For design legends Charles and Ray Eames or even Le Corbusier, India was the fount of inspiration. Now, Italian designers are sitting up and taking notice of the India story. The exhibition, ?Hospitality ? The Versatility of Italian Design 2008?, organised by the Institute of Indian Interior Designers in association with the Italian Cultural Institute and International Design Agency Milano, brought together famous Italian designers with their unique style and skill. The exhibition, launched in New Delhi, will travel to Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Pune by August.
Started as an endeavour to create a market for Italian design in India, the designers displayed at least 80 items of furniture, lampshades and cutlery. The exhibits were selected by a jury of Indian and Italian designers with a fair idea about the kind of products that will suit Indian tastes. The jury also had the famous Italian designer, Andrea Oliva, who identified the products that will cater to the needs of Indian customers.
History tells us that Italy has always been a leader in design. Right after the Second World War, Italian design developed slowly and steadily. Oliva highlighted that there are six major macro areas that specialise in furniture, namely Brianza (centre north), Triveneto, Toscana, Pesaro, Umbria and Puglia. Each of these districts had unique features and style. There are more than 20,000 companies and ?all these companies develop different and extremely rare skills, because the individualism of each company comes out through their products. The artists are sensible persons who struggle to achieve a balance between creativity and concreteness.?
Famous designers like Philip Stark started working in Italy, ?because the flexibility, the small dimension, the artistic sensibility and the competition that pushed everybody towards innovation, new projects, crazy ideas and a lot of them that are still only prototype was a valuable experience to him,? adds Oliva.
Achille Castiglioni, the father of Italian design, believes that ?a real turning happened among the designers and owner heads when Triennale (museum of design in Milan) opened its doors to north European design.? The exchange opened vistas of ideas and scope for cultural enrichment. Today I.DoT project (handled by Oliva) looks after promoting the Italian design system. It became the biggest platform for creative people to exchange innovative ideas.
The Italians do not use bamboo, which is extremely popular in India. The exhibition promptly worked on bridging the gap creating bamboo structures which held the artist?s creations. The concept was simple ? containing Italian design within the Indian framework. The designers not only built everything on a traditional concept but also worked towards a perfect combination of the old and the modern. Prof Rajan Lakule, Architect and Principal, Sir JJ College of Arts, says: ?The criteria was not only to study the Indian market. More importance was placed on demonstrating the value of design.?
He feels strongly that India is lagging behind in design and not much emphasis is being paid on enhancing the design aspect even on the academic front. One should look to Italian design not for its elegance but for ?the originality that gets transferred into products
for value.?
Italian designers use rare material and play on modern concepts that appeal to people?s tastes. They still use copper, wood and plastic to mould their thought into products.
