On November 30 at Design Miami/, Bottega Veneta’s Creative Director Matthieu Blazy resumes a momentous collaboration with designer, artist, and architect Gaetano Pesce for an exhibition, live artist discussion, and collectible book release. The commission by Blazy was put into motion last September, when Pesce was given free reign to design a site-specific work of art for Bottega Veneta’s Summer 2023 Milan fashion show. The result was otherworldly—a dynamic and colorful resin floor showcasing 400 resin chairs was a dramatic stage for the brand’s own works of wearable art.
The much anticipated fair will spotlight the vivid Come Stai? chairs, on view until December 4, alongside a conversation, titled “We Are All Different, and This Is Our Defining Quality!”, between Pesce and Design Miami/’s Curatorial Director Maria Cristina Didero. The release of a collectible book chronicling the unique creation of Come Stai?, and a book signing, continues to celebrate the visionary project.
Courtesy of Bottega Veneta.
The one-of-a-kind custom chair designs—composed of cotton canvas dipped in multi-colored resin, some with hand drawings—are Pesce’s first in several years and will be available for purchase at the exhibition. “This chair is a tribute to diversity,” said Pesce. “It is about the human being; we are all different. People who say we are all the same—f**k them! We are all different and this is our defining quality—otherwise, we are just a copy. We are all originals and this is one of the themes of my design.”
The limited-edition book, Come Stai?, includes an exclusive interview between Pesce and art curator, critic, and historian Hans Ulrich Obrist. The publication colorfully examines the unprecedented collaboration between Pesce and Bottega Veneta from brainstorming to fruition, highlighting similarities between the two creators. Blazy and Didero contribute insightful commentary on the project’s place in the design pioneer’s expansive oeuvre. Photography by Stephen Shore and Sander Muylaert presents the skillful evolution of the chair. Even the book itself is an ode to diversity, with every cover a one-of-a-kind work of art.
Courtesy of Bottega Veneta.
Courtesy of Bottega Veneta.
Courtesy of Bottega Veneta.
Courtesy of Bottega Veneta.
