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On the occasion of Fuorisalone Milan Design Week, famed Italian luxury lifestyle brand Frette turned to visual artist Alberto Maria Colombo to bring to life a multisensory digital experience in celebration of Naturalismo, the House’s first-ever 100% organic bed linen collection. The immersive installation marries the inherent luxury of natural beauty with a contemporary perspective reflective of the forward-thinking approach of Frette’s latest collection along with creativity for the modern, technology-driven world. The resulting installation demonstrates nearly two centuries of Italian innovation, craftsmanship and expertise alongside the modernity of AI creativity. At the centre – Frette’s masterful execution of Naturalismo.
Having drawn from nature for the past 160 years to realise its craft, Frette now looks to the future, dedicating focus on how to weave sustainability into its legacy. Special care and consideration have been dedicated to each stage of bringing Naturalismo to life. From the selection of the finest organic materials to the application of sophisticated dyeing expertise, fabric finishing and packaging, this sustainably-crafted collection is a celebration of Frette craftsmanship, making for a dream-like sleep imbued with the true luxury of natural beauty.
The installation - created by nature, crafted by Frette
Colombo’s AI installation for Frette transports viewers to an otherworldly oasis exuding the inherent power and beauty of nature. The installation is built on the basis of LED screens that reproduce work generated by Colombo’s exclusive AI algorithm. Thousands of static images recalling the concepts of flowers, nature and a futuristic, dream-like oasis have been fed into the aforementioned algorithm to produce a dynamic, ever-evolving video that conveys the wonders of Naturalismo, a display of which sits at the centre of the immersive installation. The artist’s aim is to find a peaceful balance between organic nature and cutting-edge technological evolution.
“We live in an age of constant technological revolutions. My wish is to bridge the gap between nature and technology. A connection between our place of origin and the road that is being laid in front of us. A healthy curiosity for the future, with a never-ending respect for the past,” says Colombo. The resulting experience, complete with sound, exudes a modern and contemporary lightness that approaches an ethereal, oneiric state.
About Alberto Maria Colombo
Born and raised in Milan, Alberto Maria Colombo moved to New York City in 2011, to study photography at the School of Visual Arts. In his professional growth, he assisted Mario Sorrenti. Later he became an art director at the creative agency Baron & Baron. Currently, besides photography and video, he is one the very first and leading artists in the use of Artificial Intelligence in the fashion industry. His AI art has been showcased at the Decentral Art Pavilion during the 2022 Venice Biennial, Art Basel Miami, Superchief Gallery in New York and Tokyo, and the Triennale Museum in Milan.
In his spare time, he’s a skilled hiker and rock climber: constant and prolonged experiences surrounded by wild and raw nature are a key element for his artistic and spiritual process, which allows him to seamlessly fuse the gentleness of nature with the intricacy of advanced technology.
STIR’s coverage of Milan Design Week 2023 showcases the best exhibitions, studios, designers, installations, brands, and special projects to look out for. Explore Euroluce 2023 and all the design districts—5Vie Art and Design, Brera Design District, Fuorisalone, Isola Design District, Tortona District, and Milano Design District—with us.
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