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Lissoni Associati’s modular fit-out responds to Palazzo Te’s latest exhibition
‘Giulio Romano. The power of things’ at Palazzo Te
Image: Courtesy of Palazzo Te
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Lissoni Associati’s modular fit-out responds to Palazzo Te’s latest exhibition

 ‘Giulio Romano. The power of things’, depicts designs and artworks by 16th-century artists, emphasising Giulio Romano's creative energy and artistic genius.

by Anushka Sharma
Published on : Oct 25, 2022

Roman artist and architect Giulio Romano was the principal heir of Raphael and one of the leading representatives of the Mannerist style. In 1524, the Renaissance painter left Rome for Mantua—where he remained until his death—becoming a prominent figure in the city’s artistic affairs and cultural life. The most noteworthy of his creative ventures was Palazzo del Tè. Ensconced on the outskirts of the city in Italy, the palace was designed as a residence for the Gonzaga family. The entire construction and the interior design of the structure were carried out between 1525 and 1535 by Romano and his pupils. For the latest exhibition that adorns this magnificent palace, Lissoni Associati revamp the interiors into an ideal exhibition space, a clandestine comrade that uplifts the showcase without drawing away the viewer’s attention.

Palazzo Te in Mantua
Palazzo Te in Mantua Image: Courtesy of Palazzo Te
The exhibition highlights the designs by Giulio Romano
The exhibition highlights the designs by Giulio Romano Image: Courtesy of Palazzo Te

Through ‘Giulio Romano. The power of things’, Palazzo Te reminds the world of the artistic genius of Romano that dominated the design landscape in the past. The design exhibition brings his works back to the rooms of his own creation, Palazzo Te. The extraordinary objects—weapons, vases, jugs, plates, and even salt shakers and knives—that Romano conceived to animate the courts of the lords of Renaissance Mantua adorn the exhibition space. The last event of the 2022 Mantua exhibition season: the Art of Living. The exhibition is curated by Barbara Furlotti and Guido Rebecchini and will be open to the public from October 8, 2022, to January 8, 2023.

The showcased objects include vases, weapons and tableware
The showcased objects include vases, weapons and tableware Image: Courtesy of Palazzo Te

The exhibition project was commissioned to Lissoni Associati, while the graphic project was developed by Lissoni Graphx. The fit-out for this exhibition by Lissoni Associati was conceived as a modular system. The structure features simple and transposable geometric elements that can be assembled in different ways, resulting in a flexible system that can adapt to the specific requirements of each exhibit. The display elements are a blend of anthracite grey smooth surfaces and a thick woven fabric of uniform colour. They are divided into full and empty spaces, flat surfaces and showcases which, in partnership with the graphic apparatuses, narrate the story of the lifestyle and the evolution of taste at the Gonzaga court in Renaissance Mantua. The modernist design of linear volumes strikes a dialogue with the curation of extraordinary objects and with the stately spaces of the building—isolating them from the context, but giving voice to their magnificence at the same time.

In addition, the brand identity of the seasonal programme 'Mantova: L’arte da vivere’ was developed by Lissoni Graphx, seeking to instil the sense of wonder that characterises the various exhibitions of the programme exploring different aspects of life during the Renaissance. The contents are thus interpreted in the graphic project through a very dry typography with sticks. This simplicity is contrasted by vivid colours evocative of the pop style, and with images that are reinterpreted in an ironic and singular way. The visual communication together with the publications that accompany the exhibitions revolves around the subjects without entirely explaining them, celebrating the intriguing force of magic.

The objects represent the refined taste of Mantuan court
The objects represent the refined taste of Mantuan court Image: Courtesy of Palazzo Te
The exhibition is divided into five sections
The exhibition is divided into five sections Image: Courtesy of Palazzo Te

The exhibition project draws inspiration from the creative energy of Giulio Romano and his highly representative objects. Made of precious materials and embellished with classical motifs, Gonzaga feats, and natural elements, the designs expressed a refined taste of the Mantuan court and shaped an image of unparalleled splendour. Giulio Romano's boundless imagination transformed Mantua into a frontier of 16th-century design. Reflections of his creative solutions were seen in luxury objects produced in the court of Spain, Fontainebleau, and Prague in the second half of the 16th century.

The exhibition also showcases drawings by 16th-century artists
The exhibition also showcases drawings by 16th-century artists Image: Courtesy of Palazzo Te
A pair of tongs formed by a duck’s bill and terminating in serpents’ heads
A pair of tongs formed by a duck’s bill and terminating in serpents’ heads Image: Courtesy of Palazzo Te

The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue published by Marsilio Arte, edited by Barbara Furlotti and Guido Rebecchini with the collaboration of Antonio Geremicca, with essays by Jasmine Clark, Adriana Concin, Barbara Furlotti, Davide Gasparotto, Antonio Geremicca, Marco Merlo, Guido Rebecchini and Linda Wolk-Simon, and an introduction by Stefano Baia Curioni. Through their modular fit-out Lissoni Associati realised a portal for ‘Giulio Romano. The power of things’ to explore the lives of 16th-century artists, particularly Giulio Romano—a window to the Renaissance, its extravagance, and the creative expression that painted it.

‘Giulio Romano. The power of things’ will be on view from October 8, 2022, to January 8, 2023, at Palazzo Te in Mantua, Italy.

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