Martino Gamper: design is a state of mind 22 October 2014 – 22 February 2015 press preview 21st October 2014 at 11am The Pinacoteca Agnelli continues its exploration of collecting with the exhibition “Martino Gamper: design is a state of mind”, from 22 October 2014 to 22 February 2015 produced in collaboration with Serpentine Galleries, London and Museion, Bolzano. “There is no perfect design and there is no über-design. Objects talk to us personally. Some might be more functional than others, and the emotional attachment is very individual. This exhibition showcases a very personal way of collecting and gathering objects – these are pieces that tell a tale” - Martino Gamper Curated by the Italian designer Martino Gamper (Merano, 1971), the show presents a landscape of shelving systems, telling the story of design objects and their impact on our lives. The pieces of furniture date from the 1930s to the present day and range from historic design classics and one-off pieces, to industrial, utilitarian, contemporary and newly commissioned work. Renowned designers such as Franco Albini, Ercol, Charlotte Perriand, Gaetano Pesce, Giò Ponti and Ettore Sottsass are placed in close proximity to IKEA and Dexion industrial shelves. The function of each piece is underlined by the collections of objects arranged on them, which have been chosen by Gamper from the personal archives of his friends and colleagues. From the beauty of the mundane to the wonder of the relic, these collections give an insight into the inspirations and obsessions of designers. The exhibition is an eclectic representation of the way in which we arrange, store and organise our possessions. Designers whose collections are featured include: Enzo Mari, Paul Neale, Max Lamb & Gemma Holt, Jane Dillon, Michael Marriott, Sebastian Bergne, Fabien Cappello, Adam Hills, Michael Anastassiades, Andrew Mc Donagh & Andreas Schmid, Daniel Eatock and Martino Gamper himself. The show also presents an installation by Gamper that is homage to iconic Italian designer Enzo Mari and includes an installation of drawings, notes and designs held down by unusual paperweights collected by him over many years. Gamper has devised two displays. One is an homage to iconic Italian designer Enzo Mari and includes an installation of drawings, notes and designs held down by unusual paperweights collected by him over many years The other acts as a social space, encouraging visitors to sit at Gamper’s table and on his chairs; to explore an extensive library of contemporary furniture manufacturing catalogues from around the world, and to watch Tati’s Mon Oncleand Alain Resnais’ Le Chant du Styrene(both 1958). These films, along with the earlier pieces of furniture, reveal the contrast between the future of design predicted in the late 1950s and the way it has evolved since.  The exhibition in the Pinacoteca Agnelli will also feature a number of bookcases and pieces of furniture from private collections in Turin. Martino Gamper’s practice encompasses exhibition design, interior design, special commissions and the design of mass-produced products for the international furniture industry. Constantly looking for new ways to engage with and activate design within our everyday lives,

Gamper’s work challenges the boundaries between fine art, design, performance and curation. The exhibition was hosted at the Serpentine Sackler Gallery in London (5 March – 18 May 2014) and will also be presented at Museion in Bolzano (12 June to 13 September 2015) where Martino Gamper designed the Passage area in 2011. The exhibition at the Pinacoteca Agnelli is sponsored by BNP Paribas, Borbonese and Reale Mutua and with the contribution of FondazioneCRT. Martino Gamper (b. 1971, Merano, Italy) lives and works in London. Starting as an apprentice with a furniture maker in Merano, Gamper went on to study sculpture under Michelangelo Pistoletto at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna. He completed a Masters in 2000 from the Royal College of Art, London, where he studied under Ron Arad. Working across design and art venues, Martino Gamper engages in a variety of projects, from exhibition design, interior design, one-off commissions and the design of mass-produced products for the cutting edge of the international furniture industry. Gamper has presented his works and projects internationally, including selected exhibitions and commissions: ’Tu casa, mi casa’, The Modern Institute, Glasgow (2013); ‘Bench Years’, London Design Festival commission, V&A Museum, London (2012); ʻGesamtkunsthandwerk’ (Karl Fritsch, Martino Gamper and Francis Upritchard), Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth – New Zealand (2011); Project for Café Charlottenborg, Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen (2011); ‘Bench to Bench’, public street furniture in East London in collaboration with LTGDC (2011); ‘100 chairs in 100 Days’, 5 Cromwell Place, London (2007); ‘Wouldn't it be Nice...Wishful thinking in Art & Designʼ, Centre dʼArt Contemporain, Genève (2007). Gamper was the recipient of the Moroso Award for Contemporary Art in 2011, and the Brit Insurance Designs of the Year, Furniture Award in 2008 for his project ‘100 Chairs in 100 days'. www.pinacoteca-agnelli.it www.serpentinegalleries.org www.museion.com

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