corporations, marketing professionals, curators, institutions directors, etc are establishing news parameters to develop future projects. Willing to attract more consumers to their stores to buy their products, to visit their exhibitions and museums, to commission them to develop new projects, etc Curated by Albrecht Bangert, German, specialist in arts and design exhibitions and books also director of Studio Bangert. Special participation of Angelo Derenze Jr., publisher of Casa Claudia Luxo-Editora Abril. BOOM SP DESIGN – Architecture, Design and Art Forum will be hosted at Shopping Iguatemi – Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima, 2232, 9th floor, São Paulo – SP – Brazil, on October 23rd and 24th, 2008, from 9am to 7 pm.