Karim Rashid presents Alter Ego cabinet at Antonio Colombo Arte Contemporanea

Karim Rashid’s bespoke cabinet piece is on display as part of ‘In the Garden of Eden’ exhibition at Antonio Colombo Gallery or Antonio Colombo Arte Contemporanea in Milan. Rashid is one of the 23 eminent designers whose work has been showcased at the Italian art gallery, in addition to new editions of Alessandro Mendini’s designs, namely the Proust Chair, Four, Camino and a few others.

Mendini, a renowned designer and architect of Italian descent, would often collaborate with other designers, artists, architects, writers, artisans and musicians on his projects. This present-day exhibit brings together the works of some of the figures who accompanied Mendini on his various projects and consequently, serves as a homage to him. In doing so, the exhibition has achieved a symbolic formation of a very new group which comprises a set of variegated designers, each with an original niche.

Curated by Stefano Casciani and based on an idea of Antonio Colombo, the exhibit was produced with the cooperation of Elisa and Fulvia Mendini. The name of the exhibition was derived from one of Mendini’s philosophical diagrams that comprises the Earthly Paradise.

The paintings, sculptures, drawings, ceramics, glass, furniture and objects on display at the gallery are single-edition pieces that represent the distinctive intellectual sensibilities of their designers. In fact, the exhibition serves to satisfy the Mendini Theorem, which is ‘the idea that collective work can trigger achievement, generating important new creations and having a long and happy life, when every project is open to other voices, as in a grand Gesamtkunstwerk of visions, forms and people’.

The Alter Ego cabinet, placed amongst 22 other pieces at the exhibition, stands out as a classic Karim Rashid piece with its bold colours, glossy finish, unconventional shape and form and quirky composition. The cabinet masquerades as a standalone totem, concealing the shelves within and integrating the door handles as part of its design.

Other interesting pieces at the exhibition include a silver metal plate by Oscar Tusquets, a cabinet by Carla Ceccariglia, a woven wicker piece by Dorota Koziara and the original ‘Alessandro Guerriero: Al Diavolo Alchimia’ book cover image, made with oil paint on canvas by Alessandro Guerriero.

‘In the Garden of Eden’ is on view from 25th November 2021 to 26th February 2022 at Antonio Colombo Arte Contemporanea, Via Solferino, 44, 20121 Milano MI, Italy.